2013年美佛会庄严寺佛学夏令营主题-人身难得

法曜法师

佛教的宇宙观包容万象。从器世间来看，有在不同层次天界享乐的诸天神、生存于地球各式各样的人类众生、形形色色的畜生、毛骨悚然的饿鬼、还有不幸投身在各层地狱中遭受极大苦痛的众生。

身为人身是佛陀和佛教最关心的议题，其目的无非是劝人向善，或说明宇宙的生命体及业报。如《杂阿含经》卷十五提到人身为最可贵的观念。佛世尊告诸比丘：「譬如大地悉成大海，有一盲龟寿无量劫，此盲龟百年一出其头，恰恰海中有浮木，木中有一孔，漂流海浪，随风东西。盲龟仅百年一出其头，当得遇此孔不？」

阿难白佛：「不能，世尊！所以者何？此盲龟若至海东，浮木随风，或至海西，南、北四维围遶亦尔，不必相得。」

佛告阿难：「盲龟浮木，虽复差违，或复相得。愚痴凡夫漂流五趣，暂复人身，甚难于彼。」

由此可知人身难得，生命易逝。并且 人身难得今已得，佛法难闻今已闻；此身不向今生度，更向何生度此身。

今天我们有幸能身为人身，也有幸能相聚一起。切莫耗费生命在毫无意义的生涯中，也莫随意伤害、糟蹋人身，害己害人。

Theme of Summer Camp 2013 at Chuang Yen Monastery:

It is Extraordinary to be a Human

The Buddhist cosmology is intriguingly complicated and vast. According to the Buddhist understanding of the universe, it Comprises of heavenly beings dwelling in different levels of heaven, sentient beings such as different human races, various types of beasts and insects from animal kingdoms, hungry ghosts on this very Earth. In addition, our universe also comprises of other types of existence, for example hell realms, which perhaps sound horrific but yet unfortunate to those who were born there. No matter  whatever reason these realms are mentioned, it is beyond doubt that the Buddha regards human as the most important one among them. One of the examples can be found in Samyuktagama, the Buddha once asked the monks, there was a blind turtle in an ocean as vast as the surface of Earth. This blind turtle only swam at the surface of the ocean and extended his head above the surface of ocean once in hundred years. What was the odd that its head happened to go through a hole on a rotten wood plank flowing by? The odd was very minimal. Hence the Buddha told Ananda, his attendant that the ignorant beings who wandered in the five realms of existence, the chance of them being born as a human is very rare. From this simile, we have learned that it is certainly hard to be born as a human and our lives slip by quickly. We not only have to cherish this human body but also take the opportunity to comprehend the Buddhist teaching which is beneficial and true. One ought to strive towards a better life.

Today we have such a good opportunity to be born as a human, and also we are lucky to have the chance to meet and learn the dharma together. It might not be wise to loiter and to live a life without meaning.

One should not waste the good opportunity being a human and harm oneself  and the others.