..續本文上一頁ccording to the parents” hopes and aspirations. And yet when these children grow up, they develop in their own way, not necessarily the way the parents wanted them to be. In Buddhism, we believe that while others can exert an influence on someone”s life, the inpidual will in the end create his own kamma and be responsible for his own actions. No human being or deva can, in the final analysis, direct or control an inpidual”s attainment of ”the ultimate salvation”. This is the meaning of self-reliance.
舉個例子來說，我們都知道，做父母的經常都按照自己的希望和抱負來教導孩子，然而，孩子長大後，卻拒絕了父母爲他們安排的一切，他們要發展他們自己的一套。在佛教裏，相信一個人能影響另一個人的一生。但是到最後，個人的意識創造了他自己的業力，並爲他個人的行爲負責。無論是人類或天人，都不能協助或控製他人的解脫，解脫要靠自己。
This does not mean that Buddhism teaches one to be selfish. In Buddhism, when someone seeks, by his own effort, to attain Nibbana, he is determined not to kill, steal, tell lies, lust after others, or lose the control of his senses through intoxication. When he controls himself thus he automatically contributes to the happiness of others. So is not this so-called ”selfishness” a good thing for the general welfare of others
這不是意味著佛教是自私的。佛教徒以自己的努力去證悟涅槃，他持守戒律不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語、不喝那些能導致感官失控的酒。當一個人能有效的控製自己，他就能自動的爲他人提供幸福。這種所謂的「自私」，何嘗對人沒有好處呢？
On a more mundane level it has been asked how the lower forms of life can extricate themselves from a mere meaningless round of existence. Surely in that helpless state some benevolent external force is necessary to pull the unfortunate being from the quicksand. To answer this question we must refer to our knowledge of the evolution theory. It is clearly stated that life begin in very primitive forms
no more than a single cell floating in the water. Over millions of years these basic life forms evolved and became more complex, more intelligent. It is at this more intelligent level that life forms are capable of organization, independent thought, conceptualization and so on.
就生態層次而言，有人要問：「那些低等動物，如何自我拯救呢？當然，在無助的情況下，一些外在的慈悲力，將那些不幸的低等動物，從困難中拯救出來。回答這一問題的同時，我們要對「進化論」有一定的了解。「進化論」清楚的說明，生命的原始形態，是水中浮遊的單細胞，經過數億年的發展，這些基本的生命形態演進成更複雜和具有智慧的生命。這些有智慧的生命形態，能夠組織、能夠獨立思考，並擁有將事物概念化的能力等等。
When Buddhists talk about the ability to save oneself, they are referring to life forms at this higher level of mental development. In the earlier stages of evolution kammic and mental forces remain dormant, but over countless rebirths, a being raises itself to the level of independent thought and becomes capable of rational rather than instinctive behavior. It is at this state that the being becomes aware of the meaninglessness of undergoing endless rebirths with its natural concomitants of pain and sorrow. It is then that the being is capable of making its determination to end rebirth and seek happiness by gaining enlightenment and Nibbana. With this high level of intelligence, the inpidual is indeed capable of self-improvement and self-development.
佛陀所說的自我拯救，是針對較高層次的生命形態而言。在早期的生命中，心識和業力是潛伏的，當經過無數次的輪回轉世，才提升到能夠獨立思考的生命形態，成爲更有理性，而不是本能了。在這個階段，衆生覺察到毫無意義，無休無止的生死輪回，和他那如影隨形的痛苦和煩惱。然而，衆生都擁有了斷生死的能力，他們運用較高層次的智慧，獲得覺悟和涅槃，尋求永恒的幸福。以這種高層次的智能而言，每個人都有能力自我改善和自我發展。
We all know human beings are born with very varying levels of intelligence and powers of reasoning. Some are born as geniuses, while at the other end of the spectrum, others are born with very low intelligence. Yet every being has some ability to distinguish between choices or options, especially when they concern survival. If we extend this fact of survival even to the animal world we can distinguish between higher and lower animals, with this same ability (in varying degrees of course) to make choices for the sake of survival.
我們知道，人類的才智水平和理性力量都不相同。有些人天生就是天才，而有些人智障。但是，人類還是擁有某種程度的能力去分辨、選擇和取舍。如果，我們把這種生存的現象。延伸到動物界中，我們就能分辨高等與低等動物。但是，動物一樣有分辨、選擇和取舍的能力，只是程度有所不同而已。
Hence, even a lower form of life has the potential to create a good kam…
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