29/12/2021 DAILY ENLIGHTENMENT - 日日觉

有一天, 一位學生请示盘圭禅师说: “我天生暴躁的性情, 不知道要怎么样才能改正?”

盘圭禅师说: “你把这天生暴躁的性格拿出来, 我帮你改掉。”

學生回答: “不行啊! 我现在没有。但是, 一碰到某些事情的时候, 那天生的性急暴躁才会跑出来, 然后就会控制不住地发脾气。”

盘圭禅师于是说: “这个情形是很奇妙的。如果现在没有, 只是在某些偶发的情况下才会心情暴躁, 可见得这不是天生的, 而是你和别人争执时, 自己造就出来的。可是, 现在你却把它说成是天生的, 把过错推给上天, 推给父母, 未免太不公平了。”

學生经过禅师的一番开示之后, 终于会过意来, 从此努力改掉暴躁的个性, 再也不轻易发脾气了。

One day, a student asked Zen Master Pangui, "I am born with a bad temper. How do I correct it?"

Pangui replied, "Bring me your innate bad temper, and I will help you get rid of it."

The student replied, "No! I do not have it now, but when I encounter certain situations, that innate temperament will appear, then I will lose control and get angry."

Pangui said, "This condition is very strange. It doesn't exist now, and will only appear under certain circumstances. It can be seen that this is not innate, but it is created by yourself when you are arguing with others. But, now you say it is innate, and push the fault to heaven and to your parents. How unfair!"

After listening to the Zen master's teaching, the student finally understood. After that, he worked hard to change his temperament and never got angry easily.