The Ultimate Truth

　　究竟的真理

　　The Ultimate Truth can be found in the Teaching of the Buddhism.

　　究竟的真理，可以在佛陀的教义中发现。

　　Buddhism recognizes two kinds of Truth. The apparent conventional truth and the real or ultimate Truth. The ultimate Truth can be realized only through meditation, and not theorizing or speculating.

　　佛教承认两种真理的存在──普遍性的真理和究竟的真理。究竟的真理不是理论性或推测性的，唯有透过观禅的训练才能获得。

　　The Buddha”s Teaching is the Ultimate Truth of the world. Buddhism, however, is not a revealed or an organized religion. It is the first example of the purely scientific approach applied to questions concerning the ultimate nature of existence. This timeless Teaching was discovered by the Buddha Himself without the help of any pine agency. This same teaching is strong enough to face any challenge without changing the basic principles of the doctrine. Any religion that is forced to change or adjust its original Teachings to suit the modern world, is a religion that has no firm foundation and no ultimate truth in it. Buddhism can maintain the Truth of the original Teaching of the Master even under the difficult conditions prevailing in the modern world. The Buddha did not introduce certain personal or worldly practices which have no connection with morality or religious observances. To the Buddha, such practices have no religious value. We must make the distinction between what the Buddha taught and what people preach and practise in the name of Buddhism.

　　佛陀的教义是这世间最究竟的真理。佛教不是一种天启或有组织的宗教。他是人类首创以纯粹科学探究终极存在的本质的例子。这种超时空的教义，是佛陀不经任何外在因素所发现的。这教义强而有力，足以面对任何挑战，而不需要改变其基本原则来适应种种的变迁。许多宗教为了适应现代社会，而被迫更改或放弃原有的教义，这是因为他们的宗教缺乏固定的基础和究竟的真理。在目前世界困难普遍存在 的情况下，佛教还是能够照样的保存佛陀原始的教义。

　　Every religion consists of not only the teachings of the founder of that religion but also the rites and ceremonies which have grown up around the basic core of the teachings. These rituals and ceremonies have their origins in the cultural practices of the people who accepted the religion. Usually the founders of the great religions do not lay down precise rules about the rituals to be observed. But religious leaders who come after them formalize the religion and set up exacting codes of behavior which the followers are not allowed to deviated from.

　　Even the religion which we call ”Buddhism” is very different in its external practices from what the Buddha and His early followers carried out. Centuries of cultural and environmental influence have made Burmese, Thai, Chinese, Tibetan, Sri Lankan and Japanese Buddhism different. But these practices are not in conflict, because the Buddha taught that while the Truth remains absolute, the physical manifestation of this truth can differ according to the way of life of those who profess it.

　　佛陀不曾介绍过与道德或宗教无关的个人或世间修持。对佛陀来说，这些修持都是没有价值的。有些时候，我们必须区别佛陀所说的佛法和一般人所说的佛法，以及利用佛陀名义的修持方法是些什么？

　　所有宗教的弘法，并非由创始人独立完成的。有时候，弘法的任务也交由素质较高的弟子来执行。而宗教的创始人，也未曾制订弘法章程或教育方案。但是后来的宗教领袖却制定了种种方案来防止信徒的叛离。就算在今天，佛教在形式上也已经和早期不同了。经过了数世纪的传播，缅甸、泰国、中国、西藏、斯里兰卡和日本的佛教，就已呈现不同。但是，这并没有引起混乱，因为佛陀所教诲的究竟是真理。这究竟的真理体现，可以根据不同的生活方式显示出来。

　　A few hundred years after His passing away, the disciples of the Buddha organized a religion around the Teachings of the Master. While organizing the religion, they incorporated, among other concepts and beliefs, various types of miracles, mysticism, fortune-telling, charms, talismans, mantras, prayers and many rites and rituals that were not found in the original Teaching. When these extraneous religious beliefs and practices were introduced, many people neglected to develop the most important practices found in the original Teaching; self-discipline, self-restraint, cultivation of morality and spiritual development. Instead of practicing the original Teaching, they gave more of their attention and effort to self-protection from evil spirits and sought after prosperity or good luc…

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