◎ 必须向出家人求戒

◎PRECEPTS SHOULD BE REQUESTED FROM A LEFT-HOME PERSON--AN ORDAINED MONK

持戒就是“诸恶不做，众善奉行。”戒有多少种呢？有很多种。有五戒--凡是皈依三宝的人，想往前再进步就要受五戒。受五戒后，再往前进步就是受八戒。受八戒后，再受十戒，那就是沙弥（尼）了。

To uphold precepts is just to do no evil but do all good. How many precepts are there? There are many sets of precepts. First, there are the five precepts. Those who have taken refuge with the Triple Jewel and who like to take another step forward should receive the five precepts. After having received the five precepts, another step forward would be to receive the eight precepts. Following that would come the ten precepts for novice monks and nuns.

在家人想求戒，一定要向出家人求戒。传戒就是给你戒体，这个给你戒体的人，一定要是比丘。在佛的戒律中，不准比丘尼传戒的。

Lay people who like to receive precepts must request them from an ordained monk. To transmit precepts means to give the precept substance to the preceptees. The person who transmits the precept substance to you must be a Bhikshu. In the Vinaya, a Bhikshuni is not permitted to transmit precepts.

◎ 佛教徒要守持的根本戒律

◎THE BASIC RULES TO BE OBSERVED BY BUDDHISTS

五戒是佛教徒最根本要守的戒律，就是不杀生，不偷盗，不邪淫，不妄语，不饮酒。

The five precepts are the most fundamental rules that Buddhists should follow. They are: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying and not consuming intoxicants.

不杀生，你常常不杀生就得长寿报，寿命会长。为什么有的人寿命长？有的人寿命短？寿命长的人，因持不杀戒得长寿报；寿命短的人，因他欢喜杀生就得短命的果报。

If you receive the precept against killing and constantly refrain from killing, you will be rewarded with longevity. You will live a long life. Why is it that some people have long life spans while others have short life spans? Those who had upheld the precept against killing are rewarded with a long life, while people who liked to kill have the retribution of short lives.

为什么要持不偷戒？因为偷，是损坏人的财产福命。什么是偷盗？是偷偷的把别人的财产物质偷走了。你尽偷盗别人的东西，你得到什么果报呢？将来你就受财产不长久的果报。好像你本来很有钱，突然间被强盗抢去了。

Why should we observe the precept against stealing? It is because stealing causes others to lose their wealth. What is stealing? It is covertly taking away properties and materials belonging to others. What’s the retribution for stealing others’things? The retribution will be that of not being able to hold one's own wealth long. For example, someone may be rich, and all of a sudden that person gets robbed.

淫、妄、酒，也都是这样子。就好像你不守淫戒，去奸淫别人的妇女，将来你自己的妻女也被人玩弄，这都是一种果报。

Sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants are similar. For instance, someone who does not observe the rule against sexual misconduct might have affairs with others’women. In the future, that person's own wife or daughter will also be prostituted by others. Those are the kinds of retributions that will happen.

妄语，你自己要是不骗人，你就不会被人骗。

As to lying, if we don’t cheat people, we will not be cheated.

说“我这一生没有骗人，为什么很多人来骗我呢？”我方才不是说过，这种果报不是一生的事情，是有过去、现在、未来，果报是通三世的。你今生没有骗过人，你可知道你前生你骗过多少人吗？“我不知道。”你不知道？那有人骗过你，这是应该的。

Someone may complain, “I have never cheated anyone in my life. Why is it that many people cheated me?”Didn’t I just say that the matter of retribution is not limited to one lifetime? It spans three time periods: past, present, and future. You may not have cheated anyone in this life, but do you know how many people you had cheated in your previous life?“I don’t know.”You don’t know? So it may be fitting that people cheat you now.

本来不想说大话，因说大话，但是总是不假思索就打妄语。这个打妄语很快，不用思索，不用想一想要打什么妄语。譬如有人问你：“偷东西没有？你偷了没有？”就是偷了，你也会说：“我没有偷。”不用想就说没有偷。一个“偷”犯了一个戒，“打妄语”又犯了一个戒。

A person may not have intended to boast, but it's very easy to tell a lie without even realizing it. Telling lies can happen very fast. A lie comes out before we know it. For instance, someone may ask a person, “Have you stolen something?”The person may reply,“I didn’t”without even stopping to think even if he did. If in fact, the person stole, then, by denying it, he commits the offense of lying on top the offense of stealing.

酒饮少是没有什么问题，喝多了就会乱性，人就颠倒，所做的事也颠倒，所以佛教里戒酒。

A little wine doesn’t hurt. However, if people drink a lot they will become confused and do crazy things. That’s why drinking wine is prohibited in Buddhism.

这五戒说起来是有很多道理。主要的是我们手不去杀生，心里也不生杀念，这才是真正持“杀戒”。盗也是如此，手不去盗，心也不生盗念。“盗”，不论大小，凡是没有人许可你，你自己偷偷用了其他人的东西，这都叫犯盗戒。

If we were to elaborate, the five precepts encompass many principles. The main point is that when we make sure our hands do no killing, we must also be sure that our minds do not entertain any thoughts of killing. Then we are truly upholding the precept against killing. The same applies to the precept against stealing. When our hands are not stealing, our minds must also be free of thoughts of stealing. Regardless of the value of objects, if someone uses something or takes something stealthily without getting permission, then that is considered to be a violation of the precept against stealing.

◎ 可不可以抽烟？

◎IS SMOKING ALLOWED?

好像有一个人到外面抽香烟。回来我问他： “你抽了几支香烟？” “我没有抽啊！” “有人看见你抽了嘛！他来告诉我的。” “噢！那，我就抽一个。”

Another example is a person who went outside to smoke. When he came back, I asked him, “How many cigarettes did you smoke?” “I didn’t smoke.”he said.“Some people saw you.”I replied.“Oh. I smoked one cigarette," he said.

你看，他先是说他没抽，以后又说抽一个。我说： “你现在还有几个？” “现在还有三个。” “那七个到哪去了？” “这…这…I don’t know.我不知道。” 我拿一个棍子照他头就“啪”打一下， “你知不知这是什么？你觉不觉得痛？” “觉得痛。” “你觉得痛，为什么你要讲大话？” “这…这戒律上没有说戒烟的。” “你读过戒律了吗？戒律上没有说戒烟，你一定知道吗？那个烟就包括在酒里面。” “啊！我不知道。”

You see. He said he didn’t smoke and then said he smoked one cigarette. I said,“How many cigarettes have you got left?” “Three.” “Where are the other seven?” “Well…, I don’t know.”I picked up a club and hit him right on the head--Pow!“Do you know what this is? Does it hurt?” “Yes.” “Yes? Then why did you lie?” “Well…the Vinaya doesn’t prohibit smoking.” “Have you studied the Vinaya? Do you know for sure that it doesn’t prohibit smoking? Smoking is included in the precept against taking intoxicants.” “Oh! I didn’t know.”

人抽烟的味道最不好，不单外面的味道不好，就是身里里面的味道也不好，尤其是菩萨、善神护法，一发觉你有烟味，就不保护你了。你就是有多大的功德，祂也不管你了！你就会遇到很多意外的事情。

The smell from smoking is terrible. Not only does it make a person smell bad outside, it also makes the inside of his body smells bad. Bodhisattvas and Dharma-protecting good spirits will not want to protect you when they find out you smell like smoke. No matter how much merit and virtue you may have, they will leave you alone and many accidents will happen to you.

不要说别人，我们这儿有一个人偷着抽香烟，所以就遇到很危险的事情，这就是因抽香烟所引起，不过他自己到现在还不知道。

We don’t have to talk about others; currently there is one person among us who smoked stealthily and caused a very dangerous incident to occur. It happened because he was smoking, but he still doesn't realize it.

抽香烟的人死了之后，会下火焰地狱。火焰地狱专门给抽烟的人预备的，谁抽烟就有机会去。若是戒了烟，就和火焰地狱断往还；若不戒，将来就有份的。人不知道这个厉害，就乱来；你知道了就不会做了。抽烟这个问题比喝酒还厉害。

People who smoke will fall into the hell of Flames after they die. The hell of Flames is especially prepared for smokers. Whoever likes to smoke has the chance to go down there. If you refrain from smoking, you will avoid the path that leads to the hell of Flames. If you don’t, however, you may end up there in the future. People do not know the seriousness of such matters and do whatever they like. When you understand, you will not do it. Smoking is a more severe problem than drinking.

为什么释迦牟尼佛没说戒烟，只说戒酒呢？因为那时候人还不会抽烟，在佛住世时，没有人懂得抽烟。

Why didn’t Shakyamuni Buddha prohibit smoking but disallowed drinking? It is because during that time when the Buddha was in the world no one knew about smoking.（待续 To be continued）