不为自求得安乐

摘要：为自求，作为空间狭小，受执著情绪苦，必定被动迷失；不为自求，作为空间广大，可破除自我执著所产生的种种苦。

人情绪化地看问题是十分激烈的，当感到别人减损自己了，挫伤自己的自尊了等等，实际都是一个小的执著。我们把执著当成自我了，就会黏着于这样的一个知见。在这个地方你越黏着，这个自我窄小的东西就越逼迫你——无常的苦，贪欲不满的苦，太多太多的苦就来了。为什么呢？就是因为为自求！

那有人说我活着不是为自己我怎么活啊，这来源于我们的传统教育和我们的自然反应。实际这是个情绪与偏执，我们冷静下来观察就会有个如实的体会，所有的执著是苦本，是不知万事万物的本质是无有实质的，是如梦如幻的。为自求就是在原本不可得中建立一个有所得，这是长久养成的一个习惯。

这样一个情绪偏执的习惯执著，“不为自求”就是个方法，可以把它处理掉，智慧者常用。“但得众生得离苦，不为自身求安乐”，那这样一个自我执著带来的苦会发生一个根本的变化。

那这个不为自求，实际不过是作为的一个广大性罢了。那他就会解放自己，解放一个为自求的局限，情绪逼迫、无常的苦、不满的苦，就会从这个地方得到一个解脱。大家可以去观察实践，要不然这很容易就成为一个空洞的道理，这个可操作性十分重要。

为自求作为空间狭小，受执著情绪苦，必定被动迷失；不为自求作为空间广大，可破除自我执著所产生的种种苦。清晰这个关键点，在日常生活中精准去运用，就能得广大稀有难得的安乐。

～～生命之光阳光早餐

开明师兄整理于2018年10月

Achieve peace and happiness through “seeking nothing for oneself”

Issues may seem to be intense when we look at them emotionally. When we feel that someone hurts us or hurts our self-esteem, it is a sign that we are attached to harm and therefore to our ego-self. The more we are trapped here, the more we are confined into a narrow “Self”, which leads to more and more sufferings stemming from constant changes, from failing to satisfy our desires, and etc. This is because we always seek to benefit ourselves.

People may wonder how they can live if they don’t live for themselves, which itself is an expression of emotion. This idea comes from our traditional education and our natural reaction. If we calm down and observe it carefully, we will understand truthfully that the attachment is an emotion and a source of suffering. We are trying to obtain something that is illusory and thus not obtainable, which has developed into a habit for a long time.

“Seeking nothing for oneself” is a cure for such an attachment. And the wise ones often apply it in their life. As the saying goes, “Never seek peace and happiness for oneself, but for all living beings in order to free them from sufferings”, thus we may experience a fundamental change in the sufferings brought by the attachment to our self.

This method provides a vast space to benefit all sentient beings. We can get free from the confinement of ego. from the pressure of emotions, or from the sufferings of impermanence and dissatisfaction. We should apply this method in our life. Otherwise it will become an abstract theory, rather than a practical method.

“Seeking to benefit ourselves” leaves us little leeway to do things. It leads us to more uncontrollable emotions, attachments and we are bound to be passive and lost. Whereas, “seeking nothing for ourselves” offers us much more freedom of action and can help us eradicate all kinds of sufferings attached to the Self. Once we are clear about this and apply this method in our daily life, we can enjoy the vast and rare peace and happiness.