..續本文上一頁 word Dharma. For us, Dharma has become a sect. That is why we say "Hindu-dharma, Buddhist-dharma, Jain-dharma" and "Muslim-dharma." Actually we should be saying "Hindu sect, Buddhist sect, Jain sect" and "Muslim sect." Dharma is totally different from these sects, totally different. Sects are limited. Dharma is universal, boundless, infinite and limitless. Dharma is for all, for everyone. This must be very clear. The sooner our country starts understanding the difference between Dharma and sect, the easier it will become for people to practise Dharma. Otherwise they will remain under the illusion that they are Dharmic people when actually they are not. This is a great self-deception. When people do not follow Dharma, they do not get the benefit of Dharma.
法的第一個基本要件就是過道德的生活；道德是法的根基。某些人自稱是忠實的印度教徒、回教徒、基督教徒、佛教徒或耆那教徒，他們也許並未 過著合乎道德的生活，而仍然自稱是忠實的印度教徒…；他們之所以如此稱 呼自己，只是因爲遵循著某教派、某傳統的典禮儀式，而實際上他們卻忽略 了道德的實踐。自稱如法的人必定是過著道德的生活；沒有道德爲根基，一 個人是不可能如法的，不可能是一個「法」的實踐者。
The first basic prerequisite of Dharma is to live a moral life. Morality is the base of Dharma. Someone calling oneself a staunch Hindu, or Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jain, may not live the life of morality, yet still calls himself a staunch Hindu (etc.) because he performs the rites and rituals of that particular sect, that particular tradition. Morality is missing. Someone who calls himself a Dharmic person must be living a moral life. Without the base of morality, one can never be a Dharmic person, a Dharmist person.
什麼是道德呢？想想我們國家的刑罰規章：如果你殺人會受刑罰，偷盜他人之物會受刑罰，性侵犯以及不正當的性行爲會受刑罰，說謊欺騙、酒醉 傷人，這些都會受到刑罰。遵守這些規範都是法的一部份，是道德的生活。 道德是法的必要條件，古時候稱之爲 sila，sila 就是道德規範，就是戒律。 在過去，覺悟的聖者、解脫的人、具足智慧的人，他們如何诠釋戒律呢？他 們說：一個人不應該以任何肢體或言語的行爲幹擾他人的平靜、和諧；一個 人不應該在肢體上或言語上做出傷害其他生命的行爲。這就是 sila，就是戒， 就是道德。
What is morality
Consider our country”s penal code: If you kill someone, you are penalized. If you steal something which does not belong to you, you are penalized. If you commit rape or adultery, you are penalized. If you speak lies and deceive somebody, you are penalized. If you become intoxicated and harm others, you are penalized. All these are a part of Dharma, a life of morality. Morality is the essential prerequisite of Dharma. In the ancient language, it was called sīla. Sīla means "morality." In the past, what explanation did the enlightened ones, the liberated ones, the wise ones, give for this word
They said that one should not perform any action, physical or vocal, which disturbs the peace and harmony of others. One should not perform any action, physical or vocal, which harms other beings, which hurts other beings. This is sīla. This is morality.
如果我們開始了解這些，我們無妨繼續自稱爲印度教徒，這並沒有什麼不對，就好像一個人可以自稱是葛印卡、饒歐、史密斯、瓊斯一樣，我們也可以自稱爲回教徒、耆那教徒、基督徒或佛教徒，這些只是名稱而已。但「法」 是不同的，如果說自己是個如法的人，那麼自己就必須盡力過道德的生活。
If we start understanding this, then we may keep calling ourselves Hindu. There is nothing wrong with this. Just as one might call oneself Goenka, Rao, Smith or Jones, we may call ourselves Muslim, Jain, Christian or Buddhist. These are just names. But Dharma is different. If I am a Dharmic person, I must try my best to live a life of morality.
我多麼遵循道德，我就有多如法；這個名稱或那個名稱並沒有差別。我們必須戒除所有身體上和言語上不利于他人的行爲；也就是說我們必須不殺生、 不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語。在古印度，就是這四條重要而根本的道德規範，人們在生活上遵守著這四條道德上的戒律。後來，隨著像酒精、大麻…等麻 醉品的發明使用，有智能的人才又指出：「一旦你使用任何煙酒毒品後，即 使想要過道德的生活，都會很困難，因爲你已成爲煙酒毒品的奴隸」，因此 第五條戒律––––「不使用煙酒毒品」就加了上去，四戒成爲五戒。
As much morality as I have in my life, that much I am a Dharmic person. This name or that name makes no difference. We must abstain from all those physical and vocal act…
《慈悲的法流 第二天 過道德的生活及發展對心的自主能力 Day Two: Living the Life of Morality and Developing Mastery over the Mind》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…