..續本文上一頁thinking in regard to this question. The Buddha did not waste His time on this issue. The reason for His silence was that this issue has no religious value for gaining spiritual wisdom. The explanation of the origin of the universe is not the concern of religion. Such theorizing is not necessary for living a righteous way of life and for shaping our future life. However, if one insists on studying this subject, then one must investigate the sciences, astronomy, geology, biology and anthropology. These sciences can offer more reliable and tested information on this subject than can be supplied by any religion. The purpose of a religion is to cultivate the life here in this world and hereafter until liberation is gained.
一般宗教對宇宙是緣起，只是接受了推理性的解說，因此，不爲現代科學知識份子所接受。甚至佛學者所注釋的經典，也被科學家質疑。佛陀並沒有浪費他的時間在這個課題，他保持沈默的理由是，佛教的價值在于獲得心靈的解脫和智慧，宇宙的緣起並不重要。然而，一個人如果堅持要研究這個科目，他就必須深入的探討與科學、生物學、地理學和天文學。這些科目能提供比佛教更多也更有參考價值的材料。佛教的價值在于培養今世和來世的生活情操，一直到解脫。
In the eyes of the Buddha, the world is nothing but Samsara--the cycle of repeated births and deaths. To Him, the beginning of the world and the end of the world is within this Samsara. Since elements and energies are relative and inter-dependent, it is meaningless to single out anything as the beginning. Whatever speculation we make regarding the origin of the world, there is no absolute truth in our notion.
在佛陀眼裏，這世界只有生死不斷循環的「輪回」。對佛陀而言，宇宙的起點和終點都在「輪回」之內，因爲物質與能源不斷的相互依賴而存在，尋找出宇宙的起點和終點，是一件沒有意義的事。實際，所有一切有關于宇宙緣起的思想都是空談泛論，不是究竟的或絕對的真理。
”Infinite is the sky, infinite is the number of beings,
「虛空無盡，衆生無數。
Infinite are the worlds in the vast universe,
宇宙中有無數的世界。
Infinite in wisdom the Buddha teaches these,
佛陀教導我們，
Infinite are the virtues of Him who teaches these.”
智慧無盡，道德也無盡。」
(Sri Ramachandra)
─ 斯裏.拉瑪詹德拉─
One day a man called Malunkyaputta approached the Master and demanded that He explain the origin of the Universe to him. He even threatened to cease to be His follow if the Buddha”s answer was not satisfactory. The Buddha calmly retorted that it was of no consequence to Him whether or not Malunkyaputta followed Him, because the Truth did not need anyone”s support. Then the Buddha said that He would not go into a discussion of the origin of the Universe. To Him, gaining knowledge about such matters was a waste of time because a man”s task was to liberate himself from the present, not the past or the future. To illustrate this, the Enlightened One related the parable of a man who was shot by a poisoned arrow. This foolish man refused to have the arrow removed until he found out all about the person who shot the arrow. By the time his attendants discovered these unnecessary details, the man was dead. Similarly, our immediate task is to attain Nibbana, not to worry about our beginnings.
一天，木伧伽子(Malunyaputta)要佛陀向他解釋宇宙的緣起，如果能令他滿意，他就願意追隨佛陀。其實，佛陀並不強迫任何人追隨他，因爲真理是不需要任何強迫性的支持。佛陀對木伧伽子的問題保持沈默不給予他面的回答。對佛陀而言，回答這個問題是在浪費時間，人們不應該關注于過去的問題，而是應該關心未來的解脫。爲了讓木伧伽子明白這個道理，佛陀對他開示道：
「有一天，一位愚癡者被毒箭射中，他拒絕醫生的診治，他要先找出箭镞的毒素，當他還沒有完成他的想像，就已經毒發身亡了。」
我們最迫切的任務是如何通往涅槃，而不是爭執于宇宙的緣起。
《第十六章 環境與生存 Chapter 16 Realms of Existence》全文閱讀結束。