..续本文上一页人。

　　We come now to the ethical level of that truth. Moral self-protection will safeguard others, inpidual and society, against our own unrestrained passions and selfish impulses. If we permit the Three Roots of everything evil, Greed, Hate and Delusion, to take a firm hold in our hearts, then that which grows from those evil roots will spread around like the jungle creeper which suffocates and kills the healthy and noble growth. But if we protect ourselves against these Three Roots of Evil, fellow beings too will be safe from our reckless greed for possession and power, from our unrestrained lust and sensuality, from our envy and jealousy. They will be safe from the disruptive, or even destructive and murderous, consequences of our hate and enmity, from the outburst of our anger, from our spreading an atmosphere of antagonism and quarrelsomeness which may make life unbearable for those around us. But the harmful effects of our greed and hate on others are not limited to cases when they become the passive objects or victims of our hate, or their possession the object of our greed. Greed and hate have an infectious power, which can multiply the evil effects. If we ourselves think of nothing else than to crave and grasp, to acquire and possess, to hold and cling, then we may rouse or strengthen these possessive instincts in others too. Our bad example may become the standard of behavior of our environment for instance among our own children, our colleagues, and so on. Our own conduct may induce others to join us in the common satisfaction of rapacious desires; or we may arouse feelings of resentment and competitiveness in others who wish to beat us in the race. If we are full of sensuality we may kindle the fire of lust in others. Our own hate may cause the hate and vengeance of others. It may also happen that we ally ourselves with others or instigate them to common acts of hate and enmity.

　　现在我们来看看自我保护的道德层次是什么？道德性的自我保护，将安全的保护他人和社会，免于我们个人不受制约的感情冲动或自私的行为所伤害。假如，我们允许三种恶根──贪、嗔、痴存在于我们内心，这三种恶根无边无际的扩散，有如丛林中的蔓草，窒息了周围植物，令它们不能健康的成长。如果，我们为了保护自己而降伏这三种恶根，那么，我们周围的人或众生，将因此而获得安全，免于我们的鲁莽、占有欲和权力欲的伤害，免于我们无节制的贪婪和情欲的伤害，免于嫉妒和猜疑的伤害，免于我们的破坏性、分裂性和杀伤性所伤害。他们将会更安全。这些突发性的情绪，导致不协调和争执，使我们周围的生命都无法忍受。我们对别人的贪、嗔，不仅仅是贪和嗔这么简单，贪和嗔具有强大的感染力，所带来的业报无法估计。假如我们只想到贪取、把持或占有，这时，我们也唤醒了强加在他人身上的所有不良本能。我们的行为可能是周围环境的榜样，我们的孩子或同事可能学习我们，我们的行为诱导他人追求与我们相同的贪婪和欲望，我们的行为也可能激发他人的愤怒和争议，从而想挫败或打击我们。当我们充满色欲时，同时会点燃别人邪淫之火。当我们嗔恚心重时，会造就他人的报复心。我们也可能联合他人，或煽动、或鼓励他们一起产生嗔恚心或某些暴戾的行为。的确，贪和嗔就好像传染病一样，假如我们能保护好自己免于受到恶根的传染所影响，那么，我们在某种程度「保护了他人」。

《自我保护 You Protect Yourself》全文阅读结束。