我们走进了死胡同
《THE RIGHT VIEW》 (185)
Buddhism does not exclude the possibility of relative and temporary happiness existing in samsara, but not absolute happiness. Generally speaking, suffering accounts for the better part of samsara. Although this view may perhaps be accepted now, many people still consider the poor must suffer more than the rich. However, the data presented above already point out that it is wrong to equate material prosperity with happiness.
佛教不排除轮回里存在相对而暂时的幸福，但不认为有绝对的幸福，总的来说，痛苦的比例占了绝大多数，这个观点也许现在我们可以接受了。但肯定还是会有很多人觉得，没钱的人痛苦，而有钱人不会痛苦。但上述事实已经说明，金钱可以给人类带来幸福的想法是错误的！
More importantly, what I mean to show you is that as long as we live the way that the Buddha prescribed for us, our life will be relatively happier and more meaningful.
我为什么要说这些呢？这就表明，只要我们按照释迦牟尼佛规定的生活方式去做，就能过上比较幸福而有意义的生活。
Of course, there is no possibility for happiness if one cannot even sustain the basic needs of life. But once an average living standard can be maintained, one must learn to keep life simple, that is, to live contently with fewer desires. If not, happiness will forever be beyond one’s reach.
当然，如果温饱不能解决，那也不会幸福。但是，当生活水准达到一个标准以后，就一定要少欲知足，假如那时候还不知道少欲知足，就永远也不会幸福!
The Western societies have now realized the way they used to pursue happiness is wrong after hundreds of years of trying. Personally, I think that perhaps after another hundred years or so the whole world will come to this realization and naturally side with the Buddha’s point of view because it is the only way to real happiness. In view of what we know today, the idea that only material possessions can make people happy seems to run into a dead end. On the one hand, man cannot find happiness this way. On the other hand, nature also forbids us to continue living in a way that consumes so much of the earth’s resources. Eventually, we will all be left with no other choice but to adopt the way of living prescribed by the Buddha. We may find relative happiness in samsara only if we know how to live.
西方人经过了几百年，才发现以前追寻幸福的方法是错的。我觉得，也许再过一百年左右，全世界的人都会有这样的想法，最后都会不自觉地走到佛引领的这条道路上来，因为只有这条路才行得通，只有这样才会获得幸福。原来那种只有物质才能让人幸福的想法与说法，在今天看来，似乎是一个死胡同了。一方面，人类自己不会幸福；另一方面，大自然也不允许我们过这样的生活，没有那么多的能源，地球供养不起，人类别无选择，都要走这样的路。所以，只有懂得怎样生活，才会在轮回当中获得相对的幸福。
未完待续
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