APPLY THE CONCEPTS OF THE THREE SIEVES BEFORE YOU SPEAK
Nowadays, people live in others’ mouths and eyes. You let yourselves become more and more alone based on the ways others see you – you are afraid of what others might think about you. Many people care too much about others’ comments because they can’t put up with the scolding and criticism, so they become more and more depressed. We shouldn’t say things that shouldn’t be uttered.
One day, a Zen Master’s disciple hastily goes to find his Master: ‘Master, Master!’
He was panting and said excitedly, ‘I am going to tell you something which you couldn’t ever imagine’.
The Master said, ‘Wait a second’. He stopped the disciple ruthlessly and said, “Before telling me, have you already applied the concepts of the three sieves?”
The disciple – who thought the Master was a bit unhappy but didn’t understand the reason behind it – shook his head.
The Master continued, “When you are going to tell people something, you should at least apply the concepts of three sieves to filter the content once. The first sieve is called truth. Are you going to tell me something that is true?’
‘Master, I heard that from the street. Everyone were talking about that, but I don’t know whether it’s true or not’.
‘Then, you should apply the second sieve to have a check. If it isn’t true, at least the thing that you are telling me should have a good intention. Are you going to tell me something out of good intention?’
‘No, master. Exactly the opposite’. The disciple lowered his head in shame.
The Master kept being very patient and carried on, ‘Hum, let’s apply the third sieve to filter it. Check to see whether the issue which you are so desperate to tell me about is important?’
The disciple said, ‘It’s not very important’.
The Master interrupted him, ‘Since this piece of news is not important and doesn’t stem from a good intention, and you even don’t know if it is true or false: why should you say it? If you talk about it, we will only get confused’.
In fact, it is of foremost importance whether the words of Buddhist practitioners can benefit others. What we say today should be wholesome and beneficial for sentient beings. If you try to filter your words, you will find that you have said a lot of inappropriate things in your lifetime and hurt many people. So, a Buddhist practitioner should be cautious about his own words and behaviours. Speak less; and instead, perform more recitations.
--Dharma Convention in Batam, Indonesia
18th February, 2016
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2016年2月18日 印度尼西亞巴淡島法會
說話前的三個篩子
現在人主要是活在別人的嘴巴裡，活在別人的眼睛裡。別人怎麼看我，讓自己變得越來越孤單，害怕別人的眼光；很多人活在別人的嘴巴裡，別人會罵我、會講我，變得越來越憂鬱。不該講的話不要講。
有一次，一位禪修法師的一位弟子匆匆忙忙走過來找他師父：「師父，師父。」
他邊喘氣邊興奮地說：「我告訴你一件事情，你絕對想不到。」
這個禪師說：「等一下。」毫不留情地制止了他，他說：「你告訴我的話，你用三個篩子過濾過沒有？」
他弟子覺得好像師父有點不開心，不解地搖了搖頭。
老禪師繼續說：「你要告訴別人的一件事情，你至少要用三個篩子去過濾一遍。第一個篩子叫真實，你要告訴我的事情是不是真實啊？」
「師父，我是從街上聽來的，大家都在這麼說，我也不知道是不是真的。」
「那你就應該用你的第二個篩子去檢查，如果不是真的，至少你告訴我這件事情必須是善意的，你要告訴我的事情是不是善意的？」
「不，師父，正好相反。」他的弟子羞愧地低下了頭。
這位禪師不厭其煩地繼續說：「嗯，那麼我們再用第三個篩子來篩一下，檢查你要告訴我這麼急的事情是不是重要的呢？」
這個弟子說：「並不是很重要。」
禪師打斷了他的話：「既然這個消息並不重要，又不是出自善意，更不知道它的真和假，你又何必去說呢？說了就會造成我們兩個人的困惑。」
其實學佛人的話語是否常常使人得到益處，那是最重要的。我們今天講出來的話一定要有益衆生，自己過濾一下，你會發現你的一生說了太多不應該說的話，傷害了太多不應該傷害的人，所以學佛人要學會謹言慎行，少說話，多念經。
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