BBC：古代圣贤（2015）（1）

你不再是Bettany了
you’re not Bettany anymore.
Bettany由非Bettany元素构成
Bettany is made of non-Bettany elements.
Bettany是阳光，地球，英格兰，
Bettany is the sunshine, the earth, England,
然后你突然意识到
and then you suddenly start realizing
简单一点都不是
that there was not a single point
当Bettany出现的时候，你知道吗？
when Bettany came about, you know?
所以，在佛教中，我们不谈论创造
So, in Buddhism, we don’t talk about creation.
我们谈论示现
We talk about manifestation.
这并不是否认你的存在
It’s not denying that you exist.
你存在
You exist.
但它不是，它否认我们有一个内在的
But it’s not, it’s denying that we have an intrinsically
独♥立♥实体
independent entity.
佛陀相信了这个想法
The Buddha believed the idea
永久的自我并不是解决方案的一部分
of a permanent self wasn’t part of the solution.
这实际上是问题的根源
It was actually at the root of the problem.
因为它让我们自私，固执己见。
Because it made us selfish, self-absorbed.
它制♥造♥了无尽的欲望，奴役我们
It created insatiable craving that enslaved us
对于短暂的、世俗的担忧，
to transient, earthly concerns,
让我们陷入轮回
and kept us trapped in Samsara.
摆脱这种根深蒂固的自我错觉
To rid oneself of this deep-seated delusion of self
是解脱之路
was the way to liberation.
这种意识让你自♥由♥
That realization allows you the freedom
不要被困在我、我、我的，
not to get caught in the I, me, mine,
这才是痛苦的根本原因
which is really the fundamental cause of suffering.
然后，他说：哦，那就有办法了
And then, he says: oh, then there is a way
克服痛苦
to overcome suffering.
就是这种，哇！
That’s the sort of ah-ha, wow!
所以他的教学是基于重新发现你的本性，
So his teaching was based around rediscovering your nature,
非自我本性
which is non-self nature.
佛陀的自我分♥析♥揭示了答案：
The Buddha’s self-analysis revealed the answer:
如果我们能消除自我的错觉，
if we could extinguish the delusion of self,
我们会看到事物的本来面目，
we would see things as they truly are,
苦难就会结束
and our suffering would end.
我们有能力掌控自己的生活
We had the capacity to take control of our lives.
佛陀似乎已经意识到了这一点
The Buddha seems to have recognized
我们的思想和性格具有可塑性
that there’s a plasticity to our minds and characters.
以正确的态度生活在这个世界上
Living in the world with the right attitude
是完全容易做到的
is fundamentally empowering.
基本上说，认识你自己，世界就是你的
Basically, know yourself and the world is yours.
这是25世纪的认知心理学
It’s cognitive psychology 25 centuries
在这个短语被发明之前
before the phrase is invented.
佛陀已准备好竭尽全力
The Buddha was ready to throw all his efforts
实现自我转变
into bringing about his self-transformation.
他来到一个小村庄的郊区，
Arriving on the outskirts of a small village,
他发现了一片美丽的地方，
he found a beautiful stretch of countryside,
依偎着一片宜人的小树林
with a pleasant grove nestled
在波光粼粼的河岸上
on the banks of a sparkling river.
在他35岁的一天晚上，
We’re told that one night, age 35,
佛陀来到菩提迦耶，
the Buddha came here to Bodhgaya,
静静地坐在这棵树下
and calmly sat underneath the ancestor if this very tree.
今天，这里是一个数百万人朝圣圣地
Today, it’s a pilgrimage site
for many millions for one key reason.
因为这是所有会同在一起的地方
Because this is where it all came together.
佛陀进入了沉思状态
The Buddha entered a deep, meditative state.
他在其中经历了大量前世
In which he experienced a vast number of his previous lives.
描述了许多生命形式的循环，
He describes a cycle of many life forms,
还有生命的轮回
and rounds of existence.
从地狱生物和动物到人类，
From hell-beings and animals, to humans,
到更抽象的意识层次
through to more abstract levels of consciousness.
然而，所有这些形式都受制于轮回
Yet all these forms were subject to Samsara.
即使是神也会死后重生
Even a god would eventually die and be reborn.
但最终，佛陀超越了这些状态，
But finally, the Buddha moved beyond these states,
他在人性深处进行了探索，终于找到了根源
searching deep in his humanity, he was able to root out
永久消除渴望、无知和妄想
and permanently extinguish craving, ignorance, and delusion.
他终于摆脱了死亡的循环
He had finally broken free of the cycle of death
重生并获得开悟
and rebirth and attained enlightenment.
涅槃
Nirvana.
不可动摇的是我思想的解放
Unshakeable is the liberation of my mind.
这是最后一次出生
This is the last birth.
对我来说，再也没有新的存在了
For me, there is no more renewed existence.
后来，佛陀会阻止猜测
Later, the Buddha would discourage speculation
关于涅盘的本质
about the nature of nirvana.
描述它就像问，火焰熄灭后发生了什么
Describing it was like asking what happened to a flame once it had been blown out.
然而，这是人类状况的一个解决方案，不需要天堂，神或超自然的知识。
And yet, this was no less than a solution to the human condition,
without the need for heavens or gods or metaphysical knowledge.
这是一种纯粹的解放状态，
This was a state of pure liberation,
直接从内部体验
directly experienced from within.
佛陀利用了这些能力
The Buddha had harnessed the capabilities
来确定他相信什么
of the mind to identify what he believed
从根本上说，这就是人类
it fundamentally was to be human.
熄灭欲望、仇恨和妄想，
Extinguishing desire and hatred and delusion,
这让他充分发挥了自己的潜力
that allowed him to fulfill his full potential.
现在，他可以带着绝对的智慧和慈悲心生活
Now, he can live with absolute wisdom, and compassion.
佛陀觉得，他有一个新的使命
The Buddha found he had a new mission.
就是分享他的经历
To share what he’d experienced.
他不确定自己是否能表达出来，
He wasn’t sure if he could ever communicate it,
但他对人的深刻慈悲驱使他继续前行
but his profound empathy for others drove him on.
最早的是五位 弃绝者朋友
His starting point was the five former renouncer friends
用他的中道，动身前去
he’d left for his middle way.
他找到了他们，–就是我接下来要去的地方，
The sources tell us he found them where I’m heading next,
现代瓦拉纳西的郊区，
the outskirts of modern-day Varanasi,
一个古代鹿野苑的遗址
the site of an ancient deer park.
起初，他以前的同伴
At first, his former companions
不欢迎他
were reluctant to welcome him.
但是，随后他们意识到
And then we’re told, , they realized
佛陀发生了巨大的变化
that a great transformation had taken place.
他们尊敬地迎接他，并为他洗脚 （印度的礼节）
They greeted him with respect and washed his feet.
现在我们有一种感觉
And it’s now that we get a sense
他有令人信服的魅力
of the compelling charisma of the man.
因为佛陀要告诉他们的是令人兴奋的事情
Because what the Buddha had to tell them was mind-blowing
关于它的洞察力和清晰度
in its insight and clarity.
佛陀分享了他的发现，
The Buddha shared his discoveries,
被称为四大真理
known as the Four Noble Truths.
（指苦、集、灭、道四谛。“谛”为佛经中所指的“真理”）
第一个真理是必然性，所有的生命都在受苦
The first truth was the inevitability that all life is suffering.
（佛教认为，人世间一切皆苦，叫“苦谛”）
但是，佛陀所说的痛苦不仅仅是指疾病
But by suffering, the Buddha didn’t just mean illness
和年老，而是持续的失望
and old age, but the persistent disappointments
以及生活的不安全感
and insecurities of life.
第二个真理是，痛苦是由欲望引起的
The second truth was that suffering was caused by craving.
（欲望是造成人生多苦的原因，叫“集谛”）
第三个原因是，因为痛苦有一个可以确定的原因，它可能被消灭
The third was that since suffering has an identifiable cause
it could have an end.
（断灭一切世俗痛苦的原因后进入理想的境界，即“涅槃”，叫“灭谛”）
但第四个真♥相♥提供了关键的实际答案
But it was the fourth truth that offered the critical, practical answer.
（而要达到最高理想“涅槃”境界，必须长♥期♥修“道”，叫“道谛”）
这个真理是一条路，他称之为八正道
This truth was a path, what he called the Eightfold Path.
它结束了所有的痛苦
And it offered up an end to all suffering.
在佛陀的指引下，这一小群的弟♥子♥
With the Buddha’s guidance, his small group of disciples
进步很快；他们获得了智慧，
made quick progress; they’d gained wisdom,
实践道德操守，实现精神自律
practiced ethical conduct, and achieved mental discipline
通过冥想
through meditation.
最后，他们自己体验了涅盘
Finally, they experienced nirvana for themselves.
虽然理论上，解脱可以
But whilst liberation was, in theory,
向每一个人开放，但在实践中
open to everyone, in practice,
许多人没有那么多的时间和精力
many couldn’t afford the time and the effort.
然而，佛陀给这些仍然被困在死亡和重生的循环中的人传达了希望
The Buddha, however, had a message of hope for those
who remained trapped in the cycle of death and rebirth.
通过彻底重新制定长♥期♥以来的概念
By completely reformulating the long-established concept
业力（因果报应）
of Karma.
传统上，业力指的是显著的行为，
Traditionally, Karma referred to significant action,
据信，这可以提高我们来世的重生的性质
which, it was believed, could improve the quality
of our rebirth in the next life.
在婆罗门主义的早期，
In the early days of Brahmanism,
因果报应是仪式行为的同义词，
Karma was synonymous with ritual action,