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人類需要宗教，並不是爲了要圓成未來的美夢，或爲自己提供某些依怙，這種做法等于自我投降，將成爲他人譏笑的對象。一個宗教必須以合理和確實的方法，讓人類在現實中活得更有意義，同時也給他人做一個好榜樣。很多宗教鼓勵人類追求外在的力量，佛教卻鼓勵人們向自己的內心尋求潛藏的甯靜──「法」。「法」的真相是：人既是法，法既是人。因此，「法」必須透過內心的修持和覺悟于智慧、慈悲和純淨來獲得，除了修持外，沒有其他途徑能夠獲得這神聖和偉大的「法」。
Which is the Proper Religion
正信的宗教
If any religion has the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, then it can be regarded as a proper religion.
具備四聖谛、八聖道的宗教，就是真正的宗教。
It is a very difficult for a man to find out why there are so many different religions, and which religion is the true one. Followers of every religion are trying to show the superiority of their religion. Diversity has created some uniformity, but in matters of religion, men took upon each other with jealousy, hatred and disdain. The most respected religious practices in one religion are deemed ridiculous to others. To introduce their pine and peaceful messages some people have to resorted to weapons and wars. Have they polluted the good name of religion
It seems that certain religions are responsible for piding instead of uniting mankind.
To find a true and proper religion, we must weigh with an unbiased mind what exactly is a false religion. False religion or philosophies include: materialism which denies survival after death; amoralism which denies good and evil; any religion which asserts that man is miraculously saved or doomed; theistic evolution which holds that everything is preordained and everyone is destined to attain eventual salvation through mere faith.
Buddhism is free from unsatisfactory and uncertain foundations. Buddhism is realistic and verifiable. Its Truths have been verified by the Buddha, verified by His disciples, and always remain open to be verified by anyone who wishes to do so. And today, the Teachings of the Buddha, are being verified by the most severe methods of scientific investigation.
一個人在衆多的宗教當中，要找一個真正的宗教是不容易的。每一個宗教的信徒，都認爲他們所信仰的宗教是最卓越的。在五花八門的宗教裏，共同的一項事實就是彼此輕視、嫉妒和誣蔑，每一個宗教都譏笑其他宗教的教義和修持方法。爲什麼有些宗教要用武力去宣揚它們的「神」，以及它們那「和平」的福音。它們是否亵渎了宗教的神聖性？從這點看來，某些宗教要爲人類由合而分負起大部份責任。要找到一個真正的宗教，必須以不偏不倚的心來觀察，什麼是虛妄和不實際的宗教或宗教理論，包括：唯物主義，它否定了死後的存在，反道德主義，它否定了善與惡。大多數的宗教都宣揚人被奇迹般的拯救或毀滅。而有些有神論者，則認爲每一件事都是宿命的，每一個人注定在最後得救。佛教並沒有這些令人不滿意或不正確的基礎，佛教是現實主義者，一切理論都能被證實，它的真理已被佛陀和他的弟子們證實。佛教的真理不止被證實，而且還是敞開的，如今，仍然有很多人想要去證實它。佛陀所宣揚和教導的真理，今天已經獲得嚴謹的科學家們所證實。
The Buddha advises that any form of religion is proper if it contains the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. This clearly shows that the Buddha did not want to form a particular religion. What He wanted was to reveal the Ultimate Truth of our life and the world. Although the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path, this method is not the property of Buddhists alone. This is universal Truth.
佛陀說：「任何形式的宗教，只要包含了四聖谛和八聖道，就是真正的宗教。」這論點明白的表示，佛教不需要有特別的組織，佛教所示現的就是我們的生活和宇宙最究竟的真理。佛陀所宣說的四聖谛和八聖道，不僅屬于所有的佛教徒，也是屬于整個世界的真理。
Most people find it necessary to put forth arguments to ”prove” the validity of the religion that they are following. Some claim that their religion is the oldest and therefore contains the truth. Others claim that their religion is the latest or newest and therefore contains the truth. Some claim that their religion has the most followers and therefore contains the truth. Yet none of these arguments are valid to establish the truth of a religion. One can judge the value of a religion by using only common sense and understanding.
Some religious traditions require man to be subservient to a greater power than himself, a power which controls his creation, his actions and his final deliverance. The Buddha did not accept such powers. Rather, He assigned to man that very power by asserting that each man is his own creator, responsible for his own salvation. That is why it is said that ”There is none so godless as the Buddha and yet none so godlike”. The …
《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…