..續本文上一頁nowing all as being one”s mother

　　 It is when all sentient beings have the feeling of compassion which is like that of a mothers. Every sentient being has been our mother at some time or another. They also must have been our fathers too and so everyone has affected you and everyone else too. To know and accept this belief one needs to believe in having had lives which have preceded this present life. We have gained entry into this and each and every other life, via the vehicle of having had a mother and a father. Yet even identical twins who look exactly alike have different intellectual make-ups.

　　 曾經有過一些的真實例子，人們可以像看到照片一樣地認出他們的前世，或是可以想起曾經在母親的子宮中的情形，所以我們對于前世的存在不用感到懷疑。

　　 There are instances of people who recognize their past lives like a photocopy or remember being in their mother”s womb. So we shouldn”t doubt about the existence of former lives.

　　 總的來說，去記住我們的前生或者回憶起每一生是很難的，因爲輪回是無始的，只要去思維每一個衆生都曾經做過他人的母親就行了。

　　 In general, it is difficult to remember our former lives or to recall each one because they are beginningless. Think about each inpidual being taking their turns in being the mother to one another!

　　 如果你只看當前的情形，很明顯不是每一個衆生都是我們目前的父母，只有兩個人是我們的父母。但是，對于父母的分類有很多種。例如，我們的父母給了我們一個身體，所以就有了生父母，接著我們會有指引的父母——例如我們的上師。

　　 If you look at your present day situation then it”s obvious that not every sentient beings is our present day mother and father. We only have two, but there are various ways to classify parents. For example, there are our parents who gave us our bodies, then there are the parents who provide for us and then there are the parents who guide us – such as our teachers.

　　 因此，由于相互的依賴，這個世界上的每一個衆生都曾經身爲我們的父母。我們依賴每一個人，需要和所有人合作，這是一個非常宏觀又相關的觀念。

　　 Therefore, due to interdependence, all beings in this world have been and are our parents. We depend on everyone in totality and need the cooperation of all. This view is very big and inter- connected.

　　 既然曾大大受益于衆多相識或不相識的衆生，我們應該在他們的利益和仁慈中得到啓發。而對于我們的父母，光是受其啓發是不足夠的，這就意味著我們不但要認取是他們把我們帶到這個世上的事實，我們還必須感恩于他們在撫養我們的過程中所付出的努力。現在的小孩子們對這一點認識得並不足夠。

　　 Since we derive a lot of benefit from so many known and unknown inpiduals in this world, we should be aware of their benefit and kindness. This includes our own parents but this is not enough. We must also be grateful for their efforts in bringing us up. This doesn”t mean just recognizing the fact that we are here because of them. These days children don”t recognize this enough.

　　 爲了加強對父母應有的感恩之情，有很多不同的辦法。例如，我們應該照顧好我們珍貴的人身，因爲那是父母送給我們的無價之寶，這是我們對父母之愛作出的承諾。他們希望我們能夠快樂，因此父母是我們的第一個、也是最好的朋友。有時候父母因爲養育了太多的小孩而發現很難付起這樣的責任，當代的很多父母都會走家庭計劃的捷徑。當我們被帶到這個世上，如果父母只是丟下我們獨自一人，我們可能根本不能生存，我們的父母一次又一次的爲我們而犧牲，所以我們應該深愛我們的父母。

　　 There are different ways of highlighting the gratitude we should have towards our parents. For example, we should take care of our precious body which is the priceless gift for our parents. It is pledged to us out of their love. They want you to be happy. Our parents, thus, are our first and best friends. Sometimes parents have too many children and find it difficult to meet this responsibility. These days many parents use the short cut of family planning. Having been brought into this world, if they just left us on our own then we might not survive. Our parents have died for us over and over again. So we should love our parents.

　　 讓我們稍微轉換一下話題，如果我們真的是在討論如何利益他人，那麼爲什麼我們會經常受到他人的傷害和困擾呢？我們應該憎恨那些傷害我們的人嗎？如果我們需要依賴他們而得到利益，就像他們也依賴我們一樣，當我們受到傷害時，是否應該希望反過來傷害他們呢？什麼樣的態度能帶來最大的利益？是憤恨還是仁愛？如果我們愛他人，其結果就是我們將會快樂。所以發展對他人的愛與慈悲才是更好的選擇。

　　 Just changing the subject slightly, if we are really talking about benefiting others then how is it that we often receive harmful and disturbing causes from others

　　 Should we hate those who harm us

　　 If we all depend on others for our benefit, just as they depend on us- if we receive harm from them, should we wish to harm them in return

　　 Which attitude benefits most anger or loving-kindness

　　 If we love others, then the consequence is that we will be happy. So it is better to develop love and compassion for others.

　　 我們現在說的是我們所有父母仁愛的總集，以及如何自覺地生起這樣的思想。雖然有時候，父母對子女不是十分的好，或者子女對父母不是十分好，這給父母或子女帶來了各種問題。隨後，父母們發現很難再去愛他們的子女。如果這樣的情形一代一代地繼續下去，那麼很可能，愛將會在即將到來的世代裏消耗殆盡。愛是需要彼此交互作用的。

　　 We are talking about the collective kindness of all our parents and consciously creating this thought. Sometimes however, parents are not very kind to their children nor children very kind to their parents. This causes all kinds of trouble for the parents and/or the children. Subsequently, the parents find it difficult to love their children . If this continues from generation to generation then it may come that love is almost extinct in coming generations. Love needs to be reciprocal.

《修持仁愛與慈悲》全文閱讀結束。