為什麼要受持五戒？（中英對照）　宣化上人著

◎ 佛教徒要守持的根本戒律

◎ The basic rules to be observed by Buddhists

五戒是佛教徒最根本要守的戒律，就是不殺生，不偷盜，不邪婬，不妄語，不飲酒。

The five precepts are the most fundamental rules that Buddhists should follow. They are: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying and not consuming intoxicants.

不殺生，你常常不殺生就得長壽報，壽命會長。為什麼有的人壽命長？有的人壽命短？壽命長的人，因持不殺戒得長壽報；壽命短的人，因他歡喜殺生就得短命的果報。

If you receive the precept against killing and constantly refrain from killing, you will be rewarded with longevity. You will live a long life. Why is it that some people have long life spans while others have short life spans? Those who had upheld the precept against killing are rewarded with a long life, while people who liked to kill have the retribution of short lives.

為什麼要持不偷戒？因為偷，是損壞人的財產福命。什麼是偷盜？是偷偷的把別人的財產物質偷走了。你儘偷盜別人的東西，你得到什麼果報呢？將來你就受財產不長久的果報。好像你本來很有錢，突然間被強盜搶去了。

Why should we observe the precept against stealing? It is because stealing causes others to lose their wealth. What is stealing? It is covertly taking away properties and materials belonging to others. What’s the retribution for stealing others’ things? The retribution will be that of not being able to hold one's own wealth long. For example, someone may be rich, and all of a sudden that person gets robbed.

婬、妄、酒，也都是這樣子。就好像你不守婬戒，去姦婬別人的婦女，將來你自己的妻女也被人玩弄，這都是一種果報。

Sexual misconduct, lying, and taking intoxicants are similar. For instance, someone who does not observe the rule against sexual misconduct might have affairs with others’ women. In the future, that person's own wife or daughter will also be prostituted by others. Those are the kinds of retributions that will happen.

妄語，你自己要是不騙人，你就不會被人騙。

As to lying, if we don’t cheat people, we will not be cheated.

說「我這一生沒有騙人，為什麼很多人來騙我呢？」我方才不是說過，這種果報不是一生的事情，是有過去、現在、未來，果報是通三世的。你今生沒有騙過人，你可知道你前生你騙過多少人嗎？「我不知道。」你不知道？那有人騙過你，這是應該的。

Someone may complain, “I have never cheated anyone in my life. Why is it that many people cheated me?” Didn’t I just say that the matter of retribution is not limited to one lifetime? It spans three time periods: past, present, and future. You may not have cheated anyone in this life, but do you know how many people you had cheated in your previous life? “I don’t know.” You don’t know? So it may be fitting that people cheat you now.

本來不想說大話，因說大話，但是總是不假思索就打妄語。這個打妄語很快，不用思索，不用想一想要打什麼妄語。譬如有人問你﹕「偷東西沒有？你偷了沒有？」就是偷了，你也會說﹕「我沒有偷。」不用想就說沒有偷。一個「偷」犯了一個戒，「打妄語」又犯了一個戒。

A person may not have intended to boast, but it's very easy to tell a lie without even realizing it. Telling lies can happen very fast. A lie comes out before we know it. For instance, someone may ask a person, “Have you stolen something?”  The person may reply, “I didn’t” without even stopping to think even if he did. If in fact, the person stole, then, by denying it, he commits the offense of lying on top the offense of stealing.

酒飲少是沒有什麼問題，喝多了就會亂性，人就顛倒，所做的事也顛倒，所以佛教裡戒酒。

A little wine doesn’t hurt. However, if people drink a lot they will become confused and do crazy things. That’s why drinking wine is prohibited in Buddhism.

這五戒說起來是有很多道理。主要的是我們手不去殺生，心裡也不生殺念，這才是真正持「殺戒」。盜也是如此，手不去盜，心也不生盜念。「盜」，不論大小，凡是沒有人許可你，你自己偷偷用了其他人的東西，這都叫犯盜戒。

If we were to elaborate, the five precepts encompass many principles. The main point is that when we make sure our hands do no killing, we must also be sure that our minds do not entertain any thoughts of killing. Then we are truly upholding the precept against killing. The same applies to the precept against stealing. When our hands are not stealing, our minds must also be free of thoughts of stealing. Regardless of the value of objects, if someone uses something or takes something stealthily without getting permission, then that is considered to be a violation of the precept against stealing.