Is there an Eternal Soul

　　不滅的靈魂存在嗎

　　Belief in an eternal soul is a misconception of the human consciousness.

　　相信不滅的靈魂存在，是一種錯誤的觀點。

　　Soul-Theories

　　靈魂學說：

　　With regard to the soul theory, there are three kinds of teachers in the world:

　　The first teacher teaches the existence of an eternal ego-entity that outlasts death: He is the eternalist.

　　The second teacher teaches a temporary ego-entity which becomes annihilated at death: He is the materialist.

　　The third teacher teaches neither an eternal nor a temporary ego-entity: He is the Buddha.

　　在這世間，有叁種不同的靈魂學說：

　　一、認爲「人」死後仍然存在一貫永恒的自我本質──靈魂，在佛學稱這種思想爲「常見」。

　　二、認爲「人」只是暫時的本質，死後就一了百了，是一種唯物思想，佛學稱這種思想爲「斷見」。

　　叁、認爲「人」的自我本質，既非永恒，亦非不永恒，這就是佛陀的學說。

　　The Buddha teaches that what we call ego, self, soul, personality, etc., are merely conventional terms that do not refer to any real, independent entity. According to Buddhism there is no reason to believe that there is an eternal soul that comes from heaven or that is created by itself and that will transmigrate or proceed straight away either to heaven or hell after death. Buddhists cannot accept that there is anything either in this world or any other world that is eternal or unchangeable. We only cling to ourselves and hope to find something immortal. We are like children who wish to clasp a rainbow. To children, a rainbow is something vivid and real; but the grown-ups know that it is merely an illusion caused by certain rays of light and drops of water. The light is only a series of waves or undulations that have no more reality than the rainbow itself.

　　佛陀認爲我們妄稱「人」爲「自我」、「自己」、「靈魂」或「人格」等等，這些都屬于「假名安立」，並沒有提到真實、獨立的本質。佛教徒沒有理由相信，有一個永恒不滅的靈魂，來自天堂或自我的創造。死後將「移民」天堂或地獄。佛教徒不相信這世間或其它世間，有某些事物是永恒的。我們經常執著于我們自己，希望能發現某些事物是永恒的。這種行爲，像小孩子想攀天上的彩虹，對孩子們來說，彩虹是美麗的、真實的，可是成人都知道，彩虹是光和水因緣和合而組成的幻象。就彩虹的本質來說，它只不過是一連串的光波罷了。

　　Man has done well without discovering the soul. He shows no signs of fatigue or degeneration for not having encountered any soul. No man has produced anything to promote mankind by postulating a soul and its imaginary working. Searching for a soul in man is like searching for something in a dark empty room. But the poor man will never realize that what he is searching for is not in the room. It is very difficult to make such a person understand the futility of his search.

　　發現沒有靈魂存在時，人類的表現也很正常。人類並不因爲沒有靈魂的存在，而表現失常或急躁不安。也不因爲假設或想像靈魂的存在及靈魂如何作用，而産生震憾世界的新發現。尋找靈魂或企圖發現靈魂的存在，有如在暗室裏尋找東西，什麼也找不到。但是，一般可憐的人，從來不理解這一點，他們所要尋找的東西根本就不在暗室裏，要讓他們知道，他們的努力是白費功夫，那簡直太難了。

　　Those who believe in the existence of a soul are not in a position to explain what and where it is. The Buddha”s advice is not to waste our time over this unnecessary speculation and devote our time to strive for our salvation. When we have attained perfection then we will be able to realize whether there is a soul or not. A wandering ascetic named Vacchagotta asked the Buddha whether there was an Atman (self) or not. The story is as follows:

　　某些人相信靈魂的存在，可是卻沒有能力解釋靈魂到底存在于什麼地方，以什麼形式存在。佛陀告誡信徒，不要把寶貴的時間，浪費在這無謂的事情，要專心的尋求解脫之道。當我們獲得大成就後，就會知道靈魂到底存不存在。 一位苦行修士瓦差哥達，來到佛陀眼前，問道：

　　Vacchagotta comes to the Buddha and asks: ”Venerable Gotama, is there an Atman

　　 The Buddha is silent. ”Then Venerable Gotama, is there no Atman

　　 Again the Buddha is silent. Vacchagotta gets up and goes away. After the ascetic has left, Ananda asks the Buddha why He did not answer Vacchagotta”s question. The Buddha explains His position: ”Ananda, when asked by Vacchagotta, the Wanderer: ”Is there a Self

　　, if I had answered: ”There is a Self”. Then, Ananda, that would be siding with those recluses and brahmanas who hold the eternalist theory (sassata-vada).”

　　「尊敬的苟答馬先生！到底有沒有『我』的存在？」

　　佛陀沈默不回答。瓦差哥達再問道：

　　「尊敬的苟答馬先生！到底有沒有『我』的存在？」

　　佛陀還是保持沈默。瓦差哥達放棄了，他轉身就離開了。

　　當瓦差哥達離開後，阿難達尊者問佛陀：「世尊！爲什麼不答複瓦差哥達的問題呢？」

　　佛陀向阿難達尊者解釋了他的立場。

　　「阿難達啊！當瓦差哥達問我到底有沒有『我』的存在時，如果我回答：有『我』的存在，那就等于承認了外道的『常見』觀點。」

　　”And Ananda, when asked by the Wanderer: ”Is there no Self

　　, if I had answered: ”There is no Self”, then that would be siding with those recluses and brahmanas who hold the annihilationist theory( uccedavada)”.

　　「阿難達啊！還有，當瓦差哥達問我到底有沒有『我』的存在時，如果我回答：沒有『我』的存在，那就等于承認外道的『斷見』觀點。」

　　”Again, Ananda, when asked by Vacchagotta: ”Is there a Self

　　 If I had answered: ”There is a Self”, would that be in accordance with my knowledge that all dhammas are without Self

　　「阿難達啊！還有，當瓦差哥達問我到底有沒有『我』的存在時，根據我的智慧，所有的『法』都是『無我』的。」

　　”Surely not, Sir.”

　　「確實是『無我』。」阿難達尊者回答道。

　　”And again, Ananda, when asked by the Wanderer: ”Is there no Self

　　”, if I had answered: ”There is no Self”, then that would have created a greater confusion in the already confused Vacchagotta. For he would have thought: Formerly indeed I had an Atman(Self), but now I haven”t got one.” (Samyutta Nikaya).

　　佛陀又說道：

　　「阿難達啊！還有，當瓦差哥達問我到底有沒有『我』的存在時，如果我回答：沒有『我』的存在，那麼，將令瓦達哥達感到困惑，他可能會誤解：以前確實有『我』的存在，怎麼現在『我』卻沒有了。」《相應部經》

　　The Buddha regarded soul-speculation as useless and illusory. He once said, ”Only through ignorance and delusion do men indulge in the dream that their souls are separate and self-existing entities. Their heart still clings to Self. They are anxious about heaven and they seek the pleasure of Self in heaven. Thus they cannot see the bliss of righteousness and the immortality of truth.” Selfish ideas appear in man”s mind due to his conception of Self and craving for existence.

　　佛陀認爲對靈魂的臆測是無用的，靈魂只是一種幻象。佛陀說： 「愚癡和妄想使人們沈迷于幻覺中，他們把靈魂當作是自己存在的實體，並認爲靈魂可以和自己的身體分開存在。他們心中執著于自我，他們渴望天堂的存在，並尋求在天堂中的自我享受。因此，他們無法發現並覺知無上的幸福和不朽的真理。」《相應部經》

　　自私的觀念之所以出現在人們心中，就是因爲人類對自我和存在的執著。

《不滅的靈魂存在嗎 Is there an Eternal Soul

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