Chapter 8 Buddhist Morality and Practice

第八章 佛教的道德规范与修持

Buddhist Ethics

佛教与道德

Man-made moral laws and customs do not form Buddhist Ethics.

佛教的道德规范，并非人类功利主义所缔造的道德规范。

The world today is in a state of turmoil; valuable ethics are being upturned. The forces of materialistic skepticism have turned their dissecting blades on the traditional concepts of what are considered humane qualities. Yet, any person who has a concern for culture and civilization will concern himself with practical, ethical issues. For ethics has to do with human conduct. It is concerned with our relationship with ourselves and with our fellow-men.

The need for ethics arises from the fact that man is not perfect by nature; he has to train himself to be good. Thus morality becomes the most important aspect of living.

今天的世界一片混乱，传统的价值观被全面的推翻了，唯物主义无所不疑的精神，破坏了传统道德的本质。但是，还有不少关心传统道德和生活文明的人，注意到实际的道德问题。道德是人类行为中不可分割的整体。这是有关我们自己和全人类的切身问题。人类并非天生就完美的，因此，有赖于道德的扶持。一个人必须训练自己以臻完美，因此，道德就成为人类生命中最重要的一部份。

Buddhist ethics are not arbitrary standards invented by man for his own utilitarian purpose. Nor are they arbitrarily imposed from without. Man-made laws and social customs do not form the basis of Buddhist ethics. For example, the styles of dress that are suitable for one climate, period or civilization may be considered indecent in another; but this is entirely a matter of social custom and does not in any way involve ethical considerations. Yet the artificialities of social conventions are continually confused with ethical principles that are valid and unchanging.

Buddhist ethics finds its foundation not on the changing social customs but rather on the unchanging laws of nature. Buddhist ethical values are intrinsically a part of nature, and the unchanging law of cause and effect (kamma). The simple fact that Buddhist ethics are rooted in natural law makes its principles both useful and acceptable to the modern world. The fact that the Buddhist ethical code was formulated over 2,500 years ago does not detract from its timeless character.

佛教的道德标准，不是以人类功利主义的目的为基础而创造的，也不是某个独裁者的任意发明，更不是无缘无故自由设定。人类的法律和社会习尚，不足以成为佛教的道德规范。举个例子来说，人类的服装是为了适合气候、时代和文明而设计的，对不同的气候、时代和文明就不适合了。这就是社会风尚的问题，并没有丝毫道德成份在内。但是，人类为社会所累积的风俗习尚，却不断的混淆和破坏道德的原则。佛教的道德基础是一种恒久不变的自然规律，它不断的改变社会不良的习俗和风尚。佛教的道德价值根源于自然界不变的因果律，佛教的道德观，实际就是扎根于自然界的自然法。佛教的道德规范，有效的改变了现代的世界，而且能令所有人都可以接受。事实告诉我们，超过二千五百年历史的佛教道德，并未因时间的消失而有所减损。

Morality in Buddhism is essentially practical in that it is only a means leading to the final goal of ultimate happiness. On the Buddhist path to Emancipation, each individual is considered responsible for his own fortunes and misfortunes. Each individual is expected to work his own deliverance by his understanding and effort. Buddhist salvation is the result of one's own moral development and can neither be imposed nor granted to one by some external agent. The Buddha's mission was to enlighten men as to the nature of existence and to advise them how best to act for their own happiness and for the benefit of others. Consequently, Buddhist ethics are not founded on any commandments which men are compelled to follow. The Buddha advised men on the conditions which were most wholesome and conducive to long term benefit for self and others. Rather than addressing sinners with such words as 'shameful', 'wicked', 'wretched', 'unworthy', and 'blasphemous' He would merely say, 'You are unwise in acting in such a way since this will bring sorrow upon yourselves and others.'

The theory of Buddhist ethics finds its practical expression in the various precepts. These precepts or disciplines are nothing but general guides to show the direction in which the Buddhist ought to turn to on his way to final salvation. Although many of these precepts are expressed in a negative form, we must not think that Buddhist morality, consists of abstaining from evil without the complement of doing good.

佛教的道德规范是讲求实际的，是引导我们迈向永恒幸福的最佳工具。对佛教的解脱目标而言，我们每个人都必须对自己的幸与不幸负责，我们每个人都必须在不依靠外力的情况下，为自我拯救而努力奋斗。佛教所提倡的自我拯救，是以自我坚韧的意志力来克服业力的结果，既不能加强于人，也不能接受他人的赠与。佛教的使命，在于启发人类生存的本质，并告诫人类如何利益自己、利益他人。因此，佛教不以教条强迫信徒遵守，佛陀只告诉世人，什么样的因缘能获得长期的利益。佛陀不用诸如：无耻、邪恶、卑鄙、废物、亵渎等教训罪人的字眼，他只是这么说：「因为你的愚痴，所作的事情，给你自己和他人带来痛苦。」佛教的道德伦理，表现在不同的戒律和修持，这些戒律或教诲的最终目的，是要引导人类获得终极的解脱。虽然很多戒条表现的很烦琐，但是，我们不可因此而认为佛教的道德观是既不作恶，也不行善。

The morality found in all the precepts can be summarized in three simple principles? 'To avoid evil; to do good, to purify the mind.' This is the advice given by all the Buddhas. ----(Dhammapada, 183)

佛教的道德原则，可浓缩为三点：

停止造作一切恶行，奉行一切善行，

净化自己的心识，这是诸佛的教导。

《法句经》.V183

In Buddhism, the distinction between what is good and what is bad is very simple: all actions that have their roots in greed, hatred, and delusion that spring from selfishness foster the harmful delusion of selfhood. These action are demeritorious or unskillful or bad. They are called Akusala Kamma. All those actions which are rooted in the virtues of generosity, love and wisdom, are meritorious--- Kusala Kamma. The criteria of good and bad apply whether the actions are of thought, word or deed.

佛教对善恶业行的区别非常简单，所有的行为，基于自私心而生起的贪、嗔、痴，以及所衍生的种种损害和自我的错觉，都是罪行、不善巧或坏的，这些就是造就恶业的恶行。所有基于道德和智慧所做出来的事，就是造就善业的善行。善行与恶行都是基于身、语、意的行止。