从佛法角度来说，生命存在两个层面，一是现实价值，一是终极价值。
According to Buddhism, there are two levels of life: practical value and ultimate value.
现实价值就是过好当下的日子，比如身体健康、心智健全、家庭幸福、儿女孝顺，同时能造福社会，让更多人因为你的存在得到幸福。
Practical value pertains to living a good life in the present, which involves having good physical and mental health, a happy family, good children, and being a positive influence on society, making others happy because of your existence.
佛教中的人天善法，就是告诉我们如何使身心安乐，人生美满。这需要智慧和道德，否则是做不到的。世上很多人也在追求幸福，但在追求过程中，往往制造了很多痛苦，甚至给他人造成伤害。
The cultivation of “virtuous deeds of humans and devas” is a Buddhist teaching that helps individuals achieve mental and physical happiness and a fulfilling life, which requires wisdom and morality. While many people in the world are also pursuing happiness, they often create suffering or even harm others in the process.
佛法所说的因缘因果，就是让我们了解：生命延续到底遵循什么规律。我们今天能成为这样的人，我们的兴趣、爱好、性格等，是和过去的观念、行为、习惯有关。
The law of causality, as taught in Buddhism, helps us understand the rules that life follows. The person we are today, our interests, hobbies, personality, and so on, are all related to our past beliefs, behaviors, and habits.
也就是说，所有结果都有它的前因。了解这一规律后，我们才知道，想要获得幸福，想要成为更好的自己，应该做些什么。这种现实价值也是每个人需要的。
In other words, every result has its cause. Understanding this law enables us to know what we should do if we want to achieve happiness and become a better version of ourselves. Therefore, obtaining life’s practical value is essential for every individual.
但仅仅停留在现实价值，不关注终极价值，终究是无法安心的。不少人事业做得很大，功成名就，有一天突然想到：人为什么活着？这些事和我的生命有什么关系？会觉得很茫然。
However, if we only focus on life’s practical value and ignore its ultimate value, we may never experience true peace. It is not uncommon for individuals who have accomplished remarkable success in their careers and gained significant fame to eventually ask themselves, “What is the purpose of my life? How do all my worldly accomplishments contribute to my existence?” These contemplations can often leave them feeling lost.
因为每个人都要面临死亡，不论现在地位多高，财产多少，还是儿孙满堂，临命终时，这些都和你没关系了。这时你到哪里去？生命的未来是什么?
Everyone will face death, no matter how high their status, how wealthy they are, or how many children and grandchildren they have. At the end of their lives, none of these things will matter. Where will they end up? What is the future of their lives?
所以人必须关注终极价值，才能对现实保持超然，而不是把毕生精力消耗于此，忘却真正的人生大事。
Therefore, people must pay attention to the ultimate value so that they can maintain a detached attitude towards practical value, instead of exhausting their energy on it and forgetting about the real purpose of this precious life.
摘自《人工智能时代，人类何去何从》
版权所有：济群法师
Excerpted from:
In the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Where is Humanity headed?
By Master Jiqun
