《旅途脚印》| 竣工 ——索达吉堪布

圆容

竣工 | Project Completed

' O6 P* H. u; \+ ?% `4 l; ?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
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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

* _4 h/ c1 p% L1 l  ]3 j; X”，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。
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To me personally, today is a day worthy of every commemoration. A major project of my

life—the translation of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus—has just
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been completed. This project was commenced on Christmas Day 2001 when the people of

Xiamen celebrated it in various ways. On that day, I took the liberty of assuming the festive mood
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$ ?2 P  f2 q, q% Qin 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

4 z4 d1 x. G6 D6 b$ c. w" p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
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3 l1 X; h3 V9 ^6 d9 F( A. |6 [% ~愿以偿了。

* m3 c; N: g$ m2 o7 S: ?. M, l( TBuddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, performed innumerable activities of the Six

) _6 T* G+ _3 u) v" nTranscendent Perfections from his initial aspiration to final enlightenment. His deeds are
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incredibly moving stories, which touched me deeply every time I read them. I have been aspiring
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to translate the biography so that others could appreciate it too; today I am happy to see my
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, ^0 _1 d1 s/ q, r, i, ^7 ~wish is finally fulfilled.
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" F5 N0 P. O4 V8 h- b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

; E( [1 K% c* Q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
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% D6 l  g# f3 ?' y  P0 c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
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7 g+ U- X, u. N1 H* d" g* m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
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们成为精神上所向无敌的贵族。
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The launching of my translation project coincided with the building of a high-rise across from my
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residence. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by throngs of cheering crowds and
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' |  B$ j. u* @- Z% V* Rdecorated with colorful banners. The building started with a blueprint that reportedly cost

8 r3 Y! Z( H. a: }* M1 ?& Jhundreds of thousands of yuan and its construction has been carried out by hundreds of workers
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equipped with modern engineering tools. Compared with their grandiose style, our translation
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project seems extremely shabby. We have neither a huge amount of manpower nor hefty funds
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as support, only a proofreader of the typescript. Nonetheless, we do have unshakable deep faith

, f' u# Q7 C2 V! N3 Q# T: k: yin the Buddha, something so special that outshines mundane construction. This and this alone, is
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, A* r0 @+ f2 l% W+ U4 zenough to lift us in spirit to the rank of the indomitable nobles.
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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
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' |& x- b. J& f+ ^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，
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  I7 U3 k! Q, `% |& _3 \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
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% W' b: p7 W- K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，
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并逐渐趋至解脱正道。
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With more than 100 days of work behind it, this building is in the stage of water supply and will
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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
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% G6 ?% x( a& t/ f* fmeaningful. A few hundred years from now, buildings made from cement, brick, and tile will be
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gone with no trace left; on the contrary, the spiritual wealth of the Buddha’s life story will still
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continue to benefit hundreds and thousands of future generations. Unaffected by the confines of
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7 p; G# {5 z4 U0 H% Ktime and space, it will arouse faith in its readers all over and lead them steadily onto the path of

liberation.
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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。
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: z9 c+ g; _" t4 {4 CThe best inheritance to leave for future generations is not the high-rise building, or gold, silver,

or jewels; rather, it is the towering spiritual mansion that will provide protection from the
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2 o, W% B* t* u6 |thunderstorms of delusion.

壬午年三月二十二日　

+ E" _; \. y* L/ B% L) F  c3 M2002年5月3日　　
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22nd of March, Year of RenWu

, Y: l' E+ C) b) CMay 3, 2002
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