论佛陀
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中文
论佛陀
（在底特律宣讲）
在每一种宗教中，我们都会发现某一类型的自我奉献得到了特别的发展。无私而无动机地工作这一类型，在佛教（Buddhism）中发展得最为充分。请勿将佛教（Buddhism）与婆罗门教（Brahminism）混为一谈。在这个国家，这种混淆极为常见。佛教是我们诸多教派之一。它由一位名叫乔达摩（Gautama）的伟大人物创立。他对当时那个时代永无止境的形而上学争论和繁琐的仪式感到厌倦，尤其厌恶种姓制度。有些人说，我们生来便属于某一阶层，因此我们优于那些非此出身之人。他也反对极为强盛的祭司阶层。他宣扬了一种没有动机力量的宗教，对形而上学或关于上帝的理论则采取完全的不可知论立场。他常被问及是否有上帝，他回答说他不知道。当被问及正确的行为时，他会回答："行善，做好人。"有五位婆罗门（Brahmins）来找他，请他裁决他们的争论。一人说："先生，我的经典说上帝是如此这般，而这是通往上帝的方法。"另一人说："那是错的，因为我的经典是如此这般，而这才是通往上帝的方法。"其余的人也如此各执一词。他平静地聆听了他们所有人的话，然后逐一问他们："你们中的任何一部经典，有没有说过上帝会发怒，他曾伤害任何人，或者他是不洁净的？""没有，先生，它们都教导说上帝是纯洁的、善良的。""那么，我的朋友们，你们为什么不首先使自己纯洁、善良，然后才能知道上帝是什么呢？"
当然，我并不认同他的全部哲学。就我自己而言，我需要大量的形而上学。我在许多方面与他有根本不同，但因为我与他不同，这就是我不应欣赏这个人之美的理由吗？他是唯一一个没有任何动机力量的人。其他也有伟大人物，他们都说自己是上帝化身，凡信仰他们的人都将升天。但佛陀（Buddha）在弥留之际说了什么？"无人能帮助你；自助吧；靠自己达到解脱（salvation）。"他谈到自己说："佛陀（Buddha）是无限知识的名字，无量如同虚空；我，乔达摩，已经达到了那个境界；如果你们为之奋斗，你们都将达到那里。"没有任何动机力量，他不想升天，不想要钱财；他放弃了他的王位和一切，在印度的大街上沿门托钵，以宽广如海洋的心，为人与动物的福祉而宣法。
他是唯一一个曾愿意为动物舍弃生命、以阻止祭祀的人。他曾对一位国王说："如果牺牲一头羔羊能帮助你升天，那么牺牲一个人将对你更有帮助；所以请牺牲我。"国王大为震惊。然而这个人却没有任何动机力量。他代表了积极行动类型的完美，而他所达到的高度表明，通过工作的力量，我们也能达到最高的灵性境界。
对许多人来说，如果他们相信上帝，道路会变得更容易。但佛陀的生命表明，即使一个不相信上帝、没有形而上学、不属于任何教派、不去任何教堂或庙宇、并且公开声称是唯物主义者的人，他也能达到最高境界。我们无权评判他。我希望我拥有佛陀之心的亿万分之一。佛陀信不信上帝，对我无关紧要。他达到了其他人通过虔信（Bhakti）——对上帝的爱——通过瑜伽（Yoga），或通过智慧（Jnana）所达到的同一完美境界。完美不来自信念或信仰。空谈毫无意义。鹦鹉也会那样做。完美来自无私地履行行动。
English
ON LORD BUDDHA
(Delivered in Detroit)
In every religion we find one type of self-devotion particularly developed. The type of working without a motive is most highly developed in Buddhism. Do not mistake Buddhism and Brâhminism. In this country you are very apt to do so. Buddhism is one of our sects. It was founded by a great man called Gautama, who became disgusted at the eternal metaphysical discussions of his day, and the cumbrous rituals, and more especially with the caste system. Some people say that we are born to a certain state, and therefore we are superior to others who are not thus born. He was also against the tremendous priestcraft. He preached a religion in which there was no motive power, and was perfectly agnostic about metaphysics or theories about God. He was often asked if there was a God, and he answered, he did not know. When asked about right conduct, he would reply, "Do good and be good." There came five Brâhmins, who asked him to settle their discussion. One said, "Sir, my book says that God is such and such, and that this is the way to come to God." Another said, "That is wrong, for my book says such and such, and this is the way to come to God"; and so the others. He listened calmly to all of them, and then asked them one by one, "Does any one of your books say that God becomes angry, that He ever injures anyone, that He is impure?" "No, Sir, they all teach that God is pure and good." "Then, my friends, why do you not become pure and good first, that you may know what God is?"
Of course I do not endorse all his philosophy. I want a good deal of metaphysics, for myself. I entirely differ in many respects, but, because I differ, is that any reason why I should not see the beauty of the man? He was the only man who was bereft of all motive power. There were other great men who all said they were the Incarnations of God Himself, and that those who would believe in them would go to heaven. But what did Buddha say with his dying breath? "None can help you; help yourself; work out your own salvation." He said about himself, "Buddha is the name of infinite knowledge, infinite as the sky; I, Gautama, have reached that state; you will all reach that too if you struggle for it." Bereft of all motive power, he did not want to go to heaven, did not want money; he gave up his throne and everything else and went about begging his bread through the streets of India, preaching for the good of men and animals with a heart as wide as the ocean.
He was the only man who was ever ready to give up his life for animals to stop a sacrifice. He once said to a king, "If the sacrifice of a lamb helps you to go to heaven, sacrificing a man will help you better; so sacrifice me." The king was astonished. And yet this man was without any motive power. He stands as the perfection of the active type, and the very height to which he attained shows that through the power of work we can also attain to the highest spirituality.
To many the path becomes easier if they believe in God. But the life of Buddha shows that even a man who does not believe in God, has no metaphysics, belongs to no sect, and does not go to any church, or temple, and is a confessed materialist, even he can attain to the highest. We have no right to judge him. I wish I had one infinitesimal part of Buddha's heart. Buddha may or may not have believed in God; that does not matter to me. He reached the same state of perfection to which others come by Bhakti — love of God — Yoga, or Jnâna. Perfection does not come from belief or faith. Talk does not count for anything. Parrots can do that. Perfection comes through the disinterested performance of action.
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。