德行的表現

　　The Manifestation of a Virtuous Character

　　修道就是要修真正道德，不妨礙他人，也不怕他人妨礙自己。

　　Cultivating the Way means to cultivate true morality by not obstructing others and not being

　　afraid of being obstructed by others.

　　學習佛法的人，就是在這兒開始把種子種到地下去。種子種下後，能不能生出？還要看各種的緣。諸緣具足了，種子就能順利地生出。假若各方面助緣不圓滿，就有可能變成焦芽敗種。這也就是看我們發菩提心、種菩提種子時，種得夠不夠深？堅固不堅固？

　　People who are learning and practicing the Buddhadharma are sowing seeds in the ground. Once the seeds have been sown, will they sprout

　　 It depends on various conditions. When all the right conditions are present, the seeds will sprout and grow in due course. If the various aiding conditions are not all present, the sprouts may wither and the seeds may go bad. It also depends on whether we sowed our Bodhi seeds deeply and firmly enough when we made our resolve for Bodhi.

　　若是種得夠深而且堅固結實，那麼將來種子一定會生根發芽；可是若想結菩提果，還要有一段相當的時間，這就要看你用功用得如何？要是用功上路了，開悟證果，成就覺道，這才算是收成。

　　If we sowed them deeply and firmly enough, the seeds will surely take root and sprout in the future. However, if you want to reap the Bodhi fruit, it will take considerable time, and it depends on how well you apply effort. If your cultivation advances well, and you become enlightened, realize the fruition, and accomplish the Way, then you have reaped the harvest.

　　種子生根發芽、抽葉、開花、結果的過程中，都必須經過相當的時間培養、灌溉、加肥料。肥料是什麼？就是學佛的道德。修行要處處本著道德，以不妨礙道德爲根本戒條。

　　During the process of taking root, sprouting, growing leaves, flowering, and bearing fruit, a considerable time of care, watering, and adding fertilizer is needed. What is the fertilizer

　　 It is studying morality. Every aspect of cultivation must be based on morality. "Not going against morality" should be our fundamental precept.

　　儒教雲：「德者本也，財者末也。」德行是人的根本，而財僅是一種末梢之物。修道人處處要惜福節約，不浪費金錢物質，如此日積月累，才能培養出自己的德行，所生出來的枝葉才會茂盛，果實也將累累。如果不加肥料，不用功去培養灌溉，枝芽花果很容易就會枯槁而死，所以修道人，第一戒條就是「注重德行」。

　　A Confucian maxim says: "Virtue is fundamental. Wealth is incidental." Virtuous conduct is the foundation of a person, while wealth is an insignificant thing. Cultivators should always be thrifty and avoid wasting money or resources. That way, over the days and months, they can foster their practice of virtue. Then the branches and leaves will grow abundantly, and fruits will accumulate. If you don”t add fertilizer, and you make no effort to care for and water the plant, it will be easy for the branches, flowers and fruit to wither and die. Therefore, the foremost precept for cultivators is to place emphasis on virtuous conduct.

　　德行先由小處做起，「毋以善小而不爲」，你不要以爲小善就不去做，而等著做大善，大善沒有那麼多。山是一粒一粒微塵積成的，微塵雖小，但積多了也會變成一座山；德行雖小，但積多了，也會變成一座德行山。

　　Virtuous conduct begins in small places. "Do not think a good deed is too small and fail to do it." Don”t wait around for a big good deed to do, because there aren”t that many big good deeds. A mountain is an accumulation of specks of dust. Although each speck is tiny, many specks piled up can form a mountain. Virtuous deeds may be small, yet when many are accumulated, they will form a mountain of virtue.

　　不違背道德就是德行，不妨礙他人就是德行。無論做什麼，要以幫助他人爲本份。若于利益上、時間上、文化智慧上，或其他種種事情上，對他人有所妨礙，不能利益他人，都是于道德有所違背。所以我們的一舉一動、一言一行，總以不違背道德爲根本箴規。想要修道，先要培德；沒有德行，就不能修道。有人想修道，魔障就來找，這因爲沒有德行的緣故，所以說：「德者本也，財者末也。」

　　Not going against what is proper and right is known as virtuous conduct. Not hindering others is morality. In whatever you do, you should make it your obligation to help others. If you hinder others and cannot benefit them in terms of profit, time, culture, wisdom, or any other aspect, you are acting contrary to morality. Therefore, in every move and action, every word and deed, we should always make "not going against morality" our basic rule. If you want to cultivate the Way, you must first foster virtue. Without virtuous conduct, you cannot cultivate. Some people who want to cultivate will encounter demonic obstacles as soon as they start. That is due to a…

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