If a seriously sick patient wants to recover and acquire happiness, they must find a good doctor, follow their prescription and take the right medicine. Likewise, only if one attends a wise master, follows their teaching and takes the medicine of genuine Buddha-dharma can they recover from the sickness of confusion.

In the same way that a doctor wont be able to relieve their patient from illness if the patient fails to follow their words, a wise master wont be able to bring any benefits to their student if the student fails to follow their teaching.

In the same way that a patient wont be able to recover if they do not take the medicine prescribed by the doctor, even if the medicine is placed next to their pillow, one wont be able tobene t from the Buddha-dharma if theydo not put the Dharma teachings that they have learned into practice.

如病情非常严重的病人，要想解脱病苦得到安乐，必须依止一位名医，并且遵照医嘱去做，如法服用医生所给的药。同样，只有依止一位如名医般具足法相的师父，依照师父的言教，服正法妙药，才能消除业惑的疾病。相反，虽依止了师父，然却若未依教奉行，则如病人不遵医嘱，医生无法利益病人，师父也无法利益弟子。如果自己未修持所闻如妙药般的正法，就像一位病人的枕 边，虽然有无数妙药和药方却未服药， 对病也无益一样。

文章转自微信公众号：慧日佛教英语