Going to Meet the Five Ascetics 《去見五位苦行者》

After the bodhisatta had attained Full Enlightenment and become a Buddha, He spent seven days each in seven places – forty-nine days altogether. After that, He proceeded on His journey to the Isipatana Migadāya forest of Bārāṇasi. Why did the Buddha go there? To teach the Dhamma to the five ascetics who had been his attendants while he was engaged in austerity practices for six years. 菩薩圓滿證悟成為佛陀後，他（在菩提樹附近）待了四十九天，在七個地方，各待七天。之後，他前往巴拉納西（Bārāṇasi）仙人落處（Isipatana）的鹿野苑。 為什麼佛陀要去那兒呢？因為他要去給跟隨他苦行六年的五位苦行者說法。

What did the five ascetics do when they saw the Buddha approaching from a distance? They made an agreement among themselves, saying, ‘Friends, the monk Gotama’ – you see, they referred to Him not as ‘the Buddha’ but as ‘the monk Gotama’ – ‘the monk Gotama is approaching. The monk Gotama has given up meditation practices. He has turned instead to striving for the acquisition of the four requisites. He has reverted to the acquisition of the four requisites. Let us not make obeisance to the monk Gotama. Let us not greet him. Let us not take the alms-bowl from his hands. However, we will prepare a seat for him to sit on if he wants.’
五位苦行者看到菩薩遠遠走過來，他們做了什麼事？ 他們有志一同的說：「朋友，沙門果德瑪」～你看，他們沒有稱呼他「佛陀」而叫他，「沙門果德瑪」—「沙門果德瑪來了，沙門果德瑪放棄禪修了，他轉向去追求四資具了，我們不要向沙門果德瑪頂禮，我們不要迎接他，不要接他的缽，但如果他願意，我們可以給他準備一個座位。」

Aware of the mood of the five ascetics, the Buddha generated a loving-kindness that was directed especially to them (odissaka mettā). As the Buddha drew nearer and nearer, they were touched by the splendour and might of the Buddha (buddhatejo ānubhāva) and found themselves unable to keep the agreement they had made, so that all five of them went to welcome the Buddha. One took the alms-bowl from His hands, another prepared a seat for Him, another set out water, another placed a plank, and another brought a broken piece of pot to wash His feet with.
佛陀明暸五位苦行者的心思，就特別對他們散發慈心。 當佛陀越走越近時，他們被佛陀的莊嚴威力所感動，發現自己無法遵守之前的約定，所以五位苦行者都一起上前歡迎佛陀；一個幫他拿缽，一位幫他準備座位，一個送上水，另一位放一塊板子，最後一位帶來一個破鍋，為佛洗足。

Do you remember the point of view of the five ascetics when the bodhisatta gave up practising austerities? What was their point of view then? They had this point of view: ‘The monk Gotama has given up meditation practices. He has turned to striving for the acquisition of the four requisites. He practised severely for six years. Even though he practised such severe austerities for six years, he could not become a Buddha. Now he is going to strive for the acquisition of the four requisites. How can he be a Buddha?’ When the bodhisatta realised that austerity practices were not the way to Full Enlightenment, he gave up such wrong practices. At that time, the five ascetics took this point of view: ‘He will not become a Buddha because he has given up such severe practices.’ Holding this point of view, they themselves gave up on the bodhisatta.
你記得菩薩放棄苦行時，五位苦行者的觀點何如？他們當時的觀點是什麼？他們的觀點是這樣的：「沙門果德瑪放棄禪修了，他轉向去追求四資具了。即便他苦行了六年都無法成為佛陀，現在他去追求四資具了，如何能成得了佛？」當菩薩明暸苦行並非圓滿證悟之道，他就放棄這種錯誤的修行方法。那時，五位苦行者如此想：「他已放棄苦行，肯定不會證悟成佛。」因為持有這樣的觀點，他們就放棄菩薩。

Hence, a person’s expectations about a certain society, about a certain group, and about another person will be different according to that person’s point of view. How people have been educated since they were young, and the many ways they have been inculcated with the knowledge handed down from one generation to another, all create very different perceptions in people’s minds and strongly influence them in different ways. When the perceptions are different, the point of view will be different.
因此，一個人對某個社會、某個族群或他人的期待會因觀點的不同而相異。從小所受的教育及世代相傳的諄諄教誨，都以不同的方式，在我們內心產生各式各樣的認知造成強烈的影響。當認知不同，觀點也就不同。

In the same way, the five ascetics had grown up in a place where almost everyone who renounced the world held that severe austerity practices were indispensable for the realisation of the Dhamma and for liberation. They strongly held that this was the only way to liberation. This was the result of the influence of their environment and education. That’s why the five ascetics held the same point of view at that time.
同樣的，五位苦行者生長的時代，幾乎每個離世出家的人都持有苦行與覺悟正法和解脫是密不可分的觀點。他們深深的相信這是唯一的導向解脫之道，這也是環境與教育帶給他們的影響，這也就是為什麼五位苦行者在當時會持有這樣的觀點。

Perception 《想》
What is your perception? What perception do you hold? This is something we all need to consider deeply within ourselves. Here I want to ask you a question: Which is greater in this world, the number of people who hold wrong perceptions, or the number of people who hold right perceptions? Which group is more numerous – those who hold bad perceptions, or those who hold good perceptions?
你的觀點是什麼？你有什麼認知？這一點是我們所有人都需要去好好思考的問題。在此我要問大家一個問題：此世界中，具有錯誤認知的人和具有正確認知的人，哪個比例較高？是持有負面認知的人多？還是持有正面認知的人多？

In this regard, the Buddha said, ‘Perception is dukkha.’ The more bad perceptions we have, the more we suffer. In this modern era, people have a lot of bad perceptions because of the cultivation of sensuality in the world.
於此，佛陀說：「想是苦」。有越多不善之想，我們就越苦。當今世界，由於諸多感官欲望的刺激，人們有很多不善之想。

When you engage in meditation practice, you come to know very well how your perceptions torture you. Instead of meditating, you remember this, you remember that. What is the reason? The reason is your perceptions. Sometimes you remember someone who has done you wrong, so you become angry, and you suffer accordingly. The more bad perceptions you have, the more you suffer. Therefore, starting from today, we should study the teachings of the Buddha to have right perceptions, right understanding, and right knowledge for the realisation of the Dhamma.
在禪修時，你就會明白你的想是如何折騰著你；你無法好好禪修，反而一下子記起這件事、一下子憶起那件事。原因何在？就在你的「想」。有時回想起某人對你不好，就生起瞋恨，因而受苦。所以不善之想越多，你就越苦。因此， 從今天開始，我們應當學習佛陀的教法，建立善想、正見、 正智，以走向法的實證。

Source:
EXPECTATION DERIVED FROM ONE’S OWN POINT OF VIEW-3D
[主觀與期待]
Ven. Revata尊者 雷瓦達