The Sutra of Forty-two Chapters - 36(1)
佛說四十二章經 第36章(1)
後漢 西域沙門迦葉摩騰 竺法蘭 同譯
Translated jointly by Indian Sramana Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaraksa in the Later Han Dynasty
法师讲解 01:27 开始 单词 04:01 开始
第36章 展轉獲勝
Advancing to Perfection Progressively
佛言。人離惡道。得為人難。
The Buddha said: "Even if one escapes from the evil creations, it is one's rare fortune to be born as a human being.
既得為人。去女即男難。
Even if one be born as human, it is one's rare fortune to be born as a man and not a woman.
既得為男。六根完具難。
Even if one be born a man, it is one's rare fortune to be perfect in all the six senses.
六根既具。生中國難。
Even if he be perfect in all the six senses, it is his rare fortune to be born in the middle kingdom.
既生中國。值佛世難。
Even if he be born in the middle kingdom, it is his rare fortune to be born in the time of a Buddha.
既值佛世。遇道者難。
Even if he be born in the time of a Buddha, it is his rare fortune to see the enlightened.
既得遇道。興信心難。
Even if he be able to see the enlightened, it is his rare fortune to have his heart awakened in faith.
既興信心。發菩提心難。
Even if he have faith, it is his rare fortune to awaken the heart of intelligence.
既發菩提心。無修無證難。
Even if he awakens the heart of intelligence, it is his rare fortune to realize a spiritual state which is above discipline and attainment."
英文版经文转载自 菩提字幕屋,英译者 D.T. Suzuki
English version sourced from Bodhi Fansubs, translated by D.T. Suzuki
法师讲解:36-1 展轉獲勝
Commentary: Advancing to perfection progressively
There are such concepts of the Eight Obstacles and Ten Fulfilments in Buddhism. To explain the Chinese context, the character “xia” means free time, and “without xia” represents obstacles against Buddhism learning. On the contrary, the Ten Fulfilments denote favorable conditions needed for Buddhism learning.
佛法中有八无暇十圆满的概念。”暇”是空闲的意思,“无暇”指的是学佛的障碍,反过来说,十圆满就是有利学佛的条件。
The first four of the Eight Obstacles refer to being born in the paths of hell, hungry ghost, animal, and heaven. Sentient beings of the first three evil paths are unable to learn Buddhism because they either suffer too much or lack the intelligence for learning. As for heavenly beings, they live a life of indulgence all day, so they are not enthusiastic about cultivation either. However, human beings as an exception have a good balance of suffering and happiness in their life, which can provide momentum for cultivation.
所谓八无暇,前四个是指生在地狱、饿鬼、畜生及天道。前三恶道的众生不是在受苦,就是没有智慧,所以无法学佛。而天道的众生终日沉醉于享乐,也不会热衷修行,唯独人道苦乐参半,有修行的动力。
The fifth obstacle is being born in the Buddhist bare land. For example, in Africa basically one can hardly come into contact with Buddhism. Europe and America, as another example, is a world where religion is dominated by Christianity and Catholicism, so it is difficult for people there to accept Buddhism. On the contrary, we describe places where Buddhism flourishes, such as Asia, as the middle kingdom. The sixth obstacle is deviant views; it is difficult for people like atheists, heretics, and even some scientists to accept Buddhism. The seventh obstacle is being born in a time when there is no Buddhism; after the emergence of Buddha Sakyamuni, his Dharma will go through the period of True Dharma, the period of Semblance Dharma and finally the period of Degenerate Dharma, all adding up to roughly 10 thousand years at most after then Buddhism will be extinct. Those who were born before or after these periods had no opportunity to come across the Dharma. The eighth obstacle is disability, which refers to both physical and mental disabilities.
至于第五是生于没有佛法的边地,例如非洲,那里基本上是接触不到佛法的,又例如欧美都是基督教及天主教的天下,佛法在那里不容易被接受。反之佛法昌盛的地方, 例如亚洲,我们称之为中国。第六是邪见,例如一些无神论者、外道信徒、甚至一些科学家等,他们都难于接受佛法。第七是无佛出世,释迦牟尼佛出世后经过正法、像法、以及末法时代,最多约一万年便会衰亡,而生在这个时期前后的人都不会遇到佛法。第八是喑哑,即是身体不健全,以及智障。
讲解 | 释宏添 北京天开寺
By Bhiksu Hong Tian, Tiankai Temple