..續本文上一頁般的向他傾訴。」

　　Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, ”if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.” What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect

　　 Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha.

　　有一回，一位將軍送了一尊佛像給當時英國的首相邱吉爾，並對邱吉爾說：「如果你心中受到騷擾和困窘時，只要注視這尊佛像，你就會獲得舒展。」爲什麼佛像所傳達的信息，會被知識份子接受到呢？或許是從佛像中看到那肅穆和清晰的一面吧！

　　Not only in color and line did men express their faith in the Buddha and the graciousness of His Teaching. Human hands wrought in metal and stone to produce the Buddha image that is one of the greatest creations of the human genius. Witness the famous image in the Abhayagiri Vihara in Sri Lanka, or the Buddha image of Sarnath or the celebrated images of Borobudur. The eyes are full of compassion and the hands express fearlessness, or goodwill and blessings, or they unravel some thread of thought or call the earth to witness His great search for Truth. Wherever the Dhamma went, the image of the great Teacher went with it, not only as an object of worship but also as an object of meditation and reverence. ”I known nothing,”says Keyserling,” more grand in this world than the figure of the Buddha. It is an absolutely perfect embodiment of spirituality in the visible domain.”

　　人們不僅用線條和色彩勾畫出對佛陀卓越教義的信念，同時也以金屬、石頭等素材來從事偉大的藝術創作。斯裏蘭卡阿巴耶精舍的佛像、印度沙拉的佛像、印度婆羅佛屠的佛像，這些佛像的眼睛裏都充滿了慈愛的光輝，雙手展現了無畏、善良和祝福。他們經曆了漫長的道路，見證了人類最偉大的思想，好像在呼籲人類前來瞻仰他們，同時也探索那偉大的真理。不管佛法到何處，佛像也跟到何處，佛像不僅是膜拜的對象，也是禅定和尊敬的對象。

　　德國哲學家凱瑟琳說：「世界上沒有比佛像更珍貴的東西，佛像是肉眼可以看見的世界中一個絕對完美的精神領域的實現。」

　　A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless; such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honour and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind.

　　生命是多麼的美好，心地是多麼的純淨和善良，心識是多麼的深邃和充滿悟性，本性是多麼的大公無私──如此完美的生命，如此慈悲的心，如此甯靜的心識，如此協調的本性，實在值得我們敬佩，值得我們榮耀和供奉。佛陀是這世間最完美的人類。

　　The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood--that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: ”The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.”

　　佛像只是一個象征，不是人類，佛像代表佛陀。所有的人都能證悟佛道，卻很少人能夠做到。佛道不是爲了某一個人，而是爲了一切衆生的成就。 「我每天禮敬，過去諸佛、現在諸佛和未來諸佛。」

　　However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses, can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation.

　　佛教並不強製佛教徒在修持佛法時，都要禮拜佛像。有些人在沒佛像做爲目標情況下，也能控製自己的心識和感官。佛教徒如果想親近莊嚴、肅穆的佛陀，就必須在日常生活中實現佛陀的教義。修持佛法能夠接近佛陀，能夠感應到佛陀不朽的慈悲與智慧和不可思議的光輝。只是禮拜佛像，而不遵循佛陀的教誨，是無法找到解脫之道的。

　　We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the Teaching of the Buddha.

　　我們必須盡力的去了解佛陀的精神。佛陀的教義是拯救這紛亂世界的唯一法寶。今天我們生活的世界，除了科技帶來的方便外，到處充滿恐懼、焦慮和失望。這世界何以變得如此的困難，我們可以在佛陀的教義中找到答案。

《偶像崇拜 Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers

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