Chapter 8 Buddhist Morality and Practice

　　第八章 佛教的道德規範與修持

　　Buddhist Ethics

　　佛教與道德

　　Man-made moral laws and customs do not form Buddhist Ethics.

　　佛教的道德規範，並非人類功利主義所締造的道德規範。

　　The world today is in a state of turmoil; valuable ethics are being upturned. The forces of materialistic skepticism have turned their dissecting blades on the traditional concepts of what are considered humane qualities. Yet, any person who has a concern for culture and civilization will concern himself with practical, ethical issues. For ethics has to do with human conduct. It is concerned with our relationship with ourselves and with our fellow-men.

　　The need for ethics arises from the fact that man is not perfect by nature; he has to train himself to be good. Thus morality becomes the most important aspect of living.

　　今天的世界一片混亂，傳統的價值觀被全面的推翻了，唯物主義無所不疑的精神，破壞了傳統道德的本質。但是，還有不少關心傳統道德和生活文明的人，注意到實際的道德問題。道德是人類行爲中不可分割的整體。這是有關我們自己和全人類的切身問題。人類並非天生就完美的，因此，有賴于道德的扶持。一個人必須訓練自己以臻完美，因此，道德就成爲人類生命中最重要的一部份。

　　Buddhist ethics are not arbitrary standards invented by man for his own utilitarian purpose. Nor are they arbitrarily imposed from without. Man-made laws and social customs do not form the basis of Buddhist ethics. For example, the styles of dress that are suitable for one climate, period or civilization may be considered indecent in another; but this is entirely a matter of social custom and does not in any way involve ethical considerations. Yet the artificialities of social conventions are continually confused with ethical principles that are valid and unchanging.

　　Buddhist ethics finds its foundation not on the changing social customs but rather on the unchanging laws of nature. Buddhist ethical values are intrinsically a part of nature, and the unchanging law of cause and effect (kamma). The simple fact that Buddhist ethics are rooted in natural law makes its principles both useful and acceptable to the modern world. The fact that the Buddhist ethical code was formulated over 2,500 years ago does not detract from its timeless character.

　　佛教的道德標准，不是以人類功利主義的目的爲基礎而創造的，也不是某個獨裁者的任意發明，更不是無緣無故自由設定。人類的法律和社會習尚，不足以成爲佛教的道德規範。舉個例子來說，人類的服裝是爲了適合氣候、時代和文明而設計的，對不同的氣候、時代和文明就不適合了。這就是社會風尚的問題，並沒有絲毫道德成份在內。但是，人類爲社會所累積的風俗習尚，卻不斷的混淆和破壞道德的原則。佛教的道德基礎是一種恒久不變的自然規律，它不斷的改變社會不良的習俗和風尚。佛教的道德價值根源于自然界不變的因果律，佛教的道德觀，實際就是紮根于自然界的自然法。佛教的道德規範，有效的改變了現代的世界，而且能令所有人都可以接受。事實告訴我們，超過二千五百年曆史的佛教道德，並未因時間的消失而有所減損。

　　Morality in Buddhism is essentially practical in that it is only a means leading to the final goal of ultimate happiness. On the Buddhist path to Emancipation, each inpidual is considered responsible for his own fortunes and misfortunes. Each inpidual is expected to work his own deliverance by his understanding and effort. Buddhist salvation is the result of one”s own moral development and can neither be imposed nor granted to one by some external agent. The Buddha”s mission was to enlighten men as to the nature of existence and to advise them how best to act for their own happiness and for the benefit of others. Consequently, Buddhist ethics are not founded on any commandments which men are compelled to follow. The Buddha advised men on the conditions which were most wholesome and conducive to long term benefit for self and others. Rather than addressing sinners with such words as ”shameful”, ”wicked”, ”wretched”, ”unworthy”, and ”blasphemous” He would merely say, ”You are unwise in acting in such a way since this will bring sorrow upon yourselves and others.”

　　The theory of Buddhist ethics finds its practical expression in the various precepts. These precepts or disciplines are nothing but general guides to show the direction in which the Buddhist ought to turn to on his way to final salvation. Although many of these precepts are expressed in a negative form, we must not think that Buddhist morality, consists of abstaining from evil without the complement of doing good.

　　佛教的道德規範是講求實際的，是引導我們邁向永恒幸福的最佳工具。對佛教的解脫目標而言，我們每個人都必須對自己的幸與不幸負責，我們每個人都必須在不依靠外力的情況下，爲自我拯救而努力奮鬥。佛教所提倡的自我拯救，是以自我堅韌的意志力來克服業力的結果，既不能加強于人，也不能接受他人的贈與。佛教的使命，在于啓發人類生存的本質，並告誡人類如何利益自己、利益他人。因此，佛教不以教條強迫信徒遵守，佛陀只告訴世人，什麼樣的因緣能獲得長期的利益。佛陀不用諸如：無恥、邪惡、卑鄙、廢物、亵渎等教訓罪人的字眼，他只是這麼說：「因爲你的愚癡，所作的事情，給你自己和他人帶來痛苦。」佛教的道德倫理，表現在不同的戒律和修持，這些戒律或教誨的最終目的，是要引導人類獲得終極的解脫。雖然很多戒條表現的很煩瑣，但是，我們不可因此而認爲佛教的道德觀是既不作惡，也不行善。

　　The morality found in all the precepts can be summarized in three simple principles

　　 ”To avoid evil; to do good, to purify the mind.” This is the advice given by all the Buddhas. ----(Dhammapada, 183)

　　佛教的道德原則，可濃縮爲叁點：

　　停止造作一切惡行，奉行一切善行，

　　淨化自己的心識，這是諸佛的教導。

　　《法句經》.V183

　　In Buddhism, the distinction between what is good and what is bad is very simple: all actions that have their roots in greed, hatred, and delusion that spring from selfishness foster the harmful delusion of selfhood. These action are demeritorious or unskillful or bad. They are called Akusala Kamma. All those actions which are rooted in the virtues of generosity, love and wisdom, are meritorious--- Kusala Kamma. The criteria of good and bad apply whether the actions are of thought, word or deed.

　　佛教對善惡業行的區別非常簡單，所有的行爲，基于自私心而生起的貪、嗔、癡，以及所衍生的種種損害和自我的錯覺，都是罪行、不善巧或壞的，這些就是造就惡業的惡行。所有基于道德和智慧所做出來的事，就是造就善業的善行。善行與惡行都是基于身、語、意的行止。

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