慈悲與正義--與昭慧法師晤談
Compassion and Justice—Meeting Venerable Chao Hwei
慈悲與正義--與昭慧法師晤談
By Rebecca Li
美國紐澤西大學(xué)社會學(xué)副教授
陳悅萱 中譯
July 2, 2006
Recently, it was my privilege to participate in the Women Faith Leaders Retreat held at Dharma Drum Mountain, Taiwan, on June 20-22. The theme of the retreat was “Compassionate Mind, Compassionate World.” I was there primarily to translate for Shifu in his closing address, but prior to that I had the good fortune to participate in the discussion and meet some amazing women, one of whom was Venerable Chao Hwei.
今年6月20日到22日,我非常榮幸參與了法鼓山舉辦的“全球女性慈悲論壇”,論壇的主題是“慈悲的心靈,慈悲的世界”,主要是為惜福會的閉幕致詞翻譯,正好有機會參加論壇的討論會,并且遇到了幾位令人贊嘆的女性,其中一位就是昭慧法師。
Venerable Chao Hwei is professor of Religion and director of the Research Center of Applied Ethics at Hsuan Chuang University, a Buddhist university in Taiwan. She studied under Venerable Master Yin Shun, author of The Way to Buddhahood, and is a prolific scholar and author. She writes for newspapers to share the Buddhist perspective on issues as wide-ranging as animal rights and the legalization of gambling in Taiwan.
昭慧法師是臺灣玄奘大學(xué)宗教研究所的教授,并且也是該校應(yīng)用倫理中心的主任,這是一所由佛教籌辦的大學(xué)。法師曾受教于《成佛之道》的作者印順導(dǎo)師,是位著述非常豐富的學(xué)者及作家。她時常在報章雜志上,以佛法的觀點解讀各種具爭議性的社會議題,例如動物權(quán)的議題、賭博合法化的議題等等。
On the first day of the retreat, Venerable Chao Hwei brought up the issue of compassion and justice, arguing that there is no true compassion if we do not face the issue of justice.? I was intrigued by her lucid and forceful argument; this was the first time I had seen a Chinese bhikshuni articulate her moral and intellectual position in such a forthright manner. I was fascinated also because we were discussing compassion, a topic that usually evokes an image of gentle, smiling people helping each other and getting along. This is hardly what comes to mind in debates over issues of injustice, such as the unequal treatment of men and women.
論壇的第一天,法師就引發(fā)了關(guān)于“慈悲與正義”這個議題的討論,她認為我們?nèi)绻乇苷x的課題,就不會有真正的慈悲。這是我第一次看到一位比丘尼,用如此直接的方式,鏗鏘有力的表現(xiàn)她的智慧與道德,見識到她清晰有力的論辯。但是我也覺得疑惑,因為我們討論的主題是“慈悲”,關(guān)于慈悲,立刻浮現(xiàn)在腦海的,不應(yīng)該是面帶微笑、有禮貌的一群人,彼此互相幫助扶持嗎?很難理解為什么要提出諸如男女不平等之類的“不正義”議題來論辯呢?
In the open discussion and the subsequent conversations I had with her, Venerable Chao Hwei shared her experience advocating the abolition of the “eight deferential practices,” a set of additional precepts taken by fully ordained bhikshunis prescribing deferential manners to be used by bhikshunis (nuns) when interacting with bhikshus (monks). One such precept requires a bhikshuni, even though she is fully ordained with seniority, to bow deferentially to a novice monk. Within the monastic sangha of Dharma Drum Mountain, I was told, while these eight precepts are included in the full precepts taken by bhikshunis, Master Sheng Yen does not require that bhikshunis follow them in their interactions with bhikshus.
在開場的討論會及之后的幾次交談中,昭慧法師跟我分享了她推行“廢除八敬法運動”的經(jīng)驗!鞍司捶ā笔菍iT為比丘尼制定的戒法,規(guī)范了八種比丘尼應(yīng)禮敬比丘的方式,例如其中一條說:“即使是年長比丘尼,都必須向新受戒比丘頂禮!睋(jù)我所知,法鼓山的僧團里,雖然比丘尼的戒律中涵蓋了“八敬法”,但是圣嚴法師并未要求法鼓山的比丘尼,與比丘互動時必須遵守八敬法。
However, in many instances, according to Venerable Chao Hwei, the existence of these eight precepts continues to damage the monastic sangha both by instilling a sense of pride, entitlement and superiority in some bhikshus, and a sense of inferiority, shame and a lack of confidence in some bhikshunis. These eight precepts perpetuate the inequality of men and women. In this system, everyone loses. Those in subordinate positions suffer from unfair treatment, while those in dominant positions give rise to pride and arrogance. Venerable Chao Hwei argued that allowing this injustice to continue is uncompassionate as we are not doing anything to help these beings alleviate their suffering.
但是在昭慧法師舉的幾個例子里,看到一些比丘因為八敬法,逐漸變得自大與自尊,而比丘尼卻變得自卑與缺乏自信,可知八敬法的存在是如何的傷害僧團,并且使得男女不平等的問題永遠存在。在八敬法的緊箍咒下,大家都是輸家,因為處于受支配地位者,因不平等的對待而受苦,處于控制地位者,卻愈來愈自大與傲慢。昭慧法師強調(diào),讓不正義的繼續(xù)存在就是不慈悲,因為我們不曾為減輕他人的苦難盡任何一點的力量。
Venerable Chao Hwei cautioned against glossing over injustice in the name of maintaining harmony and practicing compassion. She pointed out that in Buddhism, we give such premium to the need to harmonize with everyone that we shy away from speaking out against injustice. Unfortunately, this silence in the face of unjust practices is often interpreted as endorsement of these practices, and we are therefore as guilty as those who defend such injustice. Complicity in injustice is certainly not in accordance with compassion, since we fail to take action to stop a system from inflicting suffering.? In the name of maintaining a community’s harmony, we often fail to speak up against injustice because we do not want to cause open divisions within the community. But Venerable Chao Hwei argues that true compassion prompts us to speak out against injustice. Not only does the effort to end injustice help save the victims from suffering, it also helps the perpetrators, by stopping them from causing suffering, and thus from creating unwholesome karma.
對于那些假藉維持和諧及實踐慈悲之名,來掩飾不正義的行為,昭慧法師特別提出告誡,因為佛法告訴我們,人與人之間要維持真正的和諧,決不能怯于伸張正義。對于不正義的行為保持緘默,就是為它們背書的意思,對于這種遭致人痛苦的制度沒有任何作為,這與護衛(wèi)不正義的犯行是一樣的,也是不正義的共犯,不能叫做慈悲。但是在維持團體和諧的大帽子底下,為了不愿意承擔制造分裂的罪名,使得我們往往不會為不正義的事情發(fā)聲。然而法師卻認為,真正的慈悲,應(yīng)該是對于不正義的事,勇于立刻表態(tài),因為這不僅能使因不正義而受苦的人遠離痛苦,也是在幫助為惡者,令他們不再造成別人的痛苦及不善的業(yè)。
Venerable Chao Hwei pointed out that the practice of compassion requires constant reflection and courage. One needs to reflect critically on why a certain practice is followed. Is it in accordance with wisdom and compassion, or is it merely in compliance with tradition passed down from a different era that may no longer be relevant? It takes courage, as critical examination challenges those in power and those benefiting from the status quo. Speaking out risks being accused of causing conflict within the Buddhist community, of being egotistical, of being uncompassionate, in other words, of being un-Buddhist. Venerable Chao Hwei contends that it is precisely out of great compassion that she challenges unjust practices, of which gender discrimination is one.
昭慧法師指出,慈悲的實踐是需要勇氣及持續(xù)反省的,我們應(yīng)該認真去反省,為什么要持守這些戒律?持戒是為了帶給我們慈悲與智慧,還是僅僅為了遵循一個早已不合時宜的傳統(tǒng)?向傳統(tǒng)戒律下的既得利益者挑戰(zhàn)是極需勇氣的,畢竟他們擁有權(quán)威,挑戰(zhàn)者很可能被扣上制造教內(nèi)沖突、自我主義、不慈悲等等,甚至于非教徒的罪名。但是對于向諸如性別歧視之類的不公義挑戰(zhàn),法師并不同意這是不慈悲的行為。
I suggested to Venerable Chao Hwei that tolerating injustice not only prolongs the suffering of the victims, it is also very damaging to Buddhism’s reputation in the West.? Justice is a very important value in the West, and it is difficult for people in the West to accept a religious tradition that condones unjust practices. Venerable Chao Hwei urged everyone to keep in mind that the Buddha taught that the purpose of the precepts was to preserve the proper Dharma, not to be an end in themselves. Since the equality of sentient beings is at the heart of the Buddha’s teachings, keeping silent about unjust practices is complicity, and is equivalent to slandering the Buddha’s teachings. It is thus the responsibility of every Buddhist practitioner, monastic or lay, to speak out and act against injustice?
我提醒昭慧法師,容忍不正義的情事,除了增長受害者的痛苦之外,對于佛教在西方的聲譽,也會造成相當程度的傷害。公平正義是西方社會很重要的價值觀,對于西方社會的人而言,如果一個宗教的傳統(tǒng)里,竟然允許不公義的行為,這個宗教是很難讓人接受的。因此昭慧法師吁請大家,應(yīng)牢牢記住,佛陀制戒的目的是“令正法久住”,眾生平等是佛教的核心教義,對于不正義保持緘默,就是不正義的共犯,也就等同毀謗佛陀的教法,所以每一個佛弟子,不論出家或在家,都有責任以言語的譴責及行動來對抗不正義。
Some worry about a schism if some in the Buddhist community push hard for changes while others insist on preserving the tradition. I think this is an excellent opportunity for the Buddhist community to put the Dharma into practice collectively. It is easy to be calm and compassionate when everyone is in agreement. The challenge is to engage in a dialogue and to examine the issues critically, stimulating each other’s thinking, learning the other side’s perspective without being dismissive, and working together to find a satisfactory solution without allowing our self-centered attachments to get in the way. This is not easy.
或許有人會擔心,如果佛教內(nèi)部有人極力推動改革,又有人堅持維護傳統(tǒng),就會造成分裂,我反倒認為這是促成教界合宜的實踐佛陀教法的一個契機。當大家意見一致的時候,慈悲祥和是非常容易的,但是要能仔細檢視這些爭議,開啟相互之間的對話,刺激各自的思考,互相學(xué)習(xí)對方的觀點,過程之中排除自我中心,共同合作找出令彼此滿意的答案,這就是挑戰(zhàn)了。
But I believe that if we all put the Dharma into practice while engaging in this debate, applying the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion, this dialogue will help the entire Buddhist community move forward into the 21st century. The process will bring hope to the world as it will illustrate that it is possible to engage in a debate over difficult and controversial issues and to find satisfactory solutions by applying compassion and wisdom. Thus everyone, Buddhist and non-Buddhist, may benefit from this compassionate action.
但是我相信,如果應(yīng)用佛陀的慈悲與智慧,透過對話與論辯,能夠使佛法真正的實踐,這必將帶領(lǐng)佛教邁向21世紀。對于一個這么困難的議題,佛教都能夠透過對話,應(yīng)用慈悲與智慧,找到滿意的解答,這將帶給世人希望,不論佛教徒或非佛教徒,相信都能從這樣慈悲的行為中,得到受益。
(published in the Autumn 2006 issue of Chan Magazine, page 23 to 25)
- 上一篇:拒看馬戲團動物表演
- 下一篇:依佛法以觀人類胚胎(胎兒)的地位
- 仁德上人:發(fā)心做一個直心善良慈悲的明白人
- 仁德上人:了解菩薩的大慈大悲心
- 仁德上人:敵我慈悲歌
- 仁德上人:安祥歌
- 靜波法師:要舍得同別人一起來分享慈悲和智慧
- 仁德上人:無論什么心念之中都是以慈悲的愛心為基礎(chǔ)
- 界文法師:佛教的慈悲觀怎么理解?
- 仁德上人:為什么很難體會佛菩薩的同體大悲心?
- 靜波法師:慈悲和智慧是學(xué)佛的兩個根本
- 靜波法師:一味地自以為是就會“慈悲出禍害,方便出下流”
- 仁德上人:無我慈悲是道歌
- 仁德上人:慧慈止觀知如歌
- 覺真法師:慈悲與感恩,緣起論的人文關(guān)懷倫理價值
- 靜波法師:學(xué)習(xí)佛陀的智慧與慈悲
- 靜波法師:幫助別人就是幫助自己
- 法藏法師:如何做個得體的出家人?
- 法藏法師:是否有惡有善才是符合世間平衡的狀態(tài)?
- 仁德上人:佛法大慈大悲的精神
- 宏善法師:慈悲和智慧是佛法的精髓
- 靜波法師:學(xué)習(xí)慈悲和智慧打破我執(zhí)
- 星云大師:春有百花秋有月,夏有涼風(fēng)冬有雪;若無閑事掛心頭,便是人間好時節(jié)。
- 正如法師:念《心經(jīng)》比《大悲咒》更好嗎?
- 印光大師:安士全書白話解
- 凈慧大師:凈慧法師《楞嚴經(jīng)》淺譯
- 星云大師:星云大師談《心經(jīng)》
- 文珠法師:妙法蓮華經(jīng)
- 大寂尼師:一般人在家里可以讀誦《地藏經(jīng)》嗎?
- 仁清法師:聽說誦大悲咒對鬼不好,請法師開示
- 星云大師:解讀普賢菩薩十大愿王(附普賢行愿品全文)
- 圣嚴法師:關(guān)于靈魂與鬼的終極真相
- 夢參法師:夢參老和尚:金剛經(jīng)
- 惟覺法師:修行人應(yīng)做到的三大精進
- 心律法師:吃虧是福
- 夢參法師:夢參老和尚講地藏本愿經(jīng)
- 心律法師:什么人與佛有緣?
- 文珠法師:大方廣佛華嚴經(jīng)
- 星云大師:千江映月
- 虛云法師:多誦讀《普門品》和《地藏經(jīng)》
- 星云大師:手把青秧插滿田,低頭便見水中天;六根清凈方為道,退步原來是向前。
- 達摩祖師:《破相論》原文
- 永明延壽:宗鏡錄
- 正如法師:誦心經(jīng)比大悲咒功德大嗎
- 凈善法師:凈善法師:看風(fēng)水與算命能否改變命運?
- 大安法師:無量壽經(jīng)
- 未知:星云大師講解
- 正如法師:梁皇寶懺 慈悲道場
- 明空法師:明空法師:《心經(jīng)》中的般若智慧
- 印光大師:不科學(xué)的求子秘方,但是很靈驗
- 星云大師:人身難得今已得,佛法難聞今已聞;此身不向今生度,更向何生度此身?
- 星云大師:朝看花開滿樹紅,暮看花落樹還空;若將花比人間事,花與人間事一同。
- 凈界法師:打坐的時候該怎么念佛?
- 仁清法師:《大悲咒》的九種世間利益
- 正如法師:在家居士受五戒可以搭縵衣嗎?
- 印光大師:命不好者求美好姻緣,有個簡單方法
- 星云大師:人死后生命是怎樣的?
- 星云大師:溪聲盡是廣長舌,山色無非清凈身;夜來八萬四千偈,他日如何舉似人?
- 大安法師:大安法師講解
- 明安法師:把握當下不后悔
- 星云大師:天為羅帳地為氈,日月星辰伴我眠;夜間不敢長伸足,恐怕踏破海底天。
- 凈慧法師:凈慧法師:《妙法蓮華經(jīng)》淺釋
- 如瑞法師:身外之財終舍離,所造之業(yè)如影隨
- 靜波法師:佛法的中道觀
- 濟群法師:明心見性是怎么來的?利根是天生的嗎?
- 如瑞法師:佛性不分南與北,為人不與比高低,廣修福慧獲法喜
- 本源法師:學(xué)習(xí)佛陀冥想靜坐,就可以悟道成佛嗎?
- 靜波法師:深著虛妄法 堅受不可舍
- 濟群法師:人為什么要擺脫痛苦和煩惱,目的是什么?
- 本源法師:出家人與在家信徒要保持距離,才能更好地度化眾生
- 如瑞法師:什么是不善業(yè),為什么要遠離一切不善業(yè)?
- 明海法師:當業(yè)障現(xiàn)前時怎么辦?隨緣了業(yè),究竟解脫
- 濟群法師:如何面對喜歡吃喝玩樂,做不如法事情的朋友?
- 如瑞法師:每個人的福報都是自己修來的
- 本源法師:人與人之間的相處,要保持一定的距離
- 濟群法師:佛教對世界的認識——因緣因果
- 如瑞法師:護念他人善用心,學(xué)佛慈悲須踐行
- 本源法師:如何報答佛陀的恩德?依教奉行就是對佛最好的報恩
- 濟群法師:真正完美的人生,需要具足這八種圓滿
- 本源法師:只有無漏的福德,才是真正的功德
- 如瑞法師:印光大師是后世佛弟子學(xué)習(xí)的榜樣
- 理海法師:無論哪種供養(yǎng),都離不開善用一顆歡喜的心
- 如瑞法師:敬畏因果,努力修正自己的行為、語言和心念
- 正慈法師:一人獨坐、內(nèi)心空閑,無甚雜思
- 本源法師:皈依三寶是踏入佛門的第一步
- 靜波法師:跳出三界得解脫
- 濟群法師:如何呵護發(fā)起普利眾生的愿心,使發(fā)心不消退?
- 覺真法師:人與眾生的關(guān)系,是佛教倫理的核心和主體
- 本源法師:每個念佛人在極樂世界都有一朵蓮花
- 濟群法師:佛教是宿命論嗎,我們這一生的努力有用嗎?
- 本源法師:為什么有人對佛法深信不疑,有人卻生不起信心?
- 佛源法師:什么是外道?心外求法是外道
- 明海法師:學(xué)佛人多拜幾個師父,去極樂的幾率也就越大,對嗎?
- 界文法師:為什么說皈依三寶就可以找到依靠?
- 星云大師:善事要盡心盡力去做,惡事則要毫不猶豫的斷除
- 西行法師:佛號代表佛智與法界
- 懺云法師:一念凈心的寶貴性!
- 道堅法師:佛教所說的業(yè)報是什么意思?業(yè)報的意思
- 西行法師:極樂世界的神秘面紗
- 夢參法師:造什么業(yè)就感什么果!
- 夢參法師:地獄到底有多苦?都是自招的業(yè)報
- 天因法師:學(xué)法就是為了導(dǎo)正心念
- 妙法蓮華經(jīng)
- 夢參老和尚講地藏本愿經(jīng)
- 千江映月
- 宗鏡錄
- 無量壽經(jīng)
- 星云大師講解
- 大安法師講解
- 印光大師講解
- 凈界法師講解
- 星云大師文章
- 解脫之道講記
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