..續本文上一頁religion of the Buddhists gives man a great sense of dignity; at the same time it also gives him great responsibility. A Buddhist cannot put the blame on an external power when evil befalls him. But he can face misfortune with equanimity because he knows that he has the power to extricate himself from all misery.

　　One of the reason why Buddhism appeals to intellectuals and those with a good education, is that the Buddha expressly discouraged His followers from accepting anything they heard(even if it came from Himself)without first testing its validity. The teachings of the Buddha have remained and survived precisely because many intellectuals have challenged every aspect of the teachings and have concluded that the Buddha had always spoken the undeniable Truth. While other religionists are trying to ”reassess” their founder”s teachings in the light of modern knowledge about the Universe, the Buddha”s teaching are being verified by scientists.

　　大多數人對宗教都有先「證實」後信仰的心理。有些人則認爲他們所信仰的宗教是最古老，所以也最「真」。有些人則聲稱，他們所信仰的宗教是最「新」的，所以也最「真」。某些宗教擁有很多信徒，因此他們認爲他們的宗教最「真」。然而，這些所謂「真」的宗教，都是沒有確實依據的宗教。一個人可以用普通常識來判斷或理解一個宗教的價值。有些傳統的宗教，鼓吹信徒能通過對它的信仰而獲得超然的力量，這種超然的力量控製了信徒的創造力、行動和最後的命運。佛陀並不接受這種觀點。佛陀認爲超然的力量唯有通過個人的自我拯救才能獲得。因此，佛陀說：「這世界沒有『神』，佛陀也不是『神』。」佛教給予信徒們充足的知識來分辨這一切，同時也給予他們很大的信心。一個佛教徒，當受到邪惡的幹擾時，不能依靠外在的力量。佛教徒以平常心來面對不幸，因爲，他知道他擁有面對一切的力量。

　　佛教擁有許多知識份子和受過良好教育的信徒，這是因爲他們毫無疑問的接受佛陀那超然的教義。知識份子之所以信奉佛教，是因爲佛法意義深長、切實，許多知識份子追求的是有挑戰性的學識，佛陀那不可否認的真理，迎合了他們。某些宗教想以現代有關宇宙的知識，「重新評估」他們的「祖師」，而佛陀的教義已被證實是具備科學性的。

　　Moral and Spiritual Development

　　道德與心靈的發展

　　Without a spiritual background man has no moral responsibility: man without moral responsibility poses a danger to society.

　　缺少了心靈的支柱，就沒有道德的責任，缺少了道德，社會就危險了。

　　Buddhism has been an admirable lighthouse for guiding many a devotee to the salvation of eternal bliss. Buddhism is especially needed in the world today which is riddled with racial, economic and ideological misunderstandings. These misunderstandings can never be effectively cleared until the spirit of benevolent tolerance is extended towards others. This spirit can be best cultivated under the guidance of Buddhism which inculcates an ethical moral co-operation for universal good.

　　佛教是一座令人羨慕的燈塔，因爲它引導信徒邁向永恒、幸福和解脫的大道。佛教在今天，顯得特別需要，因爲，今天的世界困惑于種族、國際、社群、經濟以及意識形態的種種錯誤觀念。這些錯誤的觀念永遠無法真正有效的解除，除非能以容忍和慈悲的精神去對待他人。而慈悲和容忍的精神卻可以在佛教的指引下得到充分的培養和發展，同時也爲人類提供了理性和道德的合作典範。

　　We know that it is easy to learn vice without a master, whereas virtue requires a tutor. There is a very great need for the teaching of virtue by precepts and examples.

　　我們知道，當一個人沒有老師的指導時很容易學壞。道德需要通過理念和實際例子來教導，道德教育是迫切需要的事。

　　Without a spiritual background, man has no moral responsibility; man without moral responsibility poses danger to society.

　　缺少了心靈的支柱，就沒有道德的責任，缺少了道德，社會就危險了。

　　In the Buddha”s Teaching, it is said that the spiritual development of man is more important than the development of material welfare. History has taught us that we cannot expect to gain both worldly happiness and everlasting Happiness at the same time.

　　The lives of most people are generally regulated by spiritual values and moral principles which only religion can effectively provide. The governmental interference in the lives of people is made comparatively unnecessary if men and women can be made to realize the value of devotion and can practise the ideals of truth, justice and service.

　　Virtue is necessary to attain salvation, but virtue alone is not enough. Virtue must be combined with wisdom. Virtue and wisdom are like the pair of wings of a bird. Wisdom can also be compared to the eyes of a man; virtue, to his feet. Virtue can be likened to a vehicle that brings man up to the gate of salvation. But wisdom is the actually key that opens the gate. Virtue is a part of the technique of skillful and noble living. Without any ethical discipline, there cannot be a purification of the defilements of sentient existence.

　　Buddhism is not mere mumbo-jumbo, a myth told to entertain the human mind or to satisfy the human emotion, but a liberal and noble method for those who sincerely want to understand and experience the reality of life.

　　佛陀認爲心靈資源的開發，比物質資源的開發來得更重要。曆史的事實告訴我們，不能企望世俗的幸福與永恒的幸福同時獲得。大多數人的一般正常生活基于心靈與道德價值觀。心靈與道德的價值，唯有宗教才能有效的提供。如果人們能了解這些價值，同時去實踐那公平、奉獻和仁愛的真理，那麼就不需要社會法製或政府的律法來幹預人類的生活了。高尚的道德，是獲得解脫的必要因素。但是，只有道德是不足夠的，道德必須與智慧相結合。就好像鳥類的雙翼，智慧好比人類的雙眼，道德則是我們的雙腳。道德如車輪，可以運送我們到解脫之門，而打開這扇大門的鑰匙就是──智慧。道德是精湛、專門和高尚生活的一部份，缺少道德修養，就無法使心靈的汙點獲得淨化。

　　佛教不是盲目崇拜的宗教，不以神話來滿足或應酬人類的情緒，佛教以自由和神聖的方式，來引導虔誠的信徒去了解和體驗真正的人生。

《第十叁章 自然· 價值觀和宗教信仰 Chapter 13 Nature, Value And Choice Of Religious Beliefs》全文閱讀結束。