 |
■宣公上人
The Venerable Master Hua |
前 言
宣公上人說：「走到哪裡，哪裡就是學校。沒有一個地方不是學習的地方，沒有一個時候不是學習的時候。」人需要教育，就像魚需要水。人在天地間，宇宙是最大的總校，是法界的大學。它沒有固定的校址，每寸空間都是法界大學的分校；沒有一定的課表，每段時間都是實踐真理的機要；也沒有特定的教授，每個眾生、每件事物同時是老師，也是學生，互相修正，互相成就。教育是無始無終的，沒有開學，沒有假期，也沒有結業。
法界這所學校的必修課就是「學孝」－學習盡孝。一切教離不開孝；離了孝也就沒有教，天地間無量無邊的課，總起來就是這一門課；這一門課也就包含無量無邊的課。把這門課修學圓滿了，其他的課都會圓滿了。
萬佛聖城就是具體而微的法界大學，集教育界的大成－老人教育、幼童教育、少年教育、男界教育、女界教育、僧伽教育、居士教育。世法教育、佛法教育…數不完那麼多。因為沒有一個眾生不是它所關心的。所以，它辦的是義務的教育，是自性的教育，是躬行實踐的教育，是不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語的教育。正因為我們得著「孝」的根本，就不會再向枝末上白用功夫。
本刊自這個月起，推出教育專欄，喚醒廣大讀者的注意，在這危機重重、知見顛倒的時代中，向賢能有德，與世無爭，與人為善的人、物、事看齊，而保有一分純真的心，少許清淨的自性，學習在這大時代中堅持不同於流俗。儘管我們做得很不圓滿，但我們還要盡心盡力，流血流汗，希望與大眾共同耕種這片教育的福田，豐富它的角度，擴大它的範圍，關心世界上每個地方，集聚人人本有的智慧，一起莊嚴這個華藏道場、菩提聖地。也是盡上一份做子女的微薄孝心，如大海中的一滴，回報天地和眾生長遠以來義務養育我們的深恩厚德。
歡迎您投稿和批評與建議，只要契合教育宗旨，令人發菩提心的文字，不拘散文、詩篇、雜記、論述… 或圖畫。我們並無稿酬回報，就是以真心換真心，為教育的百年大業做不敢希望的希望，做不可努力的努力。 |
|
Foreword
The Venerable Master Hua says, "Wherever we go, that place is a school. There is no place that is not a place for learning; and there is no time that is not a time for learning." People need education like fish need water. People abide between the Heavens and the Earth, with the universe as the main campus and also the university of the Dharma Realm. Such a school has no fixed campus; every inch of space is Dharma Realm University's branch campus. There is no fixed curriculum. Every moment of time is an opportunity to put true principle into practice. Nor is anyone especially designated as a professor or instructor; every living being, every incident, every thing is simultaneously functioning as both a teacher and a student, who help each other improve and help each other succeed. Education is beginningless and endless: no starting date, nor holidays, nor graduation.
In the school of the Dharma Realm, the required course is filiality. All teachings cannot be apart from filiality. What departs from filiality cannot be considered teaching. When all of the infinite lessons to be learned in the universe are summed up, they do not go beyond this one lesson. This class also contains within it limitless and boundless lessons. If we perfect this lesson, all the other lessons will be perfected too.
The Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a miniature of this Dharma Realm University which encompasses the vast scope of education--for elders, education for young children, education for adolescents, education for men, education for women, education for Sangha members, education for laity; worldly education; and Buddhist education...too many kinds to be named--because there is not a single living being that this University is not concerned about. For that reason the educators at this University are volunteer. It is the education of one's own nature. Such education involves actual practice. Such education is involved with not fighting, no greed, no seeking, no selfishness, no pursuit of self-benefits, and no lying. Once we are based in filiality, we will no longer waste our efforts on superficial things.
Starting this month, the feature "Focus On Education" will be introduced, to direct readers' attention to people and events that exemplify worthiness, virtue, non-contention with the world, and practice of good deeds, at this time when the world is full of crises and deviant knowledge and views. We hope in this way to keep the mind pure and true, to preserve the purity of our own nature, and to learn to insist upon not going along with the mundane and vulgar. Although we have not done a very good job so far, we will try our best, sparing no sweat and blood, in a wish to cultivate this field of blessings of education with all people, approaching it from many angles, enlarging its scope, expanding our concern to reach throughout the world, combining everyone's original wisdom, so that together we adorn this Flower Treasury Way-Place, this holy land of Bodhi. In this way we can also perform a bit of our filial duty as children, even though it will be like a drop of water in the ocean. We also hope to repay the kindness of living being throughout the universe, who have long been providing us with volunteer education and nourishment.
Your contributions of articles, suggestions and criticism are welcome, as long as they relate to these principles of education and enable beings to bring forth the mind of Bodhi. You are welcome to contribute prose, poems, essays, discussions, drawings, photos... No remuneration will be given for contributions in any form. The only exchange will be a true heart for a true heart. We will hope against hope, and work for progress where no progress may be possible for the sake of the future of education. |
