..續本文上一頁等某些特殊的疾病，在月圓日病情都會加重。五千多年以前，人類就認識到月亮對農作物的影響。古人對谷類的種植特別有心得，他們相信谷類在月圓日開花，收成將會受到影響。醫學家也肯定了某些藥物在月圓和新月時，有不同的反應。以上種種，證明了月亮對人類的確有影響。

　　In view of the possible influence of the moon, the ancient sages advised the people to refrain from various commitments on this particular day and take it easy for the day. They are advised to relax their minds on this particular day and to devote their time to spiritual pursuits. All those who have developed their minds to a certain extent can achieve enlightenment since the brain is in an awakened state. Those who have not trained their minds through religious discipline are liable to be subjected to the strong influence of the moon. The Buddha attained His Enlightenment on a full moon day for He had developing and attuning it correctly for a long period.

　　有鑒于月亮對人類的影響，古聖人建議在月圓日收斂身心、松弛身心。人們最好在月圓日把持好自己的心識，並持守齋戒。在月圓日這一天，人類的頭腦特別清醒，所有已將心靈開展到某一程度的人，可以在這一天得到覺悟。相反的，那些沒有接受心靈修持的人，在這一天會受到月亮不良的影響。佛陀在長時間的訓練和調適他的心靈後，就是在月圓日證悟正自覺的。

　　In days gone by, full moon and new moon days were declared public holidays in many Buddhist countries and people were encouraged to devote their time to spiritual development. It was only during the colonial period that holidays were switched over to Sundays. In view of this, some Buddhist countries are now trying to re-introduce the former lunar system of holidays. It is advisable to observe full moon day as a religious day to concentrate on peace and happiness by calming down the senses. Many Buddhists observe the eight precepts on full moon days, to be free from family commitments and to keep away from worldly pleasures in order to have peace of mind for their spiritual development. The effects of the moon on life and earth has been analysed scientifically.

　　月圓日和新月日，在許多佛教國家都被定爲公共假期，以鼓勵人們從事精神領域的開拓。(斯裏蘭卡在殖民地時期，才把假日挪到星期日。)有鑒于此，佛教國家認真對待重新恢複月圓日和新月日做爲公定假期的動議。不管怎麼說，佛教徒應該把月圓日當作一個有意義的宗教節日，進行宗教的鍛煉，集中精神、開展心識，收斂感官以期獲得安甯與幸福。月亮對地球和一切生命，是有一定程度的影響和意義的。

　　One writer says:

　　”I have been reading an article in an American science magazine recently where the writer brings together the present on the subject of the moon to prove how decisively this age old object of the skies influences our lives, particularly at each of the four phases it passes through in its 28-day cycle.

　　有一位作家說道：「我最近剛在一本美國雜志讀到一篇文章，提到月球對我們的生命起著決定性的影響，尤其是每個月二十八天的四個階段。」

　　This research, by the way, was done at the American Universities of Yale, Duke and Northwestern and they have ”independently” come up with the astonishing evidence that the moon plays a big part in our daily life and indeed, in the lives of all living things.

　　這些研究分別在美國耶魯大學、杜克大學和西北大學進行，試驗證實，月球的確對人類的生命起著決定性的影響，對其它的生物也一樣。

　　We are assured that there is nothing very occult in this phenomenon put that the phases of the moon do in fact stimulate various bodily actions like modifying metabolism, electrical charges and blood acidity.

　　我們可以確定，這種現象一點也不神秘。月球在環繞地球運轉時的不同階段，對人體的新陳代謝、靜電的流布、血液的酸鹼度，有一定的作用。

　　One of the key experiments performed to establish this fact was on fiddler crabs, mice and some plants. They were all placed in chambers where weather conditions could not affect them, but were subjected to air pressure, humidity, light and temperature under controlled conditions.

　　The hundreds of observations made showed a remarkable fact, namely that all the animals and plants operated on a 28-day cycle. Metabolism which was found to have dropped at the time of the new moon was twenty percent higher at the time of the phase of the full moon. This difference is described as a striking variation.

　　有一個重要的試驗：把螃蟹、老鼠和植物，安置在一個不受外界氣候影響的溫室中，給予特定的氣壓、濕度、光線和溫度。經過數百次的試驗，發現一個顯著的事實。所有的動、植物都在二十八天的生理循環周期裏：新月日新陳代謝減緩，月圓日裏新陳代謝加快百分之二十。這個發現震憾了整個科學界。

　　Once a nurse in Florida told a doctor that she noticed a lot more bleeding occurred when the moon is full. Like all doctors who are skeptical about such beliefs, he laughed at this statement.

　　有一回，美國佛羅裏達州的一名護士告訴醫生：「病人在月圓日流的血特別多。」醫生和其他懷疑這個概念的人一樣，只是一笑置之。但是護士並不氣餒，她做了很多詳細的記錄，清楚的顯示月圓日的確比其它的日子更容易失血，因此，不適合動手術。爲了證實這一點，醫生也開始做記錄，他的結果和護士一樣。

　　But the nurse, undeterred, produced records of surgical operations which clearly showed that during full moon, more patients had to be returned to the operating theater than at any other time for treatment for excessively bleeding after operations. To satisfy himself, this doctor started keeping records on his own and he came to a similar conclusion. When we consider all those occurrences, we can understand why our ancestors and religious teachers had advised us to change our daily routine and to relax physically and mentally on full moon and new moon days. The practise of religion is the most appropriate method for people to experience mental peace and physical relaxation. The Buddhists are merely observing the wisdom of the past when they devote more time to activities of a spiritual nature on New Moon and Full Moon days.

　　當我們了解這些現象時，就會明白爲何聖哲或宗教導師要我們在月圓日或新月日放松我們的身心。松懈身心，是一種最有效的宗教修行。那些已將心靈開展到某一程度的佛教徒，可以在月圓日或新月日獲得心靈的證悟。

　　不誹與不害 嚴持于戒律

　　飲食之節量 遠處而獨居

　　勤修增上定 是爲諸佛教 《法句經》V.185

《宗教與月亮 The Moon and Religious Observances》全文閱讀結束。