Chapter 15 War And Peace

　　第十五章 戰爭與和平

　　Why is there no Peace

　　世界和平

　　Man has forgotten that he has a heart. He forgets that if he treats the world kindly, the world will treat him kindly in return.

　　人類忘記了他有一顆心，如果他仁慈的對待世界，世界也一樣會仁慈的對待他。

　　We are living in a world of really amazing contradictions. On the one hand, people are afraid of war; on the other hand, they prepare for it with frenzy. They produce in abundance, but they distribute miserly. The world becomes more and more crowded, but man becomes increasingly isolated and lonely. Men are living close to each other as in a big family, but each inpidual finds himself more than ever before, separated from his neighbor. Mutual understanding and sincerity are lacking very badly. One man cannot trust another, however good the latter may be.

　　我們所居住的世界充滿了矛盾，一方面，我們害怕戰爭，一方面。我們又積極的准備戰爭。生産過剩又得不到平均妥善的分配。人口急劇膨脹，人心也變得越來越孤獨。人類的距離被現代科學給拉近了，可是人類的隔閡也越來越大。彼此間缺乏真誠的態度和真正的了解，也缺乏信任。

　　When the United Nations was formed after the horrors of the Second World War, the heads of Nations who gathered to sign the charter agreed that it should begin with the following preamble: ”Since it is in the minds of men that wars begin, it is in the minds of men the ramparts of peace should be erected.” This very same sentiment is echoed in the first verse of the Dhammapada which states: ”All [mental] states have mind as their forerunner, mind is their chief, and they are mind-made. If one speaks or acts, with a defiled mind, suffering follows one even as the wheel follows the hoof of the draught-ox.”

　　聯合國成立在世界第二次大戰之後，各國首腦都同意一項條款：「戰爭是由人類的心念所造成的，如果人類都把心念用在和平，那麼就不會有戰爭。」這項條款和《法句經》的第一首詩偈雷同。

　　「一切事情都是以心念爲主導，心念主使語言和行動的産生。如果有了汙穢的心念，行爲和言語也就不會正確，這時苦惱就會緊緊的跟隨他，好像牛車跟隨著牛的足迹前進。」

　　The belief that the only way to fight force is by applying more force has led to the arms race between the great powers. And this competition to increase the weapons of war has brought mankind to the very brink of total self-destruction. If we do nothing about it, the next war will be the end of the world where there will be neither victors nor victims; only dead bodies.

　　有些人相信唯有軍隊和強大的武裝，才能維護和平。爲了「備戰」而造成軍備競爭，這種盲目愚癡的做法，最終將導致人類自我毀滅。如果我們不關注這個問題，下一場戰爭，將是世界的末日。所獲得的不是勝利而是犧牲──最終橫屍遍野。

　　”Hatred does not cease by hatred; by love alone does it cease.”

　　「傷害無法阻止傷害，唯有仁慈能阻止傷害。」

　　Such is the Buddha”s advice to those who preach the doctrine of antagonism and ill-will, and who set men to war and rebellion against one another. Many people say that the Buddha”s advice to return good for evil is impracticable. Actually, it is the only correct method to solve any problem. This method was introduced by the great Teacher from His own experience. Because we are proud and egoistic, we are reluctant to return good for evil, thinking that the public may treat us as cowardly people. Some people even think that kindness and gentleness are effeminate, not ”macho”! But what harm is there if we settle our problems and bring peace and happiness by adopting this cultured method and by sacrificing our dangerous pride

　　這是佛陀給予那些造成傷害的戰士和叛亂者的開示。很多人認爲，佛陀要人轉惡向善，是一種行不通的辦法，可是，這畢竟是唯一解決問題的辦法，佛陀也親身體驗過。當我們以自我和自大爲中心時，是不可能有棄惡揚善的念頭。其實，造成我們不願意棄惡揚善的原因，主要是不願示弱的心理在作祟，不願讓人們以爲我們是懦夫。但是，如果我們犧牲我們那高度危險的自尊心，以文明的方式帶來和平與幸福，那麼，我們到底又損失了些什麼呢？

　　Tolerance must be practised if peace is to come to this earth. Force and compulsion will only create intolerance. To establish peace and harmony among mankind, each and everyone must first learn to practise the ways leading to the extinction of hatred, greed and delusion, the roots of all evil forces. If mankind can eradicate these evil forces, tolerance and peace will come to this restless world.

　　要實現世界和平，就必須懂得「容忍」。要建立人與人之間的和諧，就必須消除貪、嗔、癡這叁種萬惡的根源。如果人類能斷除一切邪惡的力量，並實踐容忍，那麼和平的世界就指日可待了。

　　Today the follows of the most compassionate Buddha have a special duty to work for the establish…

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