萨迦法王开示「音乐对修行的助益」
萨迦法王开示「音乐对修行的助益」
2012年 尊贵的 萨迦法王莅台弘法期间，开示了「音乐对修行的助益」，收录于原动力文化即将出版的 萨迦小佛母--索南帕吉"听见 心灵良乐"专辑中。
我想，每一位众生都希望能够离苦得乐，为此，大家都在努力。物质的进步确实可以解决物质上的问题，带给我们一些身体上的舒适，但却无法解决我们精神上的问题及精神上的平和与安乐。真正的平和与安乐只能透过心灵上的修持，因为灵性上的修持可以改变我们的心智进而找到真正的平静。一旦我们的心智有杂染就无法体会平和与安乐，但是大家要远离杂染更难，因为从无始以来我们就与杂染连在一起了。因此，我们可以透过佛法及佛的教导来做灵性的修行。
修行的方式有很多种，朝圣、绕佛塔、礼拜等等，我们也可以念诵佛经、持咒、祈请文和做善事等等。我们拥有身体、声音与心智，声音当然是很重要的，因为声音可以改变我们的心智，尤其优美的音乐旋律能发挥的影响更大，这比一般的念诵更有效果，所以美妙的旋律是引导众生接触佛法很重要的一环，因为当听到非常甜美的旋律时，我们可以得到安慰、得到解脱，若能借由平静的心来修学佛法，持续的修持，我们就能得到长久以来一直追寻的平静与快乐。
在现代社会里，已经有许多人对灵修很有兴趣，特别是佛教的修持，因为佛教的修持是很有逻辑性的，不仅仅是相信。因为佛曾说过，你们必须解析我的法，当你认同了，知道我说的都是真相时这样才有用，只有这样你才能真的接受，这是非常合逻辑及科学的。佛教是唯一能与科学结合的宗教，所以说对现代的社会是最适合的；而修行的方法之一就是透过旋律、透过声音。美妙的旋律能带给人们完全不同的氛围，进而产生对佛法的兴趣并开始修行。
THE MERIT OF MUSIC IN SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
All beings have one thing in common, which is that all of us want to be free from suffering and find happiness. Every being strives for happiness and makes great effort to attain it.
Many people try to find happiness in material progress, but although this can bring us physical comfort, it cannot cure our mental and emotional problems, nor can it bring us lasting peace and happiness.
Real peace and happiness can only be achieved through spiritual practice, through transforming our mind. As long as our mind is controlled by our defilements, we cannot experience true peace and happiness. It is difficult for our mind to abandon its defilements because it has been associated with them since beginninglesstime. But by doing spiritual practice and following the Buddha’s teachings, the mind can become free of its defilements.
The Buddha’s teachings can take various forms, and can be practised through the body, the voice and the mind. With our body, we can visit holy places, revere sacred statues and images, and do prostrations and circumambulations. With our mind, we can generate loving kindness and compassion. And with our voice, we can recite prayers, mantras and sacred scriptures.
Our voice is very powerful. With our voice, we can produce sounds that can transform our mind as well as that of others. A beautiful melody can elevate the mind and generate feelings of purity and love. This is all the more true if a beautiful melody is used to recite mantras or spiritual texts. Then it becomes sacred music that touches the heart and can transform the mind deeply. And so, music can play an important part in the practice of the Buddhadharma.
Buddhism is a pragmatic religion and makes use of skillful means to help beings become free of their ignorance and defilements. And so, in this modern world, when people are drawn to spiritual practice but have little time to dedicate to it, the use of sacred music can be extremely beneficial in making their minds more open to the Dharma and bringing about profound transformation.
