Can a Buddhist Join the Army
佛教徒與參軍
You can be a soldier of Truth, but not the aggressor.
你可以做一個真理的戰士，而不是侵略者。
One day, Sinha, the general of the army, went to the Buddha and said, ”I am a soldier, O Blessed One. I am appointed by the King to enforce his laws and to wage his wars. The Buddha teaches infinite love, kindness and compassion for all sufferers: Does the Buddha permit the punishment of the criminal
And also, does the Buddha declare that it is wrong to go to war for the protection of our homes, our wives, our children and our property
Does the Buddha teach the doctrine of complete self-surrender
Should I suffer the evil-doer to do with what he pleases and yield submissively to him who threatens to take by violence what is my own
Does the Buddha maintain that all strife including warfare waged for a righteous cause should be forbidden
”
一天，一位名叫幸哈的將軍來到佛陀跟前，向佛陀請示：「世尊！我是一名軍人，我執行國王的命令爲他戰鬥，而您卻教導我，對一切苦難者要有無限的慈悲和憐憫。您是否同意我懲罰犯罪的人？您認爲我們爲了捍衛國家、保護妻子、子女和財富而作戰是錯的嗎？您是否要我們不戰鬥就投降嗎？我們是否應該歸順邪惡的侵略者，根據他們的意圖而屈服于他們或忍受他們的折磨，讓他們繼續的以暴力來威脅我們？您是否主張所有的戰爭，包括正義之戰也都應該禁止？」
The Buddha replied, ”He who deserves punishment must be punished. And he who is worthy of favor must be favored. Do not do injury to any living being but be just, filled with love and kindness.”
佛陀回答道：「應該處罰就必須處罰，應該關照就必須多關照。不要傷及一切無辜的衆生，以公平和正義來看待戰爭，要充滿慈悲與關懷。」
These injunctions are not contradictory because the person who is punished for his crimes will suffer his injury not through the ill-will of the judge but through the evil act itself. His own acts have brought upon him the injury that the executors of the law inflict. When a magistrate punishes, he must not harbor hatred in his heart. When a murderer is put to death, he should realize that his punishment is the result of his own act. With his understanding, he will no longer lament his fate but can console his mind. And the Blessed One continued, ”The Buddha teaches that all warfare in which man tries to slay his brothers is lamentable. But he does not teach that those who are involved in war to maintain peace and order, after having exhausted all means to avoid conflict, are blameworthy.
這種說法並不矛盾。人們因自己的罪行而被懲罰，這並不是執法者邪惡的意圖，而是他自己的罪行使他自己被懲罰。執法者在懲罰罪人時，心裏是沒有嗔恚的。當一個殺人犯在謀害他人生命時，就應該了解到他必須爲他的罪行付出代價，而不是歸咎于命運。
佛陀接著說：「佛陀提醒人類，所有的戰爭都是悲慘的。但是佛陀並沒有說過，那些已用盡一切方法來避免沖突，但是仍然不得不卷入戰爭，來維護和平和社會秩序的人應該譴責。」
”Struggle must exist, for all life is a struggle of some kind. But make certain that you do not struggle in the interest of self against truth and justice. He who struggles out of self-interest to make himself great or powerful or rich or famous, will have no reward. But he who struggles for peace and truth will have great reward; even his defeat will be deemed a victory.
「爲了生存就必須鬥爭，鬥爭是免不了的事。但是，我們要確定，我們不是在違反真理、公道、正義或爲了自己私人的欲望和利益在鬥爭。那些爲權力、私欲、財富、名譽而鬥爭者，都不會有好的果報。那些爲了和平和真理而鬥爭的人，就算是失敗了，也是光榮的。」
”If a person goes to battle even for a righteous cause, then Sinha, he must be prepared to be slain by his enemies because death is the destiny of warriors. And should his fate overtake him, he has no reason to complain. But if he is victorious his success may be deemed great, but no matter how great it is, the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring his life down into the dust. However, if he moderates himself and extinguishes all hatred in his heart, if he lifts his down-trodden adversary up and says to him, ”Come now and make peace and let us be brothers,” then he will gain a victory that is not a transient success; for the fruits of that victory will remain forever.”
「一個人只要到戰場，就准備犧牲，犧牲是軍人的命運，沒有理由去埋怨。一但勝利了，他將被人民視爲偉大的戰士，可是無論他多偉大，命運之輪還是繼續的運轉，終究免不了一死。如果戰士們都能緩和自己並滌除內心的嗔恚，減低征服敵人的心念，對敵人說：『來吧！讓我們和平共處的做兄弟吧！』那麼，他得到的真正的勝利，是永久的勝利。」「幸哈！
Great is a successful general, but he who conquers self is the greater victor. This teaching of conquest of self, Sinha, is not taught to destroy the lives of others, but to protect them. The person who has conquered himself is more fit to live, to be successful and to gain victories than is the person who is the slave of self. The person whose mind is free from the illusion of self, will stand and not fall in the battle of life. He whose intentions are righteousness and justice, will meet with no failure. He will be successful in his enterprise and his success will endure. He who harbors love of truth in his heart will live and not suffer, for he has drunk the water of immortality. So struggle courageously and wisely. Then you can be a soldier of Truth.”
戰勝敵人是偉大的，但是戰勝自己更偉大。那些教導你如何戰勝自己的教義，不是教你去殺害他人的生命，而是教你去保護他人。征服自己的人，比起做自己奴隸的人更能夠生存、更容易獲得成功和勝利。人們如果能遠離心識中自我的幻覺，就能夠在生命的戰場屹立不倒。人們的意圖如果是正義和公道的，他將不會失敗。如果他擁有仁慈與愛心，他將不會受苦。以這些心靈的甘露，勇敢和智慧的去鬥爭，你將成爲一位真理的戰士。」
There is no justice in war or violence. When we declare war, we justify it, when others declare war, we say, it is unjust. Then who can justify war
Man should not follow the law of the jungle to overcome human problems.
戰爭和暴行是沒有正義的。當我們向敵人宣戰時，我們聲稱自己是爲了正義而戰。而對方向我們宣戰時，卻宣稱我們是不正義的。到底誰能使戰爭合理化？誰是爲正義而戰呢？我們不應該再以這種原始和不文明的行爲來解決我們的問題了。
《佛教徒與參軍 Can a Buddhist Join the Army
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