..續本文上一頁ure also as the basic prerequisites of Dharma. One yardstick to measure whether one is a Dharmic person or not is whether one is living the life of the five precepts. Why observe these five precepts

　　 The enlightened ones explained why sīla is necessary. They explained it in different ways to different people, according to the mental calibre of the people to whom they were speaking. In a society, there are people of different mental calibres. Some are like children, some like adolescents, some like youths and some like adults. Explanations were given to different people in different ways.

　　對某些人他們會說：「如果你嚴守這些道德戒律，你知道你將會得到什 麼益處嗎？你死後會上天堂。」然後開始描述天堂的美景，「那裡是多麼地漂亮，有著香醇的美酒甘露和出塵脫俗的美女…等等。」聽到如此，這些人 就顯得興高采烈：「如果我真的能得到這些，那當然要遵守道德啰！我一定要持戒。」

　　To some it was explained: "If you observe all these moral precepts very scrupulously, do you know what you will gain

　　 When you die, you will get reborn in heaven." And a description of heaven was given: "A wonderful heaven, with celestial drinks and celestial women..." and so on. Hearing that, a person feels elated: "If I can attain that, certainly I must observe morality. I must observe sīla."

　　這就如同對孩童說：「如果在學校努力用功，在家做好功課，就給你糖吃。」小孩子爲了有糖吃就用功讀書了。

　　Similarly, one might say to one”s child: "If you study well in school and do your homework properly, you will get Cadbury”s sweets." So the child works hard.

　　對某些人，他們會用另一種說法：「如果你不遵守這些道德戒律，你知道會如何嗎？死後會下地獄的。」然後描述地獄可怕的景象，這些人就開始害怕了：「哦！不，我不要下地獄。」

　　Or it was explained: "If you don”t observe these moral precepts, do you know what will happen

　　 After death, you will go to hell." A description of hell was given, so horrible. One gets frightened: "Oh no, I don”t want to go to hell!"

　　有些人就只聽得懂這種或賞或罰的論調，所以覺悟的聖者才會以這樣的方式來說。不論要用哪種說法才能夠讓聽的人了解接受，只要能使他們不做有害的行爲，那麼對他們都是好的。

　　The stick and the carrot. There were people who could understand only this kind of language, so they were given these explanations. Whether a person understands by this or that language, if he or she abstains from performing unwholesome actions, it is good for them.

　　還有一些人是知識份子，他們不相信下一世、不相信有天堂或地獄，他們相信這輩子是更重要的。這種人重視的是今生，對于這種人，就用另一種說法：「如果有人要殺你，你會欣喜的接受嗎？你會感到快樂嗎？或是不快 樂呢？」

　　There were other people who were intellectuals. They didn”t believe in the next birth, in this heaven or that hell. They believed that this life now is more important. People of that type gave all importance to the present life. For such people, the explanation was given in a different way: "If somebody tried to kill you, would you like it

　　 Would you feel happy about it

　　 Or would you feel unhappy

　　"

　　「哦！如果有人要殺我，我當然很不快樂。」「相同的道理，如果你想殺某個人，那個人會快樂嗎？」「不，那個人會覺得很不快樂。」

　　"Oh, I would feel very unhappy if somebody tried to kill me." "Similarly, if you tried to kill somebody, would that person feel unhappy

　　" "That person would feel unhappy."

　　「如果有人偷了你心愛的東西，你會覺得快樂嗎？」「不，我當然會不快樂。」

　　"If someone stole something belonging to you, something very dear to you, wouldn”t you feel unhappy

　　" "Certainly I would feel unhappy. That is true."

　　「如果你偷了別人心愛的東西，那個人會快樂嗎？」「不，那個人會不快樂。」

　　"If you stole something belonging to somebody else, which was very dear to that person, wouldn”t that person feel unhappy

　　" "Yes, that person would feel unhappy."

　　「如果有人和你的家人有不正當的性行爲，你會快樂嗎？」「我當然不快樂。」

　　"If somebody committed adultery or sexual misconduct with a member of your family, wouldn”t you feel unhappy

　　" "I certainly would feel unhappy."

　　「同樣地，如果你和某人有不正當的性行…

《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…