法施

　　Giving Dharma

　　法布施即是爲其他衆生講經說法，如果發心純正，則其功德很大。《人非人冬波請問經》雲：“佛白阿難曰：“法布施可滅煩惱，財布施得身體堅固。欲滅煩惱之人行法布施，具息滅貪、嗔、癡，增上智慧等叁十二功德。””時常爲人講經說法，是大布施。甚至對一兩個人宣講一偈，功德也不可思議。《彌勒請問經》雲：“佛告彌勒：“若人以七寶遍滿恒河沙數叁千大千世界，供養十方諸如來，又若人以慈悲心宣講一偈，前者之功德不及後者千百萬分之一。””可見法布施利益之深遠。

　　Giving Dharma means helping others on the spiritual path by explaining the Dharma, transmitting the texts, and so forth. If done with pure intention, it is extremely meritorious, as it says in The Sutra Requested by Kiṃnara Tongpor: “The Buddha told Ananda, “By giving Dharma, one pacifies afflictive emotion; by offering material goods, one begets strong physique. Those who aspire to subdue their negative emotions should practice giving Dharma; an act that confers 32 good qualities—conquering lust, animosity, and ignorance; gaining wisdom, and so on.””

　　To explain Dharma to others often is an act of great generosity. Even explaining a single verse to one or two persons will generate inconceivable merit. The Sutra Requested by Maitreya says: “The Buddha said to Maitreya, “Suppose someone had filled as many world systems as there are grains of sand in the Ganges with seven precious jewels and offered them as a gift to the Tathagatas of 10 directions; and suppose someone else with a compassionate heart had elucidated but one Dharma stanza to others. Then the heap of merit begotten by the former does not approach a billionth part of that of the latter.”” It is obvious, then, that giving Dharma creates immense benefit.

　　在漢地，宣說佛法成了法師的專利，其他人都礙口識羞，仿佛宣說佛法也成了丟人現眼的事，真是榮恥不分的邪見。《無垢稱經》雲：“佛告梵天曰：“此法門中宣說一偈，乃大布施。””《般若八千頌》雲：“無論善男子、善女人，令人閱讀、憶念、受持，功德不可思議。”且不論爲人宣講佛法，即使勸說別人翻閱經書，其功德也不可衡量。

　　In Han China, expounding the Dharma has become the exclusive domain of Dharma teachers; others tend to feel embarrassed and keep their mouths shut, as if teaching the Dharma would make a spectacle of themselves. This is a wrong view that fails to distinguish honor from disgrace. As the Sutra of Stainless Praise puts it: “The Buddha told the Brahma: “To take from my teachings but one stanza and illuminate it to others is a great giving.”” In Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines (Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sutra) the Buddha says: “Suppose a son or daughter of a spiritual heritage had caused others to read Dharma discourse, bear it in mind, or practice it, it would on the strength of that act beget a great heap of merit, immeasurable and incalculable.” Explaining the Dharma to others or not, even advising others to read or browse the scriptures alone will also incur immeasurable merit.

　　世間的孝敬，以身語奉養父母爲先；釋迦佛子，則以成道利生爲無上之報恩。爲人宣講佛法，度脫六道有情，使其永出苦難，即可報答無始以來生生世世無量父母生養教化之洪恩。

　　Worldly tradition deems serving devotedly one”s own parents with body and speech the foremost filial piety. The Buddha, on the other hand, performed the supreme piety to his parents by attaining enlightenment and benefiting beings. Therefore, we should also strive to spread the Dharma such that all beings in the six realms are freed from suffering once and for all. In this way we can repay the vast kindness of our innumerable parents of our countless past lives for giving us life and raising us.

　　爲了普天下的有情，承擔起續佛慧命的重擔，是我們不可推卸的責任。

　　In order to benefit beings of limitless worlds, let”s shoulder the task of propagating the Dharma wisdom; it is a responsibility none of us should shirk.

　　壬午年六月初一　　

　　2002年7月11日 　

　　1st of June, Year of RenWu

　　July 11, 2002