慈慧不二，法藥遍施大地春

 -- 美國佛教會2019世界宗教聯合祈禱文

 

Dear Venerable, brothers,  sisters, and honorable guests, happy new year! I am happy to be invited by BAUS to pray for the peace of the world with all of you here.

尊敬的長老法師，各宗各教的與會代表大家新年快樂！感恩主辦單位美國佛教會的邀請，讓我在此與大眾一起祈禱世界和平。

 

I would like to chant the Medicine Buddha Mantra in the tradition of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism.  The Mantra is the Buddha’s  loving-kindness, compassion, and wisdom.  With one mind, we chant the Medicine mantra sincerely. In this way, we will attain peace and harmony within ourselves, and then we can promote peace and harmony in the world. Before I chant the mantra, I would like to briefly introduce you the meaning of the mantra.

今天我要唱誦漢傳佛教的藥師咒，藥師咒代表了佛陀的慈悲與智慧。以虔誠信敬的心，專心念誦，慈悲智慧洗淨了我們內心的煩惱，這樣我們才能達成我們的個人身心和平，進而增進世界和平。在唱誦之前，我想先簡單介紹藥師咒的意義。藥師咒咒文如下：

 

南謨薄伽伐帝，鞞殺社窶嚕，薜琉璃，缽喇婆，喝囉闍也，

怛陀揭多耶，阿 囉喝帝，三藐三勃陀耶。怛姪他：唵！

鞞殺逝，鞞殺逝，鞞殺社，三沒揭帝，娑 訶！

namo bhagavate bhaiṣajya guru vaiḍūrya prabha rājāya

tathāgatāya arhate samyaksambuddhāya tadyathā:

oṃ bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajye bhaiṣajya samudgate svāhā.

 

There are two parts of the Medicine Buddha mantra.

藥師咒分成兩各部分：

 

The first part is to pay homage to the Medicine Buddha:   Through the recitation of the titles of the Medicine Buddha, which reflect the virtues of Him, the practitioner inspires faith and respect toward the Medicine Buddha.

第一是歸依禮敬藥師佛：透過思維藥師佛的名號所表顯的功德，激發行者信敬虔誠一心專念持誦藥師咒。

南謨薄伽伐帝，鞞殺社窶嚕，薜琉璃，缽喇婆，喝囉闍也，

namo bhagavate bhaiṣajya guru vaiḍūrya prabha rājāya

 

怛陀揭多耶，阿囉喝帝，三藐三勃陀耶。

tathāgatāya arhate samyaksambuddhāya

 

「南謨」，即皈依、皈命的意思。 「 Namo」:  homage

「薄伽伐帝」，為薄伽梵的異譯，也即是世尊。「Bhagavate」: Blessed One.

「鞞殺社窶嚕」，是藥師。 「Bhaiṣajya guru」:   medicine master.

「薜琉璃」，即是琉璃。「Vaiḍūrya」:    Lapis Lazuli.

「缽喇婆」，是光。「Prabha」:    light

「喝囉闍也」，是王。「Rājāya」:   king

「怛陀揭多耶」；是如來。「Tathāgatāya」: the One who comes from the Truth, and goes to the Truth

「阿囉喝帝」，是應（供）。「Arhate」: the Worthy One.

「三藐三勃陀耶」，是等 正覺。「Samyaksambuddhāya」 : the Wholly Enlightened One.

​

We may translate the first part of the mantra into English as follows: Homage to the Blessed One, King of Medicine Master, the one who radiates Lapis Lazuli Light, the One who comes from the Truth, and goes to the Truth, the Worthy One, the Wholly Enlightened One.

這幾句綜合起來，即是：『皈命世尊藥師琉璃光王如來、應、等正覺 』。

 

The second part is the short version of the mantra:

第二是咒心：

 

怛姪他：唵！鞞殺逝，鞞殺逝，鞞殺社，三沒揭帝，娑訶！

tadyathā: oṃ！ bhaiṣajye， bhaiṣajye， bhaiṣajya ，samudgate， svāhā！

 

「怛姪他」，就是『即說咒曰』的意思。

「Tadyathā」means: thus speaks the mantra.

 

「唵」， 應讀作嗡音，意義很多。1.皈依義，即是集中身心而向於三寶；2.警覺義， 提起注意，也就是把精神集中起來，注意一個地方。

「oṃ」” means concentrate one’s mind toward the Triple Gem,

 

「鞞殺逝，鞞殺逝，鞞殺社」，即是說：藥！藥！藥！

「bhaiṣajye,  bhaiṣajye,  bhaiṣajya」means medicine, medicine, medicine.

 

「三沒揭帝」，即是普度，普遍救度一切眾 生之義。

「Samudgate」means risen up, come forth, appeared, begun. The Sanskrit root form of “samudgate”： sam+ud+√gaj (gate).“Sam” means together； “ud”means up； “gaj”means go，the Sanskrit form of “gate” means gone in English. Therefore, we may translate “samudgate”to be gone up together, or risen up together in English. It is interesting to note that the word “sam”, which means “together" in English. This suggests that there are many ingredients working together as medicine. It is also interesting to understand that the Medicine Buddha wishes to grant all beings with all kinds of happiness. In order to fulfill his wishes, he needs also compassion, wisdom and many other virtues. When we radiate loving-kindness by chanting the Medicine Mantra, we should also follow the example of the Medicine Buddha, too.

 

「娑訶」，也作『娑婆訶』，意思是速得成就。

「Svāhā」 means to be fulfilled, to be attained quickly.

 

Understanding all the Sanskrit words in the short form of the Medicine Buddha mantra, we may translate the Sanskrit mantra into English as follows:  Thus speaks the mantra: medicine, medicine, medicine! May the medicine be risen up together as soon as possible, so that all the sentient beings be healed!

咒心可以翻译如下：“即說咒曰：藥！藥！藥！生起來！普度一切眾生之病苦，悉皆速得圓滿成就！“

 

We may sum up the meaning of the Medicine Buddha Mantra as follows:

Homage to the Blessed One, King of Medicine Master, the  one who radiates Lapis Lazuli Light, the One who comes from the truth, the Worthy One, the Wholly Enlightened One.

Thus speaks the mantra: medicine, medicine, medicine! May the medicine be risen up together as soon as possible, so that all the sentient beings be healed!

综合以上藥師咒的意思如下：

「歸依禮敬世尊藥師琉璃光王如來，應供、正等覺，即說咒曰：藥！藥！藥！生起來！普度一切眾生之病苦，悉皆速得圓滿成就！」

 

Now I would like to invite all of you to recite the Medicine Buddha Mantra. First let us pay homage to the Medicine Buddha three times in Chinese, 南無消災延壽藥師, which means: Homage to the Calamity Averting and Life-Prolonging Healing Master Buddha. Then we recite the Medicine Buddha Mantra seven times.

現在我想邀請與會大眾一起來向藥師佛祈願:

南無消災延壽藥師佛 (3稱)

南無薄伽伐帝，鞞殺社窶嚕，薜琉璃，缽喇婆，喝囉闍也，怛陀揭多耶，阿囉喝帝，三藐三勃陀耶。怛姪他：唵！鞞殺逝，鞞殺逝，鞞殺社，三沒揭帝，娑訶！(7遍)

 

Let me recite a couplet to pray that 2019 to be a happy and prosperous new year:

最後讓我以一首偈誦來祝福與會大眾：

 

Radiate loving-kindness throughout the Dharma Realm,

may all things be sings of good luck!May you be well, happy and peaceful in the New Year of 2019!

Cast an eye of wisdom over the body and mind,

May the good merits be cultivated!, May you be successful and prosperous in the New Year of 2019!

慈心遍法界， 諸事吉祥喜迎春;

慧眼照身心， 一切如意慶接福!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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