Name: 佛教是無神論宗教嗎？ (Is Buddhism an Atheistic Religion?)
Uploaded: 2024-10-30T20:35:54.000Z
Duration: 27 min 32 s

If you'd like to learn more about Buddhist supernatural beings, check out our upcoming class on Hungry Ghosts at religionforbreakfast.eventbrite.com.

如果您想進一步瞭解佛教超自然生物，請訪問 religionforbreakfast.eventbrite.com 查看我們即將推出的餓鬼課程。

According to Buddhist tradition, around 2,500 years ago in India, two young priests were debating the most direct path to union with Brahma, the Hindu creator god.

根據佛教傳統，大約 2500 年前，在印度，兩位年輕的祭司正在爭論與印度創世神梵天結合的最直接途徑。

Reaching an impasse, they decided to get a third opinion.

在陷入僵局後，他們決定徵求第三者的意見。

A third opinion from the Awakened One himself, the Buddha.

第三種觀點來自覺醒者佛陀本人。

After listening carefully to their arguments, the Buddha asked,

佛陀仔細聆聽了他們的爭論後問道、

Well, has anyone back to the seventh generation of teachers seen Brahma with their own eyes?

那麼，從第七代教師開始，有人親眼見過梵天嗎？

不，喬達摩大師，他們承認了。

Since apparently no one had met Brahma face to face, the Buddha declared their goal laughable, vain, and empty.

由於顯然沒有人面對面見過梵天，佛陀宣佈他們的目標是可笑的、虛妄的和空洞的。

This story is recorded in the Tevijja Sutta, an early Buddhist text from around the 2nd century BCE.

這個故事記錄在《Tevijja Sutta》中，這是一部大約公元前 2 世紀的早期佛教典籍。

這聽起來有點像無神論，對嗎？

As in, the Buddha is rejecting the notion of a creator god with a capital G.

就像佛陀拒絕接受 "創世神 "的概念一樣。

There's a widespread assumption that Buddhism is fundamentally an atheistic religion, or maybe not a religion at all, but a way of life, or a set of practices that you could do without any appeal to the supernatural.

人們普遍認為，佛教從根本上說是一種無神論宗教，或者說它根本就不是一種宗教，而是一種生活方式，或者說是一套不訴諸超自然的修行方法。

Even big-name atheists like Sam Harris have found a lot of value in Buddhist ideas and practices, even while at the same time rejecting its supernatural claims.

即使像山姆-哈里斯這樣的大名鼎鼎的無神論者，也發現了佛教思想和實踐中的很多價值，即使同時又拒絕接受其超自然的主張。

那麼，我們可以稱佛教為無神論嗎？

As we saw in the Tevijja Sutta, the Buddha rejected the notion of a supreme creator god, and taught there was no ultimate beginning to the universe.

正如我們在《特維賈經》中所看到的，佛陀拒絕接受至高無上的創世神的概念，並認為宇宙沒有終極的開端。

But he did not reject the existence of gods in general, and other supernatural beings.

但他並不否認一般神靈和其他超自然生物的存在。

In these early centuries, the Buddhist pantheon included many Indian supernatural figures, and as it spread to other cultures and regions, the veneration of local deities and spirits was often integrated into Buddhism.

在早期的幾個世紀中，佛教萬神殿包括了許多印度超自然人物，隨著佛教向其他文化和地區傳播，對當地神靈的崇拜也常常融入佛教之中。

But the importance or role of these supernatural beings can differ a lot depending on the form of Buddhism.

但這些超自然存在的重要性或作用會因佛教形式的不同而有很大差異。

The two major branches of Buddhism are Theravada and Mahayana.

佛教的兩大分支是小乘佛教和大乘佛教。

Theravada, meaning the teaching of the elders, is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and is primarily practiced in Southeast Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Cambodia.

上座部，意為長老的教誨，是現存最古老的佛教流派，主要在斯里蘭卡、泰國和高棉等東南亞國家流傳。

It emphasizes the teachings of the Buddha found in the Pali Canon, and generally maintains a more reserved approach to the role of deities and supernatural beings in the pursuit of enlightenment.

它強調《巴利聖典》中的佛陀教義，對神靈和超自然生物在追求覺悟過程中的作用一般持保留態度。

Mahayana Buddhism, on the other hand, which means the great vehicle, emerged around the 1st century BCE, and is widely practiced across East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea.

另一方面，大乘佛教（意為大乘）於公元前 1 世紀左右興起，在中國、日本和韓國等東亞國家廣泛流傳。

Mahayana introduced new scriptures and concepts, including the idea of bodhisattvas, compassionate beings who postponed their enlightenment to help all sentient beings.

大乘佛教引入了新的經文和概念，其中包括菩薩的概念，菩薩是慈悲的眾生，他們延後覺悟以幫助所有眾生。

In Mahayana traditions, these bodhisattvas, along with various Buddhas and other divine beings, play a more active role in the spiritual lives of practitioners.

在大乘傳統中，這些菩薩與各種佛陀和其他神靈一起，在修行者的精神生活中發揮著更積極的作用。

Devotional practices directed toward these beings are an integral part of the path to enlightenment.

針對這些生命的虔誠修行是通往覺悟之路不可或缺的一部分。

People often venerate or pray to them for guidance and protection, which can make them appear more god-like in their attributes and functions.

人們通常崇敬或祈求它們的指引和保護，這會讓它們的屬性和功能顯得更像神。

In recent years, there's also been a growing interest in what's called secular Buddhism, especially in Western countries.

近年來，人們對所謂的世俗佛教也越來越感興趣，尤其是在西方國家。

Secular Buddhists identify as Buddhist and engage in Buddhist practices, but may themselves be metaphysical naturalists, meaning they don't believe in any supernatural phenomena.

世俗佛教徒認定自己是佛教徒，並參與佛教修行，但他們自己可能是形而上學自然主義者，這意味著他們不相信任何超自然現象。

This approach to Buddhism focuses on the practical and philosophical aspects of the Buddha's teachings, while downplaying or reinterpreting the supernatural elements found in traditional Buddhist cosmology.

這種佛教方法側重於佛陀教義的實踐和哲學方面，而淡化或重新詮釋傳統佛教宇宙論中的超自然因素。

So, acknowledging this diversity, let's start by exploring how Buddhist scriptures describe the universe and the gods within it.

是以，在承認這種多樣性的同時，讓我們先來探討一下佛經是如何描述宇宙和宇宙中的神靈的。

According to Buddhist cosmology, the universe is populated by mortal gods called devas, a Sanskrit and Pali word literally meaning radiant one or shining one.

根據佛教宇宙論，宇宙中的凡人神靈被稱為 "魔神"（devas）。"魔神 "是梵語和巴利語的音譯，字面意思是光芒四射或閃閃發光的神靈。

The word is distantly related to the English word divinity, as part of the Indo-European language family.

作為印歐語系的一部分，該詞與英語單詞 "divinity"（神性）有很遠的關係。

But these devas are not all-knowing, they are not all-powerful, and they are not eternal.

但這些魔鬼並非無所不知，並非無所不能，也並非永恆不變。

They're more like the universe's fancy VIPs, but they're stuck in the cycle of rebirth along with humans, animals, and ghosts.

它們更像是宇宙中的高級貴賓，但它們與人類、動物和鬼魂一樣，都被困在輪迴中。

And it's possible for a human to be reborn as a deva as a result of their virtuous actions.

人類也有可能因為自己的善行而轉生為魔鬼。

Now, this gets complicated, so buckle up.

現在，情況變得複雜了，請繫好安全帶。

From lowest to highest, we first have Kamadhatu, the realm of desire.

從低到高，首先是 "欲界"（Kamadhatu）。

Then there's Rupadhatu, the realm of subtle materiality, also known as the realm of form.

然後是 "如來藏"（Rupadhatu），即微妙的物質領域，也被稱為 "形 "的領域。

And then there's Arupadhatu, the immaterial or formless realm.

然後是阿魯巴達圖（Arupadhatu），即非物質或無形的領域。

These realms are located on and above the center of the Buddhist universe, Mount Meru.

這些境界位於佛教宇宙的中心--梅魯山上方。

This is the vertical axis of the entire universe in Buddhist cosmology.

在佛教宇宙論中，這是整個宇宙的垂直軸。

Stretching up from the summit of Mount Meru and in the sky above it are layers of heavens.

從梅魯山頂往上延伸，在梅魯山的上空是層層疊疊的天。

31 realms stacked upon each other, 26 of which are devalokas, realms of existence where devas live.

31 個境界層層疊疊，其中 26 個是魔界（devalokas），即魔神居住的存在境界。

Each layer has its own unique characteristics and is occupied by specific devas.

每一層都有自己獨特的特點，並由特定的魔鬼佔據。

At the bottom of this cosmic layer cake are the six heavens of the lowest realm, the desire realm.

在這層宇宙蛋糕的最底層，是最低境界--慾望境界的六重天界。

There's the heaven of the four heavenly kings, located on the upper slopes of Mount Meru.

還有位於梅魯山上坡的四大天王天。

On its summit is the heaven of the 33 devas, Trayastrimsa, which is ruled by the deva chakra, also known as Indra.

山頂上是三十三天中的天國--Trayastrimsa，由魔鬼輪（又稱因陀羅）掌管。

You might recognize him as a prominent Vedic god in the Rig Veda.

你可能會認出他是《梨俱吠陀經》中一位著名的吠陀神。

There's also the heaven of the contented, or Tushta, where the future Buddha Maitreya is believed to live.

還有一個知足天堂，或稱 "兜率天"，據說未來佛彌勒就住在那裡。

And at the highest level of the realm of desire, you have the home to the malignant celestial king Mara.

而在慾望領域的最高層，則是惡天王馬拉的家。

So, yeah, there are a lot of devas, and we've only covered the entry-level heavens.

所以，是的，魔神有很多，我們只介紹了入門級的天堂。

In the middle realm, Rupadhatu, or the form realm, you start running into the big leagues, the Brahma gods.

在中界，即如來界，也就是形界，你開始接觸到大聯盟，也就是梵天諸神。

These devas have longer lifespans, bigger celestial bodies, and generally just more splendor.

這些魔神擁有更長的壽命、更大的天體，而且一般都更加輝煌。

While the devas of the lower heavens might live for a few hundred or thousand years, the devas of the higher heavens live for tens or hundreds of thousands of years.

低等天堂的魔鬼可能活上幾百年或上千年，而高等天堂的魔鬼則活上幾萬年或幾十萬年。

In fact, years aren't even a useful unit of time when measuring the lifespan of these devas.

事實上，在衡量這些魔鬼的壽命時，年甚至都不是一個有用的時間組織、部門。

它們的壽命是一劫，也就是幾千年。

The gods of the lower heavens eat food and have sex, while the gods of the upper realms don't eat and procreate simply by embracing, holding hands, or smiling at each other.

下界的神吃食物、做愛，而上界的神不吃食物，僅僅通過擁抱、牽手或微笑就能生育。

In fact, in one heaven, they procreate with a single glance.

事實上，在一個天堂裡，他們只需一個眼神就能繁衍後代。

So, watch your eye contact if you ever get reborn there. Things could get awkward.

所以，如果你在那裡重生，請注意你的眼神交流。事情可能會變得很尷尬。

And don't get me started with the devas residing in the highest realm, the immaterial realm.

別跟我提那些居住在最高境界--非物質境界--的魔鬼們。

Well, they don't even have bodies. Their existence is entirely mental.

他們甚至沒有身體。他們的存在完全是精神上的。

They've transcended the physical world entirely, living in such a refined state that it's impossible to even say where they exist.

他們完全超越了物質世界，生活在如此精煉的狀態中，甚至無法說清他們存在於何處。

It's like trying to point to a thought or a dream. Where exactly is it?

這就像試圖指出一個想法或一個夢想。它到底在哪裡？

But even these devas, devas at the highest pinnacle of immaterial existence, whose lives appear to be infinite, they cannot escape one fundamental truth of Buddhism.

但是，即使是這些魔王，這些處於非物質存在最高頂峰的魔王，他們的生命似乎是無限的，他們也無法逃脫佛教的一個基本真理。

No matter how long they live, no matter how splendid their bodies are, they don't possess a permanent essence.

無論他們活得有多長，無論他們的身體多麼輝煌，他們都不具備永久的本質。

According to various sutras, there are five warning signs when a deva of the realm of desire is about to die.

根據各種佛經的記載，當欲界魔王即將死亡時，會有五個警告信號。

Their garland of flowers begins to fade, their clothes and palace become dusty, they begin to sweat, their body becomes opaque and loses its shine, and their throne becomes uncomfortable.

他們的花環開始褪色，他們的衣服和宮殿蒙上灰塵，他們開始出汗，他們的身體變得不透明，失去光澤，他們的寶座也變得不舒服。

Then before they die, they witness their next rebirth.

然後，在他們死之前，他們會見證下一次重生。

This alone is said to be absolutely excruciating.

據說，僅這一點就絕對令人痛苦不堪。

Imagine you're a deva, you're living in absolute splendor, and now you're witnessing your next lifetime that will almost certainly be dramatically worse.

想象一下，你是一個魔鬼，你生活在絕對的輝煌中，而現在你正在見證你的下一世，幾乎可以肯定的是，你的下一世將變得更加糟糕。

It's quite literally all downhill from here, down the slopes of Mount Meru.

從這裡開始，沿著梅魯山的山坡一路下坡。

Of course, unless they can hear the teachings of the Buddha and attain nirvana.

當然，除非他們能聽聞佛陀的教誨並獲得涅槃。

This is why the Buddha himself is often described as a teacher of gods and men.

這就是佛陀本人經常被描述為神人之師的原因。

So yes, Buddhism definitely acknowledges the existence of countless gods.

所以，是的，佛教肯定承認有無數的神靈存在。

根據《聖經》，他們是這樣做的。

The question is, can humans interact with these beings?

問題是，人類能與這些生物互動嗎？

And more importantly, can they assist us toward full liberation?

更重要的是，它們能幫助我們實現全面解放嗎？

This is where regional differences matter.

這就是地區差異的重要性所在。

From the Theravada perspective, the answer is not really.

從小乘佛教的角度來看，答案並不盡然。

While gods do exist, they can't do much to save us.

雖然神確實存在，但他們並不能拯救我們。

This is partly because the higher gods of the plane of formlessness are way beyond our reach.

這部分是因為無形層面的高級神靈遠非我們所能企及。

Simply because these beings have no physical form or location.

原因很簡單，因為這些生命沒有實體，也沒有位置。

Even the gods that occupy the 16 or so heavens of the form realm are also out of our league for the most part.

即使是佔據形界十六重天左右的神靈，在大多數情況下也與我們格格不入。

Sure, the Buddha and a few of his most talented students are said to have contacted them.

當然，據說佛陀和他的幾個最有才華的學生曾與他們接觸過。

But for the rest of us mortals, not so much.

但對於我們這些凡人來說，就沒那麼簡單了。

But even if we could somehow contact these higher gods, they can't really help us toward awakening.

但是，即使我們能以某種方式聯繫到這些更高級的神靈，他們也無法真正幫助我們走向覺醒。

Since, as we've said, they're also trapped in the cycle of death and rebirth.

正如我們所說，他們也陷入了死亡和重生的輪迴。

In fact, the heavenly realms lack the proper conditions for awakening.

事實上，天界缺乏覺醒的適當條件。

簡而言之，那裡的生活太舒適了。

These gods are said to be compassionate, but they're prone to delusion.

據說這些神慈悲為懷，但容易產生幻覺。

For example, they might end up thinking that they are the eternal creator.

例如，他們最終可能會認為自己是永恆的造物主。

For example, consider a story found in the Kavata Sutta, a text from the Pali Canon.

例如，請看巴利文《卡瓦塔經》（Kavata Sutta）中的一個故事。

In this text, the Buddha tells a story about a monk who ascends into the heavens, stopping at different heavens along the way, and asking the devas living there to answer his question about the ultimate nature of reality.

在這篇經文中，佛陀講述了這樣一個故事：一位僧人飛昇到天界，沿途在不同的天界停留，並請求居住在那裡的魔鬼回答他關於現實終極本質的問題。

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佛教是無神論宗教嗎？ (Is Buddhism an Atheistic Religion?)

specific

meditation

ultimate

context