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title: 歷史見證了佛陀 Historical Evidence of the Buddha
description: "The Buddha is the greatest conqueror the world has ever seen. His Teaching illuminates the way for mankind to cross from"
---

Historical Evidence of the Buddha

歷史見證了佛陀

The Buddha is the greatest conqueror the world has ever seen. His Teaching illuminates the way for mankind to cross from a world of darkness, hatred and suffering to a new world of light, love and happiness.

Gautama the Buddha was not a mythical figure but an actual, historical personality who introduced the religion known today as Buddhism. Evidence to prove the existence of this great religious Teacher are to be found in the following facts:

The testimonies of those who knew Him personally. These testimonies were recorded in the rock-inscriptions, pillars and pagodas made in His honour. These testimonies and monuments to His memory were created by kings and others who were near enough to His time to be able to verify the story of His life. The discovery of places and the remains of buildings that were mentioned in the narrative of His time. The Sangha, the holy order which He founded, has had an unbroken existence to the present day. The Sangha possessed the facts of His life and Teachings which have been transmitted from generation to generation in various parts of the world. The fact that in the very year of His death, and at various times subsequently, conventions and councils of the Sangha were held for the verification of the actual Teachings of the Founder. These verified Teachings have been passed on from teacher to pupil from His time to the present day.

After His passing away, His body was cremated and the bodily relics were divided among eight kingdoms in India. Each king built a pagoda to contain his portion of the relics. The portion given to King Ajatasatthu was enshrined by him in a pagoda at Rajagriha. Less than two centuries later, Emperor Asoka took the relics and distributed them throughout his empire. The inscriptions enshrined in this and other pagodas confirmed that those were the relics of Gautama the Buddha. 'The Mahavansa', the best and authentic ancient history known to us gives detailed particulars of life as well as details of the life of Emperor Asoka and all other sovereigns related to Buddhist history. Indian history has also given a prominent place to the Buddha's life, activities, Buddhist traditions and customs. The records which we can find in the Buddhist countries where people received Buddhism a few hundred years after the Buddha's passing away such as Sri Lanka, Burma, China, Tibet, Nepal, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos show unbroken historical, cultural, religious, literary and traditional evidence that there was religious Teacher in India known as Gautama the Buddha.

The Tripitaka, an unbroken record of His 45 years of Teaching is more than sufficient to prove that the Buddha really lived in the world. The accuracy and authenticity of the Buddhist texts is supported by the fact that they provide information for historians to write Indian history during the 5th and 6th century B. C. The texts, which represent the earliest reliable written records in India, provide a profound insight into the socio-economic, cultural and political environment and conditions during the Buddha's lifetime as well as into the lives of His contemporaries, such as King Bimbisara.

Salvation Through Arahantahood Attaining Nibbana through Arahantahood is not selfish.

Certain Buddhists believe to seek salvation by becoming an Arahant is a selfish motive; because everyone, they claim, must try to become a Buddha in order to save others. This particular belief has absolutely no ground in the Teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha never mentioned that He wanted to save every living being in this whole universe. He offered His help only to those who were spiritually matured and willing to accept His Nobel way of life.

'The doors to the deathless are open! Let those who will hear leave wrong doctrine 'Now shall I turn the Wheel of the Great Law, For this I go to the Kasian city. There shall I beat the drum of deathlessness In this world that is groping in the dark.'

(Ariya pariyesana Sutta-Majjhima Nikaya). The belief that everyone must strive to become a Buddha in order to attain salvation cannot be found in the original Teachings of the Buddha. This belief is just like asking every person to become a doctor in order to cure other people and himself of diseases. This advice is most impractical. If people want to cure themselves of their sicknesses they can get medical advice from a qualified doctor. This they can do without waiting until they are all doctors before curing themselves. Nor is there any need for each and every person to be a doctor. If everyone becomes a doctor, who are going to be their patients? In the same way if everyone is going to become Buddhas, who is going to save whom? Of course, those who wish to become doctors can do so. But they must have intelligence, courage and the means to study medicine. Likewise, it is not compulsory for everyone to become a Buddha to find his salvation. Those who wish to become Buddhas can do so. However, they need the courage and knowledge to sacrifice their comforts and practice all kinds of renunciations in order to attain Buddhahood. Others can be content to be healthy.

To attain Arahantahood, one has to eradicate all greed and selfishness. This implies that while relating with others, an Arahant will act with compassion and try to inspire others to go on the Path leading to Liberation. He is the living proof of the good results that accrue to a person who follows the method taught by the Buddha. The attainment of Nibbana is not possible if one acts with a selfish motive. Therefore, it is baseless to say that striving to become an Arahant is a selfish act.

Buddhahood is indisputably the best and the noblest of all the three ideals(Supreme Buddha, Silent Buddha and Arahant). But not everyone is capable of achieving this highest ideal. Surely all scientists cannot be Einsteins and Newtons. There must be room for lesser scientists who nevertheless help the world according to their capabilities.

佛陀是這世界從未有過的偉大勝利者，他的教義像指路明燈，指引人們跨越黑暗的世界，脫離悲傷和痛苦，點燃了希望的燈，充滿了愛與快樂。

佛陀不是神話中的塑像，而是真實的歷史人物，他為我們締造了今天的佛教。我們可以從以下歷史資料中證實這位偉大的宗教導師的存在。

一、同時代的人遺留下來的證詞。這些證詞都是與佛陀同一時代的國王或親近過佛陀的人所遺留下來的。這些證詞鐫刻在石碑、石柱或佛塔。這些紀念碑證實了佛陀的一生，也為後世留下佛陀曾經存在的有力證據。

二、很多當時所遺留下來的遺物和遺跡，無論地點或結構都吻合了有關佛陀一生的報導。

三、佛陀所創立的僧團，至今還完整的存在。現在的僧團還保留了佛陀的言教，一代一代的傳承，分布到世界各地不同的國家里。

四、在佛陀入滅的那一年以及隨後數年，僧團舉行了多次佛陀教義的編審、鑑定和結集。這些結集後的經典，由導師傳授給學生，代代相傳一直到今天。

五、佛陀入滅後，遺體火化後的舍利，分發給印度八個國家，每個國家都建立舍利塔安放佛陀舍利。當時，阿迦他沙國的舍利安放在哈利王舍利塔內，百多年後，被阿首咖(Asoka，古譯：阿育王)分供于他所統治的國土內的舍利塔中，這些佛塔遺蹟的碑文，佐證了佛陀確實存在于當時的印度。

六、一部印度史書摩訶旺沙 (Mahaansa)，記載了當年阿首咖的史實，以及其他與佛教有關的君主。明顯的記載了佛陀一生的行跡以及佛教的傳統和制度。

七、佛陀人滅後的數百年，很多國家接受了佛教，留下很多完整的史料，包括歷史、文化、宗教或文學的，這些都吻合了當時佛陀在印度所弘揚的傳統。這些接收佛教的國家包括錫蘭(現在的斯里蘭卡)、緬甸、中國、尼泊爾、韓國(由中國傳入)、日本(由中國傳入)、泰國、越南(由中國傳入)、柬埔寨和寮國(老撾)。這些國家都完整的保留了確實的史料，證明了苟答馬佛陀的存在。

八、巴利三藏中，完整的保留了佛陀一生四十五年所傳授的教義，充分的證明了佛陀確實出現在人間。

九、巴利三藏中除了記載佛陀的言教外，也確實的記載了公元 前五到六世紀的印度歷史、經濟、文化和政治都受到佛陀深刻的影響。 譬如賓比薩拉 (Bimbisàra，古譯：瓶沙王)，就把佛陀當作他的政治顧問。

通過阿拉漢道度化世人

透過阿拉漢道證悟涅槃，不是一種自私的行為。

某些佛教徒認為，修證自我解脫的阿拉漢是一種自私的行徑。他們認為必須透過證悟佛道而度化眾生。這種信念並不是沒有根據的。可是佛陀從來就沒有說過他要度化眾生，他只提供他的幫助給予那些願意接受他那崇高生活方式的人。

「無死的大門敞開著，那些願意聽到的人，遠離錯誤的教義……」「現在我轉起法輪，因為我來到卡西安城，為這沉浸在黑暗的世界敲響無死的大鼓」《中部.聖度智經》

在原始的佛教教義中，並沒有提到「度化他人」的說法。佛陀所推薦的方法是：通過佛陀的教誨來消除煩惱，精進、努力、淨化自己、解脫自己。不要忘記佛陀曾經這樣告誡大家：「你應該自己努力尋求解脫，佛陀只是一位指路人，佛陀只是教導你如何成就的導師。」《法句經》

那些人認為必須證悟佛道然後度化世人的思想，並沒有出現在原始的佛教教義里。這種思想就好像要求人人都成為醫生，不但要治療自己還要治療他人，這是一種不大實際的想法。人如果生病了，就應該去找合格的醫生，不可以等到自己修完醫學課程後，才來治療自己。再說，這世界也不需要人人都成為醫生，如果人人都是醫生，那麼誰是病人呢？同樣的，如果人人都成佛，誰來度化誰呢？當然！一個人如果想成為醫生，那也可以，他必須要有智慧、有勇氣去研究醫學。同樣的，不要強迫人人都求成佛道。如果某些人希望成佛也可以，他必需有勇氣、有智慧、肯犧牲個人的利益，修學種種的佛法和戒律，克制自己的欲望來完成佛道。所以說，通過阿拉漢道證悟涅槃，不是一種自私的行為。如果說，通過阿拉漢道證悟涅槃，是一種自私的行為，將得不到佛陀的祝福。然而，在所有的三藏經典里，一切成就阿拉漢道的聖者，都得到了佛陀最大的祝福。

佛教有三種崇高的理想──正自覺佛、獨覺佛和阿拉漢。但是，不是人人都可以達到這崇高的理想。這好比不是所有的科學家都能達到愛因斯坦或牛頓的成就。但是，他們一樣可以根據自己的能力來協助這世間的發展。