離世

　　Bidding Farewell

　　窗外肆無忌憚地燦爛了一個春天的花朵開始凋零，滿地落英缤紛，被車輪碾作泥、行人踩爲塵。世間一切美好的東西都是那麼短暫，一瞬、一刹那、一眨眼間就飛逝而去。春花萎落、秋葉飄零，示現了宇宙的無常；紅顔易衰、青絲成雪，示現了人生的無常。

　　The gorgeous flowers outside the window, having unabashedly showed off in spring, are now withering. Fallen petals, scattering and flying around like snowflakes, are reduced to mud under the wheels or crushed to dust when stepped on. So ephemeral are all the beauties in this world, fleeting ever so swiftly; in a wink, an instant or a flash—they are gone. Just as the withering of spring blossoms or the falling of autumn foliage betrays the impermanence of the universe, so the fading of a pretty face or the blanching of black hair tells the tale of the impermanence of human life.

　　如果我們不能從大自然所昭示的真谛中預知死亡的無常，在如露如電的人生中，空耗暇滿，爲無明繩索所縛，貪執世間財物及親友，對死亡毫無准備，一旦死亡來臨，就會有千變萬化的醜態上演。如同《儒林外史》中的嚴監生、《歐也妮·葛朗臺》中的葛朗臺，因執著于多點了一盞燈而死不瞑目。

　　If we fail to see the impermanence of our own death through the truth that Mother Nature reveals, we are likely to squander our precious human existence, which is as ephemeral as a dewdrop or a flash of lightning. Bound by the rope of delusion, we hoard wealth, possession, friends, and relatives, while making no preparation for death whatsoever. When suddenly confronted with the final moment, we are likely to make fools of ourselves in all sorts of ludicrous ways. Two good examples are Jiansheng Yan in The Scholars (Rulin Waishi) and Grandet in Eugenie Grandet, the former of which died with everlasting regret of having lit one too many oil lamps.

　　如何安度人生、迎接死亡，佛陀爲我們開示了八萬四千法門。只要擇其一而不懈，條條道路通羅馬。

　　The Buddha has shown us 84,000 ways how to make the best use of our life and how to die prepared. As all roads lead to Rome, we need only to pick one and practice it consistently and diligently.

　　若能通達生死涅槃本自平等、諸佛不生不滅、心佛無二無別，念念安住實相，心心契合佛意，以佛知見觀自心性，則能越諸瀑流，永斷無明，究竟解脫。

　　Life and death, samsara and nirvana are all equal. Buddhas are not produced and do not perish, and beings” minds are no different from the Buddha. If one can realize this and remain unmoved in the absolute reality, have every thought complying with the Dharma, and observe the nature of the mind in thusness, then, one can overcome the torrents of cyclic existence, completely eradicate delusion, and attain ultimate liberation.

　　對于沒有修持至如上境界的薄地凡夫，麥彭仁波切爲我們留下了深刻的教言：“如沒有以上境界，僅依隨念釋迦佛一次，也能往生極樂刹土。”所以，無論釋迦牟尼佛還是阿彌陀佛，只要有信心，臨死之前強烈祈禱，就一定會往生。但是，如果強烈地貪戀世間的財物、親人，即使你多年持咒，也將功虧一篑。

　　The meditation level mentioned above may not be within the reach of ordinary people. For them, Mipham Rinpoche left a profound instruction: “For those who have not yet attained a high state of meditation, simply by thinking of Buddha Shakyamuni once, they will also be reborn to the Pure Land of Great Bliss.” Therefore, at the time of death, praying to Buddha Shakyamuni or Amitabha Buddha with unwavering faith can ensure you a rebirth to the Pure Land. However, strong clinging to possessions or loved ones will make you fall short of success at the last stage, despite years of mantra recitation.

　　壬午年四月十九日 　

　　2002年5月30日 　

　　19th of April, Year of RenWu

　　May 30, 2002