..续本文上一页般的向他倾诉。」

　　Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, ”if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.” What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect

　　 Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha.

　　有一回，一位将军送了一尊佛像给当时英国的首相邱吉尔，并对邱吉尔说：「如果你心中受到骚扰和困窘时，只要注视这尊佛像，你就会获得舒展。」为什么佛像所传达的信息，会被知识份子接受到呢？或许是从佛像中看到那肃穆和清晰的一面吧！

　　Not only in color and line did men express their faith in the Buddha and the graciousness of His Teaching. Human hands wrought in metal and stone to produce the Buddha image that is one of the greatest creations of the human genius. Witness the famous image in the Abhayagiri Vihara in Sri Lanka, or the Buddha image of Sarnath or the celebrated images of Borobudur. The eyes are full of compassion and the hands express fearlessness, or goodwill and blessings, or they unravel some thread of thought or call the earth to witness His great search for Truth. Wherever the Dhamma went, the image of the great Teacher went with it, not only as an object of worship but also as an object of meditation and reverence. ”I known nothing,”says Keyserling,” more grand in this world than the figure of the Buddha. It is an absolutely perfect embodiment of spirituality in the visible domain.”

　　人们不仅用线条和色彩勾画出对佛陀卓越教义的信念，同时也以金属、石头等素材来从事伟大的艺术创作。斯里兰卡阿巴耶精舍的佛像、印度沙拉的佛像、印度婆罗佛屠的佛像，这些佛像的眼睛里都充满了慈爱的光辉，双手展现了无畏、善良和祝福。他们经历了漫长的道路，见证了人类最伟大的思想，好像在呼吁人类前来瞻仰他们，同时也探索那伟大的真理。不管佛法到何处，佛像也跟到何处，佛像不仅是膜拜的对象，也是禅定和尊敬的对象。

　　德国哲学家凯瑟琳说：「世界上没有比佛像更珍贵的东西，佛像是肉眼可以看见的世界中一个绝对完美的精神领域的实现。」

　　A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless; such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honour and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind.

　　生命是多么的美好，心地是多么的纯净和善良，心识是多么的深邃和充满悟性，本性是多么的大公无私──如此完美的生命，如此慈悲的心，如此宁静的心识，如此协调的本性，实在值得我们敬佩，值得我们荣耀和供奉。佛陀是这世间最完美的人类。

　　The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood--that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: ”The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.”

　　佛像只是一个象征，不是人类，佛像代表佛陀。所有的人都能证悟佛道，却很少人能够做到。佛道不是为了某一个人，而是为了一切众生的成就。 「我每天礼敬，过去诸佛、现在诸佛和未来诸佛。」

　　However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses, can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation.

　　佛教并不强制佛教徒在修持佛法时，都要礼拜佛像。有些人在没佛像做为目标情况下，也能控制自己的心识和感官。佛教徒如果想亲近庄严、肃穆的佛陀，就必须在日常生活中实现佛陀的教义。修持佛法能够接近佛陀，能够感应到佛陀不朽的慈悲与智慧和不可思议的光辉。只是礼拜佛像，而不遵循佛陀的教诲，是无法找到解脱之道的。

　　We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the Teaching of the Buddha.

　　我们必须尽力的去了解佛陀的精神。佛陀的教义是拯救这纷乱世界的唯一法宝。今天我们生活的世界，除了科技带来的方便外，到处充满恐惧、焦虑和失望。这世界何以变得如此的困难，我们可以在佛陀的教义中找到答案。

《偶像崇拜 Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers

　　》全文阅读结束。