莫待老来方学道

Don't Wait Until You're Old to Cultivate the Way

为什么到了现在，还要等待，不去修行？

Why, even now, do we still want to put off cultivating?

我们在这世界上，应该赶快修行，不要等待。年轻时不修行，等到白头时再修行，那就来不及了，所谓：

莫待老来方学道，

孤坟尽是少年人。

When we are in this world, we should hurry and cultivate. Don't wait around. If you don't cultivate when young, and you wait until your hair turns gray to cultivate, it will be too late. The saying goes,

Don't wait until you're old to cultivate the Way.

The lonely graves are full of young people.

年轻人也会很快就死去，不管老少，只要时候到了，无常鬼就捉你去见阎罗王，这是一点也不客气的，所谓：

阳间无老少，

阴间常相逢。

Young people will also die soon. Regardless of whether you are young or old, when the time comes, the ghosts of impermanence will drag you off to see King Yama. They won't show you any courtesy at all. It is said,

Age makes no difference in

the realm of the living,

For people constantly meet in

the realm of the dead.

各位注意！光阴很宝贵，一寸时光，就是一寸命光，不要随随便便把光阴空过，等三灾来临的时候，我们能否受得了？趁现在年轻时，要发奋修行，不要等到明天才修行。今天及时修行，方为上策。

Each of you should pay attention! Time is precious. An inch of time is an inch of life, so don't casually let the time pass in vain. When the three disasters are imminent, will we be able to survive? While we are still young, we must cultivate zealously. Don't wait until tomorrow to cultivate. The best way is to immediately start cultivating today.

有人想：「今天先不修行，等明天才修行。」明天又等明天，等来等去，头发白了，眼睛花了，耳朵聋了，牙也掉了，到了那个时候想修行，身体不听招呼，四肢不灵活，那时就苦不堪言。

Someone is thinking, “I won't cultivate today. I'll put it off till tomorrow.” Tomorrow, you'll put it off to the next day. You keep putting it off until your hair turns white, your eyes become blurry, your ears go deaf, and your teeth fall out. At that point, you want to cultivate, but your body won't obey, and your four limbs are no longer agile. It will be unspeakably bitter then.

各位要知道，我们活在世界上，好像没有水的鱼，没有多久的时间，便呜呼哀哉！所谓：

是日已过，命亦随减；

如少水鱼，斯有何乐。

大众！

当勤精进，如救头然；

但念无常，慎勿放逸。

You all should know that living in this world, we are like fish in a pond that is evaporating. We don't have much time left! As it is said,

This day is already done.

Our lives are that much less.

We're like fish in a shrinking pond.

What joy is there in this?

Great Assembly!

We should be diligent and vigorous,

As if our own heads were at stake.

Only be mindful of impermanence.

And be careful not to be lax.

我们从无量劫以来，一直到现在，还不知修行，生了又死，死了又生，这是很值得我们痛心。为什么到了现在，还要等待，不去修行？各位想一想，时间不会等待，转瞬之间，一生就结束了。

From beginningless eons in the past until now, we have not known to cultivate. We undergo birth and death, and after death, birth again. We should really be pained at heart about this. Why, even now, do we still want to put off cultivating? Each of us should think about it─time doesn't wait. In the twinkling of an eye, this life will be over.