皈依

　　Taking Refuge

　　世上皈依叁寶的人爲數不少，皈依的目的也是千差萬別。佛教的門內如同一個應有盡有的超市，進來的人各從其志、各得其所，有的人是爲了自己的人天福報，有的人是因爲畏懼惡趣，有的人是爲了自己脫離輪回，有的人卻是爲了救度衆生。

　　Many people have taken refuge in the Three Jewels, yet their motivation for doing so varies enormously. Entering the gate of Buddhism is like walking into a huge supermarket fully stocked with all kinds of goods to satisfy everyone”s needs and likes. Some take refuge in the idea of obtaining the happiness of gods and men; others are motivated by the fear of the lower realms. Some take refuge in the Three Jewels with the aim of attaining freedom from samsaric sufferings; others do so with the wish of liberating all sentient beings.

　　前幾種發心屬于中小士道發心，而後一種卻是殊勝之發心。僅僅爲了自身的利益而皈依，如同以摩尼寶換得一顆糖吃，實乃鼠目寸光之舉。如果不考慮自身，僅僅爲了衆生的利益，則如同種水稻不但可以獲得谷子，也能夠同時獲得稻草一樣，即使將自身的解脫置之度外，也會水到渠成，不求自得。

　　The first three attitudes are those of lesser and middling beings; only the last one is the supreme motivation of great beings. To take refuge solely for selfish desire is like trading a wish-fulfilling jewel for a piece of candy—very shortsighted indeed. When farmers grow rice, they expect to reap grains of rice, but at the same time hay will automatically become available to them too. Likewise, if a person works wholeheartedly for other sentient beings without any selfish concern, his own liberation will come naturally, even without his asking for it.

　　我們應該扪心自問，皈依的目的是否真是如同每天所說的那樣，爲度化一切衆生而皈依。如果自己都對此有懷疑的話，那麼應該重新調整自己的發心，在叁寶前，真實無僞地爲衆生的解脫而再次皈依。

　　Let”s search our hearts to see if we truly mean what we proclaim every day, that we are taking refuge in order to benefit all sentient beings. If the answer is not a resolute yes, then we should readjust our motivation and, in the presence of the Three Jewels, once again take refuge genuinely for the purpose of liberating beings.

　　無垢光尊者有一個皈依的簡單儀軌：于叁寶所依前供養、忏悔，觀想前方虛空中佛陀等叁寶如密雲般降臨，供養外內密等遍滿虛空的供品，誠心念誦：“我某某從即日起乃至菩提間爲一切衆生而皈依上師、皈依佛、皈依法、皈依僧”叁遍，通過表示(上師彈指或自己觀想)而獲得皈依戒。

　　The Omniscient Longchenpa has left a concise sadhana for refuge taking: In front of Three Jewels” representations, we make offerings and confessions. Visualize the Buddha, Dharma, Sanghas, and other deities filling the sky before you. Make cloud-like outer, inner, and secret offerings to them, and say the following: “From this time until attaining the essence of enlightenment, I [say your name], for the sake of all sentient beings, take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take refuge in the Sangha.” Say this three times from the depths of your heart and with the help of symbols (the teacher snapping his fingers or we ourselves imagining), the refuge vow is attained.

　　這個儀軌簡單而有意義，如果諸法師過去沒有依照儀軌，僅僅是依憑想象而舉行皈依儀式的話，從今也可按此儀軌爲他人作皈依儀式。我過去也有不按儀軌的情況，今後一定嚴格照此執行。

　　This ritual is simple and significant. Some Dharma instructors among you may have held refuge taking in the past by visualization only, without following a sadhana. From now on, you should consider using this text for the ritual of refuge taking, which I will also follow strictly as I have occasionally been slacking in this respect.

　　壬午年六月十五日 　

　　2002年7月24日

　　15th of June, Year of RenWu

　　July 24, 2002