孤独无援时，不妨试一试佛法

Feeling helpless or lonely? Look into the Buddhadharma

每个人都难免生老病死，

For everyone, the experiences of birth, aging, sickness, and death are simply unavoidable.

而佛教中，正好有面对这些问题的最好秘诀。

The Buddhadharma happens to be the best source of solutions to these problems.

你如果用了其他方法都无济于事，那么试一试佛法，又有什么损失呢?

If you find other methods for coping to be ineffective, why not give it a try—after all, what is there for you to lose?

现在不少人常说：“极乐世界和地狱肯定不存在，因为我没有看到。”

Many people these days declare,“The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Hell Realm definitely do not exist, because I cannot see them.”

这是一种很荒谬的推理。

“I cannot see it—therefore, it does not exist” is an absurd kind of logic.

如果因为自己没有见到，所以就不存在，

Because, if a conclusion is drawn that something does not exist unless you see it,

那世间有许多你见不到的东西，难道它们都不存在了吗?

doesn’t it follow that many other things you have not seen must not exist either?

其实，要想否定一件事，必须要有充分的理由，否则便是谬论。

Realistically, a statement of denial cannot be made unless there are enough supporting reasons. Otherwise, it is a false statement.

“文革”期间，有一位老和尚挨批斗，

During the Cultural Revolution, an old monk was persecuted.

一位领导边打他边说：“你们佛教徒口口声声都说极乐世界和地狱，如果有的话，你给我指出来!”

As the tor?mentor beat the monk, he demanded,“You Buddhists keep on talking about the Pure Land and Hell Realm. If they really exist, show them to me!”

老和尚说：“有是肯定有，但不一定要指出来。”

The old monk replied,“They are definitely there, but they need not be shown.”

领导说：“你必须给我指出来!”

The persecutor ordered again,“You must show them to me!”

老和尚回答：“你们天天骂美帝国主义，那美国存不存在?如果存在，也请给我指出来。”

The old monk answered,“You’ve been deriding American imperialism, but does America really exist? If so, please show it right here for me to see.”

那个领导气得无话可说，只有用拳头狠狠地打他。

On hearing the answer, the persecutor grew furious and speechless, and he smacked the monk ruthlessly with his fists.

老和尚笑着说：“你现在应该知道了吧，没有看见并不等于不存在，

The old monk smiled, “Now do you understand? A thing that can’t be seen directly by human eyes does not equate to its nonexistence.

没有看见而存在的东西多着呢!”

There are many things out there that have not been seen by you!”

“因为没有看见，所以不存在”是一种荒谬的推理。因为凡夫人肉眼的功能本来就有限，故肉眼见不到并不代表没有。

The corporeal eyes of humans are rather limited in their capacity.

比如空气、电波和细菌，你既看不见，也摸不着，但能不能以此否认它的存在呢?

For in?stance, you cannot see the air, electricity or microorganisms, nor can you touch them, but can you deny their existence based on your sensory perceptions?

不要说清净刹土和阿弥陀佛，

Let’s forget about the Pure Land and Buddha Amitabha for a moment.

甚至在一个小小的山沟中，也有许多你未曾见过的东西，在一群人中也有你未曾见过的人，

In a tiny valley there are many things you have not seen and in a crowd there are many people you have not met.

既然如此，我们又怎能以没有见到，就否认其他事物的存在呢?

Such being the case, how can we deny the ex?istence of other things just because we ourselves have not seen them with our own eyes?

当然，一个人信不信佛教，这个一点也不勉强。

To be frank, everyone is free to believe in Buddhism or not; no one will force you.

佛陀曾说过：“对于不信佛的人，如果非要给他讲法，这大可不必。”

The Buddha once said, “It serves no purpose to force the Dharma onto a person who does not have faith in it.”

然而，每个人都难免生老病死，

Yet, for everyone the experiences of birth, aging, sickness and death are simply unavoidable.

而佛教中，正好有面对这些问题的最好秘诀。

The Buddhadharma happens to be a source of the best solutions to these problems.

你如果用了其他方法都无济于事，那么试一试佛法，又有什么损失呢?

If you find other methods ineffective for coping, why not give it a try—after all, what can you lose?

索达吉堪布《做，才是得到》

Khenpo Sodargye《Achieve by doing 》