观世音菩萨对他说：“关爱可怜人，比供养菩萨的功德更大” 【索达吉堪布】

来源龙称慈航事业          

看法决定活法

How you view your life determines how you live your life

如今人心有点浮躁，好多人都喜欢向外索求，自以为所追求的一切，肯定是快乐的源泉。

其实，你若静下来内观自心，有时候就会发现：你现在追求的东西，未必是真正需要的东西。

关爱可怜人，比供养菩萨的功德大

Helping the needy is more meritorious than making offerings to Bodhisattvas

“余事皆下品，唯有利众高。”

关爱十分可怜的人，有时候比供养佛菩萨更为殊胜。

“Benefiting sentient beings is the most supreme.

All other activities are inferior in comparison.”

纪晓岚在《阅微草堂笔记》中讲过一个故事：

Ji Xiaolan, a scholar of the Qing Dynasty, told a story in his Notes of Yuewei Cottage:

从前，有一位比丘尼，她在观世音菩萨的诞辰日买了很多很多供品。

Once upon a time, a nun brought abundant offerings and arranged them nicely on the shrine for Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara’s birthday.

当她摆设完供品之后，感到有些疲倦，便靠着供案暂歇片刻。

Afterward, she felt a little tired and dozed off by the offering table.

恍惚之间，梦见观世音菩萨对她说：“你不给我上供，我也饿不着。

Drifting off, she dreamt of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara who told her, “Even if you do not offer food to me, I won’t be hungry.

但寺外有四五个难民，快要饿死了，希望你把这些供品拿去给他们吃。

However, outside your monastery right now are a number of refugees on the verge of dying from starvation. Hurry out there and give them the food offerings.

救活他们的命，比给我上供的功德要大十倍！”

You’ll save their lives, which is ten times more meritorious than making offerings to me!”

比丘尼当下惊醒，打开寺门一看，果然有四五个面黄肌瘦的人，便忙将供品布施给他们。

Startled, the nun woke up. She opened the door of the monastery and, in­deed, there were four or five famished refugees. She immediately gave them the food offerings.

可见，关爱十分可怜的人，有时候比供养佛菩萨更为殊胜。

Therefore, helping pitiable individuals can surpass making offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

如今，不管是汉地、藏地，许多人对高僧大德的供养特别多，而对一些弃儿、病人、孤寡老人，却不一定愿意花钱去帮助。

These days, in both Tibet and the Han area, many people are very gener­ous in making offerings to great lamas and eminent monks but are reluctant to spare money for abandoned children, sick people, or neglected and lonely elders.

当然，假如你供养的是真正有菩提心、离贪欲的大德，肯定有很大功德。

Sure, authentic masters who possess genuine bodhichitta and have no trace of greediness are supreme fields of merit, and offerings made to them will garner vast benefit.

但一般而言，这些大德不一定很缺钱，锦上添花不太有必要，

However, such an offering could be icing on the cake for them, as eminent masters are generally not hard pressed for funds.

倒不如以慈悲心布施给可怜人，这个功德应该远远超过前者。

With a kind heart you may as well give things or money to poor people, which will reap far greater merit.

为什么呢？因为众生才是大乘菩提的根本。

Why is this? It is because bodhichitta in Mahayana is based on sentient be­ings.

大乘经典中说，菩萨的事情是什么？

The scripture states: What is a Bodhisattva’s career?

就是利益众生，除此之外，自己的事情是没有的，

It is solely to benefit sentient beings; other than that, nothing concerning oneself matters.

包括吃饭穿衣，也是为了利益众生而行。

Any ac­tivity, down to eating or dressing oneself, is done for the benefit of others.

当然，利益众生有两种途径：一是直接利益众生，如放生、讲法、布施；

Of course, some of our actions can help beings right away, such as saving their lives, teaching Dharma, or giving material goods to them.

一是间接利益众生，比如在修行时，将自己的功德回向给众生，此举虽没有直接利他，却能间接成为利他之因。

The beneficial effects of other actions, such as dedicating our merit to them, may not be as tangible or immediate, but will help them ultimately.

曾有人问我：“大乘佛教的价值观是什么？”

Once, I was asked, “What is the core value of Mahayana Buddhism?”

记得我当时是这样回答的：“一心唯求利他，就是它的价值观。”

I remember my answer: “To wish wholeheartedly to benefit others is its core value.”

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