为了生死而出家
We Leave the Home-life in Order to End Birth and Death
现在佛教在西方初露曙光，我们不要把它变成末法时代，
一定要令正法常住于世。
Buddhism is just beginning in the West. Let”s not turn this age into the Dharma-ending Age.
We must perpetuate the Proper Dharma.
学佛的人，时时刻刻要存「有若无，实若虚」的思想，不应该有骄傲的心，不应该有自满的心，不应该有不谦虚的心，不应该有不用功的心。总之，要时时修持，刻刻精进。
We who study Buddhism shouldn”t become attached to our attainments. We shouldn”t become arrogant and conceited and forget to be humble and diligent. In general, we should cultivate with vigor at all times.
以前中国的出家人，有的为生活而出家，有的为患病而出家。真正为了生死而出家的，如凤毛麟角，可以说是寥寥无几。我不是批评以前的出家人好吃懒做，但是事实是如此。我希望你们跟我出家，第一要充实学问，第二要培养德行，做个堂堂正正的出家人。
In the past, in China, some people left the home-life in order to obtain food and shelter so that they could survive. Others left the home-life because they were sick. Hardly ever did people leave home genuinely wishing to liberate them-selves from birth and death.
I”m not slandering the monks and nuns of the past; most of them really were lazy gluttons. I hope that those of you who have left home with me will enrich your learning, cultivate virtue, and be genuine Sangha members.
有些人冒充佛教徒，混在佛教里，指佛穿衣，赖佛吃饭，真正的工作，一点也不做。我为什么这样说呢？因为这是我从过去所得的经验，今天有所感慨，所以说出来，令你们晓得出家人是救世的使者，而不是好吃懒做的蛀米大虫。
Some people pass themselves off as Buddhists. Mingling with Buddhists, they rely on Buddhism for clothing and food, but don”t do any real work for Buddhism. I have seen this myself, and now I”m telling you because I want you to know that Sangha members should work hard to save the world, not be lazy bums who only know how to eat.
以前中国的出家人，大约有一百多万人，大半是文盲。因为没有读过书的缘故，所以读经也不求甚解，内容不懂，每天还是照样念经，成为例行公事，等于在混光阴。因为一般出家人，大多数是贪吃、贪睡、不做事，所以佛教就一天比一天衰败。这虽然不能一概而论，可是大致是这样的情形，如果再不纠正这种不良的风气，那么佛教的前途，就暗淡无光了。
In the past, there were approximately one million left-home people in China, and most of them were illiterate. Since they had never been to school, they could not gain a deep understanding of the Sutras. They recited Sutras every day, but since they didn”t understand what they were reciting, it was basically a waste of time.
Buddhism is on the decline because most of the left-home people are greedy for food and sleep and don”t do any work. This is the general situation. If we don”t change this trend, Buddhism will have a very bleak future.
据我所知，中国出家和在家有几千万人信仰佛教，可是多数是坐吃山空，不事生产，或者被名利所迷，或者贪图供养，不想充实自己的学问，也不用功参禅，对于修持方面，不认真去做，这实在太可怜了！
To my knowledge, there are several million left-home and lay Buddhists in China, and the majority of them simply stay in the monasteries and consume the goods they have hoarded up. They don”t work or produce anything themselves. Greedy for fame, benefit, and offerings, they have no wish to study the teachings or practice Chan meditation. They aren”t serious about cultivation. What a pity!
我们看看天主教的神父、基督教的牧师，他们都要受高等教育，在神学院毕业之后，才有资格担任神职，负起传教的责任。
Christian priests and ministers receive a high level of education in seminaries before they assume their clerical and ministerial duties.
我们佛教的口号，修行！修行！修成一个什么样的人呢？修成一个好吃懒做的人。过去的出家人，整天无事做，就专门打听哪个庙的斋菜好，哪个庙的衣单多，就往哪个庙跑。对于弘扬佛法，讲经说法，一窍不通，成为哑羊僧。只知早晨吃麻油粥，晚上吃麻油饭，把吃和利挂在眉梢上，没有把生死挂在眉梢上。这种趋势令佛教每况愈下，形成佛教里的毒瘤。
In Buddhism, we talk about cultivating, but what kind of people have we cultivated ourselves into
Lazy gluttons. In the past, left-home people spent their days scouting out the monasteries that served the best vegetarian food or gave the biggest allowances. They had no idea of how to propagate the Buddhadharma, explain the Sutras, or speak the Dharma. Such monks were called “mute sheep.” All they cared about was eating porridge with sesame oil for breakfast and rice with sesame oil for dinner. Their top priority was getting food and profit, not ending birth and death. That”s why Buddhism is in such a sorrowful plight.
因此我要积极提高出家人的素质，凡是跟我出家的，一定要大学毕业才够资格，或者在万佛圣城僧伽训练班三年毕业；若有博士、硕士的学位…
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