..续本文上一页religion of the Buddhists gives man a great sense of dignity; at the same time it also gives him great responsibility. A Buddhist cannot put the blame on an external power when evil befalls him. But he can face misfortune with equanimity because he knows that he has the power to extricate himself from all misery.

　　One of the reason why Buddhism appeals to intellectuals and those with a good education, is that the Buddha expressly discouraged His followers from accepting anything they heard(even if it came from Himself)without first testing its validity. The teachings of the Buddha have remained and survived precisely because many intellectuals have challenged every aspect of the teachings and have concluded that the Buddha had always spoken the undeniable Truth. While other religionists are trying to ”reassess” their founder”s teachings in the light of modern knowledge about the Universe, the Buddha”s teaching are being verified by scientists.

　　大多数人对宗教都有先「证实」后信仰的心理。有些人则认为他们所信仰的宗教是最古老，所以也最「真」。有些人则声称，他们所信仰的宗教是最「新」的，所以也最「真」。某些宗教拥有很多信徒，因此他们认为他们的宗教最「真」。然而，这些所谓「真」的宗教，都是没有确实依据的宗教。一个人可以用普通常识来判断或理解一个宗教的价值。有些传统的宗教，鼓吹信徒能通过对它的信仰而获得超然的力量，这种超然的力量控制了信徒的创造力、行动和最后的命运。佛陀并不接受这种观点。佛陀认为超然的力量唯有通过个人的自我拯救才能获得。因此，佛陀说：「这世界没有『神』，佛陀也不是『神』。」佛教给予信徒们充足的知识来分辨这一切，同时也给予他们很大的信心。一个佛教徒，当受到邪恶的干扰时，不能依靠外在的力量。佛教徒以平常心来面对不幸，因为，他知道他拥有面对一切的力量。

　　佛教拥有许多知识份子和受过良好教育的信徒，这是因为他们毫无疑问的接受佛陀那超然的教义。知识份子之所以信奉佛教，是因为佛法意义深长、切实，许多知识份子追求的是有挑战性的学识，佛陀那不可否认的真理，迎合了他们。某些宗教想以现代有关宇宙的知识，「重新评估」他们的「祖师」，而佛陀的教义已被证实是具备科学性的。

　　Moral and Spiritual Development

　　道德与心灵的发展

　　Without a spiritual background man has no moral responsibility: man without moral responsibility poses a danger to society.

　　缺少了心灵的支柱，就没有道德的责任，缺少了道德，社会就危险了。

　　Buddhism has been an admirable lighthouse for guiding many a devotee to the salvation of eternal bliss. Buddhism is especially needed in the world today which is riddled with racial, economic and ideological misunderstandings. These misunderstandings can never be effectively cleared until the spirit of benevolent tolerance is extended towards others. This spirit can be best cultivated under the guidance of Buddhism which inculcates an ethical moral co-operation for universal good.

　　佛教是一座令人羡慕的灯塔，因为它引导信徒迈向永恒、幸福和解脱的大道。佛教在今天，显得特别需要，因为，今天的世界困惑于种族、国际、社群、经济以及意识形态的种种错误观念。这些错误的观念永远无法真正有效的解除，除非能以容忍和慈悲的精神去对待他人。而慈悲和容忍的精神却可以在佛教的指引下得到充分的培养和发展，同时也为人类提供了理性和道德的合作典范。

　　We know that it is easy to learn vice without a master, whereas virtue requires a tutor. There is a very great need for the teaching of virtue by precepts and examples.

　　我们知道，当一个人没有老师的指导时很容易学坏。道德需要通过理念和实际例子来教导，道德教育是迫切需要的事。

　　Without a spiritual background, man has no moral responsibility; man without moral responsibility poses danger to society.

　　缺少了心灵的支柱，就没有道德的责任，缺少了道德，社会就危险了。

　　In the Buddha”s Teaching, it is said that the spiritual development of man is more important than the development of material welfare. History has taught us that we cannot expect to gain both worldly happiness and everlasting Happiness at the same time.

　　The lives of most people are generally regulated by spiritual values and moral principles which only religion can effectively provide. The governmental interference in the lives of people is made comparatively unnecessary if men and women can be made to realize the value of devotion and can practise the ideals of truth, justice and service.

　　Virtue is necessary to attain salvation, but virtue alone is not enough. Virtue must be combined with wisdom. Virtue and wisdom are like the pair of wings of a bird. Wisdom can also be compared to the eyes of a man; virtue, to his feet. Virtue can be likened to a vehicle that brings man up to the gate of salvation. But wisdom is the actually key that opens the gate. Virtue is a part of the technique of skillful and noble living. Without any ethical discipline, there cannot be a purification of the defilements of sentient existence.

　　Buddhism is not mere mumbo-jumbo, a myth told to entertain the human mind or to satisfy the human emotion, but a liberal and noble method for those who sincerely want to understand and experience the reality of life.

　　佛陀认为心灵资源的开发，比物质资源的开发来得更重要。历史的事实告诉我们，不能企望世俗的幸福与永恒的幸福同时获得。大多数人的一般正常生活基于心灵与道德价值观。心灵与道德的价值，唯有宗教才能有效的提供。如果人们能了解这些价值，同时去实践那公平、奉献和仁爱的真理，那么就不需要社会法制或政府的律法来干预人类的生活了。高尚的道德，是获得解脱的必要因素。但是，只有道德是不足够的，道德必须与智慧相结合。就好像鸟类的双翼，智慧好比人类的双眼，道德则是我们的双脚。道德如车轮，可以运送我们到解脱之门，而打开这扇大门的钥匙就是──智慧。道德是精湛、专门和高尚生活的一部份，缺少道德修养，就无法使心灵的污点获得净化。

　　佛教不是盲目崇拜的宗教，不以神话来满足或应酬人类的情绪，佛教以自由和神圣的方式，来引导虔诚的信徒去了解和体验真正的人生。

《第十三章 自然· 价值观和宗教信仰 Chapter 13 Nature, Value And Choice Of Religious Beliefs》全文阅读结束。