大願續命 林鈺堂 簡繁轉換 - 繁體

生死邊際欲續命,業障深重憑何求?
發願盡力護菩提,法燈常明照前程。

佛友罹癌,雖蒙佛佑而得以安渡多次化療,奈何癌細胞再起。於此生死關頭,若只為自身求續命,孰知業障能否及時消解?因此勸彼當發廣大願心,求佛賜更多時間,以便精進修行,並且隨緣盡力接引他人學佛。如此求續命,則不復只是個業問題,而與全法界法燈之續明有關。因此較易感得全法界之助緣,而得以延伸此生之期限。

事實上,人人皆隨時處於生死之間,而少有此種醒悟。欲求延年,莫過於發菩提大願,而獻身於佛法之修持及弘傳。


                     二○○○年八月十七日
                     養和齋    於加州


Extending Life through Great Vows Yutang Lin

Bordering death, desperate to extend life,
How could heavy karma be compensated for?
Vowing to work toward Bodhi for all beings,
Thereby shining Dharma lamp for a future bright.

Comment:

A Buddhist friend is suffering from cancer. Even though through Buddha's blessings he has safely gone through chemotherapy several times, the cancer cells reappeared. At this juncture of life and death, if one prays only for the extension of personal life, how could it be ensured that the karmic debt would be compensated for in time? Therefore, I urged him to make a great vow toward the Bodhi path, asking Buddha for more time so as to be able to go further into practices, and to help others engage in Buddhist practices as much as one could. Praying for extension of life in this way renders it no longer a personal matter, but a matter related to the continuation of the Dharma lamp in the Dharmadhatu. Consequently, it would become easier to get help from all sources and thereby extend the duration of this life.

In fact, everyone is constantly walking the fine line between life and death, yet few have awakened to this reality. In order to extend life span, there is no better way than to develop great Bodhi vows and then to devote the rest of life accordingly to Dharma practices and propagation.

Written in Chinese on August 17, 2000
Translated on August 18, 2000
El Cerrito, California


[Home][Back to list][Extending Life through Great Vows]