..續本文上一頁ere in the very assurance of Nibbanic Peace, which He himself attained. In sorrow and pain I turn to Him and in my happiness I seek His tranquil gaze. I lay before His Image not only flowers and incense, but also the burning fires of my restless heart, that they may be quenched and stilled, I lay down the burden of my pride and my selfhood, the heavy burden of my cares and aspirations, the weary load of this incessant birth and death.

　　「我皈依佛陀，從皈依，我看到佛陀慈悲和無上的教導，從而了解什麼是輪回。從佛陀的慈悲，我放棄了實踐一切肮髒的思想和欲望，追求殊勝的涅磐境界，佛陀證悟的境界。他讓我消除煩惱和痛苦，他令我得到快樂。我在佛陀的塑像前皈依，不僅是供奉鮮花，而是奉獻了虛榮和自我的重擔，也放下了執著和攀緣的重擔，更放下了那永無休止的生死輪回。」

　　Sri Rama Chandra Bharati, an Indian poet, gives another meaningful explanation for taking refuge in the Buddha.

　　印度詩人 Sr R.C.巴拉帝，在他的詩作中，對皈依做了這麼的诠釋。

　　”I seek not thy refuge for the sake of gain,

　　尋求皈依是爲了獲得什麼？

　　Not fear of thee, nor for the love of fame,

　　不是懼畏，也不是仰慕于您──佛陀。

　　Not as thou hailest from the solar race,

　　不因爲您尊貴的出身，

　　Not for the sake of gaining knowledge vast,

　　也不爲了獲得淵博的學識。

　　But drawn by the power of the boundless love,

　　只因爲，被您那無窮盡的慈悲所吸引。

　　And thy all-embracing peerless ken,

　　被您那無上的智慧所折服。

　　The vast Samsara”s sea safe to cross,

　　輪回之海，將安全的渡過。

　　I bend low, O lord, and become thy devotee.”

　　我傾心于您，佛陀！我自願的成爲您忠實的弟子。

　　Some people say that since the Buddha was only a man, there is no meaning in taking refuge in Him. But they do not know that although the Buddha very clearly said that He was a man, he was no ordinary man like any of us. He was an extraordinary and incomparably holy person who possessed Supreme Enlightenment and great compassion toward every living being. He was a man freed from all human weaknesses, defilements and even from ordinary human emotions. Of Him it has been said, ”There is none so godless as the Buddha, and yet none so godlike.” In the Buddha is embodied all the great virtues, sacredness, wisdom and enlightenment.

　　有人認爲，佛陀也是人，爲什麼要皈依他？因爲，他們不知道，佛陀自己親口說過，他是一個「人」。但是，佛陀絕對不是一個跟我們一樣的普通人。佛陀是一位不平常，而且是一位無可倫比的聖人，他擁有高超的智慧和對待一切衆生平等、無量的悲憫心。佛陀是人，而他已遠離一切人性的弱點、汙點甚至人性的私欲。因此，我們可以這麼說：「佛陀是一位至善的人，至今尚未有人可以和他相比擬。」佛陀教導我們培養偉大的德行，無懼畏、恐怖，智慧和證悟解脫之道。

　　Another question that people very often raise is this: ”If the Buddha is not a god, if He is not living in this world today, how can he bless people

　　” According to the Buddha, if people follow His advice by leading a religious life, they would certainly receive blessings. Blessing in a Buddhist sense means the joy we experience when we develop confidence and satisfaction. The Buddha once said, ”if anyone wishes to see me, he should look at my Teachings and practise them.” (Samyutta Nikaya) Those who understand His Teachings easily see the real nature of the Buddha reflected in themselves. The image of the Buddha they maintain in their minds is more real than the image they see on the altar, which is merely a symbolic representation. ”Those who live in accordance with the Dhamma (righteous way of life) will be protected by that very Dhamma.” (Thera Gatha) One who knows the real nature of existence and the fact of life through Dhamma will not have any fear and secure a harmonious way of life.

　　人們經常會生起這麼一個疑問：「如果說佛陀不是『神』，而他也不生活在這世間，那麼，他如何保佑他的弟子呢？」其實，不一定要「神」才能保佑「人」，父母同樣在保護和庇佑自己的子女。根據佛陀的教義：「假使人們能遵循佛陀的告誡，過著神聖的宗教生活，他們將會獲得佛陀的庇護。」佛陀說過：「假使任何人需要看到我，只需要看到我的教義及如何修持它即可。」那些遵循佛法的人，比起那些只看到供壇佛陀塑像的人，更了解佛陀的本懷。《長老偈》(Theragatha)中說道：「人們依止于法，將獲得法的護持。」

　　In other religions, the people worship their god by asking for favours to be granted to them. Buddhists do not worship the Buddha by asking for worldly favours, but they respect Him for His supreme achievement. When Buddhists respect the Buddha, they are indirectly elevating their own minds so that one day they also can get the same enlightenment to serve mankind if they aspire to become a Buddha.

　　其它的宗教崇拜「神」，並要求「神」的賜予。佛教徒禮敬佛陀，並非要求「賜予」，只是尊敬佛陀無比的成就。當佛教徒在禮敬佛陀時，他們間接的提升了自我的心靈。假如有一天，他們發願要成佛，他們也一樣能圓成佛道。

　　Buddhists respect the Buddha as their Master. However, this respect does not imply an attachment to or a dependence on the Teacher. This kind of respect is in accordance with His Teaching which is as follows:

　　佛教徒禮敬佛陀，就有如學生向師長敬禮一樣。但是，這種禮敬並不含有依賴或執著于導師的成份。這種禮敬精神是依佛陀的教義而行的。如經典中說道：

　　”Monks, even if a monk should take hold of the edge of my outer garment and should walk close behind me, step for step, yet if he should be covetous, strongly attracted by pleasures of the senses, malevolent in thought, of corrupt mind and purpose, of confused recollection, inattentive and not contemplative, scatter-brained, his sense-faculties uncontrolled, then he is far from me and I am far from him.”

　　「僧衆啊！即使一位僧人，亦步亦趨的緊隨著我的袈裟，但是，只要他心中還有貪念，強烈的執著于五種感官的欲望，具有不正確的墮落思想和目的，行爲雜亂、怠慢、對問題不加以思考，慌張、不能鎮定，對感官不能控製的人，他遠離了我，我也遠離了他。」

　　”Monks, if the monk should be staying even a hundred miles away, yet he is not covetous, not strongly attracted by the pleasures of the senses, not malevolent in thought, not of corrupt mind and purpose, his collection firmly set, attentive, contemplative, his thoughts be one-pointed, restrained in his sense-faculties, then he is near me and I am near him.” (Samyutta Nikaya)

　　「僧衆啊！即使一位僧人，雖然居住在百裏之外，但是，他不貪婪，有效的抑製感官的欲望，沒有邪念，沒有墮落的思想和目的，心念堅定、精進和專心，專注的自製于自我感官的抑製，他非常的接近我，我也非常的接近他。」《相應部經》

《第九章 佛法與皈依 Chapter 9 Dhamma And Ourselves As Refuge》全文閱讀結束。