一貫道郭明義

點亮生命的光-5(中英對照)        

       默念真經問答       英文翻譯 : Lily Zhang 

        Q&A

問：默念真經和一般念佛有何不同？

    What’s the difference between reciting the Fie Word Sutra and Buddha’s names?

    念佛，人人會念，但要念到一心不亂、心不顛倒，才能與佛世界完全感應道交，就像人人會玩水，但不是人人會游泳。

    Everyone can recite Buddha’s names. But it’s hard to recite with total concentration. With a highly-concentrated mind, he can connect the Buddha’s pure land completely. This is like that everyone can play in the water, but not everyone can swim. 

    我們求道時因為先經過傳道儀式克己復禮、六根歸元的洗禮，然後才傳受無字真經。當時我們第一次持念無字真經時，就已處於一心不亂、全神貫注，所以以後再念時，就很容易回到一心不亂。

    Before receiving the Five Word Sutra, we have experienced the solemn ceremony in which we pay highly attention to our Buddha nature without any distractive thought. At that time, we recite the Five Word Sutra with One mind for the first time and total concentration. Therefore, it will be very easy for us to return to and review that state.

    就像曾經持續游泳二十公尺沒有沉下去，即使多年沒有游泳，再游泳時也很容易就記起如何游。

    It’s like a swimmer who has swum successfully and continuously for 20 meters. Even though he never swims for several years, it will still be easy for him to remember how to swim again.

    另外，默念真經有彌勒佛力加持。這是彌勒祖師對我們的承諾，無論何時何地只要我們在心中呼求祂，祂都會回應我們、加持我們、救護我們。

    On the other hand, the Five Word Sutra has the great blessing from Maitriya Buddha. This is his promise to us. Whenever and wherever we are, just call his name and he will respond us and save us.

    我們得到這個真經是在求道時無念的狀態下，所以念這個真經和念別的佛號不一樣，它可以印到你的本心。

    Because we receive the Five Word Sutra with One mind, it’s very different from reciting other Buddha’s names. In this way, it can correspond to our Buddha nature.

問：沒有吃素，默念真經效果會不會大打折扣？再則，吃葷念佛，佛會不會責怪？

Q：Will my reciting become less effective if I am not a vegetarian? Will Maitriya Buddha blame me if I eat meat and call his name?

    佛對眾生就像父母對孩子，好孩子父母疼愛，壞孩子父母還是一樣疼愛，任何一位眾生只要願意念佛，不只是念彌勒佛，念任何一尊佛的佛號甚至稱上帝的名，佛都只有高興而不會生氣。

    Buddha treats sentient beings as parents treat their children. Parents love bad kids as well as good kids. For any sentient being, as long as he is willing to call Buddha’s names, Buddha will always be happy.

    就像父母對子女，只要子女願意回來找父母，父母就有機會救子女，父母只怕子女不來找父母，怎麼會設定門檻，一定要吃素才能來找父母？

    Just as parents are to their children, Buddha is like the sentient beings’ beloved parents. They have the chance to teach children as long as children are willing to ask them for help. They only worry that their children won’t come to them. How can they set certain rules for children to follow, like being a vegetarian, before children come back?

    大勢至菩薩念佛圓通章說：「十方如來憐憫憶念眾生就像母親時時刻刻思念子女一樣，可是如果子女逃逸無蹤，母親再怎麼思念也見不到子女，但是如果子女也開始思念母親，母子相憶必能相見。所以眾生念佛，眼前或未來，必定見佛。」

由此可知佛不是我們念祂，祂才念我們，而是無時無刻不在思念我們。我們一念祂，就立刻與祂相應。

    As one Buddhist sutra said, “All Buddha and bodhisattvas love and remember sentient beings just as a mother loves and remembers her children. If the children run far away, the mother cannot see them anywhere. However, if the children also start to miss the mother, they will meet each other because of their mutual missing. Therefore, when sentient beings recite Buddha’s name, their will see Buddha at present or in the future. Buddha loves us not because we miss or call him; instead, he keeps missing us all the time. Once we recite Buddha’s name, we will get connected with him.

    就像最前面台大校長李嗣涔作的實驗，只要』佛『字在，佛就現光明來照耀我們的生命。

    This is like the previous experiment done by Dr. Lee in NTU. As long as the word “Buddha” exists, Buddha will give us the brightness to shine our lives.

問：為什麼有人默念真經有美好、殊勝的覺受，有人沒有，甚至越念心越亂？

Q：why do some people have wonderful and special feelings when reciting the Five Word Sutra? And some others have confusing thoughts?

    默念真經專注程度不同效果自然不同，如果默念真經是打電話像彌勒祖師求救，一念電話就接通了，但話筒有沒有靠近耳朵？有沒有專注在聽？如果話筒離太遠，即使電話已接通也聽不到。

    Different levels of concentration will bring different effects. If reciting the Five Word Sutra is calling Maitriya Buddha, it is definitely that we can get in touch with Maitriya Buddha when reciting. However, if you put the receiver far away from your ear or don’t focus, it will be hard to get Maitriya Buddha’s message. 

    如果妄念太多，沒有專心聽，電話接通還是聽不到。

    If you have too many distractive thoughts or don’t concentrate, you won’t get the benefits even if the phone call is communicated.

一樣默念真經，用百分之一的專注，和用百分之百的專注，就決定和彌勒祖師契合程度，決定能不能聽到來自佛國的訊息。若能專注到百分之十以上，就足以和彌勒祖師感應道交。

    Concentration in reciting can decide whether you can hear the message from pure land. One percent or one hundred percent concentration makes the difference whether you can be connected with Maitriya Buddha or not.

    常有道親告訴我，每當他們有疑問困難不知如何解決時，就在心中默念真經，念著念，答案就自動浮現心中，照著去做就順利解決了問困難。

    Some Tao members tell me they have the habit of reciting the Five Word Sutra whenever they have trouble. During the reciting, the answer will automatically appear in their mind. If they follow it, they usually solve the problem easily.

問：如果只念真經，都不去佛堂、不參與辦道，也可以成道嗎？

Q: If I just recite the Sutra at home and don’t go to the temple or help transmit the Tao, will I return to Maitriya Buddha’s pure land?

答：到佛堂，不管是拜拜也好、參班、服務…都有佛堂的佛光普照、仙佛加持。

    就像生病，如果能去醫院最好，如果有不得已的因素，無法到醫院就醫，只好把藥帶回家服用。

    我們眾生都患了種種或輕或重的身、心、靈疾病，佛堂就像醫院，有仙佛醫療團隊為我們做全面的身心靈醫療，能入院接受醫療當然最好，如果不能或不願意，至少把藥帶回家天天吃，總比完全不就醫也不吃藥好。

A: When Tao members go to the temple to worship or serve people, they will get blessing and from Buddha and bodhisattvas. We can compare the Buddha temple to a hospital and the Three Treasure to the medicine. As the sick people go to the hospital for best cure, so practitioners return to the temple for best blessings. If the patient cannot go to the hospital, he can take the medicine home for recovery. Likewise, if practitioners cannot return to the temple, they can use the Three Treasures at home.

    We sentient beings all have certain kind of sickness in body, mind and soul. The

Buddha temple is like the hospital, where the group of Buddha and bodhisattvas serve as doctors to cure our diseases in body, mind and soul. It’s better for us to stay in the hospital temple) for healing. However, if there is no chance to stay there, at least taking medicine home using Three Treasures) will make us feel better.

問：常默念真經會不會驚動仙佛？

Q: will our reciting bother Maitriya Buddha?

答：許多道親對仙佛的恭敬不敢隨意默念真經，害怕驚動仙佛，甚至觸怒仙佛。雖然出發點是恭敬的，卻誤解仙佛的定義。

    「佛」是如如不動的，金剛經說：「如來者，無所從來亦無所去。」所以佛是不來不去的，絕不是唸了就來，不念就去。而是無所不在，無時不照。

    就像陽光普照大地，如果我們門窗緊閉，處於黑暗，念佛就像開啟門窗讓光明射入一樣，佛力和光明福德，也因為唸佛而照進我們的生命之中。

A: a lot of Tao member dare not recite the Five Word Sutra any time because of their respect for Buddha and bodhisattvas. They are afraid it may bother them or even offend them. Though their thinking is good, they misunderstand what Buddha is.

    Buddha is All. The Diamond Sutra says, “Buddha comes from nowhere and goes nowhere.” So, Buddha is not someone movable. He doesn’t come because we are calling his name and leave because we don’t call his name. He exists everywhere and blesses any time.

    This is just like the sunshine shining on earth. If we close the door and windows and stay in darkness, reciting Buddha’s names is like opening the door and windows to let sunlight in. Then, Buddha’s power, blessing, and bright merits will shine into our lives by reciting.

問：為什麼默念？

Q:  Why do we recite the Five Word Sutra silently?

    念佛，原本就應該默念。

    達磨破相論有說：「念佛者當須正念，正念必得往生，念者憶也，念在於心，不在於言，若心無實，口誦空名，誦在口中，即是音聲之相，執相求理，終無是處。」

A:  Correct reciting is to recite silently with heart.

     Master Dharma says, “ Practitioners who recite Buddha’s name in the right way are sure to return to pure land after death. Reciting means remembering. The importance of reciting lies in your heart, not in your words. If you don’t recite by heart and just speak out the words, it will only be the sound. To apply the sound to pursue the truth will never succeed.”(未完待續)