第九章 結論
達摩祖師不辭遠涉，將佛法從印度傳來中國發揚光大；宣化上人也很早就發願要將佛法帶到歐美，引渡更多有緣人航向智慧的彼岸。所以上人在美國曾立下三大志願：
第一：視倫理道德教育為重點，提倡義務教育。
第二：期將佛經譯成各國文字，成立譯經學院。
第三：溝通南北傳佛教的融合，合大小乘為一。
辦教育是上人列為與弘法同等重要的目標，所以萬佛城學校所有學生都要會背《弟子規》及《三字經》，且上人可說是在西方第一位提倡「義務教育」的人，大力的徵求義務教師，以培養高尚的學術道德情操。至於要將佛經翻譯成世界各國的文字，是上人出家時就已發的願力，這可說是繼玄奘、鑑真兩位大師後，第三位發願將佛經翻譯成世界各國文字的出家人。目前已譯出英文佛經超過一百三十本，還有法文、西班牙文、越南文及印尼文等，都在進行中。而南北傳的大小乘，上人也很努力地促其融合，上人說：
「無論南傳北傳都是為眾生發菩提心，了脫生死，離苦得樂。所以要溝通南北傳佛教，使團結合一，不要你做你的，我做我的，把佛教的力量都給分散了。
「誰在佛教中挑撥離間就不是一個佛教徒，不要說大乘小乘，連一乘也沒有！因為我們自私自利，損人利己，只懂得讚己謗他，這就是戰爭的起因。」
上人也曾經為了南北傳的分裂而自責說：「我也是佛教裡的罪人。為什麼？因為我沒有盡到我的責任，沒有成功地打破南北傳的隔閡。南北傳彼此排斥，各豎旗幟，僅在表面上用功夫，佛教怎能團結？」
後來聖城曾舉辦多次南北傳佛教的交流，創下西方佛教史上歷史性的一頁。
上人說他萬里迢迢地從亞洲一個人跑到美國來，匹馬單槍地深入這個外道的地方（完全沒有佛法的地方），就是為了將正法帶入西方。如今萬佛城已成為西方最重要的道場，此外還成立了許多分道場。上人帶領著萬佛聖城各方弟子，為弘揚正法並團結宗教界而努力，這條漫漫長路，上人正以無比堅忍的腳步走。上人的願力是所有的眾生要在他之前成佛，他要協助所有眾生，離苦得樂，找到真正的智慧、自在解脫。上人開示說：「我是一隻小螞蟻，甘願走在一切佛教徒的腳底下；我是一條道路，願所有的眾生走在我的身上，從凡夫直達佛地。」
「凡我弟子如墮地獄，我願以身相代。願見到我，或聽到我的聲音，乃至間接聞到我的名字的人，都趕快成佛。我願意在娑婆世界等待著，直到你們完全成佛。」
上人一生對佛學的貢獻同如虛空，豈是這篇文章所能道盡？他老人家已留給我們無數的法寶，今後我們要更精進修行，遵照六大宗旨去實行，才不至辜負上人一片苦心，並期上人早日乘願再來渡眾生。
全文完 |
|
Part Nine: Conclusion
Patriarch Bodhidharma, undaunted by the distance, took the Buddhadharma from India to China, where it later flourished. Venerable Master Hsuan Hua made a vow early on to carry the Dharma to Europe and America, where it could guide more people to sail toward the other shore of wisdom. When the Master was in America, he made three great vows:
1. To emphasize ethics and virtue in education, and to promote education as a volunteer effort.
2. To translate the Buddhist canon into every language, and to establish a Translation Institute.
3. To facilitate communication and unity between the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions; to unite the Great and Small Vehicles.
The Master considered education to be of equal importance with the propagation of Dharma. Students at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas have to memorize "The Rules for Being a Student" and the "Three Character Classic." The Venerable Master could be considered the first person to advocate volunteer education in the West. He actively sought out volunteer teachers in order to foster a lofty standard of both academic and ethical excellence. The Master made the vow to oversee the translation of the Buddhist canon into all languages at the time he left the home-life. He could be considered the third monk, after Dharma Masters Hsuan Tsang and Jianzhen, who has made this vow. Over 130 volumes of English translations of Buddhist texts have already been translated; translations into other languages such as French, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Indonesian are now in progress. The Master also put vigorous effort into uniting the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. He said,
The northern and the southern traditions both aim to help living beings make the Bodhi resolve, end birth and death, and leave suffering and attain bliss. Therefore, the northern and southern traditions of Buddhism should communicate among themselves and consider themselves one entity. It shouldn't be that you do your thing and I do mine, so that the strength of Buddhism gets all scattered.
Anyone who tries to cause dissension within Buddhism is not a Buddhist disciple. Don't speak of Great Vehicle and Small Vehicle; there isn't even a single vehicle! Our selfishness, our willingness to harm others and help ourselves, and our wanting to praise ourselves and slander others--these are the causes that lead to wars.
The Master once spoke in self-reproach of the division between the Mahayana and Theravada:
I too am guilty in Buddhism. Why? Because I haven't fulfilled my responsibility. I haven't succeeded in closing the gap between the northern and southern traditions. If the northern and southern traditions reject each other and each raises its flag and applies effort only on the surface of things, how can Buddhism ever be in unity?
Many exchanges between the Mahayana and Theravada traditions have taken place at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, opening a new page in the history of Western Buddhism.
The Master said that he came all alone from Asia, thousands of miles away, to America—this foreign land where there was no Buddhadharma whatsoever—in order to bring the Proper Dharma to the West. Today, the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas has become the major Way-place in the West, and various branches have been established. The Master led his disciples of various nationalities to propagate the Proper Dharma and to work to bring people of all religions into unity. The Master walked this long road with footsteps of incomparable steadfastness. The Master's wish is that all living beings will attain Buddhahood before he himself does. He wants to help all living beings leave suffering and attain bliss, regain their true wisdom, and obtain freedom and liberation. The Master said in a talk,
I'm just a little ant who wishes to crawl beneath the feet of all Buddhists. I'm a road, and I hope all living beings will travel on me and go from the stage of common people to the stage of Buddhas.
If any of my disciples fall into the hells, I wish to take their place. I vow that those who see me or hear my voice, or who merely hear of my name, will all quickly become Buddhas. I'm willing to stay in the Saha World and wait until all of you have become Buddhas.
The Master's lifelong contributions to Buddhism are like empty space; how could this article fully describe them all? He has left behind countless Dharma treasures for us, so we must all vigorously cultivate from now on, following the Six Great Principles. Only then can we repay the Master's efforts and hope that the Master will soon return, following his vows, to save living beings.
End of article |
