(３１)下一個問題是：

　　“證阿羅漢容易嗎？”

　　31) The next question asks,

　　31) “Is it difficult or easy to be an arahant

　　”

　　對這個問題，幾乎每個人都會回答“極端困難”，沒有人敢想或敢說“容易”！在此，我們再度保持不給絕對答案的原則，任何人給予絕對答案，如說“有”或“沒有”、“容易”或“困難”，他就不是追隨佛陀的人。

　　ALMOST EVERYONE ANSWERS that it is extremely difficult. No one dares to think or speak of it as being easy. Here again, let us keep to the principle of not giving unqualified answers. Anyone who gives unqualified answers, saying, for example, “there is” or “there is not”, “it is easy” or “it is difficult”, is not a follower of the Buddha.

　　佛陀的原則是“緣起法則”，如果我們正確地遵行緣起法則，成爲阿羅漢(arahant)是容易的，如果我們違反了緣起法則，想成爲阿羅漢就會極端困難。

　　只因爲我們已習慣安住于煩惱中，于是想成爲阿羅漢就顯得異常困難。在此，我們應回想佛陀所說的話：“只要過正道的生活，世上就不會缺少阿羅漢。”過正道的生活並不難，是我們能辦得到的。怎麼說呢？只要我們能封鎖住煩惱，不讓它得到滋養，就像我們想殺死老虎，只要把它關起來，不給它食物，它就會自然死亡，不必進到籠裏去面對它，而讓它有機會咬我們、撕裂我們。這是一種我們可以做得到的技術，就是前面所說，我們能力所及的意思。

　　The Buddha”s principle is that of causality. If we act rightly through understanding the principle of causality, being an arahant is easy. If we go against the principle of causality, it is extremely difficult. Only because we are accustomed to the defilements does it appear difficult to become an arahant. Here we ought to bear in mind that saying of the Buddha, “If we live rightly, the world will not be empty of arahants.” This living rightly is not difficult, it is not beyond our capacity. Blockade the defilements to prevent their obtaining nourishment. If we want to kill a tiger, we could pen him in with nothing to eat, and he would die of his own accord. It would not be necessary for us to go in, confront the tiger, and let him bite and claw us. This is what is meant by saying it is not beyond our capacity. This is the technique, and it lies within our abilities.

　　因此，成爲阿羅漢究竟是難、是易，全看所用的方法是對或錯而定，如果我們遵循佛陀的教導——“過正道的生活，世上就不會缺少阿羅漢”，那麼，想要成爲阿羅漢就不困難了。

　　Therefore, being an arahant will be easy or not depending on whether we use the right or the wrong methods. If we follow what the Buddha said, it is not difficult. “Live rightly and the world will not be empty of arahants.”