§7. The supreme position: the foundation for the paths, fruitions, and nibbana.

　七、殊胜的地位：道、果和涅槃的基础

aggam thanam manussesu maggam satta-visuddhiya:

　　‘净化有情之道中，人类为殊胜。’

'The supreme position is to be found among human beings: the path to the purification of living beings.' This can be explained as follows: We have received our legacy from namo, our parents — i.e., this body, which has taken a human birth, the highest birth there is. We are supreme beings, well-placed in a supreme position, complete with the treasures of thought, word, and deed. If we want to amass external treasures, such as material wealth, money, and gold, we can. If we want to amass internal treasures, such as the extraordinary qualities of the paths, their fruitions, and nibbana, we also can. The Buddha formulated the Dhamma and Vinaya for us human beings, and not at all for cows, horses, elephants, and so on. We human beings are a race that can practice to reach purity. So we shouldn't be discouraged or self-deprecating, thinking that we are lacking in worth or potential, because as human beings we are capable. What we don't have, we can give rise to. What we already have, we can make greater. This is in keeping with the teaching found in the Vessantara Jataka:

　　‘在人类之中可以找到殊胜的地位：净化众生之道。’这可以解释如下：我们已经从 mano －我们的双亲接受了遗产—也就是这个身体，生得人身，这是最高的诞生，我们是殊胜的众生，被妥善地放置于殊胜的地位，具备了思想、语言、行为的宝藏，如果我们想要积聚外在的宝藏，例如物质的财富，我们可以做得到，如果我们想要积聚内在的宝藏，例如道、果和涅槃的不平凡特质，我们也可以做得到，佛陀为我们人类明确解说正法律，而绝对不是为了牛、马、象‥‥等，我们人类才是能够修习达到纯净的族群，所以我们不应沮丧或自卑，认为我们没什么价值或缺少能力，因为生为人类，我们是有能力的，我们所没有的，我们可以长养它；我们已经拥有的，我们可以使它增长，这和本生经的教导是一致的。

danam deti, silam rakkhati, bhavanam bhavetva, ekacco saggam gacchati, ekacco mokkham gacchati, nissansayam:

　　‘布施、持戒、修习，力行必生天，力行至殊胜。’

'Having worked at amassing wisdom through being charitable, observing the precepts, and developing the mind in line with the teachings of the Lord Buddha, those who work only a little will have to go to heaven, while those who are determined and really do the work — and at the same time having the help of the potential and perfections they have developed in the past — will reach nibbana without a doubt. '

　　‘根据佛陀的教导，透过慈善布施，持戒和开发心意，努力于积聚智慧者，他们只要稍作努力就必定可以生于天上，至于那些坚决而真正努力的人—同时得到他们过去曾经开发的能力和功德之助—无疑地将会达到涅槃。’

Common animals are said not to be supreme because they can't act as human beings can. So it is rightly said that human beings are well-placed in a supreme position, able to lead themselves to the paths, their fruitions, and to pure nibbana.

　　一般动物并无所谓殊胜，因为它不能像人类那样的有所作为。所以说人类是被放置在一个殊胜的地位是正确的，能够引导他们自己走入道、果和纯净的涅槃。