純金

　　Pure Gold

　　人們喜歡以金子比喻美好的事物，如“金子般的心靈”、“真金不怕火煉”。也喜歡用金子製成裝飾品，讓自己更引人注目。

　　In describing something wonderful, gold is usually used as a symbol, for instance “a golden heart,” or “Truth will prevail through fire just as genuine gold does,” etc. People also like to wear gold accessories in order to catch more attention from others.

　　純金的首飾只能裝飾外表，而不能提升內心。珍貴的教言卻可以改變人的今生來世，並讓人最終走向解脫，可謂受益無窮，其價值如同純金一般，十分珍貴。

　　Ornaments of pure gold decorate only the exterior; they are unable to adorn people”s inner selves. On the other hand, the sacred Dharma will bring changes in one”s lives, both current and future ones, and ultimately lead beings toward liberation. Considering its limitless benefits, the value of the Dharma is just as precious as the purest gold.

　　阿底峽尊者在21歲以前，就已精通了內外法門。後來依止那若巴尊者，于尊者前刻苦修學，並通達顯密教法。後來經上師、本尊授記，29歲依止西拉日結達的燃燈尊者，3年後，一切自他宗派皆了然于心。

　　Jowo Jé Glorious Atisha mastered all the inner and outer doctrines by the age of 21. He became proficient in sutras and tantras after diligent study under the guidance of the great Naropa. Later, following the direction given by his teachers and his yidam, Atisha took ordination from the great erudite Silarakshita and was given the name Dipamkara Srijñana. In three years he understood perfectly the essential points of his own and all other lineages.

　　遵照度母授記，他又乘坐海船，漂洋過海，用了13個月的時間，克服了難以想象的巨大困難，終于到達金洲(今印度尼西亞)，並依止仰慕已久的金洲大師12年。他以虔誠的信心，從上師處獲得了純金般的教言，生起了純金般的菩提心，並得以面見各本尊金顔。

　　Following the instruction from Tara, he took a perilous 13-month sea voyage and overcame unimaginable difficulties to arrive at the distant island of Sumatra, in present-day Indonesia. There, with deep and unshakable devotion, he studied for 12 years with the teacher of his long yearning, Suvarnadvipa Guru, or the Master of Gold Isle. Having received his master”s golden teachings, he aroused the golden bodhichitta and witnessed many pure visions of yidams.

　　之後，羽翼已豐的他以超常的智慧，與13個宗派的外道展開了激烈的辯論，均大獲全勝，作爲失敗方的各派外道，心悅誠服地供養他13幅勝幢。

　　Atisha returned to India fully accomplished. With his erudition and extraordinary wisdom, he completely triumphed in many heated debates against 13 non-Buddhist extremists. He was offered 13 victory banners from his defeated opponents who were full of admiration and respect for him.

　　他的美名傳遍了四方，並獲得名噪一時的戒香寺僧人的極大信賴，他們將該寺18個門的鑰匙交與尊者掌管。(在當時，即使掌管該寺的一把鑰匙也是莫大的榮耀。)

　　His glorious fame spread far and wide. He won the total trust of the Sangha at the eminent Buddhist Monastery Vikramasila and was entrusted with the stewardship of 18 keys of the monastery. (During that time period, to be in charge of merely one key of that monastery was regarded as a great honor.)

　　後來，智慧光國王爲迎請阿底峽尊者，以自己的生命換得與身體等重的黃金，湊足了聘師費用。菩提光用此黃金將尊者恭請到藏，並在藏地傳法13年。

　　The Tibetan king of that time, Lhalama Yeshe Ö, in his strong wish to invite Atisha to Tibet, gave up his own life for the amount of gold equal to his body weight. Jangchhub Ö journeyed to India with this gold, offered it to Atisha, and succeeded in bringing the master to Tibet, where he taught the pure Dharma for 13 years.

　　每當提到金洲大師，阿底峽尊者便異常激動，深有感觸地說：“我相續中能生起純金般的菩提心，都是仰仗金洲大師的加持啊！”

　　Whenever Atisha spoke of Guru Suvarnadvipa, he would feel the greatest gratitude and said with deep emotion: “The golden bodhichitta that I have generated in my mind all comes from the kindness of Lord Suvarnadvipa!”

　　當博、金、普叁同門祈求阿底峽尊者傳授一個最殊勝的法時，他發人深省地說道：“最殊勝的教言是反觀自心，最殊勝的行爲是不隨順世人，最殊勝的成就是減少煩惱，最殊勝的證相是知足少欲，最殊勝的善知識是擊中要害，最殊勝的勸善者是怨魔病痛。”

　　Once asked by Khu, Ngok, and Drom to transmit the best of all the elements of the path, Atisha replied with these illuminating teachings:

　　The best instruction is always to direct all your practice inwards.

　　The best conduct is one that does not conform to worldly ways.

　　The best accomplishment is a steady lessening of afflictive emotions.

　　The best sign of practice is having less desire and knowing contentment.

　　The best spiritual friend is one who hits your hidden faults.

　　The best incentives to virtue are enemies, obstacles, and the sufferings of illness.

　　阿底峽尊者等前輩大德，爲我們留下了純金般的教言，如果身至金洲，卻空手而返，就真是愚蠢之至了。

　　Great masters like Atisha have left us rich legacies like pure gold. If we traveled to golden isles only to return empty-handed, what could be more foolish than that

　　壬午年七月初六　　

　　2002年8月14日 　

　　6th of July, Year of RenWu

　　August 14, 2002

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