【文化释说英文有声书】第二篇 中华再起 文明再兴（七）

在实验室里,科学家已找到了反氢原子,数量很少很少,还不具备应用价值和条件。如果真的有一天能够操纵正物质和反物质的话, 释放的出能量,比氢弹的能量要大得多的多,而且属于清洁能源,不会产生核污染、核废料。

Scientists have already discovered antihydrogen atoms in the laboratory, although in very small numbers. These have not been found to offer any usefulness yet, and the conditions which would make them useful have also not come up. If we could exercise control over matter and its antimatter one day, the energy that is being emitted will be very many times more than that of the hydrogen bomb, and it will be a cleaner source of energy with no nuclear pollution and waste.

因为它能量太大,会打破现在的人类和平,所以丁肇中博士也忧心忡忡。他说:“我不知道我在做什么。”因为现在的科幻电影已经拍出来了。反物质如果被做成反物质炸弹,仅仅几克的重量,就足以摧毁一座几百万、甚至上千万人口的大型城市。

As the energy will be too great such that present world peace would be upset, Ding Zhao-zhong is led to be worrisome. He said, ‘I do not know what I am doing.’ This is because it has already been filmed in science-fiction movies – if antimatter could be made into bombs, only a few grams of it is enough to annihilate a major city of a few million and even a few hundred million residents.

社会上,很多智者认为不知道第三次世界大战是怎样的,但可以想见,如果有第三次世界大战的话,核战争会导致人类的灭亡。这一期文明将彻底消失殆尽。

Many wise people in the world feel that they do not know how a third world war would be like. However, we can imagine that if there is to be a third world war, nuclear warfare will lead to the extinction of the human race, and present civilization will be completely annihilated.

央视《人与自然》里有句话:人的自身道德是科学发展的最大障碍。宇宙缺能量吗?缺资源吗?不缺。人类缺乏的是自身道德,没有道德, 就像小孩子见刀刃有蜜,舔之则有割舌之患,是很危险的。

In Human and Nature by CCTV, it is said that one’s morality is the biggest obstacle to scientific development. Is the universe lacking in energy? Or lacking in resources? No, it is not. That in which humans are lacking is morality. When there is a lack of morality, it is like a child who has seen honey on the blade of a knife – it is extremely dangerous when it tries to lick the knife as the risk that the tongue will be cut is always there.

佛陀的智慧可以照见一切,所以在佛经上,我们后世弟子能够了解到宇宙中非常细微的微尘。譬如喝水,佛门有偈语:“佛观一钵水, 八万四千虫,若不持此咒,如食众生肉。”“唵(wèng)缚(wá)悉(xī) 波(bō)罗(luó)摩(mó)尼(ní)莎(suō)诃(hē)”。我们佛弟子,喝水就念此咒,否则,就是在吃荤。

The Buddha’s wisdom can illuminate everything. That is why we, as followers after his passing, are able to understand that there are very many fine and microscopic objects in the universe. Like when we drink water, there is a Buddhist verse which goes, ‘Contemplating on an almsbowl of water, [he discovers] there are 84,000 tiny organisms; if one does not chant the following mantra, it is as if one is feeding on the flesh of myriad beings [when one drinks the water]. Weng, wa, xi, bo, luo, mo, ni, suo, he.’ As the disciples of the Buddha, we have to chant this Mantra whenever we drink; otherwise, we would be flouting the precept to abstain from consuming meat.

显然,佛陀时代是没有显微镜的。十六世纪晚期,显微镜使用后, 人们才发现水里面有包括细菌在内的许多微生物,这也不过是近 400 多年的事情,而早在 3000 多年前,佛陀就已经悉知悉见。

There were no microscopes during the time of the Buddha obviously. It was not until the late 16th century when the microscope came into use that it was discovered that there are many minute living organisms including germs in water. This was just about 400 years ago. However, the Buddha already had intimate knowledge of and keen insight into this much earlier on more than 3,000 years ago.

佛甚至知道恒河系里有多少个太阳。我们读佛经了解到一个名词, 三千大世界,这是我们佛教的世界观。像我们这个世界,名南赡部洲, 在须弥山的南面。须弥山有东、西、南、北。

The Buddha even knew how many stars there are in our galaxy. There is a phrase we learn when we read the sutras: ‘three thousand trichiliocosm (billion-fold universe)’. This is the Buddhist cosmological view. For instance, this world of ours, Jambudvipa, is to the south of Mount Sumeru. There is also the east, the west, and the north.

须弥山山腰,有日月围绕。以须弥山为中心,九山八海交互环绕,名一小世界;一千个这样的小世界,名小千世界;一千个小千世界,名中千世界;一千个中千世界, 名大千世界,三千大千世界,是一尊佛的教化区域,这是释迦摩尼佛关于时空的概念。

The sun and the moon revolve around Mount Sumeru at its mountainside. Nine rings of mountains alternate with eight seas to surround Mount Sumeru which is at the centre. Such constitutes a small world. 1,000 such small worlds are known as a small thousand-fold world. 1,000 such small thousand-fold worlds are known as a medium thousand-fold world. 1,000 such medium thousand-fold worlds are known as a billion-fold world. Such a billion-fold universe is where a single Buddha teaches myriad beings and transforms them. This is Buddha Sakyamuni’s concept of time and space.

这是什么概念? 3000多年前,佛陀就知道了。你能玩科技吗?一个没有道德的人,若 提升道德,可玩的东西多的是。包含在佛的世界中的事物无可尽述。

What sort of a concept is this? The Buddha already knew it more than 3,000 years ago. What use do you have for technology? If one who is depraved is to become moral, there are many possibilities. The things that are encompassed in the world of the Buddha are so numerous that they cannot be counted.

《法华经》里说:“三界无安,犹如火宅,众苦充满,甚可怖畏, 常有生老病死忧患,如是常火,炽燃不息。”佛陀善以譬喻言辞,令闻者得到解脱。

In the Lotus Sutra, it is mentioned: ‘There is no peace within the Three Realms; it is as if [one is living in] a house on fire. It is very terrifying when there is so much myriad suffering. There is always birth, old age, sickness, death, trouble and misfortune – like the fire which is always burning without respite.’ The Buddha has always been adept at using metaphors to put his ideas across so that those who listened to him can be emancipated.

祖先的大智慧早就看到现在了。我们要怎样发展呢?要自我管理。无论个体、组织还是集团,都要有这种智慧。故宫的中和殿匾额上有四个字:允执厥中。体解大道,应用实事。一边体解大道,一边根据现象来综合,不偏于外在的现象,始终保持一种最佳的状态。好像一个冲浪选手,既驾驭风浪,又不被淹没。所以,过去的统治者也深知:水能载舟,亦能覆舟。

The great wisdom our ancestors possessed had enabled them to see into the future and our present predicament. How do we want to advance? We need to take control of ourselves. Be it individuals, groups, or organizations, such wisdom is necessary. The four characters on the tablet which hangs over the entrance of the Zhong He Hall in the Forbidden City reads: yun zhi jue zhong (meaning ‘to speak and conduct oneself in a manner which is not extreme and which accords with the Middle [way]). One must have an intimate understanding of the Great Dao and apply it to practical affairs - while having an intimate understanding of the Great Dao, one does not dwell too much on outward appearances; instead, one relies on these appearances to reach a balanced mind, so that one is always in one’s best form. This is like a surfer who rides on the waves but does not get drowned. Hence, rulers in the past knew it deep inside themselves that ‘while water can let a raft stay afloat, it is able to capsize it as well’.

《道德经》里说:“使夫知者不敢为也。为无为,则无不治。” 一个懂得“道”的人,是不敢去抢的。因为你有圣贤气象,大家自然而然追随你。老子所谓的“无为而治”,是指这个社会还有“道”的 状态。

The Dao De Jing says, ‘Keep those who have knowledge from acting [on it]; when there is abstinence from action, there is nothing that cannot be governed.’ A person who knows the Dao will never dare to commit pilferage. When you have a sense of the morality of the sagely and the virtuous, everyone will follow after you naturally. Lao-zi’s ‘government through non-action’ demonstrates that a society is still in a state of the Dao.

《道德经》也讲:不道久矣。在两千多年前,这个社会就“不道久矣”。儒家思想里也讲到百姓鲜知,很少再能知道“道”是什么了。所以,孔老夫子推广“道”,带着弟子们游说列国,到处讲学,境遇是很艰难的——“惶惶如丧家之犬”。

The Dao De Jing also says, ‘It has been so long since the Dao [has been practised].’ Our society has not had the Dao since more than 2,000 years ago. In Confuciansism, there is also mention of the common folk being ignorant, such that most no longer knew what the Dao is. That was why Confucius brought his disciples to many states throughout the land to dispense his teachings in a bid to propagate the Dao. It was an extremely arduous task as it filled one with anxiety like a dog which has lost its home.

一个推广道的人,一个以天下为公、造福于民的人,走在世间却是很艰难的一条路哇!

For one who propagates the Dao, has all that is under the sky at heart, and strives for the benefit of the people, his path in this world is extremely arduous.

同样今天,我们需要自己去实践。比如念阿弥陀佛,持名念佛, 只是念名字,什么意思不知道;大家早就听说“中庸”了,儒家讲《中庸》的,什么意思,不知道。

It is the same for us now. We need to put it into practice ourselves. For instance, the chanting of ‘Buddha Amitabha’ - the mindfulness of the Buddha through the chanting of his name – is merely the chanting of a name. We do not know its meaning. Everyone has, early on in their lives, heard of The Mean mentioned by the Confucians; but as to the meaning of it, no one knows.

阿弥陀佛是什么意思?阿弥陀佛是梵文,译成中国话叫无量光无量寿。怎么理解呢?光,代表空间,无量光,即空间无量;寿,代表时间, 无量寿,即时间无量。

What is the meaning of ‘Amitabha’? ‘Amitabha’ is Sanskrit. In Chinese, it means ‘infinite light, infinite life’. How can this be understood? Light stands for space - infinite light means infinite space; life stands for time – infinite life means infinite time.

在整个宇宙文明里,我们人处于低级的生命状态,时间有限、空间有限。所以我们要“南无”,归敬归命,皈依时间无限、空间无限。“南无阿弥陀佛”到底什么意思?要慢慢修,修个三年五年、十年二十年下来,慢慢有点知道了,你的“心”便合于阿弥陀佛, 无量光无量寿了。

Among all of the civilizations in the universe, we humans are life-forms of the lower strata, limited by both time and space. As such, we have to say ‘Namo’ and pay homage to infinite time and infinite space. What does ‘Namo Buddha Amitabha’ really mean? We need to persevere in our practice, for three, or five, or ten, or 20 years in order to gradually realize that our mind has blended with Buddha Amitabha who is infinite in light and infinite in life.

我们的“心”有没有边界?我们的“心”在空间上有没有边界? 我们的“心”在时间上有没有边界?没有,我们的“心”本身就是阿弥陀佛,但我们迷掉很久了,没有遵循着自己的“心”。所以,当你念果地的阿弥陀佛时,慢慢地就会唤醒因地的阿弥陀佛;当你因地的阿弥陀佛和果地的阿弥陀佛相应的时候,逐渐就合在一起了,你就知道观想念佛,最后达到“实相念佛”。

Is there a limit to our mind? Is there a limit to our mind in terms of space? Is there also a limit in terms of time? No, our mind itself is Buddha Amitabha; but we have lost it for a very long time. This is because we have not been following our mind. As such, when you chant the name of the Buddha Amitabha of the fruition ground, you gradually awaken the Buddha Amitabha of the causal ground. As the Buddha Amitabha of the causal ground corresponds with that of the fruition ground, and gradually combines with it into one, you will know that you have finally graduated from mindfulness of the Buddha through visualization to mindfulness of the Buddha through the contemplation of reality.

“实相”就是实际理地,不染一尘。这时候,念而无念,无念而念。像孔老夫子说的:“从心所欲,不逾矩。”佛教叫打成一片、三昧耶, 无内无外,天人相应了。不逾矩,不违背“道”,已经成为习惯成自然了。如果天下人都能“从心所欲,不逾矩”,天下可尽归大道。以圣人为师表,世人就可成为尧舜了。

‘Reality’ refers to the domain of actuality which is free from even a single speck of dust. Here, one is mindful without trying to be mindful; and without being mindful, one is already mindful. This is like what Confucius said, that ‘one could follow one’s heart, without committing any transgression’. In Buddhism, this is known as ‘coming together as one’, ‘a close bond’, ‘the absence of internalities and externalities’, and ‘mutual correspondence between heaven and human’. ‘Without transgression’ means ‘not going against the Dao’ – one is naturally so after one has become habituated.  If everyone can ‘follow their hearts without committing any transgression’, then all that is under heaven will return to the Great Dao. In following after the example of the sages, mortal men can be like Emperors Yao and Shun.

良好习惯的养成是不容易的,我们这些凡夫身上劣根性一大堆, 自己都算不过来。要把自己的劣根性一一拔除,建立起一个良好的习惯,人生路上,唯有“向上”一条路。所以,“戒恶修善”是必由之路。不走此路,你就轮回,就是苦海无边,你就在“澜”里,在“汹涌波涛”里。

It is not easy to cultivate good habits. We worldlings find in ourselves shortcomings that are so numerous that we could not even count. We need to remove these shortcomings one by one, and develop good habits, so that it will only be an uplifting life journey for us. Therefore, ‘refraining from evil and the practice of wholesome deeds’ is the path we have to take. You will go through the cycle of birth and death if you do not take this path, and you will find yourself drifting in the raging waves of the boundless ocean of suffering.

今天在这里学习,我把我的感悟与大家分享,也希望大家批评。在儒释道这个话题上多去思维探索,这样我们就慢慢地沾到一点“道” 的味道。“常在河边走”,会被它感染,会有福佑的幸运之水来浸润你。你常在“道”上走,常常思考,培植福德,减少负能量,增加正能量, 达到一定程度,人纯阳了,就会见“道”了。假以时日,就开始有一点知道门槛,开始会修了,当你跟“道”合一的时候,就不得了了, 人会开始发生转变。

As we learn from each other here today, I would like to share what I have understood and realized with all of you, and also hope that you can give me your constructive criticisms. When we are engaging ourselves more in the mental exploration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, we will slowly be imbued with the aura of the Dao.  Walking too often along a river will make you susceptible to the influence of the river - you will be drenched by blessed water of good fortune. As you tread often on the path of the Dao, always contemplating, cultivating blessings and virtues, reducing negative energy while increasing positive energy, you will reach a certain level when you become pure in ‘yang’ (positive energy), and you will see the Dao. Given enough time, one begins to know a little about the threshold and starts to practice; and amazingly, when you have become one with the Dao, you begin to transform and change.

我以前,每到冬天就生冻疮,手也烂脚也烂、耳朵也烂,找不到一点快乐,有也苦无也苦,人生就像丢掉什么一样,如同丢魂失魄。于是我带着“苦”的感受去探索,古人怎么活的呢?在上海福州路, 一家一家的书店,我钻进去一本一本地看书,没日没夜,看春秋、百家思想,看儒、道,最后遇见佛家。

I used to get frostbite whenever it was winter. My hands and feet would get infected, and so did my ears. There was not a moment’s peace. Whether there was or not, it was still suffering. Life was as if I had lost something, like I had lost my soul and my spirit. As a result, I brought along with me the experience of suffering to explore how the ancient people lived. Along Fu Zhou Road in Shanghai, I went into each and every one of the book stores to read, without being mindful of whether it was day or night. I read on the Hundred Schools of Thought of the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucianism, then Taoism, and finally Buddhism.

特别是《道德经》,第一章云:“道可道,非常道,名可名,非常名。”不知道讲什么的,中国学问,开篇就来最高的。第二章云: “天下皆知美之为美,斯恶已;皆知善之为善,斯不善已。故有无相生,难易相成,长短相形,高下相倾,音声相和,前后相随。是以圣人处无为之事,行不言之教,万物作焉而不辞,生而不有,为而不恃, 功成而弗居。夫惟弗居,是以不去”。

Especially the Dao De Jing, in which it is written in the first chapter: ‘The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name.’ We do not know what this is about. This is Chinese knowledge at the highest level, and it is just the opening page. The second chapter says: ‘All under heaven know beauty as beauty, and in doing so, there arises (the notion of) ugliness; when all know good as good, there arises (the notion of) evil. So it is that the ideas of existence and non-existence are given rise to, the ideas of difficulty and ease come about, the ideas of length and shortness are formed, the ideas of height and lowness are contrasted with each other, the ideas of pitch and tone are harmonized, and the ideas of before and after follow each other.’ ‘The sage thus manages affairs with non-action, and teaches without the use of words. Ten thousand things are acted upon by him although he does not stop them from flourishing. He creates but does not claim possession; acts but does not attach importance to his actions. He is accomplished but does not dwell on his successes. Only because there is no dwelling, is there nothing for him to lose.’

圣人正是因为与天地通,明白这个道理,所以生命不再在“眼耳鼻舌身意,色声香味触法”上做文章。“行不言之教”,为什么不说话也能教化人呢?他的相貌不一样,他的磁场不一样,就像我师父。

It is precisely because the sage is in harmony with heaven and earth that he does not dwell on living his life by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, and forms, sounds, smells, tastes, sense of touch and mental formations. ‘teaching without the use of words’ – why is it that he can still teach and transform people even without speaking? He looks different, and he has a different aura, just like my master.

现在放一下我师父的照片,你们见识一下:把我们中华民族的文化用 生命承载下来的人。我们师父是宁愿坐监狱,宁愿被骂成迷信大王, 也仍然坚守信念,然后把文化传承给我们的人。请看师父的照片,他 不会说普通话,但是全国各地,都有人去拜他,做他徒弟。

Let me put up a picture of my master to let you learn something. He was someone who had used his life to carry on the culture of the Chinese people. Our master would rather be imprisoned and be denounced as someone who misled by superstition; and be someone who held on to his faith and belief steadfastly and passed down the culture to us. Please take a look at my master’s picture. He could not speak standard mandarin; yet, there were still people from all over the country who would visit him to pay him respects and be his disciples.

圣人是有圣人相的,相由心生。一个内圣的人,他的相会展现出来。大家观察一下我们师父的耳朵,你相信佛有这么大的耳朵吗?你到庙里看过佛相,我们师父就是这样:两耳垂肩,慈眉善目。我给师父做侍者十几年,无论什么样的人,一沾到师父边,烦恼就没了,走的时候老人也乐得像小孩一样。就是说,你在他身边,你就会感受到他给你的正能量,你会被他的圣贤之气所感染, 提升你的人生品格,这叫不言之教。

The sages will have a certain demeanour which is characteristic of sages. This comes from their mental fabric. One who is wholesome within will exhibit such wholesomeness in his demeanour. Let us observe the ears of my master – do you believe that the Buddha has such big ears? Have you seen images of the Buddha in the monasteries? My master was like those images – ears almost touching the shoulders, compassionate-looking brows and kind-looking eyes. I was his attendant for well over ten years and I have seen people of all sorts whose troubles would instantly disappear just by being in his company. Even if they were elderly, they would leave his company happy like little children. That is to say, if you were beside him, you would have felt his positive energy, be imbued with his sagely and virtuous aura, and as such, would have your character elevated. This is what is known as ‘teaching without the use of words’.

我们学这些传统文化,要看到模范。孔老夫子总是把尧舜、文王、 武王姜太公等等作为人的表率。甚至宰相晏婴拥有的品格和人格魅力, 完全可以成为我们做人的榜样。在这个时代,还是可以找到这种人格 榜样的。我们师父就是这样,上百万的徒弟,他不需要做广告。我那时做侍者,只要能保证经常开门,不要把大家挡在外面就行了。大家如水涌来啊!中国有句话:山朝水朝不如人朝。人在深山如兰生幽谷, 花中君子,王者之香,这就是人格魅力。

As we study our traditional culture, we need role-models. Confucius had always held up figures like Emperors Yao and Shun, Emperors Wen and Wu of Zhou, Jiang Tai-gong as human paragons. We could even treat as human ideals the characteristics and charisma which Yan Ying, the prime minister of Qi, possessed. We can still find such role-models of human characters in modern times. Our master was someone like that. He had up to a million disciples, and he did not need any promotion. As his attendant then, I had to ensure that the door was often open so as not to keep everyone outside. Everyone came like pouring water! There is a Chinese saying which says: ‘Groups of mountains and rivers cannot compare to hordes of people.’ A person can have such charisma that even when he lives deep in the mountains, he is like an orchid in a remote valley - the finest of the flowers and king among the fragrances.

一个国家的强盛,离不开精神的支撑;一个民族的进步,有赖于自身文明传统的滋养。中华民族的伟大复兴,不仅要在经济发展上创造奇迹,也要在精神文化上书写辉煌。否则,失去了国魂、道统, 国将不国。希望在座的每一位炎黄子孙,见贤思齐,蔚然成风,把祖先的文化作为生命的营养,滋养我们的身心,渐渐地,就会转凡成圣,我们渐渐就会成为这个社会的正能量。如果大家都学习了中华优秀传统文化,那社会上真的就会满街出圣贤了,满街都是圣贤后,实现“中国梦”还会远吗?让我们从一点一滴做起吧!

In order to be strong, a nation cannot do without spiritual support; and for its people to progress, there needs to be reliance on nourishment from its traditional culture. The great revival of the Chinese people should not only entail the creation of economic miracles, but also the re-glorification of our cultural spirit. If not, once the national soul and the tradition of the Dao is lost, a nation will not stay a nation. Hopefully, every one of you who are descendants of Emperors Yan and Huang here tries to emulate the conduct of the virtuous ones and cultivates this emulation as a social norm – treating as nutrient for living this culture passed down from our ancestors. This will nourish us both in terms of body and mind, and gradually, we will be able to transform from the worldly into the sagely and the virtuous. We will also slowly become the positive energy for our society. If everyone is to study this fine traditional Chinese culture, then the streets will be really full of the sagely and the virtuous. With that, are we not close to the realization of the ‘Chinese dream’? So let us start bit by bit!