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極樂世界是不是虛妄的？ - 第236集
Is the Land of Ultimate Bliss illusory?
為什麼佛法重視禪定？因為自性本定。起心動念跟自性是相違背的，萬緣放下就是隨順自性。自性裡頭一法不立，就是它什麼都沒有，你心地要乾乾淨淨、統統放下，跟自性就相應，隨順自性。心裡放了有東西，錯了，凡夫。
Why does Buddhism attach great importance to the cultivation of meditative concentration? Because the true nature is originally unmoved and in samadhi. Having thoughts is contrary to the true nature while letting go of all worldly matters corresponds with the true nature. Nothing exists in the true nature (i.e., it has nothing at all), so if your mind is clean without afflictions, you are corresponding with the true nature. Retaining something in your mind is wrong because this is the mind of ordinary beings.
六道凡夫全是妄想，沒有一樣是真的。凡所有相皆是虛妄，那我們要問，極樂世界是不是虛妄的？極樂世界不是虛妄的。極樂世界有沒有相？有相，這個相是性德，不是妄想。十法界依正莊嚴是從妄想變現出來，極樂世界的相是性德，自性變的。
Ordinary beings of the Six Realms are preoccupied with wandering thoughts, not knowing that nothing is real. As the Diamond Sutra states, “Everything with form is illusory (unreal).” We may then ask, “Is the Land of Ultimate Bliss illusory?” No, it is not. Does the Land of Ultimate Bliss have forms? Yes, it has, but those forms are innate virtues and not wandering thoughts. The circumstantial and direct adornments of the Ten Dharma Realms are manifested from wandering thoughts, while the phenomena in the Land of Ultimate Bliss are manifested by the true nature.
自性現，遇到緣它現，沒有緣它隱，它有隱現，它不是生滅。生滅是剎那不住，前面相跟後面相不一樣。極樂世界是前面相跟後面相是一樣的，所以它不是生滅。於是我們就知道了，極樂世界人長壽，個個都是無量壽，但是永遠年輕，沒有衰老。
These phenomena are apparent when they encounter a condition, but in the absence of condition, they will be concealed. That’s why those phenomena can be apparent or concealed, but they neither arise nor cease. The phenomena of arising and ceasing never stop for a moment, so the phenomenon before and after are different. The phenomenon in the Land of Ultimate Bliss is always the same, so it neither arises nor ceases. So, we know that the people in that Land have infinite lifespan, but they are forever young without senescence.
衰老是什麼？有變化，他沒有變化。同樣一個道理，人心要是定的、清淨的，雖然年歲高，但是他衰老得很緩慢，八十歲的人看起來像六十歲，一百歲的人看起來像七十歲，這樣的。這是什麼原因？心清淨。心裡妄念多，煩惱多，雜念多，他的變化快，也就是他衰老得快。念頭控制我們身體、控制我們的生活環境，我們不能不知道。
What is senescence? It is having changes. The people in the Land of Ultimate Bliss never change. Likewise, if people’s mind is still and pure, they will age very slowly despite their old age. For example, an eighty-year-old will look like sixty-year-old, and a hundred-year-old will look like seventy-year-old. What is the reason? Because their mind is pure. By contrast, people with many wandering and distracting thoughts (i.e., afflictions) will age fast. We must know that thoughts take control of our body and living environment.