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法最尊貴而不是血統 ── 正法中沒有種族歧視 當有一次佛陀住在舍衛國的鹿母講堂時，來了兩位婆羅門，一位名叫婆悉吒，另一位叫婆羅墮。他們倆誠心誠意地在佛陀的僧團出家修學，成為比丘。 這一天黃昏，婆悉吒看見佛陀走出講堂，在陰涼處經行，就趕緊招呼一同出家的婆羅墮，跟隨在佛陀後面一起經行，想藉著這個機會親近佛陀，看看能不能因此而多聽聞一些佛法。 這時，佛陀回過頭來，關懷地對婆悉吒問道：「你們兩位真是難得，雖然出生在婆羅門家族，卻甘願放棄那優渥的居家環境，來過無家的比丘生活，你們有沒有受到族人的責難呢？」 婆悉吒回答佛陀說，他們確實遭到婆羅門族人嚴厲而無情的責罵。 「他們以什麼理由來責罵你們呢？」佛陀繼續問。 「他們說：『我們婆羅門有著最尊貴的血統，沒有其他種族能比得上的了，只有我們婆羅門才有高貴純淨的白皮膚，其他的種族沒有，我們婆羅門出於梵天之口，是梵天真正的子民，梵天的繼承人，不但這輩子是清淨的，後輩子也永遠是清淨的，你們為什麼要放棄這麼尊貴清淨的身分，而去親近那些低賤身分地位的剃髮沙門呢？』世尊！他們就是以這樣的理由，不停地來責罵我們。」婆悉吒回答佛陀說。 佛陀因而告訴婆悉吒說：「婆羅門們真的完全忘失了過去四姓形成的歷史真相了，才會自以為是梵天真正的子民，而以梵天的繼承人自居。即使遠的歷史不談，就拿當生的事實來說，難道婆羅門之女沒有懷孕生子的經驗嗎？哪個婆羅門不是和一般人一樣，經由母親懷胎而出生的呢？怎麼能說自己是最尊貴的種族，是梵天真正的子民，梵天的繼承人呢？持這種論調的婆羅門，實在是所言不實，他們以這樣的理由來責罵你們，是沒道理的，是不光彩的。 婆悉吒！在我教導的正法修學中，是不需要和世俗一樣看重出身與血統的，也不必仗恃著傲慢的自我優越感，反倒是如果有自以為出身高人一等，因而懷有驕慢心的沙門、婆羅門，就沒有辦法在我教導的正法中有所成就。世俗上雖然有婆羅門族、王族、平民族與奴隸族等四姓階級之分，但在這四種族群中，每個階層中都會有犯殺人、偷盜、淫亂、欺詐、搬弄是非、粗話傷人、虛意奉承、慳貪、瞋恚、邪見等十種惡行的人，也都會有離殺人、偷盜、淫亂、欺詐……等修十善行的人。惡行會引生惡報，善行會導致善報，這樣的道理有其普遍性，不會只在哪個族群與階級中才有效。如果惡行引生惡報的現象只存在於王族、平民族與奴隸族之中，善行導致善報的效力只會在婆羅門族內發生，那麼，婆羅門才可以說：『我們的血統是最尊貴的。』然而，實際上並不是這樣子的。 婆悉吒！王族中有人供養禮敬阿羅漢，婆羅門、平民、奴隸族也都供養禮敬阿羅漢，阿羅漢才是四姓中的第一等人。四姓中，任何人出家成為比丘，只要依於正法修學，最後都可以成為斷盡煩惱、解脫生死、修行成就的阿羅漢的。能成為四姓中第一等人的阿羅漢，是因為他的行為合於正法的緣故，而不是血統。因此，這正法才是人類最尊貴的，現在如此，後世的未來，也還是如此。 舉個實例來說：我的祖國臣服於憍薩羅國之下，所以，我釋迦族人對憍薩羅國波斯匿王，必須行著謙遜順從的臣民之禮，但波斯匿王卻對我供養禮敬，對我行站立、合掌、問訊的謙卑之禮。波斯匿王是不會認為『沙門瞿曇出身於有錢有勢的豪族，而我的出身窮陋卑下，所以應當供養禮敬如來』的，波斯匿王之所以會對我供養禮敬，是因為我的成就正法，是對正法的尊崇，視正法為神聖的緣故。 婆悉吒！你們大家來自不同種族、不同階層，有著不同的姓氏，出家而過著無家的正法修學生活，日後，如果別人以世俗的眼光，來質問你們的種姓身分時，那麼，你們就回答他們『我們是沙門釋種之子』好了，或者，也可以這樣回答：『我們是梵天之子，從其親口所生，也即是從正法所生，是正法的繼承者。』為什麼也可以這樣回答呢？因為一般人所認知的梵，是不為熱惱所迫，能徹底觀透世間的智者，這樣，梵其實也就是如來的同義語了。」 接著，佛陀就為婆悉吒述說了人類社會的形成，以及四姓分立的過程。 |
The Dharma, not Blood Relationship, is the Noblest—There is no Racial Discrimination in the Right Dharma On one occasion, the Buddha was staying at the Savatthi, at the mansion of Migara’s mother. Two Brahmins, one by the name of Vasetta and another Bharadvaja; they came earnestly to study with the Buddha and hope to become monks. In this evening, Vasetta saw the Buddha was in walking meditation and quickly called Bharadvaja to follow the Buddha’s walking meditation to see if they could learn more about the Dharma. During the walking meditation, the Buddha turned his head and asked Vasetta with care: “Vasetta, both of you are hard to come by, although were born as Brahmins and were willingly gave up the comfortable household life into the homelessness as Bhikkhus, have you been reviling and abusing by the Brahmins?” Vasetta replied that they indeed received sever and ruthless reproaches. “Vasetta, What kind of reproaches they fling at you?” the Buddha continue asked. “The World Respected One! They said “The Brahmins caste is the highest caste, other castes are base; the Brahmins caste is fair, other castes are dark; Brahmin are purified, non-Brahmins are not, the Brahmins are the true children of Brahma, born from his mouth, born of Brahma, created by Brahma, heirs of Brahma. And you, you have deserted the highest class and gone over to the base class of shaveling petty ascetics, servants, dark fellows born of Brahma’s foot! It is not right, it is not proper for you to mix with such people!” That is the way the Brahmins abuses us continuously, The World Respected One!” Replied Vasetta. The Buddha hence told Vasetta: “Vasetta! Brahmins have indeed forgotten completely the truth about formulation of the four castes in history; consider themselves the true children of Brahma, heirs of Brahma. Let’s put aside the ancient history and talk about the true of birth, doesn’t the female Brahmins have the experience of giving birth? Which Brahmin wasn’t born through pregnancy by their mother? How can they say that they are the noblest caste, the true children of Brahma, heirs of Brahma? These Brahmins tell lie and they abuse you for such reasons are groundless and earn much demerit. Vasetta, in the right Dharma which I teach, it is not necessary to follow the worldly class origin and blood relationship, not necessary to rely on the arrogant of self-pride; on the other hand, those ascetics and Brahmin who arrogantly consider themselves in a higher class of origin, were unable to achieve in the right Dharma which I teach. Although there are the four castes, namely the Brahmins, the Rulers, the Artisans and the Slaveries in the world, however, among the four castes, there are offenders of the Ten Evil Deeds include killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, swindling, using immoral language, slandering, equivocating, coveting, anger and fault view, and there are folks who practice ten good deeds by annihilating from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, swindling. . . The evil deeds would cause unwholesome karma and the good deeds cause wholesome karma, this principle is universal and would not be restricted to certain castes. If the phenomenon of good deeds cause wholesome karma occurs only in the castes of Rulers the Artisans and the Slaveries; and if the effect of good deeds cause good karma occur only in the Brahmins, then the Brahmins could say “our blood relationship is the nobles”, however, it is not the case. Vasetta, some of the Rulers have made offers and pay homage to the Arhats, some of the Brahmins, the Artisans and the Slaveries also have made offers and pay homage to the Arhats. The Arhats are the first of the four castes. In the four castes, anyone could leave home and become monastic, what they have to do is to follow the right Dharma for practicing, they finally could become Arhat that has annihilated form vexation, liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The Arhat became the first in the four castes is because their behavior confirmed with the right Dharma rather than blood relationship. Therefore the right Dharma is the noblest in the mankind, in this life and in the next as well Let’s take a real case as an example; my motherland subordinates to Kosala, hence clan of the Sakyans must submit and pay respect to King Pasenadi of Kosala, but King Pasenadi offer me humble service and saluting me by standing up, joining palm and bowing. King Pasenadi would not consider “ascetic Gotama is well-born and I am ill-born, hence should offer humble service to the Tathagate”, the reason for King Pasenadi to offer humble service and salute is because of my right Dharma attainment, is to respect the Dharma and regard the right Dharma as sacred. Vasetta! You came from different race, different social stratum, having different family names, left home to become monastic, if someone asks you later in a worldly way about your caste, then you can answer them “We are sons of the Sakyamuni caste”. Or you can reply: “we are sons of Brahma, born from his mouth, which means born from the right Dharma, is the heir of the Dharma.” Why it can be answered in such way? Because the Brahma as became known as a learned person who is free from vexations and able to gain insight into the worldly matters, in that regard, Brahma is synonymous with Tathagata. Afterward, the Buddha talked to Vasetta about formulation of the human society and the process of the four castes. |
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按語： 一、本則故事取材自《長部第二七起世因本經》、《長阿含第五小緣經》、《中阿含第一五四婆羅婆堂經》。 二、世襲的四姓階級信仰，在印度有著源遠流長的歷史，一直到現代都還未能徹底根除。相傳成立於西元前一千五百年左右的《黎俱吠陀》，其中的〈原人歌〉就說由原人的頭部生出婆羅門族，肩膀生出王族，腿部生出平民族，腳底生出奴隸族。「原人」，在哲學思維上，隱含著宇宙人類的創造神之意義，這個創造神的概念，在西元前七百年左右成立的《梵書》中，演變成為神格的大梵天，這時的婆羅門族，就被說成是由梵天頭部的口中所生，是梵天的嫡傳了。 三、印度傳統信仰的大梵天，是一神教的信仰。與其他一神教的信仰一樣，印度婆羅門族有著唯一創造神「真正子民」、「選民」的種族優越感。只要存在有種族優越感的地方，就不斷地會有種族歧視的悲劇發生。從本則故事，可以明確地看出佛陀反對這樣的種族優越感，所反對的理由，不是因為佛陀不是白種人的婆羅門族，而是因為這種信仰與事實不符，以及違反佛法的緣起無我思想。依佛法的歸類，優越感是一種「我慢」，是「我執」之屬，我執則是煩惱與生死流轉的主要推動力量，所以，人們只要存有著優越感，不論是有關種族血緣的、學歷地位的、財富福報的，就與佛法的修學不相應了。與優越感相對的，是自卑感。自卑感看似不同於優越感，其實執著於自我的特性，還是一樣的，也與佛法的修學不相應。 四、由於所能享有資源的不同，社會上可能會形成不同影響力的階層。有時，這種階層的聚集，會與種族、教育程度、財富地位有關，而且也常直接影響到下一代，所以讓人有「世襲」與「命運」的錯覺，其實，這都還不離「此有故彼有，此無故彼無」的緣起法則。即使不同影響力的各類族群，彼此之間也有深厚的依存性，相互影響而沒有絕對性。例如，從事簡單低微的工作者，常常是因為沒能接受完整的教育，謀生能力薄弱的緣故。謀生能力薄弱，又導致物質生活相對地匱乏。生活壓力的重擔，常導致對子女教育的忽略，於是，這類工作者的子女，日後也常走向以這類工作維生。從事簡單低微的工作者，常常為人所輕視，然而，這類工作如果沒人做，常會造成大家生活上的紊亂，即使達官貴人也一樣，卻又顯出大家對這些低微工作者的依賴。 五、經行，與散步相近而又不同。這是取一段長短適中的距離為起迄點，固定路線的來回行走。一般是用來作為禪坐後或昏沈時的調節，所以這不是可以想東想西的散步，還是要維持相當程度的心念專注。 六、本則故事中，佛陀說到佛弟子們可以自稱是「沙門釋種之子」，這或許是中國出家眾，都以「釋」為姓的根據吧。 |
Notes: 1. This story was derived from the 27th Agarma
Sutra of the Digha Nikaya; Dirghagama the 4th Sutra; Madhyagama 154th
Sutra.
4. Due to availability of resources, it is possible
resulting different social strata of different affluence. Sometimes,
congregations of these social strata could be the results of race, gender,
educational background and wealth and position, and often affecting the
next generation, given the illusion of “inherence” and “fate”. In fact,
these are the result of the “dependent origination” principle where “This
exist then that exists” and “this non-exist then that non-exist”. There
are deep dependability among races of different affluence, there are
interdependent instead of absolute. For instance, those engage in
low-income jobs often as the result of lacking education and skills for
making a living. Lacking skills resulting lacking materials for their
livelihood. The pressure for making a living often resulting overlook
educational aspect of their children, thus their children often engaging
in the low-income jobs. Those engaging in the low-income jobs often being
looked down upon. However, everybody’s livelihood, including the
well-to-do and senior officials would be chaotic if nobody undertake such
jobs, it is clear that we all dependent upon these undertakers. 5. In the story, the Buddha spoke of the monastic
can call themselves “Son of Ascetics Sakaymuni”, perhaps it was the base
for the Chinese monastic uses the surname “Sak” as their family
name. 6. It seems odd to regard “Brahma” as the Tathagata, Ven. Yin Shun commented “it should have been for the compliance of the Brahmin culture” Although it is the collective characteristic of “the worldly Siddhantas” in the Dirghagama, but the “real different between the Dharma and the Brahmin mythology will be blurred” (in “The Origin and Development of the Early Mahayana Buddhism”, p.269) |