《靜思晨語。法譬如水》509. 不受善法光明少

By Rejecting Good Practices Our Light Is Dimmed

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人生都是苦，佛陀轉法輪，首先就是提醒大家要知道：「人生是苦。」那最大的劇苦都是以「地獄」來比喻；因為我們人生長夜冥冥，受苦時長。

Life is full of suffering. When Buddha began teaching, the first thing He reminded everyone of was that life is full of suffering. The most intense suffering is comparable to Hell. Life can seem to be a long, dark night in which we suffer for a long time.

「不識光明不受善法」，所以因為這樣，才會受很多的苦難。長夜冥冥，冥就是很暗，這種的冥途－－就是黑暗的道路－－何去何從？這在我們的人生，多數不就是這樣嗎？

We endure a lot of suffering if we do not recognize the light or if we reject good practices. It will feel like a long, dark and murky night. One a dark journey, we do not know where we come from or where we are headed. Doesn't this is happen often in our lives?

常常若說：「我的心很苦，不知要走向哪個方向去？什麼人能夠來為我指一條路？指一條明路讓我走、光明的道路？」哪怕是有人為你指引，但是自己的內心，還是一樣很茫然，還是不知道如何去面對光明；他的心結解不開，心門就打不開，所以永遠都沉迷在心獄中。

People often say, "My heart is in pain. I do not know which direction to take. Who can point out a clear path for me to follow?" Even it someone can guide us to a bright path, our minds may still be lost. We still do not know how to face the light. If we cannot unravel our mental entanglements, if we cannot open our hearts, we will remain in a mental hell forever.

苦不苦？苦！很苦！如何苦呢？「我像是在地獄中一樣的苦。」所以人生若有遭遇，遭遇到那個最劇苦難堪的時候，就是以地獄來比喻。

Isn't that painful? Yes, very painful. How is it painful? It is as painful as being in Hell. So in life, when we encounter intense and unbearable pain, we compare that to Hell.

「所以說地獄離我們不遠。」最近我一直就是這麼說過。

Thus we say Hell is not far away from us. Recently I have been saying this constantly.

我們在現在的人生，時時將我們的心靈，就是自己陷入泥沼；自己關閉在黑暗地獄中；自己用自己很多的煩惱，來懲罰我們自己…這全都是現在心靈的地獄。

In our present life, we always cause our minds to sink deeply into the mud pit. We shut ourselves in that dark hell. We punish ourselves with our many afflictions. This is our present mental hell.

我們過去已經是很多天都在說地獄，實在是很不忍心說。但是《水懺》這段文字，都是一直要讓大家知道，人生有這麼多的苦難。其實這是一種無形，自找來的苦。

In these last days I've been talking about Hells. Speaking about them is truly uncomfortable. But these passages in the Water Repentance let everyone know about the many forms of suffering in daily living. Actually, this is a formless, self-induced pain.

但是，其實我們的無明，暢一時的快樂，我們會去造下未來的地獄，地獄的形象，就是這麼多的苦難。

But in our ignorance, we create future Hells for the sake of a moment of happiness. In Hell, suffering appears in so many forms.

所以我們屆時在那個叫喚地獄，一直在呼叫冤枉，都一樣無人能夠理會你的苦；所看到的都是夜叉獄卒，沒有人會去聽到你在叫喚喊苦。沒有！那這就是我們要時時警惕。

Sometimes we are in the Hell of Great Wailing, where we cry, "I was wronged!" But no one will pay attention to our pain. All we see are the Yaksa wardens. No one will listen to our cries of pain. No one. Therefore, we must always be vigilant.

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懺悔大小鐵圍山間
長夜冥冥
不識三光罪報

We repent for the space between the great and small iron encircling mountains, where the long night is dark and we cannot see the Three Lights as retribution.

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接下來這段懺文這麼說－－「懺悔大小鐵圍山間，長夜冥冥，不識三光罪報。」

The repentance text continues on to say, "We repent for the space between the great and small iron encircling mountains, where the long night is dark and we cannot see the Three Lights as retribution."

這段懺文就這麼說出來，我們還要又再懺悔，有大小的鐵圍山，無論是很大的地獄，或者是小小的地獄，同樣他的形態就是長夜冥冥，永遠都不會天亮。

This passage spells this out. We still need to repent for the space between the great and small iron mountains. Whether it is a very big or very small hell, it will always have long, dark nights. Morning will never come.

黑暗的境界，那不識三光這種的罪報，永遠都沉淪在那個黑暗的地方，這種的地獄。這個鐵圍山很高，有四萬兩千由旬的高，若要以人間的公里數來計算，不知道要怎麼算？總之就是很高就對了。那個地方日月威光照不到，這就是山的高度遮蔽了日月。

In these dark conditions, we cannot see the Three Lights, so we are lost in darkness forever, that is our retribution. In this Hell, the iron mountains are 42,000 yojanas tall. I am not sure how to calculate it based on meters. In short, it is very tall. Sunlight and moonlight cannot reach that place. The tall mountains cover the sun and the moon.

日月的光明無法照耀到這個大小鐵圍山中來，所以在這裡面的人，那就是長夜茫茫了，真的無法何時去計日月，去計晝夜都沒辦法。

The light from the sun and moon cannot illuminate those within the great and small iron enclosures. So, those inside truly live in a long, dark night. It is impossible to measure the passage of time, to count the number of days and nights.

不只是日月的光照不到，哪怕是燈光，他也不知道什麼叫做燈光。進入到這個地獄中，他就不曾看到天，不曾看到月，不曾看到燈的光明，所以叫做長夜冥冥。苦啊，真苦！

Not only is there no light from sun or moon, even lamplight does not exist in that place. After one enters this Hell, one does not see daylight, or moonlight, or the light from lamps. That is a long, dark night. It is truly painful.

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懺悔阿波波地獄
阿婆婆地獄
阿吒吒地獄
阿羅羅地獄

We repent Hahava Hell, Huhuva Hell, Atata Hell, and Utpala Hell.

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又再下來就說還要懺悔－－「懺悔阿波波地獄，阿婆婆地獄，阿吒吒地獄，阿羅羅地獄。」

Next the text says we still need to repent. "We repent Hahava Hell, Huhuva Hell, Atata Hell, and Utpala Hell."

這些名稱是一個形容，形容受苦徹痛。這是一種從嘴唇，舌頭 喉嚨，喊出來的那個劇苦慘痛的聲音，有這四種。

The names of these Hells are descriptors. They describe deep and utter pain. These are the sounds of extreme pain screamed from the mouth, tongue, and throat. These are the four.

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如是八寒八熱
一切諸地獄中
復有八萬四千鬲子地獄
以為眷屬

These are the Eight Cold and Eight Hot Hells. There is also the Hell of 84,000 Caldrons, which become like family.

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那下面再說－－「如是八寒八熱，一切諸地獄中，復有八萬四千鬲子地獄，以為眷屬。」

Then the text says, "These are the Eight Cold and Eight Hot Hells. There is also the Hell of 84,000 Caldrons, which become like family."

「八寒八熱」的地獄，那就是很痛苦，它把熱鐵那樣溶化在那裡頭。我們之前說過，鐵牆鐵網等等…一層一層，去把他關在那裡面；下面還有燒熱的鐵的刀劍，在那裡面真的是很苦。

The Eight Cold and Eight Hot Hells are full of suffering. The Hot Hells can melt iron. As we said earlier, there are layers of iron walls, nets, etc. that keep wrongdoers locked in there. Below, there are iron knives and swords. Life there is truly painful.

又再還有八寒－－就是因為他受過八熱之後，冷風一吹他又活過來；就像是有的人被一直刑罰，刑得昏死過去，又再用一盆冷水把他潑下去。

Then there are Eight Cold Hells. After they endure the Eight Hot Hells, the icy wind blows and revives them. It is like someone who has been tortured until they passed out, then had cold water poured on them.

古時候在刑罰人，就是用這樣子刑罰，無論把鐵燒紅烙下去，昏過去又用水潑下去，再使他清醒。這是人間。

In the past, this was how people were punished. After they were branded by a red hot iron and passed out, cold water was tossed on them to wake them up. This was in the human.

但是地獄，就不只是一塊鐵板燒紅去烙他。古代在刑罰罪人就是這樣，但是地獄是整個全身，都是那種非常熱鐵的籠子，把他放進那個地方，讓他這樣熱到、燒到死去，接著昏死之後，再用那個寒冰冷凍又再吹他，他就又再活過來。

They used to punish criminals with a red hot iron, but in Hell it is much worse. In Hell, the entire body is placed into a very hot iron cage until the person overheats and faints. After they pass out, they are revived with icy cold wind.

活過來就再用熱火刑，火刑死了就又再用這種冷凍，把他吹活。像是這樣，這種八寒八熱，真的是苦不堪。那死而復活，活而復死。

Once revived they are burnt again with fire. After they die, they are restored to life by this icy cold wind. The Eight Cold Hells and Eight Hot Hells are truly unbearably painful. Beings die and are revived over and over.

有的人在人間，感覺說：「我這麼苦，我無法再忍耐下去了。」自己自殺，業若未完，又再加等的罪，又還要再來人間；若沒來人間，就要再墮入地獄。不是一了百了，只要你若造了業，就是永遠沒了，一直要到刑罰業盡了，就是我們的業若盡才有休止。

Some people in the world feel, "I hurt so much. I can't bear this anymore." Then they commit suicide. If their karma was not yet exhausted, and they add these transgressions to it, they still have to return to the world. If they do not come here, they go to Hell. Death is not the end of it. Once we create karma, it will not end until that negative karma has been exhausted. This only ends when karma is completely exhausted.

上次不是這麼說過去－－「一定造業之後，一定要受報。」無法自己說：「我不要了，我要死了要死！」還有一個比現在，更加苦的地方要去，這由不得自己。

Haven't I said this before? Once we create karma, we will have to face the retribution. We cannot say, "I don't want it. I want to die." There is a place worse, more painful, than dying. At that time we cannot choose where to go.

所以我們就要知道很甘願，既然造了，我們就要受，就要甘願受。這在人間無論如何，總是還有法可聽，還有路可走；去到地獄，無法可聽、無路可走，就是只有接受刑罰而已。這一切的地獄，真的是很辛苦。

So, we must know to accept retribution willingly. Once we create karma, we have to face it, to willingly accept it. No matter what happens in this world, we at least have the Dharma to listen to, and a road to walk. In Hell, there is no Dharma to hear, no road to walk. They can only accept the punishment. All the Hells are truly full of suffering.

又有「復有八萬四千鬲子地獄，以為眷屬」，八萬四千鬲子，就是說那個地獄很大，不是空蕩蕩的大；裡面還有像我們古時香爐的那種鼎，它的腳是彎曲的，頂著鼎，那這種的鬲子中間有空間，那有多少呢？八萬四千！都是燒紅的。

There is also the Hell of 84,000 Caldrons, which become like family. 84,000 caldrons means that this Hell is very big. It is vast and empty. It is filled with what looks like the ancient incense burners called "ding" These ancient cauldrons are held up by curvy legs. There is a space within each caldron. How many are there? 84,000. They are all red hot.

意思就是說，在這地獄裡，有這個像是爐鼎的腳頂起來一樣，這樣一支一支，有八萬四千多支，其中都有空間。你就是在那個地方，如何閃如何跑？都是有八萬四千支與你作伴、為眷屬。這些東西都是燒紅，很熱的鬲子。

This means that in this Hell, the cauldrons are stacked up on top of each other. There are 84,000. There are spaces between them. No matter how you sprint or run, the 84,000 caldrons keep you company, like family. These things are red hot; they are very hot caldrons.

所以我們平時就要好好用心，若是一個不小心，一旦去到哪裡都是會遇到－－這個八萬四千，要讓你沒地方可閃避，那這就是地獄的苦。

So, we have to be mindful. No matter where we go we will encounter the 84,000. There is nowhere to hide. This is the suffering in Hell.

那個時候你說：「我要找人來吐露心聲，我要找人來出氣，我要找人…。」那個時候就不會有，只會有一支一支非常冷酷，熱與寒和你作伴。那這個八寒八熱，還有這麼多的鬲子，讓我們做眷屬，這真的是地獄中的苦。

When you say, "I need to find someone to confide in," or "I need to find someone to take it out on" or "I need to find..." there will not be anyone then. There is only the extreme cold and the extreme heat to accompany you. There are Eight Cold and Eight Hot Hells, and many caldrons that serve as our families. This is truly the suffering in Hell.

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此中罪苦 炮煮楚痛
剝皮刷肉 削骨打髓
抽腸拔肺 無量諸苦
不可聞不可說

We suffer from the pain of being steeped or boiled, having our skin peeled, meat stripped, bones scraped, marrow extracted, intestines pulled, lungs removed. These infinite kinds suffering cannot be heard or spoken of.

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再來－－「此中罪苦，炮煮楚痛，剝皮刷肉，削骨打髓，抽腸拔肺，無量諸苦，不可聞不可說。」

Then, "We suffer from the pain of being steeped or boiled, having our skin peeled, meat stripped, bones scraped, marrow extracted, intestines pulled, lungs removed. These infinite kinds suffering cannot be heard or spoken of."

地獄之中，想這樣的最報還有很多！若說到這些刑具，我也很想把這些文字全都跳過去，不過沒有辦法，總是悟達國師這麼寫。

There is so much. When I talk about these torture devices, I really want to skip these words. But I cannot. This is what Imperial Preceptor Wu-Da wrote.

這裡頭還有的罪苦，那就是炮煮楚痛，用泡的。你們會泡麵嗎？應該都會，那就是像在泡麵一般，生的東西把它泡熟。會泡菜嗎？應該也會吧！韓國人很愛吃泡菜，那全都是以極酸極鹹泡菜。像是這樣用極酸極鹹的東西泡它，或者是以極熱的東西把它滾燙過，這全都是很辛苦的事情！

He also described other forms of suffering. There is the pain of being steeped or boiled. Do you know how to cook instant noodles? Yes. We steep raw things until they are cooked. Do you know how to make kimchi? Yes. We steep vegetables in extremely sour brine. Koreans really like eating kimci. People steep things in a sour and salty solution or boil them with extreme heat. This would be very painful if done to someone.

或者是以火烤過，這種炮煮楚痛，真的是很痛很苦難！所以地獄有火湯地獄，有油鍋地獄－－火在燒的湯，有火在燒的油，這也是地獄中刑具之一。

In Hell, people may also be roasted with fire. This pain of being steeped and cook is truly very terrible. There is a Hell of Fiery Soup, a Hell of Frying Pans. There is soup being boiled, and oil being heated. These are also torture devices in Hell.

還有「剝皮刷肉」。你看牛、豬、雞、鴨，一般人每天在吃的動物。你們想，牛那麼大一隻，宰了之後是不是要剝皮呢？若沒有剝皮，你根本就吃不下去。就是要經過剝皮，要刮毛剝皮，牛皮。

We also "have our skin peeled and meat stripped". Look at cows, pig, chickens and ducks. These are animals people eat every day. Think about the size of a cow. After it is killed, doesn't it need to be skinned? If it is not skinned, we cannot eat it. It must be skinned so that the hair and hide are removed.

又再還有人說：「是生的牛皮？或者是死的牛皮？」也曾聽人這麼說。有的人說：「活活地剝皮。」你們想，多麼苦痛？人間這麼多的惡劣，不就是夜叉嗎？

With leather, some people ask, "Was it skinned alive or not?" I have also heard people talk about this. Some talk about skinning them alive. Think about how painful this is! There is so much evil in this world. Aren't these people like Yaksas?

那麼無論是殺雞、宰鴨，身上有毛，也是一樣，把牠殺了之後，把牠丟進鍋裡；有的還沒死就把牠丟進去了。

They kill chickens and ducks, which have feathers. After they are killed we toss them into the pot. Sometimes we toss them in live.

很多年前，那時候我較常去病房走動，有一位媽媽，常常一直以淚洗面。有姑姑、有阿嬤、有阿公，一家人那樣一直在罵她，罵這位媽媽。

Many years ago I often visited the hospital wards. There was a mother who kept crying. The aunt, grandparents, the entire family kept yelling at her. She had a four- or five-year-old child.

這位媽媽是因為一個孩子，四、五歲了，就是在那裡玩。當時好像是七月時，她要殺雞鴨，煮了一鍋的滾水，結果雞鴨殺了之後，還在那裡掙扎，那鍋開水已經滾了。孩子在那裡玩，就這樣掉下去，所以這個半身，只在胸前以上和這個膝蓋以下，沒有被燙到，胸部到大腿以上都煮爛了。

She had a four- or five-year-old child who was playing nearby. It was around July, and she was killing chickens and ducks. She boiled a pot of water. But while she slaughtered them, they kept struggling. The child was playing around the boiling water and fell in. Only half his body, the part above the chest and below the knees, was not burnt. Everything between his chest and thighs was boiled.

在醫院裡，那是非常非常的痛苦，孩子一直在哀叫。已經在燙傷的病房，把他搶救回來了，一段時間，幾個月之後出來普通病房。看到他在換藥，就是哭，孩子整天就是一直哭。

In the hospital, the child kept screaming in immense pain. He was already in the burn unit, and they had saved him. After some time, a couple of months, he was put in a regular room. When they changed his dressings, he cried. The child cried all day.

有一回，我又再進去的時候，護士在打針，怎麼扎都扎不到。因為孩子的這個血管很小，要幫他止痛都無奈，所以孩子整天哭。媽媽整天哭，那阿公、阿嬤、姑姑等等…整天罵。

Once when I entered, I saw the nurse give him a shot. She could not find his veins because they were too small. They could not even stop his pain. So, he cried all day. His mother cried all day. His grandpa, grandma and aunts yelled all day.

你們想，這位媽媽是自己親手，燒那鍋熱水，生火燒開水，親手殺鴨和雞。那雞和鴨還沒有進開水裡燙之前，自己的孩子就燙下去了！

Think about it. This mother had boiled that pot of hot water with her own two hands. She killed the ducks and chickens herself. But before she could boil them, her own child was burnt.

這是讓我記憶還猶新，雖然事隔十幾年了，但是若提起地獄，尤其是這段文「剝皮刷肉」，你們看，那些雞鴨豬牛，這樣被人殺死，就還要再剝皮，就還要入滾湯。

I remember this like yesterday. Although over ten years have passed, I am reminded of it when people mention Hell, particularly this passage. "Skin peeled and meat stripped." Look at chickens, ducks, pigs and cows. They are killed by humans and then skinned and tossed into boiling water.

看，這樣肉剝開了，還要再這樣一直刷－－「削骨」；那肉和骨要分離，要削骨。還要再「打髓」，有的骨頭裡面有髓，那些髓要取出來。這個「抽腸拔肺」，肚腸這麼慢慢抽啊、抽啊，抽出肚腸來。肚腸，有的人都說大腸 小腸，那在路邊攤那麼熱滾滾的，在那邊吆喝「那大腸一塊來、小腸一段來…」

Look at how the meat splits open. Then it is stripped. "Scraping the bone" separates the flesh from the bones. Then they "extract the marrow". There is marrow in the bones that people want to take out. Then "intestines pulled, lungs removed". The intestines are slowly pulled out. People talk about the large and small intestines. Look at how people purchase pieces of cooked intestines from street vendors.

你看，這種在那活生生的動物中，抽腸拔肺，看，所以這實在是很苦！

Look at how they pull intestines and remove lungs from living animals. See, this is truly painful.

這樣才是略說而已；無量無量的苦難，我們說起來是很多，但是其實這才只是簡單對我們說一下而已。

These are brief overviews of the countless types of suffering. It sounds like a lot. But this is just a simple explanation.

各位，我們若聽了實在是很不忍聽，我說的也很不忍說。不過，這就是這樣，人生、世間來說苦。實在是若要說起地獄來，世間多麼苦，都無法去形容到了地獄裡的苦，千萬倍。

Everyone, listening to this is unbearable. I cannot bear to speak about this either. But this is how it is. Life, the world, is full of suffering. If we want to talk about Hell, no matter how indescribably painful the world is, the suffering in Hell is millions of times worse.

所以「長夜冥冥受苦時長，不識光明不受善法」－－我們的心常常很黑暗，哪怕有貴人在你的面前，為你指路，你都不會跟著走；因為你不願意接受善法。

So, in the dark night they suffer for a long time. They reject good teachings, do not see the light. Our minds are often very dark. Even if your benefactor is in front of you, pointing the way, you will not follow because you are unwilling to accept good teachings.

所以我們有福，人身、佛法都在我們的生活中，我們要大家時時自我警惕，要好好把我們自己內心的燈光，要好好把它點亮起來；不要等到完全熄滅之後，日月光也是照不到我們。

So, we are blessed. We have been born human and found the Dharma. We all need to be very self-aware. Focus on lighting your inner flame. Do not wait until it is completely extinguished, when the light of the sun and moon cannot reach us.

所以請大家時時多用心！

So everyone, please always be mindful.