【Faults of not relying on the Teacher】- Beware of succumbing to the tendency to be accommodating

【Geshe Drom-don-ba said: The worst person, though keeping good company, does not become better than middling. The best, when keeping company with the worst, readily becomes part of the worst. 】

So, this great teacher told us that even the worst person in a good environment would barely manage to become a middling person, thus, to advance is not an easy task! However, for the best to keep company with the worst, then “readily without much effort,” without any effort, you become like the worst. This is absolutely true. Thus, learning the teaching is like riding a boat against the current. Even if you strive hard, you may not necessary make it! This is why, during Buddha’s time, this was emphasized in every aspect! Now, we should pay attention to this: Applying Buddha Dharma should never succumb to the tendency to be accommodating. This sensibility* is the greatest contamination in itself. In the Buddhism communities, a true villain may not be there, but there is a lack of self-awareness of being in the midst of ignorance and being harmed by this [ignorance]. Thus, we are dragged down by this burden of sensibility; this is a very pitiful matter.

[*Sensibility: refers to our worldly attitude of overly accommodating to please others.]

SOURCE 来源 :

22A 11’13” Vol 3 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P185 Ll1
English Lamrim Vol 1 P91

日常师父法语📡22A 11’13” 手抄稿第3册P185 LL1

未依过患 : 小心迁就情面

【善知识敦巴云：[下者虽与上伴共住，仅成中等，上者若与下者共住，不待劬劳，而成下趣。]】

所以这个善知识告诉我们，下等的人啊，虽然跟那个上等人住在一块的话，勉勉强强跟成个中等，所以向上爬不容易啊！但是上等人如果说跟一个下等人，[不待劬劳]，你不要花气力的—跟他一样，这是千真万确的事实。所以修学佛法如逆水行舟，拼命努力都来不及啊！所以为什么佛在世的时候，处处地方重视啊！现在我们这个地方注意：修学佛法为什么常常说千万不要迁就情面，情面这个东西，就是本身最大的染污。在佛门当中，真正的大坏蛋倒是没有的，就是自己不晓得自己在无明当中，往往受这个害，然后呢我们的情面所累，就跟着下去了，这是最可惜的一件事情。