佛 法 與 你

　　Buddhism For You

　　(第 叁 課)

　　什麼是佛教

　　English by

　　Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia

　　Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda

　　Translated by

　　Theravada Samadhi Education Association

　　馬來西亞佛教弘法會.達摩難陀長老英文原著

　　原始佛法叁摩地學會編譯 Why Does The Tree Blossom

　　 / 樹爲什麼會開花？

　　There are causes for all human suffering, and there is a way to end them. / 人們的苦都是有某些因緣造成的，因此一定有方法滅除它們。

　　Everything in the world arises and persists as a result of a vast concurrence of causes and conditions. And everything will change and pass away when the causes and conditions for its arising and persistence change. / 當很多的因緣具足的時候，世間萬法就會『生起』並『持續存在』。而當它生起與持續存在的因緣改變的時候，每件事物就會『變化』與『滅去』。

　　The seasons come and go. The fruit trees blossom in spring, bear fruits in summer, shed their leaves in autumn, and remain bare in winter, until the next spring comes. / 季節來了又去。果樹春天開花，夏天結果，秋天落葉，而冬天光禿，直到來年的春天。

　　The, fruit trees blossom and bear fruits because of conditions that lead to their blooming and fruiting. Blossoms do not appear unconditioned, nor does a fruit appear by itself. / 果樹開花結果是因爲有促使它們開花結果的因緣條件。花不會沒任何因緣條件就開放，果子也不會自己生出來。

　　Like the meshes of a net which are connected to one another, everything in this world is connected by a series of causes and conditions. / 就像網子，是由網孔一個接一個而形成，世間的每一樣事物，也是由各種因緣條件一個接一個而形成。

　　Everything has its arising and passing away; nothing can be permanent without change. This is an eternal law propounded by the Buddha: Sabbe Sankhara Anicca - All conditioned things are impermanent and subject to change. / 每件事物都會有生滅；沒有任何事物可以永恒存在而沒有變化。這是佛陀提出的永恒真理：『諸行無常(Sabbe Sankhara Anicca.)』——所有因緣條件和合而成的事物都是無常變化的。

　　To believe that things can last forever is a mistake called the Theory of Permanence; to believe that things completely disappear is a mistake called the Theory of Nor-existence. / 相信事物能永恒持續存在是錯誤的，這稱之爲『常論』；而相信事物會完全地斷滅也是錯誤的，這稱之爲『斷滅論』。

　　These are only appearances observed by defiled human eyes and people become attached to appearances. The essential nature of things is free from all discriminations and attachments. / 這些只是染汙之人的肉眼以及執著于表相的人所觀察到的外表現象而已。事實上，任何事物的本質是離一切分別和執著的。

　　Since things are created by a series of causes and conditions, there is no permanency in them. As a result of the constantly changing of appearances, things are liken to a mirage and a dream. To identify this passing life for the changeless life of truth is a delusion. / 因爲所有事物都是由各種因緣條件和合而成的，所以都沒有恒常性。由于表相持續變化，任何事物就宛如海市蜃樓和一場幻夢，把這樣短暫的人生誤認爲永恒不變的真實人生是一種迷惑妄想。

　　But ignorant people assume that this world is something permanent and worth clinging to, and act upon that assumption. As their acts are based on error, they will only be led into harm and suffering. / 但是無知的人認定這個世間是永恒而可以執取的，且依這樣的認定來行動生活。由于他們的行動建立在錯誤的基礎上，所以最後得到的結果只有傷害和痛苦。

　　A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it were real, and is free from suffering. / 一個明智的人知道這個世間只不過是一個幻影，他的一切行爲表現不會仿佛世間是真實的，因此他能解脫諸苦。

　　WHAT BUDDHISM IS / 什麼是佛教Lesson 3. / 第叁課Don”t you feel bewildered sometimes, not knowing just what to believe

　　 One day, you read from an advertisement about a self-proclaimed `pine messenger” who urges you to embrace his creed. Next week, a friend tells you about a faith healer who cures diseases `miraculously” and claims that his way is the only way to salvation. / 有時候，你是否覺得很困惑，不知道究竟該相信什麼？也許有一天，你看到了一篇宣傳，有人自稱爲“神的使者”，且敦促你信奉他的教義信念。也許下個星期，有個朋友來告訴你，有個宗教信仰醫療師能奇迹般地治愈疾病，並宣稱他的方法才是解脫的唯一道路。

　　Then comes a sect of a religious group who warns you against the Devil who is fooling people through false teachers. Accept the authority of his scriptures you are told. His way is the only way. / 然後又來了一個宗教團體的某個宗派，警告你要對抗某個惡魔，說他那裏都是邪師說法愚弄人們，然後要你接受他們經典的權威，同時也聲稱他的方法才是唯一的道路。

　　Along comes another sect of the same religion who tells you that they are the true followers because they understand the word as well as the spirit of the scriptures. / 隨後，又來了同…

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