一切众生都是佛教徒

All Living Beings Are Buddhists

现在的众生，是我们过去的父母，未来的诸佛；

如果对众生发瞋恨心，等于瞋恨父母和诸佛，成为大逆不孝的人。

Present living beings are our parents from past lives, and future Buddhas. If you get angry at living beings, this amounts to getting angry at your parents and the Buddhas. Thus you become a great rebel and are unfilial.

南传小乘的佛诞日和北传大乘的佛诞日，有所不同，但无论是哪一天，只要虔诚纪念，庄严礼拜，就是佛诞日。因为法无定法的缘故，若是专在这些事情上研究，把头发累白了，眼睛弄花了，也研究不出一个所以然来，这样把大好时光浪费掉了，是很可惜的。

Theravada and Mahayana Buddhists have different dates for the Buddha's birthday. Since there are no fixed dharmas, it doesn't matter which day it is; as long as we celebrate with sincerity and worship in a dignified manner, any day can be the Buddha's birthday. If we spent time investigating these matters, we would just tire ourselves out until our hair turned gray and our eyes became blurred, and we would still not be able to get a definite result. We would only waste a lot of precious time, and that would be a shame.

对于佛教，一般人各有执着，有人执着是印度佛教；有人执着是锡兰佛教；又有人执着是中国佛教；或者是日本佛教等等。有种种不同的执着和看法，就把佛教变成有界限、有边际，把佛教分了家了。其实佛教是无量无边，没有一定范围的。所以我一向主张，不要把佛教划出界限，要世界一家，团结一致才对。

In Buddhism, people have their own attachments. Some people are attached to Indian Buddhism, some to Sri Lankan Buddhism, some to Chinese Buddhism, some to Japanese Buddhism, and so forth. Having various attach-ments and views draws boundaries within Buddhism, and thus divides it. Actually Buddhism is boundless and has no limits. I always advocate not drawing boundaries within Buddhism. We should be united and view the world as one family.

我常说：我所讲的佛教，不是印度佛教，也不是中国佛教，而是尽虚空遍法界的佛教。详细来说，就是没有国籍的佛教，没有种族的佛教，也是没有人我的佛教。不但信仰佛教的人是佛教徒，就是不信仰佛教的人，也是佛教徒，为什么？因为释迦牟尼佛曾经说过：「一切众生，皆有佛性，皆堪作佛。」由此可证，信佛的人也是众生，不信佛的人也是众生。

I often say, “The Buddhism I talk about is not Indian or Chinese Buddhism, but a Buddhism that pervades empty space and the Dharma Realm.” Moreover, within this Buddhism there are no nationalities, no racial differences, no you or me. Not only are people who believe in Buddhism Buddhists, but people who don't believe in Buddhism are Buddhists as well. Why is this so? Because Shakyamuni Buddha once said, “All living beings have the Buddha nature, all can become Buddhas.” This confirms that Buddhists are living beings, and non-Buddhists are also living beings.

有人说：「我不是众生。」那么你不是众生是什么？有人说：「我的名字叫天，我就是天。」你要知道，天也是众生之一。有人说：「我的名字叫地，我就是地。」你要晓得，地也是众生之一，也没有超出众生之外。尽虚空遍法界，都是众生所居住的地方。十法界中的佛法界，那是超出众生之外，其余的九法界──菩萨、缘觉、声闻、天、人、阿修罗、畜生、饿鬼、地狱，都还在众生之内，所以都叫众生。

Someone may insist, “I'm not a living being.” If you're not a living being, then what are you? Someone may say, “My name is Heaven. I am Heaven.” Don't you know that Heaven is also a living being? Someone may say, "My name is Earth. I am Earth." Don't you realize that Earth is also a living being and is not beyond the scope of living beings?

Living beings dwell in places throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm. Of the ten Dharma Realms, only the Buddha realm is beyond the scope of living beings. Beings in the other nine realms—those of Bodhisattvas, Condition-Enlightened Ones, Hearers, gods, humans, asuras, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell-beings—are all within the scope of living beings, and so they're all called living beings.

既然都是众生，那么我把不信佛教的人，算在佛教里边，那还有什么不公平的呢？这是佛教的全体大用。佛说：「一切众生，皆可成佛。」无论你信佛教，或者不信佛教，将来皆可成佛。为什么？因为你跑不出众生的圈子之外。你现在不信佛，将来会信佛；今生不信佛，来生会信佛，有一天你终究会信佛的，所以我把一切众生都当作佛教徒。

Since we are all living beings, isn't it fair for me to include non-Buddhists in Buddhism? Such is the big picture of Buddhism. The Buddha said, “All living beings can become Buddhas.” Whether you believe in Buddhism or not, you will all become Buddhas in the future, because you are not beyond the scope of living beings. If you don't believe in Buddhism now, you will in the future. If you don't believe in Buddhism in this life, you will in the next one. Eventually you will believe in Buddhism. Therefore I regard all living beings as Buddhists.

现在有不讲道理的宗教，硬说只有独一无二的神，才可以主宰世界，创造世界，控制宇宙，人没有资格做神，只能做神的奴隶，受神支配。这种理论和佛教的宗旨恰好相反。佛教的宗旨是：「人人可以成佛。」现在的众生，是我们过去的父母，未来的诸佛，如果对众生发瞋恨心，等于瞋恨父母和诸佛，成为大逆不孝的人。所以我们对众生要慈悲、要尊重，人与人之间，要以诚相待，互相援助，不要互相障碍、互相妒忌，这就是佛教最伟大之处。

Some religions assert that there is only one god who created and rules this world or who controls the universe. They maintain that human beings can't become gods; that people can only be god's workers, dominated by him. This theory is the opposite of Buddhist principles.

According to Buddhist principles, everyone can become a Buddha. Present living beings are our parents from past lives as well as future Buddhas. If you get angry at living beings, this amounts to getting mad at your parents and the Buddhas. Thus you become a great rebel and are unfilial. We should be compassionate and respectful to-wards living beings. We should also treat each other with sincerity, help each other out, and not obstruct or be jealous of one another. This is the greatest aspect of Buddhism.

今天你们大家来到万佛圣城，参加浴佛盛会，我不管你们信佛不信佛，浴佛不浴佛，我认可你们都是佛教徒。你信仰天主，也算是佛教徒；你信仰耶稣，也算是佛教徒；你信仰犹太教，或信回教等等，都算是佛教徒，绝不把你算到佛教之外，我们大家都是一家人，没有彼此的分别。你们看！佛教多么伟大！没有排斥异教的思想。

You have come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas today to attend the celebration of the Buddha's birthday. Regardless of whether or not you believe in Buddhism, and whether or not you have come to bathe the Buddha, I consider all of you Buddhists. If you are Catholic, you're a Buddhist; if you are Protestant, you're also a Buddhist. Even if you are a Jew, a Muslim, or a follower of some other religion, you are still a Buddhist. I will not exclude you from Buddhism. We are all one family. There is no distinction between you and I. See how great Buddhism is! We don't have the notion of excluding other religions.

一九八三年五月九日开示

A talk given on May 9, 1983