试论绝对的真理
Discussions on the Absolute Truth
岳兴华 文 By Syin-Hwa Ywe
前言
所谓科学是因科学改造了人类生活条件,促进了世界文明和发展,追求真理具体实践,效果显著,受到人类的称赞,所以这本小册子始终根据科学的态度、实事求是的精神来描写。
哲学的任务是对整个世界的认识,和人类世界观的探讨。它的根本问题是遗留下的「思惟对存在,精神对物质的关系」问题。自古以来,世界无数的哲学家和派别,发表了议论很多,根据这些议论,归纳而为两大派,凡断定精神是世界本原第一性的是「唯心主义」,凡认为物质是世界本原第一性的是「唯物主义」。
真理是绝对的、全宇宙的、永恒的。客观的、一元的、无阶级性的、存在的实体(实际)。为此,哲学必须追究绝对真理,惟有绝对真理能解宇宙和世界问题,惟有认识宇宙和世界,才能找到绝对真理。现代人类多数认为世界没有绝对真理,或不知有绝对真理。有人说:「相对真理的总和就是绝对真理。」其实相对真理总和后的结果仍是相对的。那么真的没有绝对真理吗?不。绝对真理是有的,惟有绝对真理才能解宇宙观、世界观、人生观,及古今中外的哲学家们的论断及遗留的问题。故此,想试论总结有史以来哲学前辈的论断,和剖析世界的自然现象的实迹,以及人类生活过程中的实践,实事求是地寻找绝对真理。在这种森罗万象义理玄渊的大自然中,总结这千头万绪的事事物物,颇感知识不够、思虑不足、词汇不全,只能用通俗语言多举事例譬喻。有时解释超过本文,甚至脱离系列,为了便于说明,因此利用问答方式,这就难免赘语连篇,尚希读者见谅,诚恳请求读者相助,多提宝贵意见,以臻完善。
文中引用佛陀的语言很多,可能引起读者对佛教的窥视心理,故而特设附录专述佛教梗概,以供参考。更请佛教高僧大德、四众各位,切实批评指教,以免鱼目混珠。
岳兴华1992年8月于北京
Preface
Science is so-called because Science has changed Man's living conditions, promoted the development of world civilization, and sought the real practice of the Truth. Its effects are outstanding and have received people's praise. This pamphlet was written with a scientific attitude and objective spirit.
The function of Philosophy is to understand the whole world, and investigate the world views of Mankind. Its basic questions concern "the relationship of thought to existence, and of the spiritual to the material." Since ancient times, countless philosophers and sects in the world have formulated many theories, which can be divided into two main schools of thought. Those which consider spirituality the primary nature of the source of the world fall under Idealism. Those that define matter as the primary nature of the source in the world fall under Materialism.
The truth is the absolute, universal, eternal, objective, monistic, classless and existent reality. Therefore, philosophy must penetrate to the absolute truth. Only the absolute truth can resolve the questions of the universe and the world; and only by knowing about the universe and the world, can one find that absolute truth. For the most part, modem people consider there to be no such absolute truth, or are not aware that there is absolute truth. Someone said, "The summation of the relative truth is the absolute truth." Actually the result of this summation is still relative. Then, is there really no absolute truth? No. There is absolute truth. Only the absolute truth can solve the questions in the Universal View, World View, Life View and the controversies of philosophers of the ancient and the present, East and West. Therefore, the author has attempted to comment on the dialectic of past philosophers, to analyze the reality of natural phenomena and of the process of human life, and to search for absolute truth by objective methods. In trying to draw general conclusions about the vast cosmos of myriad phenomena and subtle and deep principles, I have always considered myself lacking in knowledge, imperfect in thought, and deficient in expression. Thus, I can only use common language and frequent examples and analogies. Sometimes the commentary may exceed the text and even depart from the outline. To facilitate explanation, I used a question-answer format that has resulted in repetitious statements. The reader's forgiveness and valued comments are requested to make this book more complete and satisfactory.
Since many quotes from the Buddha are used in the text, the readers may formulate a narrow conception of Buddhism. Therefore, an appendix focusing on Buddhism has been included for reference. The criticism and comments of the Venerable Monks and Virtuous Ones and the fourfold assembly are sincerely requested to prevent the author from passing off fish-eyes for pearls.
Ywe Syin-hwa October 1992 Beijing