..续本文上一页ure their minds by eradicating jealousy, pride, cruelty and selfishness, at least they would have found the correct way to practise a religion. Unfortunately, they develop jealousy, pride, cruelty and selfishness instead of eradicating them. Many people pretend to be religious, but commit the greatest atrocities in the name of religion. They fight, discriminate and create unrest for the sake of religion, losing sight of its lofty purpose. From the increase in the performance of various so-called religious activities, we may get the impression that religion is progressing, but the opposite is really the case since very little mental purity and understanding are actually being practised.
宗教奉劝人们向上、向善，但是人们对这点似乎不感兴趣，反而去从事一些没有宗教价值的活动，如果他们肯尝试去修心养性，纠正了不良的心识，如：嫉妒、骄傲、残忍和自私等，至少他们会找到正确的人生道路，不幸的是，他们不仅不重视这些不良心识，反而被这些不良心识所缠绕。很多人披宗教的外衣，以宗教的名誉做尽了伤天害理的事，他们为了自己的目的而起纷争、扰乱宗教，失去了宗教的崇高目标。从某些表面现象看来，这些宗教好像在进步，实际刚好相反，因为，他们很少去净化自己和真正的去了解宗教的意义。
Practising a religion is nothing than the development of one”s inner awareness, goodwill and understanding. Problems would have to be faced squarely by relying on one”s spiritual strength. Running away from one”s problems in the name of spiritualism is not courageous, much less to be regarded as spiritual. Under today”s chaotic conditions, men and women are rapidly sliding downhill to their own destruction. They irony is that they imagine they are progressing towards a glorious civilization that is yet to be realized.
其实，宗教的修持就是心灵的发展、仁慈和对教义清楚的了解。我们必须依靠自己心灵的力量来面对问题，以宗教修行来逃避问题，是一种懦夫的行为。在今天混乱的局势里，人类在自我毁灭。很讽刺的是，他们还以为他们朝向辉煌的文明冲刺、前进。
In the midst of this confusion, imaginary and plastic religious concepts are propagated to create more temptation and confusion in man”s mind. Religion is being misused for personal gain and power. Certain immoral practices, such as free sex, have been encouraged by some irresponsible religious groups to introduce their religion among youths. By arousing lustful feelings, these groups hope to seduce boys and girls into following their religion. Today religion has degenerated into a cheap commodity in the religious market giving scant regard to moral values and what they stand for. Some missionaries claim that the practice of morals, ethics and precepts are not important as long as a person has faith and prays to God, which is believed to be sufficient to grant him salvation. Having witnessed how some religious authorities have misled and blindfolded their followers in Europe, Karl Marx made a caustic remark: ”Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feelings of a heartless world, just as it is the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”
这种混乱、想像和虚妄的宗教概念，混淆和迷惑了我们的思维，宗教被个人的私欲和利益滥用了。某些宗教向信徒们，尤其是年青人，推荐那些不道德的行为，如：性自由等，来吸引他们的支持。这种低贱的道德意识充斥宗教范围，导致宗教腐化，漠视于道德以及道德的意义。有些传教士认为对「神」的崇拜能获得拯救，道德与戒条不是重要的因素。在欧洲很多信徒被宗教所误导，卡尔.迈克指出：「宗教是被压迫众生的叹息。是无情世界的感受，有如失去灵魂的躯体。它是人类的鸦片。」
Man needs a religion not for the reason of giving him a dream for his next life or providing him with some dogmatic ideas to follow, in such a way that he surrenders his human intelligence and becomes a nuisance to his fellow beings. A religion should be a reliable and reasonable method for people to live ”here and now” as cultured, understanding beings, while setting a good example for others to follow. Many religions turn man”s thoughts away from himself towards a supreme being, but Buddhism directs man”s search for peace inward to the potentialities that lie hidden within himself. ”Dhamma”(meaning, to hold on)is not something a person searches outside himself, because in the final analysis, man is Dhammaand Dhammais man. Therefore, true religion, which is Dhamma,is not something outside us that we acquire, but the cultivation and realization of wisdom, compassion and purity that we develop within ourselve…
《第十三章 自然· 价值观和宗教信仰 Chapter 13 Nature, Value And Choice Of Religious Beliefs》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…