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編者按： 淨宗法師Facebook英文專頁開通以來，廣受海外蓮友歡迎，其中英譯小組翻譯的淨宗法師短文點擊量最高，少則三四千，多的則高達一萬以上，很多國外非佛教徒也紛紛訪問留言。美國紐約Carey Harben因為侄子的事苦惱不已，遂在Facebook上留言尋求幫助，以下是留言及其回復全文。 I agree and appreciate your inclusion of the family and relationship also suffer as the result of a loved one’s suffering/ mental illness! 你們提到，親朋好友也會因為摯愛的人受苦/罹患精神疾病而感到痛苦，對此我深有同感! I am presently visiting my elders (88 and 91). I am very grateful they are still with us and I can visit and serve and enjoy them; but their grandson (my nephew; age 26) is living with them and has been for 10 years now. He has mental illness; he does very little to contribute to the family. He hasn’t a job. He lives, eats, sleeps in this household. I am pleased that he is showing growth and healing by taking care of his body through exercise, healthy eating and quitting smoking cigarettes; these are all positive steps towards mindfulness. He also practices silence most of the time, but he does not go to work and does very little to contribute to this household. He also shows disrespect at times, arrogance and a sense of entitlement, showing little respect, gratitude or appreciation for his family and elders! 最近我去看了家中二老(分別是88歲和91歲)。感恩的是，他們還健在，我還能侍奉孝敬他們。他們跟孫子(我26歲的侄子)共同生活了10年。不幸的是我侄子有精神病，不工作，吃住全靠我父母。他已經有了成熟和康復的跡象，懂得鍛煉身體、健康飲食和戒煙，為恢復正常神智而積極努力;同時他大多數時候都練習靜坐。盡管如此，他還沒上班，沒有為這個家做什麼貢獻。有時候他態度傲慢，對自己家人和長輩都不尊重，還覺得理所當然。 I realize I am judging; please help me. He has asked me for money, after months of ignoring my messages! I get triggered, angry, sad and frustrated, witnessing this big, strong, handsome young man living in seclusion, isolation, hiding out at his grandparents’ house and contributing nothing to his family or society! 我知道我這樣是在評判他。可我該怎麼做呢?我侄子已經連續幾個月不斷問我要錢。看到這樣個強壯帥氣的年輕人躲在祖父母的家中與世隔絕，對社會沒有任何貢獻，我感到很惱火、傷心、無奈!請幫幫我。 I am also curious and frustrated that there are not any holistic rehab community-like settings, where someone like this fellow may go to heal; to develop a practice and learn to serve; to cook, to meditate, to help and to cohabitate with others his own age … and people from diverse backgrounds! 我感到失望和好奇的還有，現在還沒有整體康復社區供我侄子這樣的人療養、學習服務他人、學習烹饪、冥想、幫助同齡人和來自不同背景的人並與之共同生活。 If you know of any places like what I am describing, I would like to know more about them and if not then perhaps it is time to come together to create one together! 如果您知道有我描述的這種康復社區，請告訴我;如果沒有，那麼是時候大家齊心協力創建一個這樣的場所! ———————— 親愛的凱麗·哈本： 您好!我們是管理淨宗法師 Facebook 的編輯團隊。淨宗法師向您和您的家人致以親切的問候,並讓我來執筆回復您。 Dear Carey Harben, We are the editorial team for Master Jingzong. He has extended warm greetings to you and your family and authorized me to type down this letter. 聽您講了侄子和全家的境遇後，我們都為您感到難過。同時，也很感恩您能如此信任我們。人們都因為不同的緣由而不同程度地承受著各種可見或不可見的痛苦，因為沒有完美的人，也沒有完美的人生。這種普遍存在的不完美必然導致人類的痛苦。是否曾有一刻是你意識到我們都在承受苦難?從這個意義上講，痛苦中的你們並不孤單。正因為如此，我們才需要信仰、宗教信仰、佛教信仰，以尋求終極救贖。 We feel so sorry to hear about your nephew’s sufferings. Thank you for trusting us so much that you tell us your deepest feelings. People all suffer from some kind of sorrows in their lives for one reason or another, hidden or apparent, since no one is perfect and no life is perfect either. This kind of imperfection universally exists and necessarily leads to all sorts of pain. Has it ever occurred to you that we are all pitiful? So you are not alone, in terms of being in pain. This is why we need beliefs, religious beliefs, and to be more specific, Buddhist beliefs for ultimate deliverance from suffering. 從您的來信中我們看到您並沒有放棄幫助他、幫助全家走出苦海。您還心懷希望，而“希望”是這世上最重要、最美好的事物之一，對嗎?在這希望背後，我們感受到了您對這個高大帥氣的年輕人所懷有的慈悲。可能您之前已有所了解，慈悲之心是佛陀給予我們的核心、根本的大愛。 Your message shows that you haven’t given up and still hope to help him as well as your family. Hope is one of the most important and beautiful things in the world, isn’t it? And behind your hope, we see your compassion for this big, strong, handsome young man. As you may already know, compassion is one of the core and fundamental teachings of the Buddha. 至於合適的康復中心，恐怕我們目前無法具體告訴您哪裡能找得到，也無力即刻建立。不過感恩您讓我們開始思考將來可以怎樣提供幫助。 As to recommending a holistic rehab community, we are afraid that we are unable to tell you exactly where you can find one or to create one right away to help people like your nephew. Thanks to your question, we are inspired to think about how we could be of help in the future. 我們的建議是——念佛，而且是全家都念，包括您的侄子。六字佛號的具體發音是“南ná無mó阿ā彌mí陀tuó佛fó”，意思是歸命於阿彌陀佛。對於這種“治療方式”，不論國界，不論時代，都有不計其數的人求助於斯，仰賴於斯，獲益於斯。 What we would suggest is that you and your whole family, your nephew included, recite the name of Amitabha Buddha. The pronunciation is “Namo Ami-tuo-fo” or “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” which you can search and learn online. It means to take refuge in Amitabha Buddha. This is an inconceivable “cure” which innumerable people, across borders and times, have turned to, relied on and benefited from. 如果把念一聲佛比作一粒膠囊或一粒藥片，那麼該怎麼服用呢?有沒有使用說明?有的。簡單說來就是盡可能地利用一切時間——默念或出聲皆可，獨自或一起皆可。當你睜開眼，迎接新的一天;當你熄了燈准備入眠;當你坐著、走著、跑著;當你做飯、開車;當你開心或不開心;當你充滿希望或心生絕望……一開始，可以隨身攜帶念珠或計數器，提醒自己念佛。連續播放佛號的機器也會很有用。漸漸地，就會習慣於有佛號相伴左右，使念佛成為像呼吸一樣必要且自然的事情。哦，對了，有個念佛小貼士，是原則，也是捷徑，那就是越多越好——全家都念要比您孤軍奮戰效果加倍，念得多、念得誠更是效果加倍。 If recitation is like a capsule or a pill, how should I take it? Any directions for use? Yes. Simply recite the name any time possible quietly or out loud, alone or collectively. When you open your eyes to embrace a new day; when you turn off the lamp for a good sleep; when you are sitting, walking or running; when you are cooking or driving; happy or sad, in hope or despair. At the beginning, a string of beads or an electronic counter might help remind you to keep reciting. A music player reciting non-stop would also be useful. Gradually get used to the company of the recitation all the time and make it as essential and natural as the breathing process. Oh, there is a tip, a principle and a shortcut also. The more, the better. If more people recite instead of you doing it alone, or if you recite more times with greater sincerity, the benefits and merits will be multiplied. 阿彌陀佛在他的名號中賦予了他對我們的愛，這愛是慈悲，是加持，是力量，是智慧。執持名號是我們與阿彌陀佛相連結的最好方式，因為這是最簡易的。所以一定要真誠、堅定、持續地念，這是至關重要的。假以時日，你父母、你侄子或你自己很可能會覺察到某種改進，從很微小的進步到很顯著的改善。這世上沒人能向你拍著胸脯保證他/她能夠拯救你們全家，但你可以試試我的建議，等待境況得到好轉，這需要信念和耐心。 Amitabha Buddha has already embedded his love in his name, including great compassion, support, virtues, power and wisdom. Holding to his name is the best way for us to be connected with Amitabha Buddha. Recitation is easy to practice. So it is crucial to make sure you all hold to the name sincerely, firmly and persistently. After a while, your parents, your nephew or you are likely to sense positive changes happening in one way or another, from the slightest improvement to some big advancement. No one in this world can be sure that s/he can help your family, yet you could follow my advice and wait to see the growing progress with faith and patience. 在為你們全家祝禱之前，我還想提示一點：您並不知道在您、您侄子、您父母之間存在怎樣的前世因緣。因此，任何抱怨、指責和評頭論足是沒用也沒有意義的。負面的思維和言行只會雪上加霜，而於事無補。你不必要有一顆平靜、平和的心才去念佛，相反，是念佛會給你一顆平靜、平和的心。放輕松點，有阿彌陀佛為我們承擔一切。 Before we end this letter by praying for your family, we would like to remind you that you don’t really know what happened between you, your nephew and your parents in your previous lives. Therefore, any complaint or judgment is useless and meaningless. Negative thinking, words and behavior would only make things worse rather than better. It is not required that you recite the name with a calm and peaceful mind. Rather, you might enjoy a calm and peaceful mind as you recite the name of infinite light and infinite life. Try to take it easy, because Amitabha Buddha takes care of everything for us. 我們會將念佛功德回向給你、你的侄子和父母。 All of our recitation will be dedicated to you, your nephew and your parents. 南無阿彌陀佛! Namo Amituofo! 佛宣居士 淨土宗編輯部 The Pureland Buddhism Editorial Team 附言： 若要將念佛功德回向給特定的人或者事，可以在一天末了進行。或者只要在念佛的時候想到那個人、那樁事即可，無需特定回向。回向沒有固定模式，敬請向阿彌陀佛直言你的心願。他會聽到，會理解，會記住的。 P.S. Dedication to a specific person or for a matter can be practiced at t
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