【文化释说英文有声书】第四篇 佛的世界观 （八）

记者：那么，我想问的是：佛学承认有外来文明吗？

Journalist: I wish to ask then, does Buddhism recognize extraterrestrial civilizations?

传喜法师：佛教讲的极乐世界就是跟地球平行的文明世界。诸佛的清净国土，都是跟地球平行的文明世界。

Master Chuan-xi:  The Buddhist Lands of Utmost Bliss are precisely civilizations parallel to Earth. The Pure Lands of all the Buddhas are civilizations which are parallel universes.

记者：佛教是很开放、不拒绝的，它是用一种宇宙眼光来看待一切事物，对吧？

Journalist: Buddhism is open and all-inclusive. It sees everything with a cosmic perspective, right?

传喜法师：可以用“开放”，也可以用“全息”这个名词。

Master Chuan-xi: You can use ‘open’, and also the term ‘holographic’.

记者：“全息”？

Journalist: Holographic?

传喜法师：爱因斯坦说，它是具足了宇宙的自然现象、生命的智慧综合一体的。

Master Chuan-xi: Einstein said that Buddhism possesses completely the unity of the natural phenomena of the universe and the wisdom of life.

记者：那么，请法师简明地总结一下佛教的世界观？

Journalist: Could Master please offer us a concise summary of the Buddhist worldview then?

传喜法师：佛教的世界观，每一个生命都有佛性，如果迷失了自己的佛性，就像一个人被蒙住了眼睛，走路是危险的，然后在这个过程中会误入歧途、六道轮回，而一旦打开了“佛性”这个智慧的眼睛，自己就会选择正确的道路。

Master Chuan-xi: Buddhism views every life as possessing Buddha-nature. One is like being blindfolded if one has lost his own Buddha-nature. One treads dangerously and in the process strays into errant ways and enters into the cycle of the Six Realms. But one will be able choose the right path with the eyes of wisdom after one has opened up one’s Buddha-nature.  

记者：“佛”是梵语，用中国汉字应怎么解读“佛性”？

Journalist: ‘Buddha’ is a Sanskrit word. How do we understand ‘Buddha-nature’ within Chinese?

传喜法师：先解释“佛”，是自利利他、福慧圆满，首先肯定他是一个圆满的人。用现在的话讲，就是百分之百脑细胞苏醒的人，印度语叫“阿耨多罗三藐三菩提”，译成中国话叫“无上正等正觉”。

从唯物史观来说，释迦牟尼佛是真实的历史人物，经典记录了他曾经讲述的语言；僧宝，是从佛陀一直传承延续到今天的这样一个僧团、一个社会团体，就像一个大学的团队，三千多年来没有中断过。

Master Chuan-xi: Let us first explain the meaning of ‘Buddha’. This refers to one who benefits himself as well as others, and is replete with blessings and wisdom. We have to first recognize that he is a perfect person. To use today’s terms, he is one whose every brain cell has completely awakened. In Sanskrit, it is called ‘anuttara-samyak-sambodhi’. Translated to Chinese, it means ‘unsurpassed complete perfect enlightenment’.

From the materialist historical perspective, Buddha Sakyamuni was a real figure. There are records of the words he had spoken in the scriptures. The precious monastic order in its present form is one which has been transmitted continuously from the time of the Buddha. It is a social body much like a club in a university which has survived 3,000 years of uninterrupted transmission.

记者：佛教一直能传到现在，靠什么东西来维系、粘合、凝聚着？

Journalist: What has Buddhism relied upon during its transmission till now to enable it to be connected, integrated, and bound together?

传喜法师：每一个人都有求真求实，追求真理的向往。

Master Chuan-xi: Everyone is going after that which is true and real, and is directed towards the pursuit of the truth.

记者：一种牺牲精神？

Journalist: A kind of spirit of sacrifice?

传喜法师：牺牲精神是后来产生的，是理智之后产生的。从本能上讲，每一个人都有信仰需求，就像肉体有饮食需求，精神上有信仰的需求，而且都要追真求实、追求终极的信仰。所以，佛教有慈悲、教化众生的这种胸怀，愿意无偿地把这种知识分享给有缘众生，人有孜孜不倦、探索真理的这种本能需求，是这两种力量让佛教在人间得以延续不断，直到今天。

Master Chuan-xi: The spirit of sacrifice is something which comes after rationalization. Instinctively, everyone needs spirituality, just like how the body needs food. The mind has a need for spirituality and this spirituality is all about the pursuit of truth and the ultimate. That is why in Buddhism it is found compassion, the aspiration to teach and transform myriad beings, and the willingness to share such knowledge without seeking any reward with inter-connected myriad beings. Humans have this tireless and instinctive need for the discovery of the truth. These are the two forces which have enabled Buddhism to be perpetuated uninterruptedly in the world until today.

记者：有人讲，佛门那么多的清规戒律，对人性不是一种控制吗？

Journalist: Some question whether the numerous precepts found in Buddhism are a kind of control over human nature?

传喜法师：清规戒律是对人的保护，戒律是我们人生的红灯，就像我们坐车要系安全带，走路要看红绿灯一样，这是对次序的维护，是我们生活得以更加自由、方便快捷的保障。

Master Chuan-xi: The precepts are to protect the person. They are like the red traffic lights of our lives or the safety belt system when we are in a vehicle. When we walk, we need to observe the traffic light. This is to maintain order so that we can enjoy more freedom in our lives and be assured of convenience and speed.

记者：既然是为他好，为什么佛教又讲，如果不遵守戒律就会下地狱呢？

Journalist: Since it is for the good of a person, why is it still mentioned in Buddhism that one will descend into hell if one should not abide by the precepts?

传喜法师：那个是结果，不是对他的诅咒。这是事实，这是他的行为得到的必然结果。

Master Chuan-xi: That is a description of the result and not a curse. It is factual and a necessary result of one’s conduct.

记者：就是说，他自己是身不由己的，是吗？

Journalist: Which is to say, something not within one’s control, right?

传喜法师：对，你只要做了这个事，就必然有一个结果。

Master Chuan-xi: Right. Once you have done a certain thing, there will be a certain result.

记者：你可以觉得你好，但你的“果”不是由你来决定的，是另外一种东西，对吗？

Journalist. You can feel that you are good, but the result of your actions will not be decided by yourself. Instead, it will be decided by something else, right?

传喜法师：对，行为准则嘛，就像脚下的悬崖，你踏出一步就是万丈深渊，粉身碎骨。“戒律”就相当于来保护你的栏杆，是避免你掉进悬崖里去的，你偏要翻越栏杆自己去试，那肯定是粉身碎骨的后果。

没有人诅咒你，那是物体的自由下降速度让你粉身碎骨的，这要由你自己承受。

Master Chuan-xi: Right. It is the standard of conduct, like a cliff beneath your feet. A step forward and you will descend into an abyss ten thousand miles deep and at the bottom of which you will end up in fractured pieces. The precepts are like railings to protect you from falling down into the abyss. If you insist on climbing over the railing, then the result of you ending up in fractured pieces will be certain. There is no one who has brought such a curse upon you. It is due to your fall as a result of gravity that your body will be fractured into pieces. You will have to burden the outcome.

记者：教育要实现现代化，佛教这么古老了，和现代化有关系吗？

Journalist: Education needs modernization. Being so ancient, does Buddhism have anything to do with modernization?

传喜法师：现代化是我们人类成熟的一种标志吧。这种成熟不仅仅是一种机械现象，也代表着我们人类在运用机械上的自觉和理性。

这种自觉和理性是传统文化的结果，不是实验室里的成果，我们的传统文化素养越雄厚，才越有可能迎来社会的现代化。

Master Chuan-xi: Modernization is a kind of sign of the maturity of humankind. This kind of maturity is not only phenomena of industrialization, but also a representation of human self-awareness and rationalization in the utilization of machines. This self-awareness and rationalization is the result of traditional culture, and not of the laboratory. It is only when we are more endowed with our traditional culture that we are better able to bring in a modernized society.

记者：现代化并不单纯指手机、高科技，而是指一种内在的、灵魂的、精神的现代化，我这样理解对吗？

Journalist: Modernization not only refers to hand-phones, advanced technologies, but it also refers to the modernization of our inner-being, soul, and spirit. Am I right to understand it this way?

传喜法师：很有道理，一个人有了健全的身心，有了强大的精神支撑，才能更好地运用这些科技。这时，传统文化素养积淀得越深厚，社会才越有可能发展得更好更快。

Master Chuan-xi: Very true. It is only when a person has a healthy and wholesome body and mind, and a strong spiritual support, that he will be able to make use of these technologies. At this time, the more nurtured a society is from traditional culture, the more likely it will be able to develop in a better and faster manner.

记者：佛教能解决现在中国社会的现实问题吗？

Journalist: Will Buddhism be able to solve the practical problems in present Chinese society?

传喜法师：可以解决，需要大家自觉地来学习佛法。为人民服务是帮助人民大众，自度度人、普度众生是救度天下所有人，都是在做对天下众生有利益的事。

Master Chuan-xi: It will be able to solve them. We need every individual to come to the self-awareness that Buddhism should be practised; and that to serve the people is to help them. One conveys not only oneself but also others to emancipation. To universally convey myriad beings is to help and convey all under the sky to salvation. It is to do everything that is beneficial to all myriad beings in this world.

记者：佛教不是出世嘛，怎能积极地解决世间的问题呢？我们今天的中国需要的是如何为国家建功立业。

Journalist: Is not Buddhism other-worldly? How can it actively solve worldly problems? What China needs today is the know-how of economic achievement.

传喜法师：出世是一种精神，出世是一种生命高度，出世更是一种生命的能力。能解决我自己的问题，也能帮助别人成长，这叫出世，也叫菩萨精神。出世的精神就是菩萨精神。

一个人拥有了出世的能力，这个社会就繁荣富强了，就怕每个人都自私自利，“自己的问题”还解决不掉。

在这样一个多元的信息化时代，社会日趋发展，越来越繁荣，对人的资质要求也越来越高，一个自我约束力更强、更理性、更有能力、更高智慧的人，不单单解决“自己的问题”，还能陪着大家一起玩得很开心的人，是这个时代之亟需。所以，出世是菩萨，未来世界更需要菩萨。

Master Chuan-xi: To escape the mundane world is a kind of spirit, and a type of noble perspective of life. Even more so, it is a kind of life energy which enables us to solve our own problems and also help others in their growing process. This is called ‘escaping the mundane world’, also the ‘Bodhisattva spirit’. The spirit to escape the mundane world is precisely the Bodhisattva spirit.

When a person possesses the capability to escape the mundane world, society will be proper and become stronger. It is most dreadful when everyone is selfish and self-serving, not even able to solve one’s own problems.

In such a multitudinous and informationized age, society develops on a daily basis and becomes ever more prosperous. The information requirements of an individual become ever more taxing. One who has stronger self-discipline, is able to rationalize more, has better ability, and possesses higher wisdom is not only capable of solving his own problems, but also able to play along happily with everyone. He is someone much needed in these times. Therefore, to escape the mundane world is to be a Bodhisattva. The future world needs Bodhisattvas even more.

英文翻译&读诵：建成

慧日禅寺的大雄宝殿

The Mahavira Hall in Hui Ri Monastery