..续本文上一页典籍中，有无数的事例，证明过著普通正常家庭生活的人，都能够很成功地实行佛的教诫，证入涅槃。游方者婆嗟种(在无我章里已经介绍过的)有一次直截了当地问佛，过著家庭生活的男女居士，有没有实行佛教而成功地达到很高的精神境界？佛毫不含糊地说，像这种居家的男女成功地遵行佛教而达到很高的精神境界，不止是一个两个，一百个两百个，甚至五百个，而是比五百个还要多出多多。［注二］
It may be agreeable for certain people to live a retired life in a quiet place away from noise and disturbance. But it is certainly more praiseworthy and courageous to practice Buddhism living among your fellow beings, helping them and being of service to them. It may perhaps be useful in some cases for a man to live in retirement for a time in order to improve his mind and character, as preliminary moral, spiritual and intellectual training, to be strong enough to come out later and help others. But if a man lives all his life in solitude, thinking only of his own happiness and ”salvation”, without caring for his fellows, this surely is not in keeping with the Buddha”s teaching which is based on love, compassion, and service to others.
对于某些人，远离尘嚣到一处清净的地方，去过绝世的生活也许合适。可是能与众人共处，实行佛教，为众服务，施以济度，自然更是勇敢而值得赞美。但在某些情形下，也许隐居一时，先将心胸性格陶冶一番，作一番道德、精神与理智方面的初步磨炼，到力量充实之后再出山度人，也未尝不好。可是一个人如果终生独居，只顾到自己的快乐与解脱，不关心余人的疾苦，这就和佛的教诫决不相符了。因为佛教是建立于友爱、慈悲、与为人服务的基础上。
One might now ask: If a man can follow Buddhism while living the life of an ordinary layman, why was the Sangha, the Order of monks, established by the Buddha
The Order provides opportunity for those who are willing to devote their lives not only to their own spiritual and intellectual development, but also to the service of others. An ordinary layman with a family cannot be expected to devote his whole life to the service of others, whereas a monk, who has no family responsibilities or any other worldly ties, is in position to devote his whole life ”for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many” according to the Buddha”s advice. That is how in the course of history, the Buddhist monastery became not only a spiritual centre, but also a centre of learning and culture.
有人也许要问：如果常人可以过在家的生活，而仍能修习佛法，为什么佛要创立和合僧团呢？殊不知僧伽是专为了某些志愿献身的人而设的。这些人不但要发展自己的精神及心智，而且立志要为人类服务。一个有家有室的居士，不能期望他将一生整个地奉献出来为人群服务。和尚因为没有家室之累，也没有其它俗务的羁绊，可以根据佛诫将全部身心贡献于“增进多数人的福祉，增进多数人的快乐”。在历史过程中，佛教寺院不仅成为宗教中心，也成为学术文化的中心，其起因就是这样的。
The Sigāla-sutta (No. 31 of the Digha-nikāya) shows with what great respect the layman”s life, his family and social relations are regards by the Buddha.
佛是何等重视居士的生活以及他家庭与社会关系，从《善生经》(巴利文《长部经》第卅一经)中可以看得出来。
A young man named Sigāla used to worship the six cardinal points of the heavens-east, south, west, north, nadir, and zenith- in obeying and observing the last advice given him by his dying father. The Buddha told the young man that in the ”noble discipline” (ariyassa vinaye) of his teaching the six directions were different. According to his ”noble discipline” the six directions were: east: parents; south: teachers; west: wife and children; north: friends, relatives and neighbours; nadir: servants, workers and employees; zenith: religious men.
一个名叫善生的男子，一向都遵守他父亲临终时的遗命，礼拜虚空的六方——东、西、南、北、上、下。佛告诉他说，在佛教圣律中的六方，与他的不同。根据佛的圣律，那六方是：东方——父母，南方——师长，西方——妻儿，北方——亲友邻居，下方——奴隶佣工，上方——宗教信徒。
”One should worship these six directions” said the Buddha. Here the word ”worship” (namasseyya) is very significant, for one worships something sacred, something worthy of honour and respect. These six family and social groups mentioned above are treated in Buddhism as sacred, worthy or respect and worship. But how is one to ”worship” them
The Buddha says that one could ”worship” them only by performing one”s duties towards them. These duties are explained in his discourse to Sigāla.
“应当礼拜这六方，”佛说。这里，“礼拜”一词意义重大。因为，人所礼拜的，一定是神圣的、值得尊重敬仰的东西。上述六类家庭和社会份子，在佛教中就是被视为神圣的、值得尊崇礼拜的了。可是怎样礼拜法呢？佛说，只有对他们敦伦尽分，才算是礼拜。这些职分在《佛说善生经》中都有解释。
First: Parents are sacred to their children. The Buddha says: ”Parents are called Brahma” (Brahmāti mātāpitaro). The term Brahma denotes the hi…
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