--- title: 佛教徒信仰的是什麼 What Buddhists Believe? 序 FOREWORD description: "by Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda" --- What Buddhists Believe? 佛教徒信仰的是什麼 by Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda 達摩難陀長老 編著 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. 序 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 當我在四十多年前抵達新馬時，面對很多碰到問題的信徒。當時，很多佛教徒對正確的佛法和修行都缺乏理解和認識。他們提出了很多的問題，最主要的是如何在現代的世間修行佛法(于二十五世紀前，由佛陀開創的)。對這些問題的解答，我都收集在本書《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》里。本書于 1964 年出版，一面世就受到廣大群眾的歡迎，因為本書滿足了那些充滿疑慮的人，為他們指引了什麼是佛陀當年所覺悟的「法」和正確的修行方法。 本書經過四次的修訂，曾經以十四種語言翻譯，發行于全世界。本書已出版的版本有：英文、印尼文、馬來文、僧伽羅文、西班牙文、越南文、韓文、俄羅斯文、荷蘭文、中文等等。本書的第三次修訂版于幾年前被翻譯成中文。這次由新加坡佛教坐禪中心，薩拉達長老所出版的是第四次修訂版。本書較前三版增加了許多篇幅，這些都是現代人對當前息息相關的問題。本書的出版是在群眾所需要的時刻。于此，特別感激薩拉達長老那無量的功德。我們必須了解佛陀的教義──「佛法」是不會改變的，是永恆不變的真理，佛法改變的是人類社會和行為，當我們在修學佛法時，應該以個人的不懈精進與努力，突出佛法和了解佛法，從而為人類尋求和平與幸福。 佛教經歷了很多科技帶來的轉變，可是它繼續的為人類服務。佛法是佛陀慈悲的教誨，除了佛陀再也沒有人能提出這麼偉大的真理。如果能排除疑慮加以實踐，在這一世就能獲得成果。佛陀教誨他的弟子們，單憑對他或他的教義的信仰，是無法獲得解脫的，一個人必須逐步的了解和實踐，才能解脫于生死。本書的宗旨是迎合現代社會的需要，協助現代人了解和實踐佛法。個人的不懈精進和努力是必要的，佛陀說過：「只有那些有智慧的人，才能理解我的教義。」薩拉達長老在佛教出版界里，是一位突出的人物。他對佛教文學的出版不遺余力。全世界的佛教工作者都以擁有他的出版物為榮。于此，我祝福他，也祝福這本《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》的出版。我非常感激薩拉達長老和新加坡佛教坐禪中心的付出。 希望本書能成就一切眾生──證悟涅槃。 法樂常住！！！ 達摩難陀 大長老 前言 我很榮幸在出版了《無憂無懼過生活》的中譯版後，再度得到達摩難陀大長老的青睞，委托我們新加坡佛教坐禪中心，翻譯及出版他的另一部巨作《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》。這是我的榮幸，也是新加坡佛教坐禪中心全體成員的榮幸。 《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》是《無憂無懼過生活》的姐妹作。《無憂無懼過生活》的重點，在于面向廣大的群眾，使他們更了解生活的意義，全書以生活哲學結合佛教觀點，以淺白、生動的語言剖析了生活的意義。而本書《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》卻著重于指導讀者如何面對科學時代的壓力，闡述了信仰的重要性。剖析了什麼是迷信，什麼是信。 《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》總共收錄了作者一百篇文章，分為六部十七章。是作者四十五年來的心血結晶，也是他給予人類的最寶貴資產。本書曾經以十四種語言出版，本書所用的翻譯藍本是作者近年來第四次修訂的版本，內容比過去所有的版本都更充實也更簡潔。 本書所討論的是世人所關心的問題。在科技一日千里的發展下，宗教面對了極大的壓力，為什麼佛教能屹立不倒，也不迎合科技做自我的調整，完完全全的保留了原來的面目。答案就在書里。 新加坡佛教坐禪中心的宗旨，在于出版「好書」。雖然在弘法，我們存在語言的問題，可是，我們並沒有忽略了廣大使用漢字的朋友，佛法要獲得廣泛的弘揚，就必需打破語言和文字的障礙。我們很清楚這一點，我們也在努力不懈的把一些「好書」，尤其是南傳上座部的典籍，翻譯成中文。希望《佛教徒信仰的是什麼》中譯版的出版，能使更多的人受惠。也希望廣大的讀者在閱讀本書後，把意見和感想反應給我們。 最後，我們要向達摩難陀大長老致敬。也希望他老人家能再接再勵的為我們遍灑法雨。薩度！薩度！ 共沐法雨！！！ 維拉哥達.薩拉達 大長老 新加坡佛教坐禪中心 主持 Ven. W. Sarada Maha Thero Chief Mon Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre