成 熟｜Maturity

佛陀经常用芒果来举例。

他说：“人类的成长状态就像芒果，有些人内外都成熟，有些人内外都不成熟。”

我想问，你成熟了吗？

我说的是心性上的至简成熟，而不是世俗的复杂且圆滑。凡夫所谓的成熟或许只是代表了更多的痛苦，这并不算真正的成熟，而真实的成熟便是慈悲与智慧达到圆满、无退转、遍知、无碍，而这样的功德便需要大量的闻思修行，六度万行。就像一颗熟透的芒果一样，它不会随随便便的成熟，一切都要从种子开始不断的聚积各种因缘，才能得到最后甘甜的果实。

祈愿我们都能够积善缘自相续内外兼熟，也能依善缘成熟他相续。

嘉样堪布

Mango is often used as an example in Lord Buddha’s instructions.

Buddha says: “Human growth is like that of a mango. Some of us look mature on the outside, but not on the inside. 

Some others are mature inside but may look immature outside. There are also those who are mature both inside and outside, or immature both inside and outside.

May I ask, are you mature? By mature, I mean the kind of maturity exemplified by a heart of ultimate simplicity in contrast to the mundane sophistication as we worldlings often talk about, which only implies more pain to come and thus can’t be deemed as the authentic meaning of maturity. In the real sense, maturity is a state of completeness of both compassion and wisdom that never regresses on the path toward full enlightment, with omniscience and  no

obstacle at all. All these merits and virtues require tremendous learning, contemplating, and practising, as well as actual deeds motivated by the relative Bodhicitta. 

Like a mango, the ripeness of everything starts from a seed – only with the sufficient accumulation of various kinds of causes and conditions will the sweet fruit ripen.  

May we all be able to accumulate sufficient good karma that renders the true maturity of our mental continuum as well as that of others, inside and outside.

Khenpo Jamyang