[中國漢傳密學研究院編譯局] 佛陀生日是感恩的時間2010年5月3日《水銀報》

[ VCM] 佛陀生日是感恩的時間2010年5月3日《水銀報》第13頁　

佛陀生日是感恩的時間

Buddha birthday time for thanks

Kane Young筆

和諧、世界和平和非暴力都包括在生日的取願目錄上，昨天在本地佛教組織聚會一起慶祝佛陀生日的吉祥節日。　

Harmony, world peace and non-violence were on the birthday wish list yesterday when the local Buddhist community came together to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Buddha’s birthday.

超過三百人，代表世界許多不同的宗教和傳統文化，聚會在皞峇燈的佛教世界總部來紀念　大聖　釋迦牟尼佛的誕生的第二五五四周年。

More than 300 people, representing many of the world’s religions and cultures, gathered at the Buddhist head-quarters in Hobart to mark the 2554th anniversary of the birth of the Great Holy Sakyamuni Buddha.

這多色多彩的典禮有許多發言、現埸的音樂表演和傳統的舞蹈示範，然後達到傳統的“浴佛儀規”的頂峰。

The colourful ceremony featured a number of speeches, live music performance and traditional dance demonstrations, before culminating in the traditional “bathing Buddha” ritual.

回至中國三國時代（公元220-280），浴佛的儀規是用香芬而有香料的水浴在佛陀的嬰兒像上面。現在全世界的佛教徒都以這個沐浴的傳統慶祝佛陀的生日，據說是會改善和諧和內在的平衡，因為“洗掉身體外的骯髒很容易，但是要洗淨一個人內在的貪、瞋和疑是很困難的。”

Dating back to China’s Three Kingdoms Period (220-280AD), the bathing ritual involves ladling fragrant water steeped with herbs over a statue of the infant Buddha.

Buddhists around the world still celebrate Buddha’s birthday with the bathing tradition, which is said to improve harmony and inner balance as “it is simple to wash away physical dirt but much more difficult to cleanse one’s inner dirt of greed, anger and ignorance”.

作為佛教年曆上最重要的節日，這聖誕相同於美國的感恩節。

One of the most significant events on the Buddhist calendar, the Holy Birthday is the Buddhists’ equivalent of Thanksgiving in the US.

昨天這個聚會感恩了佛陀的加持，以及澳洲多元文化政策以及在這二十年來塔州社會的支持。

Yesterday the gathering gave thanks for Buddha’s blessing, the success of Australia’s multicultural policy and the support of the Tasmanian community over the past 20 years.

金剛禪領袖王信得感謝了塔州人民歡迎這仰的成員來到本地社會，也說昨天多元性的人群正面地反應了塔州多元文化政策。

Jin Gang Dhyana leader master Wang Xin-De thanked Tasmanians for welcoming members of the faith into the local community, and said yesterday’s diverse crowd reflected positively on Tasmania’s multicultural society.