佛法的两面性
[中译]良稹
TwoFacesoftheDhamma
byBhikkhuBodhi
OnfirstencounterBuddhismconfrontsusasaparadox.Intellectually,itappearsafreethinker\'sdelight:sober,realistic,undogmatic,almostscientificinitsoutlookandmethod.ButifwecomeintocontactwiththelivingDhammafromwithin,wesoondiscoverthatithasanothersidewhichseemstheantithesisofallourrationalisticpresuppositions.Westilldon\'tmeetrigidcreedsorrandomspeculation,butwedocomeuponreligiousidealsofrenunciation,contemplationanddevotion;abodyofdoctrinesdealingwithmatterstranscendingsenseperceptionandthought;and—perhapsmostdisconcerting—aprogramoftraininginwhichfaithfiguresasacardinalvirtue,doubtasahindrance,barrierandfetter.初遇佛法,我们面临一个悖论:在智力上,它冷静、现实、非教条,令自由思考者心悦。在世界观与方法论上,它几乎还具有科学性。但是我们若走进活生生的佛法内部,不久便发现它还有另一副面貌,似乎背离了我们对它的一切理性假设。我们仍不见刻板的教条与随机的臆测,看见了出离、冥思与崇敬等宗教理想;我们看见了一套教义,阐述那些超越了官感与思维的事物;或许更令人困惑的是,我们看见了一个训练方案,在其中信念被当成一个至关重要的美德,而存疑则是一种妨害、障碍、与羁绊。
WhenwetrytodetermineourownrelationshipwiththeDhamma,eventuallywefindourselveschallengedtomakesenseoutofitstwoseeminglyirreconcilablefaces:theempiricistfaceturnedtotheworld,tellingustoinvestigateandverifythingsforourselves,andthereligiousfaceturnedtotheBeyond,advisingustodispelourdoubtsandplacetrustintheTeacherandhisTeaching.我们在尝试决定自身与佛法的关系时,最终都会发现受到挑战,需要对这两副看上去不可调和的面貌作出合理的解释:经验主义的那一面朝向世界,告诫我们对万事亲自作调查与验证,宗教性的那一面朝向超世,告诫我们遣除疑念,信赖尊师佛陀与他的教导。
OnewaywecanresolvethisdilemmaisbyacceptingonlyonefaceoftheDhammaasauthenticandrejectingtheotherasspuriousorsuperfluous.Thus,withtraditionalBuddhistpietism,wecanembracethereligioussideoffaithanddevotion,butshyofffromthehard-headedworld-viewandthetaskofcriticalinquiry;or,withmodernBuddhistapologetics,wecanextoltheDhamma\'sempiricismandresemblancetoscience,butstumbleembarrassinglyoverthereligiousside.YetreflectiononwhatagenuineBuddhistspiritualitytrulyrequires,makesitclearthatbothfacesoftheDhammaareequallyauthenticandthatbothmustbetakenintoaccount.Ifwefailtodoso,notonlydoweriskadoptingalopsidedviewoftheteaching,butourowninvolvementwiththeDhammaislikelytobehamperedbypartialityandconflictingattitudes.我们解决这个困境的办法,一个是把佛法的一面作为真法来接受,而把另一面作为伪造或附赘加以排斥。这样一来,在传统的崇拜式佛教里,我们包容了信仰的宗教性与崇敬那一面,却回避了脚踏实地的世界观与批评探索的任务;或者,为现代佛法作辩,我们可以赞扬佛法的经验性、与科学的相似性,但在宗教那一面尴尬地踌躇不前。然而在思考了真正的佛教精神必须具备的因素之后,很清楚,佛法的两个面貌都是真实的,必须同时兼顾。如果做不到这点,不仅涉险于只接受部分教导的不平衡性,我们个人的佛法修持,也可能受偏向性与冲突态度的障碍。
Theproblemremains,however,ofbringingtogetherthetwofacesoftheDhammawithoutsidlingintoself-contradiction.Thekey,wesuggest,toachievingthisreconciliation,andthustosecuringtheinternalconsistencyofourownperspectiveandpractice,liesinconsideringtwofundamentalpoints:first,theguidingpurposeoftheDhamma;andsecond,thestrategyitemploystoachievethatpurpose.Thepurposeistheattainmentofdeliverancefromsuffering.TheDhammadoesnotaimatprovidinguswithfactualinformationabouttheworld,andthus,despiteacompatibilitywithscience,itsgoalsandconcernsarenecessarilydifferentfromthoseofthelatter.Primarilyandessentially,theDhammaisapathtospiritualemancipation,toliberationfromtheroundofrepeatedbirth,deathandsuffering.Offeredtousastheirreplaceablemeansofdeliverance,theDhammadoesnotseekmereintellectualassent,butcommandsaresponsethatisboundtobefullyreligious.Itaddressesusatthebedrockofourbeing,andthereitawakensthefaith,devotionandcommitmentappropriatewhenthefinalgoalofourexistenceisatstake.然而,怎样协调佛法的这两面同时避免自我矛盾,仍是个问题。我们认为,达成这两面的协调,从而在个人的观念与修持中确保内在一致性,关键在于考虑两个根本问题:第一,佛法教导的目的,第二,为了达到该目的所需的策略。目的是从苦中证得解脱。佛法的本意,并非为我们提供有关世界的实际知识,因此虽与科学兼容,其目标与内涵必然有异于科学。佛法在最主要、最基本的意义上,是一条通往释放心智、摆脱轮回之苦的道路。佛法为我们提供了无可替代的解脱之道,非仅寻求智力上的认同,它指定的态度必然有充分的宗教性。它直指内心深处,于存在的终极意义岌岌可危之际,在那里唤醒了相应的信念、崇敬与坚定。
ButforBuddhismfaithanddevotionareonlyspurswhichimpelustoenterandperseverealongthepath;bythemselvestheycannotensuredeliverance.Theprimarycauseofbondageandsuffering,theBuddhateaches,isignoranceregardingthetruenatureofexistence;henceintheBuddhiststrategyofliberationtheprimaryinstrumentmustbewisdom,theknowledgeandvisionofthingsastheyreallyare.Investigationandcriticalinquiry,coolanduncommitted,constitutethefirststeptowardwisdom,enablingustoresolveourdoubtsandgainaconceptualgraspofthetruthsuponwhichourdeliverancedepends.Butdoubtandquestioningcannotcontinueindefinitely.OncewehavedecidedthattheDhammaistobeourvehicletospiritualfreedom,wehavetosteponboard:wemustleaveourhesitancybehindandenterthecourseoftrainingwhichwillleadusfromfaithtoliberatingvision.但是对佛教来说,信念与崇敬只能促使我们走上这条路、并坚持走下去;它们本身却不能保证解脱。佛陀教导说,束缚与苦的根源,是对真相的无明;因此佛教的解脱策略中,基本工具必须是智慧,即对真相的如实知见。冷静而不受约束的调查与批判性的探索,构成了通往智慧的第一步,使我们排疑解惑,对解脱所依的真理有一个概念上的把握。但是疑与问不能永久存在。我们一旦决定佛法是通向灵性自由的载体,就得走上前来:把存犹置于身后,投身于一个修练过程,它会把我们从信仰引向解脱的洞见。
ForthosewhoapproachtheDhammainquestofintellectualoremotionalgratification,inevitablyitwillshowtwofaces,andonewillalwaysremainapuzzle.ButifwearepreparedtoapproachtheDhammaonitsownterms,asthewaytoreleasefromsuffering,therewillnotbetwofacesatall.Insteadwewillseewhatwastherefromthestart:thesinglefaceofDhammawhich,likeanyotherface,presentstwocomplementarysides.对那些为了寻求智力或情感的满足而接近佛法的人,它不可避免地以双重面貌存在,其中之一必然始终是个难题。但如果我们做好准备,以佛法本身指定的态度,把它作为灭苦之道,则丝毫不存在双面形式。相反,我们看见的是法的单一面貌,它从起始便这般存在,如一切面貌,皆显现互补的两个侧面。