佛 法 与 你

　　Buddhism For You

　　(第 三 课)

　　什么是佛教

　　English by

　　Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia

　　Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda

　　Translated by

　　Theravada Samadhi Education Association

　　马来西亚佛教弘法会.达摩难陀长老英文原著

　　原始佛法三摩地学会编译 Why Does The Tree Blossom

　　 / 树为什么会开花？

　　There are causes for all human suffering, and there is a way to end them. / 人们的苦都是有某些因缘造成的，因此一定有方法灭除它们。

　　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. / 当很多的因缘具足的时候，世间万法就会『生起』并『持续存在』。而当它生起与持续存在的因缘改变的时候，每件事物就会『变化』与『灭去』。

　　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. / 季节来了又去。果树春天开花，夏天结果，秋天落叶，而冬天光秃，直到来年的春天。

　　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. / 果树开花结果是因为有促使它们开花结果的因缘条件。花不会没任何因缘条件就开放，果子也不会自己生出来。

　　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. / 就像网子，是由网孔一个接一个而形成，世间的每一样事物，也是由各种因缘条件一个接一个而形成。

　　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. / 每件事物都会有生灭；没有任何事物可以永恒存在而没有变化。这是佛陀提出的永恒真理：『诸行无常(Sabbe Sankhara Anicca.)』——所有因缘条件和合而成的事物都是无常变化的。

　　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. / 相信事物能永恒持续存在是错误的，这称之为『常论』；而相信事物会完全地断灭也是错误的，这称之为『断灭论』。

　　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. / 这些只是染污之人的肉眼以及执着于表相的人所观察到的外表现象而已。事实上，任何事物的本质是离一切分别和执着的。

　　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. / 因为所有事物都是由各种因缘条件和合而成的，所以都没有恒常性。由于表相持续变化，任何事物就宛如海市蜃楼和一场幻梦，把这样短暂的人生误认为永恒不变的真实人生是一种迷惑妄想。

　　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. / 但是无知的人认定这个世间是永恒而可以执取的，且依这样的认定来行动生活。由于他们的行动建立在错误的基础上，所以最后得到的结果只有伤害和痛苦。

　　A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it were real, and is free from suffering. / 一个明智的人知道这个世间只不过是一个幻影，他的一切行为表现不会仿佛世间是真实的，因此他能解脱诸苦。

　　WHAT BUDDHISM IS / 什么是佛教Lesson 3. / 第三课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. / 有时候，你是否觉得很困惑，不知道究竟该相信什么？也许有一天，你看到了一篇宣传，有人自称为“神的使者”，且敦促你信奉他的教义信念。也许下个星期，有个朋友来告诉你，有个宗教信仰医疗师能奇迹般地治愈疾病，并宣称他的方法才是解脱的唯一道路。

　　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. / 然后又来了一个宗教团体的某个宗派，警告你要对抗某个恶魔，说他那里都是邪师说法愚弄人们，然后要你接受他们经典的权威，同时也声称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. / 随后，又来了同…

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