天堂與地獄 The Buddhist Concept of Heaven and Hell

The Buddhist Concept of Heaven and Hell

天堂與地獄

The wise man makes his own heaven while the foolish man creates his own hell here and hereafter.

智者締造了自己的天堂，愚者今世和來世都囿困于自己所創造的地獄。

The Buddhist concept of heaven and hell is entirely different from that in other religions. Buddhists do not accept that these places are eternal. It is unreasonable to condemn a man to eternal hell for his human weakness but quite reasonable to give him every chance to develop himself. From the Buddhist point of view, those who go to hell can work themselves upward by making use of the merit that they had acquired previously. There are no locks on the gates of hell. Hell is a temporary place and there is no reason for those beings to suffer there forever.

佛教的天堂與地獄觀，不同于其他宗教。佛教不認為有永恆的天堂和地獄存在。因人類的弱點而宣判他永墮地獄是一件不可理解的事，如果給人類機會去糾正自己的缺點，那倒可以理解。佛教認為，即使人類墮入地獄，只要他在今世或過去世曾經有過善行和功德，他一樣能夠解脫。地獄的大門並非沒有鑰匙，地獄只是暫時性的地方，人類沒有理由要永遠在地獄中受苦。

The Buddha’s Teaching shows us that there are heavens and hells not only beyond this world, but in this very world itself. Thus the Buddhist conception of heaven and hell is very reasonable. For instance, the Buddha once said, ’When the average ignorant person makes an assertion to the effect that there is a Hell (patala) under the ocean he is making a statement which is false and without basis. The word ‘Hell’ is a term for painful sensations. ’The idea of one particular ready-made place or a place created by god as heaven and hell is not acceptable to the Buddhist concept.

佛陀提示我們，天堂和地獄不在人世間之外，就在這個世界里。佛陀這種天堂和地獄的觀念是非常合理的。佛陀在一次開示會說過：「有一個平常和無智慧的人，曾經斷言：『地獄就是在海洋的深處。』這種說法是錯誤和沒有根據的。地獄只是一個代名詞，它的意義是指身體痛苦的感受。佛教不接受，「神」創造天堂和地獄，以及天堂和地獄存在于某一特定地方的觀念。

The fire of hell in this world is hotter than that of the hell in the world-beyond. There is no fire equal to anger, lust or greed and ignorance. According to the Buddha, we are burning from eleven kinds of physical pain and mental agony: lust, hatred, illusion sickness, decay, death, worry, lamentation, pain(physical and mental), melancholy and grief. People can burn the entire world with some of these fires of mental discord. From a Buddhist point of view, the easiest way to define hell and heaven is that where ever there is more suffering, either in this world or any other plane, that place is a hell to those who suffer. And where there is more pleasure or happiness, either in this world or any other worldly existence, that place is a heaven to those who enjoy their worldly life in that particular place. However, as the human realm is a mixture of both pain and happiness, human beings experience both pain and happiness and will be able to realize the real nature of life. But in many other planes of existence inhabitants have less chance for this realization. In certain places there is more suffering than pleasure while in some other places there is more pleasure than suffering.

這個世界的地獄之火，比他方世界還要熾熱，沒有一種火，比貪、嗔、癡三毒燃燒的火更熾熱。佛陀說，人類被十一種火焰所燃燒，它們是：貪、嗔、痴、病、老、死、憂、哀、苦、郁、悲。人類會因為這些情欲中的任何一種火的燃燒而毀滅整個世界。以佛教的觀點，很輕易的就能分辨天堂與地獄，任何地方只要有快樂，不管是這世界或他方世界，都是天堂。然而人類的苦與樂相互交錯，人類必須經驗到苦與樂，才會了解生命的本質，他方世界的眾生很少有機會理解這個道理。某些地方擁有更多的快樂，而某些地方卻更痛苦。

Buddhists believe that after death rebirth can take place in any one of a number of possible existences. This future existence is conditioned by the last thought-moment a person experiences at the point of death. This last thought which determines the next existence results from the past actions of a man either in this life or before that. Hence, if the predominant thought reflects meritorious action, then he will find his future existence in a happy state. But that state is temporary and when it is exhausted a new life must begin all over again, determined by another dominating ‘kammic’ energy. This repetitious process goes on endlessly unless one arrives at ‘Right View’ and makes a firm resolve to follow the Noble Path which produces the ultimate happiness of Nibbana.

佛教認為人死後都會獲得重生。而重生是根據臨終前的最後一念，以他今世或過去世所創造的業力，而選擇了未來的世界。如果一個人在今世或過去世積累了許多的善業，他就會根據自己的善業往生善界，反之，就往生惡界。但是，一切生界都是暫時性的，當一個人獲得新的生命時，他必須從頭做起，繼續重新積累自己的「業力」。這是一種無休止的循環，除非他能以正見追隨正道，獲得永恆幸福的境界──涅槃。

Heaven is a temporary place where those who have done good deeds experience more sensual pleasures for a longer period. Hell is another temporary place where those evil doers experience more physical and mental suffering. It is not justifiable to believe that such places are permanent. There is no god behind the scene of heaven and hell. Each and every person experiences according to his good and bad kamma. Buddhist never try to introduce Buddhism by frightening people through hell-fire or enticing people by pointing to paradise. Their main idea is character building and mental training. Buddhists can practise their religion without aiming at heaven or without developing fear of hell.

天堂只不過是暫時的居所，因為善業的果報使得他們獲得較長時間的快樂。地獄也是暫時的居所，是惡業使然，導致痛苦。但是，天堂與地獄都不是人類永久的居所，也沒有所謂的「神」在天堂或地獄中主宰一切。佛教不以地獄的煉火去恐嚇世人，也不以天堂的快樂來取悅世人。佛教的宗旨是要人們修心養性。佛教的修持讓人們遠離天堂與地獄，以平等、寧靜的心來達到正道的生活。

Belief in Deities (Devas)

Buddhists do not deny the existence of various gods or deities.

Devas are more fortunate than human beings as far as sensual pleasures are concerned. They also possess certain powers which human beings usually lack. However, the powers of these deities are limited because they are also transitory beings. They exist in happy abodes and enjoy their life for a longer period than human beings do. When they have exhausted all the good kamma, that they have gathered during previous birth, these deities pass away and are reborn somewhere else according to their good and bad kamma. According to the Buddha, human beings have more opportunities to accrue merits to be born in a better condition, and the deities have less chances in this respect.

Buddhist do not attribute any specific importance to such gods. They do not regard the deities as a support for the moral development or as a support for the attainment of salvation of Nibbana. Whether they are great or small, both human beings and deities are perishable and subject to rebirth.

It is a common belief amongst the Buddhist public that such deities can be influenced to grant their favours by transferring merits to them whenever meritorious deeds are performed. This belief is based on the Buddha’s injunction to the deities to protect those human beings who lead a religious way of life. This is the reason why Buddhists transfer the merits to such deities or remember them whenever they do some meritorious deeds. However, making of offerings to and worshipping such deities are not encouraged, although some Buddhist customs center around such activities. When people are in great difficulties, they naturally turn to the deities to express their grievances in a place of worship. By doing this, they gain some relief and consolation; in their hearts, they feel much better. However, to an intellectual who has strong will power, sound education and understanding, such beliefs and actions need not be resorted to. There is definitely no Teaching in Buddhism to the effect that Buddhists can attain Nibbana by praying to any deity. Buddhists believe that ‘purity and impurity depend on oneself. No one from outside can purify another.’ (Dhammapada 165)

Buddhahood and Nibbana can be attained without any help from an external source. Therefore, Buddhists can practise their religion with or without the deities.