..續本文上一頁p frogs to foretell the weather; others cut off their legs and fry them. Some tenderly tend birds in gilded cages; others serve them for breakfast. It is all quite confusing. One thought stands out in a world where man clubs man for gain or sheer gore, there is hardly time to ponder over his morals in relation to animals.

　　有些人飼養青蛙來做科學實驗，有些人切下青蛙的大腿來烹煮姜蔥田雞。有些人把鳥類關在鳥籠裏，無微不至的照顧，有些人把牠當早餐。這些對動物的態度，令人混淆。人類只關心人與人的離合和戰爭，卻沒有時間去仔細思考人類與其它動物之間的道德關系。

　　Every religion advises us to love our fellow humans. Some even teach us to love them more if they belong to the same religion. But Buddhism is supreme in that it teaches u s to show equal care and compassion for each and every creature in the universe. The destruction of any creature represents a disturbance of the Universal Order.

　　每一種宗教都教導人類應該去愛護和關心人類，或者去愛護同一宗教的教友。可是佛陀卻教導我們以慈悲心、平等心去對待一切衆生。一切衆生代表一切宇宙，也代表一切法。

　　The Buddha was very clear in His teachings against any form of cruelty to any living being. One day the Buddha saw a man preparing to make a animal sacrifice. On being asked why he was going to kill innocent animals, the man replied that it was because it would please the gods. The Buddha then offered Himself as the sacrifice, saying that if the life of an animal would please the gods then the life of a human being, more valuable, would please the gods even more.

　　佛陀非常清楚的教導，要以慈悲心對待一切衆生。一天，佛陀發現有人准備以動物來祭祀，他問那麼人，爲什麼要殺害生命呢？那麼人回答，要獲得神的庇佑。佛陀對那個人說，那你用我的生命來取代那無辜的生命吧，人的生命總比動物的命來得高貴，更容易獲得神的庇佑。

　　Man”s cruelty towards animals is another expression of his uncontrolled greed. Today we destroy animals and deprive them of their natural rights so that we can expend our environments for our convenience. But we are already beginning to pay the price for this selfish and cruel act. Our environment is threatened and if we do not take stern measures for the survival of other creatures, our own existence on this earth may not be guaranteed. It is true that the existence of certain creatures is a threat to human existence. But we never consider that human are the greatest threat to every living being on this earth and in the air whereas the existence of other creatures is a threat only to certain living beings.

　　人類殘酷的對待動物，是因爲欲望無法獲得滿足。今天，我們毀滅動物或剝奪動物的生存空間，卻堂堂的以環境發展爲理由。但是，我們已經爲這種殘酷和自私的行爲付出代價。如果動物無法生存，那麼人類生存的空間也無法獲得保證。這是事實，其它動物的遭遇也將是人類的遭遇。我們不要以爲人類比其它動物來得偉大，發生在其它動物身上的事情，永遠也不會發生在人類身上。

　　Since every creature contributes something for the maintenance of the planet and atmosphere, destroying them is not the solution to overcome our disturbances. We should take other measures to maintain the balance of nature.

　　每一種動物都爲生態環境做出貢獻。毀滅牠們，等于毀滅我們自己的生態環境，造成大自然的不平衡。

《佛教對動物生命的態度 The Buddhist Attitude to Animal Life》全文閱讀結束。