二 習勞
2. Manual Labor
「習」是練習，「勞」是勞動。現在講講習勞的事情。
'習' means practice, and '勞' means labor. Now I will discuss the matter of practice and labor.
諸位請看看自己的身體，上有兩手，下有兩脚，這原為勞動而生的。若不將他運用習勞，不但有負兩手兩脚，就是對於身體也一定有害無益的。換句話說：若常常勞動，身體必定康健。而且我們要曉得：勞動原是人類本分上的事，不惟我們尋常出家人要練習勞動，即使到了佛的地位，也要常常勞動才行。現在我且講講佛的勞動的故事：
Friends, take a look at your own body: it has two hands and two feet, which were originally made for labor. If you do not put them to use through work, you not only let down your hands and feet, but it will also be harmful rather than helpful to your body. In other words, if you work regularly, your body will certainly stay healthy. Moreover, you should know that work is a natural part of being human. It's not only us ordinary monastics who need to practice work—even a fully enlightened Buddha still needs to work regularly. Now, let me tell you a story of the Buddha's own work.
所謂佛，就是釋迦牟尼佛。在平常人想起來，佛在世時，總以為同現在的方丈和尚一樣，有衣鉢師、侍者師常常侍候著，佛自己不必做甚麼，但是不然，有一天，佛看到地下不很清潔，自己就拿起掃帚來掃地，許多大弟子見了，也過來幫掃，不一時，把地掃得十分清潔。佛看了歡喜，隨即到講堂裏去說法，說道：「若人掃地，能得五種功德……」
The Buddha refers to Śākyamuni Buddha. In the minds of ordinary people, when the Buddha was alive, they often imagined him like a modern abbot—with robe and bowl attendants and personal aides constantly serving him, while the Buddha himself did nothing. But this was not the case. One day, the Buddha noticed the ground was not very clean, so he picked up a broom himself and began to sweep. Seeing this, many of his senior disciples came over to help sweep as well. Soon, the ground was spotless. The Buddha was pleased and immediately went to the lecture hall to teach, saying: "If a person sweeps the ground, they can attain five kinds of merit..."
又有一個時候，佛和阿難出外遊行，在路上碰到一個喝醉了酒的弟子，已醉得不省人事了。佛就命阿難抬脚，自己抬頭，一直抬到井邊，用桶汲水，叫阿難把他洗濯乾淨。
有一天，佛看到門前木頭做的橫楣壞了，自己動手去修補。
有一次，一個弟子生了病，沒有人照應，佛就問他說：「你生了病，為什麼沒人照應你？」那弟子說：「從前人家有病，我不曾發心去照應他，現在我有病，所以人家也不來照應我了。」佛聽了這話，就說：「人家不來照應你，就由我來照應你吧！」就將那病弟子大小便種種污穢，洗濯得乾乾淨淨。並且還將他的牀鋪，理得清清楚楚，然後扶他上牀。由此可見，佛是怎樣的習勞了。佛決不像現在的人，凡事都要人家服勞，自己坐著享福。這些事實，出於經律，並不是憑空說說的。
現在我再說兩樁事情，給大家聽聽：彌陀經中載著的一位大弟子——阿㝹樓陀，他雙目失明，不能料理自己。佛就替他裁衣服，還叫別的弟子一道幫着做。有一次，佛看到一位老年比丘眼花了，要穿針縫衣，無奈眼睛看不清楚，嘴裏叫著：「誰能替我穿針呀！」佛聽了立刻答應說：「我來替你穿！」
以上所舉的例，都足證明佛是常常勞動的。我盼望諸位，也當以佛為模範，凡事自己動手去做，不可依賴別人！