..续本文上一页 word Dharma. For us, Dharma has become a sect. That is why we say "Hindu-dharma, Buddhist-dharma, Jain-dharma" and "Muslim-dharma." Actually we should be saying "Hindu sect, Buddhist sect, Jain sect" and "Muslim sect." Dharma is totally different from these sects, totally different. Sects are limited. Dharma is universal, boundless, infinite and limitless. Dharma is for all, for everyone. This must be very clear. The sooner our country starts understanding the difference between Dharma and sect, the easier it will become for people to practise Dharma. Otherwise they will remain under the illusion that they are Dharmic people when actually they are not. This is a great self-deception. When people do not follow Dharma, they do not get the benefit of Dharma.
法的第一个基本要件就是过道德的生活；道德是法的根基。某些人自称是忠实的印度教徒、回教徒、基督教徒、佛教徒或耆那教徒，他们也许并未 过着合乎道德的生活，而仍然自称是忠实的印度教徒…；他们之所以如此称 呼自己，只是因为遵循着某教派、某传统的典禮仪式，而实际上他们却忽略 了道德的实践。自称如法的人必定是过着道德的生活；没有道德为根基，一 个人是不可能如法的，不可能是一个「法」的实践者。
The first basic prerequisite of Dharma is to live a moral life. Morality is the base of Dharma. Someone calling oneself a staunch Hindu, or Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Jain, may not live the life of morality, yet still calls himself a staunch Hindu (etc.) because he performs the rites and rituals of that particular sect, that particular tradition. Morality is missing. Someone who calls himself a Dharmic person must be living a moral life. Without the base of morality, one can never be a Dharmic person, a Dharmist person.
什么是道德呢？想想我们国家的刑罚规章：如果你殺人会受刑罚，偷盗他人之物会受刑罚，性侵犯以及不正当的性行为会受刑罚，說谎欺骗、酒醉 伤人，这些都会受到刑罚。遵守这些规范都是法的一部份，是道德的生活。 道德是法的必要条件，古时候称之为 sila，sila 就是道德规范，就是戒律。 在过去，觉悟的圣者、解脱的人、具足智慧的人，他们如何诠释戒律呢？他 们說：一个人不应该以任何肢体或言语的行为干扰他人的平静、和谐；一个 人不应该在肢体上或言语上做出伤害其他生命的行为。这就是 sila，就是戒， 就是道德。
What is morality
Consider our country”s penal code: If you kill someone, you are penalized. If you steal something which does not belong to you, you are penalized. If you commit rape or adultery, you are penalized. If you speak lies and deceive somebody, you are penalized. If you become intoxicated and harm others, you are penalized. All these are a part of Dharma, a life of morality. Morality is the essential prerequisite of Dharma. In the ancient language, it was called sīla. Sīla means "morality." In the past, what explanation did the enlightened ones, the liberated ones, the wise ones, give for this word
They said that one should not perform any action, physical or vocal, which disturbs the peace and harmony of others. One should not perform any action, physical or vocal, which harms other beings, which hurts other beings. This is sīla. This is morality.
如果我们开始了解这些，我们无妨继续自称为印度教徒，这并没有什么不对，就好像一个人可以自称是葛印卡、饶欧、史密斯、琼斯一样，我们也可以自称为回教徒、耆那教徒、基督徒或佛教徒，这些只是名称而已。但「法」 是不同的，如果說自己是个如法的人，那么自己就必须尽力过道德的生活。
If we start understanding this, then we may keep calling ourselves Hindu. There is nothing wrong with this. Just as one might call oneself Goenka, Rao, Smith or Jones, we may call ourselves Muslim, Jain, Christian or Buddhist. These are just names. But Dharma is different. If I am a Dharmic person, I must try my best to live a life of morality.
我多么遵循道德，我就有多如法；这个名称或那个名称并没有差别。我们必须戒除所有身体上和言语上不利于他人的行为；也就是說我们必须不殺生、 不偷盗、不邪淫、不妄语。在古印度，就是这四条重要而根本的道德规范，人们在生活上遵守着这四条道德上的戒律。后來，随着像酒精、大麻…等麻 醉品的发明使用，有智能的人才又指出：「一旦你使用任何烟酒毒品后，即 使想要过道德的生活，都会很困难，因为你已成为烟酒毒品的奴隸」，因此 第五条戒律––––「不使用烟酒毒品」就加了上去，四戒成为五戒。
As much morality as I have in my life, that much I am a Dharmic person. This name or that name makes no difference. We must abstain from all those physical and vocal act…
《慈悲的法流 第二天 过道德的生活及发展对心的自主能力 Day Two: Living the Life of Morality and Developing Mastery over the Mind》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…