Chapter 6 BUDDHISM VIS-A-VIS OTHER APPROACHES
第六章佛教与其它思想
Is Buddhism Similar to Other Contemporary Teachings in India?
佛教与当时印度宗教的异同
The Dhamma realized by the Buddha was unheard before.
佛陀所宣说的佛法,是以前从来没有人说过的。
The Buddha said in His first sermon, the Dhammacakka Sutta, that the Dhamma which He preached was unheard of before. Knowledge of the Dhamma which arose was clear to His vision, to His knowledge, to His wisdom, to His penetration, and to His Enlightenment.
佛陀初转*轮时,所宣说的《转*轮经》是前人所从来没有说过的。这很清楚的明了佛陀的看法、佛陀的学识、佛陀的智慧,以及他敏锐的观察力和无法比拟的觉悟力。
Some people claim that the Buddha did not preach a new doctrine but merely reformed the old teaching which was existing in India. However, the Buddha was no mere reformer of Hinduism as some protagonists of this ancient creed make Him out to be. The Buddha's way of life and doctrine were substantially different from the way of life and the religious beliefs people had in India. The Buddha lived, taught and died as a non-Vedic and non-Brahmanic religious Teacher. Nowhere did the Buddha acknowledge His indebtedness to the existing religious beliefs and practices. The Buddha considered Himself as initiating a rational religious method, as opening a new path. In fact He had revolutionized the religious way of life in a dignified manner.
有些人认为佛陀并没有宣扬什么新的教义,只是把印度当时存在的古老教义,重新整理和加以组织而已。然而,佛陀不是当时印度宗教的改革者,而是重新缔造者。佛陀所倡导的生活方式和教义,本质与印度当时一般人所信仰的宗教不同。佛陀从出世到弘法、入灭都可以证明他与当时印度的婆罗门教无关,也无法找到佛陀承认他曾经受惠于印度其它宗教的证据。
That was the main reason why many other religious groups could not agree with Him. He was condemned, criticized and insulted by the most noted teachers and sects of the Vedic-Brahmanic tradition. It was with the intention of destroying or absorbing the Buddha and His Teaching, that the Brahmans of the pre-Christian era went so far as to accept the Buddha as an Avatara or incarnation of their God. Yet some others despised Him as a vasalaka, a mundaka, a samanaka, a nastika and sudra. (These words were used in India during the Buddha's time to insult a religious man).
在当时的印度,很多宗教团体或个别的宗教师都反对佛陀的观点。佛陀经常被外道宗教师刁难、批评、指责,或以恶毒的字眼加以侮辱。可是当佛教的基础奠定后,婆罗门教却把佛陀说成是他们神的化身,婆罗门教之所以这么做。
There is no doubt that the Buddha reformed certain customs, religious duties, rites and ethics and ways of living. The greatness of His character was like a pin-point that pricked the balloon of false beliefs and practices so that they could burst and reveal their emptiness.
无非是想破坏和并吞佛教,把佛教和佛陀的教义据为己有。毫无疑问的,佛陀纠正了当时社会的风尚和弊病,无论在宗教职责、仪式或个人的伦理观念和生活方式。还有如以针刺破了错误的信仰与修持的气球,使里面空泛和不实际的东西泄漏一空。
But as far as the fundamental, philosophical and psychological teachings are concerned, it is groundless to say that the Buddha had copied ideas from any existing religion at that time. For instance, the idea of the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and Nibbana, were not known before His coming. Although the belief in kamma and rebirth was very common, the Buddha gave quite logical and reasonable explanations to this belief and introduced it as natural law of cause and effect. Despite all these the Buddha did not ridicule any sincere existing religious belief or practice. He appreciated the value in many where he found Truth and he even gave a better explanation of their beliefs. That is why He once said that the Truth must be respected wherever it is. However, He was never afraid to speak out against hypocrisy and falsehood.
无论以基础科学、哲学或心理学来说,我们都找不到佛陀抄袭当时宗教的证据。四圣谛、八圣道和涅槃思想,在佛陀以前,从来不为人所知。虽然业力和轮回思想,在当时相当的普遍,可是佛陀给予了全新的、逻辑的、合理的诠释。佛陀并不嘲笑或蔑视当时存在的宗教。佛陀很珍惜它们,也从它们那里发现了真理,并且给予更合理的诠释。
所以佛陀说:「无论真理在何处,必然会受到重视。」
佛陀从来就不畏惧于面对虚伪和不真实。