His Renunciation

　　出家

　　The renunciation of Prince Siddhartha was the boldest step that a man has ever taken.

　　悉達多太子的出家，是前所未有的最大膽的行動。

　　Critics have condemned Siddhartha for His manner of leaving home and Kingdom. Some described it as a ”callous abandonment of wife and family”. Yet what would have happened if He had not left so stealthily and had approached His loved ones for a formal farewell

　　 They would, of course, have implored him to change His mind. The scene would have been hysterical, and quite possibly the little domain of His father Rajah Suddhodana would have been thrown into turmoil. His intention to seek the truth would have had to be aborted by His father and wife who would prevent Him from His renunciation plans. At the age of 29 years, Siddhartha was a full-blooded young man in the prime of life. As it was, the temptation not to abandon all He had know and loved in order to seek the truth must have been formidable. During His final moments in the palace, He visited His bedroom and looked at His slumbering wife and their newborn child. The great impulse to remain and abandon His plan must have caused Him agony. Certainly in those days in India, it was considered a noble thing for a man to forsake home and loved ones to become an ascetic to lead a holy life. All things considered, it would seem that Siddhartha was right in boldly and quickly achieving His plan.

　　外道非議悉達多太子的出家。認爲他是「抛開妻子和家庭」。然而，假使他不是靜悄悄的離開，而是以摯愛的心情，舉行一個隆重的告別會。那麼，他的親人會苦苦的哀求，改變他堅強的出家意志，這一幕將變得歇斯底裏。同時也可能導致他的父親淨飯王(Rajah Suddhodano)所統治的國家陷于混亂。就是因爲這樣，他不敢向父親和妻子提起有關他出家的計劃，避免被他們說服而放棄。當他二十九歲那年，正當血氣旺盛、年輕有爲的時候，他爲了尋求真理，毅然放棄了世間所有物質的誘惑。當他離開王宮前的那一刻，他到寢室門口注視著熟睡的妻子和剛出世的孩子，那拒絕留下來的沖動，給他帶來了必然的最後掙紮。在當時的印度，一個人放棄了家庭和摯愛的一切，出家成爲一位修行者，過著神聖的生活，是一件光榮和高尚的事。從各種角度來看，悉達多太子是大膽和毅然地進行他出家的計劃。

　　He renounced the world not for His own sake or convenience but for the sake of suffering humanity. To Him the whole of mankind is one family. The renunciation of Prince Siddhartha at that early age was the boldest step that a man could have taken.

　　他出家的目的，並不是爲了個人的自我解脫，而是爲了解決人類的苦難。對他來說，人類就是一個大家庭。悉達多太子的出家，是前所未有的大膽行爲。

　　Detachment is one of the most important factors for the attainment of Enlightenment. The attainment of Enlightenment is by way of non-attachment. Most of life”s troubles are caused by attachment. We get angry, we worry, we become greedy and complain bitterly. All these causes of unhappiness, tension, stubbornness and sadness are due to attachment. When we investigate any trouble or worry we have, the main cause is always attachment. Had Prince Siddhartha developed His attachment towards His wife, Child, kingdom and worldly pleasures, He would never have been able to discover the remedy for suffering mankind. Therefore, He had to sacrifice everything including worldly pleasures in order to have a concentrated mind free from distractions, in order to find the Truth that can cure humanity from suffering.

　　爲了達到覺悟的目的，出家是必要的，覺悟須要擺脫一切世間因緣的束縛。人世間的痛苦是因爲執著而形成的。我們的憤怒、憂慮、貪婪和怨恨及所有不愉快、緊張、頑固和悲傷都是因爲不能放下。如果你有任何的煩惱和困難，請自我反省。你會發現，最主要的原因就是放不下。假如悉達多太子眷念于他的妻子、孩子、王位和世間的享受，他將永遠也不會發現治療人類痛苦的良方。所以他舍棄了一切，包括世間的榮華富貴。出家是爲了更自由的、沒有幹擾的、更加集中精力的爲人類尋求解脫痛苦的真理。

　　In the eyes of this young Prince, the whole world was burning with lust, anger, greed and man other defilements which ignite the fire of passions. He saw each and every living being in this including His wife and child, suffering from all sorts of physical and mental ailments. So determined was He to seek a solution for the eradication of suffering amongst suffering humanity, that He was prepared to sacrifice everything.

　　在這位年輕太子的眼裏，整個世界都爲貪婪、嗔恚、欲望所燃燒，還有很多汙穢的心念點燃了我們內心的欲火。他知道世界上的每一個人，包括他的妻子和兒子在內，都爲了心理或物質的失調而受苦。因此，他決心舍棄一切，毅然的去尋求一個解脫人類痛苦的真理。

　　Two thousand five hundred years after His renunciation, some people shed crocodile tears or criticize Him for His action. His wife, however, did not accuse Him for desertion when she realized the purpose of His renunciation. Instead, she gave up her luxurious life to lead a simple life as a mark of respect.

　　Here is how a well-known poet saw the renunciation of the Buddha:

　　”Twas not through hatred of children sweet,

　　”Twas not through hatred of His lovely wife,

　　Thriller of hearts-not that He loved them less,

　　But Buddhahood more, that He renounced them all.

　　(Dwight Goddard)

　　這裏有一首大家熟悉的詩歌，是最好的寫照：他並不是討厭他親愛的孩子，他並不是厭倦了他心愛的妻子，令他震憾的是：並不是吝啬對他們的愛，而是他更愛覺悟之道。終于，他突然的舍棄了所有的一切。 —德威.國達

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