會死

　　Inescapable Death

　　無等塔波仁波切的首座大弟子秋雍，是藏地公認的大成就者。一位康巴的修行人聽聞其美名，特地前來拜見，他向成就者供養了布匹後，便乞求傳法，成就者什麼也沒傳。經過再叁的請求，成就者拉著他的手誠懇地說：“我也會死，你也會死！我也會死，你也會死！！我也會死，你也會死！！！”就這樣重複了叁遍，並告訴修行人：“上師的教言沒有別的，我也發誓沒有比這更殊勝的竅訣了。”康巴人聽完後，依此教言精進修持，終獲成就。

　　Choyon, a foremost disciple of the peerless Dagpo Rinpoche, is recognized throughout Tibet as a great siddha. A practitioner from Kham, upon hearing so much about Choyon, made a special trip to request his audience. After offering fine linens and fabrics to the siddha, the visitor besought teachings. But the siddha remained silent. The visitor continued to implore until finally, the siddha reached out to hold the visitor”s hands, and poignantly he exclaimed: “I am certain to die, you too are certain to die! I am certain to die, you too are certain to die! I am certain to die, you too are certain to die!” Thus he repeated, and continued: “There are no other teachings than this from my teacher. And I swear neither do I have any better pith instructions than this” The man from Kham took the siddha”s words to heart, practiced accordingly, and attained accomplishment.

　　作爲修行人，應時常憶念死亡，印光大師在他的禅堂裏，挂著一副很大的“死”字中堂，並時時告誡後人：“人命無常，速如電光。”“光陰短促，人命幾何，一氣不來，即屬後世。”可見這些成就者們對死亡的重視。

　　As spiritual practitioners, we should always keep death in mind. The great Dharma master Yin Kuang hung a central scroll with a super-sized “DEATH” written on it in his shrine room. He left this advice: “Human life is impermanent; it passes as swiftly as the lightning.” And: “Short and brief is the time we have. How long is this human life

　　 By merely missing one breath, immediately it becomes the next life.” Indeed, all these accomplished masters have taken death seriously.

　　前輩的成就者們，爲生死之大事，曆盡千辛萬苦，以堅固的信心、勇猛的精進心，朝如斯、夕如斯，方得明心見性。

　　The certainty of death is a matter of paramount importance. Keenly aware of this, masters of the past strived vigorously in their spiritual pursuits with unshakable faith. Working day and night and enduring enormous hardships, they finally realized the nature of the mind and became enlightened.

　　只可惜現在的人，對世間的一切事無不斤斤計較、絞盡腦汁，對死亡之大事卻置之不理，仿佛以爲死神已將自己忘卻，這實在是掩耳盜鈴的自欺之舉。我等無始以來，因由二取執著，而迷失本來面目，原有光明被妄想覆蓋、塵勞縛著，以致長期流轉生死苦海。人生若不悟禅道，難越生老病死關。如果想重見光明，永脫生死，必須下一番工夫，“寶劍鋒從磨砺出，梅花香自苦寒來。”只有放下一切，時刻憶念死亡，苦苦修習，方能嗅出本有的菩提芬芳。

　　Regrettably, people these days care only about profane affairs for which they don”t mind racking their brains or haggling over every detail. As to the truly major issue of death, they would rather brush it aside, imagining that the Lord of Death might have forgotten them––a self-deceiving behavior just like burying one”s head in the sand. Since time without beginning, our dualistic grasping has obscured our true nature and its clarity. Ensnared by mundane issues, we have been revolving in the suffering ocean of life and death endlessly. Unless we awaken to the truth and attain realization, there is no escape from the abyss of birth, aging, sickness, and death. If we want to see the light again and be freed from cyclic existence, we must make great efforts. “Only by strenuous milling on the whetstone can swords be sharpened; only through the bitterly cold winter will the plum blossoms emit their sweet scent.” Only by unrelenting practice with total renunciation and constant reflection on death, will we come to perceive the fragrance of our innate Bodhi.

　　壬午年四月二十九日　

　　2002年6月9日

　　29th of April, Year of RenWu

　　June 9, 2002