(１７)現在我們來談談人，來看看我們自己。
“佛陀如何描述後代的人？”
17) Now we are going to talk about people. We are going to have a closer look at ourselves.
17) “What did the Buddha say people would be like in succeeding ages
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在一次說法中，佛陀說：“現代(意指佛世直到現在的每個時代)的人喜歡在非法中尋歡作樂，過分貪婪且尋求邪說”(泰本巴利藏第２１冊，４９６頁)。他們在非法中尋求歡樂，也就是說，受強烈的“自我”所左右；他們完全缺乏醒覺，任貪欲過度泛濫；因爲完全受控于煩惱，他們就尋求邪說——錯誤的法。
THERE IS A discourse in which the Buddha reproves “us people now”, meaning each new generation from the time of the Buddha until now, who “rejoice in unrighteous pleasures, are too much given to covetousness, and are leaning towards false doctrines.” They find great delight in pleasurable excitement of an unrighteous kind, that is to say, they are far too self-centred. They completely lack awareness, and thus their greed has become intense and excessive. They fall into false doctrines, because they have fallen completely under the power of the mental defilements.
二千多年前，佛陀就如此敘述，還使用“後代的人”這個詞。這些敘述所描寫的現象從世尊觀察時，一直延續到現代，在此，我們有責任看看身處現代的自己。今天我們不正是在非法中尋歡作樂、過度貪婪自私和尋求邪說嗎？你看到現代人顯然變得太離譜了！要是他們能根據佛陀所製的方式，過正道的生活，即使他們會由色、聲、香、味中獲得樂趣，也必然會自我警惕而不過度貪婪。這意思是：他們除了基本需要外，不會在色、聲、香、味、觸中過度尋求。
The Buddha made this statement more than two thousand years ago, yet he uses the term “people of later ages”, which extends from when the Master made the observation until the present day. Here we have a duty to look at ourselves in this present age. Aren”t people in the world today taking excessive delight in unrighteous pleasures, behaving far too selfishly, and leaning towards false doctrines
Obviously people at present are very different from people at the time of the Buddha. However, if they are to live correctly according to the pattern set by the Buddha, then, although they may take some pleasure in colours, shapes, sounds, scents, and tastes, they will do so with constant mindfulness and right knowledge, and will not let greed become excessive. This means that they will not want the colours, shapes, sounds, scents, tastes, and tactile stimuli more than is necessary, not excessively.
“過度”就是超過需要，單單這個詞就已經是使目前世界顛覆、困擾和動蕩的原因。
The single word “excess”, that is to say, more than necessary, signifies the cause of all the upsets, difficulties, and troubles of the world at this time.
我曾讀過基督教的書，他們認爲一個人過度需求是有罪的，是個“罪人”。人只因所求多于所需，就被基督教當成罪人，而我們也許並不以爲自己是罪人，因我們認爲自己還不過份，也沒有什麼過分的啊！這個問題只能與忠于自己的人討論。
I have read that in Christianity a person who seeks beyond what is needed is “sinful”, is a “sinner”. One who merely seeks after more than is necessary is considered by Christian standards to be a sinner. Perhaps we don”t yet consider ourselves sinners, because we don”t care to or because we really consider ourselves not as yet excessive
Perhaps we think that there is nothing about which we are excessive
This matter can be discussed only with people who are honest with themselves.
在一則非常好的西藏寓言中描述著：所有的鳥兒聚集在一起，對“如何修行才能帶來快樂”的問題提出意見和看法，每種鳥說出自己的心意。最後，所有的鳥兒一致決議出根本原則：“我們不要尋求超過自己需要的糧食”。之後，他們要求所有出席者，除基本需要外，不要尋求更多糧食。
In a very good Tibetan book of parables, all the birds assemble together. They voice their opinions and express their thoughts on the way of Dhamma practice that will bring happiness. Each variety of bird speaks its own mind. In the end, all the birds assembled resolve that, “We will not seek food in excess of what is necessary. This is the ultimate.” Finally, they request the whole gathering not to seek more food than necessary. Here the story ends.
我們應該想想“過度需求”，它不僅帶給自己痛苦和折磨，也是全世界其他人困擾的根源。好好地想一想吧！
“尋求邪說”是指對某事認知錯誤，冀求不正當的事而不會感到害怕或慚愧，因爲煩惱占了優勢且壓倒一切，當人尋求邪說時，他自然與“法”對立，也就很難契入“法”。所以，我們若想解脫痛苦，就必須回歸于“法”。
One ought to consider that seeking more than one needs is a source of suffering and torment for oneself and a source of trouble to other people all over the world. Think it over! Leaning towards false doctrines means recognizing a thing as wrong, yet wanting that wrong thing without feeling fear or shame, because defilements preponderate and overwhelm one. A person confirmed in this way of thinking is badly fitted to Dhamma. He is by nature directly opposed to it. So if we want to be free of suffering, we must turn to Dhamma.
《佛陀如何描述後代的人？What did the Buddha say people would be like in succeeding ages
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