佛教是科學且超越科學

當今的時代是科學高度發展的時代，是鑽研科學、利用科學的時代。然而就在這科學高度發展的同時，不少人仍持有疑慮，認為佛教將會受到極大的挑戰和沖擊——認為談科學就不要講佛教，談佛教就不要講科學，好象佛教和科學是水火不相容似的，把兩者對立起來。尤其是有些佛教徒談到科學更是茫然。然而殊不知我們佛教就是科學的嗎。不但是科學的，且還超越科學。

從何而談起？

首先，二者的目標相同，思想觀點更是一致。佛教自釋迦太子放棄王位，半夜偷越王城就是為了去追求宇宙人生的真理，後來在菩堤樹下悟道後，又證得了宇宙人生的真理，而當今的科學也是想揭開宇宙的秘密，發現宇宙人生的真理，目標都是為了造福人類，減除人們的痛苦和災難。另外各種宗教對宇宙人生，世間真理無不涉及，無不探索，科學的概念產生于西方，歷史比宗教遲，在西方國家的其他宗教早已對宇宙人生有所探索和解說，如「上帝造人」「耶穌安拉」能拯救人類等等。後來西方人對這種思想不贊成，于是一切從實際出發、從客觀事物去分析問題、解決問題，便產生了無神論的科學，如愛因斯坦認為與科學相沖突的宗教，無論是出于恐懼，還是道德的需要，儘管本身有高下之分，其「所共有的是它們的上帝概念的擬人化的特徵」，而佛教恰恰是它不承認任何擬人化的造物主，佛陀更不以造物主自居，佛教認為，佛陀只能教導眾生離苦得樂的方法，佛陀自己雖已離苦得樂，但卻不能帶替眾生離苦得樂。佛陀是宗教教育家，而不是幻術家及魔術師，他從來不宣稱自己可以「代人贖罪」，只是主張所有人應對自己負責任，因為每個人的命運都掌握在自己手中。佛教不承認有能夠主宰世界和人類的神靈，一切都是眾生的業感，反對鬼神崇拜，絕非一般要求信徒向虛幻神靈頂禮膜拜的宗教可比，可以說佛教是一種無神論的宗教，這一思想又恰恰與科學的思維方式又不謀而合。

其次佛教的教理、生活方式、制度就是一些科學的理論。佛教在理論方面，目的不是為了研究科學，而是針對人們的「苦」字下功夫，進而追溯人生的真諦和宇宙的真理，在揭示這真理的過程中所闡述的論點，就是一些先知先覺的科學論段，如對于宏大宇宙的觀點：宇宙之大無邊無際，世界數目之多，不可甚數，只能用恆河沙數或微塵(空中塵埃)數來形容，即恆河沙數的世界，或微塵數世界，當然恆河有多少沙粒，空中有多少塵埃，誰也說不清楚，在這些世界不光是地球上才有生命(佛教說的眾生)，還有許多其他世界(佛教稱他方世界)也有生命，如佛經中講的東方琉璃世界，教主藥師佛，西方極樂世界，教主阿彌陀佛，同時還有觀世音菩薩，大勢致菩薩，以及無量無邊的佛教徒聽阿彌陀佛說法，又對西方極樂世界的描寫，「從是(地球)西方過十萬億佛土有世界名曰極樂」；這些世界卻又不是永遠不變的，而是成壞不停，有的已壞，有的已成，有的正壞，有的正成，有的將壞，有的將成，他們都是在因果連續，消長不停；這宇宙世界就時間來說沒有開始，沒有終結，曠遠綿邈，無始無終。這就是早在2500多年前佛教對宏觀宇宙世界提出的科學論段，科學的發展也證實了佛教對宏大宇宙說法的真實性，而近代科學家才說地球和太陽經過多少年終要毀滅。但還沒有講到以後怎樣才形成新的世界。又佛教在微觀方面，佛陀時代也有深入的揭露，在佛教的毗尼日用中，有：「佛觀一缽水，八萬四千蟲，若不食持此咒，若食眾生肉」的句子，在西元前六七世紀，佛陀用慧眼一看，便知水中有無數的微細生命(佛教八萬四千指多，蟲指細菌，微細生命)，直到科學發達顯微鏡出現的近代，才進一步證明了佛陀境界在2500多年前就進入了高科技時代了。

佛教不光是教理上是科學的，而生活方式上也是科學的，首先佛教對人們生病的問題就持科學的態度，病也分三種情況：1、如果屬于孽障這方面的病，這種病可能通過誦經、佛事就會好；2、如果是四大不調帶來的自然的病，那就必須得請醫用藥治療，在佛陀時代，有一比丘生病了，佛陀親自給他換藥擦洗等；3、如果孽障太重的病，那就無法治療。因此佛教不象有的宗教強調的那樣，生病了不需請醫，不需吃藥等等，這佛教在教理上首先就客觀科學的分析了人生——即人有生老病死。其次在生活的一些細節上就是科學的，如在人很重要飲食問題上，佛制比丘定量食、定時食，這就是我們現在醫學上所說的科學飲食要定時定量，生活有規律，不能暴吃暴飲(至于過午不食，那也有他一定的原因，這里就不講了)。還有在經書經常見到「飯食經行」這樣的句子，就是說吃了飯應該走一走，就相當于吃了飯散步似的，正如大家常說的「飯後百步走，活到九十九」。又有早在2500多年前佛教就有漱口的習慣，嚼楊支(當時沒有牙膏，只用一種樹枝來咀嚼)來漱洗。值得一提的還有佛教提倡的「素食」，現在許多書都在談論素食對身體健康，少生病是有極大好處的，是科學的。總而言之，從佛教的生活方式看，雖然佛教創建的時候沒有科學，但他的超前意識已經與科學不謀而合了，完全就有科學的意識貫穿于其中。還有佛教的制度也有他一定的科學性，如佛教作法時的羯磨制，就是一個民主制的科學制度，現在的政協會，議會等就是這一制度的體現，開會表決一個什麼事，必須一定的人員到會才行，否則不生效。

佛教是科學的這不再多說了，就是在科學界內部的科學家也不得不承認，如大科學家愛因斯坦也曾說過：「如果有一個能應付現代科學需求，又能與科學相依共存的宗教那必定是佛教。」又如現代科學家沈家禎博士也說：「我本個是個科學家，但對佛法同樣感興趣，我認為佛法與科學是一而二，二而一的。」

佛教不但是科學，而且還超越科學。

佛教自釋迦牟尼在菩堤樹下悟道後，就證得了宇宙人生的真理，對宇宙人生的真相洞察得了了明明，如理如量。以及對人們的過去未來都了解清清楚楚，這叫住實相，即萬物之本質、自性——它超越了一切語言文字，邏輯思維，即言語道斷，心行處滅。這在教內無所不知，佛陀是智者、覺者，對宇宙人生一切皆知。當時佛陀的智慧，神通皆是世人所不能及和其他九十六種外道所不能比的，這完全是大大超越了人們的思想意識形態，也並非現在的科學技術能比擬和相提並論的，並且也是科學摸不著頭腦的問題。如我們佛教徒往生火化後有舍利子的問題，有的居士往生後有佛陀放光接引問題，或出現瑞相問題，神通問題，禪定問題，有念咒能治病，趨邪等等的問題都是有待科學解釋的，科學要把佛教的這些問題搞清楚，又不知道要多少年，或者能否搞清楚都是問題，科學界還更沒有意識到：究竟的真理已經超越一切語言文字、邏輯思維。原因就在于科學主要是藉助于人的感官觀察和儀器測量，它的發展研究也只能侷限表面現象的范圍，即用現象去解釋現象，未能深入現象後面的本質，不能了知緣起無自性的實相，都是依靠人的感官分別妄念去研究，這就猶如火堆上不斷上升的煙，離火越來越遠，越來越分散，最後不知源于何處，不能了解事物本質真理。著名科學家錢學森說，以前我們研究科學只知道向外鑽研，不知道向內部——向人體內部去研究，實際人體內部就是一個尖端的科學，人類靈魂的存在不敢否定；科學家愛因斯坦也說過：「沒有科學的宗教是瘸子，沒有宗教的科學瞎子。」我國革命的先行者孫中山已說過：「佛學是哲學之母，研究佛學可以補科學之偏，彌補法律之不足。」因此佛教是具有科學的一面，又並非科學所能比擬的。就從他涉及的范圍就比科學大得多，哲學、教育、醫學、藝術、建築、文學、語言等等，他完全是超越了科學以外的意識形態。

最後，我們既然知道了佛教是科學且又超越科學的，那我們就要擺正對科學的態度，首先我們作為學佛、信佛的人在思想就不要反對科學，或者不接受科學，如果反對，或不接受那就是錯誤的思想，這里我就想起98年，在南京棲霞山護送佛牙到緬甸去，我經常聽一個給我們翻譯的少校講，他們國家落後，他們永遠罵幾個佛教長老，原因是在五六十年代，他們國家就準備向法國引進制造玻璃的先進技術，可是他們在河邊試驗，因為一爆炸就炸死許多魚，于是，幾位長老就向國家強烈要求，不許引進這種技術，它是殺生的，于是他們國家就不引進這個科學方面的技術，使他們國家比先進國家落後近百年。你說這不接受科學，給國家帶來損失多大，我們不管他是什麼，他還是人為的，看我們怎樣利用。其次我們對科學和佛教之間也要擺明態度，佛教是科學的，但不一定科學都是佛學的，佛教是釋迦牟尼悟到了宇宙人生的真理，證得的實相，而科學呢，卻還是在不斷摸索前進的東西，有的是後一個理論推翻前一個論斷，將來的理論或許會推翻現在的論斷，而我們佛教的理論，從來不會變，佛陀時代是這樣提，2500多年過去了，現在還是這樣提，並且還沒人能推翻，將來還是這樣提，故佛教和科學原則上沖突的，我們要依佛教的。第三，我們作為佛教徒都應有責任，把科學發明的一切引導善的一方面來福利眾生，科學本身不壞，要看我們怎樣利用。我們有責任向國家、向人民、向專家勸導，不要用科學來害人。現在科學對人類或社會帶來許多的不利因素，我們看以後怎樣引導。總之，我要用科學來福利社會、人類，抑制不利于社會人類的因素，即我們要用科學的武器在菩提道上添磚加瓦，又要用他來斬妖降魔，為莊嚴國土，利樂有情，早日將娑婆世界(地球)變為極樂世界而努力。

Buddhism is science and more than science

TongRui

It is ages that science are high development,being well used and researched.At the same time ,some people have question that Buddhism will meet the biggest challenge and concussion—and thought that never talk about Buddhism and science together, they are just incompatible as fire and water.,taking both of them as confilict things.it』s pale that especially at the time of our Buddhist talking about science.However,don』t you know our Buddhism is a science,not only a science and more than science.

How to show the idea of the problem?

First,both of them have the same aim.In order to look for the truth,Buddhism look for the truth since Sayka prince gave up kingship and turned over the wall of King-city,and later awakened under Buddha』s tree,finally he got the truth of the universe and life.and science is still trying to reveal the secrets of the universe and discover the truth of universe life.The same of their aims are benefiting human beings ,reducing the disasters and pains of people.Also many different religions researched the universe and life,truth of the world,the concept of science was resulted from the western and had a history which is shorter than religion.In some western countries,they have some religions gave explaination to universe and life,such as:God created human beings」 and Jesue Allah can save human beings.Due to the western』s disagreement on the thinking,so they have borned a science which called Antitheism under the fundation of taking consideration from the reality,analysising and solving problems from objective terms.such as Einstein said:no matter due to fear or needs of morality,though they may have limit between good ones and bad ones if it had conflicted with religion.they have a common feature which is personate of God,however what a coincidence is that Buddhism never agree it,and Buddha also never take himself as a demiurge.Buddhism think that they can only tell buddhist ways of being away from pains and getting happiness.Buddhism is an educator of religione but not a magician.it never promoted that he can take responsibility for others,but to persuade people to be brave to take responsibilty for themselves,Buddhism disagree that there is no God which can master all the world,everything is belongs to the world,everybody』s life belongs to themseleves.also opposing to believe any ghosts and gods.and this is difficult for the religions which require their believer believing ghosts and gods to compare with.If we must take Buddhism as a religion,it must be religion which promoted antitheism,and the thinking meet with science very well.

Second,theories of Buddhism,ways of life,and rules of Buddhism ,certainly they are some science theories.In the hand of theory,Buddhism is not for research,but for the pains of people,then look back for the truth of the universe and essence of life.In the process，they found some theoies such as ; the universe is so large and it has no space limited,numbers in the world are too much to account,consequently it could be just described as dust in sky or sand in Ganges?Of course,nobody really knows how many dust and sand does sky and Ganges exactly have .In the worlds,not only does the earth have life(all flesh in Buddhism) but many other worlds(Buddhism means other- worldly)do.such as Eastern Glazed World,Hierach YaoShi Buddha,Western Pure Land, Hierarch Amitabha,meanwhile it also has Arya Avalokiteshvara,DaShiZhi Buddhisattava and countless Buddhist took lessons on Amitabha,also described Western Pure Land as follows: It』s ten thousand million metres far away from the western earth,there is a place named Pure Land,but the worlds are not always the same and it was changing all the time,some born ,some dead,some borning ,some dieing.some will born,some will die.they were constant cause and effect.In the terms of time,there is no beginning or end in the universe,this was the theory promoted by Buddhism 2500 years ago.and till now it had proved to be right,However now scientist think that the earth and sun will be disappeared for some certain years later.,but without an anwser what a new world willl turn up.As well as the discovery of microcosmic,Buddhism had a deep research,A book of Buddhist』rules said ,Buddhist watch a bowl of water,finding eighty –four thousand germs,I had eaten meat if I wouldn』t speak incantation when I drink water.6th B.C ago,our Buddha knew there were countless germs just by eyes.(eighty-four thousand germs in Buddhism means countless germs).But till the invention of high developed microscope ,people can prove that Buddhism is ahead of high-tech ages 2500 years ago.

Buddhism is science not only on its theory but also the ways of life.First,Buddhism take a scientific attitude towards the ill of human beings,it can be divided into three kinds,1.if patient got sick by doing something unmoral,it can be get well by chanting sutra and Buddha-work.2.if one got illed naturely,it must to use medicine,in Buddha ages,Buddha himself embrocated a bhikkhu and so on.3.if someone got illed by doing so many bad actions and this was never be saved.Consequently,Buddhism is not the same as other relogion which promoted not to use medicine when got illed.The Buddhism first analysised the life from objective science,which tols us everybody can just have born, old and died onlyi once.Second,it』s also scientific at the details on eating. as a human being,eating is important to us,Buddha requires bhikkhu quantity and time under control,this quite siuts our contemporary medicine rules:living and eating under some certain rules,avoiding eating without any limitation(regarding the rule :no eating after noon,it also has certain reason ,and now here I won』t plan to explain more ).also reading from the scripture,you can see a Chinese sentence reading 「Fan Shi Jing Xing」 which means one shuould have a walk after meals.so there is also a common saying,hundred walks after meals ,ninty-nine years old you may live.2500 years ago Buddhist had a habit of gargling,eating a branch of a tree named Yang Branch (as there was no toothpaste),Buddhism strongly promoted to be a vegetarian,and now many books are discussing that be a vegetarian is healthy for human beings and can avoid getting illed.In a word,the theory on the way of Buddhism』s life is scientific,though there is no science befor Buddhism setting up.its advanced theory and sense had already meet with science with no question,and a sure thing that there may be sense of science in Buddhism』s living way.Rules of Buddhism also has certain scientificity,such as Buddhist Karma,it』s a domocratic and scientific rule,now political consultative conference,congress and so on have been found in the rule,if you want to decide something ,you must have a certaim number of people or it will not work.

I will not to talk more on the topic that Buddhism is science,this had been admitted even by the scientist,such as famous scientist Einstein once said:if there may be a religion which can meet modern science』s requirements and also may exsit with scientist together,it must be Buddhism」also as Dr Shen Jia Zhen said I am a scientist ,but I am very intrested on Buddhism,I think Buddhism and science exsited with each other.

However,Buddhism is not only science but more than science.

Since Sakyamuni awakened the way under the tree of Buddha,he got the truth of the universe and life,knowing well to the truth of the universe.He can know people』s past and future clearly,this was named absolutely reality,it beyond all the language and logic. Meanings can not be expressed by language and by thinking.It was well knowed in Buddhism.Buddha is a sophist,Buddha,and know all about the life in the universe.and nobody or other ninty-six religions cann』t compare,this had been completely beyond people』s thinking and sense.and now technology can』t achieve.Meanwhile science is a unclear matter as well as the problem that when some Buddhist were been fired after death there may be found Buddha』s relics,some Buddhist may be welcomed with light by Buddha after died.lucky phenomenon,physci power,and meditation and so on.these were never be answered,if science want to research these problems and there is no idea that how many years shall we get the answer.,or it』s a problem that whether science can make it clear or not.The science group even can』t realize that Buddhist theory had been beyond all the languages and logic.the reasons were that science must take equipment and sense organ,its development and research may also limited in knowing appearance,namely it can just use phenomena to explain phenomena,can not do research into the essence,and have no idea on knowing absolutely reality of 「Yuan Qi Wu Zi Xing」,just do research by using man』s sense organ,this as if the smoke moving up from the fire,and being more and more far away from the fire and finally disappeared.it does not know the essece of things.So scientist Qian Xue Seng said,once we just know to research the matters outside of our bodies,and never do research on the inner construction of our bodies,actually our inner body is a top science,we can』t deny the exsistence of soul. the greatest scientist Eistain said: without science,religion is just like a lame man,and if there is no religion,science is even like a blind man .Our forthrunner of revolutionary Sun Zhong Shan had also said,Buddhism is monther of philosophy,do research on Buddhism can make up the shortage of science and law.Consequently,Buddhism has feature of science,but more than science,it includes more subjects than science such asphilosophy,education,nedicine,art,construction，literature，and language，it had completely beyond the sense of science.

At last ,though we know that Buddhism is science and more than science,we should take a right attitude on science.First,as our Buddhist don』t refuse science,or oppose science,if so ,it』s a wrong idea.Here it remind me of that in 1998,we escort Buddha』s tooth from Buddhist Collegue of Xixia Mountain in Nanjing to Burma,A major interpreter always told us,as their country were out of time,they blamed the Buddhist elder for refusing to introduce a technology of producing glass from France into Burma ,but when they were having a test at the side of a river,it blasted many small fishes,so the Buddhist persuade their country not introducing the technology due to it killed so many lives.and this made their country fall behind other counties hundreds of years.What a lost did it bring to their country.so no matter what it is or it was made by man,the key point is how we make use of it.Second,we should take a right attitude to treat science and Buddhism,Buddhism is science,but not all the science is Buddhism,Buddhism had got the truth of the universe after Sakyamuni got and proved the truth.But science is still developing by groping the ways,and some new theories cancel the old ones.and future ones cancel existing ones.However Buddhism theory never be changed since ages of Buddha for 2500 years ,nobody can cancel it,today it will not be changed and future won』t either,Consequently if there is a conflict between Buddhism and science,we should follow Buddhism』s theory.Third,as a Buddhist,we should be responsible for bringing benefit to our human beings by making good use of science,we are responsible for persuading country ,experts and people not to use science to hurt human beings.Now science had brought us so many bad effects,we should give it a right direction of guiding.In a word ,we should make good use of science to benefit society and human beings,refuse the bad effect,that』s to say,we should make science as our arms to make our Buddhism better，aslo use it to kill bogey and belial.in order to make our earth to a pure land as early as we can.

作者簡介：

通睿，貴州省佛教協會常務理事、安順市西城區東林寺住持。