宣化老禅师出家的因缘
The Story of the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua”s Leaving the Home-life
从事译经工作，乃是神圣的、清高的、无上的。
Translating the Sutras is the work of the sages: it is exalted and supreme work.
【编按】：宣公上人是吉林省双城县人氏，俗姓白，父富海公，一生勤俭治家，务农为业。母胡太夫人，生前茹素念佛，数十年如一日，从未间断，为人好善乐施，为善最乐，有求必应，乡里称赞不已，称为活菩萨。戊午年三月十六日夜间，太夫人梦见阿弥陀佛降临，身放金光，照耀世界，震动天地。惊醒之后，方觉异香扑鼻，香味异常，清澈肺腑，真是不可思议的境界。不久，宣公降生人间，连哭三天三夜而止，盖觉娑婆世界之苦不堪忍受故。今将宣公上人自述出家的因缘，摘录如下：
Editor”s Commentary: The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua is a native of Shuangcheng ("Twin Cities") County, Jilin ("Lucky Grove") Province, of Manchuria, China. He was surnamed Bai, His father, Mr. Bai Fuhai,was thrifty and frugal in managing the household, and was a farmer by occupation. His mother”s maiden name was Hu. A vegetarian for her entire life, she recited the Buddha”s name without cease for years, and was by nature a charitable and generous person who gave to anyone who asked. Her attitude was, "doing good deeds is the utmost happiness." As a result, her neighbors praised her constantly and gave her the name, "The Living Bodhisattva." On the night of the sixteenth day of the third lunar month, Mrs. Bai (Madame Hu) dreamed that Amitabha Buddha, his body shining with golden light that illuminated the entire world, came down, and the earth trembled and shook. Startled awake, she smelled an unusual fragrance that she had never known before. The scent was pure, and permeated her lungs and midriff; a truly inconceivable state of being. Soon after this experience, the Venerable Master was born. He cried incessantly for three days and three nights, perhaps feeling that the suffering of the Saha World was simply too painful for people to bear. The following is the Venerable Master”s account of how he came to leave the home-life.
我在十二岁以前，脾气很倔强，倔强到什么程度呢？凡是有人惹我的时候，就会哭，一哭起来，就没有完的时候。父母的话也不听，非常任性，有时候不吃不喝，拼命地哭，令父母也没有办法。当时的想法，知道父母非常疼爱我，我若是不吃东西，父母的心会软，会向我投降。我那时就是这么样不孝，不能体会父母的辛苦，现在想起来，实在不应该这么样不乖。
Before I reached age twelve, I was obstinate to the extreme. How stubborn was I
Whenever anyone provoked me, I”d always start to cry; and once I began to cry, I wouldn”t stop. I disobeyed my parents, and did only what I pleased. Sometimes I refused to eat and drink, and cried my eyes out; my parents simply couldn”t handle me. I knew at the time that my father and mother were very fond of me, and if I stopped eating, their hearts would yield, and I would get my way. That”s how unfilial I was as a child. I had no appreciation of the trouble my parents went to on my behalf. Reflecting on my behavior, I regret that I was so naughty.
有一次，邻居的小孩子来到我家，那时我刚会爬，他也是在爬的阶段，我们在炕上爬，看谁爬得快？我爬到前头，不料他用嘴来咬我的脚。愚笨的我，不知反抗，只知道大哭，现在想起来，真可笑！
One day the neighbor”s boy came over to play, and I”d just learned to crawl. He too, was a new toddler, and we both started to crawl on the bed; we held a race to see who could crawl faster. I took the lead, but then he started to bite my heels from behind. Stupid as I was, it didn”t occur to me to resist or fight back; all I could do was to sob and cry. Thinking back on it, it was pretty funny!
在十一岁那年，和同村的小朋友到郊外去玩，发现一个婴儿的尸体。我从来没有见过这种事情，认为这小孩子在睡觉，但是叫也叫不醒，看他眼睛闭着，又不喘气，我莫名其妙，所以回家问母亲：「为什么小孩子在郊外睡觉呢？」母亲说：「那小孩子死了。」我又问：「为什么会死呢？怎么样才不会死？」当时，有位亲戚便说：「若想不死，除非出家修道，才能不死。」那时候，我对死很怕，也就是不愿意死，又觉得生生死死没有意思，遂起了出家的念头，想要去修道以了生脱死。
In my eleventh year I went to the countryside with some other children to play, and discovered the dead body of a small child. Having never before witnessed the phenomenon of death, I assumed that the baby was just sleeping. When I called to it, however, it didn”t wake up, and I noticed that its eyes were closed. Further-more, its breath had stopped. I couldn”t figure it out, and ran home to ask my mother what the matter was. "Why was the child sleeping out in the countryside
" I asked. She answered, "That child was dead." "Well, why…
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