佛法最平等

　　The Buddhadharma is Completely Fair

　　在佛教裏，一分功，一分過，絲毫不會差錯。

　　In Buddhism, the retribution you receive for each share of merit and

　　each share of offense you create will not be off by a hairsbreadth.

　　佛法是很微妙的，在佛法裏，感覺不到有什麼好處，在佛法外，也不覺得有什麼壞處。可是在佛教裏，一分功，一分過，絲毫不會差錯。佛教裏，亦是最自由、最平等，沒有專製，毫不偏袒。

　　The Buddhadharma is very subtle and wonderful. When you are inside the Buddhadharma, you can”t detect any advantage, and when you are outside the Buddhadharma, you don”t feel any disadvantage. But in Buddhism, the retribution you receive for each share of merit and each share of offense you create will not be off by a hairsbreadth. In Buddhism, there is also the greatest freedom and the greatest equality. It is not despotic or biased in the least.

　　爲什麼說最平等呢？因爲一切衆生，無論餓鬼地獄，凶神惡獸，惡人壞人，如果肯發心修行，回頭是岸，都可成佛。不像外道說：「惡人壞人，永遠都壞，無法可度；猛虎惡獸，性情殘暴，亦不可救。」

　　Why is it said to be equal

　　 It”s because if any living being, whether it”s a hungry ghost, hell-being, evil spirit, ferocious beast, wicked person, or bad person, brings forth the resolve to cultivate, then “a turn of the head is the other shore,” and that being can become a Buddha. Buddhists are unlike externalists who advocate that bad or wicked people are eternally bad and beyond redemption, and that ferocious tigers and evil beasts, being wild by nature, cannot be saved.

　　中國明朝時代，有蓮池大師，他便收了一只老虎徒弟，護持左右。可是老虎是惡獸，人見人怕，所以大師就教牠出入不要直行，虎亦遵命，出入退行，人們也就不怕，知爲善虎。老虎徒弟還會到各處爲蓮池大師化緣。人們見到善虎，還爭相布施供養呢！所以虎亦能皈依叁寶，護持佛法，亦可成佛。

　　During the Ming dynasty, there was the Great Master Lianchi who accepted a tiger as his disciple. This tiger disciple accompanied him around and protected him. As tigers are known to be vicious beasts, everyone was terrified upon seeing it. Thereupon Great Master Lianchi told the tiger to walk backwards instead of forward. When the tiger did this, the people felt assured that it was tame, and they were no longer afraid of it. The tiger went everywhere to raise funds for the Great Master. People all crowded in to make offerings when they saw this good tiger coming. So it is said that tigers can also take refuge with the Triple Jewel, protect the Buddhadharma and become Buddhas.

　　佛教最自由，因佛教裏，只是勸人行善，不要做惡。做惡會自作自受，自取其報。但佛教不會強迫人去行善，亦不會說，你不聽話，專造惡業，我會造一所牢獄把你關進去。因爲一切唯心造，天堂、地獄，皆是依人的思想和業力造成。故佛法教人「諸惡莫作，衆善奉行」，並闡明絲毫不爽的因果律，教人認識真理而超出輪回。

　　Buddhism gives people the greatest freedom, because in Buddhism, people are only exhorted to practice good deeds and abstain from evil deeds. If you do evil, you yourself must suffer the retribution. But Buddhism doesn”t force people to do good, and would not say, “If you don”t listen, and you keep making bad karma, I”ll build a prison and lock you up in it.” That”s because everything is made from the mind alone. The heavens and the hells are created based on people”s thoughts and the force of their karma. Thus the Buddhadharma teaches people to “Abstain from all evil and offer up all good conduct,” and explains the law of cause and effect, which never misses by even a hairsbreadth. It teaches people to recognize the truth and transcend the cycle of birth and death.