宗教與月亮 The Moon and Religious Observances
The Moon and Religious Observances
宗教與月亮
The outstanding events in the life of the Buddha took place on full moon days.
在佛陀的一生中，重要的事件都發生在月圓日。
Many people would like to know the religious significance of the full moon and new moon days. To Buddhists, there is a special religious significance especially on full day because certain important and outstanding events connected with the life of Lord Buddha took place on full moon days. The Buddha was born on a full moon day. His renunciation took place on a full moon day. His Enlightenment, the delivery of His first sermon, His passing away into Nibbana and many other important events associated with His life-span of eighty years, occurred on full moon days.
很多人都想知道，月圓與新月對佛教的意義。對佛教徒而言，月圓日(農歷十五)的確有其特殊的意義，佛陀就是在月圓日出世的。佛陀的出家也是在月圓那一天。佛陀的證悟、初轉法輪、入滅，以及在他的一生中，很多重要的事情都巧合的發生在月圓日。
Buddhists all over the world have a high regard for full moon days. They celebrate this day with religious fervor by observing precepts, practising meditation and by keeping away from the sensual worldly life. On this day they direct their attention to spiritual development. Apart from Buddhists, it is understood that other co-religionists also believe that there is some religious significance related to the various phases of the moon. They also observe certain religious disciplines such as fasting and praying on full moon days.
全世界的佛教徒，都非常重視月圓日，他們以持戒、禪定和遠離感官欲樂來慶祝這個日子。在這一天，信徒們把精力放在如何開展心靈的力量。除了佛教以外，其它的宗教也一樣認為月圓日對宗教有某些特別的意義，他們在月圓日禁食和祈禱。
Ancient belief in India says that the moon is the controller of the water, and circulating through the universe, sustaining all living creatures, is the counterpart on earth of the liquor heaven, ’amrta’the drink of the gods. Dew and rain become vegetable sap, sap becomes the milk of cow, and the milk is then converted into blood. Amrta water, sap, milk and blood, represent but different states of the one elixir. The vessel or cup of this immortal fluid is the moon.
古代的印度人相信，月亮能控制水，環繞宇宙、支持所有的生命，是地球的水供之神。「聖水」(amrta)是天神的飲料。雨露滋潤了植物、植物的液汁促使了動物乳汁的增長，乳汁轉化為血液，這些聖水、植物的液汁、動物的乳汁和血液是永恆的水的各種不同形態，而支配水的，就是月亮。
It is believed that the moon, like the other planets, exerts a considerable degree of influence on human beings. It has been observed that people suffering from mental ailments invariably have their passions and emotional feelings affected during full moon days. The word ‘lunatic’ derived from the word ‘lunar’ (or moon) is most significant and indicates very clearly the influence of the moon on human life. Some people, suffering from various forms of illness invariably find their sickness aggravated during such periods. Researchers have found that certain phases of the moon not only affect humans and animals, but also influence plant life and other elements. Low-tides and high-tides are a direct result of the overpowering influence of the moon.
Our human body consists of about seventy percent liquid. It is accepted by physicians that our bodily fluids flow more freely at the time of full moon. People suffering from asthma, bronchitis and even certain skin diseases, find their ailments aggravated under the influence of the moon. More than five thousand years ago, people had recognized the influence of the moon on cultivation. Farmers were very particular about the effect of the moon on their crops. They knew that certain grains and paddy would be affected if blooming took place during a full moon period. Medical science had also ascertained the different reactions of certain medicines under different facets of the moon, because of the influence of the moon on human beings.
一般相信，月亮如同其它星體一樣，對人類有相當程度的影響。根據觀察，心智失調的人，在月圓之夜情緒會受到一定的影響。英文里的喪心病狂(Lunatc)，就是從月亮(Lunar)演化出來的。有些病患者，在月圓之夜，病情加重。科學家發現，月亮與地球的關系，不僅影響人類和動物，在植物和其它方面也有一定的影響，如：潮汐，就是一個很好的例子。 人類體內百分之七十是水份。生理學家相信，人體內的流體在月圓日流動的更順暢，哮喘、支氣管炎等某些特殊的疾病，在月圓日病情都會加重。五千多年以前，人類就認識到月亮對農作物的影響。古人對谷類的種植特別有心得，他們相信谷類在月圓日開花，收成將會受到影響。醫學家也肯定了某些藥物在月圓和新月時，有不同的反應。以上種種，證明了月亮對人類的確有影響。
In view of the possible influence of the moon, the ancient sages advised the people to refrain from various commitments on this particular day and take it easy for the day. They are advised to relax their minds on this particular day and to devote their time to spiritual pursuits. All those who have developed their minds to a certain extent can achieve enlightenment since the brain is in an awakened state. Those who have not trained their minds through religious discipline are liable to be subjected to the strong influence of the moon. The Buddha attained His Enlightenment on a full moon day for He had developing and attuning it correctly for a long period.
有鑑于月亮對人類的影響，古聖人建議在月圓日收斂身心、松弛身心。人們最好在月圓日把持好自己的心識，並持守齋戒。在月圓日這一天，人類的頭腦特別清醒，所有已將心靈開展到某一程度的人，可以在這一天得到覺悟。相反的，那些沒有接受心靈修持的人，在這一天會受到月亮不良的影響。佛陀在長時間的訓練和調適他的心靈後，就是在月圓日證悟正自覺的。
In days gone by, full moon and new moon days were declared public holidays in many Buddhist countries and people were encouraged to devote their time to spiritual development. It was only during the colonial period that holidays were switched over to Sundays. In view of this, some Buddhist countries are now trying to re-introduce the former lunar system of holidays. It is advisable to observe full moon day as a religious day to concentrate on peace and happiness by calming down the senses. Many Buddhists observe the eight precepts on full moon days, to be free from family commitments and to keep away from worldly pleasures in order to have peace of mind for their spiritual development. The effects of the moon on life and earth has been analysed scientifically.
月圓日和新月日，在許多佛教國家都被定為公共假期，以鼓勵人們從事精神領域的開拓。(斯里蘭卡在殖民地時期，才把假日挪到星期日。)有鑑于此，佛教國家認真對待重新恢復月圓日和新月日做為公定假期的動議。不管怎麼說，佛教徒應該把月圓日當作一個有意義的宗教節日，進行宗教的鍛鍊，集中精神、開展心識，收斂感官以期獲得安寧與幸福。月亮對地球和一切生命，是有一定程度的影響和意義的。
One writer says:
’I have been reading an article in an American science magazine recently where the writer brings together the present on the subject of the moon to prove how decisively this age old object of the skies influences our lives, particularly at each of the four phases it passes through in its 28-day cycle.
有一位作家說道：「我最近剛在一本美國雜志讀到一篇文章，提到月球對我們的生命起著決定性的影響，尤其是每個月二十八天的四個階段。」
This research, by the way, was done at the American Universities of Yale, Duke and Northwestern and they have ‘independently’ come up with the astonishing evidence that the moon plays a big part in our daily life and indeed, in the lives of all living things.
這些研究分別在美國耶魯大學、杜克大學和西北大學進行，試驗證實，月球的確對人類的生命起著決定性的影響，對其它的生物也一樣。
We are assured that there is nothing very occult in this phenomenon put that the phases of the moon do in fact stimulate various bodily actions like modifying metabolism, electrical charges and blood acidity.
我們可以確定，這種現象一點也不神秘。月球在環繞地球運轉時的不同階段，對人體的新陳代謝、靜電的流布、血液的酸鹼度，有一定的作用。
One of the key experiments performed to establish this fact was on fiddler crabs, mice and some plants. They were all placed in chambers where weather conditions could not affect them, but were subjected to air pressure, humidity, light and temperature under controlled conditions.
The hundreds of observations made showed a remarkable fact, namely that all the animals and plants operated on a 28-day cycle. Metabolism which was found to have dropped at the time of the new moon was twenty percent higher at the time of the phase of the full moon. This difference is described as a striking variation.
有一個重要的試驗：把螃蟹、老鼠和植物，安置在一個不受外界氣候影響的溫室中，給予特定的氣壓、濕度、光線和溫度。經過數百次的試驗，發現一個顯著的事實。所有的動、植物都在二十八天的生理循環周期里：新月日新陳代謝減緩，月圓日里新陳代謝加快百分之二十。這個發現震憾了整個科學界。
Once a nurse in Florida told a doctor that she noticed a lot more bleeding occurred when the moon is full. Like all doctors who are skeptical about such beliefs, he laughed at this statement.
有一回，美國佛羅里達州的一名護士告訴醫生：「病人在月圓日流的血特別多。」醫生和其他懷疑這個概念的人一樣，只是一笑置之。但是護士並不氣餒，她做了很多詳細的記錄，清楚的顯示月圓日的確比其它的日子更容易失血，因此，不適合動手術。為了證實這一點，醫生也開始做記錄，他的結果和護士一樣。
But the nurse, undeterred, produced records of surgical operations which clearly showed that during full moon, more patients had to be returned to the operating theater than at any other time for treatment for excessively bleeding after operations. To satisfy himself, this doctor started keeping records on his own and he came to a similar conclusion. When we consider all those occurrences, we can understand why our ancestors and religious teachers had advised us to change our daily routine and to relax physically and mentally on full moon and new moon days. The practise of religion is the most appropriate method for people to experience mental peace and physical relaxation. The Buddhists are merely observing the wisdom of the past when they devote more time to activities of a spiritual nature on New Moon and Full Moon days.
當我們了解這些現象時，就會明白為何聖哲或宗教導師要我們在月圓日或新月日放松我們的身心。松懈身心，是一種最有效的宗教修行。那些已將心靈開展到某一程度的佛教徒，可以在月圓日或新月日獲得心靈的證悟。
不誹與不害 嚴持于戒律
飲食之節量 遠處而獨居
勤修增上定 是為諸佛教 《法句經》V.185