宣公上人講 沙彌尼親毅 英譯 A talk by the Venerable Master Hua English translation by Shramanerika Chin-Yi
佛教的出家人叫法師，法師必須要有法師的程度，必須要夠法師的資格，不是出家的時候就都是法師了。什麼樣是法師呢？以法為師，以佛法為自己的師父。
A Buddhist left-home person may be addressed as a “Dharma Master.” You must meet certain standards and qualifications to be a Dharma Master. You don’t become a Dharma Master right after you leave the home-life. What is a Dharma Master? It is a person who takes the Buddhadharma as his or her teacher.
怎麼叫以法為師呢？一舉一動是依佛的教法來修行；依佛的教法，必須要先學佛的樣子，所以萬佛城的出家人都日中一食。不是單單萬佛城的出家人日中一食，本來佛教的比丘僧、比丘尼，是凡走進出家的門，都應該日中一食。
What does “taking the Dharma as one’s teacher” mean? It means that one practices according to the Buddha’s teachings in all his or her actions. However, before one follows the teachings, one should emulate the Buddha. That’s why the left-home people at the City of 10,000 Buddhas eat one meal a day. Not only do left-home people at the City practice this, originally, all Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, and anyone who enters the monastic life should eat one meal a day.
為什麼呢?因為釋迦牟尼佛當初修道的時候，每天只吃一麻一麥，修過六年的苦行，證果成佛。我們哪一個人一天只吃一麻一麥?佛成佛之後每天只吃一餐，這一餐叫日中一食。有的人或者年老了，或者有病，或者身體軟弱，支持不住，這 吃兩餐。兩餐是在天剛光的時候，能看見房上的瓦壟，這時候才可以吃早餐；早餐所吃的只是粥，所以早起要念，「粥有十利 ，饒益行人。」
Why? When Shakyamuni Buddha first cultivated the Way, he only consumed one sesame seed and one grain of wheat per day. After six years of ascetic practice, he realized the fruition and became a Buddha. Which one of us can do that? After the Buddha was enlightened, he only ate one meal a day at noon. This is called “eating one meal a day.” Some people may be advanced in years, sick, or weak; they cannot sustain themselves on one meal and take two meals instead—breakfast and lunch. One should wait until it is light enough to see the outlines of the roof outside before eating breakfast, which should consist simply of rice gruel. Thus, when we get up, we recite, “Rice gruel has ten benefits to nourish practitioners.”
那麼修行，有的年老了，有的身體軟弱的，有的有病痛的，都可以吃兩餐。兩餐叫過午不食，過了十二點以後就不吃東西了，十二點以前吃兩餐。這是最低限度都是這樣子，沒有吃三餐的。當時佛住世的時候多數都是吃一餐，無論男的，女的出家人，都吃一餐，叫日中一食。
While cultivating the Way, people who are advanced in years, weak, or sick may take two meals. Taking two meals is called “not eating past noontime.” One does not eat after twelve o’clock. Eating two meals before noon is the limit; no one may eat three meals. When the Buddha was alive, most of the left- home people, men as well as women, took one meal a day.♦