佛教對動物生命的態度 The Buddhist Attitude to Animal Life
The Buddhist Attitude to Animal Life
佛教對動物生命的態度
If we believe that animals were created by someone for men, it would follow that men were also created for animals since some animals do eat human flesh.
如果我們相信動物是為人類而生，同樣的，人類也是為動物而生，因為，有些動物以食用人肉為生。
Animals are said to be conscious only of the present. They live with no concern for the past or future. Likewise, little children seem to have no notion of the future. They also live in the present until their faculties of memory and imagination are developed.
有些人認為動物只能意識到現在，沒有過去，也沒有未來。同樣的，嬰兒也沒有未來的觀念，他們生活在現在，一直到他們的腦力發展後為止。
Men possesses the faculty of reasoning. The gap between man and animal widens only to the extent that man develops his reasoning faculty and acts accordingly. Buddhists accept that animals not only possesses instinctive power but also, to a lesser degree, thinking power.
人類有思維能力，能以思維駕馭行動。人與動物的差別就在于思維能力。佛教相信動物不但有本能的生存能力，還有一定的思維能力。
In some respects, animals are superior to men. Dogs have a keener sense of hearing; insects have a keener sense of smell; hawks are speedier; eagles can see a greater distance. Undoubtedly, men are wiser; but men have so much to learn from the ants and bees. Much of the animal is still in us. But we also have much more: we have the potential of spiritual development.
在某些方面，動物超越人類。狗擁有超越人類的嗅覺，昆蟲有敏感的聽覺，鳥類能飛行並擁有超凡的視覺。毫無疑問，人類比動物要聰明。但是，人類從動物身上學習了很多東西。在人性中，還保有很多的「獸性」。更重要的是，人類擁有精神發展的潛力。
Buddhism cannot accept that animals were created by someone for men; if animals were created for men then it could follow that men were also created for animals since there are some animals which eat human flesh.
佛陀不接受動物是為人類而生的概念。如果動物是為人類而生，那麼，人類同樣是為動物而生，因為，有些動物以食用人肉為生。
Buddhists are encouraged to love all living beings and not to restrict their love only to human beings. They should practise loving kindness towards every living being. The Buddha’s advice is that is not right for us to take away the life of any living being since every living being has a right to exist. Animals also have fear and pain as do human beings. It is wrong to take away their lives. We should not misuse our intelligence and strength to destroy animals even though they may sometimes be a nuisance to us. Animals need our sympathy. Destroying them is not the only method to get rid of them. Every living being is contributing something to maintain this world. It is unfair for us to deprive their living rights.
佛陀倡導的慈悲心，不僅是針對人類，而且是針對一切眾生，佛教徒應該以慈悲心對待一切眾生。佛陀告誡我們，我們沒有權力傷害一切眾生的生命，所有的眾生都有平等生存的權力。動物和人類一樣，有恐懼和痛苦的感受。殺害動物的生命，是一種錯誤的行為，我們不應該濫用自己的能力和智慧去殺害眾生。即使有時候動物的行為令我們討厭，但是，牠們的確需要我們的同情。殺害動物的生命，不是唯一擺脫他們的辦法。每一個生命對世間都有一定的貢獻，人類剝奪動物生存的權力，是一種不公平的做法。
In his Handbook of reason, D. Runes says:
D.魯尼，在他的著作《理念的手冊》里說道：
‘We can hardly speak of morals in relation to creatures we systematically devour, mostly singed but sometimes raw. There are men and women who practise horse love, dog love, cat love. But these very same people would take a deer or a calf by its neck, slit its throat, drink the blood straight away or in a pudding, and bite off the flesh. And who is to say that a horse they cherish is nobler than a deer they feed on? Indeed, there are people who eat cats, dogs and horses but would use a cow only as a work animal.’
「我們很難說明，我們與那些一向來都被我們一口一口嚼嚥的動物的道德關系。大部份時間，我們把它們屠宰了、煮熟了，然後吃掉，有時候還是生吃。這世間有很多人愛馬、愛狗、愛貓，可是，他們同時抓住鹿、牛的頸項，割斷它們的喉嚨，吮吸它們的鮮血、吃它們的肉。這難道說，他們所鍾愛的馬，會比吃掉的鹿來得高貴？有些人甚至還吃狗肉、貓肉和馬肉，並強迫牛只為他們工作。」
Some cry over a little bird or goldfish that expired; others travel long distances to catch fish on a nasty hook for food or mere pleasure or shooting birds for fun. Some go into deep jungle for hunting animals as a game while others spend a lot to keep the same animals at home as their pets.
有些人為自己所蓄養的小鳥或金魚的死而慟哭。有些人長途跋涉的去捕魚，有些人是為了吃，有些人是為了娛樂。有些人以打鳥為樂，有些人到深山去做狩獵游戲。有些人把獵物當寵物一樣蓄養在家里。
Some keep frogs to foretell the weather; others cut off their legs and fry them. Some tenderly tend birds in gilded cages; others serve them for breakfast. It is all quite confusing. One thought stands out in a world where man clubs man for gain or sheer gore, there is hardly time to ponder over his morals in relation to animals.
有些人飼養青蛙來做科學實驗，有些人切下青蛙的大腿來烹煮姜蔥田雞。有些人把鳥類關在鳥籠里，無微不至的照顧，有些人把牠當早餐。這些對動物的態度，令人混淆。人類只關心人與人的離合和戰爭，卻沒有時間去仔細思考人類與其它動物之間的道德關系。
Every religion advises us to love our fellow humans. Some even teach us to love them more if they belong to the same religion. But Buddhism is supreme in that it teaches u s to show equal care and compassion for each and every creature in the universe. The destruction of any creature represents a disturbance of the Universal Order.
每一種宗教都教導人類應該去愛護和關心人類，或者去愛護同一宗教的教友。可是佛陀卻教導我們以慈悲心、平等心去對待一切眾生。一切眾生代表一切宇宙，也代表一切法。
The Buddha was very clear in His teachings against any form of cruelty to any living being. One day the Buddha saw a man preparing to make a animal sacrifice. On being asked why he was going to kill innocent animals, the man replied that it was because it would please the gods. The Buddha then offered Himself as the sacrifice, saying that if the life of an animal would please the gods then the life of a human being, more valuable, would please the gods even more.
佛陀非常清楚的教導，要以慈悲心對待一切眾生。一天，佛陀發現有人準備以動物來祭祀，他問那麼人，為什麼要殺害生命呢？那麼人回答，要獲得神的庇佑。佛陀對那個人說，那你用我的生命來取代那無辜的生命吧，人的生命總比動物的命來得高貴，更容易獲得神的庇佑。
Man’s cruelty towards animals is another expression of his uncontrolled greed. Today we destroy animals and deprive them of their natural rights so that we can expend our environments for our convenience. But we are already beginning to pay the price for this selfish and cruel act. Our environment is threatened and if we do not take stern measures for the survival of other creatures, our own existence on this earth may not be guaranteed. It is true that the existence of certain creatures is a threat to human existence. But we never consider that human are the greatest threat to every living being on this earth and in the air whereas the existence of other creatures is a threat only to certain living beings.
人類殘酷的對待動物，是因為欲望無法獲得滿足。今天，我們毀滅動物或剝奪動物的生存空間，卻堂堂的以環境發展為理由。但是，我們已經為這種殘酷和自私的行為付出代價。如果動物無法生存，那麼人類生存的空間也無法獲得保證。這是事實，其它動物的遭遇也將是人類的遭遇。我們不要以為人類比其它動物來得偉大，發生在其它動物身上的事情，永遠也不會發生在人類身上。
Since every creature contributes something for the maintenance of the planet and atmosphere, destroying them is not the solution to overcome our disturbances. We should take other measures to maintain the balance of nature.
每一種動物都為生態環境做出貢獻。毀滅牠們，等于毀滅我們自己的生態環境，造成大自然的不平衡。