《旅途脚印》| 竣工 ——索达吉堪布

圆容

! u$ h1 _) l! l- t( C

竣工 | Project Completed

) n" X: q% l0 ?) g; y! s今天对我来说，十分值得纪念。我自认为一生中比较大的工程——《白莲花论》的翻译完

成了。动笔之初是在2001年12月25日，当天，全厦门的人都在以各种方式欢度“圣诞节

”，我也自我安慰地将外面的喜庆场面，当作该翻译工程的奠基大典。

+ j, w$ m- K. I# J7 q5 wTo me personally, today is a day worthy of every commemoration. A major project of my
9 _( k% A' j! C( n+ J
life—the translation of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus—has just

2 u5 M2 D8 g) d! R  g9 W( ~$ dbeen completed. This project was commenced on Christmas Day 2001 when the people of

2 ?& D: B- _2 l$ n. y+ _Xiamen celebrated it in various ways. On that day, I took the liberty of assuming the festive mood
# k! c6 ~: ]' k3 j& N. s8 l
' t: C# s! B8 u6 kin the city as cheers for my foundation-laying ceremony of the translation.

作为佛教教主，释迦牟尼佛从因地初发心直至最终示现成佛，行持六度万行的事迹可谓感

1 `9 `' p" \* U人至深。每当阅读之时都为其打动，多次发愿将之翻译与道友们共同分享。今天总算是如

7 ]5 c" D$ I" U( @* p6 |愿以偿了。
, B& k/ r; B7 ^. u
8 _8 |$ A% t2 @" o5 m  W- Y3 ^Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, performed innumerable activities of the Six

3 r2 m' D- K) VTranscendent Perfections from his initial aspiration to final enlightenment. His deeds are
0 `5 z; x1 L5 A
incredibly moving stories, which touched me deeply every time I read them. I have been aspiring
/ M0 B2 W5 f5 E+ f% W$ b
# H9 u; D( C3 s5 mto translate the biography so that others could appreciate it too; today I am happy to see my

0 G  I6 [# A1 w8 W( t/ K4 x6 U" x7 kwish is finally fulfilled.

1 {) w9 ?( v+ N翻译之初，恰值住房对面一幢高楼奠基动工，动工之时，人头攒动，彩旗飞扬，听说仅设
/ \9 r5 b6 A+ b4 B9 y$ a# {& w
计费就用了几十万，建筑工人也上百名，再加上现代化的机器设备，十分风光。而我们的
( Y  q+ A  X3 v9 L
- ?" u" [/ O1 W  N& {, z工程除了校对打字的以外，没有强大的人力物力作为后盾，与其比较，显得寒碜之至。然
6 u; M3 `% g; V! J$ v3 Y& @
5 M. J" ?% \( e; c! W: n而我们所具有的却是令他们自愧不如的，对佛祖至深至诚的信心。仅凭这点，就足以使我

们成为精神上所向无敌的贵族。

The launching of my translation project coincided with the building of a high-rise across from my

2 s+ p, }+ B+ ]6 V8 ^# Oresidence. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by throngs of cheering crowds and

7 l- c9 T7 q$ A$ s2 ~; Xdecorated with colorful banners. The building started with a blueprint that reportedly cost
. g; d- M  A$ Z$ V! o; _7 H
hundreds of thousands of yuan and its construction has been carried out by hundreds of workers

equipped with modern engineering tools. Compared with their grandiose style, our translation
; s( Y$ |% u: i* M
project seems extremely shabby. We have neither a huge amount of manpower nor hefty funds
1 I( n' `- c8 j" h9 u; M4 {
as support, only a proofreader of the typescript. Nonetheless, we do have unshakable deep faith

+ B# Y! o0 H# M# G( j5 H. Y" u' ?; \in the Buddha, something so special that outshines mundane construction. This and this alone, is

enough to lift us in spirit to the rank of the indomitable nobles.

7 y. h5 B" M* B* e7 |4 m历经100多天，如今大楼已经断水，即将竣工。我的工程也圆满结束，开发商一定认为自己

对社会、对人类做了一件有意义的事，我觉得我的工程也许更有意义。相信几百年之后，
9 e: S& ^" @3 r, H. l2 ~+ u
" \7 x. A6 b; u由水泥砖瓦修建的高楼将荡然无存，而作为精神财富的世尊传记，却不会被飞逝的时间和
5 J7 X3 g5 e, ?/ y+ g* C2 ^) S
地理版图所囿，仍将继续利益百千万代、五湖四海的后人。使其因此而对佛陀生起信心，

并逐渐趋至解脱正道。

With more than 100 days of work behind it, this building is in the stage of water supply and will
4 M* K, m9 J/ }8 {- E3 u
soon be completed; my project, likewise, has reached the finishing line. While the developers

must feel good about their significant accomplishment, my project, I believe, could be more

" y; T* v3 e  ?; q% k4 Pmeaningful. A few hundred years from now, buildings made from cement, brick, and tile will be
# V5 d$ |2 g- c/ E& X
1 L7 r' @* c% l, H6 X' Wgone with no trace left; on the contrary, the spiritual wealth of the Buddha’s life story will still

4 ?4 B- P$ I9 ~$ bcontinue to benefit hundreds and thousands of future generations. Unaffected by the confines of
6 ^" _- I) Y# z/ m# ]! f% s
% G4 I5 X5 l6 Q0 ftime and space, it will arouse faith in its readers all over and lead them steadily onto the path of

: s5 C4 K% [: f; `/ e4 i* Bliberation.
- }  y% m/ {& e- v; _6 z0 X, b
留给后人最好的遗产，不是高楼大厦，不是金银财宝，而是遮蔽无明风雨的精神大厦。
; f' g, `% D. x  C* M; N
The best inheritance to leave for future generations is not the high-rise building, or gold, silver,
5 s2 e1 k. i1 R! _" y5 e( \( W' ]
or jewels; rather, it is the towering spiritual mansion that will provide protection from the

" T1 }! J( v) K* O) _thunderstorms of delusion.
. A6 G1 J" J, ?/ V& ]
壬午年三月二十二日　
5 a7 l  U2 \0 g+ e
. y3 J  F3 a& s0 F2002年5月3日　　
  z, n" L' V' R2 @, O- ~9 V
22nd of March, Year of RenWu

May 3, 2002
! ^$ t# A5 ^# F( B