為何很多美國人認為佛教只是一種哲學？

正文翻譯

原創翻譯：龍騰網 翻譯：yzy86 轉載請註明出處

論壇地址：http://www.ltaaa.com/bbs/thread-468160-1-1.html

In East Asia, Buddhists celebrate theBuddha』s death and entrance into final enlightenment in February. But at mylocal Zen temple in North Carolina, the Buddha』s enlightenment is commemoratedduring the holiday season of December, with a short talk for the children, acandlelight service and a potluck supper following the celebration.

Welcome to Buddhism, American-style.

在東亞地區，佛教徒們在二月慶祝佛祖的圓寂及其涅槃。但在北卡羅來納州我當地的禪宗寺廟裡，會在十二月的假日季期間紀念佛祖的涅槃，包含一個給孩子們準備的簡短演講，一個燭光敬拜儀式和慶祝活動後的一頓晚間便餐。

歡迎來到美式佛教。

Early influences

早期的影響

Buddhism entered into the American culturalconsciousness in the late 19th century. It was a time when romantic notions ofexotic Oriental mysticism fueled the imaginations of Americanphilosopher-poets, art connoisseurs, and early scholars of world religions.

佛教是在19世紀晚期進入美國文化意識的。那時期，帶著異國情調的東方神秘主義浪漫觀念，刺激了美國哲人、詩人、藝術鑒賞家以及早期世界宗教學者的想像力。

Transcendental poets like Henry DavidThoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson read Hindu and Buddhist philosophy deeply, asdid Henry Steel Olcott, who traveled to Sri Lanka in 1880, converted toBuddhism and founded the popular strain of mystical philosophy calledTheosophy.

諸如亨利·戴維·梭羅、拉爾夫·沃爾多·愛默生等超驗主義詩人深入研讀過印度教/佛教哲學，亨利·斯太爾·奧爾科特也是如此，他於1880年前往斯里蘭卡旅行，改信了佛教並創立了廣受歡迎的的神秘哲學類型，稱為「靈智學」。

（譯註：梭羅，美國作家、哲學家，無政府傾向的超驗主義代表人物，有《瓦爾登湖》等傳世；艾默生，美國思想家、詩人，被稱為「美國文明之父」，創立過「超驗俱樂部」；奧爾科特(1832 - 1907)，本為教區長，靈智學會的創始人及首任主席，首位正式轉向佛教信仰的歐美人。）

Meanwhile, connoisseurs of Buddhist artintroduced America to the beauty of the tradition. The art historian andprofessor of philosophy Ernest Fenellosa, as well as his fellow BostonianWilliam Sturgis Bigelow, were among the first Americans to travel to Japan,convert to Buddhism and avidly collect Buddhist art. When they returned home,their collections formed the core of the premiere Arts of Asia collection atthe Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

這個時期，佛教藝術鑒賞家將傳統之美引入了美國。藝術史學家，哲學教授歐內斯特·費諾羅薩以及他的波士頓同伴威廉斯·特吉斯·比奇洛，是第一批赴日本旅行的美國人，他們轉信了佛教，熱衷於收藏佛教藝術品。回國後，他們的藏品組成了波士頓美術館首次露面亞洲藏品的核心部分。

At the same time, early scholars of worldreligions such as Paul Carus made Buddhist teachings readily accessible toAmericans. He published 「The Gospel of Buddha,」 a best-selling collection ofBuddhist parables, a year after attending the World Parliament of Religions inChicago in 1893. This was the first time in modern history that representativesfrom the world』s major religions came together to learn about one another』sspiritual traditions.

與此同時，諸如保羅·卡盧斯的早期世界宗教學者，讓美國人能更容易地接受佛教教義。在他於1893年在芝加哥參加世界宗教議會一年後，出版了《佛祖的福音》，是最暢銷的佛教寓言集。這是現代歷史上，世界主要宗教的代表們第一次聚到一起了解各自的精神傳統。

The Buddhist delegation in Chicago includedthe Japanese Zen master Shaku Sōen and the Sri Lankan Buddhist reformerAnagārika Dharmapāla, who himself had studied western science and philosophy tomodernize his own tradition. These Western-influenced Buddhists presented theirtradition to their modern Western audience as a 「non-theistic」 and 「rational」tradition that had no competing gods, irrational beliefs or supposedlymeaningless rituals to speak of.

來到芝加哥的佛教代表團包括了日本禪宗大師釋宗演和斯里蘭卡佛教改革家阿納伽里卡·達摩波羅，後者自學西方科學和哲學，以使他自己的宗教傳統現代化。這些受西方影響的佛教徒將他們的傳統，向他們的現代西方觀眾展示他們的「非神論」和「理性」的傳統，其中沒有相互爭競的神，沒有非理性的信仰或是據稱值得一提的無意義儀式。

Continuity and change

延續與轉變

Traditional Buddhism does in fact have manydeities, doctrines and rituals, as well as sacred texts, ordained priests,ethics, sectarian developments and other elements that one would typicallyassociate with any organized religion. But at the 1893 World Parliament, theBuddhist masters favorably presented their meditative tradition to modernAmerica only as a practical philosophy, not a religion. This perception ofBuddhism persists in America to this day.

事實上，傳統的佛教確實有很多神袛、教條、儀式，也有神聖的經文、指定的僧侶、倫理規範、宗派發展，以及其他通常能讓人聯想到有組織宗教的要素。但在1893年的世界宗教議會中，佛教大師們出於好意只是將他們的冥想傳統作為一種實踐哲學呈現給現代美國，而不是一種宗教。對佛教的這種認知觀念在美國一直持續到今天。

The Buddhists did not deliberatelymisrepresent their tradition or just tell the Americans what they wanted tohear. They were genuine in their attempt to make a 2500-year old traditionrelevant to the late 19th century.

這些佛教徒並不是蓄意歪曲他們的傳統，或僅僅是說給美國人聽他們想聽的。他們是真心在嘗試把一個有著2500年歷史的古老傳統，和19世紀晚期扯上關係。

But in the end they only transplanted but afew branches of Buddhism』s much larger tree into American soil. Only a fewcuttings of Buddhist philosophy, art and meditation came into America, whilemany other traditional elements of the Buddhist religion remained behind inAsia.

但最終，他們只是把佛教這顆參天大樹上的一些樹枝移植到了美國的土地。僅僅是從佛教哲學、藝術和冥想觀照上切割下一點點東西進入美國，與此同時其他很多佛教傳統要素仍在亞洲盤桓不前。

Buddhism in America

佛教在美國

Once it was planted here though, Americansbecame particularly fascinated with the mystical appeal of Buddhist meditation.

雖系移植，它一紮根，佛教冥想帶有神秘色彩的吸引力就格外讓美國人著迷。

（譯註：此處的所謂「冥想」指「禪定」）

圖解：DT Suzuki 鈴木大拙肖像照

The lay Zen teacher Daisetsu TeitaroSuzuki, who was Japanese Zen Master Shaku Sōen』s student and translator at theWorld』s Parliament, influenced many leading artists and intellectuals in thepostwar period. Thanks to his popular writings and to subsequent waves of Asianand American Buddhist teachers, Buddhism has impacted almost every aspect ofAmerican culture.

影響了戰後許多重要藝術家和知識分子的俗家禪師鈴木大拙，是日本禪宗大師釋宗演的弟子兼其在世界宗教議會的翻譯。多虧了他的熱門著作以及後繼一大波亞洲和美國的佛教導師，佛教幾乎已經對美國文化的方方面面產生了影響。

Environmental and social justiceinitiatives have embraced a movement known as 「Engaged Buddhism」 ever sinceMartin Luther King Jr. nominated its founder, the Vietnamese monk and anti-waractivist Thich Nhat Hanh, for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. His Buddhist Orderof Interbeing continues to propose mindful, nonviolent solutions to the world』smost pressing moral concerns.

自馬丁·路德·金於1967年提名其發起者，越南僧人兼反戰活動家釋一行諾貝爾和平獎以來，環境和社會正義行動就欣然接受了一場被稱為「入世佛教」的運動。他的佛教「相即會」持續為世界上最緊迫的道德問題提出正念而非暴力的解決方案。

America』s educational system has also beenenriched by its first Buddhist-affiliated university at Naropa in Colorado,which paved the way for other Buddhist institutions of higher learning such asSoka University and University of the West in California, as well as MaitripaCollege in Oregon.

美國的教育體系也因其在科羅拉多州納帕科建立的第一個佛教附屬大學而得到了充實，這也為其他高教機構中的佛學院鋪平了道路，如加州的創價大學和西來大學，以及俄勒岡州的Maitripa學院。

（譯註：美國創價大學是日本創價大學的姊妹校，由創價學會於1987年建立，創價學會(日文：創価學會,そうかがっかい，英文：Sōka Gakkai)是源自日本的宗教法人，屬於法華宗系的新興宗教日蓮正宗，以日蓮大聖人的佛法和生命哲學為基礎，其宗旨是推進和平、文化及教育，祈願人類幸福；西來大學的創立者為星雲大師；Maitripa學院為一所位於波特蘭的藏傳佛教學院）

The medical establishment too hasintegrated mindfulness-based stress reduction into mainstream therapies, andmany prison anger management programs are based on Buddhist contemplativetechniques such as Vipassana insight meditation.

醫療機構也把正念減壓療法整合進了主流療法，而且很多監獄憤怒管理項目的開展均是基於佛教的各種觀照法門，比如內觀禪修。

The same is true of the entertainmentindustry that has incorporated Buddhist themes into Hollywood blockbusters,such as 「The Matrix」. Even professional athletics have used Zen coachingstrategies and furthered America』s understanding of Buddhism not as a「religion」 but as a secular philosophy with broad applications.

娛樂業在好萊塢大片中體現佛教主題也是同理，例如《黑客帝國》。甚至職業運動員都用上了禪宗的教練模式，更增進了美國對佛教的認知，即它不是宗教而是一種應用面極廣的世俗哲學。

The exotic appeal

異國風情帶來的吸引力

But American secular Buddhism has alsoproduced some unintended consequences. Suzuki』s writings greatly influencedJack Kerouac, the popular Beat Generation author of 「On the Road」 and 「TheDharma Bums.」 But Suzuki regarded Kerouac as a 「monstrous imposter」 because hesought only the freedom of Buddhist awakening without the discipline ofpractice.

但美國的世俗化佛教也產生了一些意料之外的後果。鈴木的作品極大地影響了著有《在路上》和《達摩流浪者》的「垮掉的一代」熱門作家傑克·克魯亞克。但鈴木視克魯亞克為「荒唐的騙子」，因為他只尋求佛教覺醒的自由卻沒有踐行戒律。

Other Beat poets, hippies and, later, NewAge DIY self-helpers have also paradoxically mistaken Buddhism for a kind ofself-indulgent narcissism, despite its teachings of selflessness andcompassion. Still others have commercially exploited its exotic appeal to selleverything from 「Zen tea」 to 「Lucky Buddha Beer,」 which is particularly ironicgiven Buddhism』s traditional proscription against alcohol and otherintoxicants.

其他「垮掉派」詩人、嬉皮士和晚些時候的新紀元運動自助者也將佛教荒謬地誤解為某種自我放縱的自戀癖，而無視了它關於無我和悲憫的教誨。還有的人在商業上利用其異國吸引力，來販售從「禪茶」到「幸運佛祖啤酒」的所有東西，這就格外諷刺了，因為佛教傳統上戒飲酒和其他致醉品。

（譯註：幸運佛祖啤酒即樂開啤酒，一款充滿亞洲風情的澳洲啤酒，瓶身形狀為大肚彌勒佛。）

As a result, the popular construction ofnonreligious Buddhism has contributed much to the contemporary 「spiritual butnot religious」 phenomenon, as well as to the secularized and commodifiedmindfulness movement in America.

緣於此，去宗教化佛教的廣泛建設，極大地助力了當代「精神化而非宗教化」的現象以及對正念運動的世俗化和商品化。

We may have only transplanted a fraction ofthe larger bodhi tree of religious Buddhism in America, but our cutting hasadapted and taken root in our secular, scientific and highly commercializedage. For better and for worse, it』s Buddhism, American-style.

也許我們只是在美國移植了佛教大菩提聖樹的一小部分，但我們的剪裁已經適應並紮根於我們這個世俗化、科學化以及高度商業化的時代。好壞與否，它都是佛教，美式的佛教。

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