..續本文上一頁青人都是通過慶典而加入或皈依宗教的，宗教吸引他們的就是慶典。然而，對一個禅定的修行者而言，慶典造成了騷擾。
Of course, some people will not be satisfied with religious observances only during a festival . They naturally like to have some sort of merry-making and outward show. Rites, rituals, ceremonies, processions and festivals are organized to quench that thirst for emotional satisfaction through religion. No one can say that such practices are wrong, but devotees have to organize those ceremonies in a cultured manner, without causing a nuisance to others.
當然，還有一些人並不滿足于節日慶典的宗教儀式，他們還喜歡有些余興節目。典禮、儀軌、遊行等各種形式的慶祝活動，就是用來滿足那些對宗教節目有渴求欲的人，但是，沒有人會說這些活動是錯誤的。這些慶典應該在文明的方式下進行，不可以給他人造成騷擾。
Buddhism and Women
佛教與女性
A female child may prove even to be a better offspring than a male.
女孩也能證明她們比男孩強。
Women”s position in Buddhism is unique. The Buddha gave women full freedom to participate in a religious life. The Buddha was the first religious Teacher who gave this religious freedom to women. Before the Buddha, women”s duties had been restricted to the kitchen; women were not even allowed to enter any temple or to recite any religious scripture. During the Buddha”s time, women”s position in society was very low. The Buddha was criticized by the prevailing establishment when He gave this freedom to women. His move to allow women to enter the Holy Order was extremely radical for the times. Yet the Buddha allowed women to prove themselves and to show that they too had the capacity like men to attain the highest position in the religious way of life by attaining Arahantahood. Every woman in the world must be grateful to the Buddha for showing them the real religious way of living and for giving such freedom to them for the first time in world history.
女性在佛教的地位是獨特的，佛陀給予女性參與宗教的自由和權力，佛陀是給予女性宗教自由的第一位宗教導師。在佛教成立之前，女性活動範圍僅限于廚房內，男性不允許女性到寺院進行任何宗教活動，以免亵渎神靈。佛陀時代，女性的地位低微，佛陀給予女性宗教自由時，受到當時社會各階層猛力的抨擊，佛陀成立比庫尼僧團，接受女性出家，在那個時代是一種極端的革命行爲。然而，佛陀讓女性自己證明，她們具備與男性一樣的能力，她們也能證得阿拉漢果。每一位女性都必須感謝佛陀，因爲，佛陀給予女性自由的宗教生活，並給予她們在人類曆史的首度自由。
A good illustration of the prevailing attitude towards women during the Buddha”s time is found in these words of Mara:
佛陀時代，一般人們對女性的態度，可以在佛陀與魔羅(Mara)的對話中應證：
”No woman, with the two-finger wisdom (narrow)which is hers, could ever hope to reach those heights which are attained only by the sages.”
Undoubtedly, the Buddha was vehement in contradicting such attitude. The nun (bhikkhuni) to whom Mara addressed these words, gave the following reply:
”When one”s mind is well concentrated and wisdom never fails, does the fact of being a woman make any difference
”
King Kosala was very disappointed when he heard that his Queen had given birth to a baby girl. He had expected a boy. To console the sad King, the Buddha said:
”A female child, O Lord of men, may prove
Even a better offspring than a male.
For she may grow up wise and virtuous,
Her husband”s mother reverencing, true wife,
The boy that she may bear may do great deeds,
And rule great realms, yes, such a son
Of noble wife becomes his country”s guide,”
(Samyutta Nikaya)
「女性以她兩根指頭大的智慧，是沒有希望證悟或圓成聖道的。」毫無疑問的，佛陀不同意這種說法。這時，那位被魔羅攻擊的比庫尼說話了：「當一個人心識專注，智慧獲得全面發展時，是不是女性又有什麼關系呢？」
高沙喇(kosala)國王聽到王後爲他生下一個女孩時，非常失望，他一直想要一名男孩。佛陀安慰這位憂傷的國王：
「啊！陛下。這一個女孩將來能證明她比男孩更優秀。她有智慧、有德性。是一位受婆婆尊敬的好媳婦。她所教養的孩子，做出偉大的功績，統治廣大的領土。是的，像這樣的兒子──一位國家的領導，是屬于這位高貴的婦人的。」
The Buddha has confirmed that man is not always the only wise one; woman is also wise.
佛陀並不認爲男性是唯一聰明的人類，女性也一樣聰明。
Nowadays many religionists like to claim that their religions give women equal rights. We only have to look at the world around us today to see the position of women in many societies. It seems that they have no property rights, are discriminated in various fields and generally suffer abuse in many subtle forms. Even in western countries, women like the Suffragettes had to fight very hard for their rights. According to Buddhism, it is not justifiable to regard women as inferior. The Buddha Himself was born as a woman on several occasions during His previous births in Samsara and even as a women He developed the noble qualities and wisdom until He gained Enlightenment or Buddhahood.
某些宗教聲稱它們奉行男女平等的政策，但是，在今日，我們只需要觀察女性在社會的地位時，就會發現女性並沒有被獲得尊重，她們的權益被某些力量給剝奪了。甚至在所謂文明的西方社會，女性一樣要爲她們的權益而鬥爭。佛教並不認爲女性是弱者。佛陀在無數的生死輪回中，曾以女相出世，她同樣的發展自我的德性和智慧，一直到他證悟正自覺的佛果。
《第十一章 生活與文化 Chapter 11 Life and Culture》全文閱讀結束。