【中英专栏】得了疑难杂症总治不好？试试这个神奇的方法！
他若死时你救他，你若死时天救你
Saving a life today can save your life tomorrow
清朝道光年间，有一位太守身患重病。
In the reign of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty, there was a county magistrate who came down with a severe illness.
正在生命垂危之际，他发下誓愿：“从今之后，饶益一切有情，
While on the verge of dying, he made a vow: “From now on, I’ll devote myself to benefiting all sentient beings.
忏悔自己的业障，舍弃一切世间俗事！”
I repent my wrongdoings, and I’ll give up all worldly affairs.”
当晚，观音菩萨在梦中对他说：
That night, Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara appeared to him in his dream and said,
“你昔日杀业重，今得短命报。
“It is because of your heavy karma of killing that you are now fated to a short lifespan.
幸好此时能发坚固誓愿，
Fortunately, you have made a firm resolution just in time.
当下唯有放生能延寿，且可增福禄。”
At present, releasing living beings is the only recourse to extend your life; it will also enhance your worldly blessings.”
他醒后大有所悟，于是全家戒杀、常常放生，
The county magistrate woke up with new insight, and he and his family members immediately abstained from killing and ardently practiced life-releasing.*
病体终于痊愈了。
Not long afterward, he recovered from his illness.
藏地炉霍县也有一位牧民，多年患疾，十分痛苦，
A herdswoman in Luhuo County suffered from serious ailments for many years.
去过很多医院，皆无明显疗效。
None of her many visits to hospitals had helped.
有一位僧人打卦说她前世杀生极多，
A divination done by a monk revealed that in her previous lives she had taken many lives,
若不放生，则多病短命。
making her present life not only short, but also subject to frequent diseases. Her situation could only be remedied by releasing living beings,
此后，她发心放生，
which she immediately dedicated herself to do.
结果疾病不药而愈。
Later, her old illnesses disappeared without medical intervention.
如今，她特别相信因果，每年都捐款放生。
Now a devout believer in the natural law of cause and effect, she makes donations every year to saving living beings.
佛经中讲过“人天七德”——
The “Seven Fortunes of Human and God” mentioned in the sutras—
种姓高贵、
being born in a noble family,
形色端严、
having a dignified appearance,
长寿、
enjoying a long life,
无病、
being free from disease,
缘分极好、
having excellent rapport with people,
财势富足、
being wealthy and powerful,
智慧广大，这是世人都非常向往的福报。
and being smart and intelligent—are yearned for by everyone.
其中，长寿、无病的根本因即是放生，
Among these attributes, the essential cause for enjoying a long life and being free from disease is none other than rescuing living beings,
放生也是其余五德之助缘。
which in itself is also the supportive factor for the remaining five fortunes.
世亲论师说：“释放遭杀众，如是赐生命，
The great commentator Vasubandhu says, “Rescuing living beings from the edges of knives, one offers the gift of life.
断除害有情，获得长寿命。”
Stop harming sentient beings, one will be rewarded with a long life.”
特别是有的人患了一些怪病后，连医生也束手无策，
This applies especially to those afflicted with strange illnesses that have been deemed hopeless by doctors.
此时若立即放生，往往有不可思议的疗效。
If these patients perform life-releasing right away, incredible curative effects can happen.
往昔，杭州有一个爱打鸟的人，一天背上突然长疮，大夫无能为力。
Some time ago, a person with a predilection for hunting birds found a huge mass growing on his back that the doctors regarded to be incurable.
他猜想是自己今生杀生的果报，
He deduced its cause to be his habit of taking lives.
于是发誓不再杀生，并作放生，
He then vowed never to commit the murderous act again and began to release living beings.
此后诊治便有了效力，而且逐渐痊愈了。
Soon afterward, his medication became effective and he gradually recovered.
在藏地，也有许多被医生诊断为必定死亡的病人，家人去放生、念经后，就不可思议地慢慢康复了。
In Tibetan areas, many patients who had been pronounced as doomed by doctors have also shown miraculous recoveries after their family members performed life-releasing and sutra recitation on their behalf.
四川遂宁市有一位医生，医术高明，在海内外影响极大，
A doctor in Suining, Sichuan Province is renowned in China and abroad for his excellent medical skills.
家里挂满了省、市、中央及国外病患所敬献的锦旗。
The walls of his house are graced with many silk banners presented to him by his patients coming from various places at home or abroad.
我曾向那些被她治愈的人打听她是如何治病的？
When I asked his patients how he cured their illnesses,
他们都说：“医疗无效时，这位医生就劝我们放生、念经等。
they told me, “If the medication failed, this doctor would advise us to release living beings, recite sutras and so on.
遵照嘱咐，我们广行放生等善行后，身体就痊愈了。”
Following his instructions and performing many virtuous deeds, we found ourselves healed.”
可见，放生是十分见效的治病方法。
It is obvious, then, that saving living beings from the edge of a knife is an effective way to cure illnesses.
此外，通过放生，转短命为长寿者，自古以来也不胜枚举。
Besides, there are ample historical accounts on turning a short lifespan into a long one through the practice of rescuing living beings.
从前，苏州有一个人叫王大林，具有大慈大悲心，常常放生。
Long ago, there was in Suzhou a man called Wang Dalin who was kindhearted and regularly liberated living beings.
每当看见村中小孩捕捉玩弄鱼鸟时，就竭力劝止，并给钱以放生。
Whenever he saw the village children catching fish or birds to play with, he would kindly advise them to stop and would offer them money to release their catches.
他平时劝人：“少年时，必须培养爱惜仁慈物命的美德，
He often told people, “Starting at a young age, we should cultivate the virtue of loving kindness and learn to respect all life.
不可养成残忍好杀的坏习气。”
Never get into the habit of being bellicose and harming the lives of others.”
他如是于一生中劝人行善断恶，
Thus, he spent all his life advising people to do good deeds and abandon evil ones.
后来得重病将死时，佛菩萨显现告诉他：
Later on, when he was dying from a serious illness, an enlightened sage appeared to him and told him,
“你平生放生，有极大功德，
“You have accumulated great virtue through your frequent life-releasing activities;
将可增福延寿36年。”
your lifespan will be extended for thirty-six years.”
当下他觉得身体轻安。之后，他活到97岁才无疾而逝。
Immediately he felt better and lived on to the age of ninety-seven without disease.
古今善恶报应，昭昭分明；感应事迹，历历在目。
From ancient times to the present, the consequences of virtuous and non-virtuous deeds have been clearly delineated, and there are numerous vivid stories of repayment.
望你明白这些道理后，今后能尊重每一个生命，行为上懂得该如何取舍。
I hope you will understand these principles and go on to respect each and every life, and know full well, what to do and what not to do.
*Life release is a Buddhist practice of saving the lives of animals that are destined for slaughter.
索达吉堪布《做，才是得到》
Khenpo Sodargye《Achieve by doing 》