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《菩提田》

 

BODHI FIELD

自性的科學(續)
The Science of Our Own Natures (continued)

1998年法界佛教總會臺灣訪問團 Dharma Realm Buddhist Association's Delegation to Taiwan in 1998
比丘恆實講於臺灣國立清華大學佛學講座1998年7月 24日
A talk given by Bhikshu Heng Sure on July 24, 1998, at the Buddhist Studies Symposium, Taiwan National Ching Hua University
比丘尼恒音 英譯 English translation by Bhikshuni Heng Yin

所以你在臺上,是佛教的科學家可以看到,他們把他們身心性命,每天二十四小時都在實驗佛的方法,看能不能得到同樣的結果。所以自性的科學,是無形的。這是有的人沒有想到的;沒有想到佛陀——釋迦牟尼佛還是科學家呢!

還有,我們說佛法這種科學是古老的,是當時,不是現在的世界,當時沒有汽車,沒有七四七飛機飛過去,沒有大的、吵鬧的工廠在這兒嘎、嘎、嘎吵,所以佛在世時入定很容易的,對不對?現在辦不到了吧?有一些人就這麼主張,說:「現在不是那個時候,所以就不修行了;世界改變了。」利用這種藉口,就不修行了,這是退步的心。

我們這個世界現在處於什麼時候呢?可以說是面臨一個大革命的時侯。怎麼說呢?以歷史大概地來判斷人類的演變,從人類開始站起來走路,到第十六世紀這段時間,以人類所用的工具當做衡量的標準。開始時人類使用一些很原始的工具,好像棍子,打下樹上的水果就可以吃了。到新石器時代時,我們就用農業工具耕種了。然後發明 wheel(輪子),然後還有 lever(省工工具),或是用 pulley(滑輪),拉那個繩子,就可以抬很重的東西。這時人類開始用一些最簡單的機器,生產量大增,形成人類歷史上的一項革命。

接著我們人類就又開始演變了。大家就說:「嘿!我覺得我如果用這塊玻璃造一個顯微鏡,我可以看到很小很小的東西,對醫學方面很有用。」然後又說:「你如果往上看那個星球啊、月亮啊、火星、木星,你可以做一個望遠鏡。啊!如果我想知道遠地方的事,我用個什麼設備就可造一個 radio telescope(無線電望遠鏡)。」所以這就把我們六根作用的範圍擴大了。

前兩個革命先就把我們的身體、手、腳的力量延長了,把六根的能力更擴大了。以後有人更求進步,用新的功能把它更增長,就發明 micro processor(電腦);電腦又懂邏輯,又有 memory,有記性。啊!電腦就來了!它的計算力,比我們的心智還快。你玩那個軍棋,那個機器會贏過你。在俄國那個棋王卡斯帕洛夫,那個電腦就就打倒他了。所以現在這個時代的革命,是機器代替我們人的一些心理的過程了。那我們會不會製造一個眞正的機器人呢?還不知道。人現在都會 clone(複製)生命了,複製了羊,所以這個革命把我們人類心理的過程,在實驗室都已經可以製造出來了。

那麼現在我們可以說是面臨又一個大革命;我們的身體已經都能延長,六根心理的過程都能延長了。接下來,我們會不會有精神上的革命——智慧的革命呢?如果有的話,在哪裏找?會不會恢復古來的科技?什麼是古來的科技?哪裏有這種科學呢?舉一個例子, spiritual revolution,精神上的革命是什麼?這是第四個大革命。好比說,我現在講話,從我的肺,經過口、牙齒、舌頭出聲音,通過這個麥克風,通到各位耳朵裏邊很微細的骨頭,經過一種化學過程後,你可以聽得懂這個法師所講的話。「嗯……!有一些意思,雖然他講的一些古古怪怪的美國中國話,但差不多還可以聽得懂。」如果我稍微改變一下,講日文或法文,就聽不懂了。怎麼方才我講的,大家差不多聽得懂;現在稍微改了,就聽不進去了。講的什麼?不知道了。為什麼?因為我們自己的耳朵範圍不曉得怎麼用。你覺得奇怪不奇怪?

我們從母腹裏出生到這個世界,直到現在這一秒鐘,大家都還是在用這個六根。怎麼用法?不知道。是不是自己本身的科學沒有研究過?有沒有誰研究到明白呢?有。佛教徒,由釋迦牟尼佛領導一代一代的祖師、修行人,不過就是走佛所走的道路,行佛的法,眞正在那兒修行到無我、無人、無世界、無內、無外,入定了,那就是自己本身裏邊古來的科學活用了,一切一切就都像看自己手掌裏的一個蘋果那麼清楚了。

待續


On stage here, you can see our Buddhist scientists. These are people who spend 24 hours a day following the Buddha's method to see if they can get the same results. Therefore, the science of our own nature deals with the mind and the immaterial aspect. Most people have never thought of the Buddha as a scientist.

The Buddha's teaching is an ancient science dating from a time when there were no cars, no 747 jetplanes, and no noisy factories. Back in the Buddha's day, it was comparatively easier for people to enter samadhi. Now, it's not so easy. Some people get attached to this and say, "Times are different now, and we shouldn't cultivate. The world has changed." I believe that's just their excuse for not cultivating, for retreating from the resolve for Bodhi.

What kind of world and age are we in? You could say that we are on the brink of a great revolution in the history of humankind. Let us consider the time from when human beings learned to stand up until, roughly speaking, the Neolithic Age, as a yardstick to measure the various steps in the revolution in tool use. In the beginning, people used primitive tools, such as sticks, to strike fruit from the trees so that they could eat. By the Neolithic Age, people were using agricultural implements to plow the fields and plant crops for food. Then the wheel was invented, and also the lever and pulley, which allowed very heavy things to be lifted. That was the start of the use of the most simple machines, which greatly increased productivity. That signified a major revolutionary change in human history. Then later someone came up with a magnifying glass, which proved extremely useful in medicine. It was discovered that glass could also be used to make a telescope for looking at the moon and stars. Later, in order to detect distant events, the radio telescope was invented. With these instruments, the range of our six sense faculties was greatly expanded.

With the first revolutions, humankind had already learned how to expand the strength of their arms, legs, and body, and the range of their sense faculties, beyond the normal limit. Seeking to go even further, they invented the microprocessor-the computer-which is endowed with both logic and memory. The computer can calculate things faster than our brains. For example, the computer even beat the Russian champion Kasparov at chess. With this revolution, people's mental processes have been replaced in part by the machine. The computer is able to simulate the human brain. Is it possible to build a real android? We don't know. With the technology of cloning, it has been possible to create life-a manmade sheep. This revolution has brought the ability to replicate our psychological being in the laboratory.

Now it's possible to speculate that we are on the brink of another revolution. We have already managed to expand the capacities of our bodies, our sense faculties, and our minds. This revolution may be of a spiritual nature-a revolution of wisdom. If this happens, where will it take place? Will it go back to ancient science and technology? What is meant by ancient science and technology? Where do you find this kind of science? Let me give an example. What do I mean by this spiritual revolution of wisdom? For example, as I speak right now, the sound is made by my lungs, mouth, tongue, and teeth, amplified through the microphone, and registered by delicate bones in your ears. Then, through some kind of chemical process, you are able to understand what this Dharma Master is saying. It makes sense. "Although he's speaking a peculiar kind of American Chinese, I seem to be getting the idea. It's pretty interesting." If I made a little change and spoke in Japanese or French, what happens? You cannot understand. Just now you understood, but with a tiny change, you don't know what I'm saying anymore. Why? Because we don't know how to use our ears. Isn't it strange?

In all this time from the time we were born until now, we have been using our six senses and yet we still don't know how we use them. We have never studied the science of our own selves. Has anyone studied and understood this science? Yes. The disciples of the Buddha, under the guidance of Shakyamuni Buddha have understood it. These are the generations of Patriarchs-cultivators-who have trod the path of the Buddha and cultivated the Dharma to the point of realizing that there is no self, no others, no world, no inside or out. Within samadhi, they can see the science of their own being as clearly as they could see an apple in their hand.

To be continued

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