(２８)爲了讓各位更清楚了解涅槃，我們應想想這個問題：

　　“低等動物能證得涅槃嗎？”

　　28) Now to give you a clearer and deeper under- standing of this subject, we shall consider the question

　　28) “Can the lower animals attain nibbāna

　　”

　　佛陀用“般涅槃”(parinibbayati)”、“已般涅槃”(parinibbuto)這二個字，談到動物經訓練直到野性消除(泰本巴利藏第１３冊，１７６頁)。一條狗、一只大象、一匹馬或任何動物，若被訓養和好好訓練之後，不再難以駕禦，我們可以用“已般涅槃”這個字。同樣的字，也可以用在阿羅漢(arahant)或煩惱止息的人身上，這二個字適用于完全熄滅叁毒火——完全冷靜的人。佛世時所用的巴利文裏，“般涅槃”這個字也可以這麼用：當引用于人類時，指的是煩惱的止息或阿羅漢境界；引用于低等動物時，指的是野性消除；引用于火時，指的是余燼熄滅“冷卻。飯或粥煮好後，裝入碗裏冷卻，也用“般涅槃”這個字。

　　“般涅槃”是個很平常的字，日常生活中人們用它表示熱的東西變冷了，不傷人了。動物也可以得到涅槃，我們別不如動物，也不應該把涅槃轉交到死後，而應當從涅槃中得到利益，否則把佛陀最有價值的東西變成廢物，那真是愚蠢至極啊！

　　讓我們以它的衍生字“已般涅槃”(parinibbuto)，重新研讀“涅槃”(nibbana)、“般涅槃”(parinibbana)，這樣將會激起我們去接觸涅槃的勇氣與毅力，而不會像目前一樣，一聽到涅槃就想睡覺、就害怕，或只是感到無聊而立刻退縮。

　　IN ONE OF his discourses, the Buddha uses the words parinibbāyati and parinibbuto in reference to animals that have been trained until their self-assertiveness has been eliminated. For a dog, an elephant, a horse, or anything whatever that is trained until it is tame and no longer unruly, we can use the word parinibbuto, the same word used regarding an arahant (one who has eliminated the defilements completely). These two words are applicable to one who has put out the fires completely, a person who is completely cooled down. In the Pali language as spoken at the time of the Buddha, the word “parinibbāna” could be used in this way, also. When applied to a human being, it meant the achieving of the extinction of defilements, or arahantship (spiritual perfection). When applied to a lower animal, it meant attaining the extinction of self-assertiveness. Applied to a fire, it referred to the going out and becoming cool of the embers. In speaking of boiled or steamed rice which had been served into a bowl and had become cool, the word used was parinibbāna. It was an ordinary word, used in a general way for everyday worldly things, to indicate something become cool, something rendered harmless.

　　So we ought to take good advantage of nibbāna and not remain worse off than the beasts to which words like these also can be applied. Don”t put it off until death comes. That is the height of stupidity, wasting the Buddha”s invaluable gift. Let us study afresh the terms “nibbāna” and “parinibbāna” with its derivative “parinibbuto”. Then there will arise the courage and ardour for the job of penetrating to and attaining that which is called “nibbāna”. Let us not shrink back like those people who on hearing the word “nibbāna” become drowsy, apprehensive, or just bored.

　　我要邀請各位男女青年朋友們多關心“涅槃”這個字。涅槃就是消除一切毒害，甚至男女情欲也要消除，就像是動物被訓練到危險的野性消除一樣，那是完全的清涼。讓我們成爲完全冷靜的人，沒有任何事可以惹火我們，燒惱我們，不要再無知地製造熱惱，就能獲行涅槃。由“現證涅槃”或“現法涅槃”做起，我們就能夠逐漸達到真實涅槃的境界。

　　I ask all of you to interest yourselves in the word “nibbāna”. The getting rid of harmful influences, even the passing of one”s youth, may be called a sort of nibbāna. Just as with animals which have been trained until their dangerous self-assertiveness has been eliminated, these are parinibbuto, that is, coolness, complete coolness. So let us be completely cool people who have nothing that can set fire to us and burn us. Let us not thoughtlessly produce heat, but rather win the prize that is nibbāna. To begin with the kind known as sandi..hika-nibbāna or di..hadhamma-nibbāna, then by degrees we can work up to the level of real nibbāna.