Spirit World

　　「神」的信仰

　　There are visible and invisible beings or spirits in the same way as there are visible and invisible lights.

　　Buddhism does not deny the existence of good and evil spirits. There are visible and invisible beings or spirits in the same way as there are visible and invisible lights. We need special instruments to see the invisible light and we need a special sense to see the invisible beings. One cannot deny the existence of such spirits just because one is unable to see them with one”s naked eyes. Theses spirits are also subject to birth and death. They are not going to stay permanently in the spirit form. They too exist in the same world where we live.

　　A genuine Buddhist is one who moulds his life according to moral causation discovered by the Buddha. He should not be concerned with the worshipping of these gods and spirits. However, this kind of worshipping is of some interest and fascination to the multitude and has naturally brought some Buddhists into contact with these activities.

　　Regarding protection from evil spirits, goodness is a shield against evil. Goodness is a wall through which evil cannot penetrate unless a person opens the door to an evil influence. Even though a person leads a truly virtuous and holy life and has a good shield of moral and noble living that person can still lower his shield of protection by believing in the power of evil that would do harm to him.

　　The Buddha has never advised His followers to worship such spirits and to be frightened of them. The Buddhist attitude towards them is to transfer merits and to radiate loving-kindness to them. Buddhists do not harm them. On the other hand, if man is religious, virtuous and pure in mind, and if he is also intelligent and possesses strong will-power and understanding capacity, then such a person could be deemed to be much stronger than spirits. The evil spirits would keep away from him, the good spirits would protect him.

　　佛教否定了對「神」的信仰。

　　佛教不否認「神」的存在，佛教認爲「神」是其他生界的「人」(天人)，祂們比人類擁有更大的欲樂，祂們也擁有超越人類的力量，但是這些力量是有限的。祂們雖然生活在幸福和快樂的生界裏，享有比人類更長的壽命，可是，祂們一樣爲「無常」所牽絆。當祂們享盡祂們的福報後，祂們一樣會根據自己的業力進入輪回。佛陀認爲，身爲人類有更多的機會去積累善業，而「神」在這方面遠遠不如人類。佛教並不重視「神」，也不認爲「神」對我們道德的發展和達到涅槃解脫有所幫助。無論是大神或小神，祂們也一樣會死亡，避免不了生死輪回。

　　佛教徒經常把自己所開創善業的功德回向給「神」，是因爲佛陀曾經對「神」有所教誨，要「神」保護那些嚴謹修持的人。但是，佛教不鼓勵對「神」的崇拜和供奉。當人類存在極大的困擾時，他們很自然的向「神」禱告，這種禱告是爲了抒發內心的壓抑，會得到慰藉和舒緩。但是，對一些有智慧、意志堅強、受過良好宗教教育、和理解力高的人來說，對「神」的禱告是不必要的。佛教徒必須了解，對「神」的禱告無助于證悟涅槃。

　　佛教徒應該相信佛陀所說：「一個人自己作惡，導致自己汙穢，不作惡就能清淨。清淨與否在于自己，他人無法令你清淨。」

　　《法句經》V.165

　　圓成佛道和證悟涅槃，不需要靠外力的幫助。因此，佛教徒在佛法的修持，完全不需要依賴「神」的幫助。