Are Buddhists Idol Worshippers?
偶像崇拜
Buddhists are not idol worshippers but ideal worshippers.
佛教徒不崇拜偶像，佛教徒是理想的崇拜者。
Although it is customary amongst Buddhists to keep Buddha images and to pay their respects to the Buddha, Buddhists are not idol worshippers. Idolatry generally means erecting images of unknown gods and goddesses in various shapes and sizes and to pray directly to these images. The prayers are a request to the gods for guidance and protection. The gods and goddesses are asked to bestow health, wealth, property and to provide for various needs; they are asked to forgive transgressions.
习惯上，佛教徒都供奉佛陀的塑像或画像来表示对佛陀的崇敬，但是，佛教徒并不是偶像崇拜者。偶像崇拜，一般指人们以各式各样，不知名的男女神祇的塑像或画像，做为祷告的对象。祷告的人要求神祇指引和保护他们，他们祈求这些被供奉的神祇赐予他们健康、财富和各种需要，他们也要求神祇为他们赎罪。
The 'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter. Buddhists revere the image of the Buddha as a gesture to the greatest, wisest, most benevolent, compassionate and holy man who has ever lived in this world. It is a historical fact that this great man actually lived in this world and has done a great service to mankind. The worship of the Buddha really means paying homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal figure.
礼拜偶像的意义与崇拜神祇偶像不同。佛教徒尊敬佛陀，礼拜佛像是为了纪念这位世界最伟大、最有智慧、最仁慈、最高贵，曾经为人类做出巨大贡献的「人」。这位伟人曾经生活在这世间，他是一位历史人物，曾经为人类无私的奉献一切。礼拜佛像是为了对佛陀表示尊敬、瞻仰和怀念佛陀，而不是对木雕、石刻或金属塑造的偶像进行膜拜。
The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the civilized world. Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquillity. The statue enables the mind to recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind, the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.
佛陀的塑像或画像，有助于人们记忆佛陀，追思佛陀那伟大的人格和他对文明世界数千万人，一代又一代的影响。佛教徒把佛像当作一种象征，专注的观想佛像来获得心灵的宁静和安详。当佛教徒在观想佛像时，他们放下困扰他们的杂念，进入专一、平静、虔诚、宁静和安定的状况。佛像能激发人们生起追思佛陀功绩的信念，并热忱的追随佛陀的典范和他的教诲。在虔诚佛教徒心中，他们在感觉，佛陀就活灵活现的出现在他们眼前。这种心念，使他们生起礼拜佛像的动机，礼拜佛像也就变得有意义了。佛像的庄严肃穆，影响和激发人类追随佛陀正道的思想和正确的行为。
An understanding Buddhist never asks favours from the image nor does he request forgiveness for evil deeds committed. An understanding Buddhist tries to control his mind, to follow the Buddha's advice, to get rid of worldly miseries and to find his salvation.
一个有悟性的佛教徒，决不会向佛像祈求恩赐或赎罪。一个有理性的佛教徒，懂得控制自己的心识，遵从佛陀的教诲，弃除世俗的烦恼，寻求解脱之道。
Those who criticize Buddhists for practising idol worship are really misinterpreting what Buddhists do. If people can keep the photographs of their parents and grandparents to cherish in their memory, if people can keep the photographs of kings, queens, prime ministers, great heroes, philosophers, and poets, there is certainly no reason why Buddhists cannot keep their beloved Master's picture or image to remember and respect Him.
那些批评佛教徒崇拜偶像的人，是误解了佛教徒的行为。假使一个人可以保留他去世父母的肖像做为纪念，假使人们可以保留那些大英雄、大思想家、哲学家、科学家的肖像或塑像，我们就没有理由说，佛教徒不能保留他们所尊敬的导师的肖像或塑像来作为纪念。
What harm is there if people recite some verses praising the great qualities of their Master? If people can lay wreaths on the graves of beloved ones to express their gratitude, what harm is there is Buddhists too offer some flowers, joss-sticks, incense, etc., to their beloved Teacher who devoted His life to help suffering humanity? People make statues of certain conquering heroes who were in fact murderers and who were responsible for the death of millions of innocent people. For the sake of power, these conquerors committed murder with hatred, cruelty and greed. They invaded poor countries and created untold suffering by taking away lands and properties of others, and causing much destruction. Many of these conquerors are regarded as national heroes; memorial services are conducted for them and flowers are offered on their graves and tombs. What is wrong then, if Buddhists pay their respects to their world honored Teacher who sacrificed His worldly pleasures for the sake of Enlightenment to show others the Path of Salvation?
假使有人创作一些诗歌来歌颂他的老师，这有什么错呢？假使有人把花环放置在所爱的人的坟墓表示思念，这又有什么错呢？假使佛教徒供养鲜花给所敬爱的导师——一位奉献生命，协助人类脱离苦难的人，这又错在那里呢？相反的，人类却为战争英雄塑造雕像──他们是真正的谋杀者，要对成千上万人民的死负责。为了权力，这些征服者，不惜以嗔恚、贪婪、残酷去谋杀。他们侵略弱国，夺取他人的国土和财产，造成数不尽的痛苦和莫大的破坏，这种人竟然成为民族英雄，为了纪念他们的行径，人们为他们塑像、修坟和献花。难道说，佛教徒尊敬那位为世间牺牲一切，指导他们如何获得解脱的导师，是一种错误的行为吗？
Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is often created within one's mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough)can act as an automatic brake against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorate the mind and elevates man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but 'ideal' worship. Thus Buddhists can find fresh strength to build a shrine of their lives. They cleanse their hearts until they feel worthy to bear the image in their innermost shrine. Buddhists pay respects to the great person who is represented by the image. They try to gain inspiration from His Noble personality and emulate Him. Buddhists do not see the Buddha image as a dead idol of wood or metal or clay. The image represents something vibrant to those who understand and are purified in thought, word and deed.
形象是一种潜在的语言。因此，大觉悟者的形象经常可以在虔诚的信徒心中完美的创造出来。形象能深入我们的意识，能够对冲动起制约作用。追思佛陀，使我们产生愉悦、鼓舞的心情，使我们从不安、紧张和挫折中解放出来。这样一来，礼拜佛像不是一种祈祷仪式而是一种禅定修行了。因此，佛教徒不是在崇拜偶像而是在崇拜理想。佛教徒也因此发现一种鲜明的力量，引导他们去建造自己生命的神龛。他们净化了他们自己的心，一直到把神圣的形像牢固的镶嵌在他们心灵的最深处。佛教徒尊敬伟人，以图像来代表他，佛教徒想从他伟大的人格中获得启示，并把他当作楷模。佛教徒不把佛像当作是木头、金属制造而没有生命的偶像，佛像是代表缘起法和净化身、语、意三行的生命动力。
The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. It is difficult to understand why some people look down on those who pay respect to images which represent holy religious teachers.
佛像是佛陀伟大人格的象征。艺术家们以精湛的技艺，优美的艺术语言来重现佛陀高尚的人格，以表示对佛陀的尊敬。这是自然不过的事，为什么还是有人看低这些代表崇高导师的图像，真是令人费解。
The calm and serene image of the Buddha has been a common concept of ideal beauty. The Buddha's image is the most precious, common asset of Asian cultures. Without the image of the Buddha, where can we find a serene, radiant and spiritually emancipated personality?
肃穆和清晰的佛像，已经被当作是理想美的象征，佛像是亚洲文化最珍贵的共同财产。如果没有佛像，我们到哪里去找肃穆、清晰、散发热力和心灵高度发展的人格呢？亚洲如果没有佛像，无论它多么高度的发展，都只是一个地理名词而已。
But the image of the Buddha is appreciated not only by Asian or Buddhists. Anatole France in his autobiography writes, 'On the first of May, 1890, chance led me to visit the Museum in Paris. There standing in the silence and simplicity of the gods of Asia, my eyes fell on the statue of the Buddha who beckoned to suffering humanity to develop understanding and compassion. If ever a god walked on this earth, I felt here was He. I felt like kneeling down to Him and praying to Him as to a God.
佛像不止受到亚洲人和佛教徒所欣赏。法国小说家，诺贝尔奖得主 A.法拉西，在他的自传中写道： 「一八九零年五月一日，我有机会参观巴黎博物馆，那里竖立了很多肃穆而清晰的亚洲佛像，当我的双眼和这些佛像接触时，感受到他在向受难的人类展开智慧和慈悲的双手，如果世界真的有神来过，我觉得就是他，我真想跪下来，如同向上帝祷告般的向他倾诉。」
Once a general left an image of the Buddha as a legacy to Winston Churchill. The general said, 'if ever your mind gets perturbed and perplexed, I want you to see this image and be comforted.' What is it that makes the message of the Buddha so attractive to people who have cultivated their intellect? Perhaps the answer can be seen in the serenity of the image of the Buddha.
有一回，一位将军送了一尊佛像给当时英国的首相邱吉尔，并对邱吉尔说：「如果你心中受到骚扰和困窘时，只要注视这尊佛像，你就会获得舒展。」为什么佛像所传达的信息，会被知识份子接受到呢？或许是从佛像中看到那肃穆和清晰的一面吧！
Not only in color and line did men express their faith in the Buddha and the graciousness of His Teaching. Human hands wrought in metal and stone to produce the Buddha image that is one of the greatest creations of the human genius. Witness the famous image in the Abhayagiri Vihara in Sri Lanka, or the Buddha image of Sarnath or the celebrated images of Borobudur. The eyes are full of compassion and the hands express fearlessness, or goodwill and blessings, or they unravel some thread of thought or call the earth to witness His great search for Truth. Wherever the Dhamma went, the image of the great Teacher went with it, not only as an object of worship but also as an object of meditation and reverence. 'I known nothing,'says Keyserling,' more grand in this world than the figure of the Buddha. It is an absolutely perfect embodiment of spirituality in the visible domain.'
人们不仅用线条和色彩勾画出对佛陀卓越教义的信念，同时也以金属、石头等素材来从事伟大的艺术创作。斯里兰卡阿巴耶精舍的佛像、印度沙拉的佛像、印度婆罗佛屠的佛像，这些佛像的眼睛里都充满了慈爱的光辉，双手展现了无畏、善良和祝福。他们经历了漫长的道路，见证了人类最伟大的思想，好像在呼吁人类前来瞻仰他们，同时也探索那伟大的真理。不管佛法到何处，佛像也跟到何处，佛像不仅是膜拜的对象，也是禅定和尊敬的对象。
德国哲学家凯瑟琳说：「世界上没有比佛像更珍贵的东西，佛像是肉眼可以看见的世界中一个绝对完美的精神领域的实现。」
A life so beautiful, a heart so pure and kind, a mind so deep and enlightened, a personality so inspiring and selfless; such a perfect life, such a compassionate heart, such a calm mind, such a serene personality is really worthy of respect, worthy of honour and worthy of offering. The Buddha is the highest perfection of mankind.
生命是多么的美好，心地是多么的纯净和善良，心识是多么的深邃和充满悟性，本性是多么的大公无私──如此完美的生命，如此慈悲的心，如此宁静的心识，如此协调的本性，实在值得我们敬佩，值得我们荣耀和供奉。佛陀是这世间最完美的人类。
The Buddha image is the symbol, not of a person, but of Buddhahood--that to which all men can attain though few do. For Buddhahood is not for one but for many: 'The Buddhas of the past ages, the Buddhas that are yet to come, the Buddha of the present age; humbly I each day adore.'
佛像只是一个象征，不是人类，佛像代表佛陀。所有的人都能证悟佛道，却很少人能够做到。佛道不是为了某一个人，而是为了一切众生的成就。 「我每天礼敬，过去诸佛、现在诸佛和未来诸佛。」
However, it is not compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practise Buddhism. Those who can control their mind and the senses, can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence, they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings is not the way to find salvation.
佛教并不强制佛教徒在修持佛法时，都要礼拜佛像。有些人在没佛像做为目标情况下，也能控制自己的心识和感官。佛教徒如果想亲近庄严、肃穆的佛陀，就必须在日常生活中实现佛陀的教义。修持佛法能够接近佛陀，能够感应到佛陀不朽的慈悲与智慧和不可思议的光辉。只是礼拜佛像，而不遵循佛陀的教诲，是无法找到解脱之道的。
We must also endeavor to understand the spirit of the Buddha. His Teaching is the only way to save this troubled world. In spite of the tremendous advantages of science and technology, people in the world today are filled with fear, anxiety and despair. The answer to our troubled world is found in the Teaching of the Buddha.
我们必须尽力的去了解佛陀的精神。佛陀的教义是拯救这纷乱世界的唯一法宝。今天我们生活的世界，除了科技带来的方便外，到处充满恐惧、焦虑和失望。这世界何以变得如此的困难，我们可以在佛陀的教义中找到答案。
