痴爱缠绵成草木----宣化上人开示（中英双语版）

痴爱缠绵成草木

BoundbyInfatuation,TheyTurnedintoTrees

天下最害人就是“爱重情深”，最高尚就是“修清净道”。

Thethingthatharmspeoplemostintheworldisdeeploveandheavyemotion,andthemostexaltedthingiscultivatingthewayofpurity.

大家看看这块木头，两棵树干，却长在一起，上下枝节连着，这是什么呢？就是无量劫以前，有一对男女，彼此相爱得很深。他们发愿：“在天愿作比翼鸟，在地愿为连理枝。”这对男女一见钟情，结为夫妇。他们共同有一个嗜好，就是“钱”！男的拼命赚钱，女的拼命花钱。一个来，一个往，非常热闹。

Takealookatthispieceofwood:twotreetrunkswhichhavegrowntogether.Theupperandlowerpartsarestucktogether.Whatisthereasonforthis?Countlesseonsago,therewasamanandawomanwhowereverymuchinlove.Togethertheymadethesevows,Inheavenmaywebeliketwobirdstiedtogethertothesamewing,andonearthmayourrootsintertwine.Forthismanandwoman,itwasloveatfirstsight,andtheygotmarried.Theyhadthesamehobby:money.Themandidwhateverhecouldtoearnthemoney,andthewomandidherbesttospendit,andtheybusiedthemselveswiththegameofmakingmoneyandspendingit.

可是，爱得太深，罪造得太重，生生辗转沈溺，堕落到畜生、饿鬼、地狱道。今已成草木，这两棵树干本来应是两棵，可是依然长在一起，缠绵不相舍离。你看！左根伸出一枝来交抱右根，右根又伸出一枝来拥揽左根。这就如同男女各自伸出胳臂，互相交抱。可见夙世痴爱之劣习，至今形成草木，犹不能舍！并且这两干之中，有一块石头。他们视若珍宝，究竟这是什么呢？原来是他们往昔银行存款的簿子。

Buttheyweresomuchinlove,andtheoffensestheycreatedweresoserious,thatinlifeafterlifetheysanklowerandlower,fallingintotherealmoftheanimals,thenintotherealmofthehungryghosts,andthenintothehells.Nowtheyhavealreadyturnedintoplants.Thispieceofwoodwasoriginallytwoseparatetreetrunks,buttheyhavegrowntogetherandbecomehopelesslyintertwined.Yousee?Thelefttrunkisstretchingoutabranchtoembracetherighttrunk,andtherighttrunkisextendingabranchtograsptheleftone.Itsjustlikeamanandwomanholdingouttheirarmsandhuggingeachother.Fromthis,onecanseethatevenintheformoftrees,theycannotrenouncethehabitofinfatuationcarriedoverfromtheirformerlives!Inaddition,thereisalittlestonelodgedbetweenthetwotrunks,andtheycherishitasapreciousgem.Whatisit?Itstheirbankaccountbookfrompastlives!

这棵树干，早在几年前，某次我们到城内河边说法，就把它捡回来，你看：头也割断了，根也被刨破了，只露出赤裸枯槁的枝干，但仍然如胶似漆地纠缠在一起，这不是太可怜了吗？

Onedayseveralyearsago,wewenttospeaktheDharmabythecreekintheCity,andwefoundthispieceofwood.Lookatit:thetopofthesetreetrunkshavebeenchoppedoffandtherootshavealsobeensevered.Onlytheexposed,driedupbranchesareleft,andyettheyarestillstucktogetherlikeglue.Wouldntyousaythisispitiful?

由此可见，爱得太深，是多么地危险，这绝对不是开玩笑的。有人心想：“法师，你说这个法，我是不可能相信的，既没有根据，又不合乎逻辑，大概是你哄孩子，说梦话。”信不信由你，我也没有办法一定要你相信。因为这个法是很难说的。人迷恋到爱情上，不论你如何点醒他，他还是不能接受。天下最害人就是爱重情深，最高尚就是修清净道。人不是不知，但明知故犯，而不能出离旷劫之习气。

Thisshowshowdangerousitistolovetoodeeply.Itsnotallfunandgames.Someonemightbethinking,DharmaMaster,IsimplycannotbelievetheDharmayouspeak.Youhavenoprooftobackitup,andtheresnologicbehindit.Probablyyourejustputtingusonasifwewerechildren.Itsjustdreamtalk.Whetheryoubelieveornotisuptoyou,becauseIhavenowaytomakeyoubelieveit.ThisDharmaisverydifficulttospeak.Whenpeopleareconfusedbylove,nomatterhowyoutrytowakethemup,theycannotacceptit.Thethingthatharmspeoplemostintheworldisdeeploveandheavyemotion,andthemostexaltedthingiscultivatingthewayofpurity.Itsnotthatpeopledontknowthis.Theyknowit,yetdeliberatelygoagainstit,unabletoextricatethemselvesfromhabitsaccumulatedthroughoutcountlesseons.

中国有句俗话：“手拿着干屎橛，你给他麻花他不换。”这好比人揽执情爱，你告诉他：“舍弃这个邋遢东西，修道可贵。”可是他仍会固执不肯回头，所以说：

天雨虽宽，难润无根之草；

佛门虽广，难度不信之人。

TheresaChineseproverb:Heholdsontoapieceofdung;andifyoutrytogivehimadeliciousdoughnut,hewontrelinquishthedungforthedoughnut.Thatslikeapersonwhohangsontightlytohislove.Youtellhim,Throwawaythatdirtything.Cultivationisworthalotmore!Butheobstinatelyholdsonandrefusestoturnaround.Soitssaid,

Althoughtherainfromtheheavensisvast,

Itsdifficulttonourishgrassthathasnoroots.

AlthoughthegateofBuddhismiswide,

Itsdifficulttosavepeoplewhohavenofaith.

这块木头，我保存很久，多数人来我也不让他们看，因为说这个法他们也不相信，还要等待时机成熟。十月二十四日，诸位从远方来朝圣，我把这块木头带到万佛殿，搁了差不多三个星期犹未开口，可是若再不讲恐怕就没有时间了，所以不管诸位相信与否？我也要说出这块木头的因缘。

Ihavekeptthispieceofwoodforalongtime,andIdontshowittomostpeople,becauseifIspokethisdharma,theywouldntbelieveit.Ihadtowaituntilthetimeandconditionswereripe.OnOctober24,whenallofyoucamefromafartovisit,IbroughtthispieceofwoodtotheBuddha-hall,butdidnttalkaboutitforaboutthreeweeks.IfIdidnttellyoutoday,maybetherewouldntbeanymoretime.SoIdontcarewhetheryoubelieveornot;Ihaveexplainedtoyouthecausesandconditionsbehindthispieceofwood.

一九八二年十一月十二日晚间开示于

万佛圣城

AtalkgivenontheeveningofNovember12,1982,

attheCityofTenThousandBuddhas