..續本文上一頁ure their minds by eradicating jealousy, pride, cruelty and selfishness, at least they would have found the correct way to practise a religion. Unfortunately, they develop jealousy, pride, cruelty and selfishness instead of eradicating them. Many people pretend to be religious, but commit the greatest atrocities in the name of religion. They fight, discriminate and create unrest for the sake of religion, losing sight of its lofty purpose. From the increase in the performance of various so-called religious activities, we may get the impression that religion is progressing, but the opposite is really the case since very little mental purity and understanding are actually being practised.
宗教奉勸人們向上、向善，但是人們對這點似乎不感興趣，反而去從事一些沒有宗教價值的活動，如果他們肯嘗試去修心養性，糾正了不良的心識，如：嫉妒、驕傲、殘忍和自私等，至少他們會找到正確的人生道路，不幸的是，他們不僅不重視這些不良心識，反而被這些不良心識所纏繞。很多人披宗教的外衣，以宗教的名譽做盡了傷天害理的事，他們爲了自己的目的而起紛爭、擾亂宗教，失去了宗教的崇高目標。從某些表面現象看來，這些宗教好像在進步，實際剛好相反，因爲，他們很少去淨化自己和真正的去了解宗教的意義。
Practising a religion is nothing than the development of one”s inner awareness, goodwill and understanding. Problems would have to be faced squarely by relying on one”s spiritual strength. Running away from one”s problems in the name of spiritualism is not courageous, much less to be regarded as spiritual. Under today”s chaotic conditions, men and women are rapidly sliding downhill to their own destruction. They irony is that they imagine they are progressing towards a glorious civilization that is yet to be realized.
其實，宗教的修持就是心靈的發展、仁慈和對教義清楚的了解。我們必須依靠自己心靈的力量來面對問題，以宗教修行來逃避問題，是一種懦夫的行爲。在今天混亂的局勢裏，人類在自我毀滅。很諷刺的是，他們還以爲他們朝向輝煌的文明沖刺、前進。
In the midst of this confusion, imaginary and plastic religious concepts are propagated to create more temptation and confusion in man”s mind. Religion is being misused for personal gain and power. Certain immoral practices, such as free sex, have been encouraged by some irresponsible religious groups to introduce their religion among youths. By arousing lustful feelings, these groups hope to seduce boys and girls into following their religion. Today religion has degenerated into a cheap commodity in the religious market giving scant regard to moral values and what they stand for. Some missionaries claim that the practice of morals, ethics and precepts are not important as long as a person has faith and prays to God, which is believed to be sufficient to grant him salvation. Having witnessed how some religious authorities have misled and blindfolded their followers in Europe, Karl Marx made a caustic remark: ”Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feelings of a heartless world, just as it is the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
這種混亂、想像和虛妄的宗教概念，混淆和迷惑了我們的思維，宗教被個人的私欲和利益濫用了。某些宗教向信徒們，尤其是年青人，推薦那些不道德的行爲，如：性自由等，來吸引他們的支持。這種低賤的道德意識充斥宗教範圍，導致宗教腐化，漠視于道德以及道德的意義。有些傳教士認爲對「神」的崇拜能獲得拯救，道德與戒條不是重要的因素。在歐洲很多信徒被宗教所誤導，卡爾.邁克指出：「宗教是被壓迫衆生的歎息。是無情世界的感受，有如失去靈魂的軀體。它是人類的鴉片。」
Man needs a religion not for the reason of giving him a dream for his next life or providing him with some dogmatic ideas to follow, in such a way that he surrenders his human intelligence and becomes a nuisance to his fellow beings. A religion should be a reliable and reasonable method for people to live ”here and now” as cultured, understanding beings, while setting a good example for others to follow. Many religions turn man”s thoughts away from himself towards a supreme being, but Buddhism directs man”s search for peace inward to the potentialities that lie hidden within himself. ”Dhamma”(meaning, to hold on)is not something a person searches outside himself, because in the final analysis, man is Dhammaand Dhammais man. Therefore, true religion, which is Dhamma,is not something outside us that we acquire, but the cultivation and realization of wisdom, compassion and purity that we develop within ourselve…
《第十叁章 自然· 價值觀和宗教信仰 Chapter 13 Nature, Value And Choice Of Religious Beliefs》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…