政教

　　Religious Government

　　作爲實修的人，本應“兩耳不聞窗外事，一心只爲解脫修”。

　　For practitioners, it is deemed necessary to “shut your ears to affairs outside the window; endeavor only to practice for liberation.”

　　但偶爾看看新聞，並因此而對衆生的苦難生起悲心，對未來的夢想生起厭離心，也會成爲修行助緣的。

　　But occasional reading of the newspaper could stir in us compassion toward suffering in the world, smother our fantasies about the future, and arouse renunciation; it may thus support our practice also.

　　翻開報紙，看到國家主席江澤民與美國總統布什的一段對話：“中國有很多公民信教。我不信宗教，但對宗教很感興趣。我看過《聖經》、《古蘭經》、《金剛經》……”看到這裏，頓生許多感慨：

　　Turning the pages of the newspaper, I read what Premier Jiang Zemin said to the President of the United States George Bush: “Many citizens of China are religious. Although I don”t follow any religion, I am interested in it. I have read The Holy Bible, The Noble Quran, and The Diamond Sutra….” This passage elicited deep thought in me.

　　《金剛經》雲：“須菩提！以要言之，是經有不可思議，不可稱量，無邊功德。如來爲發大乘者說，爲發最上乘者說。若有人能受持讀頌，廣爲人說，如來悉知是人，悉見是人，皆得成就不可量、不可稱、無有邊、不可思議功德。如是人等，即爲荷擔如來阿耨多羅叁藐叁菩提。”

　　In The Diamond Sutra, the Buddha says: “Subhuti, unthinkable and incomparable is this discourse on Dharma. The Tathagata has taught it for the weal of beings who have set out in the best, the most excellent vehicle. Those who will take up this discourse on Dharma, bear it in mind, recite, study, and illuminate it in full detail for others, they are completely known by the Tathagata; they are completely seen by the Tathagata. Such people accomplish immeasurable, inexpressible, boundless, inconceivable merit and virtue and thus sustain the Tathagata”s anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

　　由此可見，上至一國之主，下至庶民百姓，不論何人，讀誦《金剛經》皆可種下善根，獲得不可思議功德。

　　It is clear that for anyone—from the king or a monarch to common people—to recite the Diamond Sutra is to plant virtuous seeds that will accumulate inconceivable merits.

　　在藏漢的曆史上，佛法對于國家的長治久安也起著不可或缺的作用。在無數的史冊中，都留下了數不勝數的君主與高僧大德結下不解之緣的美傳。

　　In the history of Tibet, Buddhism has played an indispensable role in the country”s long-term stability and welfare. There are innumerable beautiful accounts on the lasting bond between patron kings and great Dharma masters in historical annals.

　　且不論赤松德贊與蓮花生大師、靜命堪布的深厚情誼。僅就元帝忽必烈封八思巴爲“皇天之下，大地之上，西天佛子，化身佛陀，創製文字，輔治國政，五明班智達八思巴帝師”之稱，也足見佛法于當時朝廷及民衆之重要，實非凡夫所能度測。

　　The profound connections of King Trisong Deutsen, Master Padmasambhava, and Abbot Shantarakshita are most famous. But those between Khublai Khan, Emperor of Yuan, and his Dharma Master Phagspa are equally remarkable. Khublai extolled the master this way: “Under the heaven and above the earth, you are the Buddha”s heir from the Western Heaven and the emanation of the Buddha. You established the national language and assisted in reigning policies. I now honor you, the Pandita of five sciences, as the Court Priest Phagspa.” Thus the Dharma played inconceivable important roles in the imperial court as well as for the general public during that time period.

　　一代雄主苻堅爲了得到道安法師，不惜發動襄陽之戰，再次證明了佛法價值的彌足珍貴。

　　The mighty emperor Fu Jian, urged by his strong wish to retain Dharma Master Dao Ang, did not hesitate to wage the war of Xiangyang. This, again, is a proof of the extreme value of the precious Buddhadharma.

　　唐朝的武則天對佛法更是恭敬有加，曾寫下著名的開經偈：“無上甚深微妙法，百千萬劫難遭遇，我今見聞得受持，願解如來真實義。”

　　Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty had more than just great respect toward the Buddha”s teachings. She wrote the famous Verse for Opening a Sutra:

　　The unsurpassed, profound, and wonderful Dharma,

　　In hundreds of billions of eons is difficult to encounter.

　　Now that I”ve come to see and hear it, receive and uphold it,

　　I vow to fathom the Tathagata”s true and actual meanings.

　　該頌流傳至今，並成爲衆多修行人誦經之前必不可少的發願文。

　　This verse has been passed down to the present, and for many practitioners, it is an indispensable aspiration prayer before reciting any sutra.

　　至于達摩與梁武帝之間的微妙關系，也引起過衆多世間人的誤解，人們都視梁武帝爲不懂佛法真谛的笨蛋。其實在我看來，梁武帝的佛學造詣不能說不高，只是衆生的根基及因緣不允許他只接受“不立文字”的禅宗而已。于世俗谛廣積福德資糧，仍不失爲一種令民衆積累善根之方便法門，梁武帝能有此超勝于其他君主的遠見，不能不令我贊歎。

　　The elusive relationship between Master Bodhidharma and Emperor LiangWu has been the subject of many misinterpretations. People regard Emperor LiangWu as a fool who could not comprehend the truth in the Dharma. In my opinion, we can hardly say that Emperor Liang did not have a high level of realization. It is only the circumstances and the acumen of his people that prevented him from subscribing solely to the Zen “beyond any word.” However, he did make vast offerings in worldly ways and showed his subjects how to accumulate merit in the context of relative truth. His skillfulness and vision surpass those of other sovereigns. I can”t help rejoicing in what he has done.

　　君主若能做到不是以統治民衆爲目的，而是爲了民衆今生來世的安樂，從心裏對佛教生起恭敬心，實乃衆生之幸事！

　　If the ruler of a state has generated heartfelt respect for Buddhism and wishes to bring short and long-term benefits to all citizens, rather than to control them, it indeed is a great fortune for all beings!

　　壬午年正月初九　　

　　2002年2月21日

　　9th of January, Year of RenWu

　　February 21, 2002

《政教 Religious Government》全文閱讀結束。