性與宗教 Sex and Religion
Sex and Religion
性與宗教
‘The lower part of us is still animal.’(Gandhi)
在人類的本性中，潛藏著獸性。 ─甘地─
The sex impulse is the most dynamic force in human nature. So far-reaching is the sexual force that some measures of self-control is necessary even in ordinary existence. In the case of the spiritual aspirant, for whoever wants to bring his mind under complete control, a still greater measure of self-discipline is necessary. Such a powerful force in human character can be subdued only if the aspirant controls his thoughts and practises concentration. The conservation of the sexual force helps to develop this strength. For if he controls the sexual force, he will have more control over his whole make-up, over his lesser emotions.
「性」是人類最原始的動力，性的影響深邃。因此，某種程度的自我節制，對人類而言是必要的。如果想進一步對自己的心靈有所發展，對心識的控制更加應該收發自如，致力于更高的自我心靈的鍛鍊，就顯得更重要了。要克服「性」這股強大的動力，必須先降伏自己的心念。只要能控制好「性」的沖動，將更能有效的控制其他的行為和情緒。
Celibacy is one of the requirements for those who like to develop their spiritual development to perfection. However, it is not compulsory for each and every person to observe complete celibacy in order to practise Buddhism. The Buddha’s advice is that observing celibacy is more congenial for a person who wants to cultivate his spiritual achievements. For ordinary Buddhist laymen, the precept is to abstain from sexual misconduct. Although perversion of the sexual force is not under this same category, the perverted person invariably suffers bad reactions either physically, or mentally or both.
「獨身」是開展心靈力量的條件之一。但是，佛教並不強迫每一個人都過獨身的生活。「獨身」與培養心靈的成就有關，但是，對一般的佛教徒而言，只要持守不邪淫戒就可了，絕對不能對性欲有所放縱。性欲放縱者，無論在生理或心理都會帶來不幸。
There is a need for Buddhist laymen to exercise some degree of control over their sexual force. Man’s sexual urge must be controlled properly otherwise man will behave worse than an animal when he is intoxicated with lust. Consider the sexual behavior of what we call the ‘lower animal’. Which really is often ‘lower’? The animal or the man? Which acts in a normal, regular manner as regards sexual behavior? And which runs off into all manner of irregularities and perversities? Often it is the animal that is the higher creature and man that is the lower. And why is this? It is simply because man who possesses the mental capacity which if rightly used, could make him master over his sex impulses, has actually used his mental powers in such deplorable fashion as to make himself more a slave to those impulses. Thus man can, at times, be considered lower than the animal.
佛教徒必須在某種程度控制自己的性欲。當人們沉迷于性欲時，他的行為還不如動物。我們稱性放縱者為「低等動物」。誰比較「低等」呢？是動物還是「人」呢？誰 比 較 正常 呢 ？ 難 道 是 性 放 縱 者 ？ 誰 比 較 有 規 律 和 有 原 則 呢 ？ 這 一 比 較 ， 高 尚的「人」，就顯得比動物「低等」多了。為什麼呢？因為，人類擁有心智能力，能夠正確的運用心智、壓制沖動。可是，人類常為性沖動所奴役，因此，就顯得比動物更「低等」了。
Our ancestors played down this sexual impulse; they knew that it was strong enough without giving it any extra encouragement. But today we have blown it up with a thousand forms of incitation, suggestive advertisements, emphasis and display; and we have armed the sexual force with the doctrine that inhibition is dangerous and can even cause mental disorders.
我們的祖先不重視「性」的問題，他們了解「性」那股強大的動力，因此，不需要特別地去鼓勵。但是，我們今天被成千上萬的「性」渲染所誘惑，種種挑逗性的廣告、海報到處可見，有些人甚至為「性放縱」作辯護，認為控制「性欲」會導致心智失常。
Yet inhibition the control of impulse is the first principle of any civilization. In our modern civilization, we have polluted the sexual atmosphere that surrounds us. So great is the mind-body urge for sexual gratification.
事實，控制「性欲」是各種文明的首要原則。我們這「現代文明」已經污染了我們對「性」的認識。我們的身心，也受到了不正當「性」觀念的感染。
As a result of this sex exploitation by the hidden persuaders of modern society, the youth of today have developed an attitude toward sex that is becoming a public nuisance. An innocent girl has no freedom to move anywhere without being disturbed. On the other hand, females should be dressed such a manner as not to arouse the hidden animal nature of youths.
在現代社會在「性」觀念的潛移默化下，養成時下青年在公眾場合造成性騷擾的習慣。一般無辜的女性，很難自由自在的行動而不被騷擾。話說回來，那些穿著新潮服裝的女性，也要為這一點負起大部份的責任。
Man is the only animal that does not have periods of natural sexual inactivity during which the body can recover its vitality. Unfortunately, commercial exploitation of the erotic nature in man has caused modern man to be exposed to a ceaseless barrage of sexual stimulation from every side. Much of the neuroses of present-day life is traceable to this unbalanced state of affairs. Men are expected to be monogamous, yet women are encouraged in every possible way to ‘glamorize’ themselves, not for the husband alone, but to excite in every man passions that society forbids him to indulge in.
人類是唯一沒有性欲休止期的動物。不幸的是，商人利用人類性欲的本性，使人類長期暴露在這種病態的性刺激下。現代生活中，很多神經衰弱者，可溯源于這種不平衡的刺激。社會都希望人類過著一夫一妻的生活，但是，女性卻被鼓勵運用一切原始的條件，誘惑所有可以被誘惑的人，甚至令所有的男性為她意亂情迷，包括她自己的丈夫在內。
Many societies try to enforce monogamous relationships. Thus a man with many failings can still be a moral man, meaning that he is faithful to the one wife that the law allows him to have. The danger here lies in the fact that thoughtful people who are intelligent enough to realize that these rules are artificial and not based on any transcendental, universally valid principles, are liable to fall into the error of thinking the same about all the other ethical laws.
很多社會強制推行一夫一妻的制度。一個男人縱使有很多缺點，如：偷盜、撒謊、欺騙，但是，只要他對妻子忠實，在他妻子的心目中，他就是一名有德性的人，他的一切罪行都獲得妻子的寬恕和原諒。這制度也存在某種危險性，有些人把一夫一妻制看作是人為的制度，而非超越一般性的普遍法則。這種觀念是錯誤的。
Sex should be given its due place in normal human life; it should be neither unhealthily repressed nor morbidly exaggerated. And it should always be under the control of the will, as it can be if it is regarded sanely and placed in its proper perspective.
「性」在人類的生活中，有著一定的地位。不需要不健康的壓抑它，也不需要以病態的心理去夸張它。如果我們重視「性」，就應該適當的以自己的意識去控制它。
Sex should not be considered as the most important ingredient for one’s happiness in a married life. Those who over-indulge can become slaves to sex which would ultimately ruin love and humane consideration in marriage. As in everything, one must be temperate and rational in one’s sexual demands taking into consideration one another’s intimate feelings and temperament.
在幸福的婚姻生活中，不應該過分的強調「性」。過份強調「性」生活，會成為「性」的奴隸，對婚姻造成傷害。「性」是夫妻雙方面的問題，有需要，有付出，真正的協調和滿足雙方，才是真正幸福的婚姻生活。
Marriage is a bond of partnership for life entered into by a man and a woman. Patience, tolerance and understanding are the three principal qualities that should be developed and nurtured by the couple. Whilst love should be the knot tying the couple together, material necessities for sustaining a happy home should be made available by the male partner for the couple to share. The qualification for a good partnership in marriage should be ‘ours’ and not ‘yours’ or ‘mine’ . A good couple should ‘open’ their hearts to one another and to refrain from entertaining ‘secrets’. Keeping secrets to oneself could lead to suspicion and suspicion is the element that could destroy love in a partnership. Suspicion breeds jealousy, jealousy creates anger, anger develops hatred, hatred turns into enmity and enmity could cause untold suffering including bloodshed, suicide and even murder.
婚姻是結合男女雙方而成為終生伴侶的過程。耐心、容忍和了解是婚姻的三大原則。婚姻是愛的結合，而不是被繩索捆綁。物質需求、建立家庭、與妻子分享自己的一切，是做丈夫的責任。夫妻生活的理念是「我們的」而不是「你的」或「我的」。一對好夫妻必須坦誠相處，彼此間不保留秘密。保留秘密會導致猜疑，猜疑導致嫉妒，嫉妒引發嗔恚，嗔恚造成仇恨，仇恨形成敵對，敵對締造無比的痛苦，包括流血事件、自殺甚至謀殺。