英文原文
Buddhist Wisdom on Aging: Aging is a Process of Awakening and Wisdom
Gautama Bodhisattva (before he become the Awakened One) ventured out of the palace and encountered old age (and the other “sights”) for the first time. These motivated him to leave his princely life and seek the solution to aging, sickness and the other sufferings. His answer was found, and he became the “Awakened One” the Buddha.
Even though aging is identified as one of the sufferings experienced in life — an important lesson in “impermanence” — it is also our opportunity for awakening and wisdom.
“The aging of beings, their old age, brokenness of teeth, grayness of hair, wrinkling of skin, decline of life, weakness of faculties – this is called aging. With the arising of birth there is the arising of aging and death.” – MN 9, Sammaditthi Sutta, v. 21-22 – The Discourse on Right View
In Buddhist Sutras (Suttas), old age is often discussed to stress the inevitability of change, decay, and death, in line with the fundamental belief regarding the impermanence of all things. Indeed, aging is considered to be one of the types of suffering (dukkha), since it is typical for human beings to suffer as they experience changes in their body and mind.
With age comes wisdom, which we can pass on to the next generation. With Wisdom we have the opportunity to, ourselves, become “Awakened”
However, there are upsides to aging, as mentioned in the Sutras. For instance, as we age, mindfulness and acceptance become easier, after a lifetime spent perfecting these techniques. Aging is both a challenging time but also a process that brings us enlightenment. Suffering itself is a reminder of why reaching for Nirvana is our ultimate goal and the only path to liberation from suffering.
Wisdom Can Grow Over Time
In the Anguttara Nikaya, a collection of discourses in the Pali Canon, some suttas reveal how wisdom is developed gradually over time. Thus, those who are older have had the opportunity to gather wisdom. For instance, one section in the Anguttara Nikaya known as the Anupubbikatha discusses the progressive steps that lead to the development of wisdom.
The great monk Bodhidharma brought his life’s sagely Buddhist wisdom to China in the form of Chan Buddhism, becoming the founder of Shaolin. Famously, when he was very old, he passed away, but later, an official and his entourage saw Bodhidharma hiking across the mountains with one shoe on his walking stick. He told the official “I’m going home” Later, the official found out he had passed away. They opened his casket and found no body and only one shoe in the bottom. This story helps illustrate that our timeless wisdom and experiences transcend our short lives.
One sutta in the Anupubbikatha, the Nakulapita Sutta (AN 3.49), sees Buddha outlining three types of gradual training: in virtuous conduct (sila), concentration (samadhi), and wisdom (pañña). Buddha explains that insight is developed over time, as are skills such as mindfulness and concentration. Many years may pass until someone understands the harm of prioritizing sensual pleasures and decides to cultivate their insight into suffering and the nature of impermanence.
The Importance of Sharing Wisdom and Kindness
The Metta Sutta stresses the importance of cultivating loving-kindness as a way to relate to others and oneself. So how can a modern-day, older Buddhist share their time, advice, and friendship with those who may need it? Just look around you and you will find many sources of inspiration. For instance, in the US and beyond, communities comprising people of all ages (or age-inclusive communities) are creating vital connections between people from all walks of life and differing abilities.
Which path will you walk? All Buddhist paths ultimately lead to one destination. Until we are awakened, our journey continues.
Intergenerational connections are a vital way of building a solid community. Sharing can also exist within the context of one’s own family. Older Buddhists can take time to get to know younger family members, offer a lending ear, and supporting them in their pursuit of wisdom.
Wisdom Is Not Always Dependent on Age
Although age typically brings the wisdom that arises from experience, the Buddha stressed that it was not, in itself, enough to guarantee greater wisdom than that possessed by younger people. The Dhammapada Verse 52, for instance, states that:
The person of little learning
Grows old like an ox;
The flesh increases,
But insight does not.
At major Kalachakra events, monks usually create elaborate and beautiful impermanent sand mandalas — one spec of colored sand at a time. After the beautiful work of art is completed and dedicated, it is swept away to show impermanance. It is also a demonstration of patience — a patience built over a lifetime of meditation.
These words are a powerful reminder to reflect on how we are leading our lives. A middle-aged or senior person, for instance, should think about where they are at in their lives frequently, since they have no time to waste.
Questions to ask oneself include,
“What are my values?”, “To what extent is my life aligned with these values?”, “Am I fulfilling my purpose more so than when I was younger and knew myself less profoundly?”, “Am I giving myself to others and supporting them when they are in need?”, “Am I taking time to share my life lessons with others who may need them?”,
You don’t have to answer all these questions at once. As the Anguttara Nikaya states, wisdom and virtue are acquired gradually; nobody can expect to hone these vital skills and abilities all at once, regardless of their age.
The greatest of teachers, Shakyamuni. He was only 35 when he became the Awakened One, fully Enlightened
Buddhist scriptures contain a wealth of information about wisdom taking time to develop. Having said that, achieving true wisdom is ultimately not dependent on age alone, but rather, on one’s willingness to cultivate it and let go of materialistic and sensual pursuits. While these are usually achieved over time, there are no limits... and Buddha himself was relatively young when he achieved full Enlightenment—he was only 35!
中文翻译
佛教关于衰老的智慧：衰老是觉醒与智慧的过程
乔达摩菩萨（在他成为觉醒者之前）离开宫殿，第一次遇到了衰老（以及其他“景象”）。这些促使他放弃王子生活，寻求解决衰老、疾病和其他痛苦的方法。他找到了答案，成为了“觉醒者”佛陀。
尽管衰老被认定为生命中经历的痛苦之一——这是“无常”的重要一课——但它也是我们觉醒和智慧的机会。
“众生的衰老，他们的年老、牙齿脱落、头发变白、皮肤起皱、生命衰退、感官衰弱——这被称为衰老。随着出生的产生，就有了衰老和死亡的产生。” – MN 9，正见经，第21-22节 – 正见论
在佛教经典（经）中，经常讨论衰老以强调变化、衰败和死亡的不可避免性，这与一切事物无常的基本信念一致。确实，衰老被认为是痛苦（dukkha）的一种类型，因为人类在经历身心变化时通常会受苦。
随着年龄增长，智慧也随之而来，我们可以将其传递给下一代。有了智慧，我们有机会自己成为“觉醒者”。
然而，正如经典中提到的，衰老也有积极的一面。例如，随着年龄增长，正念和接纳变得更容易，因为一生都在完善这些技巧。衰老既是一个充满挑战的时期，也是一个带来觉悟的过程。痛苦本身提醒我们为什么追求涅槃是我们的终极目标，也是从痛苦中解脱的唯一途径。
智慧可以随时间增长
在《增支部》中，这是巴利藏中的一部经典集，一些经揭示了智慧是如何随时间逐渐发展的。因此，年长者有机会积累智慧。例如，《增支部》中被称为《渐次教诫》的部分讨论了导致智慧发展的渐进步骤。
伟大的僧侣菩提达摩将他一生的圣贤佛教智慧以禅宗的形式带到中国，成为少林寺的创始人。众所周知，当他非常年老时，他去世了，但后来，一位官员和他的随从看到菩提达摩拄着拐杖，一只鞋挂在上面，徒步穿越山脉。他告诉官员“我要回家了”。后来，官员发现他已经去世。他们打开他的棺材，发现没有尸体，只有一只鞋在底部。这个故事有助于说明我们永恒的智慧和经验超越了短暂的生命。
在《渐次教诫》中的一部经，《那拘罗父经》（AN 3.49），佛陀概述了三种渐次训练：戒行（sila）、定力（samadhi）和智慧（pañña）。佛陀解释说，洞察力是随时间发展的，正念和定力等技能也是如此。可能需要多年时间，直到有人理解优先追求感官享乐的危害，并决定培养对痛苦和无常本质的洞察力。
分享智慧与仁慈的重要性
《慈经》强调培养慈爱作为与他人和自己相处的方式的重要性。那么，现代年长的佛教徒如何与可能需要的人分享他们的时间、建议和友谊？只需环顾四周，你就会找到许多灵感来源。例如，在美国及其他地方，由各年龄段人组成的社区（或包容性社区）正在建立来自各行各业和不同能力的人之间的重要联系。
你将走哪条路？所有佛教道路最终都通向一个目的地。直到我们觉醒，我们的旅程继续。
代际联系是建立稳固社区的重要方式。分享也可以存在于自己的家庭背景下。年长的佛教徒可以花时间了解年轻家庭成员，提供倾听的耳朵，并支持他们追求智慧。
智慧并不总是依赖于年龄
尽管年龄通常带来从经验中产生的智慧，但佛陀强调，它本身不足以保证比年轻人拥有更大的智慧。例如，《法句经》第52节说：
学问浅薄的人
像牛一样变老；
肉体增加，
但洞察力不增。
在重要的时轮金刚法会上，僧侣通常创作精美而短暂的无常沙坛城——一次一粒彩色沙子。在美丽的艺术品完成并奉献后，它被扫除以显示无常。这也是耐心的展示——一生冥想建立的耐心。
这些话是强有力的提醒，反思我们如何引导自己的生活。例如，中年或老年人应该经常思考他们在生活中的位置，因为他们没有时间浪费。
问自己的问题包括：
“我的价值观是什么？”，“我的生活与这些价值观在多大程度上一致？”，“我是否比年轻时更深刻地认识自己，更充分地实现我的目的？”，“我是否在他人需要时给予自己并支持他们？”，“我是否花时间与可能需要的人分享我的人生教训？”
你不必一次回答所有这些问题。正如《增支部》所说，智慧和美德是逐渐获得的；没有人能期望一次磨练这些关键技能和能力，无论年龄如何。
最伟大的导师，释迦牟尼。他只有35岁时成为了觉醒者，完全觉悟。
佛教经典包含大量关于智慧需要时间发展的信息。话虽如此，实现真正的智慧最终并不单独依赖于年龄，而是依赖于一个人培养它并放弃物质和感官追求的意愿。虽然这些通常是随时间实现的，但没有限制……佛陀自己在实现完全觉悟时相对年轻——他只有35岁！
文章概要
本文从佛教视角探讨衰老与无常，指出衰老虽被视为痛苦之一，但也是觉醒和智慧增长的机会。文章引用经典如《正见经》和《增支部》，强调无常是佛教核心理念，衰老提醒人们追求涅槃以解脱痛苦。智慧随年龄和经验积累，但佛陀也警示智慧不单靠年龄，更需个人修行和放下执着。文中提到菩提达摩的故事，说明智慧超越生命局限。此外，文章鼓励年长者分享智慧与慈爱，建立代际联系，并反思个人价值观与生活目标。最终，所有佛教道路都导向觉悟，年龄不是限制，佛陀35岁即成佛。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容：这篇文章说，变老就像我们长大一样，是自然的事情。虽然变老可能会让人不舒服，比如身体没那么灵活了，但它也是我们变得更聪明、更有智慧的好机会。就像佛陀年轻时看到老人，决定去寻找解决痛苦的方法一样，我们也可以从衰老中学到东西，比如学会接受变化，帮助别人，分享自己的经验。智慧不是一下子就能得到的，它需要时间，但只要我们愿意学习和放下一些不重要的事情，我们都能变得更有智慧，不管年龄多大。
佛学的各个宗派视角评价，突出《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角：从佛教各宗派看，本文强调的无常与智慧增长，与大乘显宗和密宗都契合。显宗如天台、华严宗注重渐修，智慧随修行积累，这与文中提到的渐次训练一致。密宗如藏传佛教，通过观想和仪轨快速成就，但同样重视无常观，如沙坛城象征。从《显密圆通成佛心要集》视角，本文内容体现了显密融合的精神：衰老作为无常示现，是修行契机，准提法作为显密圆通法门，能在此过程中发挥优势。准提法结合显宗的戒定慧与密宗的咒语观想，帮助修行者在衰老中转化痛苦，加速智慧觉醒，实现即身成佛。文章虽未直接提及准提法，但其对无常和智慧的探讨，为应用准提法提供了理论基础，突出准提法在应对衰老时的简便高效。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题：在修行实践上，本文内容可应用于：1. 增强无常观，通过观想衰老提醒生命短暂，激励精进修行。2. 培养正念，在衰老过程中保持觉知，减少焦虑。3. 实践慈爱，年长者分享智慧，促进社区和谐。4. 渐次训练，从戒定慧入手，逐步提升智慧。5. 反思价值观，定期自问生活目标，调整方向。6. 代际学习，年轻者从长者经验中获益，反之亦然。7. 放下执着，减少对物质和感官的依赖，专注于精神成长。8. 应用准提法，通过持咒和观想，在衰老中快速积累功德和智慧。9. 建立耐心，像沙坛城一样，在长期修行中培养坚韧。10. 追求觉悟，以佛陀为榜样，无论年龄，努力朝向涅槃。这些实践可帮助人们解决：对衰老的恐惧、生活无意义感、孤独、智慧不足、修行进度慢、代际隔阂、执着痛苦、无常焦虑、耐心缺乏和目标迷茫等问题，准提法尤其能提供简便法门，加速解脱。