英文原文
Monastic vs. Householder Life: Meditation in the Midst of Modern Chaos — Scott Tusa
As a practitioner of the Buddhist path, I have often grappled with the question of how to authentically practice the Dharma while living a householder's life. Recently, a student approached me with a similar dilemma. She expressed her desire to practice the Dharma authentically, but felt that it was challenging to do so while juggling the responsibilities of a family. She also mentioned her contemplation of becoming a monastic, believing that a monastic life would offer a more conducive environment for spiritual growth. Our conversation on this topic sparked a reflection on my own experiences as both a monastic and a householder. I realized that there are valuable insights to be shared with others who may be facing a similar dilemma. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to the Buddhist path, I believe you will find this discussion beneficial.
When I started out in Buddhism, I was in my early 20s and not a monastic. I was a young guy doing my thing, going to music school in Boston, Massachusetts when I met the Dharma. For the first seven or eight years of my dharma study and practice, I did it while dating, working, and living a non-monastic life. Then in 2008, I became a Buddhist monastic for nine years. In 2017, I decided to return to a householder life with a family, including having a daughter and a partner. So, I've experienced both monastic and householder life, and I'd like to share some insights.
The short answer to the question of whether we can practice the Dharma authentically as householders is yes, of course. In fact, some forms of Buddhism thrive more within the household life. Vajrayana Buddhism, for instance, is argued to be somewhat built more for householder practitioners. I would say it's built for both, but some argue that it's built more for householders. There are certain restrictions in monastic life, such as celibacy and not having a family, in order to serve the practice. On the other hand, Vajrayana Buddhism works with activities that inflame the afflictive emotions more, so practitioners can work with them in that intensity.
So, in householder life, we're not doing something different from monastics. We don't need to ignore what monastics practice and do something else. We need to do what monastics are doing on an inner level while working with the complexity of household life on the outer. We still need to work with our afflictive emotions and develop weariness or exhaustion with the status quo of our samsaric predicament. Householder life can be more challenging in practicing the Dharma because we have to work with the complexity of our relationships, activities, and everything that often inflames our afflictive emotions.
Monastic life provides the time and space to work with the Buddha Dharma in a more direct and deliberate way. It takes time to reach expertise in anything, including Dharma. Monastic life gives us that time to study, engage in meditation retreats, and the monastic vows themselves serve as a protection to work with the mind and afflictive emotions. Monasticism provides a foundation for going deeper, but it doesn't mean that monasticism is better or being a non-monastic practitioner is better. It's just different for everyone. Personally, I found both monastic and householder life to be useful and beneficial.
As householders, we have to find a way to go deeper and connect to the foundations of the Dharma without holding monastic vows and living a monastic lifestyle. This can be challenging, and that's where monasticism thrives. Monasticism exists because it has proved to be successful for many practitioners since the time of the Buddha. Householder practitioners need to learn the Dharma, reflect on it, meditate, and apply it using their life circumstances. It's about using our families, friends, co-workers, and communities as our teachers and path to train.
The challenge for all practitioners is to work with self-absorption and self-preoccupation, which are the root of our problems and pain. When we become self-preoccupied and absorbed, we are always thinking of our own needs, worrying about potential harm, seeking pleasure, wealth, and comfort, and avoiding pain. This self-preoccupation is the root of our suffering. In householder life, we have the opportunity to let go of our self-interest and be more selfless and altruistic, especially when raising kids. It allows our altruistic, caring, and loving-kindness nature to come out more.
Householder life offers many opportunities to work with self-cherishing and self-absorption. It's not that self-absorption is our nature of mind; it's actually a misperception or falsehood. When we work to remove self-cherishing and self-absorption, our Buddha nature, awakened nature, and altruistic nature can come out more. We just have to use our life as the path and engage in altruism, compassion, and active service to others. This is where the Mahayana practice of exchanging oneself and others becomes important for householder practitioners.
In householder life, we don't abandon complexity; we develop inner simplicity while working with the complexity of life. We have to deal with complexity on the outside, but we can find simplicity on the inside. We need to understand the Dharma enough and practice enough to develop inner simplicity based on mindful awareness, ethics, and clear seeing of how our afflictive emotions bend and twist reality. By challenging ourselves to open to compassion towards others and engage in active service, we can transform and develop inner simplicity.
So, as householders, we don't need to leave the world to wake up; we need to leave the “world” of self-preoccupation and self-cherishing. By doing so, we can awaken and develop a more open and relational compassion. Monastic life focuses more on leaving worldly concerns aside, while householder life focuses on developing inner simplicity while dealing with the complexities of worldly life. It's a challenge that we need to acknowledge as householder practitioners.
In conclusion, we can practice Dharma authentically as householders. Both monastic and householder life have their own benefits and challenges. Householder life offers unique opportunities to work with self-absorption and self-cherishing, while monastic life provides essential time and space to deepen ethical conduct, study and practice in a unique way. As householder practitioners we need to use each and every situation in our life to wake up. There can’t be divisions or artificial boundaries for where our practice can and cannot go. We don't need to abandon complexity; we need to embrace it with compassion and wisdom.
中文翻译
出家与在家生活：现代混乱中的冥想——斯科特·图萨
作为佛教修行者，我经常思考如何在在家生活中真实地实践佛法。最近，一位学生向我提出了类似的困境。她表达了真实修行的愿望，但觉得在承担家庭责任的同时很难做到。她还提到考虑出家，认为出家生活能为灵性成长提供更有利的环境。这次对话引发了我对自己作为出家人和在家人的经历的反思。我意识到，有许多宝贵的见解可以分享给可能面临类似困境的人。无论您是经验丰富的修行者还是佛教新手，我相信您都会从这次讨论中受益。
当我开始接触佛教时，我二十出头，不是出家人。我在马萨诸塞州波士顿的音乐学校上学时遇到了佛法。在我学习佛法的前七八年里，我一边约会、工作，一边过着非出家生活。然后在2008年，我成为佛教僧侣九年。2017年，我决定回归家庭生活，包括有了女儿和伴侣。所以，我经历过出家生活和在家生活，我想分享一些见解。
对于在家是否能真实修行佛法的问题，简短答案是肯定的。事实上，某些佛教形式在家庭生活中更繁荣。例如，金刚乘佛教被认为更适合在家修行者。我会说它适合两者，但有人认为它更适合在家者。出家生活有一些限制，如禁欲和没有家庭，以服务于修行。另一方面，金刚乘佛教处理那些更能激发烦恼情绪的活动，因此修行者可以在那种强度下处理它们。
所以，在在家生活中，我们做的与出家人没有什么不同。我们不需要忽视出家人的修行而做别的事情。我们需要在内心层面做出家人做的事情，同时在外部处理家庭生活的复杂性。我们仍然需要处理烦恼情绪，并对我们轮回困境的现状产生厌倦或疲惫。在家修行佛法可能更具挑战性，因为我们必须处理关系、活动以及一切常常激发烦恼情绪的复杂性。
出家生活提供了更直接和刻意地处理佛法的时间和空间。达到任何事物的专业水平都需要时间，包括佛法。出家生活给了我们学习、参加冥想闭关的时间，出家戒律本身也作为处理心灵和烦恼情绪的保护。出家为深入修行提供了基础，但这并不意味着出家更好或非出家修行者更好。这只是因人而异。就我个人而言，我发现出家生活和在家生活都有用且有益。
作为在家者，我们必须找到一种方式，在没有出家戒律和生活方式的情况下，深入并连接到佛法的基础。这可能具有挑战性，而这正是出家生活繁荣的地方。出家存在是因为自佛陀时代以来，它已被证明对许多修行者成功。在家修行者需要学习佛法、反思、冥想，并利用生活情境应用它。这是关于利用我们的家人、朋友、同事和社区作为我们的老师和修行道路。
所有修行者的挑战是处理自我专注和自我执着，这是我们问题和痛苦的根源。当我们变得自我执着和专注时，我们总是考虑自己的需求，担心潜在的伤害，寻求快乐、财富和舒适，并避免痛苦。这种自我执着是我们痛苦的根源。在在家生活中，我们有机会放下自我利益，变得更加无私和利他，尤其是在抚养孩子时。它让我们的利他、关怀和慈悲本性更多地显现出来。
在家生活提供了许多处理自我珍爱和自我专注的机会。自我专注不是我们心灵的本性；它实际上是一种误解或虚假。当我们努力去除自我珍爱和自我专注时，我们的佛性、觉醒本性和利他本性可以更多地显现出来。我们只需要把生活作为道路，并从事利他、慈悲和积极服务他人。这就是大乘修行中自他交换对在家修行者变得重要的地方。
在在家生活中，我们不放弃复杂性；我们在处理生活复杂性的同时发展内在的简单性。我们必须在外部处理复杂性，但我们可以在内部找到简单性。我们需要足够理解佛法并足够修行，以基于正念觉知、道德和清晰看到烦恼情绪如何扭曲现实来发展内在简单性。通过挑战自己向他人开放慈悲并从事积极服务，我们可以转化并发展内在简单性。
所以，作为在家者，我们不需要离开世界来觉醒；我们需要离开自我执着和自我珍爱的“世界”。通过这样做，我们可以觉醒并发展更开放和关系性的慈悲。出家生活更侧重于放下世俗关注，而在家生活侧重于在处理世俗生活复杂性的同时发展内在简单性。这是我们需要承认的在家修行者的挑战。
总之，我们可以在家真实地修行佛法。出家生活和在家生活各有其好处和挑战。在家生活提供了处理自我专注和自我珍爱的独特机会，而出家生活提供了深化道德行为、学习和修行的必要时间和空间。作为在家修行者，我们需要利用生活中的每一个情境来觉醒。我们的修行不能有分裂或人为界限。我们不需要放弃复杂性；我们需要用慈悲和智慧拥抱它。
文章概要
本文探讨了佛教僧侣如何应对中年挑战，通过比较出家与在家生活的修行方式。作者斯科特·图萨分享了自己作为出家人和在家人的经历，强调在家修行同样可以真实实践佛法，尤其是在处理烦恼情绪和自我执着方面。文章指出，在家生活提供了独特的机会来发展利他心和内在简单性，而出家生活则提供了深入学习和修行的空间。关键词“How Buddhist monks handle midlife challenges in monastic life”被融入讨论中，突出了修行者在不同生活阶段面临的挑战和应对策略。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容：这篇文章就像在说，不管你是住在庙里的和尚还是在家里的普通人，都可以学习佛教来让自己变得更好。在家的人虽然要忙家庭和工作，但可以通过帮助家人和朋友来练习爱心和耐心，就像和尚在庙里打坐一样。重要的是不要只想着自己，要多关心别人，这样就能减少烦恼，变得更快乐。
佛学的各个宗派视角评价，突出《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角：从佛学宗派视角看，本文体现了大乘佛教的利他精神，强调在家修行者可以利用生活情境实践佛法。显宗如禅宗和净土宗注重心性修养和念佛，而密宗如金刚乘则适合在家者处理强烈情绪。《显密圆通成佛心要集》强调显密融合，本文中在家修行者发展内在简单性并处理复杂性，正符合该经典倡导的圆通智慧。准提法作为密法的一部分，其优点在于简便易行，适合在家者快速积累功德和智慧，帮助应对中年挑战如自我执着，促进觉醒。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题：1. 减少自我中心，通过服务家人培养无私心。2. 处理家庭冲突时，用慈悲心化解矛盾。3. 在工作压力中，通过正念冥想保持内心平静。4. 面对中年危机时，利用佛法智慧找到生命意义。5. 增强亲子关系，以爱心教育孩子。6. 改善夫妻沟通，用耐心和理解促进和谐。7. 克服孤独感，通过社区参与建立连接。8. 管理财务压力，以知足心态减少贪婪。9. 提升健康意识，结合禅修促进身心健康。10. 应对社会变化，以灵活智慧适应环境。