古人说：

The ancients said,

养成大拙方为巧，
学到如愚始见奇。

When one cultivates to the point of great stupidity,
one is truly clever.
When one learns to be like a fool,
one experiences that which is wonderful.

我们要学愚痴，但要学愚痴并不容易，因为境界时常来告诉你不要愚痴。所以养成大拙方为巧，修行就是要养拙，“拙”就是很笨的意思。修行要越笨越好，笨得什么也不知道，一点妄想也没有。你若不笨，妄想就多；妄想一多，就想考古、证今，或者想管许多闲事，或者想明白很多新闻，这都是修行的障碍。

We should learn to be dumb. Being dumb is not that easy, because we meet situations which tell us not to be dumb. "When one cultivates to the point of great stupidity, one is truly clever." Cultivation is just "nurturing stupidity," being very dumb. In cultivation, the dumber you are, the better. Be dumb to the point that you know nothing and have no rambling thoughts whatsoever. If you aren't dumb, you have many rambling thoughts. You want to study the past and verify the present, meddle in other people's business, or keep up with the news; these are all obstacles to cultivation.

真正的拙、愚痴是什么样子呢？就是“入定”。你入定了，东西南北都不知，与世事无争，自在无碍。为什么不能自在无碍？就因为还有争、贪、所求、自私、自利心，所以不能自在。你想要自在，但是办不到，因为你不满现实，不满现在、过去，总觉得人人对自己都不好，但自己对别人都很好。你总是自己为自己讲道理，自己站在不败之地，这样就不能修道。修道就是不为自己讲道理，不狡辩，不谈是非，所谓：

How can you be truly dumb? You must enter samadhi. Once you are in samadhi, you won't be aware of north, south, east, or west, and you won't care about worldly affairs; you'll be free and at ease. You cannot be this way now, because you still have thoughts of fighting, greed, seeking, selfishness, and self-benefit. You aren't satisfied with the way things are. You feel that you treat everyone well, but that everyone treats you badly. You always defend yourself and secure the most advantageous position for yourself. That's not the way to cultivate. If you want to cultivate, you cannot defend yourself, argue, or talk about other people's shortcomings.

摩诃萨不管他，
弥陀佛各顾各。

Mahasattvas don't care about others.
Amitabha Buddha, each man for himself.

常常守住自己的身心，不打那么多妄想，这才是真正的修道人。不是真修道人，天天都打妄想，总是在想办法得到利益。所以真正的修道人是“万缘放下，一念不生。”把一切名利，财色名食睡都放下了，一念不生；无我相、无人相、无众生相、无寿者相，常常自在快乐。

A true cultivator constantly watches over himself and doesn't entertain false thoughts, while a phony cultivator generates false thoughts and tries to think of ways to benefit himself all day long. A true cultivator "puts down all conditions and has no thoughts." He has no wish for name or gain, and he does not pursue wealth, sex, fame, food, or sleep. "Unattached to the ideas of self, others, living beings, and lifespan, he is always truly carefree and happy."

真正自在是什么？就是不打妄想。你若尽打妄想，就不能自在，总是尽虚空遍法界随处乱跑。所以你若不想真修行，那是无话可讲；你若想真修行，就不要打妄想。你要把心制之一处，使心念专一，所谓“专一则灵，分歧则蔽。”这是想修行的人所应该知道的一个道理。

What does being "truly carefree" mean? Having no false thoughts. If you have false thoughts, you cannot be carefree, because your thoughts will go running all over the universe. If you truly don't want to cultivate, there's nothing to be said. But if you do, then don't have false thoughts. Keep your mind single-pointed and concentrated. "When you concentrate, every endeavor is successful. When you're distracted, nothing turns out right." Anyone who wants to cultivate should know this principle.

一九八二年五月七日开示于万佛圣城