(３８)“最大的功德在哪裏？”

　　38) Now,

　　38) “Where is great merit to be found

　　”

　　佛陀曾說：“只要彈指頃觀無常，成就無常想(aniccasanna)，它的功德勝過供養以佛陀爲首的整個僧團。”(泰本巴利藏第２３冊，４０６頁)。

　　THE BUDDHA ONCE said, “Developing awareness-of-impermanence (aniccasa..a) for only as long as it takes to click the fingers has more effect and merit value than providing meals for the entire Sangha when led by the Buddha.”

　　這句話的意思是：即使我們以食物供養所有的僧伽，包括僧伽之首的佛陀，所獲得的功德仍不如彈指頃成就無常想的功德，這點是最基本的。

　　This means that if we could invite the whole Buddhist Sangha together with the Buddha at its head and offer them food, we would still not gain as much merit as by successfully developing awareness- of-impermanence for the duration of a click of the fingers. This is a most fundamental point.

　　我們可以從佛陀所說的經典中看到他的清淨心，他甚至勇敢地以自己作爲比較的標准，啊！這一點是多麼值得景仰，我滿懷的敬意簡直無法表達！請注意！寺院中一般人所謂“供僧”的大功德，實際上只是五欲的追求而已，而真正的大功德是如佛陀所說的——彈指頃修成無常想，這樣的功德遠超過供僧。

　　So, be wary of great deeds of charity such as some people display in temple halls, because they are concerned with sensual pleasures. Great merit, to be genuine, must be as the Buddha described. Developing awareness-of-impermanence for just a brief moment is far better than all this sort of providing for bhikkhus.