The Moon and Religious Observances

宗教与月亮

The outstanding events in the life of the Buddha took place on full moon days.

在佛陀的一生中，重要的事件都发生在月圆日。

Many people would like to know the religious significance of the full moon and new moon days. To Buddhists, there is a special religious significance especially on full day because certain important and outstanding events connected with the life of Lord Buddha took place on full moon days. The Buddha was born on a full moon day. His renunciation took place on a full moon day. His Enlightenment, the delivery of His first sermon, His passing away into Nibbana and many other important events associated with His life-span of eighty years, occurred on full moon days.

很多人都想知道，月圆与新月对佛教的意义。对佛教徒而言，月圆日(农历十五)的确有其特殊的意义，佛陀就是在月圆日出世的。佛陀的出家也是在月圆那一天。佛陀的证悟、初转*轮、入灭，以及在他的一生中，很多重要的事情都巧合的发生在月圆日。

Buddhists all over the world have a high regard for full moon days. They celebrate this day with religious fervor by observing precepts, practising meditation and by keeping away from the sensual worldly life. On this day they direct their attention to spiritual development. Apart from Buddhists, it is understood that other co-religionists also believe that there is some religious significance related to the various phases of the moon. They also observe certain religious disciplines such as fasting and praying on full moon days.

全世界的佛教徒，都非常重视月圆日，他们以持戒、禅定和远离感官欲乐来庆祝这个日子。在这一天，信徒们把精力放在如何开展心灵的力量。除了佛教以外，其它的宗教也一样认为月圆日对宗教有某些特别的意义，他们在月圆日禁食和祈祷。

Ancient belief in India says that the moon is the controller of the water, and circulating through the universe, sustaining all living creatures, is the counterpart on earth of the liquor heaven, 'amrta'the drink of the gods. Dew and rain become vegetable sap, sap becomes the milk of cow, and the milk is then converted into blood. Amrta water, sap, milk and blood, represent but different states of the one elixir. The vessel or cup of this immortal fluid is the moon.

古代的印度人相信，月亮能控制水，环绕宇宙、支持所有的生命，是地球的水供之神。「圣水」(amrta)是天神的饮料。雨露滋润了植物、植物的液汁促使了动物乳汁的增长，乳汁转化为血液，这些圣水、植物的液汁、动物的乳汁和血液是永恒的水的各种不同形态，而支配水的，就是月亮。

It is believed that the moon, like the other planets, exerts a considerable degree of influence on human beings. It has been observed that people suffering from mental ailments invariably have their passions and emotional feelings affected during full moon days. The word 'lunatic' derived from the word 'lunar' (or moon) is most significant and indicates very clearly the influence of the moon on human life. Some people, suffering from various forms of illness invariably find their sickness aggravated during such periods. Researchers have found that certain phases of the moon not only affect humans and animals, but also influence plant life and other elements. Low-tides and high-tides are a direct result of the overpowering influence of the moon.

Our human body consists of about seventy percent liquid. It is accepted by physicians that our bodily fluids flow more freely at the time of full moon. People suffering from asthma, bronchitis and even certain skin diseases, find their ailments aggravated under the influence of the moon. More than five thousand years ago, people had recognized the influence of the moon on cultivation. Farmers were very particular about the effect of the moon on their crops. They knew that certain grains and paddy would be affected if blooming took place during a full moon period. Medical science had also ascertained the different reactions of certain medicines under different facets of the moon, because of the influence of the moon on human beings.

一般相信，月亮如同其它星体一样，对人类有相当程度的影响。根据观察，心智失调的人，在月圆之夜情绪会受到一定的影响。英文里的丧心病狂(Lunatc)，就是从月亮(Lunar)演化出来的。有些病患者，在月圆之夜，病情加重。科学家发现，月亮与地球的关系，不仅影响人类和动物，在植物和其它方面也有一定的影响，如：潮汐，就是一个很好的例子。 人类体内百分之七十是水份。生理学家相信，人体内的流体在月圆日流动的更顺畅，哮喘、支气管炎等某些特殊的疾病，在月圆日病情都会加重。五千多年以前，人类就认识到月亮对农作物的影响。古人对谷类的种植特别有心得，他们相信谷类在月圆日开花，收成将会受到影响。医学家也肯定了某些药物在月圆和新月时，有不同的反应。以上种种，证明了月亮对人类的确有影响。

In view of the possible influence of the moon, the ancient sages advised the people to refrain from various commitments on this particular day and take it easy for the day. They are advised to relax their minds on this particular day and to devote their time to spiritual pursuits. All those who have developed their minds to a certain extent can achieve enlightenment since the brain is in an awakened state. Those who have not trained their minds through religious discipline are liable to be subjected to the strong influence of the moon. The Buddha attained His Enlightenment on a full moon day for He had developing and attuning it correctly for a long period.

有鉴于月亮对人类的影响，古圣人建议在月圆日收敛身心、松弛身心。人们最好在月圆日把持好自己的心识，并持守斋戒。在月圆日这一天，人类的头脑特别清醒，所有已将心灵开展到某一程度的人，可以在这一天得到觉悟。相反的，那些没有接受心灵修持的人，在这一天会受到月亮不良的影响。佛陀在长时间的训练和调适他的心灵后，就是在月圆日证悟正自觉的。

In days gone by, full moon and new moon days were declared public holidays in many Buddhist countries and people were encouraged to devote their time to spiritual development. It was only during the colonial period that holidays were switched over to Sundays. In view of this, some Buddhist countries are now trying to re-introduce the former lunar system of holidays. It is advisable to observe full moon day as a religious day to concentrate on peace and happiness by calming down the senses. Many Buddhists observe the eight precepts on full moon days, to be free from family commitments and to keep away from worldly pleasures in order to have peace of mind for their spiritual development. The effects of the moon on life and earth has been analysed scientifically.

月圆日和新月日，在许多佛教国家都被定为公共假期，以鼓励人们从事精神领域的开拓。(斯里兰卡在殖民地时期，才把假日挪到星期日。)有鉴于此，佛教国家认真对待重新恢复月圆日和新月日做为公定假期的动议。不管怎么说，佛教徒应该把月圆日当作一个有意义的宗教节日，进行宗教的锻炼，集中精神、开展心识，收敛感官以期获得安宁与幸福。月亮对地球和一切生命，是有一定程度的影响和意义的。

One writer says:

'I have been reading an article in an American science magazine recently where the writer brings together the present on the subject of the moon to prove how decisively this age old object of the skies influences our lives, particularly at each of the four phases it passes through in its 28-day cycle.

有一位作家说道：「我最近刚在一本美国杂志读到一篇文章，提到月球对我们的生命起着决定性的影响，尤其是每个月二十八天的四个阶段。」

This research, by the way, was done at the American Universities of Yale, Duke and Northwestern and they have 'independently' come up with the astonishing evidence that the moon plays a big part in our daily life and indeed, in the lives of all living things.

这些研究分别在美国耶鲁大学、杜克大学和西北大学进行，试验证实，月球的确对人类的生命起着决定性的影响，对其它的生物也一样。

We are assured that there is nothing very occult in this phenomenon put that the phases of the moon do in fact stimulate various bodily actions like modifying metabolism, electrical charges and blood acidity.

我们可以确定，这种现象一点也不神秘。月球在环绕地球运转时的不同阶段，对人体的新陈代谢、静电的流布、血液的酸硷度，有一定的作用。

One of the key experiments performed to establish this fact was on fiddler crabs, mice and some plants. They were all placed in chambers where weather conditions could not affect them, but were subjected to air pressure, humidity, light and temperature under controlled conditions.

The hundreds of observations made showed a remarkable fact, namely that all the animals and plants operated on a 28-day cycle. Metabolism which was found to have dropped at the time of the new moon was twenty percent higher at the time of the phase of the full moon. This difference is described as a striking variation.

有一个重要的试验：把螃蟹、老鼠和植物，安置在一个不受外界气候影响的温室中，给予特定的气压、湿度、光线和温度。经过数百次的试验，发现一个显着的事实。所有的动、植物都在二十八天的生理循环周期里：新月日新陈代谢减缓，月圆日里新陈代谢加快百分之二十。这个发现震憾了整个科学界。

Once a nurse in Florida told a doctor that she noticed a lot more bleeding occurred when the moon is full. Like all doctors who are skeptical about such beliefs, he laughed at this statement.

有一回，美国佛罗里达州的一名护士告诉医生：「病人在月圆日流的血特别多。」医生和其他怀疑这个概念的人一样，只是一笑置之。但是护士并不气馁，她做了很多详细的记录，清楚的显示月圆日的确比其它的日子更容易失血，因此，不适合动手术。为了证实这一点，医生也开始做记录，他的结果和护士一样。

But the nurse, undeterred, produced records of surgical operations which clearly showed that during full moon, more patients had to be returned to the operating theater than at any other time for treatment for excessively bleeding after operations. To satisfy himself, this doctor started keeping records on his own and he came to a similar conclusion. When we consider all those occurrences, we can understand why our ancestors and religious teachers had advised us to change our daily routine and to relax physically and mentally on full moon and new moon days. The practise of religion is the most appropriate method for people to experience mental peace and physical relaxation. The Buddhists are merely observing the wisdom of the past when they devote more time to activities of a spiritual nature on New Moon and Full Moon days.

当我们了解这些现象时，就会明白为何圣哲或宗教导师要我们在月圆日或新月日放松我们的身心。松懈身心，是一种最有效的宗教修行。那些已将心灵开展到某一程度的佛教徒，可以在月圆日或新月日获得心灵的证悟。

不诽与不害 严持于戒律

饮食之节量 远处而独居

勤修增上定 是为诸佛教 《法句经》V.185