佛教所說的『業』是怎麼回事？What role does kamma play in Buddhism?

(１４)「佛教所說的『業』是怎麼回事？」

14. Now I shall say something on kamma in Buddhism, by asking,

15. 「What role does kamma play in Buddhism?”

　　許多西方人寫了很多談論佛教的書，他們對討論「業與再生」的篇章似乎很引以為傲，但他們在每本書里對這方面的解釋都十分錯誤。那些西方人公開解釋業(kamma)時，都說善業是好的，惡業是不好的，除了「善有善報，惡有惡報」，就再也沒有提到其他的了。這樣的說法正與每個宗教的教義相同，但這不是佛教所教導的業。

MANY WESTERNERS HAVE written books on Buddhism, and they seem to be most proud of the chapters dealing with kamma (Sanskrit, karma) and rebirth. But their explanations are wrong, quite wrong every time. Those Westerners set out to explain kamma, but all they really say is that good kamma is good and evil kamma is evil. 「Do good, receive good; do evil, receive evil」, and nothing more, is exactly the same doctrine as is found in every religion. This is not kamma as it is taught in Buddhism.

　　「再生」也是如此，他們一再強調，好像確實曾親眼見到正是那一個相同的「主體」再生。這種主張對佛陀所說沒有「人」及沒有「主體」存在的教導，作了不正確的說明。即使我現在坐在這里，也沒有一個「自我」會被發現，如果沒有「人」存在，那有什麼會去死?什麼會再生?佛陀教導我們時時刻刻都要覺察沒有「主體」或「人」的存在，「生」只是一種假相。把自己的著作定名為佛書的作者們，對「業與再生」解釋，通常錯得很離譜！

With rebirth it is the same. They make their assertions just as if they had seen with their own eyes the very same individuals being reborn. This misrepresents the Buddha』s main message, which teaches the non-existence of 「the individual」, of 「the self」. Even though 「I」 am sitting here now, yet there is no individual to be found. When there is no individual, what is there to die? What is there to be reborn? The Buddha taught the non-existence of 「the individual」, of 「the person」. Thus, birth and death are matters of relative truth. The writers of books entitled 「Buddhism」 generally explain kamma and rebirth quite wrongly.

　　請密切注意業的問題，身為佛教徒要說明它，必須討論業的止息，不象其他宗教只是討論業的本身和它的影響力，如果是佛陀的教法，必須討論業的止息。

Do pay close attention to this matter of kamma. To be the Buddhist account it must deal with the cessation of kamma, not just with kamma itself and its effects — as found in all religions. To be the Buddha』s teaching it must deal with the cessation of kamma.

　　sabbakammakkhayam-patto，意思是一位成功止息所有業的人，佛陀教導業的止息就是貪(raga)、瞋(dosa)、癡(moha)的止息(泰本巴利藏第２１冊，４７３頁)。這很容易記住，貪、瞋、癡的止息就是業的終止，那就是心中煩惱的止息。假如貪、瞋、痴不止息，業就不會止息，當貪、瞋、癡止息，舊業和新業就會止息，沒有造作現在的業，也沒有造作未來的新業，如此，過去、現在、未來的業就會止息，當一個人止息了貪、瞋、痴，業便止息了。必須如此解釋業，只有這樣說明業，才是佛教的說法。

A sabbakammakkhaya.-patto is one who has attained the cessation of all kamma. The Buddha taught that kamma ceases with the ceasing of lust, hatred, and delusion (rāga, dosa, and moha). This is easy to remember. Kamma ceases when lust, hatred, and delusion cease, that is, when the mental defilements cease. If lust, hatred, and delusion do not cease, kamma does not cease. When lust, hatred, and delusion do cease, old kamma ceases, no present kamma is produced, and no new future kamma is produced — thus kamma past, present, and future ceases. When a person puts an end to lust, hatred, and delusion, kamma ceases. This is how it must be explained. Only such an account of kamma can be called the Buddhist account.

　　所以，我們發現了第三種業，許多人只知道二種業——善業與惡業，他們還不知道什麼是第三種業。佛陀稱第一種業為黑業(black kamma)或惡業(euil kamma),第二種為白業(white kamma)或善業(good kamma),還有一種業稱為非黑非白業(neither-black-nor-white kamma),它可以止息黑業與白業，第三種業就是能完全停止黑、白二業的工具(佛陀使用黑業、白業、非黑非白業等名詞)。這第三種業是佛教的業，是符合佛教原則的業。就如前面所說，止息貪、瞋、癡就能止息業，如此第三種業就是使貪、瞋、癡止息的業。換句話說，它就是八正道，當我們的行為與修行符合于八正道時，那就是第三種業，它不是黑業，也不是白業，它止息了黑業和白業，它超越于善惡業之上，是出世間(lokuttara)的。

So we find there is a third kind of kamma. Most people know of only the first and second kinds of kamma, good and evil kamma. They don』t know yet what the third kind of kamma is. The Buddha called the first kind of kamma black or evil kamma, and the second kind white or good kamma. The kind of kamma that can be called neither-black-nor-white is that which puts an end to both black kamma and white kamma. This third kind of kamma is a tool for putting a complete stop to both black and white kamma. The Buddha used these terms 「black kamma」, 「white kamma」, and 「kamma neither-black-nor-white」. This third type of kamma is kamma in the Buddhist sense, kamma according to Buddhist principles. As has been said, to put an end to lust, hatred, and delusion is to put an end to kamma. Thus, the third kind of kamma is the ending of lust, hatred, and delusion; in other words, it is the Noble Eightfold Path. Whenever we behave and practise in accordance with the Noble Eightfold Path, that is the third type of kamma. It is neither black nor white; rather it brings to an end black kamma and white kamma. It is world-transcending (lokuttara), above good and above evil.

　　在西方人所著《業與再生》(Kamma and Rebirth)一書的篇章中，作者從來沒有討論到第三種業，他們的理解完全錯誤，對經典所作的解釋根本不是佛教的。身為佛教徒，就應該討論可以止息貪、瞋、痴第三種業，那麼，包括黑業與白業的所有舊業都會止息。

This third type of kamma is never discussed by Westerners in their chapters on 「Kamma and Rebirth」. They get it all wrong; what they expound is not Buddhism at all. To be Buddhist, they should deal with the third type of kamma, the kamma that is capable of bringing to an end lust, hatred, and delusion. Then the whole lot of old kamma — black kamma and white kamma — ends as well.

　　現在，讓我們多談一點第三種業。在這方面，佛陀說：「透過自己無上的智慧，我已覺悟了『業』」(泰本巴利藏第２１冊，３１４頁)。這個顯然不同的第三種業，不是從其他宗教得來，而是佛陀透過自己的智慧發現，然後將它教給眾生。所以我們必須謹記在心，第三種業才是真正佛教對業的教導，如果要寫有關佛教「業與再生」的書籍，都應當以這樣正確的方法來寫，你們要仔細地研讀並且關心佛教如何解釋「業」的問題。

Now let us say something more about this third kind of kamma. In this connection the Buddha said, 「I came to a clear realization of this through my own sublime wisdom.」 This teaching of the distinctly different, third type of kamma was not taken over by the Awakened One from any existing creed or religion. It is something he came to know with his own insight and then taught to all. So we ought to keep in mind that the teaching of this third type of kamma is the real Buddhist teaching on kamma. Any manual on kamma in Buddhism, any book entitled 「Kamma and Rebirth」, ought to be written on these lines. Do study closely and take an interest in the Buddhist explanation of kamma. That account of good and bad kamma is found in all religions. Buddhism has it too.

　　我們可以在所有宗教里，發現善業與惡業的說明，佛教里也有，它告訴我們做善事是好的，做惡事是不好的，它們都教導著這同一件事。但佛陀說只造善業，並無法完全、絕對地滅除精神的痛苦，因為人一直會被善業所迷且執著善業，換句話說，善業仍然會使人們不斷地在善趣的生死中打滾，它不是完全地止息、清涼、涅槃(nibbana)。

It tells us that doing good is good and doing evil is evil. They all teach the same thing. But the Buddha said that merely producing good kamma does not extinguish mental suffering completely and absolutely, because one goes right on being infatuated by and grasping at good kamma. In other words, good kamma still causes one to go round in the cycle of birth and death, albeit in good states of existence. It is not complete quenching, coolness, nibbāna.

So there is a kamma taught exclusively by the Buddha, a third type that does away with all kamma and makes an end of lust, hatred, and delusion. It is hrough this third type of kamma that one attains nibbāna.