《旅途脚印》| 竣工 ——索达吉堪布

圆容

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竣工 | Project Completed
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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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* p# c: ^8 V2 l2 s0 v& F. K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
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”，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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+ t5 x' O# a  RTo me personally, today is a day worthy of every commemoration. A major project of my
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  X) c1 g, `# C7 H5 |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

' g' m, e6 Y8 e+ |: FXiamen celebrated it in various ways. On that day, I took the liberty of assuming the festive mood
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4 C  t0 G% D  d  yin the city as cheers for my foundation-laying ceremony of the translation.

; H; a: `6 a' K( \4 ^6 I- o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
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9 |& c  |( O/ p( @, Q+ ?# s! ]# \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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愿以偿了。

Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, performed innumerable activities of the Six
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Transcendent Perfections from his initial aspiration to final enlightenment. His deeds are
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: \) L: {7 C6 f; H+ l# D6 }5 X0 Pincredibly moving stories, which touched me deeply every time I read them. I have been aspiring
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5 W( P8 ]' w3 K, L/ N4 R' U4 Yto translate the biography so that others could appreciate it too; today I am happy to see my
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8 y3 _* P4 U! A0 I, A" O9 v; _4 Fwish is finally fulfilled.

) v/ F) m5 e- X7 D( k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
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9 i& K5 D7 U* W# Y% R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

1 t5 _( K6 [9 R% v: s- Q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

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
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residence. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by throngs of cheering crowds and

decorated with colorful banners. The building started with a blueprint that reportedly cost
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1 @# l) Z8 v7 d" h/ xhundreds 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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1 f' P* G% v3 }0 p2 z$ z2 ^project seems extremely shabby. We have neither a huge amount of manpower nor hefty funds
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$ v  {  _1 L0 ?0 ^% w$ Z2 r& kas support, only a proofreader of the typescript. Nonetheless, we do have unshakable deep faith
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* m$ |# }- T9 x9 G! ^: s: Nin 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.
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0 l( D- e4 s. l! Q9 w; w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

& B- f4 O0 w3 X' k- i( T" Y* x% L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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8 E7 N* f1 k$ r" ?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

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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7 L$ D' U) x# b3 FWith more than 100 days of work behind it, this building is in the stage of water supply and will
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: ~) r' [% I5 ~! k/ W1 ^1 asoon be completed; my project, likewise, has reached the finishing line. While the developers
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; D6 _  V5 P- [' S% k! n" I9 }must feel good about their significant accomplishment, my project, I believe, could be more

2 i' L6 X. |* ?( @meaningful. A few hundred years from now, buildings made from cement, brick, and tile will be
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( @. m- L/ P1 j. V) k: _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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time 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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" ]6 s8 R! \: y0 g/ Z1 WThe 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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thunderstorms of delusion.
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壬午年三月二十二日　
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2002年5月3日　　
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22nd of March, Year of RenWu
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9 ?8 Y& R# ?( ?& VMay 3, 2002