BBC：古代圣贤（2015）（1）

由祭司代表高等种姓执行
performed by priests on behalf of the higher castes.
最低等级的种姓几乎没有改善命运的希望
The lowest castes had little prospect of improving their lot
通过因果报应的仪式形式
through the ritual form of Karma.
佛陀从仪式行动中改变了业力
Buddha changed Karma from ritual action
想到那件事
to the thought of that action.
那么这一行动的意图是什么呢
So the intent of that action
比行动本身更重要
was more important than the action itself.
如果你想得好，如果你有良好的意图，
If you thought well, if you had good intentions,
那你就可以改变你的命运了，知道吗？
then you could change your destiny, you know?
不必在今生，但在未来的生命中会更好
Not necessarily in this life, but in future lives as well.
这是一个关键的转变，不是吗？
That’s a key shift, isn’t it?
这是理解上的重大转变
That is a very major shift in the understanding
关于因果报应的概念，你知道吗？
of the notion of Karma, you know?
从仪式行为到个人选择
From ritual action to an individual’s choice
做好事，你知道，他们必须是好人
of doing good, you know, they have to be good human beings.
这是佛教最基本的一点
And that’s a fundamental thing about Buddhism.
所以这不仅仅是一种哲学上的转变，
So that’s no just a kind of philosophical shift,
这是社会的转变
but that’s a change in society.
绝对地
Absolutely.
他把它从有权改变人类的命运祭司手中拿了出来
He took it out of the hands of the priests
who were empowered to change the destiny of men,
把它交给了修行佛教的普通人们
and gave it in the hands of people
who were practicing Buddhism.
所以不管你来自哪个阶层，
So it doesn’t matter what class you’re from,
事实上，不管什么性别
actually, or what gender.
你可以是任何人，你可以属于任何种姓
You could be anyone, you could belong to any caste.
这其实并不重要；每个人都有选择权，
It didn’t really matter; everybody had the choice,
以及自♥由♥，改善，成为一个好人
and the freedom, to improve, to become a good person.
佛陀对因果报应的看法是解放的
The Buddha’s take on Karma was liberating.
每个人都陷入轮回的循环中
Everyone stuck in the cycle of Samsara
都有机会提高他们重生的质量
had the chance to improve the quality of their rebirth.
现在，你不再依赖于阶层或种姓的好坏
Now, you were no longer good or bad dependent on class
或者性别或者某种仪式上的专业知识
or gender or some kind of ritual expertise.
佛陀寻求有潜在力的答案
The Buddha sought answers that had the potential
让每个人都受益
to benefit everyone.
想想这是多么根本性的进步
Just think what a radical development that is.
佛陀的因果报应，进入大众中
The Buddha’s democratization of Karma attracted
特别受到了 对推动印度城市增长的商人和贸易商阶层的 关注和支持
the attention and support of one class, in particular.
The merchants and traders who’d fueled the rise of Indian cities.
按照婆罗门教的惯例，
According to the conventions of Brahminism,
与你的种姓以外的任何人联♥系♥
contact with anyone outside your caste
会被污染
resulted in contamination.
当然，根据定义，商人是相互作用的
But of course, by definition, merchants were interacting
一直以来都有不同的人和不同的文化
with different people and different cultures the whole time.
但现在，佛教对此没有任何问题
Now, Buddhism didn’t have any kind of a problem with that.
一些商人感到种姓制度对他们不利
Some merchants felt disadvantaged by the caste system.
佛陀的包容性教义给了他们
The Buddha’s inclusive message gave them
在社会上的地位感，
the greatest sense of place in society,
引导他们进取的本能
and channeled their aspirational instincts.
商人的财富，就像善业，
The wealth of merchants, like good Karma,
就其本质而言是精英统治
was by its very nature meritocratic.
这不是命中注定的，
It wasn’t in some way preordained,
它是 你自己的努力而赢得和积累的
it was won and accumulated for your own efforts.
在古代，佛陀对因果报应的看法
The Buddha’s take on the ancient ideas of Karma
为普通人提供了更好的道德生活
offered ordinary people a way to a better moral life.
他帮助人创造了这种信念
He helped to create the belief
我们日常生活中的行为和意图
that action and intention in our everyday lives
产生了真正的后果
had real consequences.
像这样的硬币，是一个全新的共同点，
Coins like these were a brand new common denominator,
正如因果报应，现在是佛教的一种道德货币
just as Karma was now a kind of moral currency for Buddhism.
很容易想象，有了这样的事情
It’s easy to imagine how, with things like these
在你的口袋里，你可以理解你是如何获得
in your pocket, you could understand how you could secure
通过积累优点来获得未来利益
future benefits by building up merits.
佛陀彻底改变了伦理
The Buddha had revolutionized ethics.
我们不能再责怪任何外部力量，
We could no longer blame any external force,
就像上帝一样，为了我们的决定
like a god, for our decisions.
我们对自己的道德状况完全负责
We were entirely responsible for our own moral condition.
责任跟着我们停了下来
The buck stopped with us.
本质上，这是同样的号♥召
In essence, this is the same rallying cry
我们从其他伟大的哲学家那里听到的
that we hear from those other great philosophers
关于这个时代，苏格拉底和孔子：
of the age, Socrates and Confucius:
要想找到宇宙的答案，首先要往里看
to find answers to the universe, first look within.
做你自己的灯，佛陀说
Be your own lamp, said the Buddha.
不要寻求其他避难所
Seek no other refuge.
这些都是令人振奋的想法
These are exciting thoughts.
你不必只是一个无助者，
The idea that you don’t just have to be a victim,
而是你自己命运的主人
but a master of your own fate.
佛陀用他有力的个人解放的教义，继续宣扬
The Buddha forged ahead with his potent message
of personal liberation.
他穿越了印度中部的平原，
It’s said he criss-crossed the central Indian plains,
在城市和乡村进行公开宣讲
giving public talks in cities and the country
讲给任何他认为准备好听他教义的人
to anybody he thought ready to hear his message.
这群门徒分享了他的使命和漫游生活方式，并因此得名：
And the community of disciples who shared his mission
and wandering lifestyle acquired a name.
僧伽
The Sangha.
在早期阶段，僧伽是松散的
At this stage, the Sangha was dispersed
而且组织也松散
and only loosely organized.
根据传统说法，
But according to traditional accounts,
当佛陀来到郊外的一片森林时
when the Buddha came here to a forest on the outskirts
拉贾格里哈，佛教团体采取一个全新的方向
of Rajagriha, the Buddhist order would
take on a whole new direction.
这座城市的国王比姆比萨拉，
The king of the city, Bimbisara,
听说佛陀在外面露营，
heard that the Buddha was camped outside,
带着12万婆罗门去拜访他
and went to visit him with 120,000 Brahmins.
听到他讲道，
On hearing him preach, we are told that each
他们每个人，包括国王，
and every one of them, including the king,
都祈求被接受为信徒
begged to be received as lay followers.
我们知道，当我们遇到一些人时，
We know that, with people, when we meet some people,
我们立刻感到敬畏，
we immediately feel a sense of reverence,
你知道，在他们面前有一种谦卑感，
you know, a sense of humility, in their presence,
然而，他们似乎并不难接近
and yet, they don’t seem inaccessible.
我觉得他很有魅力
He was, I feel, very charismatic.
人们在某种程度上被他迷住了
People were, in a way, entranced by him.
我认为他能够理解心理学
I think he was able to understand the psychology
对于这个人，他有一种直觉
of the person, he had a sort of intuitive sense
这个人需要什么
of what the person needed.
他没有说：我才是知道的人
He was not saying: I’m the one who knows.
他说：你试试看
He said: you try it.
这种自♥由♥探究的精神，
And this spirit of free inquiry,
真的很鼓舞人心，很有革命性
that was really encouraging, was quite revolutionary.
他们会面后，据说是Bimbisara
Following their meeting, Bimbisara was said
在这里捐赠了一片竹林
to have donated a bamboo grove on this very spot
作为佛陀不断壮大的社团的休养地
as a retreat for the Buddha’s growing community.
僧团赢得富有的赞助人至关重要
Winning over wealthy patrons would be crucial
为了佛教♥徒♥教义的未来
for the future of the Buddhists’ message.
建立永久基地
The establishment of permanent bases
在这样的地方，僧伽得以发展
in places like this saw the Sangha develop
来自一群志同道合的旅行者
from a group of like-minded itinerants
进入一个固定的机构
into a settled institution.
拉贾格里哈的僧伽成为了全新的东西典范
The Sangha at Rajagriha became the model
for something entirely new.
很快，一个寺院工作体系，
Soon, a network of monasteries,
世界上第一座已知的佛寺院出现了
the first known monasteries in the world, sprang up.
佛陀和他的行游弟♥子♥将在季风季节停留的地方
Places where the Buddha and his traveling disciples
would stay during the monsoon season.
运动在改变，
The movement was changing,
佛陀的角色也会改变
and the Buddha’s role would change, too.
他教导每个僧侣都象一座岛，
He taught that each monk was an island,
对自己负责，但现在他被信任了
and responsible for themselves, but now he’s believed
制定了一套全面的指导方针
to have created a comprehensive set of guidelines.
在早期佛教中，僧侣很少
In early Buddhism, there’s only few monks.
所以不需要规则，
So there was no need of rules,
因为那些成为僧侣的人非常聪明
because those who become monks were very highly intelligent
和高度的内在精神
and highly inner-spiritual.