狮吼音·开示集：反躬自身，省察自心

　　反躬自身，省察自心

　　对于每一位修持者或是对佛法感兴趣的人而言，从一开始即能“审视自心”是很重要的的。这是在修习佛法的前进阶段中的第一步，也是最重要的一步。如同学习外语的基础阶段，无论是英语、印度语或是任何一种语言，我们都是从字母表开始，然后再进行系统的训练课程。对于每一种形式的学习，一开始均是如此，继而才逐渐进入更高深的修学。只有在完成了基本的课程之后，我们才能继续进入更广阔的学习领域并加以修持。

　　To every individual practitioner, or those who have interest in the Dharma, it is very important right from the beginning to check and watch one’s own mind. This is the first and foremost step in the progressive stages of Dharma practice, like learning the basic course of any language. We start with the alphabet, whether it’s English or Hindi or whatever. That too should then follow a systematic course of discipline. It’s the same for every form of study right from the beginning. Thereafter one moves on progressively to higher and further practices and studies. After having completed the basic courses one then proceeds on to more and broader learning and practices.

　　然后，我们应当时常让身心保持一种自在与宁静。由于我们都身处在一个忙碌而拥挤的社会，因此内心的平和就尤为重要。我们的心识倾向于散乱，充满了各种观念与意识，这使得我们难于认知内在本具的无伪心性，我们变得无法分辨什么是概念性的思想，什么是真实的心性。因此，我们无法控制我们的概念性思考，也不能减少情绪以及负面思想。

　　Then again, one should always keep the mind and body in a relaxed and peaceful way. The pacification of mind is important because we all live in a busy and crowded society. We all tend to have somewhat distracted minds full of various conceptual thoughts and perceptions. This makes it difficult for us to recognize the inherent true nature of the mind and so we become unable to differentiate the conceptual thoughts and the true nature of the mind. Thus we can not control our conceptual thinking nor lessen the passions and our negative thoughts.

　　一旦我们通过平伏自心而止息错误的概念性思维，我们就会认知到心性，所有修持由此而趋进正确之道。

　　Once we have subdued wrong conceptual thinking by pacifying the mind then we will recognize the nature of the mind. Every practice then becomes right.

　　之前曾经说过，我们永远应该评判自己多于评判他人。真正对一个人的修持与行为有所帮助的是，审察其自身的过失、错误与缺点。

　　As was said before, we should always judge ourselves more than we should judge other. The true improvement of one’s practice and conduct will be through checking for one’s own defects, faults and short comings.

　　通常，大部分的人都习惯于评判其他人，而不是反省自心与自身的行持，这实际上是错误的，并不能帮助我们进步。所以，简单说来就是：都要反躬自身、省察内心，这样方可对修持有所裨益，同时你能因此认知到你的心性，从而助益他人。

　　It is very usual that most individuals have the habit of judging others rather than judging one’s own mind and actions.  This is actually wrong and won’t help us to progress. So, in brief always judge yourself and your mind as this will improve your practice and you will also be able to recognize the true nature of your mind as well as be of help to others

　　在平息心念、令心安住之后，  就叫做“息内”或定静，也就是“止”。你应该运用观呼吸的方法来做“止”─(梵语：奢摩他)的修练。

　　So after subduing the mind and making the mind stable then this is called Shiney or Calm Abiding (Samatha) and with this practice of Shiney you should do the practice of counting the inhalation and exhalation of the breath..