..续本文上一页 for the death of millions of innocent people. For the sake of power, these conquerors committed murder with hatred, cruelty and greed. They invaded poor countries and created untold suffering by taking away lands and properties of others, and causing much destruction. Many of these conquerors are regarded as national heroes; memorial services are conducted for them and flowers are offered on their graves and tombs. What is wrong then, if Buddhists pay their respects to their world honored Teacher who sacrificed His worldly pleasures for the sake of Enlightenment to show others the Path of Salvation

　　假使有人创作一些诗歌来歌颂他的老师，这有什么错呢？假使有人把花环放置在所爱的人的坟墓表示思念，这又有什么错呢？假使佛教徒供养鲜花给所敬爱的导师——一位奉献生命，协助人类脱离苦难的人，这又错在那里呢？相反的，人类却为战争英雄塑造雕像──他们是真正的谋杀者，要对成千上万人民的死负责。为了权力，这些征服者，不惜以嗔恚、贪婪、残酷去谋杀。他们侵略弱国，夺取他人的国土和财产，造成数不尽的痛苦和莫大的破坏，这种人竟然成为民族英雄，为了纪念他们的行径，人们为他们塑像、修坟和献花。难道说，佛教徒尊敬那位为世间牺牲一切，指导他们如何获得解脱的导师，是一种错误的行为吗？

　　Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is often created within one”s mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough)can act as an automatic brake against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorate the mind and elevates man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but ”ideal” worship. Thus Buddhists can find fresh strength to build a shrine of their lives. They cleanse their hearts until they feel worthy to bear the image in their innermost shrine. Buddhists pay respects to the great person who is represented by the image. They try to gain inspiration from His Noble personality and emulate Him. Buddhists do not see the Buddha image as a dead idol of wood or metal or clay. The image represents something vibrant to those who understand and are purified in thought, word and deed.

　　形象是一种潜在的语言。因此，大觉悟者的形象经常可以在虔诚的信徒心中完美的创造出来。形象能深入我们的意识，能够对冲动起制约作用。追思佛陀，使我们产生愉悦、鼓舞的心情，使我们从不安、紧张和挫折中解放出来。这样一来，礼拜佛像不是一种祈祷仪式而是一种禅定修行了。因此，佛教徒不是在崇拜偶像而是在崇拜理想。佛教徒也因此发现一种鲜明的力量，引导他们去建造自己生命的神龛。他们净化了他们自己的心，一直到把神圣的形像牢固的镶嵌在他们心灵的最深处。佛教徒尊敬伟人，以图像来代表他，佛教徒想从他伟大的人格中获得启示，并把他当作楷模。佛教徒不把佛像当作是木头、金属制造而没有生命的偶像，佛像是代表缘起法和净化身、语、意三行的生命动力。

　　The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. It is difficult to understand why some people look down on those who pay respect to images which represent holy religious teachers.

　　佛像是佛陀伟大人格的象征。艺术家们以精湛的技艺，优美的艺术语言来重现佛陀高尚的人格，以表示对佛陀的尊敬。这是自然不过的事，为什么还是有人看低这些代表崇高导师的图像，真是令人费解。

　　The calm and serene image of the Buddha has been a common concept of ideal beauty. The Buddha”s image is the most precious, common asset of Asian cultures. Without the image of the Buddha, where can we find a serene, radiant and spiritually emancipated personality

　　肃穆和清晰的佛像，已经被当作是理想美的象征，佛像是亚洲文化最珍贵的共同财产。如果没有佛像，我们到哪里去找肃穆、清晰、散发热力和心灵高度发展的人格呢？亚洲如果没有佛像，无论它多么高度的发展，都只是一个地理名词而已。

　　But the image of the Buddha is appreciated not only by Asian or Buddhists. Anatole France in his autobiography writes, ”On the first of May, 1890, chance led me to visit the Museum in Paris. There standing in the silence and simplicity of the gods of Asia, my eyes fell on the statue of the Buddha who beckoned to suffering humanity to develop understanding and compassion. If ever a god walked on this earth, I felt here was He. I felt like kneeling down to Him and praying to Him as to a God.

　　佛像不止受到亚洲人和佛教徒所欣赏。法国小说家，诺贝尔奖得主 A.法拉西，在他的自传中写道： 「一八九零年五月一日，我有机会参观巴黎博物馆，那里竖立了很多肃穆而清晰的亚洲佛像，当我的双眼和这些佛像接触时，感受到他在向受难的人类展开智慧和慈悲的双手，如果世界真的有神来过，我觉得就是他，我真想跪下来，如同向上帝祷告…

《偶像崇拜 Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers

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