佛法双语工作坊经典连载：佛说四十二章经（第22章）

法师讲解 ：22 财色招苦

Commentary:  Wealth and lust cause suffering

Wealth, lust, fame, fine food, and sleep are collectively known as the five roots leading to hell. These desires can temporarily provide us with happiness but at a high cost because they will lure us into all kinds of unwholesome deeds to acquire them. In Buddhism we have three kinds of sufferings, namely ordinary suffering, suffering of destruction, and suffering of conditional existence. Simply put, ordinary suffering is the kind of suffering that we generally understand, such as sickness and injury, etc. Suffering of destruction arises when a certain enjoyment comes to an end; it is often said that all good things must come to an end. As for suffering of conditional existence, it is the kind of tiny suffering that occurs when things in the world change over time. For example, when we get old we will sigh that our health is no longer as good as before, or even though the environment remains unchanged, people may not be the same ones.   

财、色、名、食、睡，合称地狱五条根，这些欲望能给我们短暂的快乐，但我们需要付出很大的代价，因为它会诱惑我们作种种业去获得它。佛法讲三苦，即苦苦、坏苦、行苦。简单地说，苦苦是我们普遍认知的痛苦，例如生病，受伤等。坏苦是指享受结束时所产生的苦，所谓天下无不散之宴席。而行苦，是万事万物在迁流变化中所产生的微细之苦，例如当我们老了会感叹体魄不复当年，或是感叹景物依旧，人面全非。 

人们往往对欲望有一个错误的认知，认为这些东西愈多越自由，譬如说钱越多就可以自由自在地消费，买各种各样喜欢的物品。举个例子，你看上了一件名贵的皮草，你看了一次又一次，你幻想穿起它能为你带来很多艳羡的目光及赞美，心里想要是我有钱一定会随心所欲地把它买下来。但有钱真的能令你自由吗在这件皮草面前其实你是一点还击之力都没有，只能被它牵着走。有一位名媛，她是个物质狂，她有一句名言：“饭可以不吃，名牌不能不买！”她令两位丈夫都破产，最后自己欠下数以亿计巨债！真正的自由是你可以做自己意志的主人，你有能力选择接受或不接受，这就是炼心二十四字中的“为意主”。佛法经常劝人放下，当你的欲望可以举得起、放得下时，你才能拥有真正的自由。