清明：死是最大的苦，如何擺脫這種恐懼？

佛學 04-05

死是大苦，請佛來幫你解脫

Only the Dharma is useful at the time of death

假如你學了佛法，擁有修行的境界，一旦死亡降臨，便會憶念起佛法的臨終竅訣，依此把握住機會，則很容易獲得解脫。

If you have studied the Buddhadharma and have acquired some ability through your practice,then, once death approaches, you will recall the pith instruction for the dying moment.Seizing the opportunity to practice it, you』ll achieve liberation with ease.

我曾看過一篇文章，是一名在校研究生寫的。

I once read an article written by a graduate student.

他說自己本是個樂觀主義者，後來突然想到死亡問題，覺得自己死後就會永遠消失，現在所擁有的快樂也會煙消雲散，因而感到極為恐怖，整日萎靡不振。

He says he used to be an optimist, but one day the issue of death occurred to him.He realizes that after he dies he will disappear completely, and none of the happiness he has enjoyed will remain.He is terrified and feels downcast all the time.

同時，他一想起爺爺、奶奶、爸爸、媽媽，覺得他們遲早都會死，誰也無法超越這個規律。想到這些就很難過，但又無法停止這種念頭，於是他到處詢問：「在這個世界上，誰能幫我消除這種憂慮？」

Furthermore, he sees that his grandma, grandpa, father and mother will also die sooner or later;no one is above this inescapable rule.Such a prospect makes him extremely sad, but he can』t stop thinking about it.Thus, he has been asking around, 「In this world, who can help me dispel my worries?」

我倒是很想告訴他：「如果你學了佛法，就會明白人死後心識是不滅的，它依然會跟隨你的善惡業報，不斷流轉於輪迴中。」

I want to tell him, 「If you have studied the Buddhadharma, you』ll know that when a person dies, the consciousness is not extinguished;it will continue to take rebirth countless times according to one』s good or bad karma.」

當然，他也算是不錯了，至少有勇氣正視死亡，不像許多人一樣諱疾忌醫，提起「死」馬上就轉移話題。但遺憾的是，由於他沒有接觸過佛法，一旦真正面對死亡，仍然無力擺脫這種怖畏。

In a way, this student is commendable—at least he has the courage to think about death.Many others, on the other hand, refuse to face this harsh reality and will quickly change the subject when hearing anything related to it.But regrettably, this student has not encountered the Dharma and is powerless to rid himself of his fears.

人到了臨終之時，躺在病床上不能起身，見到美食無動於衷，面對美色視若無睹，甚至聽別人開玩笑也毫無反應，即使親友團團圍繞，也不能延緩自己的死期，此時的痛苦，唯有自己一人感受。

When a person approaches his final moment, he cannot get up from his sickbed;no delicacies will whet his appetite;no attractive women can draw his attention, nor can he appreciate any tales that others may tell.Even if his friends and relatives crowd around him, the time of his departure cannot be postponed;he must endure the suffering all by himself.

這時候不要說一般人，就算是擁有幾千弟子的上師，或幾億子民的國家元首，在離開世間時，也是獨自感受死亡之苦，他人根本不可能代受。

Everyone—even a high master with thousands of disciples,or the head of state with hundreds of millions of subjects—has to go through the dying pro-cess all alone It is an experience that absolutely no one else can take over for you.

誠如《無量壽經》所言：「人在世間，愛欲之中，獨生獨死，獨去獨來。」不要說生死，就算是生病，別人想幫，也幫不上忙。

This situation is aptly described in the Large Sutra of Buddha Amitabha, 「Living in this world, human beings are forever entangled in love and desire.Alone they go through life and death, and alone they drift, hither and thither.」Not just at the moment of death, even at the time of illness others are just as helpless, despite their good intentions.

以前我在醫院看到一些領導，他們條件很不錯，住院時有許多豪華的轎車來送，可是一旦入了醫院，只剩一些親屬幫他拿行李、拎包、背電腦，除此之外，誰也沒辦法代他受苦。

Once when I was in the hospital, I saw a well-off official who was chauffeured to the hospital in a limousine.But once hospitalized, his retinues could only help bring in his bags, belongings and laptop computers.They could not take away his horrible suffering.

生病尚且如此，死的時候更是這樣了。縱然你擁有無法估量的財產、眷屬，也不能帶走一分一文、一人一仆，雖然對此難以割捨，但這些不可能隨身而行。

Such is the condition of being ill, to say nothing of dying.You may have limitless wealth and countless subordinates, but you can』t bring anything with you: not a single penny, a dime, another individual or a servant.It』s heart wrenching for you to leave all of them behind, but you have no other choice.

尤其是罪孽深重的人，在彌留之際，憶起以前所造的罪業，此時一定害怕墮落惡趣。回想自己自由自在時，沒有修持對臨終有利的正法，真是追悔莫及，禁不住手抓胸口，在留下深深的指印後完結了一生。

When a wicked person dies, he is overtaken by tremendous fears when he recalls all his misdeeds.Intense remorse fills his heart as he realizes that he has missed his golden opportunity to practice the Dharma, the only thing that would have been helpful at the moment of death.Facing the imminent prospect of being reborn in the lower realms, he cannot but clutch his chest, covering it with fingernail scratches while his life ends.

曾經我在藏地就見過這樣的人，他生前特別喜歡打獵，殺過的野獸不計其數。他在臨死時恐懼異常，還沒有咽氣前，就看見很多鹿子、獐子來追他，口裡不斷地喊著：「我殺過多少多少動物，它們正在向我索命……」

In Tibet, I』ve been at the deathbed of someone who used to enjoy hunting sprees and had killed many animals.On the brink of death, this person saw many antelopes and musk-deer chasing after him.Frightened, he cried out in terror, 「Oh no, I have killed this animal and that animal; now they are all seek-ing vengeance and snatching my life away!」

我們在旁邊聽到這些，都覺得膽戰心驚。

Witnessing such a scene beside his bed, we were all struck with horror for him.