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午夜，手捧一盏清茶，独享寒夜的清幽，收拾着连日来因各种事务缠绕而变得琳琅的心情。
It’s midnight. Sitting alone with a cup of tea in my hand, I came to enjoy the silent beauty of the chilly evening; my mind that has been troubled by many trivial affairs during the past few days gradually settled down.
身边，大成就者夏噶措智让珠所著的《大悲书函》无声无息地吸引着我的视线，就着幽幽的灯光，顾不得阵阵袭来的倦意，我再一次翻开了这本让我刻骨铭心的书函。很快，纷乱的思绪又被书中情真意切的教诫所打动，我再一次全身心地沉浸于劝戒杀戮、力奉食素的章节中。
The book Letters on Great Compassion by the renowned master Shagyatso Zhirangzhu sat silently near me, calling for my attention. Despite my surging physical tiredness, I reached out and started reading in the dim light this book that had once struck me deeply. Soon my ruffled mind was soothed and heartened by the earnest advice; I immersed myself once again in the chapters that admonish killing and advocate vegetarianism.
合上书本，任思绪信马由缰地驰骋：动物，历来是人类最亲近的伙伴，波光潋滟的清潭，苍翠碧绿的草原，静谧深幽的森林，处处是它们栖身的温馨家园。它们世世代代在大自然的恩赐中繁衍生息，欣欣向荣的动物家族与天地浑然一体，组成了一幅安详悠然、其乐融融的壮丽风景。
Closing the book, I let my mind run free: Beings in the animal kingdom have been humans’ closest companions. The lakes with sparkling ripples, the lush emerald pastures, and the deep forests are their abode, their sweet homes. Generation after generation, animals live in various niches provided by Nature; they have flourished and blended well with heaven and earth, presenting a picture of an easygoing and pleasant world.
然而，这份宁静却时常被凶残的人类所抢夺。虽然手无寸铁、势单力薄的动物热切地盼望着能与人类和睦相处，但这只不过是它们一厢情愿。在面对人类的一次次无情之后，它们心中的希望，如同肥皂泡一般彻底化为乌有。
Yet this peacefulness is often robbed by humans. The animals, possessing neither weapons nor mighty strength, may have wished eagerly to live harmoniously with humans. However, such a wish is thoroughly crashed like a bubble by the onslaught of humans’ ruthless behavior.
血肉被吞噬，子女被宰割，惨遭杀戮的凄凉情节历历在目，昔日的温馨家园也因鲜血的横流、白骨的堆积而变得满目疮痍。不可抗拒的灾难随时可能降临，和谐亮丽的风景也因为恐怖愁云的遮障而即将堕于黑暗。杀戮之行，也是诱发饥馑、瘟疫、战争的缘由……。
The bleak atrocity inflicted by humans on animals has been playing out shockingly—their flesh and blood devoured, their young ones butchered. With crimson blood splattered and carcasses littered around, the animals’ old sweet homeland has turned into a scene of utter desolation. Inevitable disaster can happen at any moment, the beautiful landscape, enshroud by fear and misery, soon will fall into darkness. At the same time, the act of the humans’ irresponsible killing constitutes the main cause of world disasters such as famine, epidemics, and wars….
想着想着，心不由得为之而开始震颤！在震颤之余，不仅反问自己：难道，我也要因啖食血肉的行为，而甘愿成为屠杀生灵大军的其中一员，或者成为他们的帮凶吗？我反复地责问自己，心也因此而紧缩起来。
Contemplating on and on, my heart could not but begin to tremble. Shaken, I asked myself, must I, through my eating of meat, become a willing accomplice to those who kill living beings? I scolded myself again and again and I felt the pit of my stomach tighten.
由于从小的生活环境，使我养成了比较坚固的吃肉习惯。接受佛法的熏陶后，虽然有过多次短暂吃素的历史，但终因各种因素而未得持续。吃素的情结虽然掩藏已久，却一直难以攻占吃肉恶习占据的那片城堡。
Influenced by the way I was brought up, I have been quite habituated to meat eating. After entering Buddhism, I tried to abstain from meat a number of times, but those attempts were aborted due to various reasons. Even as the wish to become a vegetarian has always been deep in my heart, it has not been powerful enough to crack the castle occupied by the bad habit of meat eating.
最近，针对自己久积的陋习，再次重温先辈大德关于戒杀茹素的教诲，惭愧之心犹如一根无形的鞭子，一阵阵地抽打着我那颗坚硬的心，慈悲的烈焰也开始在胸中灼灼燃烧。强劲的动力，终于使我蛰伏已久的情绪开始萌动，使我再也无法随意吞嚼父母血肉而无动于衷。
To counter my old unscrupulous habit, recently I reviewed the teachings from former excellent beings on vegetarianism and on prohibitions of taking life. My growing repentance, like an invisible whip, lashed on my recalcitrant mind again and again, and the fire of compassion finally began to flare up in my heart. Pushed by a strong reserve, my dormant wish started to wake up and grow; I can no longer remain indifferent and partake without restraint the flesh of my previous parents.
我决定从今天起，用吃素一年作为行动的起点，并以专门的章节，将戒杀吃素作为主题，进行更深层次的思考。以提醒自己以及周遭的人们，早日能以慈悲之风驱除心中的暴戾之气，将绵延已久的对其他生命进行杀戮、暴虐的行径，消融在慈悲的融融春意之中。
I made up my mind that from today on, I will refrain from eating meat for a year and, in order to remind myself and others around me, I’ll reflect deeply and write articles on vegetarianism and life-saving. May the breeze of love blow away hostilities in our hearts; may the warmth of compassion disband the age-old harsh act of taking others’ lives.
在《涅槃经》、《楞伽经》等大乘经典，以及莲池大师、印光大师等高僧大德的众多论著中有关杀生食肉的无尽过患，救助生命的无量功德之类的种种言说，早已使我们耳熟能详。弘一法师也曾为此痛下针砭：“是亦众生，与我体同，应起悲心，怜彼昏蒙。普劝世人，放生戒杀，不食其肉，乃谓爱物。”
In the Paranirvana Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra, and other Mahayana scriptures, as well as in the teachings of eminent beings like Masters Lien Zi and Ying Kuang, there are ample citations of the immense merit of saving lives and the grave fault of meat eating. Master Hong Yi has specifically pointed out:
Animals are no different from us
They are also living beings, only with duller minds.
We should instead be compassionate toward them.
I ask all of us to stop killing and to save animals’ lives
Refraining from eating their flesh, this is called loving all beings.
慈悲，本应该是人类亘古不变的主题。但是，许多像我一样心如顽石的佛教徒，在面对如山的慈悲教言时，却仍然毫不动容。为了满足自己的口腹之欲，仍不惜以其他生灵失去生命的痛苦作为代价。更可恨的是，一些别有用心的人甚至以修习密宗为幌子，肆无忌惮地大开杀戒、茹肉饮血。作为一名真正的修行人，我们应当扪心自问：在曾为父母的动物血肉面前的麻木不仁，是否真是证得等净无二境界的标志？
Love and compassion should be the timeless tradition of humans. But many obstinate Buddhists, myself included, still remain untouched even as they face volumes of teaching on compassion. Meat eaters satisfy their own palates at the cost of other beings’ lives and sufferings. What made it worse is that some people with ulterior motives brazenly engage in sacrificing animals and enjoy their flesh and blood, while proclaiming to practice the secret Mantrayana. As genuine spiritual practitioners, shouldn’t we ask ourselves: All animals have been our parents previously, if we remain numb when having food made from their flesh and blood, are we claiming that we have already realized the primordial unity of lucidity and emptiness?
遥望苍天，直面银汉，斗转星移，草木荣枯。人类文明的进程已跨入一个飞跃的时代，我们怎么能再回到那温情匮乏的蛮荒岁月呢？在西方已视素食为时尚的今天，相信不久的将来，戒杀茹素的风尚就会在全世界盛行。但愿佛法的春风，能早日遣除杀戮的阴霾，使朗朗悲日重新在人们心中冉冉升起，并放射出耀眼的光辉！
The distant sky dotted with the Milky Way and beyond reminds me of the coming and going of time and tide. Human civilization has made quantum leaps to new heights; how can we not outgrow the primitive living conditions of hunting and brutality? In the West today, vegetarianism is becoming a new movement, and I believe this trend will spread all over the world, together with a reduction of slaughtering animals. May the warm breeze of Buddhism soon dispel the dark cloud of taking lives, may the sun of compassion rise in the hearts of all beings and shine brilliantly!
壬午年十月初七
7th of October, Year of RenWu
2002年12月11日
December 11, 2002
午夜，手捧一盏清茶，独享寒夜的清幽，收拾着连日来因各种事务缠绕而变得琳琅的心情。
It’s midnight. Sitting alone with a cup of tea in my hand, I came to enjoy the silent beauty of the chilly evening; my mind that has been troubled by many trivial affairs during the past few days gradually settled down.
身边，大成就者夏噶措智让珠所著的《大悲书函》无声无息地吸引着我的视线，就着幽幽的灯光，顾不得阵阵袭来的倦意，我再一次翻开了这本让我刻骨铭心的书函。很快，纷乱的思绪又被书中情真意切的教诫所打动，我再一次全身心地沉浸于劝戒杀戮、力奉食素的章节中。
The book Letters on Great Compassion by the renowned master Shagyatso Zhirangzhu sat silently near me, calling for my attention. Despite my surging physical tiredness, I reached out and started reading in the dim light this book that had once struck me deeply. Soon my ruffled mind was soothed and heartened by the earnest advice; I immersed myself once again in the chapters that admonish killing and advocate vegetarianism.
合上书本，任思绪信马由缰地驰骋：动物，历来是人类最亲近的伙伴，波光潋滟的清潭，苍翠碧绿的草原，静谧深幽的森林，处处是它们栖身的温馨家园。它们世世代代在大自然的恩赐中繁衍生息，欣欣向荣的动物家族与天地浑然一体，组成了一幅安详悠然、其乐融融的壮丽风景。
Closing the book, I let my mind run free: Beings in the animal kingdom have been humans’ closest companions. The lakes with sparkling ripples, the lush emerald pastures, and the deep forests are their abode, their sweet homes. Generation after generation, animals live in various niches provided by Nature; they have flourished and blended well with heaven and earth, presenting a picture of an easygoing and pleasant world.
然而，这份宁静却时常被凶残的人类所抢夺。虽然手无寸铁、势单力薄的动物热切地盼望着能与人类和睦相处，但这只不过是它们一厢情愿。在面对人类的一次次无情之后，它们心中的希望，如同肥皂泡一般彻底化为乌有。
Yet this peacefulness is often robbed by humans. The animals, possessing neither weapons nor mighty strength, may have wished eagerly to live harmoniously with humans. However, such a wish is thoroughly crashed like a bubble by the onslaught of humans’ ruthless behavior.
血肉被吞噬，子女被宰割，惨遭杀戮的凄凉情节历历在目，昔日的温馨家园也因鲜血的横流、白骨的堆积而变得满目疮痍。不可抗拒的灾难随时可能降临，和谐亮丽的风景也因为恐怖愁云的遮障而即将堕于黑暗。杀戮之行，也是诱发饥馑、瘟疫、战争的缘由……。
The bleak atrocity inflicted by humans on animals has been playing out shockingly—their flesh and blood devoured, their young ones butchered. With crimson blood splattered and carcasses littered around, the animals’ old sweet homeland has turned into a scene of utter desolation. Inevitable disaster can happen at any moment, the beautiful landscape, enshroud by fear and misery, soon will fall into darkness. At the same time, the act of the humans’ irresponsible killing constitutes the main cause of world disasters such as famine, epidemics, and wars….
想着想着，心不由得为之而开始震颤！在震颤之余，不仅反问自己：难道，我也要因啖食血肉的行为，而甘愿成为屠杀生灵大军的其中一员，或者成为他们的帮凶吗？我反复地责问自己，心也因此而紧缩起来。
Contemplating on and on, my heart could not but begin to tremble. Shaken, I asked myself, must I, through my eating of meat, become a willing accomplice to those who kill living beings? I scolded myself again and again and I felt the pit of my stomach tighten.
由于从小的生活环境，使我养成了比较坚固的吃肉习惯。接受佛法的熏陶后，虽然有过多次短暂吃素的历史，但终因各种因素而未得持续。吃素的情结虽然掩藏已久，却一直难以攻占吃肉恶习占据的那片城堡。
Influenced by the way I was brought up, I have been quite habituated to meat eating. After entering Buddhism, I tried to abstain from meat a number of times, but those attempts were aborted due to various reasons. Even as the wish to become a vegetarian has always been deep in my heart, it has not been powerful enough to crack the castle occupied by the bad habit of meat eating.
最近，针对自己久积的陋习，再次重温先辈大德关于戒杀茹素的教诲，惭愧之心犹如一根无形的鞭子，一阵阵地抽打着我那颗坚硬的心，慈悲的烈焰也开始在胸中灼灼燃烧。强劲的动力，终于使我蛰伏已久的情绪开始萌动，使我再也无法随意吞嚼父母血肉而无动于衷。
To counter my old unscrupulous habit, recently I reviewed the teachings from former excellent beings on vegetarianism and on prohibitions of taking life. My growing repentance, like an invisible whip, lashed on my recalcitrant mind again and again, and the fire of compassion finally began to flare up in my heart. Pushed by a strong reserve, my dormant wish started to wake up and grow; I can no longer remain indifferent and partake without restraint the flesh of my previous parents.
我决定从今天起，用吃素一年作为行动的起点，并以专门的章节，将戒杀吃素作为主题，进行更深层次的思考。以提醒自己以及周遭的人们，早日能以慈悲之风驱除心中的暴戾之气，将绵延已久的对其他生命进行杀戮、暴虐的行径，消融在慈悲的融融春意之中。
I made up my mind that from today on, I will refrain from eating meat for a year and, in order to remind myself and others around me, I’ll reflect deeply and write articles on vegetarianism and life-saving. May the breeze of love blow away hostilities in our hearts; may the warmth of compassion disband the age-old harsh act of taking others’ lives.
在《涅槃经》、《楞伽经》等大乘经典，以及莲池大师、印光大师等高僧大德的众多论著中有关杀生食肉的无尽过患，救助生命的无量功德之类的种种言说，早已使我们耳熟能详。弘一法师也曾为此痛下针砭：“是亦众生，与我体同，应起悲心，怜彼昏蒙。普劝世人，放生戒杀，不食其肉，乃谓爱物。”
In the Paranirvana Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra, and other Mahayana scriptures, as well as in the teachings of eminent beings like Masters Lien Zi and Ying Kuang, there are ample citations of the immense merit of saving lives and the grave fault of meat eating. Master Hong Yi has specifically pointed out:
Animals are no different from us
They are also living beings, only with duller minds.
We should instead be compassionate toward them.
I ask all of us to stop killing and to save animals’ lives
Refraining from eating their flesh, this is called loving all beings.
慈悲，本应该是人类亘古不变的主题。但是，许多像我一样心如顽石的佛教徒，在面对如山的慈悲教言时，却仍然毫不动容。为了满足自己的口腹之欲，仍不惜以其他生灵失去生命的痛苦作为代价。更可恨的是，一些别有用心的人甚至以修习密宗为幌子，肆无忌惮地大开杀戒、茹肉饮血。作为一名真正的修行人，我们应当扪心自问：在曾为父母的动物血肉面前的麻木不仁，是否真是证得等净无二境界的标志？
Love and compassion should be the timeless tradition of humans. But many obstinate Buddhists, myself included, still remain untouched even as they face volumes of teaching on compassion. Meat eaters satisfy their own palates at the cost of other beings’ lives and sufferings. What made it worse is that some people with ulterior motives brazenly engage in sacrificing animals and enjoy their flesh and blood, while proclaiming to practice the secret Mantrayana. As genuine spiritual practitioners, shouldn’t we ask ourselves: All animals have been our parents previously, if we remain numb when having food made from their flesh and blood, are we claiming that we have already realized the primordial unity of lucidity and emptiness?
遥望苍天，直面银汉，斗转星移，草木荣枯。人类文明的进程已跨入一个飞跃的时代，我们怎么能再回到那温情匮乏的蛮荒岁月呢？在西方已视素食为时尚的今天，相信不久的将来，戒杀茹素的风尚就会在全世界盛行。但愿佛法的春风，能早日遣除杀戮的阴霾，使朗朗悲日重新在人们心中冉冉升起，并放射出耀眼的光辉！
The distant sky dotted with the Milky Way and beyond reminds me of the coming and going of time and tide. Human civilization has made quantum leaps to new heights; how can we not outgrow the primitive living conditions of hunting and brutality? In the West today, vegetarianism is becoming a new movement, and I believe this trend will spread all over the world, together with a reduction of slaughtering animals. May the warm breeze of Buddhism soon dispel the dark cloud of taking lives, may the sun of compassion rise in the hearts of all beings and shine brilliantly!
壬午年十月初七
7th of October, Year of RenWu
2002年12月11日
December 11, 2002
