死时怎么办、死后怎么办？——为来世找寻方向

请为来世找寻方向

Ascertain the direction of your future life

现在有些人只看眼前，

Many people are concerned only with immediate daily issues.

根本不管死时怎么办、死后怎么办，

They hardly ever give any thought to the matter of what to do when dying and what happens after dying.

甚至一提起这个问题，马上就避开不谈，连面对的勇气都没有。

They evade any mention of this subject. How feeble-hearted they are!

无常的显现无处不在。

The show of impermanence is evident everywhere.

不说别的，看看我们的住处，小时候住的是什么房子？

Among other things, our dwelling place is a prime example. What kind of house did we live in when we were little?

读书时住在什么环境中？现在又住得怎么样？

What was the situation when we were in school? How about now?

未来会变成什么样？……

What is it going to be like in the future?

从很多方面来观察，就会了解到何为无常。

By examining impermanence from different angles, its significance will become apparent to us.

从前，一休把师父心爱的杯子打碎了。

There was a boy monk called Ikkyu who once broke his teacher’s favorite teacup.

他自知闯祸，不敢直接告诉师父，

Knowing he was in big trouble, Ikkyu dared not mention the accident outright.

于是等师父回来后，故意问：“什么东西可以生而不死？”

It was only after his master’s return that he asked, “Master, is there anything that will stay forever once it has come into existence?”

师父说：“一切事物有生就有死，哪有不死的？”

The master replied, “Everything that is born must die. Nothing is spared from death.”

一休从背后拿出杯子的碎片，说：“那您心爱的杯子死了。”

Ikkyu then drew the cup from around his back and showed him the shat­tered pieces, saying, “Then this means your favorite cup has died.”

结果师父也没法责骂他。

The master, with his words still ringing in the air, found it hard to reprimand him.

我们的生命也是如此，永远不可能生而不死，这是谁都逃脱不了的命运。

Our life is no exception; it is impossible to live forever. Such is the inescap­able fate for us all.

我们不但会死，而且还无法确定自己何时何地会死，死亡什么时候到来，谁也没有把握。

Not only will we certainly die, but also, we will never be certain when, where, or how our death will arrive. It’s anybody’s guess.

《地藏经》中说：“无常大鬼，不期而到。”

The Sutra of Bodhisat­tva Ksitigarbha’s Fundamental Vows says, “The Escort of the Underworld comes unexpectedly.”

死神从不与人约定时间，他往往出乎意料地降临，让我们一命呜呼。

The lord of death never cares to make an appointment. Death just drops in without warning and takes away our life force.

这样一说，没有修行经验的人，可能觉得危言耸听：“我现在身体好好的，怎么会死呢？”

To the ears of an unseasoned Buddhist practitioner, these statements may seem exaggerated: “I am in good health now, how can I die at any moment?”

但你有没有想过，假如地震来了，突然死亡也不是不可能的事。

However, a sudden death is not improbable if we contemplate a scenario such as an earthquake.

前不久就有个人在禅房里闭关，不知道什么原因，房子突然起火了，

Not too long ago a practitioner’s retreat hut caught fire suddenly without any obvious reason.

等大家发现时，她早就死在里面了。

By the time people noticed the fire, she had already died in the hut.

对她而言，当天肯定没想到“今天是我离开人间的日子”。

On that day, the thought that “today is the day I stop living” had definitely not occurred to her.

曾有一个对佛教半信半疑的人对我说：

A person who was dubious about the Buddhadharma said to me,

“要是每个人知道自己能活多少岁再死，提前做一些准备，那多好啊！

 “If we could know how many years we have left to live, we can make preparations in advance. Wouldn’t it be nice!

不然，什么时候死都不清楚，有时觉得特别可怕！”

It really gives me the shudders to think of the uncertainty of the day I’ll die!”、

世间人往往只看眼前，

Many people are concerned only with immediate daily issues.

根本不管死时怎么办、死后怎么办，

They hardly ever give any thought to the matter of what to do when dying and what hap­pens after dying.

甚至一提起这个问题，马上就避开不谈，连面对的勇气都没有。

Even at the mere mention of this subject, they would rath­er cast it aside. How feeble-hearted they are!

其实，对于死亡，一定不要回避，而应面对。

Really, we must confront death squarely, rather than dodging it.

当你自由自在地幸福活着时，请不要忘了，死亡的恐怖也许会突如其来；

While we are living a happy and carefree life, beware that the horror of death may strike at any moment.

当你为今生短短几十年而殚精竭虑时，请不要忘了，漫长的来世也需要你为它奠定方向。

While we strive for the comfort of a present life that lasts only a few decades, we should also pave the right path for future lives that last for millennia.

索达吉堪布《做，才是得到》

Khenpo Sodargye《Achieve by Doing 》

转载自：国际佛学网

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