住无量心林钰堂“应无所住而生其心”是金刚经里的名句。“应无所住”教人不要执着；“而生其心”指示灵活运用。惠能（禅宗六祖）一闻便悟；一般人要想达到，却有不知如何着手的困惑。 执着有浅深，浅者可能以语言形容，深者可能无从把捉，因此无法全靠点破，还要等待时节因缘，也就是说，心中的清明是要靠长期的努力才能渐臻纯洁。“无所住心”是崇高的境界，对一般人是可望而难以企及的，因此在实修上，我们需要寻找一个登高的指标，指导我们如何由烦恼窝里渐渐走出，迈向“无所住心”的高峰。 学佛通常都说要发菩提心，立菩提愿，行菩提行。这是正确的指导，然而细究起来，构成菩提心行的要素─求证佛果，往往只是抽象的概念。不管略说“智悲圆融”，或是细论“五智四悲”，与一般人的生活相形之下，都是做不到的。 四无量心：
依次来说，四无量心指导我们先由拔苦、予乐这两方面着手来为一切众生服务；并且要理智地考虑到苦乐的因果条件，而在培植因缘上努力。接着，要追求无苦之乐，也就是那超出轮回于世间的解脱之乐，因此需要学习佛法，将“无执忘我，开阔利他”实践在生活之中。至于“住平等大舍”则是指示我们─只有在“无所住心”、无偏、无私的清明心态中才是解脱，也才能够真诚并且恰切地为众生服务。这在实行上，就是要能忍让、包容，超出亲仇、利害的分别，平等爱护。 圆融来说，四无量心指导我们在无所住心的平等大舍中，生起为一切众生拔苦、予乐的心行，并且要彻底地达到无苦的解脱之乐。因此在自省上，我们有明确的目标，就是要“自净其意、广大发心”；在服务上，我们有明确的方针，就是“拔苦予乐、分享法喜”。更由于四无量心都是以一切众生为中心，以究竟之乐为终极，自然是时空无限的开展。这样一来，无尽的佛果呼之欲出，菩提心行也就在其中了。 怎样才能使一切众生离苦、得乐、充满法喜禅悦？有限的我们既不能给予绝对的答案，也无能使之充分实现。在这样冷静的检讨下，四无量心是否只是“望梅止渴”或者“画饼充饥”的口号而已呢？不是的。虽然绝对的理想需要经过生活的考验，才能形成实际可行的智慧，虽然人间的净土需要大家在天灾人祸之中不断的护持、重建，如果我们不步步朝向真善美迈进，我们就会渐渐沉陷在弱肉强食的悲惨之中。一点一滴不断的努力才累积成此刻吾人享有的安乐；一丝一毫私心的纠缠牵连成今日我们烦恼的缚茧；因此取舍之间必需谨慎。勿以善小而不为；勿以路遥而却步。理想愈高，我们愈需要奋发励行。 在个人份上，若无四无量心的指导，则身陷现实生活中的利害、烦恼，那能不痛苦、闭塞？那有安宁的时刻可言？反过来看，若能把心住在四无量心的境界上，则人生际遇的顺逆浮沉都微不足道，因为我们已超出了私人间的对立和计较，一切的努力都只在如何为世间减一分苦和添一分乐上考虑。这种无尽的事业使我们从个体的束缚中脱出，而融合在“有情一体”的大爱里。这种服务的行为并不一定需要如何特立独行，只要在自己的生活中，基于这种无尽的觉醒与关怀，对周遭的人多给一分温暖，多伸一份援手，容忍以致祥和，便能慢慢增长自己生活的智慧，并给人间增添一些欢乐。 “无所住心”太难实修，所以我建议以较易把握的“住无量心”来做为实修的指针，希望行者因之而能逐渐趋入“无所住而生其心”。但是在日常生活中，正逢“锱铢必较”的当头，要保持“住无量心”，实在是太难了。因此我们需要养成每天做佛课的习惯，以培养平日心地的清明。一方面我们要常想到无常─人生短暂，不值得争执，便容易超出个人的烦恼。一方面我们要勤于念佛，由念念纯粹达到生命的净化。这样我们便能免得在柴米油盐、灯红酒绿之间昏头转向，而能在采菊东篱时，享受南山悠然的恬淡。 一九九二年元月二十九日 相关档案： Abiding in the Boundless MindDr. Yutang Lin
This article is based on a Chinese work of mine, titled 住无量心 and appeared in my book 无限的智悲 (Limitless Wisdom and Compassion) which was published for free distribution in 1993. Shou-Yean, my wife, found the message contained in this article to be very helpful for people immersed in worldly daily life. Therefore she suggested that I make it available for English readers as well.
Abiding in the Boundless Mind
To be free from attachments and the consequential prejudices is a very difficult task because some attachments and prejudices are easier to discern and formulate while others may be inexpressible and almost humanly impossible to relinquish even when recognized to be such. Therefore, it cannot be accomplished merely by others' pointing them out; it can only be achieved by one's conscious and continuous effort in adopting Buddhist practice. Clarity and tranquility is an innate quality of our mind; however, for those who have become aware of their inner pollution and turmoil it will take long-term nourishing to gradually regain purity of mind. Abiding nowhere is an ideal goal of freedom of mind which is hardly applicable to an ordinary person even if he is aspiring to it. In actual practice we need to find a practical guideline showing us the direction toward the summit of abiding nowhere, thereby we may gradually climb out from the whirlpool of worldly suffering and sorrows. In the course of Buddhist practice it is generally taught that one should develop the Bodhi-mind, establish one's Bodhi-vows, and practice Bodhi-activities; all of these aspire to help all sentient beings attain Enlightenment. This is of course a correct teaching. Nevertheless, upon closer reflection one recognizes that the essential factor in Bodhi-mind, Bodhi-vows and Bodhi-activities, namely, the Enlightenment of Buddha, is only an abstract concept to us ordinary people. Be it described generally as the unification of Wisdom and Compassion or in more detail as the five aspects of Wisdom and the four levels of Compassion, it is simply beyond the reach of our ordinary daily lives. Our daily lives are subject to many conditions and restrictions, and are full of antagonism, hindrance, judgment and choices. The state of Buddhahood is inconceivable and even beyond the limits of time and space. Therefore, the process of reaching Enlightenment is an approximation from a finite state to an infinite one. In the light of this observation it seems to me that the well-known Four Kinds of Boundless Mind would serve as an appropriate guideline in the process of purification toward Buddhahood—our original purity.
All of them share one essential feature—its scope encompasses all sentient beings without limitation of space and time. These four kinds of Boundless Mind guide us to serve all sentient beings in the following order: First, we should endeavor to help them become free from suffering and attain happiness, and we need to consider rationally the causal conditions involved in order to plant proper causes and develop favorable conditions. Secondly, we should pursue the joy which is beyond the suffering of transmigration, hence we need to learn and practice the teachings of Buddha. In our daily activities we should endeavor to incorporate a spirit of being free from attachments beyond selfish considerations, and opening up to the world in taking others' interest to heart. Thirdly, only when we abide nowhere, i.e., staying in the equanimity and clarity of mind which is free from discrimination and prejudice, can we attain liberation and also serve sentient beings sincerely and appropriately. This means, in practice, we should be patient, tolerant, above prejudiced favoritism, and maintain a universal loving-kindness. The spirit of these four kinds of Boundless Mind should be integrated as a whole. Thus they teach us to abide in the equanimity of abiding nowhere, from which spontaneously develop activities that relieve suffering of and bring happiness to all sentient beings, and perfect our services by bringing about the joy of Enlightenment transcending transmigration. Following this teaching we will have a definite goal in reflecting on ourselves, namely, to purify our intentions and enlarge our horizons. We will also have a tangible guideline in serving others, namely, to relieve suffering, bring happiness and share the joy of the Dharma. Furthermore, since all four kinds of Boundless Mind center around all sentient beings and together they aim at the ultimate joy of Buddhahood, their application is naturally boundless in time and space. Consequently, the ultimate realization of Buddhahood is forthcoming from their backstage, and the Bodhi-activities are interwoven into their functioning. In reality, how could we relieve suffering of all sentient beings, bring happiness to them, and share the joy of the Dharma with them? We are so limited in our resources and abilities that neither a definite answer nor a feasible solution is apparent. Upon such a cool and rational reflection one may wonder if the four kinds of Boundless Mind are merely fanciful idealism that can yield only temporary and psychological self-deceit. No, that is not the case. Although absolute ideals need to be seasoned by real-life experiences to become pragmatic wisdom, and a paradise on earth requires constant maintenance and reconstruction from damage and destruction caused by nature or human folly, if we do not march step by step toward truth, beauty and goodness, we will inevitably sink inch by inch into the mire of survival by violence and brutal force. Whatever we enjoy now is the result of an accumulation of effort and labor, and the cocoon of sorrow enclosing us has been woven continuously by tiny threads of selfishness, therefore we cannot but be cautious in choosing the direction of our activities. Stop not from doing even trivial acts of goodness; and stall not from marching onto a long journey. The higher the ideal, the more diligent and strenuous we should be. As far as an individual is concerned, without the guidance of the four kinds of Boundless Mind one would be immersed in the sorrows and conflict of interests of daily life, then how could one be free from agony and self-centeredness, and when will one find a moment of tranquility and rest? In contrast, when one abides in the openness of the four kinds of Boundless Mind the ups and downs of personal life is readily accepted as it is—a small potato—in the universe. The four kinds of Boundless Mind guide us to transcend the antagonism and criticism among individuals and to direct all our efforts toward relieving suffering of and adding happiness to the world. Engaging in the endless activities of compassionate service would free ourselves from the prison of self-centeredness and nourish all of us with the universal love encompassing all sentient beings. To engage in compassionate service it is not necessary to go in an eccentric way. One may just as well spread the spirit of Boundless Mind in daily life with the awareness of boundless compassion—be helpful and kind to people you encounter, be tolerant to induce peace and harmony, and you will add happiness to life and gradually mature in wisdom. Abiding nowhere is too difficult to practice for most of us; therefore, I suggest that we adopt the more tangible Four Kinds of Boundless Mind as the guiding principle of our daily activities. I hope that in this way the practitioner may gradually approach and realize the state of abiding nowhere and yet developing one's intentions. However, right at the moment of complicated weighing and calculating of loss and gain it is almost impossible to even think of Boundless Mind. To overcome such a difficulty we need to develop the habit of doing certain Buddhist practices daily at a regular time. A good practice recommended by many Buddhist sages and teachers as suitable for most of us is the chanting of Amitabha. Through the force of habit developed by daily practice our mind may become clearer and purer. On the one hand, we need to remind ourselves of the impermanence and transience of life, and conclude that life is too short and precious to throw into inconsequential arguments and fights. Such an awakening will free us from our sorrows. On the other hand, we need to practice diligently the chanting of Amitabha (or some other Buddhist practice) to purify our minds through constant repetition of a pure and holy name. In this way we will not get lost in the necessity and triviality of worldly subsistence and may retain a peace of mind for enjoying the leisure of a simple and pure life as revealed in the following stanza of the Chinese poet Tao Yuan Ming:
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