..續本文上一頁e merits which they received to their departed ones. Alms should be given in the name of the departed by recalling to mind such things as, ”When he was alive, he gave me this wealth; he did this for me; he was my relative, my companion, etc. (Tirokuddha Sutta_Khuddakapatha). There is no use weeping, feeling sorry, lamenting and bewailing; such attitudes are of no consequence to the departed ones.

　　佛陀說：「一個人給予先亡者最大的禮物，就是將自己善行的功德回向給他們。」佛陀又說：「回向功德者因此會獲得更多的功德。」佛陀鼓勵人們多做善事，如：供養賢德者，並把此功德回向給先亡。應該以先亡者的名義來布施，心裏要這麼的想：「他們生前給我財富，他們所作的一切都是爲了我，他們是我的親屬，是我的同伴。」對先亡者哭泣、悲恸、傷感、憂愁，對他們一點好處也沒有。

　　Transferring merits to the departed is based on the popular belief that on a person”s death, his ”merits” and ”demerits” are weighed against one another and his destiny determined, his actions determined whether he is to be reborn in a sphere of happiness or a realm of woe. The belief is that the departed one might have gone to the world of the departed spirits. The beings in these lower forms of existence cannot generate fresh merits, and have to live on with the merits which are earned from this world.

　　回向功德的作用是幫助他人積累「福報」，「福報」的積累影響到一個人往生善界或惡界。生活在低層次生界的

　　「鬼」，自己不能開創善業，因此，就必須有賴于我們將善業的功德回向給他們。

　　Those who did not harm others and who performed many good deeds during their life time, will certainly have the chance to be reborn in a happy place. Such persons do not required the help of living relatives. However, those who have no chance to be reborn in a happy abode are always waiting to receive merits from their living relatives to offset their deficiency and to enable them to be born in a happy abode.

　　那些生前不傷害和積累了很多善的「功德」者，將重生于善界，他們並不需要世間親屬的回向。沒有機會往生善界的人，就得等到親屬將功德回向給他們來彌補他們生前的不足，這樣才能往生善界。

　　Those who are reborn in an unfortunate spirit form could be released from their suffering condition through the transferring of merits to them by friends and relatives who do some meritorious deeds.

　　那些往生惡界的人，如果能從親屬或朋友中得到一些回向，他們也能減免某些痛苦。

　　This injunction of the Buddha to transfer merits to departed ones is the counterpart of the Hindu custom which has come down through the ages. Various ceremonies are performed so that the spirits of dead ancestors might live in peace. This custom has been a tremendous influence on the social life of certain Buddhist countries. The dead are always remembered when any good deed is done, and more on occasions connected with their lives, such as their birth or death anniversaries. On such occasions, there is a ritual which is generally practised. The transferor pours water from a jug or other similar vessel into a receptacle, while repeating a Pali formula which is translated as follows:

　　佛陀倡導的功德與回向，是古印度習俗的一部份，流傳已久。在很多傳統的儀式中，以回向來令先亡者生活于安甯與平靜中。這種習俗對佛教國家和社會有很大的影響。當做善事和某些節日時，如：生日、忌日，人們首先想到的就是先人，便舉行儀式將功德回向給他們。在印度，回向者將杯中或瓶中的水，倒入一個大容器中，誦念巴利語詩偈：

　　As river, when full must flow

　　河水滿了必溢出，

　　and reach and fill the distant main,

　　流向遠處的大海。

　　So indeed what is given here will

　　reach and bless the spirits there.

　　此處的布施，

　　能令彼處的人受到神靈的庇佑，

　　As water poured on mountain top must

　　soon descend and fill the plain

　　如山頂流出的水，

　　很快的流向平原。

　　So indeed what is given here will reach

　　and bless the spirits there.

　　此處的布施，

　　能令彼處的人受到神靈的庇佑。

　　(Nidhikanda Sutta in Khuddakapatha)

　　《小部》

　　The origin and the significance of transference of merit is open to scholarly debate. Although this ancient custom still exists today in many Buddhists countries, very few Buddhists who follow this ancient custom have understood the meaning of transference of merits and the proper way to do that.

　　功德與回向受到學術界公開的質疑。然而這種古老的習俗仍然存在于許多佛教國家中。可惜的是，今天不追隨古老習俗的佛教徒，根本無法了解功德與回向的真實意義。

　　Some people are simply wasting time and money on meaningless ceremonies and performances in memory of departed ones. These people do not realize that it is impossible to help the departed ones simply by building big graveyards, tombs, paper-houses and other paraphernalia Neither is it possible to help the departed by burning joss-sticks, joss-paper, etc.; nor is it possible to help the departed by slaughtering animals and offering them along with other kinds of food. Also one should not waste by burning things used by the departed ones on the assumption that the deceased persons would somehow benefit by the act, when such articles can in fact be distributed among the needy.

　　有些人把大筆的金錢花在毫無意義的儀式中去悼念先亡，建造雄偉的墳墓，以香燭、冥紙、死者生前的用具及屠宰牲畜來祭拜先亡，這只是一種浪費，對死者一點幫助也沒。相反的，應該把死者的遺物和所花費的金錢布施給那些需要幫助的人，這才有意義。

　　The only way to help the departed ones is to do some meritorious deeds in a religious way in memory of them. The meritorious deeds include such acts as giving alms to others, building schools, temples, orphanages, libraries, hospitals, printing religious books for free distribution and similar charitable deeds.

　　唯一幫助及紀念先亡的辦法，就是以令人尊敬的功德來回向給他們。這些創建功德的方法包括：布施、興建學校、寺院、孤兒院、圖書館、醫院、印贈經書等等。

　　The followers of the Buddha should act wisely and should not follow anything blindly. While others pray to god for the departed ones, Buddhists radiate their loving-kindness directly to them. By doing meritorious deeds, they can transfer the merits to their beloved ones for their well-being. This is the best way of remembering and giving real honor to and perpetuating the names of the departed ones. In their state of happiness, the departed ones will reciprocate their blessings on their living relatives. It is, therefore, the duty of relatives to remember their departed ones by transferring merits and by radiating loving-kindness directly to them.

　　佛教徒的行爲必須是理智的而不是盲從。當有人爲死者向「神靈」禱告時，佛教徒照樣可以關懷他們，以善行的功德回向給他們。這是一種最佳的紀念方式，能讓死者獲得永久的榮譽。當死者重生于幸福的生界時，他一樣會庇佑那些曾經把功德回向給他的人。因此，最佳紀念先亡的方法，就是把功德回向給他們，並以他們的名義來布施。

《功德與回向 The Significance of Transference of Merits to the Departed》全文閱讀結束。