佛陀的本怀
Nature of the Buddha Light of the World
佛陀是世界之光。
”Understood are the things to be understood,
Cultivated are the things to be cultivated,
Eradicated are the things to be eradicated,
Therefore Brahmin, I am the Buddha.”(Sutta Nipata)
「应该了解的都已了解，应该做的都已完成，应该弃除的(烦恼)都已弃除，梵志啊！所以我被称为佛陀。」《经集》
”As long, brethren, as the Moon and Sun have not arisen in the world, just as long is there no shining forth a great light of great radiance. There prevails gross darkness, the darkness of bewilderment. Night is not distinguishable from the day, nor the month, the half-moon and the seasons of the years from each other.
「兄弟们！如果这世界没有太阳和月亮升起，就没有光线，没有了光辉的照耀，世界将变得极其黑暗，黑暗令人恐慌。没有了白天和黑夜的分别，没有满月也没有半月，更没有一年四季之分。」
”But, brethren, when the Moon and Sun arise in the world then a great light of great radiance shines forth. Gross darkness, the darkness of bewilderment, is no more. Then are months and the half-moon and the seasons of years.”
”Just so, brethren, as long as a Buddha, who is an Arahant, a Buddha Supreme, arises not, there is no shining forth a great light of great radiance. But gross darkness, the darkness of bewilderment, prevails. There is no proclaiming, no teaching, no showing forth, no setting up, no opening up, no analysis, no making clear of the Four Noble Truths.
「然而，兄弟们！如果这世界有太阳和月亮升起，就有光线，也有了光辉的照耀，令人恐慌的黑暗也不存在了。有了白天和黑夜也有满月和半月，更有一年四季的存在。」「同样的，兄弟们！如果佛陀不出世，这世间就没有阿拉汉也没有佛。这世界没有光明，只有恐怖和黑暗。这世间如果没有佛陀所宣教的佛法，就无法发现错误，不懂得分析问题，也看不清四圣谛的存在。」
”What Four
The Noble Truth of Suffering, the Arising of Suffering, the ceasing of Suffering, and the approach to the ceasing of Suffering.
”Wherefore, brethren, do you exert yourselves to realize ”This is suffering; this is the arising of Suffering; this is the ceasing of Suffering; this is the approach to the ceasing of Suffering.”
「什么是灭苦的四圣谛？那就是苦(苦)、集(苦之因)、灭(灭苦)、道(灭苦之道)。」「因此，兄弟们！你们应该清楚的了解：这是造成苦的苦，这是苦的起因，苦的熄灭，这是灭苦之道。」
The above words give us a clear picture of the great value of the arising of the Buddha to the world. The Buddha arose at a time when Western Philosophy as inaugurated by the Greeks, was led by Heraclites who gave a new turn to the early religions of the Olympian gods. It was a time when Jeremiah was giving a new message among the Jews in Babylon.
以几句话，为佛陀来到世间，描述了一幅清晰的画面。佛陀在世的时候，是希腊正在开创西方哲学的时候，由奥林匹亚山诸神的神话故事转化为新的宗教。也是希伯来人的先知耶利米(Jeremah)为巴比伦的犹太人传教的时候。
It was a time when Pythagoras was introducing a doctrine of reincarnation in Italy. It was a time when Confucius was establishing the national life of China by his ethics of conduct.
It was a time when India”s social fabric was heavily encrusted with priest craft, self-mortification, caste distinctions, corrupt feudalism, subjection of women and fear of Brahmancial dominance.
这时候，当毕达哥拉斯(Pythagoras)在意大利倡导轮回学说，也是孔夫子在中国提倡儒家思想的时候。当时的印度社会崇尚神权、天启和苦行的思想，阶级森严，腐败、封建、重男轻女。处于婆罗门阶层支配一切的恐怖时代。
It was at such time that the Buddha, the most fragrant flower of the human race, appeared in the land where saints and sages dedicated their lives in the search for truth.
就在这时候，一朵属于人类芬芳的花朵绽开了。佛陀出现在印度，出现在圣贤们奉献生命追求宇宙真理的国土。
He was a great man who wielded an extraordinary influences on others even during His lifetime. His personal magnetism, moral prestige and radiant confidence in His discovery, made Him a popular success. During His active life as a Teacher, the Buddha enlightened many who listened to Him. He attracted the high and low, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, men and women, householders and ascetics, nobles and peasants. He went in search for the vicious to teach, while the pure and virtuous came in search of Him to learn. To all, He gave the gift of the Truth that He had discovered. His disciples were kings and soldiers, merchants and millionaires, beggars and courtesans, religious as well as deluded people. When people…
《佛陀是世界之光 Nature of the Buddha Light of the World》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…