《旅途脚印》| 竣工 ——索达吉堪布

圆容

( Q8 u2 i* l8 A; {

竣工 | Project Completed

7 \$ }" q9 _4 |1 g7 E2 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
2 n2 |' O( R- J6 M& U
" _: K( n6 e- f0 p”，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。

& l) S- _# ^; ^  k8 I- oTo me personally, today is a day worthy of every commemoration. A major project of my

/ H" V. P$ r# D: {  w, W7 ulife—the translation of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus—has just
/ C' C! j! a$ l0 Y7 L8 \
been completed. This project was commenced on Christmas Day 2001 when the people of

9 E" i- U% R+ m# @Xiamen celebrated it in various ways. On that day, I took the liberty of assuming the festive mood
9 R) i5 D  m$ g7 f- y
( a9 w1 o2 z* v8 c& A  H( K) Iin the city as cheers for my foundation-laying ceremony of the translation.
1 J; l# f$ y5 `9 d7 [
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

4 L4 Z/ s6 T$ d2 b: |0 J( }8 V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
! x0 @& R" S' a) ]$ X$ c$ D
8 n/ ^& Z6 h4 r, L9 ?- V愿以偿了。

5 |, I, B) D9 F! P" I. r( ?  xBuddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, performed innumerable activities of the Six
/ ]9 R$ y- V. S% x! C) W* X' @! x
1 |" r5 V3 C' }2 bTranscendent Perfections from his initial aspiration to final enlightenment. His deeds are
9 ^- ^, t6 k) P+ _7 ~+ _. q
incredibly moving stories, which touched me deeply every time I read them. I have been aspiring

to translate the biography so that others could appreciate it too; today I am happy to see my

wish is finally fulfilled.
/ K" ?, O6 H1 f/ g3 F. G7 @6 g1 m  U
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

* R7 s3 n: K) S, a' n+ [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

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
0 E' f( b, \' |; N8 f5 ^6 _
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
9 e6 h* l+ _+ R$ ~
们成为精神上所向无敌的贵族。
# H: V/ B2 M1 L: ^) n0 `
The launching of my translation project coincided with the building of a high-rise across from my

7 o. L7 k( G6 S3 Nresidence. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by throngs of cheering crowds and
+ B+ _, F" x. X) f6 T- O
decorated with colorful banners. The building started with a blueprint that reportedly cost

4 S3 p+ ~9 U: L. g+ C$ }( x" Chundreds of thousands of yuan and its construction has been carried out by hundreds of workers
' n2 S( t( l9 Q+ h
equipped with modern engineering tools. Compared with their grandiose style, our translation
+ |' c# K: Z% a) l7 p
project seems extremely shabby. We have neither a huge amount of manpower nor hefty funds

/ q' M) x, H; D% e! r/ Tas support, only a proofreader of the typescript. Nonetheless, we do have unshakable deep faith

in the Buddha, something so special that outshines mundane construction. This and this alone, is
3 Q1 G  f" C/ H! O3 G- |, E
enough to lift us in spirit to the rank of the indomitable nobles.

/ O$ x' l; a% a# A+ L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
0 Y. b4 h$ j5 Y7 X- S2 p1 s
! [; M& S+ v- Q2 b: F  z' \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，
$ X" ^5 l. i$ T: I$ a, B6 ?
/ x' }) C) N- f! C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

+ _$ t7 J/ o3 x( D: q8 k/ M* b4 L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，
! q, V5 R; Y1 B9 C& k8 G. T  h* N
并逐渐趋至解脱正道。
" w, c2 o* `8 S  Y, r
With more than 100 days of work behind it, this building is in the stage of water supply and will
! Q( f' q) I5 @" ^, N- P
+ q# Z8 d9 j/ fsoon 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
* X. g. u; [/ b! v4 Q1 H( _$ r
meaningful. A few hundred years from now, buildings made from cement, brick, and tile will be
" B" Z9 w+ [9 q+ R
gone with no trace left; on the contrary, the spiritual wealth of the Buddha’s life story will still

continue to benefit hundreds and thousands of future generations. Unaffected by the confines of

& I% L" }+ n# I+ S( Z5 J2 Xtime and space, it will arouse faith in its readers all over and lead them steadily onto the path of
% Q. c8 f$ ?: L6 c9 x
liberation.

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。
& H0 @  e7 m' S: l: D
The best inheritance to leave for future generations is not the high-rise building, or gold, silver,
7 {' @) U; l1 |7 i/ I6 p0 G
) k) J, u( F9 `3 T( Dor jewels; rather, it is the towering spiritual mansion that will provide protection from the

thunderstorms of delusion.
4 G- X7 I5 {/ z# e
: ^* T( ^, y9 Z/ s( e壬午年三月二十二日　
+ ?6 K% M" i0 c, J
8 ~, r1 Q# n# g1 u2002年5月3日　　

3 N9 v. f! k/ s3 [  Z' u) ]22nd of March, Year of RenWu
- x9 Z5 I8 A* N% j
May 3, 2002