13. “I Control My Own Destiny”

¹ Destiny can be looked at from two perspectives: one is of fate and the other is of physical life.

¹ 我命可分兩種：一種是命運之命。一種是生命之命。

² Since ancient times most intellectuals, among all peoples in all countries, focused on fate. They believe that everyone has a specific destiny, the so-called “fatalism.”

² 古今中外凡是有知識之人都講命運之命。他們都相信人有命運，即所謂之「定命論」。

³ When a baby is born, people believe the baby’s life has been predestined. They believe in allowing nature to run its course, and therefore, do not think that they need to work hard in order to excel or strive. They let heaven determine their fates. Were those people born in an agrarian society during times of peace, it would not have been a problem.

³ 有人一生下來，就認為命就注定，一切靠天，不知自己努力上進奮鬥，一切聽天安排。此種人如果生在農業社會的太平時代，並沒有關係。

⁴ But had they been born in an industrial or technological society, it would have been dangerous because they would have become outdated and replaced by others.

⁴ 如果這種人生在今日工業科技的時代，就非常危險，必定因落伍，而被淘汰。

⁵ Since we live in the highly scientific era, we should strive toward heaven, beginning within ourselves. To strive within oneself is to create one’s own fate.

⁵ 因此我們既然生在這個高度科學化的時代，我們就應該要向天奮鬥，向自己奮鬥，並且積極地從先向自己奮鬥開始。向自己奮鬥，就是造命。

⁶ People reincarnate in the three realms ^[4] continuously. Only those who make big vows to save the world and rescue people can leap beyond the wheel of reincarnation from the three realms.

⁶ 人都在三界中輪迴。只有肯發大願救世救人之人能跳出三界之外。

⁷ This is a very dangerous age. If everyone relies on the thought of letting nature take its course, not knowing how to run toward good fortune and away from danger, there is no telling what one’s destiny will turn out to be.

⁷ 尤其在今天這個非常危險的時代，如果大家存一切靠天的觀念，不知趨吉避凶，將來的命運，禍福吉凶，則不堪設想！

⁸ Now, let us take a look at physical life. A person’s life is very short. An ancient adage states that a “human life is as short as the dewdrops in the early morning.” He vanishes from the Earth after only a few decades.

⁸ 現在談生命之命。人生生命短促。古人言：「人生如朝露」，幾十年光陰，一剎那便消失於地球上。

⁹ As I observe the people of this world today; they work hard every day for their living and for their careers. Everyone is pursuing fame and wealth and coveting material pleasures. They live the same lifestyle day after day until they die.

⁹ 我看到世界上的人，每天為生活、為事業奔波勞碌。每個人都在追求名利，貪圖享受，如此週而復始，死而後已。

¹⁰ How is this kind of life different from plants and animals? What is the meaning of human life and where is the value of life?

¹⁰ 這與草木、禽獸又有何異？人生的意義，生命的價值又如何呢？

Kazan Kai Kan (Kazan Conference Center), Tora no Mon, Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 19, 1983

日本東京虎門霞山會館－民國七十二年十一月十九日