20131210《靜思妙蓮華》五根五力根成惡破
⊙道法入心持三七，四念處中隨身記，二五根力用心行，七八精進正思惟。
⊙四念處：觀身不淨，觀受是苦，觀心無常，觀法無我。
⊙五根：即能生一切善法。
信根：信於正道也。
精進根：修正法無雜。
念根：正法記憶不忘。
定根：攝心不散也。
慧根：諸法觀照明了。
此五法是生聖道的根本，故名五根。
⊙五力：善根雖生，惡猶未破，更須修習，令根增長，根成惡破，復名為力。
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【證嚴上人開示】
我們「道法入心持三七，四念處中隨身記，二五根力用心行，七八精進正思惟」。我們大家在探討佛法，發心修行，我們對「三十七助道品」是很重視。
常常向大家提起，菩提道要如何走？道要入心，道法入心要好好謹持著，要好好奉持，持法入心。這「三十七道品」是我們不能放棄，也要很瞭解、清楚，這是我們學佛者的基礎。它不只是一個名詞，也不只是一個數字，它是要讓我們身體力行走在道路上，安全到達佛的境界。所以道法要入心，最重要的我們要奉持這「三十七助道品」。
要讓大家更加清楚記住的，就是「四念處中隨身記」。這是因為四念處與我們的身體很有關係。第一個念頭，我們就要知道「觀身不淨，觀受是苦，觀心無常，觀法無我」。這四種法我們若好好用心，我們的生活中法入心、法在行中。這是四念處。
⊙四念處：觀身不淨，觀受是苦，觀心無常，觀法無我。
「二五根力要用心行」。二個五——五根、五力。這五根、五力我們要時時用心。我們的心，日常的生活都是在「根」與「力」之中，才能護持我們的道心，所以我們要用心行。
「七八精進正思惟」，七菩提分、八聖道分，我們要很用心。若能在「七菩提分」去精進，我們就不會偏差掉了；以及「八聖道分」，我們的思想、理念、行為種種就不會偏差。
所以修行總是在「三十七助道法」裡。這些數字加起來就是三十七，所以用「口訣」的方式記憶，大家多用點心，因為我們行道，同時我們也要鋪路。
常常告訴大家說，「慈濟」是用愛鋪路走過來。愛是無私的大愛，也就是「無緣大慈，同體大悲」。我們「上求佛道、下化眾生」，我們要付出慈悲喜捨，我們的內心也要誠正信實。
誠正信實是不斷在求法、學法精進；慈悲喜捨是不斷付出。學法的過程，我們就像在鋪路，將路鋪好。「三十七助道品」是菩薩菩提大直道，所以這條路我們要好好鋪，鋪好了路才能帶人走。慈悲喜捨入人群中，我們這路基若沒有打穩，如何能走得通？所以請大家要很用心在這「三十七助道品」裡。
我們已經說過了四念處、四正勤、四如意足，現在接下來就是五根、五力了。
⊙五根：即能生一切善法。
信根：信於正道也。
精進根：修正法無雜。
念根：正法記憶不忘。
定根：攝心不散也。
慧根：諸法觀照明了。
此五法是生聖道的根本，故名五根。
「五根]就是能生一切善。根，就如一棵樹或者是種在土地上的植物，根若沒有伸出去，芽就發不出來；根若沒有很健壯，這棵樹就無法高大。所以我們看到樹有多高大，若問：「這棵大樹它的根有多長？」
你可以安心回答他：「它的樹枝延伸到哪裡去，它的樹根就伸到哪裡去？」因為它的樹根伸出去，這棵樹才會很壯，才能伸枝、能長葉。
所以根、莖、枝、葉這都是要看它的根有沒有健壯？伸得夠長否？所以「根生一切善法」，將它比喻就像樹一樣，根要能穩固，上面的枝葉就能很茂盛。
我們也常說，這個人他的根機很好，也就是說他的思想、理念、智慧很堅固，所知的事情很實在。這樣叫做根。尤其常常跟大家說，佛陀說法是「隨機逗教」，「機」就是根機。我們眾生到底能堪得受多少水分？佛陀就施多大的教法給我們。同樣的道理，大根大機或者是小根小機，這就是佛在《法華經》要如何施教的方向。
所以我們對這個「根」，我們要用心。根若是健壯，我們要吸收的法就能很穩定。所以，根有五種，第一就是「信根」。
信，「信為道源功德母」。常常說，你要研究佛法，要瞭解佛陀的智慧，第一個條件就是要信，而且是很堅定的信，甚至要很正確的信。所以，這個信就是道源，我們道的源頭。在這裡就告訴大家，「信根，信於正道也」。我們懂得信，我們要向正道信。
我們必定要相信，佛陀的道法是無量無邊，前面說過「盡行諸佛無量道法」。釋迦佛已經無央數劫親近過無央數佛，所以這麼多佛，經過這樣一直吸收，身體力行，所以「盡行諸佛無量道法」。這一段大家要很記得。現在所說的「三十七助道品」，也是要讓大家更加瞭解道法的基礎，所以道法，我們從信開始。所以「信於正道」就是佛之道。佛就是覺，覺悟之道，這就是要從信入。
第二精進根。我們要精進，精進的根若能很堅固，就是「修正法無雜」，我們就能一心一志向前前進。走路，我們若是稍微偏差，心若稍微雜亂，走路就會走很多的冤枉路。我們若能很精進，信得正，自然我們的精進，向前的道路就沒有偏差。這是第二。
第三就是念根，「正法記憶不忘」。我們每天聽法，法要聽進去，不要把它忘掉。這個正法是過去諸佛菩薩、或是古德祖師，不斷為我們鋪過來的路，所以我們應該要心心念念在正法中，記憶住，不要把它忘掉。這是第三。
第四就是定根。定，我們要定，心不要雜，一直跟大家說，心要定。戒、定、慧叫做「三無漏學」，法入心就不要漏掉，所以我們必定要修[定」。定要從上面的信根開始，我們心念等等必定要好好方向正確，那就是定力。
我們若有定，就是「攝心不散」，我們的心就會專了。所以我們要時時用心，不要讓它散亂掉。過去的是雜念，未來的是妄想，我們要時時把握在正法中，把握當下就是恆持正法。所以這是「定」。
第五是慧根，就是「諸法觀照明了」。智慧，我們智慧的根若伸得長，菩提樹就很穩固。所以諸法，諸法就是無量道法。無量道法，我們的智慧能時時觀照，無量道法我們有偏差嗎？這麼多的法，無量無數，我們在日常生活中有偏掉嗎？所以智慧時時都在觀照我們，讓我們要走的路是那麼明朗，沒有昏暗的時刻，這就是智慧。
所以這五法，就是五根，「生聖道的根本」，能讓我們生起聖道。我們學佛不就是要走在這條聖人的道路嗎？這就是我們要用心。所以五根大家要記好，我們的心念不要偏差。
「五力」，五力與五根是同一個名詞，為什麼要再多一個五力呢？
⊙五力：善根雖生，惡猶未破，更須修習，令根增長，根成惡破，復名為力。
善根，前面的五根就是善根。我們之前說過四正勤，「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行」，這個善根還是要不斷堅固，若是惡的就要趕快斷除，前面四正勤就這樣說了。若是惡的根讓它伸長了，那就不堪設想。惡的根要及時斷除，善的根要不斷生長，這是我們學佛的人應該要謹記。
所以「五力」，就是你善心起了，但是若還存著疑念，或者是道心退轉等等，這個惡還是一樣，我們還是凡夫，凡夫同樣是業障就在我們的身邊周圍。我們若懂得守戒，至少守五戒就有二十多位護法神。所以說來，善根雖然生，前面所說的五根生起，但是後面還要補充五力。
所以說，「善根雖生，惡猶未破。」所以我們更需要修習，令這個善根能再增長——前面的五根能更健全，再伸得更長、更健壯。所以我們要修習，讓根能增長。「根成惡破」，我們的根若很堅固，自然惡就不會再回來，破惡，就完全破除了，沒有這個惡念頭再回來。甚至，我們既然信了，這個根若定下來了，我們自然就會堅固道心。
所以「根」與「力」要配合起來，有了「五根」必定要有「五力」。所以大家要用心，無論是四念處、四正勤、四如意足，或者五根、五力，我們必定要用心謹記，用在我們的日常生活中，不要漏失掉。所以要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Five Roots and Five Powers Destroy Evil (五根五力根成惡破)
Date: December. 10. 2013
We must “let teachings of the Path enter our heart, uphold the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness, mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers, and diligently and rightly consider the Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path.”
When we study the Buddha-Dharma and aspire to engage in spiritual practice, the 37 Practices to Enlightenment are very important. I often remind everyone that to walk the Bodhi-path, the teachings of the Path must enter our minds. And when that happens, we must diligently accept and practice them.
The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is something we must never give up on and must understand very clearly. It is the foundation for us Buddhist practitioners. It is not just a name or a number, it helps us to safely walk and practice the path to Buddhahood. So, the teachings of the Path must enter our minds. It is very important that we accept and cultivate the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. To help people remember them more clearly, we say we must “always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness” because the Fourfold Mindfulness is very closely related to our physical body.
The first thing to be mindful of is to “contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent.”
If we contemplate these four things in our daily living, the Dharma will be in our minds and actions. This is the Fourfold Mindfulness. [We must] “mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers.” The two ‘Fives’ are the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. We always need to be mindful of the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. In our daily living, we must focus on spiritual roots and powers to safeguard our spiritual aspirations. Thus, we need to mindfully practice them.
“Diligently and rightly consider the Seven Factors of Bodi and Eightfold Noble Path.” With the Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path, we need to be very mindful. If we can diligently practice the Seven Factors of Bodhi, we will not go astray. When we also [practice] the Eightfold Noble Path, our thinking, perception, action, etc., will not deviate. All these are part of the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. The sum of all the numbers mentioned equals 37, so by using this [counting] method, we can all be more mindful of them. This is because, as we walk the path, we must also pave it for others. I often tell you all that Tzu Chi is a road paved with love. This love is selfless great love, which is “unconditional loving-kindness and universe compassion.”
We “seek the Buddha’s Way,” and “transform sentient beings”.We need to give with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, and our minds must have sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness.With sincerity, integrity, faith, steadfastness, we continuously seek teachings and diligently learn them.Having loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, we continuously practice giving.
The process of learning the Dharma is like paving a path.The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is the Bodhisattva’s great and straight Bodhi-path.Therefore, we must really work to pave this path, so we can lead people to walk on it with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity.If we do not firmly lay down the base for this road we cannot take that path.This is why I ask you all to mindfully cultivate the 37 Pratices to Enlightenment.
So, I have already mentioned the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and Four Basses of Fulfilling Power.Next are the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers.
The Five Spiriitual Roots can give rise to all goodness.
Root of Faith:
Have faith in the Right Path.
Root of Diligence:
Practice Right Dharma without distractions.
Root of Thought:
Never forget the Right Dharma.
Root of Samadhi:
Focus the mind without being scattered.
Root of Wisdom:
Illuminate and understand all Dharma.
These five methods are the foundation of the Noble Path.
Therefore, they are called the Five Roots.
The Five Spiritual Roots can give rise to all goodness.They are like the roots of a tree or of plants grown in the ground.If the root does not extend, the sprout cannot emerge.
If the root is not strong enough, the tree will not grow.When we see a very large tree and are asked how long its roots are, we can confidently tell them, “Its branches extend all the way out to here, so that is how far its roots extend”.Because it has extended its roots, this tree can become sturdy and sprout branches and leaves.
So roots, stem, branches and leaves, everything depends on the size and health and length of the roots.
So, “roots can give rise to all goodness”.Therefore, we compare [goodness] to a tree.
When its roots are solid, the branches and leaves about can flourish.We often say, “this person has great capabilities (roots),” which means his thinking, perception and wisdom are very solid.We call [these things] his “root”.In particular, I often tell you all that the Buddha taught according to capabilities.Our capability is our root.As ordinary people, depending on how much we can absorb, He will give us the right amount of Dharma-water.
This applies whether we have great or limited capabilities.This is the direction of the Buddha’s teachings in the Lotus Sutra.This is why we must put our hearts into [developing] this “root”.The stronger our roots are, the more steadily we can accept the Dharma.There are five types of roots.First is the Root of Faith “Faith is the source of the Path, the mother of merits”.
If often say if we want to study the Buddha’s teachings and understand the Buddha’s wisdom, the first requirement is to have faith. Not only must we have unwavering faith, we also need to have very correct faith. So, this faith is the source of our teachings of the Path. Here, I am telling you that to have the Root of Faith means to “have faith in the Right Path”. We must strive to have faith and go toward the Right Path. We must believe that the Buddha's teachings of the Path are infinite and boundless.
Earlier I discussed, [how the Buddha] “exhaustively practiced all Buddha's infinite teachings of the Path”. Sakyamuni Buddha, for countless kalpas, drew near to countless Buddha. As He encountered these Buddhas, He constantly absorbed [their teachings] and practiced them. So, He “exhaustively practiced all Buddhas' infinite teachings of the Path”. We must really remember this phrase.
Now I discuss the 37 Practices to Enlightenment to also help you all understand the fundamentals of the teachings of the Path. Therefore, we begin with faith. So, we must have faith in the Right Dharma, which is the Buddha's path. The Buddha [attained] enlightenment, and the path to enlightenment is entered by faith. Second is the Root of Diligence; we must be diligent. Having a solid Root of Diligence means “practicing Right Dharma without distractions”. Then we can move forward wholeheartedly toward one goal. As we walk, if we stray even slightly, we will go down many unnecessary roads. If we can be truly diligent and have Right Faith, naturally we will not stray from our diligent path as we go forward. This is the second root.
The third is the Root of Thought, where the mind “never forgets the Right Dharma”. As we listen to the Dharma every day, we must retain it not forget it. The Right Dharma is the road that past Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or ancient sages and teachers, have continuously paved for us. Thus, we should always be mindful of the Right Dharma. We must remember it, not forget it. This is the third root.
The fourth is the Root of Samadhi. Our thoughts must be focused, not discursive. I keep telling you that we must be in Samadhi. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are the Three Flawless Studies. Once the Dharma is in our minds, we must not let it leak out. Therefore, we must cultivate Samadhi. Doing so beings with the Root of Faith. We must have [right] thoughts, etc., to make sure our course is correct. This is the Power of Samadhi. Having Samadhi means to “focus the mind without beings scattered”. Then we will have great concentration. Therefore, we need to always be mindful. We must not let our thoughts become scattered. “Thoughts of the past are distractions”. We must always hold on to the Right Dharma.
By seizing the moment, we persevere in practicing the Right Dharma. This is Samadhi. The fifth is the Root of Wisdom, which is to “illuminate and understand all Dharma”. If the roots of our wisdom can extend far, our Bodhis-tree will be very stable. All Dharma refers to the infinite teachings of the Path. With wisdom, we can constantly examine if we have deviated from these infinite paths? There are so many teachings, infinite and innumerable.
Have we deviated from them in our daily living? So, if wisdom illuminates us at all times, the road we walk will be clear and bright, never dim for a moment. This is wisdom. There five things are the Five Spiritual Roots, the foundation that helps us give rise to the Noble Path. Don’t we learn the Buddha’s Way to walk on this noble path of the sages? This is what we must put our hearts into. So, we must remember the Five Spiritual Roots and not [allow] our minds to deviate from them.
The Five Powers and Five Spiritual Roots share the same [categories], so why do we also need the Five Powers?
The Five Powers: even though roots od goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.
The aforementioned Five Spiritual Roots are the roots of goodness. Haven’t I mentioned this before? The Four Right Efforts [teach us to] “refrain from all evils, and do all good deeds”.The roots of goodness still need to be strengthened continuously and anything evil must be eliminated immediately. This is what the Four Right Effort teach. If we allow the roots of evil to grow, the results will be unimaginable Roots of evil must be destroyed immediately, and roots of goodness must be [developed] constantly.This is what we Buddhist practitioners must bear in mind. So, having the Five Powers means good thoughts have already arisen in our minds. However, if we still have doubts or have lost our spiritual aspirations, evil still remains. Thus, we are still ordinary people.
As ordinary people, karmic obstacles surround us. If we strive to uphold precepts, and at least uphold the Five Precepts, then we will have over 20 Dharma-protectors with us. Therefore, even though roots of goodness have start to grow, like the aforementioned Five Roots, we will need to add the Five Powers to them.So, though the roots of goodness have arisen, evil has not yet been destroyed. That is why we need to practice further to enable these roots to grow more, so the Five Spiritual Roots from before can grow healthier, longer and stronger.
Therefore, we must engage in practice to help roots of goodness grow and destroy evil.When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. If our roots are very solid, evil will not come back again. If evil is totally destroyed, these [improper] thoughts will not return. Moreover, since we have faith, once our roots are established, naturally our spiritual aspiration will be firm.Therefore, roots and powers must be combined. After we have the Five Spiritual Roots, we must [develop] the Five Powers.
So, we all need to be mindful, whether of the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and Four Base of Fulfilling Power or the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers.We must all put our hearts into remembering and practicing them in our daily living. We cannot lose any one of them. Therefore, we have to always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
⊙道法入心持三七，四念處中隨身記，二五根力用心行，七八精進正思惟。
⊙四念處：觀身不淨，觀受是苦，觀心無常，觀法無我。
⊙五根：即能生一切善法。
信根：信於正道也。
精進根：修正法無雜。
念根：正法記憶不忘。
定根：攝心不散也。
慧根：諸法觀照明了。
此五法是生聖道的根本，故名五根。
⊙五力：善根雖生，惡猶未破，更須修習，令根增長，根成惡破，復名為力。
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【證嚴上人開示】
我們「道法入心持三七，四念處中隨身記，二五根力用心行，七八精進正思惟」。我們大家在探討佛法，發心修行，我們對「三十七助道品」是很重視。
常常向大家提起，菩提道要如何走？道要入心，道法入心要好好謹持著，要好好奉持，持法入心。這「三十七道品」是我們不能放棄，也要很瞭解、清楚，這是我們學佛者的基礎。它不只是一個名詞，也不只是一個數字，它是要讓我們身體力行走在道路上，安全到達佛的境界。所以道法要入心，最重要的我們要奉持這「三十七助道品」。
要讓大家更加清楚記住的，就是「四念處中隨身記」。這是因為四念處與我們的身體很有關係。第一個念頭，我們就要知道「觀身不淨，觀受是苦，觀心無常，觀法無我」。這四種法我們若好好用心，我們的生活中法入心、法在行中。這是四念處。
⊙四念處：觀身不淨，觀受是苦，觀心無常，觀法無我。
「二五根力要用心行」。二個五——五根、五力。這五根、五力我們要時時用心。我們的心，日常的生活都是在「根」與「力」之中，才能護持我們的道心，所以我們要用心行。
「七八精進正思惟」，七菩提分、八聖道分，我們要很用心。若能在「七菩提分」去精進，我們就不會偏差掉了；以及「八聖道分」，我們的思想、理念、行為種種就不會偏差。
所以修行總是在「三十七助道法」裡。這些數字加起來就是三十七，所以用「口訣」的方式記憶，大家多用點心，因為我們行道，同時我們也要鋪路。
常常告訴大家說，「慈濟」是用愛鋪路走過來。愛是無私的大愛，也就是「無緣大慈，同體大悲」。我們「上求佛道、下化眾生」，我們要付出慈悲喜捨，我們的內心也要誠正信實。
誠正信實是不斷在求法、學法精進；慈悲喜捨是不斷付出。學法的過程，我們就像在鋪路，將路鋪好。「三十七助道品」是菩薩菩提大直道，所以這條路我們要好好鋪，鋪好了路才能帶人走。慈悲喜捨入人群中，我們這路基若沒有打穩，如何能走得通？所以請大家要很用心在這「三十七助道品」裡。
我們已經說過了四念處、四正勤、四如意足，現在接下來就是五根、五力了。
⊙五根：即能生一切善法。
信根：信於正道也。
精進根：修正法無雜。
念根：正法記憶不忘。
定根：攝心不散也。
慧根：諸法觀照明了。
此五法是生聖道的根本，故名五根。
「五根]就是能生一切善。根，就如一棵樹或者是種在土地上的植物，根若沒有伸出去，芽就發不出來；根若沒有很健壯，這棵樹就無法高大。所以我們看到樹有多高大，若問：「這棵大樹它的根有多長？」
你可以安心回答他：「它的樹枝延伸到哪裡去，它的樹根就伸到哪裡去？」因為它的樹根伸出去，這棵樹才會很壯，才能伸枝、能長葉。
所以根、莖、枝、葉這都是要看它的根有沒有健壯？伸得夠長否？所以「根生一切善法」，將它比喻就像樹一樣，根要能穩固，上面的枝葉就能很茂盛。
我們也常說，這個人他的根機很好，也就是說他的思想、理念、智慧很堅固，所知的事情很實在。這樣叫做根。尤其常常跟大家說，佛陀說法是「隨機逗教」，「機」就是根機。我們眾生到底能堪得受多少水分？佛陀就施多大的教法給我們。同樣的道理，大根大機或者是小根小機，這就是佛在《法華經》要如何施教的方向。
所以我們對這個「根」，我們要用心。根若是健壯，我們要吸收的法就能很穩定。所以，根有五種，第一就是「信根」。
信，「信為道源功德母」。常常說，你要研究佛法，要瞭解佛陀的智慧，第一個條件就是要信，而且是很堅定的信，甚至要很正確的信。所以，這個信就是道源，我們道的源頭。在這裡就告訴大家，「信根，信於正道也」。我們懂得信，我們要向正道信。
我們必定要相信，佛陀的道法是無量無邊，前面說過「盡行諸佛無量道法」。釋迦佛已經無央數劫親近過無央數佛，所以這麼多佛，經過這樣一直吸收，身體力行，所以「盡行諸佛無量道法」。這一段大家要很記得。現在所說的「三十七助道品」，也是要讓大家更加瞭解道法的基礎，所以道法，我們從信開始。所以「信於正道」就是佛之道。佛就是覺，覺悟之道，這就是要從信入。
第二精進根。我們要精進，精進的根若能很堅固，就是「修正法無雜」，我們就能一心一志向前前進。走路，我們若是稍微偏差，心若稍微雜亂，走路就會走很多的冤枉路。我們若能很精進，信得正，自然我們的精進，向前的道路就沒有偏差。這是第二。
第三就是念根，「正法記憶不忘」。我們每天聽法，法要聽進去，不要把它忘掉。這個正法是過去諸佛菩薩、或是古德祖師，不斷為我們鋪過來的路，所以我們應該要心心念念在正法中，記憶住，不要把它忘掉。這是第三。
第四就是定根。定，我們要定，心不要雜，一直跟大家說，心要定。戒、定、慧叫做「三無漏學」，法入心就不要漏掉，所以我們必定要修[定」。定要從上面的信根開始，我們心念等等必定要好好方向正確，那就是定力。
我們若有定，就是「攝心不散」，我們的心就會專了。所以我們要時時用心，不要讓它散亂掉。過去的是雜念，未來的是妄想，我們要時時把握在正法中，把握當下就是恆持正法。所以這是「定」。
第五是慧根，就是「諸法觀照明了」。智慧，我們智慧的根若伸得長，菩提樹就很穩固。所以諸法，諸法就是無量道法。無量道法，我們的智慧能時時觀照，無量道法我們有偏差嗎？這麼多的法，無量無數，我們在日常生活中有偏掉嗎？所以智慧時時都在觀照我們，讓我們要走的路是那麼明朗，沒有昏暗的時刻，這就是智慧。
所以這五法，就是五根，「生聖道的根本」，能讓我們生起聖道。我們學佛不就是要走在這條聖人的道路嗎？這就是我們要用心。所以五根大家要記好，我們的心念不要偏差。
「五力」，五力與五根是同一個名詞，為什麼要再多一個五力呢？
⊙五力：善根雖生，惡猶未破，更須修習，令根增長，根成惡破，復名為力。
善根，前面的五根就是善根。我們之前說過四正勤，「諸惡莫作，眾善奉行」，這個善根還是要不斷堅固，若是惡的就要趕快斷除，前面四正勤就這樣說了。若是惡的根讓它伸長了，那就不堪設想。惡的根要及時斷除，善的根要不斷生長，這是我們學佛的人應該要謹記。
所以「五力」，就是你善心起了，但是若還存著疑念，或者是道心退轉等等，這個惡還是一樣，我們還是凡夫，凡夫同樣是業障就在我們的身邊周圍。我們若懂得守戒，至少守五戒就有二十多位護法神。所以說來，善根雖然生，前面所說的五根生起，但是後面還要補充五力。
所以說，「善根雖生，惡猶未破。」所以我們更需要修習，令這個善根能再增長——前面的五根能更健全，再伸得更長、更健壯。所以我們要修習，讓根能增長。「根成惡破」，我們的根若很堅固，自然惡就不會再回來，破惡，就完全破除了，沒有這個惡念頭再回來。甚至，我們既然信了，這個根若定下來了，我們自然就會堅固道心。
所以「根」與「力」要配合起來，有了「五根」必定要有「五力」。所以大家要用心，無論是四念處、四正勤、四如意足，或者五根、五力，我們必定要用心謹記，用在我們的日常生活中，不要漏失掉。所以要時時多用心。
Explanations by Master Cheng-Yan
Subject: The Five Roots and Five Powers Destroy Evil (五根五力根成惡破)
Date: December. 10. 2013
We must “let teachings of the Path enter our heart, uphold the 37 Practices to Enlightenment, always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness, mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers, and diligently and rightly consider the Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path.”
When we study the Buddha-Dharma and aspire to engage in spiritual practice, the 37 Practices to Enlightenment are very important. I often remind everyone that to walk the Bodhi-path, the teachings of the Path must enter our minds. And when that happens, we must diligently accept and practice them.
The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is something we must never give up on and must understand very clearly. It is the foundation for us Buddhist practitioners. It is not just a name or a number, it helps us to safely walk and practice the path to Buddhahood. So, the teachings of the Path must enter our minds. It is very important that we accept and cultivate the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. To help people remember them more clearly, we say we must “always remember the Fourfold Mindfulness” because the Fourfold Mindfulness is very closely related to our physical body.
The first thing to be mindful of is to “contemplate the body as impure, contemplate all feelings as suffering, contemplate the mind as impermanent.”
If we contemplate these four things in our daily living, the Dharma will be in our minds and actions. This is the Fourfold Mindfulness. [We must] “mindfully practice the two ‘Fives’, the spiritual roots and powers.” The two ‘Fives’ are the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. We always need to be mindful of the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers. In our daily living, we must focus on spiritual roots and powers to safeguard our spiritual aspirations. Thus, we need to mindfully practice them.
“Diligently and rightly consider the Seven Factors of Bodi and Eightfold Noble Path.” With the Seven Factors of Bodhi and Eightfold Noble Path, we need to be very mindful. If we can diligently practice the Seven Factors of Bodhi, we will not go astray. When we also [practice] the Eightfold Noble Path, our thinking, perception, action, etc., will not deviate. All these are part of the 37 Practices to Enlightenment. The sum of all the numbers mentioned equals 37, so by using this [counting] method, we can all be more mindful of them. This is because, as we walk the path, we must also pave it for others. I often tell you all that Tzu Chi is a road paved with love. This love is selfless great love, which is “unconditional loving-kindness and universe compassion.”
We “seek the Buddha’s Way,” and “transform sentient beings”.We need to give with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, and our minds must have sincerity, integrity, faith and steadfastness.With sincerity, integrity, faith, steadfastness, we continuously seek teachings and diligently learn them.Having loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, we continuously practice giving.
The process of learning the Dharma is like paving a path.The 37 Practices to Enlightenment is the Bodhisattva’s great and straight Bodhi-path.Therefore, we must really work to pave this path, so we can lead people to walk on it with loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity.If we do not firmly lay down the base for this road we cannot take that path.This is why I ask you all to mindfully cultivate the 37 Pratices to Enlightenment.
So, I have already mentioned the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and Four Basses of Fulfilling Power.Next are the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers.
The Five Spiriitual Roots can give rise to all goodness.
Root of Faith:
Have faith in the Right Path.
Root of Diligence:
Practice Right Dharma without distractions.
Root of Thought:
Never forget the Right Dharma.
Root of Samadhi:
Focus the mind without being scattered.
Root of Wisdom:
Illuminate and understand all Dharma.
These five methods are the foundation of the Noble Path.
Therefore, they are called the Five Roots.
The Five Spiritual Roots can give rise to all goodness.They are like the roots of a tree or of plants grown in the ground.If the root does not extend, the sprout cannot emerge.
If the root is not strong enough, the tree will not grow.When we see a very large tree and are asked how long its roots are, we can confidently tell them, “Its branches extend all the way out to here, so that is how far its roots extend”.Because it has extended its roots, this tree can become sturdy and sprout branches and leaves.
So roots, stem, branches and leaves, everything depends on the size and health and length of the roots.
So, “roots can give rise to all goodness”.Therefore, we compare [goodness] to a tree.
When its roots are solid, the branches and leaves about can flourish.We often say, “this person has great capabilities (roots),” which means his thinking, perception and wisdom are very solid.We call [these things] his “root”.In particular, I often tell you all that the Buddha taught according to capabilities.Our capability is our root.As ordinary people, depending on how much we can absorb, He will give us the right amount of Dharma-water.
This applies whether we have great or limited capabilities.This is the direction of the Buddha’s teachings in the Lotus Sutra.This is why we must put our hearts into [developing] this “root”.The stronger our roots are, the more steadily we can accept the Dharma.There are five types of roots.First is the Root of Faith “Faith is the source of the Path, the mother of merits”.
If often say if we want to study the Buddha’s teachings and understand the Buddha’s wisdom, the first requirement is to have faith. Not only must we have unwavering faith, we also need to have very correct faith. So, this faith is the source of our teachings of the Path. Here, I am telling you that to have the Root of Faith means to “have faith in the Right Path”. We must strive to have faith and go toward the Right Path. We must believe that the Buddha's teachings of the Path are infinite and boundless.
Earlier I discussed, [how the Buddha] “exhaustively practiced all Buddha's infinite teachings of the Path”. Sakyamuni Buddha, for countless kalpas, drew near to countless Buddha. As He encountered these Buddhas, He constantly absorbed [their teachings] and practiced them. So, He “exhaustively practiced all Buddhas' infinite teachings of the Path”. We must really remember this phrase.
Now I discuss the 37 Practices to Enlightenment to also help you all understand the fundamentals of the teachings of the Path. Therefore, we begin with faith. So, we must have faith in the Right Dharma, which is the Buddha's path. The Buddha [attained] enlightenment, and the path to enlightenment is entered by faith. Second is the Root of Diligence; we must be diligent. Having a solid Root of Diligence means “practicing Right Dharma without distractions”. Then we can move forward wholeheartedly toward one goal. As we walk, if we stray even slightly, we will go down many unnecessary roads. If we can be truly diligent and have Right Faith, naturally we will not stray from our diligent path as we go forward. This is the second root.
The third is the Root of Thought, where the mind “never forgets the Right Dharma”. As we listen to the Dharma every day, we must retain it not forget it. The Right Dharma is the road that past Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or ancient sages and teachers, have continuously paved for us. Thus, we should always be mindful of the Right Dharma. We must remember it, not forget it. This is the third root.
The fourth is the Root of Samadhi. Our thoughts must be focused, not discursive. I keep telling you that we must be in Samadhi. Precepts, Samadhi and wisdom are the Three Flawless Studies. Once the Dharma is in our minds, we must not let it leak out. Therefore, we must cultivate Samadhi. Doing so beings with the Root of Faith. We must have [right] thoughts, etc., to make sure our course is correct. This is the Power of Samadhi. Having Samadhi means to “focus the mind without beings scattered”. Then we will have great concentration. Therefore, we need to always be mindful. We must not let our thoughts become scattered. “Thoughts of the past are distractions”. We must always hold on to the Right Dharma.
By seizing the moment, we persevere in practicing the Right Dharma. This is Samadhi. The fifth is the Root of Wisdom, which is to “illuminate and understand all Dharma”. If the roots of our wisdom can extend far, our Bodhis-tree will be very stable. All Dharma refers to the infinite teachings of the Path. With wisdom, we can constantly examine if we have deviated from these infinite paths? There are so many teachings, infinite and innumerable.
Have we deviated from them in our daily living? So, if wisdom illuminates us at all times, the road we walk will be clear and bright, never dim for a moment. This is wisdom. There five things are the Five Spiritual Roots, the foundation that helps us give rise to the Noble Path. Don’t we learn the Buddha’s Way to walk on this noble path of the sages? This is what we must put our hearts into. So, we must remember the Five Spiritual Roots and not [allow] our minds to deviate from them.
The Five Powers and Five Spiritual Roots share the same [categories], so why do we also need the Five Powers?
The Five Powers: even though roots od goodness arise, evil has not been destroyed. So, we must cultivate practices that enable these roots to grow. When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. Thus, they are called powers.
The aforementioned Five Spiritual Roots are the roots of goodness. Haven’t I mentioned this before? The Four Right Efforts [teach us to] “refrain from all evils, and do all good deeds”.The roots of goodness still need to be strengthened continuously and anything evil must be eliminated immediately. This is what the Four Right Effort teach. If we allow the roots of evil to grow, the results will be unimaginable Roots of evil must be destroyed immediately, and roots of goodness must be [developed] constantly.This is what we Buddhist practitioners must bear in mind. So, having the Five Powers means good thoughts have already arisen in our minds. However, if we still have doubts or have lost our spiritual aspirations, evil still remains. Thus, we are still ordinary people.
As ordinary people, karmic obstacles surround us. If we strive to uphold precepts, and at least uphold the Five Precepts, then we will have over 20 Dharma-protectors with us. Therefore, even though roots of goodness have start to grow, like the aforementioned Five Roots, we will need to add the Five Powers to them.So, though the roots of goodness have arisen, evil has not yet been destroyed. That is why we need to practice further to enable these roots to grow more, so the Five Spiritual Roots from before can grow healthier, longer and stronger.
Therefore, we must engage in practice to help roots of goodness grow and destroy evil.When roots are grown, evils are destroyed. If our roots are very solid, evil will not come back again. If evil is totally destroyed, these [improper] thoughts will not return. Moreover, since we have faith, once our roots are established, naturally our spiritual aspiration will be firm.Therefore, roots and powers must be combined. After we have the Five Spiritual Roots, we must [develop] the Five Powers.
So, we all need to be mindful, whether of the Fourfold Mindfulness, Four Right Efforts and Four Base of Fulfilling Power or the Five Spiritual Roots and Five Powers.We must all put our hearts into remembering and practicing them in our daily living. We cannot lose any one of them. Therefore, we have to always be mindful.
(Source: Da Ai TV - Wisdom at Dawn program – Explanation by Master Chen-Yen)
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