Is Buddhism a Theory or a Philosophy?

佛教与哲学

The enlightenment of the Buddha is not a product of mere intellect.

佛陀的觉悟，不仅仅是智力的产物。

During the time of the Buddha there were many learned men in India who pursued knowledge simply for its own sake. These people were full of theoretical knowledge. Indeed, some of them went from city to city challenging anyone to a debate and their greatest thrill was to defeat an opponent in such verbal combats. But the Buddha said that such people were no nearer to the realization of the truth because in spite of their cleverness and knowledge they did not have true wisdom to overcome greed, hatred and delusion. In fact, these people were often proud and arrogant. Their egoistic concepts disturbed the religious atmosphere.

在佛陀的时代，印度有很多学者，他们各自发展自己的思想和学说，有些甚至到各地去弘扬他们自己的思想和学说，或与其他思想家辩论。但是，佛陀认为这些人并不理解宗教的真谛，虽然他们都很聪明，可是，却没有真正的对治贪、嗔、痴的智慧。他们那自我主义的概念，混淆了清晰的宗教思维。

According to the Buddha, one must first seek to understand one's own mind. This was to be done through concentration which gives one a profound inner wisdom or realization. And this insight is to be gained not by philosophical argument or worldly knowledge but by the silent realization of the illusion of the Self.

根据佛陀所教，一个人必须先了解自己的心智，要了解心法的真相和专注的发展内观智慧。观照的智慧并不是一般世俗的哲学。

Buddhism is a righteous way of life for the peace and happiness of every living being. It is a method to get rid of miseries and to find liberation. The Teachings of the Buddha are not limited to one nation or race. It is neither a creed nor a mere faith. It is a Teaching for the entire universe. It is a Teaching for all time. Its objectives are selfless service, good-will, peace, salvation and deliverance from suffering.

佛教是世间众生和平、幸福与正确的生活之道，是一种消除烦恼而最终达到解脱的方法。佛陀的教义并不限囿于一个国家或一个民族。佛陀的教义不是教条也不是信仰，而是对全宇宙的开示，而这开示从古至今都是一样的。佛陀的教义是一种无私的奉献，为人类寻求友善、和平及灭苦的获得解脱自在的道路。

Salvation in Buddhism is an individual affair. You have to save yourself just as you have to eat, drink and sleep by yourself. The advice rendered by the Buddha points the Way to liberation; but His advice was never intended to be taken as a theory or philosophy. When He was questioned as to what theory He propounded, the Buddha replied that He preached no theories and whatever he did preach was a result of His own experience. Thus His Teaching does not offer any theory. Theory cannot bring one nearer to spiritual perfection. Theories are the very fetters that bind the mind and impede spiritual progress. The Buddha said, 'Wise men give no credence to passing theories. They are past believing everything they see and hear.'

解脱，对佛教徒而言，是个人份内的事，你必须自救，就好像你必须吃、喝和睡眠一样。佛陀教义的宗旨，就是在指示什么是解脱之道。我们不要把佛陀的教义当作是一种理论或哲学。当有人问及佛陀提倡何种学说时，佛陀回答道，他所提倡的不是哲学，而是他个人觉悟的经验。佛陀的教义不是哲学，哲学不能带给人们精神的突破。哲学本身有很多的局限性，甚至阻碍了我们精神的进展。

Theories are product of the intellect and the Buddha understood the limitations of the human intellect. He taught that enlightenment is not a product of mere intellect. One cannot achieve emancipation by taking an intellectual course. This statement may seem irrational but it is true. Intellectuals tend to spend too much of their valuable time in study, critical analysis and debate. They usually have little or no time for practice.

佛陀说：「智者不依据学说，他们不羁缚自己，他们只是仔细的观察和聆听。」

理论是学识的产品，佛陀了解人类学识的局限性，因此，佛陀的教义不是学识的产品。一个人不会因学识而获得觉悟，这说法好像不合逻辑，但却是真实的。知识份子花太多的时间去研究、分析和辩论，可是，在修持所花的时间却太少了。

A great thinker (philosopher, scientist, metaphysician, etc.) can also turn out to be an intelligent fool. He may be an intellectual giant endowed with the power to perceive ideas quickly and to express thoughts clearly. But if he pays no attention to his action and their consequences, and if he is only bent on fulfilling his own longings and inclinations at any cost then, according to the Buddha, he is an intellectual fool, a man of inferior intelligence. Such a person will indeed hinder his won spiritual progress.

一个伟大的思想家(哲学家、科学家、玄学家)，也可能是一位聪明的笨蛋。他可能拥有聪明才智，有很强的理解力，能够清晰正确的表达自己的思想。但是，如果他不注意自己的言行，也不注意自己言行的结果，甚至一心一意执着于自我或自我的理想，像这样的人，就是一位聪明的笨蛋。一位智慧未开发的聪明人，会深深的影响他自己今后的进步。

The Buddha's Teaching contains practical wisdom that cannot be limited to theory or to philosophy because philosophy deals mainly with knowledge but it is not concerned with translating the knowledge into day-to-day practices.

佛陀的教义包括智慧的训练，并不局限于一般的哲学或理论。哲学只是一种学识，无法应用到实际的日常生活中。

Buddhism lays special emphasis on practice and realization. The philosopher sees the miseries and disappointments of life but, unlike the Buddha, he offers no practical solution to overcome our frustrations which are part of the unsatisfactory nature of life. The philosopher merely pushes his thoughts to dead ends. Philosophy is useful because it has enriched our intellectual imagination and diminished dogmatic assurance which closes the mind to further progress. To that extent, Buddhism values philosophy, but it has failed to quench spiritual thirst.

佛陀强调的是实践和体验。哲学家虽然看到人生的悲恸和不如意，但是，却无法提供实际的方法，来克服我们生命里所遭遇到的挫折和不如意。哲学家把他们的思想推向牛角尖，哲学本身是有益的，可惜不能解决人类精神的飢渴，哲学能丰富我们的知识和想像，减少我们思想的闭塞和不执着于教条主义。就这些而言，佛教对哲学是肯定的。

Remember that the chief aim of a Buddhist is to attain purity and enlightenment. Enlightenment vanquishes ignorance which is the root of birth and death. However, this vanquishing of ignorance cannot be achieved except by the exercise of one's confidence. All other attempts, especially mere intellectual attempts are not very effective. This is why the Buddha concluded: 'These [metaphysical]questions are not calculated to profit; they are not concerned with the Dhamma; they do not lead to right conduct, or to detachment, or to purification from lusts, or to quietude, or to a calm heart, or to real knowledge, or to higher insight, or to Nibbana.' (Malunkyaputta Sutta _ Majjhima Nikaya)

佛教主要的目的是达到觉悟和精神的自由和解脱。觉悟克服了「无明」这一生死根源。然而，要克服「无明」，唯有靠个人的努力和坚韧不拔的意志力，任何单纯知识性的努力都是徒然无功的。佛陀曾经这么说过：「那些形而上学的纯理论思想是不会获得任何利益，它们与真理毫不相干，它们不能领导行为，涤净烦恼、执着而获得宁静、安稳、内观智慧或究竟涅磐。」《中部》

In place of metaphysical speculation, the Buddha was more concerned with teaching a practical understanding of the Four Noble Truths that he discovered: what Suffering is: what the origin of Suffering is; what the cessation of Suffering is; how to overcome Suffering and realize final Salvation. These Truths are all practical matters to be fully understood and realized by anyone who really experiences emancipation.

佛陀排除形而上学的不实际思想和臆测，他要我们专注于他所发现的「四圣谛」及其实用性。「四圣谛」告诉我们苦、集、灭、道的真理，及如何弃除苦而达到最后的解脱。任何人要成就于解脱，就必须先了解什么是「四圣谛」。

Enlightenment is the dispelling of ignorance; it is the ideal of the Buddhist life. We can now clearly see that enlightenment is not an act of the intellect. Mere speculation has something alien to it and does not come so intimately into contact with life. This is why the Buddha placed great emphasis on personal experience. Meditation is a practical scientific system to verify the Truth that comes through personal experience. Through meditation, the will tries to transcend the condition it has put on itself, and this is the awakening of consciousness. Metaphysics merely ties us down in a tangled and matted mass of thoughts and words.

「觉悟」是驱逐「无明」，这是佛陀对生命的理想。当我们了解学识不能令我们获得觉悟时，就应该更重视佛陀的教义。因此，佛陀强调这是他个人亲身的经历。禅定是实际并具有科学性的，它能验证个人亲身经历的真理。一切形而上学的思维方式，只能令我们更加困扰，生活在纠缠与混乱中。