Chapter 6 BUDDHISM VIS-A-VIS OTHER APPROACHES

　　第六章佛教與其它思想

　　Is Buddhism Similar to Other Contemporary Teachings in India

　　佛教與當時印度宗教的異同

　　The Dhamma realized by the Buddha was unheard before.

　　佛陀所宣說的佛法，是以前從來沒有人說過的。

　　The Buddha said in His first sermon, the Dhammacakka Sutta, that the Dhamma which He preached was unheard of before. Knowledge of the Dhamma which arose was clear to His vision, to His knowledge, to His wisdom, to His penetration, and to His Enlightenment.

　　佛陀初轉*輪時，所宣說的《轉*輪經》是前人所從來沒有說過的。這很清楚的明了佛陀的看法、佛陀的學識、佛陀的智慧，以及他敏銳的觀察力和無法比擬的覺悟力。

　　Some people claim that the Buddha did not preach a new doctrine but merely reformed the old teaching which was existing in India. However, the Buddha was no mere reformer of Hinduism as some protagonists of this ancient creed make Him out to be. The Buddha”s way of life and doctrine were substantially different from the way of life and the religious beliefs people had in India. The Buddha lived, taught and died as a non-Vedic and non-Brahmanic religious Teacher. Nowhere did the Buddha acknowledge His indebtedness to the existing religious beliefs and practices. The Buddha considered Himself as initiating a rational religious method, as opening a new path. In fact He had revolutionized the religious way of life in a dignified manner.

　　有些人認爲佛陀並沒有宣揚什麼新的教義，只是把印度當時存在的古老教義，重新整理和加以組織而已。然而，佛陀不是當時印度宗教的改革者，而是重新締造者。佛陀所倡導的生活方式和教義，本質與印度當時一般人所信仰的宗教不同。佛陀從出世到弘法、入滅都可以證明他與當時印度的婆羅門教無關，也無法找到佛陀承認他曾經受惠于印度其它宗教的證據。

　　That was the main reason why many other religious groups could not agree with Him. He was condemned, criticized and insulted by the most noted teachers and sects of the Vedic-Brahmanic tradition. It was with the intention of destroying or absorbing the Buddha and His Teaching, that the Brahmans of the pre-Christian era went so far as to accept the Buddha as an Avatara or incarnation of their God. Yet some others despised Him as a vasalaka, a mundaka, a samanaka, a nastika and sudra. (These words were used in India during the Buddha”s time to insult a religious man).

　　在當時的印度，很多宗教團體或個別的宗教師都反對佛陀的觀點。佛陀經常被外道宗教師刁難、批評、指責，或以惡毒的字眼加以侮辱。可是當佛教的基礎奠定後，婆羅門教卻把佛陀說成是他們神的化身，婆羅門教之所以這麼做。

　　There is no doubt that the Buddha reformed certain customs, religious duties, rites and ethics and ways of living. The greatness of His character was like a pin-point that pricked the balloon of false beliefs and practices so that they could burst and reveal their emptiness.

　　無非是想破壞和並吞佛教，把佛教和佛陀的教義據爲己有。毫無疑問的，佛陀糾正了當時社會的風尚和弊病，無論在宗教職責、儀式或個人的倫理觀念和生活方式。還有如以針刺破了錯誤的信仰與修持的氣球，使裏面空泛和不實際的東西泄漏一空。

　　But as far as the fundamental, philosophical and psychological teachings are concerned, it is groundless to say that the Buddha had copied ideas from any existing religion at that time. For instance, the idea of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and Nibbana, were not known before His coming. Although the belief in kamma and rebirth was very common, the Buddha gave quite logical and reasonable explanations to this belief and introduced it as natural law of cause and effect. Despite all these the Buddha did not ridicule any sincere existing religious belief or practice. He appreciated the value in many where he found Truth and he even gave a better explanation of their beliefs. That is why He once said that the Truth must be respected wherever it is. However, He was never afraid to speak out against hypocrisy and falsehood.

　　無論以基礎科學、哲學或心理學來說，我們都找不到佛陀抄襲當時宗教的證據。四聖谛、八聖道和涅槃思想，在佛陀以前，從來不爲人所知。雖然業力和輪回思想，在當時相當的普遍，可是佛陀給予了全新的、邏輯的、合理的诠釋。佛陀並不嘲笑或蔑視當時存在的宗教。佛陀很珍惜它們，也從它們那裏發現了真理，並且給予更合理的诠釋。

　　所以佛陀說：「無論真理在何處，必然會受到重視。」

　　佛陀從來就不畏懼于面對虛僞和不真實。