1-3-2. THE RESULT : PURITY OF THE MIND 果报：心地清净

　　Now, I'd like to talk about results. Just imagine, if doctor Jivaka was with us here today, and volunteered to be a delegate, he would certainly get the highest marks. This could be taken to be a result of doing good. Another thing is, that we could compare doctor Jivaka's wafting goodness with an opening flower ; whoever sees it feels refreshed and admires it. Or we could compare him with gold or a diamond that may have other minerals attached to it but, the gold or the diamond still maintains its 100% purity. This refers to the value or fruit of working according to one's duty. Caring for the sick, even when nobody sees it, maintains its purity of the mind and its goodness, fully.

　　接下来，我想谈谈果报的问题。想象一下，假若齐瓦哥医生今天和我们同在一起，并且自愿做代表，那他必定会得到最崇高的评价，这可看成是一种善行的果报。另外，我们可以把齐瓦哥医生飘送的善行比喻为盛开芬芳的花朵，任何人看到它都会神清气爽和赞美，而这也可看成是一种善果。或者我们也可以把他比喻为混杂其它矿石的黄金或钻石，虽带有其它杂质但黄金或钻石本身仍然是100%的纯净，这个比喻是指一个人善尽职责的价值或果报。如果，即使没人看到，你也一样地照顾病患，这样你的心地和善行就能圆满清净。

　　So all of you officers, whether you are policemen or nurses in the hospital, when we do our duties properly, the results will follow. Don't want anything or expect any results. When we work according to our duties we are one person who practices straight and respects the regulations and oneself. Therefore our Buddha teaches that doing good is good and doing bad is bad. That's what He said. We, officers and government officials, especially policemen should look after virtue in practicing our duties : wrong is wrong and right is right. Those of you who are doctors and nurses have to look after virtue by following your duties. When everybody follows their duties, the work will prosper in all its aspects, no matter what angle, it will progress.

　　所以，在座的全体工作人员，不管你是警察或护士，当我们正确地履行责任时，果报自然会跟着来，切莫要求任何东西或期待任何果报。当我们依我们的职责尽心工作，我们就是诚正修学的人，而且是尊重规定和尊重自己的人。因此，佛陀教导我们：「行善就是善，做恶就是恶。」佛就是这么说的。我们所有工作人员或政府官员，尤其是警察，都应该要在执行任务时注意自己的德行：错就是错，对就是对。你们当医生或护士的也必须依循职责，注意自己的德行。当每一个人都能尽一己之责，那工作就会全面的成功，不管任何方面都会有所进展。

　　My vision is that the first cause for the arising of results is the firm determination to work as good as possible, with kindness and generosity, using one's knowledge and brains fully, and to work with a Dhamma-mind. When it's like this, those who are given service will be impressed, the hospital and doctors will be famous and this fame will spread in all directions. Or at least, on the level of the individual, it will go from mouth to mouth among villagers that that is a good doctor this is a good nurse. This is the result that you will recieve. I want to emphasize all sides to be sincere in your duties.

　　我的看法是，果报现起的第一个原因是具有尽心尽力做好工作的坚定决心，也就是要仁慈慷慨、善用知识与头脑、以及带一颗“法心(Dhamma-mind)”来工作。当能做到像这样时，那些服务人员一定会让人感动，医院和医生都会出名而且声誉远播。或至少就他们个人而言，村民们会口口相传说：「那是个好医生，这是个好护士。」而这就是你会得到的果报。我再强调：要对你的职责忠诚。

　　Right here, I want to make reference to the Buddha ; the Buddha used to teach people to work honestly, not to work corruptly. Uprightness is something white, clean and bright and it brings peace, that is, brightness in the midst of the mind. If we have a dirty mind, defiled with stains, the mind is rotten and stinks.

　　现在，我要举佛陀为例，佛陀常教导人们：「忠诚地工作，不能贪污腐败」。诚正是指洁白、清净、光明，而且能带给我们安祥，也就是一种心地的光明。假若我们有一颗肮脏的心，被污点给染污了，那我们的心就是腐败与恶臭的。

　　Instead of the word result, we might use the word merit, and it is real merit too. The real fruit or merit lies in our mind ; it is the cleanliness, brightness and peace of the mind. We have all studied Buddhism to some extend but contrariwise, we're not interested in the Buddha's teachings, because we tend to be interested in external things. But we still claim to be one who is a Buddhist and practices according to the teachings of the Buddha. Looking at it another way : We are the one person that practices Buddhism. Please reflect on what I've said and see which side you belong to. If we're really interested in the teachings of Buddhism, even if we're only a few, we will make the world prosper. It's these few people that can revive the Dhamma in people's minds.

　　除了“果报”这个字以外，我们也会用另一个字“功德”，当然这也是指真功德。真实的果报或功德是在我们的心中，也就是心地的清净、光明与安祥。说起来，我们都已修学佛法达到某种程度，应该都很看重佛法，但实际上正好相反，我们并没有真正看重佛陀的教导，因为——我们都倾向于看重外在的事物，都从外在来谈佛法，亏我们还自称是佛教徒、是依循佛陀的教导在修行呢？！如果从反面来检视自己，你会发现——我们正是那样在修学佛法的人。请反思我所说的话，然后诚实地看看：你是属于哪一种修学者(心外求法或心内学法)。如果我们真的看重佛陀的教导，哪怕我们只有一小撮人，我们必定可以让这世间向上提升，因为这一小撮人他们能够从自己内在心中来领悟正法。

　　The first step of the method to do this is for everybody to study and practice their duties very well. If we can do this, it will be a warning to people who are going wrong, in itself. It won't encourage harm or degeneration. When we are confident in ourselves we could warn others little by little. This is because, if we don't warn people, they will become rotten and stink. And it will be a cause for damage to the public in an inappropriate way: As in the old saying : If one doesn't quickly remove a single rotting fish from a fish-container, all of the fish will become spoilt. The Buddha's teachings play an important role in society, from this angle; they protect society from becoming rotten and stink. Therefore it is highly appropriate for us to grasp the teachings of the Buddha. I am one who dares to guarantee the Buddha's teachings.

　　想让这世间提升或想要从心中来领悟正法的第一步就是：每一个人好好地学习并实践自己的责任。如果我们能做到这点，那它本身对不尽责的人就是一个很好的警示，而且能不促成伤害或恶化。然后当我们实践到对自己有信心的时候，就可以一点一点温和地去警示他人，这是因为——如果我们不警示别人，他们将变得腐败并发臭，并且会以一种不当的方式成为大众的危害因子。正如一句老话所说：「如果不快速地把腐臭的鱼从鱼罐中拿出来，所有的鱼也都会腐臭。」从这个角度来看，佛陀的教导在社会中扮演着一个重要的角色——它保护这个社会不致腐败及发臭。因此，我们每个人都应当要领悟佛陀的教导，我敢向你们保证佛陀的教导。

　　When we are someone without suffering, wherever we go, we don't have suffering but if we ourselves have suffering, how can we help anybody, other than increasing their suffering even more ?

　　当我们成为一个灭苦的人，那么不管我们到哪里都不会有苦。但是，如果我们自己都还有苦，我们如何能帮助他人而不是反而更增加他们的苦呢？