禅世界

here are only five more days until Election Day, Tuesday November 3rd. This is our chance to vote in what is likely to be the most important election in our lifetime. Remember that voting is our voice, the way we silently say what we think is right, an act by which, as mere individuals, we take responsibility for the whole. With our vote we speak on behalf of the entire nation, for future generations, and indeed—given the leading role that the U.S. plays on the world stage—for the future destiny of humankind. The election is just too critical for anyone to sit out. It is our responsibility, our sacred duty as U.S. citizens, to vote: to choose the candidate that best represents our values and our hopes for the future.

在佛法修学中我们经常看到有关解脱(liberation)和觉悟(Enlightenment)关系的讨论，往往涉及佛教的宗派如上座部佛教和大乘佛教的区别与联系。我们所提倡的佛教现代化，主张将历史上的门户之见搁置一旁，特别是要把古代佛教发展中受制于当时文明程度和人们理性认识而产生的佛教古董如大量的无名或托名的论师所造教义、腐败的印度后期秘密大乘教法及其流续加以清除，回归佛陀的核心教义，让佛教焕发佛陀解脱觉悟精神的光辉，利在当代，泽及未来。

這句話可能不少法友會不愛聽。但我們既然要弘揚佛法，並希望佛法的修行能現代化，就不能不把這層法義予以釐清。因為由菩薩道的角度來看，解脫自在力是菩薩必備的能力。如果沒有它，所謂的行菩薩道會成為失能與失衡。這也就是筆者多年以來一直提倡「菩薩道應以解脫道為基礎」的主要原因。而且這不是筆者硬要如是說，而是菩薩道本來如此。因為三十七道品（註釋一）原本就是大乘佛法的基礎部份。而三十七道品主要講的就是解脫道的修行。