What is “Overcoming the Triple Hurdle”？

2012-09-22 05:16 来源：Mahamudra: Essence and Practice 作者：Xue Mo Translator：Agnes 浏览：63397107次

“Mahamudra: Essence and Practice” ( Book II)

What is “Overcoming the Triple Hurdle”?

◎Chen Yixin: When does one qualified for Buddhist retreat?

●Xue Mo: Having awakens to the true mind and sees the mind’s nature is the time to enter into retreat. When the guru directly reveals the mind’s nature to your own direct experience, you are considered to have overcome the “Initial Hurdle”. At this time, the yet distracted mind needs to be far away from the crowd, and being on retreat one can allow both insight and state of realization to be stabilized as well as further developed, after which one is ready to train the mind by engaging in worldly affairs, so much so that even in the face of arising situations one can maintain the prior realized state, and eventually broke through the “Significant Hurdle”, by which one can go about worldly affairs in the sustained awakened state,

because the inner state and the outer affairs had become one. Regardless of the type of situations one runs into, it became effortless to maintain the state of oneness, by now, the body, speech and mind have reached the state of complete abstain from defilement, but first and foremost is to continue deepening the practices in daily life.

◎Chen Yixin: Subsequent to overcoming the “Significant Hurdle”, why is it necessary to keep up the practice in mundane world?

●Xue Mo: The term “Triple Hurdle” in Ch’an School refers to “Initial Hurdle”, “Significant Hurdle” and “Established Hurdle” respectively. Each past generation of Ch’an masters has their own distinct interpretation of the Triple Hurdle. Following is my personal understanding of them:

Overcoming the “Initial Hurdle” is simply awakens to the true mind and sees the mind’s nature after which retreat is normally required. As one’s cultivation reaches the merging of this inner realization with the outer world, the “Significant Hurdle” is being overcome. At this time, all day long, one will stay in some type of wakeful lucidity, totally free of worries. As you reached this step, it is clear that your practice is splendid, but you are still not certain about its stability because your practice has not gone through trial of the outside world, so once out there, very likely you are going to fall in love with a girl at first sight. Therefore, at this time the main thing is to affirm one’s realization. How is affirmation being done? There are two kinds of affirmation, other than the guru’s affirmation; affirmation in daily life is also required. For the drill, you must engage in worldly affairs, to see if disgrace, hardship, and will power challenge can be taken well, to see in the midst of whichever contending circumstances, if that wakefulness and joyfulness can still be sustained?

In going through repeated adversities and contending circumstances, if your mind yet remains still, then apparently you have triumphed. Let’s say after you re-engage in worldly affairs but still subject to surrounding enticement, then apparently you have not triumphed, in this case, you must refresh the practice. For this reason, the then enlightened second patriarch of Ch’an School, after passing the lineage onto the third patriarch in his old age, he took off and mixed in as part of the slaughter house and brothel communities. At the time someone asked him: Being a monk, why did you come to places like these? The second patriarch then replied: I am maturating my awakened mind, why does it concern you? The fact is at the time, whether the second patriarch visited the brothel or someplace else, it would not have stirred up his mind at all, because upon awakening, nothing in this world can distract his mind, nothing can tempt him or confuse his mind. By then this true mind of his is very much free from attachment. Whether it is the cuddle of a beautiful lady, the bloody butcher house, or any other environment, his mind is entirely in a state of stillness and clarity, not vulnerable to contamination of any kind.

Now you say you have attainment. Suppose you have invested in stocks, can you maintain the freed state in spite of the sharp rise and fall of your own stock? As your million-dollar stock portfolio has risen fivefold within a short period of time, are you going to lose the mindfully wakefulness to ecstasy? Then all of a sudden, as this five million dollar plunged to rock bottom, are you going to lose the luminous wakefulness to depression?

When one has truly realized emptiness, those sentiments of merriment and dismay simply do not exist. Because he knows those things are in fact of minimal significance in his life. The sudden rise and fall of stocks is just an outward show to him, and he can understand those ups and downs episodes is actually a mere game.

Therefore it is said that after your attainment, in order to steer clear of temptations from all matters and circumstances, it is a must to undergo training by engage the world, only such is considered to be genuine practice.

◎Chen Yixin: Is it only when the aforesaid state has been reached, can one considered to be truly free from the disillusioned life?

●Xue Mo: That is correct. Take an example, a person who has already attained inner peace, staying in the house his mind is also very much lucid, but as he is face to face with the enticement of a beautiful girl, is his mind again as lucid and still? Then he ended up marrying her and things happened, like when she splashed a basin of foot-washing water on his head, is he still as lucid and cheerful? When she picked up the shoe to beat him up in her snarl, is he still as lucid and cheerful? When he is penniless yet fifty thousand dollars is needed for his child’s education, is he still as lucid and unruffled? When his child failed the university entrance exam and ended up crying, is he still as lucid and calm? When he found out his lovely daughter-in-law has committed adultery, is he still able to be as serene?

Suppose one is capable of maintaining clarity, serenity and wakefulness in the midst of the circumstances mentioned earlier, only then it is regarded as a genuine accomplishment. When he finds himself just awaits in the house and talks away his very much enlightened state with eyes closed, essentially that is not counted as true awakening, that can only be regarded as a kind of body and mind relaxation.

Some achieved ascetics deep in the forests, for the purpose of maturating the awakened mind, would specifically look for the pestering of a few mischievous monkeys, like pulling his ears, tearing his hair and clothes, in order to scrutinize the stillness of the mind. If under various constant aggravations the mind can remain still, it simply tells that he has truly accomplished. Yet there is another condition, suppose while in the house he can keep his mind still, but as he comes upon this temptation packed city, is he able to keep up the stillness?

There is a Buddhist monk; he spent over ten years on practicing “Asubha Meditation” (meditate on uncleanness), during which he never lays an eye on women, and his mind was also at peace during these years. More than ten years passed by, one day incidentally he looked up and saw a woman, immediately it felt like a thunder-kill, and then he said: “Of all things in the world women is the most beautiful”. For the most part, woman nevertheless has become an enormous temptation for him. Regardless of the length of time you spent on “Asubha Meditation”, without thoroughly maturating the awakened mind, eventually one would still be hold back by worldly allurement.

Yet for another practitioner, say vajrayana practitioner. Even when he is hugging a goddess like woman, his mind remains clear as sky, calm as still water. Therefore, using the same example to compare the vajrayana practitioner with the previously mentioned Buddhist monk, we can tell who has attained more superior nature. For instance, one day the honorable Milarepa, while was going to a place, there was a demon-transformed piece of enormous female genital blocked his way. For a Theravada practitioner, such encounter would shun him away immediately, because he fears that he cannot hold himself back and violates the precepts. But what did the honorable Milarepa do? Right away he turned himself into an enormous male genital to pass through the female genital. This is indeed a display of ultimate liberation, for at that instance he was able to engage his mind in the essence of Mahamudra, and no longer distracted by the worldly discernment. The mere appearance of the female genital cannot confuse his mind into fluster and unease.

◎Chen Yixin: As grasping is truly overcome, and reaches the state of Non-Practice Yoga, what will happen?

●Xue Mo: As one has truly transcended this level and approaches non-practice Yoga, dharma attachment must be eliminated, inner state and outer world must be blended together without any notions of awakening, to the extent where you cannot even detect any hint of enlightenment. Judging from the outside, you basically cannot tell whether he has attained or not. At this time, even beings in the higher realm, they are not able to know him thoroughly but feel that he is very much an ordinary person. This is the “ordinary mind” stated by Ch’an School. Some people mistook this divine “ordinary mind” as the confused mind of an ordinary

person, which is a faulty view. The genuine ordinary mind is the state of realized emptiness yet without the grasp of emptiness concept; it is a manifestation of great wisdom.

I had a poem that elucidates similar principle: “Vulgar woman same as pure woman, raising dust along worldly path. Delight in Three Pond Island mirrored moon, harmony with suchness without quest. One is a commoner so, sincerely loving the pure woman. Wash off concept of awakening, picking laurel fruit at West Lake. ” The poem is saying: by this time, the notion of awakening has been washed off completely, so while in the company of a pure woman —— how could it be not a pure mind —— and go pick laurel fruit at West Lake, only at this level, the practice is regarded as ultimate liberation. At this stage, all of his actions are turning the wheel of Dharma to transform living beings. The verse ”Wash off concept of awakening, picking laurel fruit at West Lake” expresses the scenario of turning the wheel of Dharam . How so? As he turns the wheel of Dharma, his mind is totally at ease, just like the leisure of picking laurel fruit at West Lake. This is because he has the presence of mind at all times, and this is attainment, the genuine great attainment. Those who have the mere outward display of great masters are definitely not the case.

Malirepa stayed in the cave all day long, completely looked like a messy old man. Isn’t this what a Geshe (Buddhist academic degree) once said? “the one whom they called Malirepa, his reputation vast as sky, but as I went to him to take a look, Oh, he is actually just an old guy with a fine belly.” The meaning of this is in the Geshe’s eyes Malirepa is merely a naked old fellow. Nevertheless, Malirepa eventually transformed this malicious Geshe who attempted to harm him, and he even wiped out the notion of liberating beings in his mind. When this state has been reached, if someone mentions the word “Buddha” to you, you might ask him not to bring up the word “Buddha” no more, because I do not like to hear it. By then, the mind rests in the space of emptiness, Dharmakaya and the Self has become one, the concept of Buddha and living beings no longer exists, and this is the true state of great compassion and loving kindness without borders. He only carries along a heart of being human; deliver as it fits, absolutely no attachment to affinities. For the ones who are ready, I shall reveal the Dharma to you; for those who are not ready, I also do not go looking for you, the principle is - deliver as it fits, reveal as it fits.

Back in the years as Malirepa was staying in the cave, when his students visited, he would talk or sing a little, after they left, he then engage in stream like Samadhi, singing his Doha (songs of realization) merrily. This is indeed realm of the ultimate.

◎Chen Yixin: Is he in the state of non-concept?

●Xue Mo: Correct. He is already free from the restrains of all worldly concepts; he perceives this world as an enormous dream, a humongous phantom. As a matter of fact, the aim of all practices is to reach such state. If you are still at the level of shunning away from attractive women, then it is not the ultimate yet.

I once had a dialogue with the awakened ones in Kwungchow, the content has been included into the subject of “Surpass and Shatter”, during the dialogue, a song of realization came into being; its content describes the feelings that followed my “breaking through”:

Without defamation without eulogy arrives in sheer nakedness.

With defamation with eulogy departs in sheer nakedness.

Defamation also eulogy too faded away like mist,

Face to the sky expelled a mouthful of breath.

Awake in dreams lucidly,

Cry in laughter unfettered.

The skyward hearty laughter yields no answer,

The head down lonely shadow has no one knows.

No quest for emancipation no quest for true,

Zero Dharma, zero self, zero luminous body of truth.

Various floras hardly lost the coming path,

Random clouds cannot sidetrack the going route.

Recalling the year after the teachings heard,

Invalidate also validate too distant like a lifetime apart.

Where is the ten-year piety at present moment?

Bygone is the pledge that spanned three lifetimes long.

Where are the sniggering goblins just now?

As if listening to nature’s sound in delightful abode.

Dandelions in the babbling wind,

Oh! Drifting, fading, and fallen which place?

Message to all awakened sons of Shangpa,

Propitious snowfall in rolling wind is precisely harmonious.

This moment my heart no longer clouded,

Whilst the moon further shines the path has no darkness.

Beneath the thousand-mile tread carries the how-joyful breeze.

Close to chest holds the grain of noble spirit.

Thrusting through sky as deterrent cut off,

Free my spirit into the space of ten directions and three realms.

Notice

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《光明大手印：实修心髓》下

什么是破三关？

◎陈亦新：什么时候才有资格闭关？

●雪漠：明心见性之后，就可以闭关了。在上师为你开示心性之后，你就破了初关。这时，心还散乱，需要远离人群闭关，让见地、体悟到的境界坚固，并慢慢增长，再出关入世，在事中磨炼自己的心性，遇事也能保持住那种境界，最后破了重关，打成一片了，不管遇到什么事，都不需要任何努力就能保持住那种境界，做到身远离、语远离、意远离。最重要的是，还要到生活中去历练。

◎陈亦新：为什么破了重关之后还要到红尘里面去历练？

●雪漠：禅宗里的三关，就是初关、重关、牢关。关于三关，历代的禅师都有不同的说法。下面是我个人对三关的理解：

破初关，就是明心见性，之后一般要闭关。当他把这种觉悟打成一片之后，就等于破了重关。这时候，他就整天处于一种觉性光明中，这是一种了无牵挂的光明。当你到这一步时，就说明你已经修得非常好了。但稳定不稳定，你自己还不能肯定，因为你没有在红尘中历练过，你很有可能碰到一个女孩子就立刻爱上她。所以说，这时候最主要的就是要印证自己证得的东西。怎么印证？印证有两种，除了明心见性后的上师印证之外，还要叫生活印证。你要进入红尘，在红尘中历练，看能不能忍辱、能不能历练苦难、能不能磨炼自己的意志、能不能在任何违缘中都能保持那份觉醒和快乐？

在经历过重重磨难和违缘之后，如果你仍然不动心，这就说明你成功了。如果说当你重入红尘后，被大千世界的环境所诱惑的话，就说明你没有成功。假如你没有成功，就得重新去修。所以，二祖觉悟之后，到了老年时就把法位传给三祖，自己则出去混迹于屠门妓院。当时有人问，你一个出家人，怎么到这种地方来了？二祖便回答说，我在调我的心，关你什么事？在那时，二祖就是到妓院或者其他的地方去也不会动心了，因为这个世界上已经没有能让他动心的东西，没有能诱惑他、能让他心乱的东西了。这时他的心已经非常能自主了。无论是在美女的怀抱中、屠场的血腥中，还是在任何环境里，他的心都如如不动、一片光明，已经没有任何可以污染他的东西了。

你说你成就了，要是你买了股票，当你看到自己的股票暴涨暴跌时，你是否仍能自在？当你买了一百万的股票，在不长的时间里涨到五百万的时候，你是否非常欢喜而失去正念觉性？突然之间，这五百万再跌落到低谷时，你是否会因沮丧而失去光明觉性？

当一个人真正地证悟空性后，就没有那些欢喜和沮丧了。因为他知道那些东西对于他的生命而言，其实没有太大的关系。股票暴涨也罢，暴跌也罢，对他来说，只不过是身外的东西而已。他会明白，那涨涨跌跌，其实仅仅是个游戏。

所以说，你成就之后，要想达到不为任何事、不为任何环境而动心，就必须到红尘中去历练，这样才是真正的修行。

◎陈亦新：是不是只有到了这种境界的时候，才算是对生死真正地看破了？

●雪漠：对。比如说，一个人他非常自在，待在房子里也非常清明。但是，他是不是在面对一个美少女的诱惑时仍然很清明，仍然那么如如不动？当和她结婚之后如果遇上一些事情，比如当她把一盆洗脚水泼在他头上的时候，他是不是仍然那样清明，是不是仍然那么快乐？当她抡着鞋咆哮着揍他的时候，他是否仍然那样清明？当孩子上学的时候需要五万元钱而自己身无分文时，他是否仍然那样清明安详？当孩子因为没有考上大学而在那儿哭的时候，他是否还是那样清明安详？当他发现自己的美媳妇正跟别人私通的时候，他是否还会那样安详？

如果说在这种环境中他仍然能够清明安详，不离觉性，那么才算真正的成就。当他只是待在房子里闭着眼睛说自己非常明白时，实质上那不算是真正的明白，那只能算是一种轻安而已。

有些在深山老林里苦修的成就者为了调心，他也会找一些调皮的猴子专门来折腾他，揪他的耳朵，撕他的头发、衣服，看这时候他的心是否仍然能如如不动。如果在诸恶缘相逼时还是如如不动，就说明他真的成就了。但还有一种情况，比如说他在一个房子中能如如不动，那么他是否在这座充满诱惑的城市中仍然能如如不动？

有一个僧人，他花了十多年时间用“不净观”去观照女人，他从来不望女人，十多年当中也非常宁静。当十多年后的一天，他偶然一抬头，看见了一个女人，顿时如遭雷殛，然后他就说：“世间万物中最美的就是女人。”实质上女人到最后还是给他造成了巨大的诱惑。不管你花了多长时间修“不净观”，如果调心不彻底的话，到最后还是会被红尘所牵留。

而另外一个行者，比如说金刚乘行者。即使他拥抱着一个天女般的美人，他的心仍然是天空般晴朗、静水般宁静。所以说，同样一个例子，拿金刚乘行者和前一个僧人作比较，就知道他们本质上谁高谁低了。比如密勒日巴尊者，有一天他去一个地方，一个魔化现为巨大的女性生殖器挡在了他的前面。要是小乘行者遇上这种情况就会马上回避，因为他害怕自己会把持不住，会犯戒。但是密勒日巴尊者怎么样呢？他马上化现为一个巨大的男性生殖器从这个女性生殖器里面穿了过去。这才是真正的大自在，因为当时他的心仍然处于那种大手印光明境中。那时，世界上世俗的那种分别相已经不能干扰他了。他的心并不因为前面有那个女性生殖器的形象而变得混乱，变得慌张不安。

◎陈亦新：真正地实现了破执，达到了无修瑜伽时，又会怎样？

●雪漠：真正超越了这一层面，进入无修瑜伽时，就要扫除那些对法的执著，要和光同尘，扫除悟迹。你甚至看不出他有啥开悟的样子了。从外表看，你根本无法判断他是否成就。这时，天人也罢，神仙也罢，都识不透他，都会觉得他非常平常。这才是禅宗中说的平常心。有些人将平常心当成了凡夫的平常心，这是不对的。真正的平常心，是证得空性而又不执著空性才能出现的状态，是一种大智慧的体现。

我写过一首诗，讲述同样的道理：“俗女即素女，扬尘在俗途。愜意三潭月，不求契如如。我为大俗子，款款缱素女。洗尽心头觉，西湖采桂子。”这时候，心头的觉悟也被洗掉了，带着素女——何尝不是素心——去西湖采桂子，修到这时，才是真正的大自在。这时候，他的所有行为，无不在转法轮度化众生。“洗尽心头觉，西湖采桂子。”这都是在转法轮。什么意思呢？他转法轮时，也像西湖采桂子那么自然悠闲。因为，无论什么时候，他都有一颗平常心，这时候才是成就，才是真正的大成就。那些看起来像大成就师的，绝不是大成就师。

密勒日巴整天坐在山洞里，纯粹就像一个糟老头。有个格西不是这样说吗？“人称密勒日巴者，他的名声大如天，我到跟前一观看，噢，原来是个精肚子老汉。”意思是说他眼中的密勒日巴仅是个赤身裸体的老头。但最后，密勒日巴把毒害他的格西也度化了。他甚至把度人的名相也扫干净了。到了那种境界，如果有人在你面前提到“佛”字，你可能会说，别说了，这个“佛”字，我不爱听。这就是一种境界。这时候，对于他们来说，所有名相已经没有了。到那时，心与空性合一，我与法界无别，已经没有众生和佛的概念了。这才是真正的无缘大慈和同体大悲。这时他只有平常心，随缘度化，绝不攀缘。有缘的，我给你说一说；无缘的，我也不去找你，随缘度化，随缘示现。

密勒日巴待在山洞里时，弟子们来了就说说话，唱唱歌。弟子们走后，他就进入流水三昧，快乐地唱唱道歌。这种境界，才最究竟。

◎陈亦新：是不是说他已经没有那种概念了？

●雪漠：对，那时他的心中已经扫除了世间的概念对他的束缚。在他眼中的世界，只不过是一个巨大的梦幻，是一种巨大的幻化。其实修道修到最后它就是类似于这样的东西。你如果怕美女而躲起来的话，还不究竟。

我曾经跟广州的明子搞过一个对话，内容便是“超越与打碎”，在那次对话中，我作了一首道歌，其内容便说我在“打破”之后的感受：

无毁无誉赤条条来，有毁有誉赤条条去。

毁也誉也化云烟，仰脸向天吁口气。

明明朗朗梦中醒，逍逍遥遥笑里哭。

仰天大笑无回音，垂首只影人不识。

不求解脱不求真，无法无我无明体。

百草难迷来时径，乱云不歧去时路。

记得那年闻法后，破也立也如隔世。

十载虔信今何在？三生誓约随它去。