What Buddhists Believe?

佛教徒信仰的是什么

by Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda

达摩难陀长老 编著

Venerable Dhammananda was born on March 18, 1919 to the family of Mr. K.A. Garmage in the village of Kirinde, Matara in southern Ceylon. Like most children born during the British colonial period, he was given the English name of Martin. He was the eldest in a family of three brothers and three sisters. He passed away on August 31, 2006.

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FOREWORD

by The Thean Choo A. M. N. President Buddhist Missionary Society

The first edition of this book came into being in 1964 as a result of questions posed by devotees to the Venerable Author in the course of his delivering a prolonged series of Dhamma talks throughout the length and breadth of Malaysia. He felt that a book of this nature should serve as a handy reference book for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike, presenting in simplified form the beliefs and concepts of Buddhism, and also Buddhist attitude towards other beliefs.

It is ironical but true that there are people who profess this religion and who even claim to be Buddhist leaders, and yet lack the knowledge of the basic principles of Buddhism. Many of them are well-versed with certain rites and rituals but they do not understand the essence of the Master's Teaching. Ignoring the noble Teachings, they have introduced many baseless beliefs and ill-founded traditions, making a mockery of a rational and gentle religion. As a result, many people concerned themselves more with the devotional and ritualistic aspects of Buddhism whilst paying scant attention to true spiritual development which leads to wisdom and understanding.

This is a sad state of affairs brought about by some selfish and misguided religious workers. Driven by ignorance and goaded by mercenary ends, some people have blemished Buddhism as a religion and given the impression that it encourages superstitious beliefs and dependence on charms and omens. Even some monks have lowered themselves to the status of charm peddlers.

It is ironic that many people do not even know the name of the religion they belong to. There are some who say 'I think I am a Buddhist' This shows the extent to which they have neglected the Buddhist way of life. Such ignorance of the sublime teachings has encouraged unscrupulous missionaries from other religions to ridicule Buddhism with false accusations and misinterpretation. As a result, Buddhists being ignorant of their own Teachings and unable to refute the false allegations, fall easy prey to the snares of conversion.

It is partly with a view to countering such ignorance that the book 'What Buddhists Believe' came into being. This book is intended mainly for those who have a genuine desire to know something about the basic Teachings as well as the more difficult aspects of the religion explained in a manner which can be understood in a modern context and without prior knowledge of the subject. The popularity of this book has gone beyond our expectations. It was revised and expanded in 1973 and again in 1982. The demand for this book continues. Chinese, Korean and Indonesian translations of this book are also available.

This year 1987, being the 25th Anniversary of the formation of the Buddhist Missionary Society, it was decided that 'What Buddhists Believe' should be further revised and enhanced as a 'Special Commemorative Issue' to celebrate the Silver Jubilee Year of our Society. In this connection, the Venerable Author, with over forty years experience as a missionary, has spent much time on extensive research and compiling suitable new chapters to make the 1987 Reprint of 'What Buddhists Believe' as the Book for all those who seek knowledge about what Buddhism is.

In keeping with the original aim of this book, it is to be emphasized that the Ven. Author has no intention whatsoever to denigrate or belittle the beliefs and practices of other religionists and other Buddhist schools of thought. He has repeatedly stressed the Buddha's injunctions in the Kalama Sutta to His followers to be open-minded and rational in accepting any teaching. The Buddha in His time never ridiculed the practices and beliefs of other religionists then prevailing but He expounded the truth. It is also not the aim of this book to seek converts, because such a spirit is alien to the spirit of Buddhism. What it does aim at must be reiterated to inform and educate Buddhists about the basic tenets of their religion and to demonstrate its lofty ideals, making every Buddhist proud to be called a Buddhist. 'What Buddhists Believe' aims at enlightening others about the pristine Teachings so that with greater and wider understanding they will be good and kind enough to refrain from castigating this Noble Religion which is serving and guiding millions of people to the Right Path.

The Buddha's Teaching is the greatest heritage that man has received from the past. The Buddha's message of non-violence and peace, of love and compassion, of tolerance and understanding, of truth and wisdom, of respect and regard for all life, of freedom from selfishness, hatred and violence, delivered over two thousand five hundred years ago, stands good for today and will stand forever as the Truth. It is an eternal message.

We are in a world torn by strife. The Buddha taught that we must develop the 'Bodhi' heart of wisdom, a heart of love, a heart of understanding, to overcome the prevailing vices which have plagued man since the beginning of time. 'Overcome anger by non-anger, overcome hatred by love'. Are we practising the advice given by Him? We are responsible for our destiny. We have to cleanse our hearts, scrutinize our own natures and determine to practise the Teachings not only in the letter but, more importantly, in the spirit. It is to be hoped that this publication of 'What Buddhists Believe' will help in guiding many of our Buddhist friends to tread the true path towards Enlightenment.

As the President of the Buddhist Missionary Society, it has been an honour and a pleasure for me to have been closely associated with Venerable Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, the author, in the production of this book.

I wish to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to Mr. Victor Wee and Mr. Vijaya Samarawickrama for assisting the author in editing the book and for their many useful suggestions which helped to bring the book to its present form. I also like to thank Mrs. Chong Hong Choo who had spent endless hours looking after the innumerable details in the production of the book, from its inception right to its completion. Thanks are also due to Mr. H. A. de Silva, Misses Lily See, Lee Lai Fong, Quah Pin Pin, Leong Poh Chwee, Tan Kuee Fong and Low Mei Ying for the typing work involved and proof reading, without whose assistance the present book is not possible.

The Thean Choo A. M. N. President Buddhist Missionary Society

Ven. Dr. . Sr Dhammananda Nayaa Thero

Author's Note

With so many books available on Buddhism, one may ask if there is need for yet another text. Although books on Buddhism are available on the market, many of them are written for those who have already acquired a basic understanding of the Buddha Dhamma. Some are written in an archaic style, based on a rigid translation of the original texts. Such a style is not appealing to modern readers who might get the impression that Buddhism is a dry subject. There are books by learned scholars who present the teachings in a highly academic and abstruse manner. Except for a few very well-informed readers, these books could create more confusion than clarify, and may even lead the ordinary reader to conclude that Buddhism is too sophisticated for his needs. Some books highlight differences between schools of Buddhism, with the result that the uninitiated reader may be engrossed in the so-called 'intersectarian rivalry', without realizing that there are many more similarities than differences among schools. There are also books written by non-Buddhists who, either deliberately or through their ignorance, distort and misrepresent the true teachings of the Buddha.

This book is written with a specific aim in mind: to introduce the original teaching clearly and without recourse to exaggeration, cultural implications or disparaging of particular schools of Buddhism, so that the reader can understand the Buddha Dhamma its modern context. There is a growing interest in Buddhism the world over because many informed people have grown rather weary of religious dogmatism and superstition, on one hand, and greed and selfishness arising from materialism, on the other. Buddhism can teach humanity to walk the Middle Path of moderation and have a better understanding on how to lead a richer life of peace and happiness.

K. Sri Dhammananda 18.3.1987

当我在四十多年前抵达新马时，面对很多碰到问题的信徒。当时，很多佛教徒对正确的佛法和修行都缺乏理解和认识。他们提出了很多的问题，最主要的是如何在现代的世间修行佛法(于二十五世纪前，由佛陀开创的)。对这些问题的解答，我都收集在本书《佛教徒信仰的是什么》里。本书于 1964 年出版，一面世就受到广大群众的欢迎，因为本书满足了那些充满疑虑的人，为他们指引了什么是佛陀当年所觉悟的「法」和正确的修行方法。

本书经过四次的修订，曾经以十四种语言翻译，发行于全世界。本书已出版的版本有：英文、印尼文、马来文、僧伽罗文、西班牙文、越南文、韩文、俄罗斯文、荷兰文、中文等等。本书的第三次修订版于几年前被翻译成中文。这次由新加坡佛教坐禅中心，萨拉达长老所出版的是第四次修订版。本书较前三版增加了许多篇幅，这些都是现代人对当前息息相关的问题。本书的出版是在群众所需要的时刻。于此，特别感激萨拉达长老那无量的功德。我们必须了解佛陀的教义──「佛法」是不会改变的，是永恒不变的真理，佛法改变的是人类社会和行为，当我们在修学佛法时，应该以个人的不懈精进与努力，突出佛法和了解佛法，从而为人类寻求和平与幸福。

佛教经历了很多科技带来的转变，可是它继续的为人类服务。佛法是佛陀慈悲的教诲，除了佛陀再也没有人能提出这么伟大的真理。如果能排除疑虑加以实践，在这一世就能获得成果。佛陀教诲他的弟子们，单凭对他或他的教义的信仰，是无法获得解脱的，一个人必须逐步的了解和实践，才能解脱于生死。本书的宗旨是迎合现代社会的需要，协助现代人了解和实践佛法。个人的不懈精进和努力是必要的，佛陀说过：「只有那些有智慧的人，才能理解我的教义。」萨拉达长老在佛教出版界里，是一位突出的人物。他对佛教文学的出版不遗余力。全世界的佛教工作者都以拥有他的出版物为荣。于此，我祝福他，也祝福这本《佛教徒信仰的是什么》的出版。我非常感激萨拉达长老和新加坡佛教坐禅中心的付出。

希望本书能成就一切众生──证悟涅槃。

法乐常住！！！

达摩难陀 大长老

前言

我很荣幸在出版了《无忧无惧过生活》的中译版后，再度得到达摩难陀大长老的青睐，委托我们新加坡佛教坐禅中心，翻译及出版他的另一部巨作《佛教徒信仰的是什么》。这是我的荣幸，也是新加坡佛教坐禅中心全体成员的荣幸。

《佛教徒信仰的是什么》是《无忧无惧过生活》的姐妹作。《无忧无惧过生活》的重点，在于面向广大的群众，使他们更了解生活的意义，全书以生活哲学结合佛教观点，以浅白、生动的语言剖析了生活的意义。而本书《佛教徒信仰的是什么》却着重于指导读者如何面对科学时代的压力，阐述了信仰的重要性。剖析了什么是迷信，什么是信。

《佛教徒信仰的是什么》总共收录了作者一百篇文章，分为六部十七章。是作者四十五年来的心血结晶，也是他给予人类的最宝贵资产。本书曾经以十四种语言出版，本书所用的翻译蓝本是作者近年来第四次修订的版本，内容比过去所有的版本都更充实也更简洁。

本书所讨论的是世人所关心的问题。在科技一日千里的发展下，宗教面对了极大的压力，为什么佛教能屹立不倒，也不迎合科技做自我的调整，完完全全的保留了原来的面目。答案就在书里。

新加坡佛教坐禅中心的宗旨，在于出版「好书」。虽然在弘法，我们存在语言的问题，可是，我们并没有忽略了广大使用汉字的朋友，佛法要获得广泛的弘扬，就必需打破语言和文字的障碍。我们很清楚这一点，我们也在努力不懈的把一些「好书」，尤其是南传上座部的典籍，翻译成中文。希望《佛教徒信仰的是什么》中译版的出版，能使更多的人受惠。也希望广大的读者在阅读本书后，把意见和感想反应给我们。

最后，我们要向达摩难陀大长老致敬。也希望他老人家能再接再励的为我们遍洒法雨。萨度！萨度！

共沐法雨！！！

维拉哥达.萨拉达 大长老

新加坡佛教坐禅中心 主持

Ven. W. Sarada Maha Thero

Chief Mon

Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre