摘自印光大師文鈔——復同影居士書
鍾佰晟 英譯
An Excerpt of the Collected Works of Great Master Yin Guang: Letter to Upasaka Tong Ying
English Translated by Brian Chung VBS 631
[白話] 同影居士的兄長致函印光大師，説同影居士的病情是整天心神不定，一會兒急著看醫生，一分鐘都等不及；一會兒醫生開了方子卻不肯服藥，醫生請了一個又一個。大師因此寫信給同影居士，笑他像小孩子一樣，告訴他這樣求醫治病，只會添病。
Upasaka Tong Ying’s older brother wrote to Master Yin Guang saying that Tong Ying had a nervous breakdown. All day long, he was jittery and erratic. One moment rushing to seek professional help, unable to wait for even a minute, the next moment, disregarding the prescription and seeking another doctor, and another after that. Master Yin Guang then wrote to Tong Ying chuckling at his childish behaviour, and told him that his actions would only worsen his anxiety and health.
大師開導他：「你忙著胡亂吃藥看病，就是自己給自己添病。還說什麼發心出家修行，了生死大事，這種富貴驕氣不改，出家要是得了病，只怕你會急死。學道之人，凡是遇上種種不如意的事，只可用佛法來領會，逆來順受。遇到危險，也不至於當場嚇得手足無措;事情過了，那就事過情遷，如昨日之夢，不要老是掛在心上，弄出心病。要知道，一切境緣都是自己宿世的業力招感，至誠念佛，就能轉變業力。」
The Great Master advised him,
“Your erratic medicating will only increase your afflictions. You claim to wish to leave the home life to cultivate, to transcend birth and death, yet your arrogance, caused by your wealthy and privileged life, if not changed, will only cause you to die of anxiety should you ever fall ill after ordination.”
The Master continued, “Cultivators of the way must approach all negative matters with the wisdom of the Buddhadharma, and remain unfazed in the face of misfortune. If they should meet danger, they shouldn’t tremble in fear, and once the danger has passed, forget it like a bygone dream. They should not keep it in mind lest stress induced illnesses arise. They must understand that all situations are the result of past karma, and thus can be turned around by sincere recitation of the Buddha’s name.”
大師說：「你又沒做傷天害理的事，怕什麼東西？念佛人自有善神護佑，惡鬼遠離，怕什麼東西？常常害怕，會著『怕魔』，無量劫來的怨家，趁你有這個怕的心，都來恐嚇你，令你喪心病狂，以此報仇。」
The Master said,
“As you have not done anything wicked and unreasonable, what is there to fear? All who recite Amitabha’s name are blessed and protected by auspicious deities, and evil ghosts cannot go near them. Thus, what is there to fear? To be anxious all the time will attract the Demon of Fear. Karmic creditors from time immemorial will notice your state of anxiety, and come to exploit this weakness by frightening you further until the emotional distress drives you mad, thus accomplishing their revenge.”
大師一語道破：「你整個心神都集中在『怕』上，這種心態與佛相隔，倒與魔相通。不是佛不靈，是你自己失去正念，念佛不能得力。」
The Master pointed out,
“As you focus your entire attention on fear and anxiety, your state of mind is walled off from the Buddha’s, but connected with that of demons. It is not that the Buddha is not efficacious, it is that you have lost your uprightness of mind, which inhibits the efficaciousness of your cultivation.”
大師勸他：「希望你能認真反省，宿業真的現前，怕了就能消滅嗎？只有不怕，因此正念不失，舉止得當，邪鬼就沒機會入侵。否則以你的邪心招來邪魔，宿世怨家都來催討，弄得你六神無主，慌了手腳，那多悲哀。你要放開心胸，什麼事都可以好好合計，不必擔憂。你在家修行，與家人互相幫助，同修淨業。不然也可以去上海佛教淨業社，每天隨眾念佛，又能聽經聞法，過幾個月回家看一看，與家人話話家常敘敘舊，住幾天再去淨業社，多好。」The Master further beseeched,
“I hope you will sincerely self-reflect. Fear is of no use against manifesting evil karma. Only by keeping you cool, maintaining uprightness of mind, and acting properly will the evil ghosts be kept at bay. Otherwise, your lack of levelheadedness will invite evil demons, and karmic creditors from lifetimes past will come to exact revenge by paralysing you with panic and fear, how pitiful. You must relax as all matters can be easily thought over, there really are no grounds for anxiety. Cultivating at home, you ought to mutually support your family members and practice pure karma together. Otherwise, you can go to the Shanghai Society for the Purification of Karma to practice recitation of Amitabha’s name with them, as well as listen to Dharma lectures. After a few months, you can return home for a few days to catch up, and then return to the Society to continue cultivating. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
最後，大師說：「在這個險難的世道，你應該放開心胸，努力修持淨業，吉凶禍福，一概不去擔心，隨緣應變就好。縱然大禍臨頭，也要想，與自己相同命運的人，不知道有多少。況且你在沒有辦法中，還有阿彌陀佛觀世音菩薩可以依靠，有什麼好怕的。你只管念佛念觀世音，以此作為無畏的倚靠，放開心量，不要事情還沒來就自己先嚇自己。慢慢地，你的病自然能夠痊癒，身心安樂。否則危險還沒來，自己倒先陷入危險中去，這樣佛菩薩都救不了你。」
Lastly, the Master stressed,
“In this dangerous era, you should set your mind at ease, cultivate pure karma, not worry about fortune and misfortune, and casually deal with all matters. Even if great adversity is encountered, you must realize that you are not alone as there are always many others dealing with the same type of adversity. Moreover, no matter the situation, you still have Amitabha and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to rely upon. Thus, there is nothing to fear. Concern yourself only with reciting the name of Amitabha and Avalokitesvara, and use them as your rock of fearlessness. Let your heart loosen, and do not fear things that have not happened. Do so and your condition will improve gradually, and you will be at peace in both body and mind. If you do not, then you will mire yourself in danger even though danger has not actually arrived. In such a state, not even the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could save you.”♦