..续本文上一页ure also as the basic prerequisites of Dharma. One yardstick to measure whether one is a Dharmic person or not is whether one is living the life of the five precepts. Why observe these five precepts

　　 The enlightened ones explained why sīla is necessary. They explained it in different ways to different people, according to the mental calibre of the people to whom they were speaking. In a society, there are people of different mental calibres. Some are like children, some like adolescents, some like youths and some like adults. Explanations were given to different people in different ways.

　　对某些人他们会說：「如果你严守这些道德戒律，你知道你将会得到什 么益处吗？你死后会上天堂。」然后开始描述天堂的美景，「那裡是多么地漂亮，有着香醇的美酒甘露和出尘脱俗的美女…等等。」听到如此，这些人 就显得兴高采烈：「如果我真的能得到这些，那当然要遵守道德啰！我一定要持戒。」

　　To some it was explained: "If you observe all these moral precepts very scrupulously, do you know what you will gain

　　 When you die, you will get reborn in heaven." And a description of heaven was given: "A wonderful heaven, with celestial drinks and celestial women..." and so on. Hearing that, a person feels elated: "If I can attain that, certainly I must observe morality. I must observe sīla."

　　这就如同对孩童說：「如果在学校努力用功，在家做好功课，就给你糖吃。」小孩子为了有糖吃就用功讀书了。

　　Similarly, one might say to one”s child: "If you study well in school and do your homework properly, you will get Cadbury”s sweets." So the child works hard.

　　对某些人，他们会用另一种說法：「如果你不遵守这些道德戒律，你知道会如何吗？死后会下地狱的。」然后描述地狱可怕的景象，这些人就开始害怕了：「哦！不，我不要下地狱。」

　　Or it was explained: "If you don”t observe these moral precepts, do you know what will happen

　　 After death, you will go to hell." A description of hell was given, so horrible. One gets frightened: "Oh no, I don”t want to go to hell!"

　　有些人就只听得懂这种或赏或罚的論调，所以觉悟的圣者才会以这样的方式來說。不論要用哪种說法才能够让听的人了解接受，只要能使他们不做有害的行为，那么对他们都是好的。

　　The stick and the carrot. There were people who could understand only this kind of language, so they were given these explanations. Whether a person understands by this or that language, if he or she abstains from performing unwholesome actions, it is good for them.

　　还有一些人是知識份子，他们不相信下一世、不相信有天堂或地狱，他们相信这辈子是更重要的。这种人重视的是今生，对于这种人，就用另一种說法：「如果有人要殺你，你会欣喜的接受吗？你会感到快樂吗？或是不快 樂呢？」

　　There were other people who were intellectuals. They didn”t believe in the next birth, in this heaven or that hell. They believed that this life now is more important. People of that type gave all importance to the present life. For such people, the explanation was given in a different way: "If somebody tried to kill you, would you like it

　　 Would you feel happy about it

　　 Or would you feel unhappy

　　"

　　「哦！如果有人要殺我，我当然很不快樂。」「相同的道理，如果你想殺某个人，那个人会快樂吗？」「不，那个人会觉得很不快樂。」

　　"Oh, I would feel very unhappy if somebody tried to kill me." "Similarly, if you tried to kill somebody, would that person feel unhappy

　　" "That person would feel unhappy."

　　「如果有人偷了你心爱的东西，你会觉得快樂吗？」「不，我当然会不快樂。」

　　"If someone stole something belonging to you, something very dear to you, wouldn”t you feel unhappy

　　" "Certainly I would feel unhappy. That is true."

　　「如果你偷了别人心爱的东西，那个人会快樂吗？」「不，那个人会不快樂。」

　　"If you stole something belonging to somebody else, which was very dear to that person, wouldn”t that person feel unhappy

　　" "Yes, that person would feel unhappy."

　　「如果有人和你的家人有不正当的性行为，你会快樂吗？」「我当然不快樂。」

　　"If somebody committed adultery or sexual misconduct with a member of your family, wouldn”t you feel unhappy

　　" "I certainly would feel unhappy."

　　「同样地，如果你和某人有不正当的性行…

《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…