ology has grown out of control.  Within the next two centuries, telephones and the like will be totally obsolete.  Televisions and computers will have disappeared.  Every person's physical body will contain the capabilities of these machines.  Nobody will have to bother dialing a telephone or punching a touch-tone.  A person will only need to beam out the number of the desired party from his own built-in phone, with its antennae located in the eyebrows, perhaps, or from his hair, and the other person will receive the call the same built-in way.  "Hello! Good morning!"  That's how easy it will be to place a phone call.

關於這點，有人可能會這麼想：「法師，你所說的簡直像天方夜譚嘛！」

Somebody may be thinking at this point, "Dharma Master, that's the craziest talk I've ever heard."

那好，我問你，你可想過要是五百年前，你對人說：「未來五百年內，就會發明飛機、電視、收音機等等。」會有多少人相信？大家不當你是瘋子才怪。可是現在這些東西多麼普遍，到處都看得見。

Well, I ask you to consider this.  How many people would have believed you if five hundred years ago you had said, "In five hundred years, there will be airplanes, television, and radios?"  Everyone would have considered you insane.  But all these inventions are commonplace now.

為什麼一開始我就提這個問題呢？因為我們該知道，科學的進步和物質的便利，對人來說，其實並不是好處；是有漏的，不究竟。

Why do I mention this topic in the first place?  Because we should recognize that advances in science, and in material benefits are not necessarily good for humanity in the long run.  They are incomplete, imperfect benefits.

唯有智慧，才能究竟圓滿地利益整個世界，以道德作為前導的思想和意念，才會對所有的人有益而無害。

Wisdom, on the other hand, is the most thorough-going benefit for the whole world. Thinking and attitudes born of morality and virtue are thoroughly good for us all.

像佛陀的「四無量心」──慈、悲、喜、捨──就是完完全全地利益眾生；唯有把心念紮根在「四無量心」上，就可以使科學反過來為我們所用。

The Buddha's Four Measureless Attitudes of kindness, compassion, joy, and even-mindedness are totally advantageous to all creatures.  When we base ourselves in thoughts such as these, then we can go ahead and put technology to work for us.

你們聽了不要害怕，就是以後我們會忘記人的基本相貌：譬如我們現在這個身體，將來的人會一絲都想不起來，人原先是長得什麼樣子。因為到了那個時候，人都長得像動物一樣了──我不是在罵人，我這個預言是非常冷酷的事實。

There's no fear that we will forget the fundamental aspects of humanity: our own bodies for example.  In the future people will forget entirely what people look like. We will all become like animals.  I'm not scolding you; this prediction is a cold, hard fact.

這個世界，總是照著一定的規則在變化。好到極點，就變壞；惡到極點，就轉好。人窮到極點，會突然致富；富人也常在一夜間蕩盡家財。我們在剛出生的時候，還只是個小嬰兒，然後長大、老了、病了、死了。出生和死亡在這個世界不停地交替循環，這也就是進步到極點，然後遷變毀滅的過程。

That's how the world turns.  Good taken to t