爲了生死而出家
We Leave the Home-life in Order to End Birth and Death
現在佛教在西方初露曙光，我們不要把它變成末法時代，
一定要令正法常住于世。
Buddhism is just beginning in the West. Let”s not turn this age into the Dharma-ending Age.
We must perpetuate the Proper Dharma.
學佛的人，時時刻刻要存「有若無，實若虛」的思想，不應該有驕傲的心，不應該有自滿的心，不應該有不謙虛的心，不應該有不用功的心。總之，要時時修持，刻刻精進。
We who study Buddhism shouldn”t become attached to our attainments. We shouldn”t become arrogant and conceited and forget to be humble and diligent. In general, we should cultivate with vigor at all times.
以前中國的出家人，有的爲生活而出家，有的爲患病而出家。真正爲了生死而出家的，如鳳毛麟角，可以說是寥寥無幾。我不是批評以前的出家人好吃懶做，但是事實是如此。我希望你們跟我出家，第一要充實學問，第二要培養德行，做個堂堂正正的出家人。
In the past, in China, some people left the home-life in order to obtain food and shelter so that they could survive. Others left the home-life because they were sick. Hardly ever did people leave home genuinely wishing to liberate them-selves from birth and death.
I”m not slandering the monks and nuns of the past; most of them really were lazy gluttons. I hope that those of you who have left home with me will enrich your learning, cultivate virtue, and be genuine Sangha members.
有些人冒充佛教徒，混在佛教裏，指佛穿衣，賴佛吃飯，真正的工作，一點也不做。我爲什麼這樣說呢？因爲這是我從過去所得的經驗，今天有所感慨，所以說出來，令你們曉得出家人是救世的使者，而不是好吃懶做的蛀米大蟲。
Some people pass themselves off as Buddhists. Mingling with Buddhists, they rely on Buddhism for clothing and food, but don”t do any real work for Buddhism. I have seen this myself, and now I”m telling you because I want you to know that Sangha members should work hard to save the world, not be lazy bums who only know how to eat.
以前中國的出家人，大約有一百多萬人，大半是文盲。因爲沒有讀過書的緣故，所以讀經也不求甚解，內容不懂，每天還是照樣念經，成爲例行公事，等于在混光陰。因爲一般出家人，大多數是貪吃、貪睡、不做事，所以佛教就一天比一天衰敗。這雖然不能一概而論，可是大致是這樣的情形，如果再不糾正這種不良的風氣，那麼佛教的前途，就暗淡無光了。
In the past, there were approximately one million left-home people in China, and most of them were illiterate. Since they had never been to school, they could not gain a deep understanding of the Sutras. They recited Sutras every day, but since they didn”t understand what they were reciting, it was basically a waste of time.
Buddhism is on the decline because most of the left-home people are greedy for food and sleep and don”t do any work. This is the general situation. If we don”t change this trend, Buddhism will have a very bleak future.
據我所知，中國出家和在家有幾千萬人信仰佛教，可是多數是坐吃山空，不事生産，或者被名利所迷，或者貪圖供養，不想充實自己的學問，也不用功參禅，對于修持方面，不認真去做，這實在太可憐了！
To my knowledge, there are several million left-home and lay Buddhists in China, and the majority of them simply stay in the monasteries and consume the goods they have hoarded up. They don”t work or produce anything themselves. Greedy for fame, benefit, and offerings, they have no wish to study the teachings or practice Chan meditation. They aren”t serious about cultivation. What a pity!
我們看看天主教的神父、基督教的牧師，他們都要受高等教育，在神學院畢業之後，才有資格擔任神職，負起傳教的責任。
Christian priests and ministers receive a high level of education in seminaries before they assume their clerical and ministerial duties.
我們佛教的口號，修行！修行！修成一個什麼樣的人呢？修成一個好吃懶做的人。過去的出家人，整天無事做，就專門打聽哪個廟的齋菜好，哪個廟的衣單多，就往哪個廟跑。對于弘揚佛法，講經說法，一竅不通，成爲啞羊僧。只知早晨吃麻油粥，晚上吃麻油飯，把吃和利挂在眉梢上，沒有把生死挂在眉梢上。這種趨勢令佛教每況愈下，形成佛教裏的毒瘤。
In Buddhism, we talk about cultivating, but what kind of people have we cultivated ourselves into
Lazy gluttons. In the past, left-home people spent their days scouting out the monasteries that served the best vegetarian food or gave the biggest allowances. They had no idea of how to propagate the Buddhadharma, explain the Sutras, or speak the Dharma. Such monks were called “mute sheep.” All they cared about was eating porridge with sesame oil for breakfast and rice with sesame oil for dinner. Their top priority was getting food and profit, not ending birth and death. That”s why Buddhism is in such a sorrowful plight.
因此我要積極提高出家人的素質，凡是跟我出家的，一定要大學畢業才夠資格，或者在萬佛聖城僧伽訓練班叁年畢業；若有博士、碩士的學位…
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