问：朝山是什么意思？对学佛的人有何好处？
师答：朝山好处很多，兹列如下：朝山也就是所谓的拜山。
拜山就是要拜除自己的贡高我慢山。
朝礼佛菩萨，一心忆念佛菩萨，可使意业清净；口中称念佛菩萨圣号，可得口业清净；三步一拜，是修身业清净，因此朝山可使三业清净，启发智慧。
世人的心，时刻都能保持像朝山时一样，三业清净，离三心去四相，身心垢除，即是净土。
朝山礼佛时，能够离三心去四相，也是动中修。
平时保持像朝山礼佛时一样清净纯洁的心，罪业就会慢慢消除。
拜山可以去黑暗，得光明，使自己本具的慈光显现。
大家朝礼佛菩萨，就要敬菩萨，拜菩萨，学菩萨，做菩萨。
做人要礼拜在先，不要求拜在后，不存骄慢之心，要做一个了得起的人，不可做了不起的人，因了不起是众生相，了得起才是菩萨。
问：无明从那里来？
师答：就是因为不知道从哪里来，才叫“无明”如果知道就是“觉”，就不是无明了。从前有位国王对他的师父非常恭敬，常以最好的饮食、卧具等供养他的国师。国王的宰相为此心中颇为不满。有一天，宰相到国师净室，坐了下来，并问国师一个问题：“什么是无明？”国师答：“你有什么资格问我这个问题！” 宰相当时十分羞恼，脸色大变，他忍无可忍，正欲发作。此时国师不慌不忙地拿出一面镜子，递给宰相，请他照照脸，然后说：“这个就是无明了。”
无明又称“无明堑”，堑是深坑的意思，人一旦起了烦恼，就会掉进无明的深坑，很难爬出来。无明又称“无明使”，顾名思义，无名会“使”人烦恼，“使”人跳河，“使”人上吊，“使”人自杀，“使”人做杀、盗、淫、妄的坏事。无明就它所产生的现象，还有许多不同的名称。至于要问它是从哪里来的，只能说不知道，如果知道就不叫无明了。
All that we are arises with our thoughts and dissipates at the cessation of thoughts
Written by Hui Jue
A few years ago, my then landlord was between houses and I had to look for an alternative place to stay while she looked for a new property. In this interim period, I stayed at a Buddhist temple. This Buddhist temple was sectioned into three areas; right at the entrance was the Great Hall, behind the hall was the columbarium where the devotees of the temple could house the urns of their deceased family and ancestral tablets. The third section of the temple was some empty rooms which I had heard used to be meant for visiting monks (though not any more) and in one of these rooms was where I lived for a while.
An organisation rented the Great Hall every Thursday evening to carry out their rites. Halfway through the rites, there would be loud shouts and wailing, all mixed up with the sound of the instruments that accompanied the rites emitting from the hall.At first, I was not concerned and was not bothered by it. I would even take a tiny peek into the hall whenever I walked past the hall.
Then I had a conversation with one of the members of this organisation. She told me that during the rites,the members would ‘share’ their human bodies with the spirits of their debtors and enemies. She advised me not to go too close to the hall during the proceedings of the ritual. I was really spooked and uncomfortable and decided to call my Dharma Teacher for advice.
I told her about how I felt and she asked me, “Why were you not afraid before you knew what the rites were about? It seems like you are only afraid after knowing about the rites. Could it be that it is your thoughts that are making you fearful? The Heart Sutra teaches about the emptiness of the five Skandhas and the Third Skandha is thinking. And when we are not able to see the true nature of this thinking as illusionary and thus empty, our mind starts to fear and create obstacles.”
My Teacher’s words of advice were indeed a timely reminder. It was a reminder to always reflect on the emptiness of the five Skandhas so that our minds will not be fearful, obstructed and deluded.
From that day on, I continued my routine of walking pass the hall every Thursday. However, all unease and fear had disappeared even when I heard the shouts and cries emitting from the hall. This incident has made me realise the power of our minds. When the mind perceives a situation as scary, it will let loose a chain of thoughts to further reinforce this feeling of fear.
Hence we should not let the chain of unrelenting thoughts arise by being aware of the arising and ceasing of every single thought.
师答：我们乘坐飞机都会有这么一个感觉，当飞机在跑道上滑行，乃至升空时，会觉得速度非常快，可是一旦飞机穿过云层，飞行于晴朗的虚空，这时感觉飞机似乎静止不动了。修行菩萨法要也是一样，一开始可能感到进步很快，一旦到达毕竟空时，便无智无得，无修无证了。