存折上多出的数字就是生存的意义吗？

However, most of those who have not learned the Dharma do not think the same. Even in philosophy, the meaning of life and the way of living cannot be clearly separated. Surely, the Buddha is the only one who truly knows the meaning of life.

不学佛的多数人就没有这样的概念，包括世间的哲学，也根本分不清生存的意义与生存的方式，真正能够懂得什么是生存意义的人只有佛陀。

A wealthy man once told me that he could make a few million bucks from just one deal, but to him it only meant that more numbers were added to his bankbook. One only needs so much to live. He could never use up all his money in this lifetime. I think what he said makes a lot of sense. Such is the reality. Naturally, if he were to use the money for charity or something meaningful, it would be a different matter entirely. If not, just accumulating great wealth should not be deemed the meaning of life.

曾经有一个有钱的人告诉我，他做一桩生意可以挣几百万，但这生存的方式和生存的意义对他来说只是在银行存折上面多了几个数字而已。这是什么意思呢？他有吃有穿，一个人能用的就只有这么多了，再多几百万、几千万也用不着。我觉得他说得很不错，事实就是这样。当然，如果他把这些钱财拿来做慈善，做一些有意义的事情，那是另外一回事；如果不做这些事情，只是积累很多金钱，这是不是生存的意义呢？不是。

The meaning of life

三、生存的意义

There are many different views on this, but ultimately the meaning of life is to get oneself prepared for the liberation from cyclic existence. In China today, people in the large cities have bought all kinds of insurance for health, old age and what not, which in certain time frame and to some extent can serve their purposes，but none for afterlife. When disaster hits and life is in danger, people discover all of a sudden that no insurance can guaranty them a save passage in afterlife. If it can be ascertained that there is no life after death, we need not care what would happen afterward; normal insurance will suffice. But so far no scientist or philosopher can completely refute the idea of cyclic existence or disprove next life. Rather, the evidence of a cycle of death and rebirth is becoming increasingly more abundant, which is based not on any assumption but facts available in everyday life. We cannot evade reality and the reality is that next life does exist. Under the circumstances, we have no excuse not to prepare for its coming.

生存的意义是什么？关于生存的意义，虽然很多人有不同的观点，但最终的意义，就是要为解脱作一些准备。现在大城市的人都买了各种各样的保险—生病了，有医疗保险；年老了，有养老保险……在一定时间和范围内，这些保险也能起到一些作用，但死了有没有保险呢？没有保险！真正大难临头的时候，很多人就没有任何保险了。当然，如果确定后世不存在，人死了就一切结束了，那么，有养老保险、医疗保险也就可以了，我们不需要为死亡以后考虑。但从人类有史以来到今天，任何一个哲学家，任何一个科学家，都不能真正推翻轮回学说，证明后世不存在；相反，轮回存在的如铁一般的证据却越来越多，这不是什么猜测，而是在活生生的现实生活中看得见、摸得着的东西。我们没有办法回避现实—后世一定存在，既然如此，那我们该怎么办，需不需要为后世考虑呢？当然更需要了。