Chung Tai Shan Magazine #262
一個團隊最重要的就是要「和」。俗話說「家和萬事興」、「和氣能生財」；就個人而言，心當中要和、要靜、要定，不能發脾氣，這樣身體就會健康，壽命就會延長；與人共事，做任何一件事情都要和合、忍讓，做到了，團隊就是一片和氣。
Harmony is the most important quality a group should have. Two Chinese proverbs say: “Harmonious families make all things prosperous,” and “A harmonious environment brings wealth.” On an individual level, we gain health and longevity by controlling our tempers and maintaining harmony, peace, and stillness in our minds. On a group level, we should strive for harmony and practice tolerance in everything we do; by achieving this, we will foster an atmosphere of peace and cooperation.
六和敬法 和合無諍
Practice the Sixfold Harmony to create peace and unity.
佛經裡面講，我們在道場共住修行要修「六和敬」，在身、口、意、戒、見、利六個方面都要和合：身和同住，口和無諍，意和同悅，戒和同修，見和同解，利和同均。六和敬的道理，不但適用於道場，在公司或任何團體中，也都可以依照這個原則去實踐。
The Buddhist sutras teach the Sixfold Harmony to guide us in cultivating as a monastic community. We should strive for harmony in these six areas: body, speech, mind, morality, views, and sharing benefits. Together, they comprise the Sixfold Harmony:
The teaching of the Sixfold Harmony can be applied as a guideline for success not only in spiritual cultivation, but also to any work environment or group setting.
第一，「身和同住」，大家共住在一個地方，身要和。住在道場裡，身體要遵守道場的規定，不能吵架、打架、鬥爭，這就是身和；身和才能共住，假使有人在道場裡吵架、打架，影響到大眾，這樣的人就不適合繼續住在道場，就要請他離開。在公司裡面也是如此，身要和，不吵架、不鬥嘴，不結黨、不營私。身和同住的道理，就如同大家都在同一條船上，動作要一致，前進、後退、往左、往右，統統都要配合口令，這樣船才能順利前進，這就是身和。
First is harmony of body between people living in the same community. While residing in a monastery, we should follow the monastic rules and avoid arguing, fighting, or causing conflicts—this is one way to practice harmony in body. We can only live together peacefully with physical harmony. Thus, someone who engages in behavior that disrupts the community, such as fighting and arguing, does not belong in a monastery. They should be asked to leave.
In the same way, we must also practice harmony of body in the workplace. Refrain from having arguments, forming cliques, or seeking personal gain. Harmony in body is like when everyone rows the same boat: our actions must be unified. Whether forward, backward, left, or right, the boat can only sail smoothly if we all row in the same direction—this is harmony of body.
第二，「口和無諍」，口要和，說話不要傷害大眾，彼此之間要互相規勸，不能說他人是非，不能東家長、西家短，不能惡口、兩舌、妄言、綺語。如果在公司裡能夠達到身和、口和，就沒有鬥爭的現象。
Second is harmony of speech, or freedom from verbal conflict. We must avoid hurting people with our words. In interacting with each other, we should instead be mutually supportive and help each other stay on the right path. Do not talk behind people’s backs or judge their shortcomings. Refrain from abusive, divisive, deceitful, and frivolous speech. With harmony of body and speech, we can avoid needless and damaging conflicts.
第三，「意和同悅」。做到嘴巴不說傷害他人的話、身沒有衝突這還不夠，進一步心也要和。因為心是根本，假使我們這個心不平，只是在身、口上勉強表現出和合，這樣做無論對自己、或是團體，都會顯得虛假、不踏實。所以除了身、口以外，還要做到「意和同悅」，大家要有共同的理念。像我們住在中台山，有一個共同的理念、共同的目標──修行、成道、弘法利生、建設道場。在公司也是如此，大家理念一致，達成共識，有共同的目標，朝這個共同方向去走，就能到達好的地方；就修行而言，就能由生死苦海到達涅槃彼岸。
Third is harmony of mind, or sharing in mutual joy. Merely refraining from harmful words and actions is not enough, we must take the next step and practice harmony of mind. The mind is the root of all things. If we force ourselves to act harmoniously in body and speech without sincerity in our minds, our behavior will come off as fake and contrived, both to ourselves and our peers. Therefore, in addition to harmony of body and speech, we must also have harmony of mind—everyone should share the same basic values.
A good example of this is Chung Tai Chan Monastery, where everyone has common values and goals: Buddhist cultivation, realizing the Way, spreading the Dharma for the benefit of sentient beings, and developing monastic orders. In the same way, when a company shares basic values, employees can develop rapport with each other and work towards a common goal. With everyone heading in the same direction, the company will achieve great things. In terms of cultivation, we can liberate ourselves from life and death, crossing the ocean of suffering to reach the other shore of nirvana.
第四，「戒和同修」。佛經裡面講要修戒、修定、修慧；在僧團當中，比丘有比丘戒，比丘尼有比丘尼戒，沙彌有沙彌戒，沙彌尼有沙彌尼戒，每個人都把戒持守好，大眾就可以共同在道場修行。以公司而言，公司裡有規章、章程，規定什麼時間上班、什麼時間休息、什麼時間可以請假……任何人都要共同一致來遵守，不能蹺班，不能投機取巧，這就是戒和同修。
Fourth is harmony of morality, or observing the same precepts. The Buddhist sutras tell us to cultivate precepts, samadhi, and prajna wisdom. In a sangha community, monks observe the bhikshu precepts; nuns observe the bhikshuni precepts; novice monks observe the sramanera precepts; and novice nuns observe the sramanerika precepts. When everyone observes their respective precepts, the sangha can cultivate together as a monastic community.
As for the workplace, every organization has rules and policies that determine work hours, break times, and vacations. All employees should observe these rules. Do not be absent without notice or take advantage of situations for your personal gain. This is the practice of moral harmony.
第五，「見和同解」。「見」就是知見，大家的知見要一致，要知道我們為什麼要做這件事。在團體當中，雖然每個人都有各自的目的、方向，但不能違背整個團體的方向。例如在公司裡面，要站在公司的立場來考量，公司就像是一條大河，個人則是一條小河，如果公司沒有了，自己也不能存在；在道場也是如此，如果道場沒有了，個人連住的地方都沒有，也無法修行。因此，在道場共住修行有一個原則，自己可以看經、打坐、弘法、利生……這是屬於個人的事情；但是不能因為個人的事情、個人的利益，而損害整個道場的利益。在公司也是如此，每個人都希望得到利益，但是不能為了自己的利益，就出賣了公司、出賣了團體，而損害、破壞公司的利益。
Fifth is harmony in views through mutually compatible understandings of the Dharma. A “view” is a perspective, belief, or concept. Everyone’s views should be consistent and we must understand the motivation behind what we do. Although individual members of a group will have their own goals and direction, they cannot take precedence over the direction of the group.
For example, employees should try to think from the perspective of the whole company. A company is like a major river and individuals are its tributaries. Without the company, how can there be employees? A monastery is similar. Without the monastery, how will we have a place to live, much less the means to cultivate? Therefore, an important principle to cultivating together in a monastery is: studying sutras, practicing meditation, spreading the Dharma, and benefitting sentient beings—these are our individual affairs. We cannot allow our individual affairs or personal gain to stand in way of the monastery’s best interests. A company is also like this. Although everyone hopes to benefit from the business, we cannot sell out the company for our private interests or damage it for our personal benefit.
第六，「利和同均」。我們住在道場當中，吃的、住的、用的，都是依止常住，讓大家修行沒有後顧之憂，這就是利和同均。就世間而言，每個人有各自的薪水，假使要求大家薪水都一樣，或是把薪水完全貢獻公司、貢獻國家，自己沒有一點利益，這樣也沒辦法生活、生存。孔子說：「不患寡而患不均，不患貧而患不安。」在公司裡面，董事長、總經理、主管、員工的薪水都不一樣，為什麼？因為每個人的智慧不一樣、發展情形不一樣，薪水當然就有高有低，把這個道理想通了，就天下太平；假使這個道理沒有想通，只想從表面上要求平等，公司就會亂掉。每個人在公司裡，都能得到適當的薪水，這個月付出了多少，也能收到相應的報酬，這樣有均等、公平的原則就是利和同均。
Sixth is harmony in sharing benefits through equal distribution. Living a monastery, we rely on the sangha to provide our meals, housing, and daily necessities, so we can focus on cultivation without having to worry about these things. This is an example of harmony in sharing benefits. In society, however, everyone must earn their own income. It is unrealistic to expect that everyone earns the same amount, or contributes their entire income to the common good while saving nothing for themselves. People would be unable to get by.
Confucius said, “Concern yourself not with scarcity, but with inequality; not with poverty, but with a lack of peace.” Within a company, why do the CEO, managing director, supervisors, and employees make different salaries? Because they have different levels of wisdom and have reached different stages in their careers. So of course, they make different amounts of money. If we understand the meaning behind this, we will see everything with equanimity. But if don’t understand and demand a superficial form of equality, the company will plunge into discord. When all employees are compensated fairly for their work, making the equivalent of what they contribute each month based on the principles of fairness and equality, it is also to practice harmony in benefits.
以上就是佛教所說的六和敬、六和合；這是一個制度。如果能夠把這個制度落實、做好，大家都沒有爭議，就能安定；有了安定、有了喜悅，即使再辛苦也不覺得苦，每個人都有共同的方向，這就是「和」。假使失去了「和」這個大原則，每個人都只顧自己的利益，彼此鬥爭、彼此攻擊，無論做任何事情都不能成就。
What Buddhism calls the Sixfold Harmony, or Sixfold Unity, is a system. If we can successfully implement this system, our community will be free of schisms and thus have peace and stability. With peace, stability, and mutual joy, even the most arduous tasks will not seem difficult. Because everyone is moving in the same direction, the community is harmonious. If we lose sight of this principle and fall into dissension, when everyone only looks out from themselves, or fight and attack each other, anything we do is doomed to failure.
佛法告訴我們六和敬、六和合的道理，無論做什麼都要和，一個團隊能夠和合，才有生氣、才有活力，就像活水一樣，源源不絕，始終用不窮盡；假使團隊無法和合，就沒有生氣、沒有活力，就像一潭死水，久了以後就會臭掉，是沒有用的。
Buddhadharma teaches the principle of Sixfold Harmony, which shows us that harmony is a crucial factor in everything we do. A harmonious team will have vitality and energy, like a flowing stream that never runs dry and cannot be exhausted. Conversely, a disharmonious team lacks these qualities, like a stagnant pond that grows foul over time and is of no use.
以和為貴 廣結善緣
See harmony as a treasure, develop good affinity with all.
經云：「佛法在世間，不離世間覺，離世覓菩提，恰如求兔角。」大家同在一個團隊、同在一個公司，都是有緣。佛法說，人有過去、現在、未來三世因緣；俗話也說「同船過渡百世修」，坐同一艘船、同一部車，不要認為沒什麼、無所謂，這是百世修來的因緣；全世界有七十多億人，要能夠同船過渡，是不容易的事。所以大家同在一個公司，都是前世有緣；乃至共同來到道場，更是有佛緣、有法緣、有歡喜緣、有人緣。佛法講「未成佛道，先結人緣」，有了人緣、有了善緣，就沒有惡緣，做任何事情都可以左右逢源，就容易成就。
The Platform Sutra says, “The Buddhadharma is in this world; it is not separate from having a pure awareness of the world. To seek bodhi apart from this world is like searching for the horns of a rabbit.” For people to be part of the same group or company takes karmic affinity. Buddhism teaches us that karmic affinity encompasses the three periods of past, present, and future. A Chinese saying goes, “It takes affinity formed over a hundred lifetimes to ride together on the same boat.” Riding in the same boat, sitting in the same car—do not overlook these things as insignificant or meaningless. They are the result of a hundred lifetimes of affinity. The probability of two individuals riding on the same boat among the world’s seven billion people is extremely small.
Therefore, working at the same company means we have affinity from the past. Cultivating in the same monastery means that, additionally, we even have Buddha affinity, Dharma affinity, joyful affinity, and interpersonal affinity. Buddhadharma teaches, “Before realizing buddhahood, develop good affinity with all.” When we develop good and wholesome affinity with others instead of bad affinity, we will always find more support for our endeavors and succeed more easily.
人與人之間，見面就有三分緣。例如在公園裡遇到人，雖然從來不認識，但見了面，點個頭、打聲招呼：「早上好！」這個就是緣。有了這麼一面之緣，將來無論在哪裡遇到，什麼事情都好談。人不要把路走絕，做任何事情都要退後一步想，退後一步，海闊天空；即使彼此之間的緣再不好，也要保持和諧，因為將來可能還會再見面、共事。
Interactions between people do not happen randomly, even just passing by someone gives us an opportunity to create some affinity. For example, we might see a stranger in the park. We nod and say, “Good morning!” This is affinity. With the affinity of a single greeting, no matter when or where we meet again, we will be able to work together on good terms. We should not burn our bridges; no matter what we do, always leave some options. Taking a step back can often open up new possibilities. Even if we have particularly bad affinity with someone, we should still try to maintain harmony. Because we never know when we might run into them again or work with them in the future.
和合是最重要的。我們修六和敬，就是一個「和」字。能夠做到對人以和，心中自然就會平靜、寧靜，經常都是泰和的境界。所謂「泰和」，「泰」就是廣大無邊；我們對任何人都要和氣、謙卑、和諧，養成了這種心境，自然就與道相應。這就是修行、修道最直接的管道！大眾不要把這幾個字看輕；真正做到了，無論做人、做事、修行，一定有很大的助益。
Harmony is of the utmost importance. Cultivating the Sixfold Harmony is nothing more than living in peace and harmony with others. If we can live harmoniously, our minds will naturally be calm and serene and regularly experience a state of all-embracing peace. “All-embracing” means vast and boundless.
By cultivating a mind of courtesy, humility, and harmony towards all people, we will naturally resonate with the Way. This is the most direct method of Buddhist practice and cultivating the Way. Do not underestimate the value of these principles. If we truly follow them, we will reap great benefits in our personal lives, our work, and our spiritual cultivation.