..續本文上一頁人。

　　We come now to the ethical level of that truth. Moral self-protection will safeguard others, inpidual and society, against our own unrestrained passions and selfish impulses. If we permit the Three Roots of everything evil, Greed, Hate and Delusion, to take a firm hold in our hearts, then that which grows from those evil roots will spread around like the jungle creeper which suffocates and kills the healthy and noble growth. But if we protect ourselves against these Three Roots of Evil, fellow beings too will be safe from our reckless greed for possession and power, from our unrestrained lust and sensuality, from our envy and jealousy. They will be safe from the disruptive, or even destructive and murderous, consequences of our hate and enmity, from the outburst of our anger, from our spreading an atmosphere of antagonism and quarrelsomeness which may make life unbearable for those around us. But the harmful effects of our greed and hate on others are not limited to cases when they become the passive objects or victims of our hate, or their possession the object of our greed. Greed and hate have an infectious power, which can multiply the evil effects. If we ourselves think of nothing else than to crave and grasp, to acquire and possess, to hold and cling, then we may rouse or strengthen these possessive instincts in others too. Our bad example may become the standard of behavior of our environment for instance among our own children, our colleagues, and so on. Our own conduct may induce others to join us in the common satisfaction of rapacious desires; or we may arouse feelings of resentment and competitiveness in others who wish to beat us in the race. If we are full of sensuality we may kindle the fire of lust in others. Our own hate may cause the hate and vengeance of others. It may also happen that we ally ourselves with others or instigate them to common acts of hate and enmity.

　　現在我們來看看自我保護的道德層次是什麼？道德性的自我保護，將安全的保護他人和社會，免于我們個人不受製約的感情沖動或自私的行爲所傷害。假如，我們允許叁種惡根──貪、嗔、癡存在于我們內心，這叁種惡根無邊無際的擴散，有如叢林中的蔓草，窒息了周圍植物，令它們不能健康的成長。如果，我們爲了保護自己而降伏這叁種惡根，那麼，我們周圍的人或衆生，將因此而獲得安全，免于我們的魯莽、占有欲和權力欲的傷害，免于我們無節製的貪婪和情欲的傷害，免于嫉妒和猜疑的傷害，免于我們的破壞性、分裂性和殺傷性所傷害。他們將會更安全。這些突發性的情緒，導致不協調和爭執，使我們周圍的生命都無法忍受。我們對別人的貪、嗔，不僅僅是貪和嗔這麼簡單，貪和嗔具有強大的感染力，所帶來的業報無法估計。假如我們只想到貪取、把持或占有，這時，我們也喚醒了強加在他人身上的所有不良本能。我們的行爲可能是周圍環境的榜樣，我們的孩子或同事可能學習我們，我們的行爲誘導他人追求與我們相同的貪婪和欲望，我們的行爲也可能激發他人的憤怒和爭議，從而想挫敗或打擊我們。當我們充滿色欲時，同時會點燃別人邪淫之火。當我們嗔恚心重時，會造就他人的報複心。我們也可能聯合他人，或煽動、或鼓勵他們一起産生嗔恚心或某些暴戾的行爲。的確，貪和嗔就好像傳染病一樣，假如我們能保護好自己免于受到惡根的傳染所影響，那麼，我們在某種程度「保護了他人」。

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