Saturday, April 1, 2017

The Sharing of Merits and Its Benefits 功德迴向與它的利益

問:在我的心中還是有些疑惑。在每次佛法開示後,我們都會做功德迴向。我們唸的最後兩行是:「願以此功德,與一切眾生分享;願一切眾生,平等獲得此功德。」它的意義很簡單,就是說:「我們把功德,平等的迴向給所有的眾生。」我的問題是,請問:「一切眾生」是說我們也迴向功德給非眾生嗎?我們的功德也迴向給墮入惡道的眾生嗎?它也包含我們的家人嗎?這些所有的眾生都能收到我們的功德嗎?
Question: In my mind there is still this doubt. At the end of each Dhamma talk, we always share merits. The last two lines we recite are: ‘Mama puññabhāgaṃ sabbasattānaṃ bhājemi. Te sabbe me samaṃ puññabhāgaṃ labhantu.’ The meaning is very simple, that is, we say that we share our merits equally with all beings. So my question is: Do the words ‘all beings’ here mean that we are sharing our merits with non-living beings too? Does our sharing of merits extend to those who are suffering in the woeful realms? Does it include our families? Are all of these also able to receive our sharing of merits?

答:佛陀教導他的弟子們,把功德迴向已經逝世的眾生。還有,十善行業(kusala sucarita kamma)中其中一種善業是迴向功德,另一種善業是隨喜別人的功德迴向,這是構成十善行業的其中兩種善業。這就是對於那些瞭解要善待自己與善待他人的人,所應作的。
做了善行後,應該把自己累積的功德與他人分享。基於這種動機,我們把累積的功德迴向給已逝者。有時,我們並沒有特殊的動機迴向功德給已逝者,我們就只是把功德迴向給能夠聆聽到我們迴向的人。如果我們隨喜別人的功德迴向,我們也在累積善業。我們累積什麼樣的善業呢?在隨喜別人功德迴向的當下,善心會生起,這是功德迴向的本質。雖然在迴向的過程中,我們說「一切眾生」,事實上它是特指那些可以聽到、知道如何隨喜、生在其中一個餓鬼道的眾生。這些餓鬼道的眾生,叫做他施活命餓鬼。這些鬼類眾生能藉著隨喜他們家屬所作的功德,提升自己的生命層次。基於這樣的原因,我們作功德迴向。
功德迴向就如同點燃蠟燭,如果你手中有一根已經點燃的蠟燭,站在你周圍的人,每一個人手中都有一根蠟燭,然後你點燃他們的蠟燭,這樣加起來的光明變得更大、更強。所以迴向自己累積的功德,會使自己的功德變得更大。同樣的,對於那些知道如何隨喜他人作功德迴向的人,他們不但可以自己累積善業,而且如果他們知道如何隨喜別人的功德迴向,他們也有機會累積善業。雖然有時候他們不能自己製造善業,但是他們的隨喜會增長他們的善業,而且幫助他們生起善心。如果這些善心出現在他們臨終的那一剎那,他們就會投生善趣。
這是針對那些懂得如何隨喜別人功德迴向的人,以及針對那些瞭解要把功德迴向給逝者,及迴向給懂得隨喜的眾生之重要性的人。所以為了利己及利人,我們都需要做功德迴向。
Answer: The Buddha taught His disciples to share merits with the departed. Also, one of the ten kusala sucarita kamma (wholesome kamma of good conduct) is sharing merits, and another is rejoicing in the sharing of merits done by others. These are two of the wholesome actions that constitute the ten wholesome sucarita kamma. This is what should be done by those who understand how to act for the good of themselves and the good of others. After we have done wholesome deeds, we should share our accumulated merits. With this intention, then, we share our accumulated merits with our departed ones. Sometimes we have no particular intention towards any departed ones, and we just simply share merits with those who hear our sharing of merits. If we rejoice when others share their merits, we accumulate wholesome kamma. What type of wholesome kamma do we accumulate? If you rejoice when others share their merits, wholesome states arise in your mind. This is the essence of sharing merits. In this way, even though we say ‘all beings’ in the recitation, it specifically refers to those who can hear, those who know how to rejoice, and those who have been born in one of the hungry ghost realms. The name of this type of ghost is ‘paradattūpajīvi peta’ - those who can upgrade their lives rejoicing in the merits done by their family members. For that reason, we share our merits. 

Sharing merits is like lighting candles. You have a lighted candle in your hand, and there are many around you holding a candle in each of their hands. You then light their candles. The collective light becomes bigger, brighter, and stronger. This is how the sharing of one’s accumulated wholesome kamma leads to even greater merits for oneself. 

It is similar for those who know how to rejoice in the sharing of merits done by others: Not only are they able to accumulate good kamma themselves, but they also have an opportunity to accumulate wholesome kamma if they know how to rejoice in the merits of others. Even though they cannot make merit themselves, their rejoicing accumulates wholesome kamma and creates wholesome states of mind for them. If these wholesome states of mind appear at the near-death moment, they will be reborn in a good realm. 
This is directed at those who understand how to rejoice in the sharing of merits done by others, and those who understand how important it is to share merits both for those who have passed away and for those who know how to rejoice. Therefore, this is something we all need to do, in order to benefit ourselves and others.

Aspirations and Sharing of Merits 發願及功德迴向
我們透過布施、持戒、禪修已經累積了許多善業,但是沒有一種果報比證悟涅槃更殊勝。所以,你們在這次禪修營累積的善行,應該要導向證悟涅槃;其它的修證與成就都沒有涅槃的重要。也許因為累積的巴拉密尚未具足,在你們追尋佛法的這一生中可能無法立刻滅苦,但是如果你發願證悟涅槃,你將會投生善趣。若能如此,你在往後的生生世世都會有滅苦之願,你將會一生又一生地精進不放逸。所以,發願滅苦,對我們的生命來說是一種殊勝的願。現在讓我們一起發願和迴向:
We have accumulated a lot of wholesome kamma – through dāna, sīla, and bhāvanā. There is no result which compares with the realisation of Nibbāna. Therefore, all the good actions you have accumulated in this retreat should be for the realisation of Nibbāna. Other attainments and other achievements are not as important. You may not be able to make an end of suffering as you are making your way in search of the Dhamma, because your accumulated pāramī is not yet sufficient; but you will be reborn in a good realm if you make an aspiration to attain Nibbāna. Then you will have the intention to make an end of suffering in every existence, so that you will heedfully make an effort one life after another. Therefore, making an aspiration to make an end of suffering is the supreme aspiration of our lives. So now we will make aspirations and share merits:
Idaṃ me puññaṁ āsavakkhayāvahaṁ hotu.
Idaṁ me puññaṁ nibbānassa paccayo hotu.
Mama puññabhāgaṁ sabbasattānaṃ bhājemi,
Te sabbe me samaṁ puññabhāgaṁ labhantu.
Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!

願我此功德,導向斷盡一切煩惱!
願我此功德,成為證悟涅槃的助緣!
願以此功德,與一切眾生分享,
願一切眾生,平等獲得此功德!
薩度!薩度!薩度!
May this merit of mine lead to the destruction of the taints.
May this merit of mine be a condition for the realisation of Nibbāna.
I share these merits of mine with all sentient beings.
May all sentient beings receive an equal share of my merits.
Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!
Source:
EXPECTATION DERIVED FROM ONE’S OWN POINT OF VIEW
Selected Questions and Answers
[主觀與期待]-精选问答篇
Ven. Revata尊者 雷瓦達

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