【Cultivation of Faith 修信 】 pay attention to the good qualities (of the guru) 令心执取功德品

【Cultivation of Faith】- pay attention to the good qualities (of the guru)

【Moreover, pay attention to the good qualities that the guru does have ― such as ethical discipline, learnedness, and faith ― and reflect on these qualities. 】

I will share with you a method that I have constantly done from the past up to now. If he [the teacher] has many flaws, yes it is true, what about me? Ha, not a bit less! Then why bother looking at others. Conversely, when we look at his good qualities, whatever he has that I am short of. Then you are on the right track! This should be the approach. Thus, you always have to see from this perspective, try to direct the mind toward looking at his merits and learn from him.

【Once you have become conditioned to this, you may notice that your guru has a small number of faults. However, this does not impede your faith because you are focusing on the good qualities. 】

If you can practice in this manner, even if there are any flaws – even if this teacher has some small speck of fault – because you only focus on his good qualities, you will not be obstructed – you would not have obstacles [learning from him]. Next, there is an example:

【For instance, although you see that there may be many good qualities in people whom you dislike, your strong perception of their faults overwhelms any perception of their good qualities. Likewise, you might notice many faults in yourself, yet, if the perception of your good qualities is very strong, it overwhelms any perception of your faults. 】

For instance, for things that are not to your liking, even though they may have many benefits, because of your intense dislike, their benefits are blocked and [you are] unable to tolerate it. We can use an example or an analogy: when a child takes medicine, the medicine is definitely good for him. However, when he sees it, well, it is too bitter! He dislikes the bitterness, no matter how great the medicine is, he just won’t take it, this is the case.

SOURCE 来源 :

 18B 08’04” Vol 3 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P62 L3
English Lamrim Vol 1 P81

日常师父法语📡18B 08’04” 手抄稿第3册P62 L3

修信 : 令心执取功德品

【复应于其具诸净戒，或具多闻，或信等德，令心执取，思惟功德。】

我告诉你一个办法，我以前现在一直这样。说他有很多错，是有的，看看我自己呢？哈，一点不少！那何必看人家。反过来，看他的功德，他有的，我却没有，那时候你就对了！要这样。所以你总是看这一方面去看，想办法把那个心，看他功德的那一面，向他学习。

【如是修习，设见若有少许过失，由心执取功德品故，亦不能为信心障难。】

你能够这样修习的话，就算有一点过失，这个师长就算有一点过失，因为你只看见他的好处，你就不会障碍，你就不会障碍。下面举个例子：

【譬如自于所不乐品，虽见具有众多功德，然由见过心势猛故，而能映蔽见德之心。又如于自虽见众过，若见自身一种功德，心势猛利，此亦能蔽见过之心。 】

譬如说，对于你自己不欢喜的事情，尽管它有太多的好处，但是因为你不欢喜的力量很强，所以它那个好处挡住那里，挡不住。我们譬如说举个比喻，举个比喻：小孩子吃药，小孩子吃药，那个药是绝对对他有好处的，但是他看见：哎呀，苦得要命！他就不欢喜那个苦，不管药多好，他就是不想吃下去，就是这样。