..續本文上一頁ains, whether wholesome or unwholesome. What is the characteristic of the contents of one”s mind

　　 This was called dharma. Its nature, its characteristic was called dharma. In Indian languages today, we still hear an echo of this meaning when someone says: "The dharma of fire is to burn." The nature of fire is to burn itself and to burn others. Similarly, we can say that the dharma of ice is to create coolness. This is the nature of ice.

　　這些普遍一致的特性和印度教有什麼 關系呢？它們與印度教或基督 教、伊斯蘭教、耆那教或錫克教有什麼關系呢？火會燒、冰會冷––––這是一 種自然的普遍性法則。假使火不會燃燒，那麼它就不能稱爲火。假使它是火， 那麼它的特性就一定是燃燒––––自燃或助燃。太陽本身的法即是給予光和 熱，假使太陽不能給予光和熱，那麼它就不能稱爲太陽。月亮本身的法就是 給予一種柔和的、清涼的光，這就是法，就是月亮的本質；假如它沒有這些 作用，那麼它就不是月亮。

　　What do these universal characteristics have to do with Hinduism

　　 What have they to do with Buddhism, or Christianity, Islam, Jainism or Sikhism

　　 Fire burns; ice cools. This is a universal law of nature. If fire does not burn itself and others, it cannot be fire. If it is fire, then its characteristic must be to burn itself and to burn others. The dharma of the sun is to give light and heat. If it does not give light and heat, it cannot be the sun. The dharma of the moon is to give a soft, cool light. This is the dharma, the nature of the moon. If it does not do that, it is not the moon.

　　這就是當時「法」這個字所使用的情形。假如我內心充滿的是不健康的 心態––––好比說，假如我在此刻正産生憤怒、憎恨、惡念或敵意––––那麼這些負面心態的本質就是會燃燒。它們將會焚燒我自己。裝火的容器是火的第 一個犧牲品；接著火和它的熱氣開始向四周擴散開來。

　　This was how the word dharma was used in those days. If the contents of my mind are unwholesome—for example, if I am generating anger, hatred, ill will, or animosity at this moment—then the nature of these negativities is to burn. They will burn me. The vessel containing the fire is the fire”s first victim; then this fire and its heat start spreading to the environment around it.

　　同樣的道理，當一個人的心中産生了負面的心態，産生負面心態時他就 是第一個受害者。他(她)會變得非常痛苦。假如你正在生氣，你如何能期望平靜、和諧及快樂呢？這完全違反自然的法則！也就是說違背了「法」–––– 違背了自然的普遍性法則。假如我在自覺或不自覺的情況下將手放在火中， 我的手一定會被燒到。火不會管你這只手是屬于自稱爲印度教徒的、回教 徒、基督徒、耆那教徒、錫克教徒或拜火教徒或是一個印度人、美國人、蘇 俄人或是中國人的。沒有什麼不同、沒有差別，不會有所偏坦；法就是法。

　　It is the same when there is negativity in the mind. One who contains this negativity, who generates this negativity, is the first victim. He or she becomes very miserable. How can you expect peace, harmony and happiness, if you are generating anger

　　 This is totally against the law of nature. That means it is totally against Dharma, which is the universal law of nature. If, knowingly or unknowingly, I place my hand in fire, my hand is bound to burn. The fire does not discriminate. It does not notice whether the hand belongs to a person who calls himself or herself a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jain, Sikh or Parsi, or an Indian, American, Russian or Chinese. There is no difference, no discrimination, no partiality; Dharma is Dharma.

　　同樣地，當我的心産生純淨的心態時，這些負面心態就會去除了。根據 自然的法則，當我的心純淨時，心中就充滿著愛、慈悲、隨喜和平等心(慈、悲、喜、舍)。這是純淨的心的本質。這種純淨的心可以屬于一個印度教徒 或一個基督徒，或者屬于一個印度人的，或是一個巴基斯坦人：完全沒有什 麼不同。假如這個心是純淨的，它一定有這些特質。而當這個心充滿愛、慈 悲、善念和平等心時，再次地，根據普遍性的法則，這個心中所擁有的內容， 有它們自己的特質，它們自己的法；它們所帶給我們的，就是安詳、和諧和

　　快樂。這個人可以繼續用任何名字來稱呼他自己，可以繼續舉行這種儀式或那種儀式，這種宗教典禮或是那種宗教典禮。他可以有這種外貌或是那種外貌，他可以相信這個哲理或是那個哲理。然而法就是法(自然的法則是普遍性的)，不會有所不同。

　　In the same way, when my mind is generating purity, the negativities are eradicated. According to the law of nature, when the mind is pure, it is full of love, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. This is the nature of a pure mind. This pure mind may belong to a Hindu or a Christian, or it may belong to an Indian or a Pakistani: it makes no difference at al…

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