The Buddhist Attitude to Animal Life
佛教對動物生命的態度
If we believe that animals were created by someone for men, it would follow that men were also created for animals since some animals do eat human flesh.
如果我們相信動物是爲人類而生，同樣的，人類也是爲動物而生，因爲，有些動物以食用人肉爲生。
Animals are said to be conscious only of the present. They live with no concern for the past or future. Likewise, little children seem to have no notion of the future. They also live in the present until their faculties of memory and imagination are developed.
有些人認爲動物只能意識到現在，沒有過去，也沒有未來。同樣的，嬰兒也沒有未來的觀念，他們生活在現在，一直到他們的腦力發展後爲止。
Men possesses the faculty of reasoning. The gap between man and animal widens only to the extent that man develops his reasoning faculty and acts accordingly. Buddhists accept that animals not only possesses instinctive power but also, to a lesser degree, thinking power.
人類有思維能力，能以思維駕馭行動。人與動物的差別就在于思維能力。佛教相信動物不但有本能的生存能力，還有一定的思維能力。
In some respects, animals are superior to men. Dogs have a keener sense of hearing; insects have a keener sense of smell; hawks are speedier; eagles can see a greater distance. Undoubtedly, men are wiser; but men have so much to learn from the ants and bees. Much of the animal is still in us. But we also have much more: we have the potential of spiritual development.
在某些方面，動物超越人類。狗擁有超越人類的嗅覺，昆蟲有敏感的聽覺，鳥類能飛行並擁有超凡的視覺。毫無疑問，人類比動物要聰明。但是，人類從動物身上學習了很多東西。在人性中，還保有很多的「獸性」。更重要的是，人類擁有精神發展的潛力。
Buddhism cannot accept that animals were created by someone for men; if animals were created for men then it could follow that men were also created for animals since there are some animals which eat human flesh.
佛陀不接受動物是爲人類而生的概念。如果動物是爲人類而生，那麼，人類同樣是爲動物而生，因爲，有些動物以食用人肉爲生。
Buddhists are encouraged to love all living beings and not to restrict their love only to human beings. They should practise loving kindness towards every living being. The Buddha”s advice is that is not right for us to take away the life of any living being since every living being has a right to exist. Animals also have fear and pain as do human beings. It is wrong to take away their lives. We should not misuse our intelligence and strength to destroy animals even though they may sometimes be a nuisance to us. Animals need our sympathy. Destroying them is not the only method to get rid of them. Every living being is contributing something to maintain this world. It is unfair for us to deprive their living rights.
佛陀倡導的慈悲心，不僅是針對人類，而且是針對一切衆生，佛教徒應該以慈悲心對待一切衆生。佛陀告誡我們，我們沒有權力傷害一切衆生的生命，所有的衆生都有平等生存的權力。動物和人類一樣，有恐懼和痛苦的感受。殺害動物的生命，是一種錯誤的行爲，我們不應該濫用自己的能力和智慧去殺害衆生。即使有時候動物的行爲令我們討厭，但是，牠們的確需要我們的同情。殺害動物的生命，不是唯一擺脫他們的辦法。每一個生命對世間都有一定的貢獻，人類剝奪動物生存的權力，是一種不公平的做法。
In his Handbook of reason, D. Runes says:
D.魯尼，在他的著作《理念的手冊》裏說道：
”We can hardly speak of morals in relation to creatures we systematically devour, mostly singed but sometimes raw. There are men and women who practise horse love, dog love, cat love. But these very same people would take a deer or a calf by its neck, slit its throat, drink the blood straight away or in a pudding, and bite off the flesh. And who is to say that a horse they cherish is nobler than a deer they feed on
Indeed, there are people who eat cats, dogs and horses but would use a cow only as a work animal.”
「我們很難說明，我們與那些一向來都被我們一口一口嚼咽的動物的道德關系。大部份時間，我們把它們屠宰了、煮熟了，然後吃掉，有時候還是生吃。這世間有很多人愛馬、愛狗、愛貓，可是，他們同時抓住鹿、牛的頸項，割斷它們的喉嚨，吮吸它們的鮮血、吃它們的肉。這難道說，他們所锺愛的馬，會比吃掉的鹿來得高貴？有些人甚至還吃狗肉、貓肉和馬肉，並強迫牛只爲他們工作。」
Some cry over a little bird or goldfish that expired; others travel long distances to catch fish on a nasty hook for food or mere pleasure or shooting birds for fun. Some go into deep jungle for hunting animals as a game while others spend a lot to keep the same animals at home as their pets.
有些人爲自己所蓄養的小鳥或金魚的死而恸哭。有些人長途跋涉的去捕魚，有些人是爲了吃，有些人是爲了娛樂。有些人以打鳥爲樂，有些人到深山去做狩獵遊戲。有些人把獵物當寵物一樣蓄養在家裏。
Some kee…
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