..续本文上一页p frogs to foretell the weather; others cut off their legs and fry them. Some tenderly tend birds in gilded cages; others serve them for breakfast. It is all quite confusing. One thought stands out in a world where man clubs man for gain or sheer gore, there is hardly time to ponder over his morals in relation to animals.

　　有些人饲养青蛙来做科学实验，有些人切下青蛙的大腿来烹煮姜葱田鸡。有些人把鸟类关在鸟笼里，无微不至的照顾，有些人把牠当早餐。这些对动物的态度，令人混淆。人类只关心人与人的离合和战争，却没有时间去仔细思考人类与其它动物之间的道德关系。

　　Every religion advises us to love our fellow humans. Some even teach us to love them more if they belong to the same religion. But Buddhism is supreme in that it teaches u s to show equal care and compassion for each and every creature in the universe. The destruction of any creature represents a disturbance of the Universal Order.

　　每一种宗教都教导人类应该去爱护和关心人类，或者去爱护同一宗教的教友。可是佛陀却教导我们以慈悲心、平等心去对待一切众生。一切众生代表一切宇宙，也代表一切法。

　　The Buddha was very clear in His teachings against any form of cruelty to any living being. One day the Buddha saw a man preparing to make a animal sacrifice. On being asked why he was going to kill innocent animals, the man replied that it was because it would please the gods. The Buddha then offered Himself as the sacrifice, saying that if the life of an animal would please the gods then the life of a human being, more valuable, would please the gods even more.

　　佛陀非常清楚的教导，要以慈悲心对待一切众生。一天，佛陀发现有人准备以动物来祭祀，他问那么人，为什么要杀害生命呢？那么人回答，要获得神的庇佑。佛陀对那个人说，那你用我的生命来取代那无辜的生命吧，人的生命总比动物的命来得高贵，更容易获得神的庇佑。

　　Man”s cruelty towards animals is another expression of his uncontrolled greed. Today we destroy animals and deprive them of their natural rights so that we can expend our environments for our convenience. But we are already beginning to pay the price for this selfish and cruel act. Our environment is threatened and if we do not take stern measures for the survival of other creatures, our own existence on this earth may not be guaranteed. It is true that the existence of certain creatures is a threat to human existence. But we never consider that human are the greatest threat to every living being on this earth and in the air whereas the existence of other creatures is a threat only to certain living beings.

　　人类残酷的对待动物，是因为欲望无法获得满足。今天，我们毁灭动物或剥夺动物的生存空间，却堂堂的以环境发展为理由。但是，我们已经为这种残酷和自私的行为付出代价。如果动物无法生存，那么人类生存的空间也无法获得保证。这是事实，其它动物的遭遇也将是人类的遭遇。我们不要以为人类比其它动物来得伟大，发生在其它动物身上的事情，永远也不会发生在人类身上。

　　Since every creature contributes something for the maintenance of the planet and atmosphere, destroying them is not the solution to overcome our disturbances. We should take other measures to maintain the balance of nature.

　　每一种动物都为生态环境做出贡献。毁灭牠们，等于毁灭我们自己的生态环境，造成大自然的不平衡。

《佛教对动物生命的态度 The Buddhist Attitude to Animal Life》全文阅读结束。