苦海无边,回头是岸

Kǔ hǎi wú biān, huí tóu shì àn
The sea of suffering is boundless; turn around and you reach the shore
☸ 佛家智慧成语

📜 原文 Original Text

「苦海无边,回头是岸。」 ——《法华经》/ 佛家俗语
— Lotus Sutra / Buddhist proverb

📖 释义 Annotation

「苦海无边,回头是岸」是佛家最广为人知的劝世之语。「苦海」比喻众生在生死轮回中沉浮的苦境;「回头」指的是觉悟、悔改、转向正道。这句话蕴含着佛教最核心的慈悲精神:无论一个人沉沦多深,只要愿意回头,就有解脱的可能。它不是恐吓,而是温暖的鼓励——岸一直都在,只要你转身。

'The sea of suffering is boundless; turn around and you reach the shore' is Buddhism's most beloved saying. The 'sea of suffering' metaphorizes the cycle of birth and death; 'turning around' means awakening and turning toward the right path. This embodies Buddhism's core compassion: no matter how deep one has sunk, liberation is always possible.

💡 当代启示 Modern Application

陷入困境时不要绝望,改变方向永远不晚。无论是坏习惯、有毒的关系还是错误的选择——意识到问题本身就是「回头」的开始。给自己一个重新开始的机会。

Never despair when trapped in difficulty — it is never too late to change direction. Whether it is a bad habit, a toxic relationship, or a wrong choice — recognizing the problem is itself the beginning of 'turning around.' Give yourself a chance to begin again.

🔗 相关成语 Related Idioms

📚 延伸阅读 Further Reading