Karen Armstrong: Let's revive the Golden Rule

譯者: Vicky Liao 審譯者: Chaoran Yu

For years I've been feeling frustrated,

多年來我一直感到困惑不解，

because as a religious historian,

因為，身為宗教歷史學家，

I've become acutely aware

我非常清楚地知道，

of the centrality of compassion

憐憫是世界主要宗教中

in all the major world faiths.

一貫的中心思想。

Every single one of them

每一個宗教，

has evolved their own version

對於所謂的「恕道」

of what's been called the Golden Rule.

都衍伸出了自己的解讀。

Sometimes it comes in a positive version --

有的版本是正面的，例如：

"Always treat all others as you'd like to be treated yourself."

「推己及人。」

And equally important

同等重要的，還有

is the negative version --

相反的版本

"Don't do to others what you would not like them to do to you."

「己所不欲，勿施於人。」

Look into your own heart,

省視你的內心，

discover what it is that gives you pain

了解痛苦從何而來，

and then refuse, under any circumstance whatsoever,

然後不管在什麼情況下

to inflict that pain on anybody else.

都拒絕把這樣的痛苦加諸於別人身上。

And people have emphasized the importance of compassion,

人們總是強調憐憫的重要，

not just because it sounds good,

不是因為它很好聽，

but because it works.

而是因為它很有效。

People have found that when they have

人們發現，一旦將恕道的意涵

implemented the Golden Rule

發揮出來，

as Confucius said, "all day and every day,"

像孔子說的「不捨晝夜」，

not just a question of doing your good deed for the day

而不是偶爾行善，

and then returning to a life of greed

然後又回到貪婪且自私

and egotism,

的生活中。

but to do it all day and every day,

然而如果持續不懈地實行，

you dethrone yourself from the center of your world,

自私的你將不再佔據世界的中心，

put another there, and you transcend yourself.

另一個你將會降臨，這時候你便超越了自我。

And it brings you into the presence

它會引領你到一個名為

of what's been called God, Nirvana, Rama, Tao.

「神」、「涅槃」、「完人」（印度教）、「道」的境界。

Something that goes beyond

那是超越

what we know in our ego-bound existence.

我們有限的存在的境界。

But you know you'd never know it a lot of the time,

但很多時候，你並不知道

that this was so central to the religious life.

慈悲關懷是信仰生活的中心。

Because with a few wonderful exceptions,

除了某些美妙的例外，

very often when religious people come together,

宗教人士聚在一起時，

religious leaders come together, they're arguing about abstruse doctrines

經常在爭論深奧的教義，

or uttering a council of hatred

或是說出一連串充滿仇恨的字句

or inveighing against homosexuality or something of that sort.

敵視同性戀或其它「罪行」。

Often people don't really want to be compassionate.

人們通常不太願意憐憫。

I sometimes see

我時常看到，

when I'm speaking to a congregation of religious people

當我對虔誠的信徒演說時，

a sort of mutinous expression crossing their faces

他們臉上會閃過反抗的表情

because people often want to be right instead.

因為人總是覺得自己有理。

And that of course defeats the object of the exercise.

這當然是違反了宗教的真諦。

Now why was I so grateful to TED?

為什麼我感謝TED？

Because they took me very gently

因為他們溫和地帶領我

from my book-lined study

離開汗牛充棟的書房

and brought me into the 21st century,

到21世紀。

enabling me to speak to a much, much wider audience

讓我能夠在更為廣大的觀眾面前演說，

than I could have ever conceived.

這遠遠超乎我的想像。

Because I feel an urgency about this.

因為我覺得這件事非常急迫：

If we don't manage to implement

如果我們不想辦法

the Golden Rule globally,

在全世界實行恕道的教誨，

so that we treat all peoples, wherever and whoever they may be,

如果我們不能對所有人－不管在哪裡，不管他們是誰－

as though they were as important as ourselves,

不能把他們看得跟自己一樣重要的話，

I doubt that we'll have

我懷疑我們還能不能

a viable world to hand on to the next generation.

把這個生機盎然的世界傳給下一代。

The task of our time,

我們這個時代的任務，

one of the great tasks of our time,

這個時代最大的一個任務，

is to build a global society, as I said,

就是建立全球化的社會，如同我之前所提，

where people can live together in peace.

讓人們可以和平共處。

And the religions that should be making a major contribution

至於宗教，理應對這任務有所貢獻，

are instead seen as part of the problem.

但現在卻反而成為問題的一部分。

And of course it's not just religious people who believe in the Golden Rule.

當然，不是只有虔誠的人才信奉恕道。

This is the source of all morality,

這是所有道德的源頭。

this imaginative act of empathy,

悲憫可以是一種想像：

putting yourself in the place of another.

把自己放在他人的處境中設身處地。

And so we have a choice, it seems to me.

如此我們便會有所選擇，在我看來是這樣。

We can either go on bringing out or emphasizing

我們可以繼續宣揚及強調

the dogmatic and intolerant aspects of our faith,

宗教的教條或是不寬容的一面，

or we can go back to

或者也可以反璞歸真，

the rabbis. Rabbi Hillel, the older contemporary of Jesus,

回到比耶穌更久遠的猶太長老西勒爾(Rabbi Hillel)時代。

who, when asked by a pagan

一位異教徒曾要他

to sum up the whole of Jewish teaching while he stood on one leg,

單腳站立並歸納總結猶太教義，

said, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.

他回道：「你不願做的事，別加在你的鄰居身上。」

That is the Torah and everything else is only commentary."

「這就是教義，其他都只是論述而已。」

And the rabbis and the early fathers of the church who said that

猶太教各長老以及早期基督教的奠基者也曾說

any interpretation of scripture

任何對聖經的解讀

that bred hatred and disdain was illegitimate.

只要帶有仇恨或輕視的意味，都是不正統的。

And we need to revive that spirit.

而我們必須復興這樣的精神。

And it's not just going to happen

它不只是因為

because a spirit of love wafts us down.

慈愛的精神喚醒我們而發生，

We have to make this happen,

我們必須要「讓它發生」，

and we can do it

我們有能力，

with the modern communications

因為有TED介紹給世界的

that TED has introduced.

各種現代傳播管道。

Already I've been tremendously heartened

我已經感到無比振奮，

at the response of all our partners.

看見各位參與者所做出的回應。

In Singapore, we have a group

我們在新加坡有一組人

going to use the Charter to heal divisions

準備用《慈悲憲章》消弭

recently that have sprung up in Singaporean society,

新加坡社會最近出現的許多分歧。

and some members of the parliament want

議會的某些成員也希望

to implement it politically.

可以將憲章提昇到政治層面。

In Malaysia, there is going to be an art exhibition

在馬來西亞，我們準備辦一場美術展覽

in which leading artists are going to be

讓有名的藝術家

taking people, young people,

帶領人們，尤其是年輕人，

and showing them that compassion also lies

向他們展示，慈悲

at the root of all art.

其實是各種藝術的源頭。

Throughout Europe, the Muslim communities

在整個歐洲，各個穆斯林社群

are holding events and discussions,

舉辦了多場活動跟討論會，

are discussing the centrality of compassion

討論以悲憫為中心的思想

in Islam and in all faiths.

在回教以及其他宗教的重要性。

But it can't stop there. It can't stop with the launch.

然而《慈悲憲章》的開始並不是句點。

Religious teaching, this is where we've gone so wrong,

對於宗教的教誨，我們長久以來都走錯了路，

concentrating solely on believing abstruse doctrines.

所以僅止於相信深奧的教義。

Religious teaching must always lead to action.

宗教教誨應該要付諸行動。

And I intend to work on this till my dying day.

而我決定貫徹到生命的盡頭。

And I want to continue with our partners

而我想繼續與各位分享的是

to do two things --

請繼續貫徹這兩件事－

educate and stimulate compassionate thinking.

教育群眾，以及激發慈悲的心。

Education because we've so

我們需要教育是因為我們

dropped out of compassion.

已經失去憐憫的心太久了。

People often think it simply means

人們常覺得憐憫的心只是

feeling sorry for somebody.

對某些人感到愧疚而已。

But of course you don't understand compassion

然而，如果你只是這樣想，

if you're just going to think about it.

那麼你並不懂得憐憫的真義。

You also have to do it.

你還必須去實行。

I want them to get the media involved

我希望媒體也可以參與這一部分。

because the media are crucial

因為媒體的角色不可或缺

in helping to dissolve some of the stereotypical views

幫助我們破除對於社會上其他人

we have of other people,

根深蒂固的成見，

which are dividing us from one another.

防止我們疏遠彼此。

The same applies to educators.

教育人士的責任也同等重要。

I'd like youth to get a sense of

我希望年輕人了解

the dynamism, the dynamic and challenge

慈悲生活的力量、精神

of a compassionate lifestyle.

與挑戰，

And also see that it demands acute intelligence,

並且發覺這需要同等靈敏的智慧，

not just a gooey feeling.

而不是濫情感傷。

I'd like to call upon scholars to explore

我也呼籲學者勇於探索

the compassionate theme

自身以及其他文化中

in their own and in other people's traditions.

關於慈悲的部分。

And perhaps above all,

而最重要的也許是

to encourage a sensitivity about

培養對於缺乏同情心的言論

uncompassionate speaking,

的敏銳感覺。

so that because people have this Charter,

這麼一來，因為有《慈悲憲章》，

whatever their beliefs or lack of them,

不管人們的信仰為何，沒有也沒關係，

they feel empowered

他們會感覺自身的力量

to challenge uncompassionate speech,

足以挑戰不夠悲憫關懷的言論，

disdainful remarks

那些鄙視的字句

from their religious leaders, their political leaders,

發自於他們的信仰或政治領袖，

from the captains of industry.

或是產業界的大老。

Because we can change the world,

因為我們可以改變世界，

we have the ability.

我們有這個能力。

I would never have thought of putting the Charter online.

我以前從沒想過憲章可以放上網路。

I was still stuck in the old world

我還困在舊世界裡，

of a whole bunch of boffins sitting together in a room

認為研究就是一群人坐在室內

and issuing yet another arcane statement.

發表一條又一條晦澀難解的理論。

And TED introduced me to a whole new way

而TED為我提供了一種全新的方法

of thinking and presenting ideas.

來思考以及發表構想。

Because that is what is so wonderful about TED.

這就是TED美妙的地方。

In this room, all this expertise,

在這裡聚集了這麼多專家，

if we joined it all together,

如果我們可以集結力量

we could change the world.

我們就能改變世界。

And of course the problems sometimes seem insuperable.

當然，有些時候，這些問題看似沒有解答。

But I'd just like to quote, finish at the end

不過在演說的最後我想引用

with a reference to a British author, an Oxford author

一位英國學者，牛津學者的話，

whom I don't quote very often,

我不太常提到他，

C.S. Lewis.

C.S.路易斯。

But he wrote one thing that stuck in my mind

不過他寫過的一句話震撼了我，

ever since I read it when I was a schoolgirl.

從我的學生時期一直到現在。

It's in his book "The Four Loves."

這句話出自於他的《四種愛》。

He said that he distinguished between erotic love,

他說，他感覺到情愛，

when two people gaze, spellbound, into each other's eyes.

就在兩個人凝望彼此，為對方的眼神著迷的時候。

And then he compared that to friendship,

他把這種感情與友情比較：

when two people stand side by side, as it were, shoulder to shoulder,

友情是兩個人併肩在一起

with their eyes fixed on a common goal.

眼睛望向一個共同的目標。

We don't have to fall in love with each other,

我們不需要愛上彼此，

but we can become friends.

但我們可以成為朋友。

And I am convinced.

我是如此相信的。

I felt it very strongly

我有非常強烈的感覺

during our little deliberations at Vevey,

當我們還在瑞士的薇威商討時，

that when people of all different persuasions

我認為如果追求不同目標的人們

come together, working side by side

可以集結在一起，並肩努力

for a common goal,

朝著共同的夢想前進，

differences melt away.

我們的差異將會消融。

And we learn amity.

我們會懂得和睦。

And we learn to live together and to get to know one another.

然後我們會學到如何共處，以及了解彼此。

Thank you very much.

非常感謝各位。

(Applause)

（鼓掌）