無辜的小鬼（中英）　宣化上人主講

沒有理性的自由

Unreasonable Freedom

◎宣化上人‧一九八八年六月五日開示
A Talk Given by the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, June 5, 1988

一千一萬個自由發展的孩子，就有一千一萬個發展壞了。
If there were one thousand or ten thousand children who grow up without proper control,
the same number of children would have gone bad.

什麼是教育呢？小孩子要教他怎麼樣做人，教他什麼是「孝、悌、忠、信、禮、義、廉、恥」，要「擇善而從，不善而改；是道則進，非道則退。」這是亞洲的中國文化。西方文化就是迷信自由，誤解自由，不負責任的自由，生而不教的自由，老而不養的自由。幼而不教，你說生這個小孩子幹什麼？教他在世界上做一些個不合法的事情，可以說是造罪。老而不養，人年紀老了，應該老有所終，壯有所用，幼有所長。
   　    
What is education? It means we should teach children how to be upright human beings, and instruct them about the eight virtues of filial reverence, fraternity, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, incorruptibility, and a sense of shame. They also need to learn how to “choose to follow what’s wholesome, and rectify what’s unwholesome; to proceed if it accords with the Way, and retreat if it does not.” The foregoing principles are parts of the Chinese culture in Asia. In the western culture, people have blind faith in freedom. They misconstrue their freedom to mean the freedom of being irresponsible, the freedom of having children without educating them properly, and the freedom of neglecting their elders. What is the point of having children if you were not going to educate them? Indeed, you would be committing an offense if you were to teach your children unlawful behavior. As for the elders, they should be taken care of. As it is said, “the elderly should be tended, the strong be employed, and the young be nurtured.” 　
   　    
人到老年，老病纏身，耳朵聾、眼也花，啊！牙齒也不幫忙了，這時候很可憐的。在中國的教育來說是養兒防老。防老也並不是一種自私心，要兒子來保護。只不過他把兒子教育成人了，這個青年人應該照顧這個血氣衰退的老人。要不這樣子，你說生這麼多孩子幹什麼？結婚又幹什麼？這不是沒意義嘛！所以啊！在這個國家，誤解自由，讓小孩自由發展。你看一千一萬個自由發展的孩子，就有一千一萬個發展壞了。好的，或者有一、二個，這些孩子生來有這種仁性，知道做好事。可是不是個個都懂仁性，都知道「擇善而從，不善而改；是道則進，非道則退。」所謂小孩子「近朱者赤，近墨者黑。染於蒼則蒼，染於黃則黃。」那你怎麼可以不注意他？
   　    
When a person gets old, he is very pitiful with failing eye sight and hearing, useless teeth, and all sorts of illnesses. From the perspective of education in China, raising children serves the purpose of preparing for one's old age. This is not based on selfishness on the part of the parents. Rather, it is because the parents have raised their children to adulthood, these young men and women should take care of their elderly parents, whose blood and energy have waned. Otherwise, what is the point of having so many children, what is the point of getting married? It would be meaningless! In this country, since people have misconstrued the meaning of freedom, they let their children grow up unchecked. As a consequence, you can see that if there were one thousand or ten thousand children who grow up without proper control, the same number of children would have gone bad. Maybe there are a few of them who have inherent humanity and kindness, and they will turn out wholesome and know how to help others. However, not everyone understands humanity and knows how to “choose to follow what’s wholesome, and rectify what’s unwholesome; to proceed if it accords with the Way, and retreat if it does not.” In describing children, there is a saying that, “Those who draw near to vermilion will turn red, those who associates with ink will turn black; something stained with gray will turn gray, something stained with yellow will become yellow.” Therefore, how can we not watch over and pay attention to our children?
   　    
為什麼現在西方的小孩子很多是吸毒的？你看看！小學、中學生所接近的就是販賣毒藥的小販，他勸這些學生說：「你吃這個藥就聰明啦。吃這個毒藥，你就會快樂啊！」他就吃毒藥，他就快樂，真是越搞越愚痴！吃了，一天到晚在那「入定」。你看那吃毒藥的人，一站可以站幾個鐘頭，可是這不是他的定力，他被藥毒控制得沒有思想，這豈不是往死亡路上走？你叫他自由發展，發展到死亡的路上去，啊！這叫誤解自由，不負責任的自由，沒有理性的自由。
   　    
Why do many children in the West take drugs nowadays? Take a look! Elementary and secondary school students are drawn to drug dealers. They urge these students to take drugs, promising that, “These drugs will make you smart and happy!” After taking the drugs, these youngsters may feel happy, but actually they are getting more and more mixed-up! If you see people who are on drugs, it may seem that they are in samadhi all day long, because they can stand there and do nothing for hours. However, this is not samadhi; rather, these individuals have lost control of their minds under the influence of drugs. Aren't they walking toward the path of death? If you let children grow up with unchecked “freedom,” they would advance freely onto the path of death! This permissiveness is misinterpreted freedom, irresponsible freedom, and unreasonable freedom.
   　    
再告訴你們各位老年的朋友、中年的朋友、青年的小朋友，你們都要注意這一點。什麼呢？現在全世界啊，教育都破產了，沒有教育了。這個教育，教你什麼呢？現在他們教性行為，這是大錯而特錯！性行為可以教，你應該教他怎麼樣子不亂交，不要亂搞關係，你應該教他潔身自愛、守身如玉，等他成長了之後再懂得性知識。不應該啊！五、六歲的小孩子一天到晚都看電視。電視這妖怪把小孩子都引誘壞了，引誘四、五歲小孩子就懂得接吻，也懂得互相摟抱。嗯，你說這是什麼世界？這種自由真是可憐！可憐！太可憐了！
   　    
Let me once again tell all of you senior friends, middle-aged friends and young friends, you should pay attention to this point. What point? Nowadays, education all over the world has gone bankrupt to the point that there is no education at all! What does education teach you currently? It teaches you sexual conduct, and this is extremely wrong! Although sex education is o.k. in of itself, the focus should be on teaching students not to engage in improper sexual relationships. The students should be taught how to cherish themselves, and guard the purity of their bodies. Only until they are grown up, can these youngsters really understand sex. In addition, children who are only five or six years old should not be allowed to watch TV all day long. This T.V. monster has negative influence on these young children. For example, it has seduced these children into knowing how to kiss and hug each other. What kind of world is this? This type of freedom is really pitiful!
   　    
為什麼說教育破產？你看看，小孩子你不教他做人的根本道理，現在的學校都鼓勵什麼呢？鼓勵你讀什麼書賺錢最多。做醫生賺錢最多就讀醫學，到月球去賺錢最多就讀科學。喔，父母也不顧了，妻子也不管了，什麼都不顧了！
   　    
Why do I say education in this world has gone bankrupt? Schools don't teach children the fundamental principles of being a human. What do they advocate instead? They encourage students to study whatever subjects that will help them to earn the most money. If being a doctor is the most profitable, then one goes to medical school; if going to the moon means having the highest salary, then one studies science. Focusing on making money, people end up neglecting their parents and spouse. In fact, they ignore everything but money!