..续本文上一页Healthy self-esteem comes from living up to a set of standards that are practical, clear-cut, humane, and worthy of respect; the five precepts are formulated in such a way that they provide just such a set of standards. 这便是五戒的用处所在: 它们是为了治愈这些伤创与疤痕而设计的。健康的自尊来自于践行一套实用、明确、合乎人性、值得敬重的准则; 五戒的制定方式，正是为我们提供了这样的一套准则。

　　Practical: The standards set by the precepts are simple — no intentional killing, stealing, having illicit sex, lying, or taking intoxicants. It”s entirely possible to live in line with these standards. Not always easy or convenient, but always possible. I have seen efforts to translate the precepts into standards that sound more lofty or noble — taking the second precept, for example, to mean no abuse of the planet”s resources — but even the people who reformulate the precepts in this way admit that it is impossible to live up to them. Anyone who has dealt with psychologically damaged people knows that very often the damage comes from having been presented with impossible standards to live by. If you can give people standards that take a little effort and mindfulness, but are possible to meet, their self-esteem soars dramatically as they discover that they are actually capable of meeting those standards. They can then face more demanding tasks with confidence. 实用: 戒律所定的标准可谓简单——不有意地杀生、偷盗、行不当性事、说谎、用醉品。遵照这套准则生活，是完全有可能的。尽管并不总是容易、方便，却总是可行的。我见过有人把戒律译解成听起来越发崇高、圣善的标准——举第二戒来说，把它读成不滥用地球的资源——但是，就连那些如此另解戒律的人自己也承认，奉行那些标准是不可能的。凡是与心灵受创者打过交道的人都知道，那种伤创常常来自被要求奉行一套不可能达成的标准。如果你能够给出一套需要付出一些努力和念住，但有可能达到的标准，那么当人们发现自己的确有能力达到那些标准时，他们的自尊感将会大幅度提升。接下来就能够怀着自信，面对难度更高的任务。。

　　Clear-cut: The precepts are formulated with no ifs, ands, or buts. This means that they give very clear guidance, with no room for waffling or less-than-honest rationalizations. An action either fits in with the precepts or it doesn”t. Again, standards of this sort are very healthy to live by. Anyone who has raised children has found that, although they may complain about hard and fast rules, they actually feel more secure with them than with rules that are vague and always open to negotiation. Clear-cut rules don”t allow for unspoken agendas to come sneaking in the back door of the mind. If, for example, the precept against killing allowed you to kill living beings when their presence is inconvenient, that would place your convenience on a higher level than your compassion for life. Convenience would become your unspoken standard — and as we all know, unspoken standards provide huge tracts of fertile ground for hypocrisy and denial to grow. If, however, you stick by the standards of the precepts, then as the Buddha says, you are providing unlimited safety for the lives of all. There are no conditions under which you would take the lives of any living beings, no matter how inconvenient they might be. In terms of the other precepts, you are providing unlimited safety for their possessions and sexuality, and unlimited truthfulness and mindfulness in your communication with them. When you find that you can trust yourself in matters like these, you gain an undeniably healthy sense of self-respect. 明确: 戒律的条文不带假如、而且、但是之类的虚词。这意味着给出的指南是极其明确的，无可适从的含糊与不足诚实的强辩，在此并无余地。一件行为要么符合戒律，要么违背戒律。如前所述，这类标准奉行起来是十分健康的。凡是有过教养孩童经验的人都知道，孩子们也许会抱怨严格刻板的规矩，但实际上，这种规矩比起那些含糊不明、多有回旋余地的规矩，他们觉得更有安全感。明确的规矩不允许隐秘用心的存在。举例来说，假设杀生戒允许你在其它生灵的存在对你不便时把它们杀死，那样就把你的方便放在了高于你对生命的慈悲的位置。方便与否即成为你的潜在标准——我们都知道，秘而不宣的潜规则为虚伪和否认的滋长提供了大片的沃土。不过，你若是坚守戒律界定的标准，那么如佛陀所言，你就给众生提供了无量的安稳。没有任何条件能让你夺取生命，无论机缘何等不便。你所持的另外几条戒，也让你对众生的财物安全和性安全，提供了无量的保障，也让你在与众生的交流之中，为他们提供了无量的诚实和念住。当你发现，自己在这类事情上能够信任自己时，便获得了一种自尊感，无可否认，它是健康的。

　　Humane: The precepts are humane both to the person who observes them and to the people affected by his or her actions. If you observe them, you are aligning yourself with the doctrine of karma, which teaches that the most importa…

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