出家是大丈夫事

Leaving the Home-life Is a Heroic Deed

出家人要把出家的本分认清楚，要把出家人的地位、宗旨认清楚，不要同流合污，如同世俗一样。

Those of you who have left home should be clear about your role and your principles. Don't wallow in the mire and be the same as worldly people.

有很多人到万佛圣城出家，都是自动出家，没有人教他出家。不论美国人、中国人，都是自己愿意出家，恳求多次，才许可出家。皈依的也是这样，到万佛圣城来的人，愿意皈依的就皈依，不愿意的就不勉强。因为勉强做事，非究竟法，“强摘之瓜不甜”，有些真心出家的人，时间久了也会退心还俗；何况人若非自动出家，你教他出家，最后还是会还俗的。

Many people come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas to leave the home-life. They doit of their own free will, without anyone telling them to do it. Whether these people who wish to leave home are American or Chinese, they sincerely request permission to do so several times. It's the same with people who want to take refuge. People who want to take refuge may do so, while those who don't, aren't forced into it. Coercing people into doing things is not an ultimate solution."Melons plucked before their time are not sweet." Even people who leave home of their own free will sometimes retreat from their resolve and return to lay-life after a while; how much the more would people who were coerced into leaving home return to lay-life.

“出家”是一件光明磊落的大丈夫事，不是鸡鸣狗盗，小人行险侥幸可以得的。所以出家人要把出家的本分认清楚，要把出家人的地位、宗旨认清楚，不要同流合污，如同世俗一样，人云亦云，人行亦行，自己毫无宗旨，认不清目标。皈依三宝、护持三宝也是同样的道理。你皈依三宝了，就要护持三宝，不要反而要三宝来护持你，不要在佛教中找便宜。若是如此，将来终究是吃亏的，到那时后悔也晚了。

Leaving the home-life is a righteous and heroic deed; it's not something that can be done by petty-minded people who seek cheap bargains or hope to succeed by chance or by luck. Those of you who have left home should be clear about your role and your principles. Don't wallow in the mire and be the same as worldly people. Don't blindly follow and copy others without having any principles or goals of your own. This also applies to those who take refuge with and protect the Triple Jewel. After taking refuge with the Triple Jewel, you should protect and support it and not expect the Triple Jewel to protect and support you. Do not look for bargains in Buddhism; if you do, you will be disappointed at the end.

【编按】摘自《宣化上人中英开示录（五）》，刊载于“法界佛教总会中文网站”。