..續本文上一頁nists took a definite stand and only then the terms of Mahayana and Hinayana were introduced.

　　大約在公元二世紀時，大乘(Mahayana)的界定始變得明確。龍樹(Nagarjuna)發展了大乘(Mahayana)哲學有關空(Sunyata)的概念，在一簡短的中觀論頌(Madhyamika-karika)文本裏面，他論證了諸法皆空(Void)的道理。大約在公元四世紀時，更出現了無著(Asanga)與世親(Vasubandhu)兩位論師，他們寫了大量有關大乘的著作。因此，可以推測在公元一世紀後，由于大乘行者們(Mahayanists)采取了明確立場，于是大乘與小乘這兩個術語就在那個時候被引進了。

　　We must not confuse Hinayana with Theravada because the terms are not synonymous. Theravada Buddhism went to Sri Lanka during the 3rd Century B.C. when there was no Mahayana at all. Hinayana sects developed in India and had an existence independent from the form of Buddhism existing in Sri Lanka. Today there is no Hinayana sect in existence anywhere in the world. Therefore, in 1950 the World Fellowship of Buddhists inaugurated in Colombo unanimously decided that the term Hinayana should be dropped when referring to Buddhism existing today in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, etc. This is the brief history of Theravada, Mahayana and Hinayana.

　　我們千萬不可把小乘(Hinayana)誤解爲上座部(Theravada)，因爲它們並非同義詞。上座部佛教是在公元前叁世紀時被傳入斯裏蘭卡的，那個時候說不上有大乘(Mahayana)。小乘部派(Hinayana sects)是在印度中發展的，它們實與斯裏蘭卡所傳的佛教毫無關系。時至今天，在世上恐怕已沒有任何地方有小乘(Hinayana)的存在了。因此，世界佛教友誼會(The World Fellowship of Buddhists) 于1950年在斯裏蘭卡可倫坡(Colombo)的開幕典禮中，一致同意放棄采用小乘(Hinayana)這個術語來標簽現存于斯裏蘭卡、泰國、緬甸、柬埔寨(高綿)與寮國等國家的佛教。這就是上座部、大乘與小乘的簡單曆史。

　　Mahayana and Theravada

　　Now, what is the difference between Mahayana and Theravada

　　現在，要說大乘與上座部的分別了。

　　I have studied Mahayana for many years and the more I study it, the more I find there is hardly any difference between Theravada and Mahayana with regard to the fundamental teachings.

　　我研究大乘已很多年了，而且越研究它我越發現，大乘與上座部之間在基本教義上，幾乎沒有什麼差別。

　　- Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.

　　兩派皆以釋迦牟尼佛爲他們的導師。

　　- The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.

　　兩派所述的四聖谛可說是一模一樣的。

　　- The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.

　　兩派所述的八正道也可說是一模一樣的。

　　- The Paticca-samuppada or the Dependent Origination is the same in both schools.

　　兩派所述的緣起法(Paticca-samuppada or Dependent Origination)也是一樣的。

　　- Both rejected the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.

　　兩派皆不接受此一說法：認爲世界是由一至高無上的神所創造和管治。

　　- Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.

　　兩派皆接受無常(Anicca)、苦(Dukkha)、無我(Anatta)等叁法印，以及戒(Sila)、定(Samadhi)、慧(Panna)等叁學，當中並無任何分別。

　　These are the most important teachings of the Buddha and they are all accepted by both schools without question.

　　這些都是佛陀的重要教導，它們都被兩派毫無疑問地接受。

　　There are also some points where they differ. An obvious one is the Bodhisattva ideal. Many people say that Mahayana is for the Bodhisattvahood which leads to Buddhahood while Theravada is for Arahantship. I must point out that the Buddha was also an Arahant. Pacceka Buddha is also an Arahant. A disciple can also be an Arahant. The Mahayana texts never use the term Arahant-yana, Arahant Vehicle. They used three terms: Bodhisattvayana, Prateka-Buddhayana, and Sravakayana. In the Theravada tradition these three are called Bodhis.

　　他們也有一些不同點的，最明顯的一點是菩薩理想(Bodhisattva ideal)。許多人說大乘的目的是爲了成就菩薩(Bodhisattvahood)，而上座部的目的是爲了成就阿羅漢(Arahant)；于此我必須指出，佛陀也是一位阿羅漢，辟支佛(Pacceka Buddha)(或稱獨覺)也是阿羅漢，他/她們的弟子也可以是阿羅漢。大乘的經文從來就沒有出現過如阿羅漢乘(Arahant-yana, Arahant Vehicle)等術語，他們所用的叁個術語是：菩薩乘(Bodhisattvayana)， 緣覺乘(Prateka-Buddhayana)，以及聲聞乘(Sravakayana)。在上座部傳統中，這叁者被稱爲菩提(Bodhis)而非乘。

　　Some people imagine that Theravada is selfish because it teaches that people should seek their own salvation. But how can a selfish person gain Enlightenment

　　 Both schools accept the three Yanas or Bodhis but consider the Bodhisattva ideal as the highest. The Mahayana has created many mystical Bodhisattvas while the Theravada considers a Bodhisattva as a man amongst us who devotes his entire life for the attainment of perfection, ultimately becoming a fully Enlight…

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