Can a Buddhist Join the Army?

佛教徒与参军

You can be a soldier of Truth, but not the aggressor.

你可以做一个真理的战士，而不是侵略者。

One day, Sinha, the general of the army, went to the Buddha and said, 'I am a soldier, O Blessed One. I am appointed by the King to enforce his laws and to wage his wars. The Buddha teaches infinite love, kindness and compassion for all sufferers: Does the Buddha permit the punishment of the criminal? And also, does the Buddha declare that it is wrong to go to war for the protection of our homes, our wives, our children and our property? Does the Buddha teach the doctrine of complete self-surrender? Should I suffer the evil-doer to do with what he pleases and yield submissively to him who threatens to take by violence what is my own? Does the Buddha maintain that all strife including warfare waged for a righteous cause should be forbidden?'

一天，一位名叫幸哈的将军来到佛陀跟前，向佛陀请示：「世尊！我是一名军人，我执行国王的命令为他战斗，而您却教导我，对一切苦难者要有无限的慈悲和怜悯。您是否同意我惩罚犯罪的人？您认为我们为了捍卫国家、保护妻子、子女和财富而作战是错的吗？您是否要我们不战斗就投降吗？我们是否应该归顺邪恶的侵略者，根据他们的意图而屈服于他们或忍受他们的折磨，让他们继续的以暴力来威胁我们？您是否主张所有的战争，包括正义之战也都应该禁止？」

The Buddha replied, 'He who deserves punishment must be punished. And he who is worthy of favor must be favored. Do not do injury to any living being but be just, filled with love and kindness.'

佛陀回答道：「应该处罚就必须处罚，应该关照就必须多关照。不要伤及一切无辜的众生，以公平和正义来看待战争，要充满慈悲与关怀。」

These injunctions are not contradictory because the person who is punished for his crimes will suffer his injury not through the ill-will of the judge but through the evil act itself. His own acts have brought upon him the injury that the executors of the law inflict. When a magistrate punishes, he must not harbor hatred in his heart. When a murderer is put to death, he should realize that his punishment is the result of his own act. With his understanding, he will no longer lament his fate but can console his mind. And the Blessed One continued, 'The Buddha teaches that all warfare in which man tries to slay his brothers is lamentable. But he does not teach that those who are involved in war to maintain peace and order, after having exhausted all means to avoid conflict, are blameworthy.

这种说法并不矛盾。人们因自己的罪行而被惩罚，这并不是执法者邪恶的意图，而是他自己的罪行使他自己被惩罚。执法者在惩罚罪人时，心里是没有嗔恚的。当一个杀人犯在谋害他人生命时，就应该了解到他必须为他的罪行付出代价，而不是归咎于命运。

佛陀接着说：「佛陀提醒人类，所有的战争都是悲惨的。但是佛陀并没有说过，那些已用尽一切方法来避免冲突，但是仍然不得不卷入战争，来维护和平和社会秩序的人应该谴责。」

'Struggle must exist, for all life is a struggle of some kind. But make certain that you do not struggle in the interest of self against truth and justice. He who struggles out of self-interest to make himself great or powerful or rich or famous, will have no reward. But he who struggles for peace and truth will have great reward; even his defeat will be deemed a victory.

「为了生存就必须斗争，斗争是免不了的事。但是，我们要确定，我们不是在违反真理、公道、正义或为了自己私人的欲望和利益在斗争。那些为权力、私欲、财富、名誉而斗争者，都不会有好的果报。那些为了和平和真理而斗争的人，就算是失败了，也是光荣的。」

'If a person goes to battle even for a righteous cause, then Sinha, he must be prepared to be slain by his enemies because death is the destiny of warriors. And should his fate overtake him, he has no reason to complain. But if he is victorious his success may be deemed great, but no matter how great it is, the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring his life down into the dust. However, if he moderates himself and extinguishes all hatred in his heart, if he lifts his down-trodden adversary up and says to him, 'Come now and make peace and let us be brothers,' then he will gain a victory that is not a transient success; for the fruits of that victory will remain forever.'

「一个人只要到战场，就准备牺牲，牺牲是军人的命运，没有理由去埋怨。一但胜利了，他将被人民视为伟大的战士，可是无论他多伟大，命运之轮还是继续的运转，终究免不了一死。如果战士们都能缓和自己并涤除内心的嗔恚，减低征服敌人的心念，对敌人说：『来吧！让我们和平共处的做兄弟吧！』那么，他得到的真正的胜利，是永久的胜利。」「幸哈！

Great is a successful general, but he who conquers self is the greater victor. This teaching of conquest of self, Sinha, is not taught to destroy the lives of others, but to protect them. The person who has conquered himself is more fit to live, to be successful and to gain victories than is the person who is the slave of self. The person whose mind is free from the illusion of self, will stand and not fall in the battle of life. He whose intentions are righteousness and justice, will meet with no failure. He will be successful in his enterprise and his success will endure. He who harbors love of truth in his heart will live and not suffer, for he has drunk the water of immortality. So struggle courageously and wisely. Then you can be a soldier of Truth.'

战胜敌人是伟大的，但是战胜自己更伟大。那些教导你如何战胜自己的教义，不是教你去杀害他人的生命，而是教你去保护他人。征服自己的人，比起做自己奴隶的人更能够生存、更容易获得成功和胜利。人们如果能远离心识中自我的幻觉，就能够在生命的战场屹立不倒。人们的意图如果是正义和公道的，他将不会失败。如果他拥有仁慈与爱心，他将不会受苦。以这些心灵的甘露，勇敢和智慧的去斗争，你将成为一位真理的战士。」

There is no justice in war or violence. When we declare war, we justify it, when others declare war, we say, it is unjust. Then who can justify war? Man should not follow the law of the jungle to overcome human problems.

战争和暴行是没有正义的。当我们向敌人宣战时，我们声称自己是为了正义而战。而对方向我们宣战时，却宣称我们是不正义的。到底谁能使战争合理化？谁是为正义而战呢？我们不应该再以这种原始和不文明的行为来解决我们的问题了。