Is there an Eternal Soul?

不灭的灵魂存在吗

Belief in an eternal soul is a misconception of the human consciousness.

相信不灭的灵魂存在，是一种错误的观点。

Soul-Theories

灵魂学说：

With regard to the soul theory, there are three kinds of teachers in the world:

The first teacher teaches the existence of an eternal ego-entity that outlasts death: He is the eternalist.

The second teacher teaches a temporary ego-entity which becomes annihilated at death: He is the materialist.

The third teacher teaches neither an eternal nor a temporary ego-entity: He is the Buddha.

在这世间，有三种不同的灵魂学说：

一、认为「人」死后仍然存在一贯永恒的自我本质──灵魂，在佛学称这种思想为「常见」。

二、认为「人」只是暂时的本质，死后就一了百了，是一种唯物思想，佛学称这种思想为「断见」。

三、认为「人」的自我本质，既非永恒，亦非不永恒，这就是佛陀的学说。

The Buddha teaches that what we call ego, self, soul, personality, etc., are merely conventional terms that do not refer to any real, independent entity. According to Buddhism there is no reason to believe that there is an eternal soul that comes from heaven or that is created by itself and that will transmigrate or proceed straight away either to heaven or hell after death. Buddhists cannot accept that there is anything either in this world or any other world that is eternal or unchangeable. We only cling to ourselves and hope to find something immortal. We are like children who wish to clasp a rainbow. To children, a rainbow is something vivid and real; but the grown-ups know that it is merely an illusion caused by certain rays of light and drops of water. The light is only a series of waves or undulations that have no more reality than the rainbow itself.

佛陀认为我们妄称「人」为「自我」、「自己」、「灵魂」或「人格」等等，这些都属于「假名安立」，并没有提到真实、独立的本质。佛教徒没有理由相信，有一个永恒不灭的灵魂，来自天堂或自我的创造。死后将「移民」天堂或地狱。佛教徒不相信这世间或其它世间，有某些事物是永恒的。我们经常执着于我们自己，希望能发现某些事物是永恒的。这种行为，像小孩子想攀天上的彩虹，对孩子们来说，彩虹是美丽的、真实的，可是成人都知道，彩虹是光和水因缘和合而组成的幻象。就彩虹的本质来说，它只不过是一连串的光波罢了。

Man has done well without discovering the soul. He shows no signs of fatigue or degeneration for not having encountered any soul. No man has produced anything to promote mankind by postulating a soul and its imaginary working. Searching for a soul in man is like searching for something in a dark empty room. But the poor man will never realize that what he is searching for is not in the room. It is very difficult to make such a person understand the futility of his search.

发现没有灵魂存在时，人类的表现也很正常。人类并不因为没有灵魂的存在，而表现失常或急躁不安。也不因为假设或想像灵魂的存在及灵魂如何作用，而产生震憾世界的新发现。寻找灵魂或企图发现灵魂的存在，有如在暗室里寻找东西，什么也找不到。但是，一般可怜的人，从来不理解这一点，他们所要寻找的东西根本就不在暗室里，要让他们知道，他们的努力是白费功夫，那简直太难了。

Those who believe in the existence of a soul are not in a position to explain what and where it is. The Buddha's advice is not to waste our time over this unnecessary speculation and devote our time to strive for our salvation. When we have attained perfection then we will be able to realize whether there is a soul or not. A wandering ascetic named Vacchagotta asked the Buddha whether there was an Atman (self) or not. The story is as follows:

某些人相信灵魂的存在，可是却没有能力解释灵魂到底存在于什么地方，以什么形式存在。佛陀告诫信徒，不要把宝贵的时间，浪费在这无谓的事情，要专心的寻求解脱之道。当我们获得大成就后，就会知道灵魂到底存不存在。 一位苦行修士瓦差哥达，来到佛陀眼前，问道：

Vacchagotta comes to the Buddha and asks: 'Venerable Gotama, is there an Atman ? The Buddha is silent. 'Then Venerable Gotama, is there no Atman? Again the Buddha is silent. Vacchagotta gets up and goes away. After the ascetic has left, Ananda asks the Buddha why He did not answer Vacchagotta's question. The Buddha explains His position: 'Ananda, when asked by Vacchagotta, the Wanderer: 'Is there a Self?, if I had answered: 'There is a Self'. Then, Ananda, that would be siding with those recluses and brahmanas who hold the eternalist theory (sassata-vada).'

「尊敬的苟答马先生！到底有没有『我』的存在？」

佛陀沉默不回答。瓦差哥达再问道：

「尊敬的苟答马先生！到底有没有『我』的存在？」

佛陀还是保持沉默。瓦差哥达放弃了，他转身就离开了。

当瓦差哥达离开后，阿难达尊者问佛陀：「世尊！为什么不答复瓦差哥达的问题呢？」

佛陀向阿难达尊者解释了他的立场。

「阿难达啊！当瓦差哥达问我到底有没有『我』的存在时，如果我回答：有『我』的存在，那就等于承认了外道的『常见』观点。」

'And Ananda, when asked by the Wanderer: 'Is there no Self?, if I had answered: 'There is no Self', then that would be siding with those recluses and brahmanas who hold the annihilationist theory( uccedavada)'.

「阿难达啊！还有，当瓦差哥达问我到底有没有『我』的存在时，如果我回答：没有『我』的存在，那就等于承认外道的『断见』观点。」

'Again, Ananda, when asked by Vacchagotta: 'Is there a Self? If I had answered: 'There is a Self', would that be in accordance with my knowledge that all dhammas are without Self?

「阿难达啊！还有，当瓦差哥达问我到底有没有『我』的存在时，根据我的智慧，所有的『法』都是『无我』的。」

'Surely not, Sir.'

「确实是『无我』。」阿难达尊者回答道。

'And again, Ananda, when asked by the Wanderer: 'Is there no Self?', if I had answered: 'There is no Self', then that would have created a greater confusion in the already confused Vacchagotta. For he would have thought: Formerly indeed I had an Atman(Self), but now I haven't got one.' (Samyutta Nikaya).

佛陀又说道：

「阿难达啊！还有，当瓦差哥达问我到底有没有『我』的存在时，如果我回答：没有『我』的存在，那么，将令瓦达哥达感到困惑，他可能会误解：以前确实有『我』的存在，怎么现在『我』却没有了。」《相应部经》

The Buddha regarded soul-speculation as useless and illusory. He once said, 'Only through ignorance and delusion do men indulge in the dream that their souls are separate and self-existing entities. Their heart still clings to Self. They are anxious about heaven and they seek the pleasure of Self in heaven. Thus they cannot see the bliss of righteousness and the immortality of truth.' Selfish ideas appear in man's mind due to his conception of Self and craving for existence.

佛陀认为对灵魂的臆测是无用的，灵魂只是一种幻象。佛陀说： 「愚痴和妄想使人们沉迷于幻觉中，他们把灵魂当作是自己存在的实体，并认为灵魂可以和自己的身体分开存在。他们心中执着于自我，他们渴望天堂的存在，并寻求在天堂中的自我享受。因此，他们无法发现并觉知无上的幸福和不朽的真理。」《相应部经》

自私的观念之所以出现在人们心中，就是因为人类对自我和存在的执着。