在生活中力行体悟“六度” -- 【编辑室】

佛家提出的“六度”，表面上看来，是高不可攀的指标；许多初学者，无不被这个指标吓坏了。事实上，，佛陀所提的“六度”根本上就是与我们生活作息相关的，在每天的生活中，无处不存在着“六度”的影子。

修习“六度”就是在修正自己的行为，导正自己不好的习性，净化身心灵魂。其实，在修习六度之前，我们首先要清楚地明白为何要修行，修行的目的是什么，因此，在建立起正确的观念的前提下，有层次地一步一脚印的学习。如果不知道自己在修什么，只跟着大伙儿在空喊、盲目地修行，那么，这可就毫无意义可言，而如今的社会还有着许多人都是以这种心态在“修行”的。如果你真要修行，就一定要清楚了解，免得浪费时间、浪费生命。

在修行的路途上，除了要修正自己的行为，导正自己不良习性外，还要时刻地忏悔，忏悔自己往昔身、语、意，所造的诸恶业，戒除贪、瞋、痴，断除烦恼根。但是修行最重要是要“修心”，在生活中去力行去体悟，才是真正的修行，如果只在经典书籍上进行钻研参悟，大嚼口舌之争论，这不过是在纸上谈兵，对真正修行帮助不大，这样是无法获得大智慧的，也无法解度我们人生和生死烦恼的问题，更无法跳出生死轮回的命运。

修行如能以“体行六度波罗蜜”的基上来修行，也就是布施、持戒、忍辱、精进、禅定、智慧(般若)等六波罗蜜，那是成道、成佛唯一的途径，也是最确实的基本功；对于初学的修行人，是个很好的依循方式，从六波罗蜜力行中确实去行、去做，必可体悟出般若的智慧，所以不管是初修或已修一段时间的修行人，都应在生活当中，力行这六度波罗蜜，才能有机会到达彼岸，度脱烦恼生死的苦海。

在力行六度波罗蜜时，尤其是在力行布施，不能有目的；行布施时，更不能以追求名利、地位、福报为目的，这才是真正的布施波罗蜜，佛陀指出：“菩萨于法应无所住行于布施。若菩萨不住相布施，其福德不可思量。”

【Editorial】

One Life, Five Precepts: Buddhist Ethics for Modern Living

We are familiar with the general maxim:?? “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” and “Don’t do to others what you don’t want to be done to you.” The Buddhist understanding of precepts transcends that mundane saying by taking it a step further.

In Buddhism, the five precepts are based on the virtue of compassion for oneself and for all living beings. Thich Nhat Hanh said that the five precepts can also be viewed as the five mindful trainings, while Master Yin-shun called the first four precepts (killing, stealing, sexual abuse and lying) as natural laws because the violation themselves is tantamount to criminality. To break the five precepts is wrong regardless of one’s inclination to accept them or not.

Master Yin-shun says: “People who take the Three Refuge but do not accept and keep the five precepts can be said to be ‘upasakas and upasikas’ in name only.” He advised that one must be clear that when one takes the Three Refuge to follow the path to liberation, one should also vow to “protect living beings” in our daily practice.

We are delighted to feature the book “One Life, Five Precepts: Buddhist Ethics for Modern Living” by Venerable Faxun who holds a Bachelor of Arts and Education degree from the University of Western Australia, where she majored in linguistics and Asian studies.” Her insights will help deepen and broaden our understanding of precepts keeping. As such, we rejoice in publishing her works in a three-part series starting from the current December issue of the For You Magazine.

Read the book in its entirety at http://ethics.buddhist.sg/