學習《神愛世人》 （第三集） 2018/8/26 英國倫敦Excel展覽中心 檔名：21-786-0003_en
Learning ‘God Loves All’ (Episode 3) 26.08.2018 Exhibition Centre London No:21-786-0003_en
諸位法師、諸位同學，大家好。今天我們繼續來談談「神愛世人」。前面有一個報告還沒講完，今天我們繼續講。
Venerables, fellow students, my warmest greetings to you all. Today, we will continue to talk about ‘God loves all Beings’. We did not finish the report last time. So we will continue from there.
英國歷史哲學家湯恩比博士曾經說到，所有宗教的創始人都是那個時代偉大的社會教育家，一直到今天，我們還深受影響。由此可知，宗教教育深得人心。如果我們疏忽了，失去對宗教的信仰，那就是文明走向崩潰的時刻。
The British historian Arnold Toynbee once said that the founders of all religions were great social educators of their times. Up until now, we are all still deeply influenced by these religious teachings. It is hence clear that religious education is widely welcomed and supported by many. If we neglect it and totally lose our faith in religion, it is perhaps the beginning for human civilisations to collapse.
我們不斷的接觸宗教、認識經典，在這當中深深體會到，一切宗教的真神與聖哲都是一體的，他們所有的核心就是一個「愛」字，宗教教育就是愛的教育。它的核心，就是引導人們去把愛發揚光大，讓人們真正懂得，如何用一顆無私的心去愛他人、去愛一切生命、去愛整個宇宙。愛是自性、是真心第一德。
We have been in close contact with different religions and studying their sacred texts. During the process, we feel deeply that God, the true divinity, and sages of all religions are one. The core of all religious teachings is ‘love’. Religious education is the education of love. Its core is to guide us to promote ‘love’ and to truly understand how sincerely and unconditionally to love other people, love all living beings and love the whole universe. ‘Love’ is the first virtue of our self-nature, our true mind.
我們學習宗教，受經典的薰習，「上帝愛世人」就是宗教的核心。我遇到過不少人，問我，宗教是什麼？我告訴他，宗教就是愛，宗教是教育，宗教是愛的教育。如何學會把神愛世人這種大公無私的愛，放在我們自己心上，我們代表上帝去愛世人，上帝愛世人這就落實了；否則的話，上帝愛世人是一句空話。
We study religions and we are steadily learning the sacred texts. ‘God loves all beings’ is the core of all religions. I have met many people who asked me what religion is. I told them, ‘Religion is love. Religion is education. Religion is the education of love.’ So how do we keep God’s selfless love in our hearts? When we love all human beings on behalf of God, ‘God loves all beings’ is then put into practice. Otherwise, ‘God loves all beings’ is only empty words.
我們追問一句，上帝怎麼愛世人？這個理、事我們都要搞清楚、搞明白。上帝的愛，是大公無私的愛、是沒有條件的愛。為什麼？幾乎每個宗教都給我們講到眾神是一體的，往後我們學習每個宗教，在經文裡面就看到了，「眾神一體，宗教一家」。如果我們能夠契入這種認知、這個境界，那麼我們距離宗教的大團結就不遠了。宗教團結帶給人類真正的幸福，眾神歡喜。
We can then ask further, ‘How does God love all beings?’ In this regard, we need to be clear about the rationale and practice. God’s love is selfless and unconditional. Why is it? Almost every religion tells us that all divinities are one entity. When we study each religion in the future, we will find in sacred texts that ‘all divinities are one entity, and all religions are one family’. When we can attain this understanding and state of mind, we are not far from reaching a great religious cohesion among all faiths. Religious cohesion will bring real happiness to humanity, and all divinities will be pleased.
這種無私的大愛、真實的愛心，就是上帝的大愛、佛陀的慈悲，他們彼此是一不是二。他們其實，所有宗教經典裡面講的愛，是同一個愛。宗教的信徒，特別是神職人員，都能夠代表上帝去愛世人時，上帝的天堂就會降臨到這個地球上。我們確實都有責任，把上帝的天堂帶到這個苦難的人間。
This selfless, genuine and universal love is God’s love and the Buddha’s compassion. They are one, not two. In fact, the love mentioned in the sacred texts of all religions is the same. When religious followers, especially clergies, can love all human beings on behalf of God, God’s Heaven will come to Earth. All of us have indeed the responsibility of bringing God’s Heaven to this suffering world.
多年來我們團結宗教，我是在一九九八年、一九九九年在新加坡嘗試著做，做成功了，用了一年的時間。二ＯＯＯ年我移民到澳洲，在澳洲也做實驗，做成功了，時間長一些。新加坡一年做圓滿，澳洲我們用了比較長的時間，我記得好像是十三年，我們才做成功。現在這個社會，沒有好的榜樣，大家很難相信，最好是做出來，他看到了，親身體會到了，他才相信。怎麼做？人與人之間最重要的是接觸，如果不接觸就難了。
We have engaged in bringing religions together for many years. I attempted this effort in Singapore between 1998 and 1999 and it was successful. It took us one year. In 2000 I immigrated to Australia and tested there. It was also a success, but took us a little longer. It took us one year in Singapore to reach where we were. In Australia it took us longer, I think it took about 13 years. In today’s society it is hard for people to believe things without seeing good examples. So the best approach is to witness and experience religious cohesion personally How do we approach it? The most important thing between human beings is getting in touch with each other. Without closer contact, unity and cohesion is difficult to achieve.
我在澳洲圖文巴這個城市，怎麼樣跟大家交朋友？我初到澳洲的時候，買了個教堂，把教堂改成佛堂，除了把十字架換成阿彌陀佛之外，教堂絲毫沒有改變。沒想到得到當地人的歡喜，知道我們不破壞文化，我們要保留文化，他們在旁邊看。開幕這一天，我們邀請了街道上兩邊的鄰居，參加我們移民到圖文巴，建立一個佛堂歡喜的日子。晚上我們用晚宴、素食招待他們，給他們做報告，我們為什麼到這邊來。想做實驗，我們所理想的，「宗教是一家，眾神是一體」。
How did we make friends with the local people in Toowoomba? When I first arrived at Australia, I purchased a church and renovated it into a Buddhist hall. Except for replacing the cross with a statue of Amitabha Buddha, everything else in the church remained unchanged. Unexpectedly, the local people were very pleased with what we did because they could see that we wanted to preserve their culture. They were able to see what we have done. On the first day of opening the Buddhist hall, we invited neighbours on both sides of the street to join us and celebrate the happy day of opening the hall and our immigration to Toowoomba. In the evening we served them all a vegetarian dinner and reported to them why we immigrated to Toowoomba. We wanted to test on our ideal of ‘all religions are one family, and all divinities are one entity’.
晚宴散會的時候，有十幾個街坊來看我，我接見他們，他們提出問題：「法師，你辦這個活動我們很歡喜，能不能常常辦？」我非常歡喜，一個星期辦一次，他們都皆大歡喜。所以，我們在那裡團結大眾，用的是溫馨晚宴，每個禮拜六晚上舉行一次，大家歡歡喜喜在一塊聚餐、在一塊交流。他們對佛教不了解，很好奇，喜歡問，我們為他解答。一年一年過去，都沒有改變，一直到今天，還是星期六晚宴，溫馨晚宴。
Towards the end of the dinner, over ten neighbours came to see me and asked me a question, ‘Venerable, we really like the activity you organised. Could you please do it more often?’ I was very pleased with their suggestion and decided to hold the dinner once a week. They were all very happy. Therefore we organised friendship dinner to bring people together. Every Saturday evening we held a friendship dinner. People gathered together around the table and communicated with one another with ease and joy. They did not know what Buddhism was and they were curious. They liked asking us questions and we answered all questions. Year after year, we have not changed this arrangement. Up until today, Friendship Dinner is still running on every Saturday.
我們心目當中，就是佛陀的慈悲、上帝的大愛，突破了宗教的界限，宗教與宗教之間和睦相處。十三年，十幾個宗教團體，他們的領導、代表人來找我。告訴我，他們對我們在圖文巴這麼多年的貢獻非常感謝，我們願意團結起來，給其他的大眾做一個榜樣：宗教是可以團結的，宗教是可以變成一家人，相親相愛，互助合作；做到了，我看到很歡喜。
To us, things like friendship dinner are the expressions of the Buddha’s compassion and God’s love. It transcends religious boundaries and consequently harmony is present amongst different religious groups. Thirteen years later, leaders and representatives of over ten religious groups in Toowoomba visited me. They told me that they were very grateful to the contribution that we made in Toowoomba, and that they were willing to join us in unity and set a good example for the rest of the community, a message that says religions can work together and different religious groups can become a family, loving and caring for one another and cooperating with each other. We have done it and I am very pleased.
去年三月，巴黎聯合國教科文組織有九位大使，我們邀請他們到圖文巴來考察、來觀光，他們看到了，對於我們常常在一起交流、討論，希望宗教團結、希望宗教回歸教育。圖文巴看過之後，這個信心升起來，他們回來做了一份詳細報告，還附帶為我要了一個辦公室，就是我們今天活動這個場所，我起了個名字——「淨空之友社」。這是教科文組織長年的做團結宗教、做宗教教育，我們擔任了這一門。這正是我們的願望，是聯合國他們章程上的主要活動。
Last March, we invited nine UNESCO ambassadors to visit and inspect Toowoomba. They witnessed us frequently communicating and exchange ideas with different religious groups as well as our hope for religious cohesion and restoring religion as education. After their visit to Toowoomba, the ambassadors gained confidence. Upon their return to UNESCO, they delivered a detailed report and also applied for an office for me, which is where we are now. I named it ‘The Association of Chin Kung’s Friends’. We are here to take on the responsibility for helping UNESCO engage in long-term activities in terms of realizing religious cohesion and religious education. This is what we wish to contribute and it is now part of what UNESCO does.
這個學社成立了，使用這個攝影棚做我們的活動工具、做我們的教室，我這今天是第二天。由於身體比去年差很多，古人所講的年歲不饒人，去年有感覺、不嚴重，今年比去年嚴重很多。
The Association is now formally established and we use this recording studio as our tool and classroom. This is the second day of using it. My general health is worse off than last year. Just like said the old saying: ‘Time spares no man.’ Last year I could feel it to some degree. But this year I feel that age is truly catching up with me.
我講經六十年，有同學，這有心人，幫助我做整理，蒐集六十年講經的這些教材、筆記，很完整的一些資料，我自己看到都感到驚訝。過去年輕，身體不錯，有體力、有精神，一天可以講四個小時。當年講《華嚴經》，沒有感覺得到累，音聲宏亮。有不少的一部分，留著有錄影帶，錄影、錄像，我們講錄像，現在依然可以用。我讓同學們在這個裡面，選擇我們大家需要聽的、想聽的經，我這裡有現成的，可以用衛星或者是網路來傳播，提供初學同學們做參考。這些資料，聽過的人很多，依教修行的人也很多，確實帶給我們信解行證。
I have delivered Dharma lectures for over 60 years. Some thoughtful students have helped collect and compile various lecture materials and notes of Dharma talks given in these 60 years. The collection is fairly complete. I am very surprised at seeing them. When I was younger, in good health and energetic, I could regularly give four hours of lectures every day. When I delivered talks on ‘The Avatamsaka Sutra’, I never felt tired and my voice was loud and clear. Majority of my lectures and talks were recorded in audio and visual formats and they can still be used. I have requested fellow students to select the parts of talks that people needs and would want to listen to. These readily available recordings can be broadcasted via satellite or the Internet as a reference for beginners. Many people have listened to these recordings. Many of them also put what they have learned into practice. The recordings indeed help us believe, understand, practise and attain our goal.
信是信心，對佛法生起信心；解，是對於經典明白了、理解了；行，是依教修行，經典裡面所說的，我們完全接受過來，變成我們自己的思想、言行，甚至於對我們日常生活、我們從事的這些行業都有很大的幫助。所以，證明佛教是教育，我們將來把這個擴大，所有的宗教都是教育。
To believe is to gain confidence, to gain the confidence in Buddhism. To understand is to comprehend classical texts. To practise is to apply what we have learned and conduct our lives accordingly. What the scriptures stated, we turn these teachings into our thoughts, speech and actions. It will greatly benefit our daily lives and help us in different lines of work. Subsequently, it proves that Buddhism is education. When we expand it further, all religions are education.
教什麼？教倫理、教道德、教因果、教聖賢的智慧。這四門在今天教育疏忽了，學校教育，甚至於宗教教育，都很少講這四門功課，這四門功課非常重要，我們把它找回來。我們來做，希望由我們來牽頭；終極的目標，希望所有的宗教我們集合成一體，我們確實認知，所有宗教的神聖都是一個真神的化身。換句話說，所有宗教的神聖是一個真神，「眾神一體，宗教一家」。宗教可以復興，西方的社會可以恢復秩序，社會安定和諧；東方恢復儒釋道的教學，中國傳統的教育。
So what does this education teach? It teaches us ethics, morality, causality and sages’ wisdom. The four subjects are neglected in the education system today. School education, even some religious teachings, hardly mentions these four subjects. But they are very important and we must bring them back. We will take the lead and do it first. Our ultimate goal is to bring all religions on board and act as one. We do recognise that divinities of all religions are different manifestations of one true God. In other words, the divinities and sages of all religions are one and ‘all divinities are one entity, and all religions are one family’. Religion can be revived, social order in the West can be restored, and society will gain stability and harmony. The East must revive the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism as well as China’s traditional education.
在今天，無論是中國、外國，我們細心去觀察，具足倫理、道德、因果，中國有。其他的有沒有？有，我們在各個宗教經典裡面看到，不是沒有；沒有人講、沒有人提倡、沒有人落實，所以沒辦法傳出來。我們今天明白了、認識了，從「神愛世人」這裡做起。我們要把所有宗教經典裡面，所講的「神愛世人」、所講的「眾神一體」、所說的「宗教一家」，從我們身上做出來給大家看。用這個方法恢復西方的宗教教育、恢復中國傳統的教育，來幫助社會、幫助地球化解衝突、促進安定和諧。這是我們淨空之友社要做的事業。
In the world today whether it is in China or any other country, when we observe carefully, there are teachings of ethics, morality and causality everywhere. These teachings can be found in every country in the world. We have seen them in the sacred texts of all religions. The problem today is that no one talks about them, no one advocates them, and no one practises them. It is why it is difficult to pass them on to more people. Today, we have gained a clear understanding that we should start from ‘God loves all beings’. We should start from ourselves and practise what is written in the sacred texts, ‘God loves all beings’, ‘all divinities are one entity’, ‘all religions are one family’. We should use this approach to restore religious education in the West and traditional education in China, and subsequently help resolve conflicts on Earth and facilitate social stability and harmony. This is what we need to do at the Association here in UNESCO.
今天時間到了，我們就講到此地。祝福大家，身心健康，法喜充滿！
Well, time is up. This is it for today. May you all enjoy healthy mind and body, and be filled with Dharma happiness!