【文化释说英文有声书】第五篇 心光明到极处就是佛 （一）下

一、心光明到极处就是佛

One – The heart is the Buddha when it is fully illuminated

有一次,在攻打朝歌的过程当中,天上一打雷,把周武王驾车的 那匹马给打死了。到秦始皇的墓你可以看到马拉的车,有一匹马拉的, 有两匹马拉的,有四匹马拉的。就跟现在说的,是六缸的、八缸的一样, 代表级别的。结果一雷把那个马给打死了,武王就觉得:“太不吉祥了, 是不是天谴我?我做的事情对不对呀?”姜子牙坚定地说:“我们行 的是道德之师,替天行道,不要被这个现象蒙蔽。”

There was once they were fighting in Zhaoge when the horse that had been drawing King Wen’s chariot was struck dead by lightning. If you visit the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor, you would be able to see chariots which could be drawn by single, two or four horses. It is like what we have now – whether a car engine is a six- or an eight-cylinder one. They represent different classes. Seeing that his horse was struck dead by lightning, King Wen felt that it was too inauspicious, wondered whether it was a divine reprimand and had doubts about whether what he did was right. In a resolute manner, Jiang Zi-Ya said, ‘We conduct ourselves like one who teaches on morality and virtuousness, and we are carrying out the path of Heaven; do not let this phenomenon obscure your thoughts.’

姜子牙有智慧,对自己的行为他是非常清楚的。他帮助周武王统一了全国之后,建立了周朝。大家知道,周朝统治了多少年呢?八百年, 中华文明五千年当中,统治国家最长久的朝代就是周朝。

As Jiang Zi-Ya possessed wisdom, he was very clear about his own conduct. After he had helped King Wu of Zhou unify the whole nation, the Zhou Dynasty was established. Everyone knows how many years the reign of Zhou Dynasty lasted. It was 800. The longest dynasty in the 5,000 year-old Chinese civilization is Zhou.   

所以文王、武王也成为皇帝们的模范。我们有一句话说:“一个成功的男人后面必有一个伟大的女人。”对不对?文王正妻的名字叫 “太姒”,所以中国人都喊,男的都喊自己的老婆都喊“太太”。为什么喊“太太”?就是你要学文王妻子的样。所以男的也有榜样,女 的也有榜样的。

Hence, Kings Wen and Wu became the models for the emperors. We have a saying that behind every successful man, there must be a great woman. Is that not right? King Wen’s queen was called Tai-Si. That is why all Chinese men call their wives ‘tai tai’ (meaning ‘missus’). Why ‘tai tai’? It is to remind one to be like King Wen’s wife. As such, there are models for women too, just like for men.

八百年文明的天下,大家看《封神榜》,知道《封神榜》主题歌 怎么唱的?《将生命化作那朵莲花》对不对?姜太公不仅仅开创了周 朝,后来就封他做什么?做我们山东齐国的第一代君王。山东又称齐鲁,齐国以姜太公为代表遵循道家思想,发展出的齐文化尚功利,商业气息浓,经济治国;鲁国以孔子为代表产生出儒家,注重伦理,所 谓周礼尽在鲁。封给姜太公管辖的面积只有不大的地方,但是在他管 理下 , 开疆拓土,人民归顺他,大家纷纷投靠他,没几年就扩大到海边, 并不断向周边扩展。

How was it like during those 800 years of civilization? Has everyone seen Investiture of the Gods and do you know how to sing the theme song – To Transform Life into the Lotus Flower? Grand Duke Jiang did not just establish the Zhou Dynasty. How was he decorated later on? He was made the very first ruler of the State of Qi in our Shandong. Shandong was also known as Qi-Lu. With Grand Duke Jiang as its representative, the State of Qi adopted the Taoist way of thinking to develop a Qi culture that was utilitarian, rich with entrepreneurship and economically-focused; while the state of Lu with Confucius as its representative valued morality and ethics, thereby giving rise to Confucianism and the saying ‘the propriety of Zhou can all be found in Lu’. Although the area that was assigned to the jurisdiction of Grand Duke Jiang was not large, much land was developed under his administration. The people obeyed him and everyone came in a continuous stream to join him. The state of Qi had expanded in less than a few years to reach the coast and continued to spread its borders further inland.

不仅分给他的齐国他治理得好,也帮助武王、成王、康王,他辅 助了周朝三个皇帝。而且封了天地之神,我们看《封神榜》中,有姜 子牙封神一段。夏朝为什么灭亡,周朝为什么兴起,这说明得道多助, 失道寡助,人的德行会感天动地。

Not only did he reign well over the state of Qi, Grand Duke Jiang also provided assistance to three emperors of Zhou dynasty - Kings Wu, Cheng and Kang. He was also bestowed deity-ship. There is this part about him being made a deity in Investiture of the Gods. What brought about the fall of the Xia dynasty and why did the Zhou dynasty rise? It goes to show that one who has the Dao on his side will receive help from many while no one will lend a hand to one who has lost the Dao. The world will be moved by one’s moral conduct.   

我们现在社会说和谐社会,和谐包括什么?人与人和谐、人与自然和谐、人与天和谐、人与地和谐、人与天神和谐。

We talk about a harmonious society now – what does this harmony consist of? It is harmony between people, between humans and nature, between humans and heaven, between humans and earth, and between humans and the heavenly beings.

学佛之后,师父曾经安排我闭关三年多。十平方的一个房间,我就在里面关了三年多。请问人与人之间会不会闹矛盾?我闭关就发现, 不要说人和人会闹矛盾,你把你一个人关在房间里,你一个人自己跟 自己都会闹矛盾。人是不是有思想斗争?思想斗争就是自己跟自己闹 矛盾,一会这么想,一会那么想,一会觉得这样对,一会觉得那样对。

After I started my Buddhist practice, my master once arranged for me to go on a three-year retreat.  I stayed in a room ten metre square big for more than three years. Is there friction between people? I found out during my retreat that there is even friction between one and oneself when one is locked alone inside a room. Does one not have a clash of ideas? When one has a clash of ideas, one is contradicting oneself – one thinks in such and such a way this moment, and another the next; feels this is right this moment and that is right the next.

自己跟自己的思想斗争从哪里来?斗争是自己智慧的局限。一个人你自己关着,你自己跟自己都会吵架,这就是一个人的处境,我们 做凡人是很烦恼的。为什么人要修行?我剃成光头,我们佛教就叫剃 除烦恼、放下烦恼。但这个烦恼不是说咔哧咔哧这两刀就把烦恼去除了。烦恼是一个心理过程,烦恼是一种意识形态,烦恼是一种人生的 生命状态。你如果不提升自己的状态,你就被烦恼牢牢地控制住,在那里转圈挣扎,看不清方向。

Where does this clash of ideas that one has come from? It is due to the limitation of one’s wisdom. When you argue with yourself as you are locked up alone, this is a situation you have been put in. As mere worldlings, we have many mental afflictions. Why do we need to practice? When we shave our heads, this is known in Buddhism as the eradication and the letting go of mental afflictions. However, these mental afflictions are not simply eradicated by a ‘snip, snip’. Mental afflictions are thought processes, ideologies, and a kind of state of living. If you are not going to elevate this state of your life, you will be tightly shackled by your mental afflictions. You will struggle round and round, and not know where your direction is.

我们下面看一个短片子好不好,短片名叫《黑洞》。后面的大家能不能看到,有没有看明白?那个人怎么跑到保险柜里去了?怎么进 去的?贪心,是不是?

Shall we take a look at the following short film The Black Hole? Is everyone able to understand why that person ran into the safe towards the end of the film? How did he go in? Because of greed, right?

这就是心灵在作怪,那个黑洞不是复印机拷出来的那张纸,是我们心里有一个黑洞,这个黑洞的名字就叫“贪”。

This was all due to the workings of the psyche. The black hole was not that piece of printout from the copier machine. We all have a black hole in our mind; and the name of that black hole is ‘greed’.

佛教里说:“贪、瞋、痴”是地狱之门。这个片子是外国人做的,他也不懂佛教的,那个黑洞就是地狱之门。

第一个是贪心。第二个是瞋,瞋是什么?瞋恨。我想得到,你不要我得到,你阻止我,不满足我,我就恨你。瞋心是贪心的延伸,贪 心得到满足了就高兴,得不到满足就生气。还有愚痴,所以贪、瞋、痴是地狱之门。

It is being said in Buddhism that ‘greed, hatred and ignorance’ are the gates of hell. This film was produced by some Westerners who did not know Buddhism. That black hole is the gate to hell.

Greed is first. Then comes Hatred. What is hatred? Hatred is when you desire that I do not get what I desire, and you prevent me from getting it so that I am not satiated, and I hate you for that. Hatred is an extension of greed. When greed has been satisfied, there is happiness; and when it has not, there is anger. There is also ignorance. As such, greed, hatred and ignorance are the gates of hell.

愚痴也会害人,最明显的例子是抽烟。我 2006年去普陀山,就看到政府贴的墙报。从那年开始,我每年就自发印墙报。2006 年,国家卫生部有过统计,中国每年死于烟草的人数是几百万。

Ignorance can also harm people. The best illustration is smoking. I saw the posters the government had put up when I went to Mount Putuo in 2006. From that year onwards, I will print these posters on my own every year. The national health board found out in 2006 that every year, there have been a few million deaths due to tobacco.

一根烟有一百多种致癌物,一根烟的尼古丁含量就可以置一只小白鼠于死地,十根烟的尼古丁含量可以把一头牛放倒,每年因为烟草死的肺癌患者和各种相关血液疾病患者,不计其数。

There are more than a hundred carcinogenic agents in a single stick of cigarette. The nicotine content from a single stick of cigarette is enough to kill a small mouse, and that from ten sticks is enough to put down a cow. Every year, the number of people who die from tobacco-related lung and blood diseases is countless.

我们抽的香烟上,这几年都有了过滤嘴。我们小的时候烟上还没有,既没过滤嘴也没印吸烟有害,现在每一盒烟上都印着“抽烟有害健康”。

During these recent years, cigarettes are made with filters. This was not so when we were younger and there were not sold with warning labels either. Now, every pack of cigarettes is sold with a ‘smoking is harmful to your health’ label.

明明告诉你有害健康,你还往嘴里抽,傻不傻呀?那几百万人是烟把他害死的吗?不是,是愚痴把命害了。

Why are you still putting the cigarette into your mouth when you are clearly being warned of its harmful effects to your health? Is not that stupid? Did those few million people die because of smoking? No, they died because of ignorance.

所以“贪、瞋、痴”的黑洞,这个地狱的洞,我们怎么把它堵住? 个人心灵的掌控,就像开车一样,开车出去有交通法规,要看红绿灯。我们做人,心里面也要有红绿灯,红灯停绿灯行。

So how do we shut this black hole of ‘greed, hatred and ignorance’ – this hole that leads to hell? Having control over one’s psyche is like driving a car – we need to observe traffic rules and look out for traffic lights when we drive. There are also mental traffic lights in our life – stop when it is red, and go when it is green.

大家跟我念这一句话:心中要有红绿灯,舌头要绑安全带。舌头要绑安全带很重要的。“祸”从口出,我们的老祖先告诉我们:宁愿少说一句话,时时多念一句佛。

Repeat after me: there has to be traffic lights in our mind, and our tongue need to be securely fastened. It is very important that our tongue is securely fastened. Trouble comes out from our mouths. Our dear ancestors told us: it is preferable for one to always chant the name of the Buddha than speak one sentence more.

祸从口出,有时候两个人在一起没啥事,七说八说两个人就吵起来了,最后甚至会打起来。也不知道为了什么事情,有时候一动手, 一不小心对方就被伤了,最后就追究法律责任了。哪怕就是朋友给你讲话,你也要听这个话对我是好的还是不好的。

Trouble comes out from the mouth when two people argue with each other after they get together to gossip as they have nothing better to do. They even get into a fight in the end. Sometimes, one of them physically harms the other person over something very trivial and as a result, he has to be legally responsible for what has happened. Even when it comes to a friend, you will still want to decide for yourself whether something he has said is kind or not.  

所以,我们内心的念头起来的时候,我们自己要考察一下这个念头是好的还是不好的。如果是不好的就要亮红灯了,千万不能闯红灯。心中装上红绿灯,做人定要知好歹。

Therefore, we need to observe whether a thought that has arisen in us is wholesome or not. If it is not, the red light flashes and we should never ever run a red light. With the traffic lights in our mind, we would be able to know right form wrong.

我们出家人、佛弟子说修行,那修行是为什么?修行是为了求解脱。

When we talk about practice as monastics and the disciples of the Buddha, what is the reason for this practice? It is to seek liberation.

对于修行,我们老祖先就说人往高处走,要跳出三界外,不在五行中。所以姜子牙属于修行人,属于得道的人,所以他能够封神。

Whenever it comes to practice, our dear ancestors have always told us to reach for higher grounds – to escape from the Three Realms and the Five Paths. As such, Jiang Zi-Ya was a practitioner; he was accomplished on the Dao and because of that, he was conferred deityship.

我们讲舜帝所在之处彩云覆顶,历史上是有记载的。我们齐鲁大地得天独厚,贤哲辈出,瑞相纷呈。刚才我们看片子的时候,有没有看到片子里有彩虹?做人应当心向光明,心中应当有道彩虹。

We say that magnificent clouds hang over wherever Emperor Shun went. This has been historically documented. Our Qilu, with its great expanse, has been especially blessed to give rise to many generations of individuals with virtue and wisdom, and there have been many auspicious signs. When we were watching the film just now, did we not see the rainbows in it? As human beings, our mind should follow after brightness, and there should be a rainbow within us. 

英文翻译&读诵：建成