自我拯救 How to Save Yourself

How to Save Yourself

自我拯救

Oneself, indeed, is one’s savior, for what other savior would there be?

沒有別人能拯救你，只有自己才是自己的拯救者。

With oneself well controlled the problem of looking for external savior is solved, (Dhammapada 166)

只有自我拯救才能解決問題，尋求外在的拯救者，解決不了問題。

As the Buddha was about to pass away, His disciples came from everywhere to be near Him. While the other disciples were constantly at His side and in deep sorrow over the expected loss of their Master, a monk named Attadatta went into his cell and practised meditation. The other monks, thinking that he was unconcerned about the welfare of the Buddha, were upset and reported the matter to Him. The monk, however, addressed the Buddha thus, ‘Lord as the Blessed One would be passing away soon, I thought the best way to honour the Blessed One would be by attaining Arahantship during the lifetime of the Blessed One itself.’ The Buddha was pleased by his attitude and his conduct and said that one’s spiritual welfare should not be abandoned for the sake of others.

當佛陀即將入滅時，弟子們從四方八面湧來，他們圍繞在佛陀身邊，為即將失去偉大的導師而感到悲傷。唯有阿塔達尊者(Attadatta)毅然離開愁云密布的僧眾，獨自去修精進禪修，僧眾對他那種不關懷佛陀的行為表示不滿。當佛陀知道這件事後，召見了阿塔達尊者。阿塔達尊者說：「世尊！您即將入滅，我認為回報您最好的方法是在您入滅前，證得阿拉漢果。」佛陀聽了很高興，于是對僧眾開示道：

「利益他人的事雖然重大，可是不要忘記自己進展。懂得關心自己進展的人，才能專注于一切利益他人的行為。」《法句經》V.166

In this story is illustrated one of the most important aspects of Buddhism. A person must constantly be on the alert to seek his own deliverance from Samsara, and his ‘salvation’ must be brought about by the individual himself. He cannot look to any external force or agency to help him to attain Nibbana.

這個故事表明了佛教徒一個重要的問題，意味著一個人要不斷的警惕自己，使自己從生死輪迴中解脫。「解脫」需要的是個人的努力，而不是祈求外在的力量，或某個「代理」的幫助。

People who do not understand Buddhism criticize this concept and say that Buddhism is a selfish religion which only talks about the concern for one’s own freedom from pain and sorrow. This is not true at all. The Buddha states clearly that one should work ceaselessly for the spiritual and material welfare of all beings, while at the same time diligently pursuing one’s own goal of attaining Nibbana. Selfless service is highly commended by the Buddha.

有些人不了解佛教，認為這種觀念是一種自私自利的行為，只為個人脫離苦難、獲得自由而努力。他們的批評一點也不對。佛陀清楚的說過：「一個人應該在為眾生精神或物質的幸福而工作的同時，精進的追求個人達到涅槃的目的。」無私無我的奉獻和服務，就是佛教徒的最高精神境界。

Again, people who do not understand Buddhism may ask, ’It may be all right for the fortunate human beings, in full command of their mental powers, to seek Nibbana by their own efforts. But what about those who are mentally and physically or even materially handicapped? How can they be self-reliant? Do they not need the help of some external force, some god or deva to assist them?

有些人不禁要問：「對身心健全的人來說，他們有善的因緣去駕馭他們的心，從而證悟涅槃，這是好理解的。但是，那些心智殘障、生理殘障、或物質匱乏的人，怎麼辦？他們又如何自我拯救？他們難道不需要依據那些外來的力量，『神』或其他的援助嗎？」

The answer to this is that Buddhists do not believe that the final release must necessarily take place in one life time. The process can take a long time, over the period of many births. One has to apply oneself, to the best of one’s ability, and slowly develop the powers of self reliance. Therefore, even those who are handicapped mentally, spiritually and materially must make an effort, however small, to begin the process of deliverance.

這問題的答案是：佛教徒不相信最後的解脫必須在這一世完成。解脫的歷程需要很長的時間，經過多生多世的磨練。一個人必須以自己的能力，發揮自己的長處，靠自己的力量自我解脫。因此，那些身、心有障礙或物質匱乏的人，也一樣要靠自己的努力，不管他的力量多小，精進、努力就是唯一達到涅槃的過程。

Once the wheels are set in motion, the individual slowly trains himself to improve his powers of self-reliance. The tiny acorn will one day grow into a mighty oak, but not overnight. Patience is an essential ingredient in this difficult process.

當修行的輪子在轉動時，一個人慢慢的自我訓練，靠自己的力量改善一切。一顆微小的種子，有一天也會茁壯成長，成為一棵大樹。但是，這不是一朝一夕就可以完成的。在這種困難的過程中，耐心是必要的因素。

For example, we know from experience how many parents do everything in their power to bring up their children according to the parents’ hopes and aspirations. And yet when these children grow up, they develop in their own way, not necessarily the way the parents wanted them to be. In Buddhism, we believe that while others can exert an influence on someone’s life, the individual will in the end create his own kamma and be responsible for his own actions. No human being or deva can, in the final analysis, direct or control an individual’s attainment of ‘the ultimate salvation’. This is the meaning of self-reliance.

舉個例子來說，我們都知道，做父母的經常都按照自己的希望和抱負來教導孩子，然而，孩子長大後，卻拒絕了父母為他們安排的一切，他們要發展他們自己的一套。在佛教里，相信一個人能影響另一個人的一生。但是到最後，個人的意識創造了他自己的業力，並為他個人的行為負責。無論是人類或天人，都不能協助或控制他人的解脫，解脫要靠自己。

This does not mean that Buddhism teaches one to be selfish. In Buddhism, when someone seeks, by his own effort, to attain Nibbana, he is determined not to kill, steal, tell lies, lust after others, or lose the control of his senses through intoxication. When he controls himself thus he automatically contributes to the happiness of others. So is not this so-called ‘selfishness’ a good thing for the general welfare of others?

這不是意味著佛教是自私的。佛教徒以自己的努力去證悟涅槃，他持守戒律不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語、不喝那些能導致感官失控的酒。當一個人能有效的控制自己，他就能自動的為他人提供幸福。這種所謂的「自私」，何嘗對人沒有好處呢？

On a more mundane level it has been asked how the lower forms of life can extricate themselves from a mere meaningless round of existence. Surely in that helpless state some benevolent external force is necessary to pull the unfortunate being from the quicksand. To answer this question we must refer to our knowledge of the evolution theory. It is clearly stated that life begin in very primitive forms?no more than a single cell floating in the water. Over millions of years these basic life forms evolved and became more complex, more intelligent. It is at this more intelligent level that life forms are capable of organization, independent thought, conceptualization and so on.

就生態層次而言，有人要問：「那些低等動物，如何自我拯救呢？當然，在無助的情況下，一些外在的慈悲力，將那些不幸的低等動物，從困難中拯救出來。回答這一問題的同時，我們要對「進化論」有一定的了解。「進化論」清楚的說明，生命的原始形態，是水中浮游的單細胞，經過數億年的發展，這些基本的生命形態演進成更複雜和具有智慧的生命。這些有智慧的生命形態，能夠組織、能夠獨立思考，並擁有將事物概念化的能力等等。

When Buddhists talk about the ability to save oneself, they are referring to life forms at this higher level of mental development. In the earlier stages of evolution kammic and mental forces remain dormant, but over countless rebirths, a being raises itself to the level of independent thought and becomes capable of rational rather than instinctive behavior. It is at this state that the being becomes aware of the meaninglessness of undergoing endless rebirths with its natural concomitants of pain and sorrow. It is then that the being is capable of making its determination to end rebirth and seek happiness by gaining enlightenment and Nibbana. With this high level of intelligence, the individual is indeed capable of self-improvement and self-development.

佛陀所說的自我拯救，是針對較高層次的生命形態而言。在早期的生命中，心識和業力是潛伏的，當經過無數次的輪迴轉世，才提升到能夠獨立思考的生命形態，成為更有理性，而不是本能了。在這個階段，眾生覺察到毫無意義，無休無止的生死輪迴，和他那如影隨形的痛苦和煩惱。然而，眾生都擁有了斷生死的能力，他們運用較高層次的智慧，獲得覺悟和涅槃，尋求永恆的幸福。以這種高層次的智能而言，每個人都有能力自我改善和自我發展。

We all know human beings are born with very varying levels of intelligence and powers of reasoning. Some are born as geniuses, while at the other end of the spectrum, others are born with very low intelligence. Yet every being has some ability to distinguish between choices or options, especially when they concern survival. If we extend this fact of survival even to the animal world we can distinguish between higher and lower animals, with this same ability (in varying degrees of course) to make choices for the sake of survival.

我們知道，人類的才智水平和理性力量都不相同。有些人天生就是天才，而有些人智障。但是，人類還是擁有某種程度的能力去分辨、選擇和取舍。如果，我們把這種生存的現象。延伸到動物界中，我們就能分辨高等與低等動物。但是，動物一樣有分辨、選擇和取舍的能力，只是程度有所不同而已。

Hence, even a lower form of life has the potential to create a good kamma, however limited its scope. With the diligent application of this and the gradual increase of good kamma a being can raise itself to higher levels of existence and understanding.

因此，一切低等動物也同樣具備開創善業的能力，雖然在范圍受了一定的限制。分辨、選擇和取舍，精進和努力，慢慢的積累善業，所有低等的動物都能提升他們再生的境界和智力。

To look at this problem from another angle, we can consider one of the earliest stories that have been told to show how the Buddha-to-be first made the initial decision to strive for Enlightenment. A great many rebirths before the Buddha was born as Siddharta, he was born as an ordinary man.

從另一個角度來看這個問題，佛陀在他多生多世的本生故事里告訴我們，在佛陀證悟前的許多過去生中，他不僅是個普通人，有時還是動物呢。

One day while traveling in a boat with his mother, a great storm arose and the boat capsized, throwing the occupants into the angry sea. With no thought for his personal safety, the future Buddha carried his mother on his back and struggled to swim to dry land. But so great was the expanse of water ahead of him that he did not know the best route to safety. When he was in this dilemma, not knowing which way to turn, his bravery was noticed by one of the devas. This deva could not physically come to his aid, but he was able to make the future Buddha know the best route to take. The young man listened to the deva and both he and his mother were saved. There and then he made a firm determination not to rest until he had finally gained Enlightenment.

在佛陀的某一個前世，他與母親一同乘船出海，遇到風浪船翻了，所有的人都掉進大海中。他不顧自己的安全，背負起自己的母親，在大海中浮游，他不知道怎樣才能獲救，哪一個方面才是正確的。就在這時候，他的勇敢和誠意，感動了天神，天神為他指引了正確的方向，並暗中保護他，他和他的母親因此而獲救。

後來，他覺悟到如果用同樣的方法來拯救眾生，那該多好啊！于是，他下定決心，永不停息，一直到獲得最後的證悟為止。

This story illustrates the fact that Buddhists can and do seek the help of devas in their daily life. A deva is a being who by virtue of having acquired great merit (like the king of the devas) is born with the power to help other beings. But this power is limited to material and physical things. In our daily existence, we can seek help of the devas (when misfortune strikes, when we need to be comforted, when we are sick or afraid, and so on).

這個故事也說明了一件事，佛教徒可以在日常生活中獲得天神的庇佑。天神因為積累了很大的功德，他們有能力幫助眾生，不過，這種幫助僅限于物質或生理，而不是精神的發展。我們在日常生活中，如不幸的事發生、受到打擊、生病、害怕和需要安慰時，都可以祈求「神」的庇佑。

The fact that we seek the aid of these devas means that we are still tied to the material world. We must accept the fact that by being born we are subject to physical desires and needs. And it is not wrong to satisfy these needs on a limited scale. When the Buddha advocated the Middle Path, He said that we should neither indulge ourselves in luxury nor completely deny ourselves the basic necessities of life.

當我們祈求「神」庇佑時，我們仍然與物質世界牢牢的系縛在一起。我們要接受一個事實，有「生」就有生理的欲望，也就受到物質條件的侷限。在某些范圍內，滿足這些希望是無可厚非的。佛陀提倡中道的生活，他教導我們不應該沉迷于奢侈的物質生活，也不應該排斥基本生活的需要。

However, we should not stop at that. While we accept the conditions of our birth, we must also make every effort, by following the Noble Eightfold Path, to reach a level of development where we realize that attachment to the material world creates only pain and sorrow.

但是，我們不應該停留在這一階段。我們應該接受「生」的因緣條件，努力追隨「八聖道」開發我們的精神領域，並了解執著于物質的世界，會產生痛苦和煩惱。

As we develop our understanding over countless births, we crave less and less for the pleasures of the senses. It is at the stage that we become truly self-reliant. At this stage, the devas cannot help us anymore, because we are not seeking to satisfy our material needs.

當我們經歷無數生死而開發我們的智慧後，我們對感官、物質的欲望越來越少。在這個階段，我們要靠的是自己，就連天神也幫不了我們。因為，我們不再需要物質的滿足。

A Buddhist who really understands the fleeting nature of the world practises detachment from material goods. He is not unduly attached to worldly goods. Therefore he shares these goods freely with those who are more unfortunate than he is: he practises generosity. In this way again a Buddhist contributes to the welfare of others.

佛教徒了解世間一切本來無常的事實，不執著于物質，不執著于世間所有。因此，將自己的所有無私的奉獻和布施。這是佛教徒對他人或社會福利的一種貢獻。

When the Buddha gained Enlightenment as a result of His own efforts, He did not selfishly keep this knowledge to Himself. Rather, He spent no less than forty five years imparting His knowledge not only to men and women but even to the devas. This is Buddhism’s supreme example of selflessness and concern for the well-being of all living things.

當佛陀證悟後，他毫無保留于他的智慧，他花了四十五年的時間，傳授他的智慧，不僅傳授給人類，也傳授給天人。這是佛教不自私的例子，佛教關心一切眾生的利益。

It is often said that the Buddha helped devotees who were in trouble not through the performance of miracles such as restoring the dead to life and so on, but through His acts of wisdom and compassion.

有人說，佛陀不幫助那些有困難的虔誠信徒。的確，在佛教歷史中，並沒有記載以神通治病或令死人復活的案例。佛陀僅以他的大悲心和智慧教導佛法。

In one instance, a woman named Kisa Gotami went to seek the help of the Buddha in restoring her dead child to life. Knowing that He could not reason with her as she was so distressed and overwhelmed with grief, the Buddha told her that she should first obtain a handful of mustard seeds from a person who had never lost a dear one through death. The distracted woman ran from house to house and while everyone was only too willing to give her the mustard seeds, no one could honestly say that he or she had not lost a dear one through death. Slowly, Kisa Gotami came to the realization that death is a natural occurrence to be experienced by any being that is born. Filled with this realization she returned to the Buddha and thanked Him for showing her the truth about death.

有一回，一名叫做齊撒.喬達彌(Qisa Gotam)的婦女，懇求佛陀令他死去的孩子復活。佛陀知道在她的悲慟的打擊下，精神受到很大的傷害，無法理智的說服她。佛陀要那名婦女到一家沒有死過人的家庭，要一把芥子。每個人都願意送給那名婦女芥子，可是每個家庭都曾經死過人。婦女這時覺悟到死亡是一種自然的規律，有生必定有死。她回到佛陀那里，感謝佛陀對她開示有關死亡的真正意義。

Now, the point here is that the Buddha was more concerned with the woman’s understanding about the nature of life than giving her temporary relief by restoring her child to life; the child would have grown old and still have died. With her greater realization Kisa Gotami was able not only to come to terms with the phenomenon of death but also to learn about the cause of sorrow through attachment. She was able to realize that attachment causes sorrow, that when attachment is destroyed, then sorrow is also destroyed.

這里要指出的重點是，佛陀關心那名婦女，並協助她了解生命的本質，更甚于令她得到暫時的慰藉或開解。就算把孩子救活，孩子長大後，將來還是一樣要面對死亡。那名婦女的體驗，不但令他理解了死亡的真相，也理解到「執著」是一切煩惱之因。一但「執著」消失後，一切煩惱也跟著消失了。

Therefore in Buddhism, a person can seek the help of external agencies (like devas) in the pursuit of temporal happiness, but in the later stages of development when attachment to the worldly conditions ceases, there begins the path towards renunciation and enlightenment for which one must stand alone. When a man seeks to gain liberation, to break away from the endless cycle of birth and death, to gain realization and enlightenment, he can only do this by his own efforts, by his own concentrated will power.

佛教不排除可以藉外在力量(天神)的幫助而獲得短暫的快樂。但是，到了放棄世間一切因緣和執著，突破生死輪迴，尋求自我解脫時，唯有靠自己的努力精進、專注和堅韌不拔的意志力。

Buddhism gives great dignity to man. It is the only religion which states that a human being has the power to help and free himself. In the later stages of his development, he is not at the mercy of any external force or agency which he must constantly please by worshipping or offering sacrifices.

佛教給人很大的尊嚴，它是唯一主張人類有潛在的力量來獲得自我拯救的宗教。在人類發展精神領域的最後階段，不必透過各種犧牲祭祀、禱告、祈求于外在的力量或「代理」來獲得他們的恩惠或施舍。