【Faults of not relying on the Teacher】- bodhisattvas do not fear mad elephants and the like in the same way that they fear bad friends

【The Great Final Nirvana Sutra also says that the author used various sutras to teach and advise us. bodhisattvas do not fear mad elephants and the like in the same way that they fear bad friends. The former merely destroy the body, whereas the latter destroy both virtue and a pure mind. 】 

This is the way we should treat nonvirtuous friends, just like how Bodhisattvas guard against nonvirtuous friends. How do they guard against them? Their fear of nonvirtuous friends is extreme. Mad elephants in India are the most feared [creature]. A tamed elephant usually will not get mad, but once it gets a little intoxicated, then it will cause a mess. With wild elephants, while they roam untamed in the forest, when a herd of elephants passes by, even lions or tigers will make way for them. So you can imagine how fierce elephants can be. So when a mad elephant comes, ah! There is absolutely nothing you can do. It can be described as extremely frightening. But, well! The fear Bodhisattvas have toward nonvirtuous friends is far beyond the fear of a mad elephant. Why? The most a mad elephant can destroy is this life, whereas nonvirtuous friends not only destroy your virtuous roots, but they also destroy your life. With regard to your “pure mind” – in other words, your virtuous roots will be uprooted, such dreadfulness! A mad elephant can end your life, that’s all. But nonvirtuous friends will definitely send you to hell, so terrifying! If you were to die, at most you would experience a few hours of pain, whereas downfall to hell lasts for immeasurable eons. 

SOURCE 来源 :

22A 01’58”  Vol 3 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P180 L8
English Lamrim Vol 1 P90

日常师父法语📡22A 01’58” 手抄稿第3册P180 L8

未依过患 : 菩萨怖畏恶友超过醉象

【[如诸菩萨怖畏恶友，非醉象等，此唯坏身，前者俱坏善及净心。]】

我们也对恶知识应该这样，就像这个菩萨防备恶知识，怎么个防备法？对这个恶知识的怕，怕到极点。醉象，在印度是最可怕的是大象，那个象已经调伏了，它平常不会乱发脾气的，一旦吃醉了，那就乱搞。这个野象，在还没有调伏的那个野象在森林当中，只要这个象群走过去，狮子、老虎都会让开的，你可想而知，这个象多厉害。所以当那个醉象来的时候，啊！那你一点办法都没有，这个可以说可怕极了。但是，嘿！菩萨对这个恶友的恐怖，远超过那个醉象。为什么啊？那个醉象最多把你命送掉，恶知识不但把你的善根、命送掉，把你的“净心”，换句话说，把你的善根是连根铲除，这么可怕！这醉象把你这一生弄死，如此而已，恶知识一定把你送到地狱里面去，这么可怕！这一生弄死，最多痛苦短短地没有几个小时，到地狱里是无量无边劫。