宗博季刊第123期

4 The Museum of World Religions sets up exhibitions corresponding to different phases in life, and now we’ve come to “Death and the Afterlife”. The following is what I’ve expressed in the “Life Caring in Buddhism” course, hoping to help people better understand how to face death. The most important teachings I’ve received from the Master is “to see the constant, those that have no birth and death.” Albeit waxing and waning, the moon is a round object in itself, only subject to the changes in the lights it reflects. There is life and death among human beings, but what perishes is only the flesh; the spirit never dies, and that’s the real “immortal life”. When we understand the nature of life, how do we face death then? It is to accept it, and treat it with an optimistic mindset. Buddha went through eight stages from descending to the mortal world all the way to nirvana, which sets an example for the followers. Finally, I’d like to conclude with a quote from the Master. “How to face death? It should be as comfortable to face death as it is to face life. As long as you know how to wholeheartedly live your life, when death comes, you would also know how to understand it.” -- Dharma Master Hsin Tao by Venerable Dr. Liaoyi Shih, CEO of MWR Development Foundation 死亡是生命中無可迴避的課題，生死循環構成 了生命流轉終始不斷。一直以來，世界宗教博物館依 照著生命的不同階段規劃特展，現今來到「死亡和死 後」；以下是我在「佛教的生命關懷」課程提出的看 法，希望能讓大家更了解如何面對死亡。 我們會懼怕死亡，是因為不了解生命。從佛陀的 教法中可以明白，唯一值得我們生生世世去耕耘的， 是解脫煩惱生死的智慧；如何徹底解脫，出離生死和 輪迴的痛苦呢？首先我們要認識生命的本質。 月有陰晴圓缺，人有生老病死，可是不變的是什 麼？上師給我最重要的教導是：「 你要看那不變的、 不會生滅的 」。這成為我在修行上很重要的解脫口 訣。月縱使有陰晴圓缺，但月亮的本體還是圓的，它 的圓缺只是光影投射的改變；人雖然有生老病死，但 死的畢竟是肉身，心是永遠不死的，這才是真正「不 死的生命」。 當我們認識生命的本質後，該如何去面對死亡 呢？就是接受它，再以更正面積極的態度樂觀看待。 就好比佛陀示現了「八相成道 *」的相狀，以涅槃的 相狀，激勵弟子更精進。讓我們一起正面積極地面對 死亡、面對生活與當下。 最後，我以上師的話來做結語。 心道法師說： 如何面對死亡？ 面對生活和死亡都應該是非常自在的。 只要知道如何用心面對生活， 當面對死亡時，就知道如何了知死亡。 文 / 世界宗教博物館發展基金會執行長 釋了意 活在當下 心繫永恆 The eight phases of the Buddha's life are: descending into the world, taking residence in the womb, taking birth, renouncing the secular life, defeating the host of demons, enlightenment, turning the wheel of the dharma, and entering into nirvana. * 指佛陀降生人間、託胎、出生，示現出家、降魔、成道、轉法輪，到入涅槃的八個過程。 Living in the Now and Connecting to the Eternity 文化櫥窗