(１７)现在我们来谈谈人，来看看我们自己。
“佛陀如何描述后代的人？”
17) Now we are going to talk about people. We are going to have a closer look at ourselves.
17) “What did the Buddha say people would be like in succeeding ages?”
在一次说法中，佛陀说：“现代(意指佛世直到现在的每个时代)的人喜欢在非法中寻欢作乐，过分贪婪且寻求邪说”(泰本巴利藏第２１册，４９６页)。他们在非法中寻求欢乐，也就是说，受强烈的“自我”所左右；他们完全缺乏醒觉，任贪欲过度泛滥；因为完全受控于烦恼，他们就寻求邪说——错误的法。
THERE IS A discourse in which the Buddha reproves “us people now”, meaning each new generation from the time of the Buddha until now, who “rejoice in unrighteous pleasures, are too much given to covetousness, and are leaning towards false doctrines.” They find great delight in pleasurable excitement of an unrighteous kind, that is to say, they are far too self-centred. They completely lack awareness, and thus their greed has become intense and excessive. They fall into false doctrines, because they have fallen completely under the power of the mental defilements.
二千多年前，佛陀就如此叙述，还使用“后代的人”这个词。这些叙述所描写的现象从世尊观察时，一直延续到现代，在此，我们有责任看看身处现代的自己。今天我们不正是在非法中寻欢作乐、过度贪婪自私和寻求邪说吗？你看到现代人显然变得太离谱了！要是他们能根据佛陀所制的方式，过正道的生活，即使他们会由色、声、香、味中获得乐趣，也必然会自我警惕而不过度贪婪。这意思是：他们除了基本需要外，不会在色、声、香、味、触中过度寻求。
The Buddha made this statement more than two thousand years ago, yet he uses the term “people of later ages”, which extends from when the Master made the observation until the present day. Here we have a duty to look at ourselves in this present age. Aren’t people in the world today taking excessive delight in unrighteous pleasures, behaving far too selfishly, and leaning towards false doctrines? Obviously people at present are very different from people at the time of the Buddha. However, if they are to live correctly according to the pattern set by the Buddha, then, although they may take some pleasure in colours, shapes, sounds, scents, and tastes, they will do so with constant mindfulness and right knowledge, and will not let greed become excessive. This means that they will not want the colours, shapes, sounds, scents, tastes, and tactile stimuli more than is necessary, not excessively.
“过度”就是超过需要，单单这个词就已经是使目前世界颠覆、困扰和动荡的原因。
The single word “excess”, that is to say, more than necessary, signifies the cause of all the upsets, difficulties, and troubles of the world at this time.
我曾读过基督教的书，他们认为一个人过度需求是有罪的，是个“罪人”。人只因所求多于所需，就被基督教当成罪人，而我们也许并不以为自己是罪人，因我们认为自己还不过份，也没有什么过分的啊！这个问题只能与忠于自己的人讨论。
I have read that in Christianity a person who seeks beyond what is needed is “sinful”, is a “sinner”. One who merely seeks after more than is necessary is considered by Christian standards to be a sinner. Perhaps we don’t yet consider ourselves sinners, because we don’t care to or because we really consider ourselves not as yet excessive? Perhaps we think that there is nothing about which we are excessive? This matter can be discussed only with people who are honest with themselves.
在一则非常好的西藏寓言中描述着：所有的鸟儿聚集在一起，对“如何修行才能带来快乐”的问题提出意见和看法，每种鸟说出自己的心意。最后，所有的鸟儿一致决议出根本原则：“我们不要寻求超过自己需要的粮食”。之后，他们要求所有出席者，除基本需要外，不要寻求更多粮食。
In a very good Tibetan book of parables, all the birds assemble together. They voice their opinions and express their thoughts on the way of Dhamma practice that will bring happiness. Each variety of bird speaks its own mind. In the end, all the birds assembled resolve that, “We will not seek food in excess of what is necessary. This is the ultimate.” Finally, they request the whole gathering not to seek more food than necessary. Here the story ends.
我们应该想想“过度需求”，它不仅带给自己痛苦和折磨，也是全世界其他人困扰的根源。好好地想一想吧！
“寻求邪说”是指对某事认知错误，冀求不正当的事而不会感到害怕或惭愧，因为烦恼占了优势且压倒一切，当人寻求邪说时，他自然与“法”对立，也就很难契入“法”。所以，我们若想解脱痛苦，就必须回归于“法”。
One ought to consider that seeking more than one needs is a source of suffering and torment for oneself and a source of trouble to other people all over the world. Think it over! Leaning towards false doctrines means recognizing a thing as wrong, yet wanting that wrong thing without feeling fear or shame, because defilements preponderate and overwhelm one. A person confirmed in this way of thinking is badly fitted to Dhamma. He is by nature directly opposed to it. So if we want to be free of suffering, we must turn to Dhamma.
