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佛陀入滅後數百年，他的信徒們開始將他的教義組織起來，形成了宗教。他們摻雜了其它信仰，各種奇迹、神秘、占蔔、符咒、靈符、壇場、禱告和各種儀軌。這些未曾出現在原始佛陀的教義裏。當這些外來的宗教信仰被納入佛教體系中，很多人忽略了原始佛教中最重要的修持：自律、自製、道德的陶冶和心靈的發展。人們不再修持佛陀原來的教義，反而花費大部分的精力去向邪惡的神靈尋求庇護和追尋財富及運氣。
Gradually, people began to lose interest in the original Teachings and became more interested in discovering ways and means of getting rid of the so-called misfortunes or bad influences of stars, black magic, and sickness. In this manner, through time the religious practices and beliefs degenerated, being confined to worldly pursuits. Even today, many people believe that they can get rid of their difficulties through the influence of external powers. People still cling to this belief: hence they neglect to cultivate the strength of their will-power, intelligence, understanding and other related human qualities. In other words, people started to abuse their human intelligence by following those beliefs and practices in the name of Buddhism. They also polluted the purity of the Buddha”s message.
漸漸的，他們對佛教失去了興趣，變成只是一昧追尋占蔔、魔法，或擺脫惡運、晦氣或病魔的方法。在這種情況下，宗教的修行與信仰，就局限于一般的、世俗的追求了。即使是現在，還是有很多人相信他們能夠通過外來的力量而擺脫他們種種的困擾。只要人們繼續追求這種信仰，他們就無法培養堅韌不拔的意志、智慧與學識，以及其它有關人類的優良本質。換句話說，人們開始利用佛教的名義， 濫用人類的智慧與學識去追求仰仗外力的信仰。他們也因此汙染了原本純淨的佛陀教義。
Thus the modern religion we see in many countries is the product of normal human beings living in a country and adjusting to various social and cultural environments. However, Buddhism as a religion did not begin as a superworldly system that came down from heaven. Rather it was born and evolved through a long historical process. In its process of evolution, many people slowly moved away from the original Teachings of the founder and started different new schools or sects. All the other existing religions also face the same situation.
One should not come to a hasty conclusion either by judging the validity of a religion or by condemning the religion simply by observing what people perform through their blind faith in the name of that religion. To understand the real nature of a religion one must study and investigate the original Teachings of the founder of that religion.
In the face of the profusion of ideas and practices which were later developments, it is useful for us to return to the positive and timeless Dhamma taught by the Buddha. Whatever people believe and practise in the name of Buddhism the basic Teachings of the Buddha still exist in the original Buddhist texts. 究
我們可以在許多國家裏找到這些現代的宗教，這是因爲人類所居住的社會背景和文化環境不同的關系。即使把佛教當作宗教，它也不是一開始就從天掉下來的，而是經過很長的曆史，和在誕生的過程中加以發展的。在它演化的過程中，人們開始抛開佛陀原始的教義，而創立了許多不同于佛陀教義的新宗派。其它的宗教也面對同樣的問題。
我們不應該只觀察到那些挂著佛教名義的盲目信仰，就驟然給宗教下了一個不好的結論。要了解一個宗教的本質，必須研究和考據這個宗教創始者的原始教義。
現在我們面對後期佛教所發展的各種不同的宗派和思想。我們有必要回到正確和究竟的佛法。不管人們信仰和實踐的是什麼樣的佛教，佛陀原始的教義完完整整的保存在經典裏。
《究竟的真理 The Ultimate Truth》全文閱讀結束。