竣工

Project Completed

今天对我来说，十分值得纪念。我自认为一生中比较大的工程——《白莲花论》的翻译完成了。动笔之初是在2001年12月25日，当天，全厦门的人都在以各种方式欢度“圣诞节”，我也自我安慰地将外面的喜庆场面，当作该翻译工程的奠基大典。

To me personally, today is a day worthy of every commemoration. A major project of my life—the translation of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus—has just been completed. This project was commenced on Christmas Day 2001 when the people of Xiamen celebrated it in various ways. On that day, I took the liberty of assuming the festive mood in the city as cheers for my foundation-laying ceremony of the translation.

作为佛教教主，释迦牟尼佛从因地初发心直至最终示现成佛，行持六度万行的事迹可谓感人至深。每当阅读之时都为其打动，多次发愿将之翻译与道友们共同分享。今天总算是如愿以偿了。

Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, performed innumerable activities of the Six Transcendent Perfections from his initial aspiration to final enlightenment. His deeds are incredibly moving stories, which touched me deeply every time I read them. I have been aspiring to translate the biography so that others could appreciate it too; today I am happy to see my wish is finally fulfilled.

翻译之初，恰值住房对面一幢高楼奠基动工，动工之时，人头攒动，彩旗飞扬，听说仅设计费就用了几十万，建筑工人也上百名，再加上现代化的机器设备，十分风光。而我们的工程除了校对打字的以外，没有强大的人力物力作为后盾，与其比较，显得寒碜之至。然而我们所具有的却是令他们自愧不如的，对佛祖至深至诚的信心。仅凭这点，就足以使我们成为精神上所向无敌的贵族。

The launching of my translation project coincided with the building of a high-rise across from my residence. Its groundbreaking ceremony was attended by throngs of cheering crowds and decorated with colorful banners. The building started with a blueprint that reportedly cost hundreds of thousands of yuan and its construction has been carried out by hundreds of workers equipped with modern engineering tools. Compared with their grandiose style, our translation project seems extremely shabby. We have neither a huge amount of manpower nor hefty funds as support, only a proofreader of the typescript. Nonetheless, we do have unshakable deep faith in the Buddha, something so special that outshines mundane construction. This and this alone, is enough to lift us in spirit to the rank of the indomitable nobles.

历经100多天，如今大楼已经断水，即将竣工。我的工程也圆满结束，开发商一定认为自己对社会、对人类做了一件有意义的事，我觉得我的工程也许更有意义。相信几百年之后，由水泥砖瓦修建的高楼将荡然无存，而作为精神财富的世尊传记，却不会被飞逝的时间和地理版图所囿，仍将继续利益百千万代、五湖四海的后人。使其因此而对佛陀生起信心，并逐渐趋至解脱正道。

With more than 100 days of work behind it, this building is in the stage of water supply and will soon be completed; my project, likewise, has reached the finishing line. While the developers must feel good about their significant accomplishment, my project, I believe, could be more meaningful. A few hundred years from now, buildings made from cement, brick, and tile will be gone with no trace left; on the contrary, the spiritual wealth of the Buddha’s life story will still continue to benefit hundreds and thousands of future generations. Unaffected by the confines of time and space, it will arouse faith in its readers all over and lead them steadily onto the path of liberation.

留给后人最好的遗产，不是高楼大厦，不是金银财宝，而是遮蔽无明风雨的精神大厦。

The best inheritance to leave for future generations is not the high-rise building, or gold, silver, or jewels; rather, it is the towering spiritual mansion that will provide protection from the thunderstorms of delusion.

壬午年三月二十二日　
2002年5月3日　　

22nd of March, Year of RenWu
May 3, 2002