English
English version Alas. If one has much merit, (Yama) will decree that they be reborn in the realm of humans or gods. Sutra: If one can sincerely make offerings (to Bhaisajyaguru Tathagata), the 'Three Exhortations on Cultivating Offerings for the Sick' is divided into four parts. First, to formally cultivate offerings for the sick person; second, to cause the soul to return because of this; third, to determine the date of rebirth; and fourth, to cease evil after personally experiencing the consequences. This is the first part. It means that if someone, for the sake of this sick person, takes refuge in Bhaisajyaguru Buddha and makes offerings according to the Dharma, their wishes will surely be fulfilled. Sutra: One will then regain memory and awareness. 'Two, the Cause of the Soul's Return' means that one can return to their original state. It means that if someone has truly died, even if they cultivate merit, their consciousness cannot return. Or, because of cultivating merit, the consciousness that was taken away by Yama's messengers can return to the body. These two situations are uncertain. It is like waking up from a dream, clearly seeing oneself in the dream. Here, a dream is used to illustrate a dream, so it is called 'like'. Sutra: Or after seven days, or even forty-nine days. 'Three, Determining the Date of Rebirth' means that when the sick person's consciousness can return, it will be either after seven days, or even after forty-nine days. Sutra: After the consciousness returns, until one no longer creates evil karma. 'Four, Personally Experiencing and Ceasing' means that when the consciousness returns, one will be able to remember the karmic consequences of their good and bad deeds. Because they have personally verified the karmic consequences, they will no longer create evil karma, even if it costs them their life. Sutra: Therefore, even to the Tathagata. 'Four, Concluding Exhortation to Make Offerings' exhorts all faithful men and women, etc., to make offerings to Bhaisajyaguru Tathagata (Medicine Buddha) throughout their lives. Sutra: At that time, even to the Tathagata. 'Five, Showing the Method of Saving the Sick' is divided into two parts. First, Ananda (阿难) asks the question, and second, Jiu tuo (救脱) answers. This is the first part. Sutra: Jiu tuo, even to serious illness. 'Two, Jiu tuo's Answer' is divided into two parts. First, explaining how to escape illness, and second, explaining how to eliminate calamities. First, explaining how to escape illness, which is further divided into six parts. First, escaping suffering; second, observing a vegetarian diet; third, cultivating merit; fourth, making images; fifth, continuing the explanation; and sixth, making banners. This is the first part. Sutra: One should practice the Eight Precepts of Abstinence for them. 'Two, Observing a Vegetarian Diet' means that for seven days and nights, one should practice the Eight Precepts of Abstinence for the sick person. Sutra: One should offer food and drink to the Bhikkhu Sangha. 'Three, Cultivating Merit' is divided into three parts. First, teaching how to make offerings; second, teaching how to repent; and third, teaching how to chant. This is the first part. One should use food and drink -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 食供养比丘者。是供僧宝。
Chinese
经。昼夜至如来 二教礼忏。六时礼拜者。是供佛宝。 经。四十九遍读诵此经 三教讽诵读。诵此经者。是供法宝。 经。然四十九灯至大如车轮 四然灯。四十九者。总举大数故。随愿往生经云。燃四十九照诸幽冥。苦痛众生蒙此光明。皆得相见。缘此福德拔彼众生悉得休息。造像七躯。明置像安灯方法。谓造七躯像。像别自处一座。又造七轮灯。其轮形量大如车轮。一一像座。前各置一轮灯。一一轮上各置七盏灯。如此供养已。依然灯功德经得四种利益。一获福无量。二二临终明耀。三死得生天。四当成正觉。获福无量者。若有四众发清净心为求福故。或于塔庙诸形像前而设供养。奉施灯明。乃至以少灯炷。或膏油涂然持以奉施其明唯照道之一阶。舍利弗如此福德非是一切声闻缘觉所能了知。唯佛如来乃能知也。舍利弗照道一阶福德尚尔。何况全照一阶道也。或二三四阶道。或及塔身一级二级乃至多级。一面二面乃至四面。及佛形像。舍利弗彼所然灯。或时速灭。或风吹灭。或油尽灭。或炷尽灭。或俱尽灭。譬如诸龙以瞋恚故。出云垂布。于中起电起已寻灭如是。少时于佛塔庙奉施灯明。所得果报福德之聚。唯佛能知。临终明耀者。谓信男女等。于佛塔庙施灯明 现代汉语译本：供养食物给比丘（bhikkhu，佛教出家男众）的人，这是供养僧宝（saṃgharatna，佛教僧团）。 经典上说：‘昼夜前往如来（tathāgata，佛的称号之一）处，行二教礼忏，六时礼拜的人，这是供养佛宝（buddharatna，佛陀）。’ 经典上说：‘读诵此经四十九遍，三教讽诵读，诵此经的人，这是供养法宝（dharmanratna，佛法）。’ 经典上说：‘点燃四十九盏灯，大到像车轮一样。’‘四’是点燃灯的数量，‘四十九’是总举大概的数字。根据《随愿往生经》所说：‘点燃四十九盏灯，照亮所有幽暗的地方。痛苦的众生蒙受这些光明，都能互相看见。凭借这个福德，救拔那些众生，使他们都能得到休息。’建造七尊佛像。这里说明了设置佛像和安放灯的方法，就是建造七尊佛像，每尊佛像各自安放在一个座位上。再制造七个轮灯，轮灯的形状和大小像车轮一样。在每一尊佛像的座位前，各放置一个轮灯。每一个轮灯上各放置七盏灯。这样供养之后，依据《然灯功德经》可以获得四种利益：一是获得无量的福报；二是临终时光明照耀；三是死后得以往生天界；四是将来能够成就正觉（saṃbodhi，彻底觉悟）。获得无量的福报是指，如果有四众弟子（比丘、比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷）以清净的心，为了求福的缘故，或者在佛塔、寺庙、各种佛像前设置供养，奉献灯明，乃至用少许的灯炷，或者膏油点燃，拿来奉献，它的光明仅仅照亮道路上的一级台阶。舍利弗（Śāriputra，佛陀十大弟子之一），这样的福德不是一切声闻（Śrāvaka，听闻佛法而修行的弟子）、缘觉（Pratyekabuddha，独自悟道的修行者）所能了解的，只有佛陀如来才能知道。舍利弗，照亮道路上一级台阶的福德尚且如此，何况是完全照亮一级台阶的道路呢？或者两级、三级、四级台阶的道路，或者照亮佛塔的塔身一级、二级乃至多级，一面、两面乃至四面，以及佛的形像。舍利弗，他们所点燃的灯，有时很快就熄灭了，或者被风吹灭，或者油烧尽而熄灭，或者灯炷烧尽而熄灭，或者油和灯炷都烧尽而熄灭。譬如诸龙（Nāga，印度神话中的蛇神）因为嗔恨的缘故，布下乌云，在乌云中闪电，闪电过后很快就消失了。这样短暂的时间里，在佛塔寺庙奉献灯明，所得到的果报和福德的聚集，只有佛陀才能知道。临终时光明照耀是指，信男信女等，在佛塔寺庙施舍灯明。
English
English version: Offering food to bhikkhus (bhikkhu, Buddhist monks) is an offering to the Sangha Jewel (saṃgharatna, the Buddhist monastic community). The sutra says: 'Those who go to the Tathagata (tathāgata, one of the titles of the Buddha) day and night, perform the two teachings of repentance, and worship at six times, are offering to the Buddha Jewel (buddharatna, the Buddha).' The sutra says: 'Reciting this sutra forty-nine times, chanting and reciting the three teachings, those who recite this sutra are offering to the Dharma Jewel (dharmanratna, the Buddha's teachings).' The sutra says: 'Light forty-nine lamps, as large as cartwheels.' 'Four' refers to the number of lamps lit, and 'forty-nine' is a general number. According to the 'Sutra on Rebirth by Vow,' 'Lighting forty-nine lamps illuminates all dark places. Suffering beings receive this light and can see each other. By this merit, rescue those beings and allow them to rest.' Build seven Buddha images. This explains the method of setting up Buddha images and placing lamps, which is to build seven Buddha images, each placed on its own seat. Then make seven wheel lamps, the shape and size of the wheel lamps like cartwheels. Place one wheel lamp in front of each Buddha image's seat. Place seven lamps on each wheel lamp. After making such offerings, according to the 'Sutra on the Merit of Lighting Lamps,' one can obtain four benefits: first, obtaining immeasurable blessings; second, radiant light at the time of death; third, being reborn in the heavens after death; and fourth, attaining perfect enlightenment (saṃbodhi, complete awakening) in the future. Obtaining immeasurable blessings means that if the fourfold assembly (bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, upasikas) with a pure heart, for the sake of seeking blessings, or in front of pagodas, temples, and various Buddha images, set up offerings, offer lamps, even with a small wick, or light oil and offer it, its light only illuminates one step on the path. Shariputra (Śāriputra, one of the ten great disciples of the Buddha), such merit is not something that all Sravakas (Śrāvaka, disciples who practice by hearing the Buddha's teachings) and Pratyekabuddhas (Pratyekabuddha, practitioners who attain enlightenment on their own) can understand, only the Buddha Tathagata can know. Shariputra, the merit of illuminating one step on the path is already so great, how much more so is the merit of completely illuminating one step on the path? Or two, three, four steps on the path, or illuminating the pagoda's body one, two, or many levels, one side, two sides, or even four sides, and the Buddha's image. Shariputra, the lamps they light, sometimes extinguish quickly, or are blown out by the wind, or extinguish when the oil runs out, or extinguish when the wick runs out, or both the oil and wick extinguish. It is like the dragons (Nāga, serpent deities in Indian mythology) out of anger, spreading dark clouds, and lightning flashes in the clouds, and the lightning disappears quickly after flashing. In such a short time, offering lamps in pagodas and temples, the accumulation of merit and blessings obtained, only the Buddha can know. Radiant light at the time of death means that believing men and women, etc., donate lamps in pagodas and temples. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
。已临命终时。得三种明。彼善男子善女人等。临命终时。先所作福悉皆现前忆念善法而不忘失。是为一明。因此便能念知自己。先于佛所殖诸善业。又于命终时得如是念。我于佛像塔庙等前。已曾供养作是念。已心生踊悦。是为二明。因此便能起念佛觉。又于命终时见余众生奉行布施。是他作已起。如是念我。亦曾于佛支提所奉施灯明。我令亦当复行布施得欣喜心已无有死苦。是为三明。因此便得念法之心死得生天者。谓信男女等。于佛塔庙施灯明已死便生于三十三天。生彼天已于五种事而得清净。一者得身清净。二者于诸天中得殊胜威德。三者常得清净念慧。四者常得闻于称意之声。五者所得眷属常称彼意心得欣喜。得成正觉者。如偈说言。牟尼牛王清净眼。以好灯明照彼塔。得于无漏无上道。其身光明照十方。见四真谛具十力。不共之法亦究竟。得遍见眼成善逝。此果皆由布施灯。 经。或复至不绝 五续明。谓经七七日也。 经。当造至四十九尺 六造幡。谓造五色续命神幡长四十九尺故。随愿往生经云。幡盖供养已。随心所愿至成菩提。幡随风转破碎都尽。至成微尘风吹幡尘。其福无量。幡一转时。转轮王位。乃至吹尘小王之位。其福无量。问。唐宋二本明放四十九。生何独随文阙而不载。答 现代汉语译本 当（信）男（信）女等临命终时，会获得三种光明。这些善男子、善女人等，在临命终时，先前所做的福报都会显现，忆念善法而不忘失，这是第一种光明。因此便能忆念自己先前在佛前种下的各种善业。又在命终时生起这样的念头：我曾在佛像、佛塔、寺庙等处供养，生起这样的念头后，心中充满喜悦，这是第二种光明。因此便能生起念佛的觉悟。又在命终时，看见其他众生奉行布施，因为他人布施而生起这样的念头：我也曾在佛塔处奉献灯明，我现在也应当再次行布施，得到欣喜之心后，就没有死亡的痛苦，这是第三种光明。因此便能得到念法之心。死后得以往生天界的人，是指（信）男（信）女等，在佛塔、寺庙施舍灯明后，死后便往生到三十三天（Trayastrimsa Heaven）。往生到那里后，在五种事情上得到清净：一是得到身体的清净，二是在诸天众中得到殊胜的威德，三是常常得到清净的念慧，四是常常听到称心如意的声音，五是得到的眷属常常称合他们的心意，心中充满欣喜。得到成就正觉（Samyak-sambuddha）的人，如偈颂所说：‘牟尼（Muni，圣人）牛王清净的眼睛，用美好的灯明照亮佛塔，得到无漏无上的道，他的身光照耀十方。见到四真谛（Four Noble Truths），具足十力（Ten Powers of a Buddha），不共之法（Eighteen Unshared Properties of a Buddha）也究竟圆满，得到遍见之眼，成就善逝（Sugata，如来）。’这些果报都是由于布施灯（光明）的缘故。 经文说：‘或者继续不断地供养五续明。’这里指的是七七四十九天。 经文说：‘应当制造四十九尺长的幡。’这里指的是制造五色续命神幡，长度为四十九尺。随愿往生经中说：‘幡盖供养完毕后，随心所愿，直至成就菩提（Bodhi，觉悟）。幡随着风转动，破碎殆尽，直至变成微尘，风吹动幡的微尘，其福报无量。幡转动一次，获得转轮王（Chakravartin）的地位，乃至吹动微尘，获得小王的地位，其福报无量。’问：唐宋两个版本都明确写着放生四十九，为什么这里只跟随经文而阙而不记载？答：