[ZT]谈堕胎

http://www.drbachinese.org/online_reading/dharma_talks/Innocent_Little_Ghosts_b/Innocent_Little_Ghosts_b11.htm

On Abortion

◎释恒云 Heng Yun Shi

《楞严经》云∶「流爱为种，纳想为胎，交遘发生，吸引同业」， 一受胎，就有生命！ According to the Shuragama Sutra, "Love flows out toward its object, and so, on the strength of shared karma, a seed is drawn into the womb during intercourse." Once an embryo is formed in the womb, there is life!

问∶若是孕妇照超音波後，发现肚里的胎儿是畸形儿，如蒙古症之类的，请问可否因此堕胎吗？ ? Question: If after an ultrasound examination, a pregnant woman finds out that her fetus has a congenital disorder, such as Down’s Syndrome, is abortion allowed in this situation? ? 答∶堕胎在杀戒里面，是属於杀胎，仍犯杀人罪，所以基本上，如果是自然流产，或是胎死腹中，因为这是胎儿的生命自然结束的，所以不算犯杀戒。可是如果是刻意去堕胎的，这就犯杀戒。 ? Answer: In terms of the precept against killing, to have an abortion is to kill a fetus. Therefore, it is considered killing a human being. Basically, in the case of a miscarriage or a fetus being stillborn, the mother doesn’t break the precept against killing because the fetus died naturally. However, if she intentionally has an abortion to terminate her pregnancy, she would have broken the precept against killing. ? 问∶可是父母抚养这样的孩子，不是一辈子很辛苦吗？ ? Question: Wouldn’t it be very difficult for the parents to raise a child with a congenital disorder? ? 答∶的确很辛苦，可是这都有一种因缘果报在里面。因为有问题小孩子来投胎，是跟这父母有缘。所谓「夫妻是前缘，善缘、恶缘，无缘不合；儿女原宿债，欠债、还债，无债不来。」孩子来投胎，这跟父母之间，要三缘成胎，父缘、母缘，还有什麽？自己的缘。《楞严经》上说∶「同业相缠，合离成化。见明色发，明见想成；异见成憎，同想成爱。流爱为种，纳想为胎，交遘发生，吸引同业；故有因缘，生羯罗蓝、遏蒲昙等。」所谓「同业」，是自己所造的业里头，和父母的因缘相同。因为同业，互相生出一种情爱，就如胶似漆缠到一起了，互相摆脱不开，而有了胎生、卵生、化生、湿生。 ? Answer: Indeed, it would be really tough for the parents, but having such a child is due to some kind of causes and effects. The deficient child is born to this particular couple, because he or she has affinity with these parents. It is said that “Husband and wife are connected due to either wholesome or unwholesome affinities in the past; they would not become a couple without prior affinities. Sons and daughters are born into the family due to their past debts ˉ they are either seeking repayment or paying back what they owe; they would not join the family without prior debts.” It requires three kinds of affinities for a fetus to come into being: the affinity with the father, the affinity with the mother, and his or her own affinity. The Shurangama Sutra states: “Some beings are born due to being bound together by shared karma; other beings are born due to union or else due to separation. Based on deluded perception, sense-objects are mistakenly understood to appear; and because of deluded understanding, deluded thought arises. Hatred is the response to incompatible points of view, while love is the response to compatible points of view. Love flows out toward its object, and so, on the strength of shared karma, a seed is drawn into the womb during intercourse. Due to these causes and conditions, the fetus develops, passing through the kalala stage, the arbuda stage, and the stages that follow.” Shared karma means that the child’s karma and the parents’ karma have the same causes and conditions. Due to this shared karma, emotionally love arises up between the parents and the child, and they become inseparable as if they were glued together. Consequently, beings are born from a womb, from an egg, by metamorphosis, or in the presence of moisture. ? 人来做人的时候，是第八识最先来的；死的时候，第八识最後走。识一走，身上就凉了；识没有走，身上还不会凉的。所以说「去後来先做主人」。人死後到投胎这段时间，这第八识的识，就是「中阴身」，又叫「中有身」。中阴身看什麽都是一片漆黑，什麽都看不见。可是他（她）和哪一个父亲、母亲有缘，有父子、母子的关系，也就是有一种相同的业报，不论距离千里万里，当父亲、母亲在那儿行淫欲，他（她）就会看到那儿有一点点光；他（她）无明一动，这时，就有一股如吸铁石的力量，无论多远，都会把他（她）吸过去，就来投胎了！这叫「流爱为种，纳想为胎，交遘发生，吸引同业。」 ? When a person comes into being, the eighth consciousness is the first to arrive; when a person dies, the eighth consciousness is the last to leave. Once the consciousness is gone, one’s body becomes cold. Thus, it is said that “Whoever leaves last but comes first is the master.” During the period of time between when one dies and when one gets reborn, the eighth consciousness is called the “intermediate skandha-body” or the “intermediate existence body.” To the intermediate skandha-body, everything is pitch-black, and it is unable to see anything. But if it has a parent-child affinity with its potential father or mother (i.e., having shared karma), even if it were tens of thousands of miles away, it would see a little point of light when its potential father and mother are having intercourse. As soon as its ignorance arises, no matter how far away it may be, strength like a powerful magnet will draw it into the womb! This process is described by the Shuragama Stura as “Love flows out toward its object, and so, on the strength of shared karma, a seed is drawn into the womb during intercourse.”  ? 受胎後的第一个星期叫「羯罗蓝」，意思是「凝滑」，就是凝结成牛奶似的东西。第二个星期叫「遏蒲昙」，就是由凝滑，变成一种胞形了。以後就逐渐行成身形了。 ? The kalala stage refers to the first week of embryonic development. The word “kalala” means “slippery coagulation,” a form coagulated like milk. The second week of development is called the arbuda stage when the coagulated form takes on a globular shape. After this stage, the embryo gradually develops into the shape of a human body. ? 「十二因缘」中说「无明缘行」，无明就是男人、女人生出一种爱意来，然後就有房事。「行缘识」，有了两性的行为，然後就有一种识，这就是「纳想为胎」这个识；这时候，就是中阴身投胎了。也就是说，这时就有生命了！所以孩子和父母间都有一种特殊的因缘，即使是蒙古症的子女，也都有一种特别的业缘必须要了。 ? According to the Twelvefold Conditioned Arising, “Ignorance is the condition for karmic activity.” In this context, ignorance refers to the emotional love that arises between a man and a woman, which leads to sexual intercourse. “Karmic activity is the condition for consciousness;” after sexual intercourse begins, a consciousness arrives, which is “a seed (i.e., consciousness) is drawn into the womb during intercourse.” At this time, the intermediate skandha-body becomes an embryo. In other words, a life has come into being! There is a special kind of primary and secondary causes that exist between parents and their child. Accordingly, special karmic causes must exist for the parents to have a child with Down’s Syndrome. ? 以前没有超音波，受什麽胎，都生下来。现在有超音波一照，喔，是蒙古症，就把他拿掉！以为是拿掉日後的烦恼。其实，通常这种缘，不是一个好缘来的，但是你必须要了它，如果父母不了了它，又把他杀了，这就会更增加彼此之间的恶缘。这恶缘，或许来世的时候就更厉害。如《楞严经》所提的「十二类生」中，有一种众生叫做「非无想」，这种众生并不是没有思想，而是思想不正常。譬如枭鸟生出後，就会把妈妈吃了，用妈妈的血肉来养自己。还有科学也发现一种甲虫会吃它妈妈。 ? Before there was ultrasound tests, people gave birth to the fetus they carried. Now with ultrasound, people can discover that their fetus has Down’s Syndrome, and abort the fetus. By doing so, they think they are avoiding troubles in the future. Usually the affinity between the deficient fetus and the parents is unwholesome. However, the parents need to accept this. If instead of giving birth to the child, the parents kills him or her, this action will increase the unwholesome affinity between the parents and the child. This negative affinity probably will be even worse in their future lives. According to the Shurangama Sutra, among the twelve categories of living beings, there is one category called “beings that lack and do not lack thoughts.” It does not mean that those living beings don’t have any thoughts; rather, they have abnormal thoughts. For example, after its birth, an owlet would devour its mother and nourish itself with its mother’s body and blood. Science has also found a small beetle (Micromaltus debilis) that eats its mother.  ? 为什麽它要吃妈妈呢？因为在过去生，它们有很深的怨仇，例如恩将仇报，过去子是母的恩人，可是母或许用种种方法将他弄死，让他死不瞑目，又没有办法诉冤，所以他这一世生为其子，就要把妈妈吃掉。诸如此类，这其中都有一种的因缘果报。可是世间上的人不明白因果，所以以为有问题的胎，就可以堕掉；这可以说是雪上加霜。基本上这一种胎，不应该堕掉的，而是要了了这种业缘。 ? Why does the bird or the beetle eat its mother? There was great enmity between the mother and the child in their past lives. For example, in the past, the child was the mother’s benefactor. However, instead of being grateful, the mother thought of various ways to kill her benefactor. The mother finally succeeded, and the benefactor died with everlasting regret, with no means to address his or her grievance. Therefore, in this life the benefactor is reborn as the killer’s child and eats her out of revenge. There are always some kinds of cause and effect that underlie seemingly unusual phenomena such as this one. However, since most people don’t understand the principle of cause and effect, they think it is o.k. to abort a deficient fetus. Unfortunately, by doing so, they are making things worse for themselves. Basically, one should not abort the deficient fetus. Instead, one should have the baby, and thereby settle one’s karmic debts and be free of negative affinities. ? 问∶女孩子被强迫而有孕，可不可以堕胎？ ? Question: If a girl were raped and got pregnant, is abortion allowed in such a case?   ? 答∶这种情况令人非常同情。但是，如果因此去堕胎，这是杀害一条生命。所以在这种不幸的情况下，还是应该将孩子生下，而不堕胎。虽然，这个女孩子的一生可能要受很多辛苦，但从因果的角度来说，这是比较妥善的方法。 ? Answer: This kind of situation really deserves our sympathy. However, if the girl aborts the fetus, she would be killing a life. Therefore, even in these unfortunate circumstances, she still should give birth to the child. Although the girl may encounter a lot of hardship by doing so, from the perspective of causes and effects, having the baby is a better alternative than killing. ? 堕胎，在目前的社会已是一件泛滥之事，我讲一则真实的故事，以为警惕。有个居士提到他妈妈癌症要往生前一段时间，举动行为变成三个人似的，一下变成小男孩的样子，一下又变成小女孩的样子，一会儿又恢复她原来的样子；变成小女孩时，还会跟他撒娇。原来他妈妈过去堕过两次胎，一个男的，一个女的；现在他（她）们来找「妈妈」了，附在「妈妈」身上。所以世间上大家都只看到「果」的一面，没有看到「因」的那一面。 ? In current society, abortion is quite excessive. Let me tell you a true story as a warning. One layperson mentioned that shortly before his mother died of cancer, she behaved as if there were three persons in her body. Sometimes she behaved like a little boy, sometimes like a little girl, and moments later, she was herself again. When she behaved like a little girl, she even acted like a spoiled child to get his attention. It turned out that his mother had aborted two fetuses in the past, one was male, and the other one female; now they have come to find their mother and attached themselves onto her body. It is really unfortunate that in this world, everyone can only see the consequence, but not its cause. ? 我们想想看，子女出生以後，都是父母的心肝宝贝，呵护得无微不至。那胎里的孩子，也是自己的子女，怎麽忍心把他（她）杀了呢？这样，即使是善缘来的子女，也变成恶缘，变成仇了，变成「小鬼难缠」。 ? Let’s think about it, after children are born, their parents treat them as precious treasuries and take care of them with the upmost attention to detail. However, the fetus in one’s womb is also one’s own child, how can one bear to kill him or her? If your abort a child, even if the child originally has positive affinities with you, such affinities would become negative like that of an enemy. The aborted fetus turns into “a little ghost who is difficult to handle.” ? 在《楞严经》中提到，「若用钱物，或役其力，偿足自停。如其中间杀彼身命，或食其肉；如是乃至经微尘劫，相食相诛，犹如转轮，互为高下，无有休息。除奢摩他，及佛出世，不可停寝。」这是说众生之间，若是钱财方面的负债，无论是以人身或畜生身，或这一世或来世，或是用钱物，或用劳力，互相扯平，偿还够了，彼此之间的业就了了。这默默中虽然没有人一定主宰，但是因为是业力的关系，彼此都不想吃亏，所以绝对不可你占我便宜，我占你便宜的，一定要公平才会自然停止的。 ? The Shurangama Sutra pointed out that, “One should realize that debts should be settled, whether with money, goods, or labor, so that indebtedness can naturally come to an end. But if, in the process of repayment, beings take each other’s lives or eat each other’s flesh, then they may well continue through an infinite number of eons, eating each other and killing each other, as if they were turning ceaselessly on a wheel, now on top, now beneath. The wheel may never stop unless they undertake the practice of samatha, or unless a Buddha appears in the world.” This passage means that if the debts between living beings were financial in nature, then whether these beings are born as humans or animals, they would be able to settle their debts with money, goods or labor; and they can settle their debts either in this life or in future lives. Once the debts are repaid, the karma between the debtors and the creditors would cease to exist. Although there is no one controlling the whole process, the power of karma is such that no one is willing to accept a loss. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that no one tries to take advantage of others; only after fair repayments would the indebtedness naturally comes to an end. ? 可是如果是命债呢？在彼此结怨的中间，或者把对方杀了，或者吃对方的肉。那你吃我的肉，我就杀你的身；我吃你的肉，你又杀我的身；就像轮子转来转去，没有停止的时候。除非得到楞严大定，或者有佛出世，给解除这种罪业的相；然後双方互相都知道了，不再造业，这才能停止。 不然，这种血海深仇，是很难平息的。难怪宣公上人说∶「我要劝大家不要再堕胎了，你想想看，一个生命还没出世，就成冤魂，到处是要命的小鬼，你说社会会安宁吗？这些小鬼需要不贪财、有道行的人才能超度。小鬼难缠啊！很难办的，到处是罪业，你说能安宁吗？ 」 ? However, what if the debt involves taking of a life? During the process of mutual resentment, if one living being kills another or eats another’s flesh, then a cycle of eating and being eaten, killing and being killed will go on and on like the turning of a wheel. For example, you eat my flesh now, I will kill you later; I eat your flesh now, you will kill me later. This vicious cycle is endless, unless one attains the Shurangama Samadhi or a Buddha comes into the world and releases one from these karmic offenses. Only then would both the debtor and the creditor understand the need to stop creating further negative karma, and end this cycle of ceaseless mutual-indebtedness. Otherwise, it is very difficult to appease animosity that is as great as the sea. It is not surprising that the Venerable Master said: “I urge everyone not to have abortions any more. Think about it, if living beings become resentful spirits even before they are born, with these vengeful little ghosts of aborted fetuses everywhere, how can the society be peaceful? These little ghosts can only be crossed over by genuine cultivators of the Bodhi Path who are not greedy for wealth. These little ghosts are really tough to handle! It is very difficult to resolve these matters, and thus, with karmic offenses pervading everywhere, how can there be peace?” ? 问∶我的亲友是妇科医生，若孕妇有经济上的困难或孩子过多等，可以为她堕胎吗？ ? Question: My relative is an OB/GYN. If a pregnant woman has financial difficulties or already has too many children, is it okay for the doctor to perform the requested abortion? ? 答∶约三十年前，我还没有出家时，在报上看到一篇文章，这是一位护士写的。她提到在她上班的医院，年轻的护士不敢去值晚班。为什麽？因为在二楼的堕胎手术室，晚上常常传来婴儿的哭声，所以她们都吓得不敢值晚班。可是，她因为家庭的关系愿意上晚班，因为这样可以照顾家庭，对她比较方便；还有她的胆子比较大，所以她就去当夜班的护士。怎麽样呢？医院二楼的手术室，在晚上没有人时，的确常常有孩子的哭声传来。她也见怪不怪，继续值她的晚班。 ? Answer: About thirty years ago, when I was still a layperson, I read a newspaper article written by a nurse. She said that at the hospital where she worked, young nurses were afraid to take the night shift. Why was that? In the evenings, cries of babies could be heard coming from the abortion clinic on the second floor, and these cries really scared the nurses. However, the author signed up for the night shift, because her family situation made it more convenient for her to work at night; besides, she was braver than others. What was her experience? Although she did hear cries coming from the abortion clinic late at night when no one was around, she ignored the cries and went about her work.  ? 有一天，当她要下班时，也就是清晨，来了一个快要临产的孕妇，看起来很忧心的样子。等到她来值晚班时，知道那妇女已经生下孩子了，可是难产死掉了，父亲也没来，孩子就放在育婴室里面。她不知道什麽因缘，就不自觉特别去照顾那个孩子；可能是怜悯孩子没有妈妈吧！照顾了一段时间以後，有一天，当她来上晚班时，值日班的护士告诉她，今天那个爸爸来把孩子带走了。孩子带走了以後呢，当天晚上，因为值晚班，有时会不自觉打瞌睡，朦胧间这位护士就看到那难产死了的妈妈来了，对她说∶「谢谢奶帮我照顾孩子这麽多天，我真的非常感谢奶，我也会帮助奶照顾其他的孩子。」从那天晚上起，她去值班的时候，二楼的堕胎手术室，都没有婴儿的哭声再传来了！ ? One early morning, when her shift was about to end, a woman in labor arrived at the hospital. She looked very worried. When the nurse returned later that day for her shift, she found out that the woman had died during childbirth. Unfortunately, the baby’s father didn’t come to the hospital, so the baby was left alone in the nursery. The nurse didn’t know why but found herself taking extra care of the baby; perhaps she felt sorry for the motherless child. After the baby had been under her care for a while, the nurse arrived at work one evening and was told that the baby’s father had picked up the baby during the day. That evening, the nurse dozed off while she was at work; sometimes it was difficult to stay awake during the quiet hours of the night. While drifting in and out of sleep, she saw the mother who had died during childbirth. The mother said to her, “Thank you for taking care of my baby for so many days. I’m very grateful. I’ll help you to take care of the other children here.” From that evening on, the nurse never again heard babies’ cries coming from the second floor abortion clinic. ? 你说，没出世的胎儿没有灵性吗？他（她）只是一块肉吗？割下来的肉是死肉；我们人身上也都有肉，是什麽使我们身上的肉活动，变成我们生命的一部份呢？那把肚里的骨肉割下来，随著这块肉成长为人的灵性该怎麽办？他（她）会不会成为灵界的流浪儿，他（她）要去找谁讨这笔债？ ? From true stories like this one, how can we claim that unborn fetuses are not alive? Are they just pieces of flesh? We too are made of flesh; what makes us alive and the fetuses not alive? If we cut a fetus from the mother’s body, where would he or she go? Will he or she wander around in the spirit world, forever homeless? Who will he or she hold responsible for taking his or her life? ? 有一个女子，因为年轻不懂事，读书时曾到过一家医院堕胎；当时胎是堕了，身心的创伤却难以平复。几年後，就在这家医院前面，她去堕胎时所经过的十字路口，发生了车祸。所以，堕胎这件事，对母亲与胎儿无论是身、是心都是伤害！ ? There was another story about a young girl who had an abortion in a hospital when she was still a student. Although the baby left her body quickly, the physical and emotional scars remained. A few years later, she was involved in a car accident at the intersection near the hospital where she had the abortion. An abortion harms both the mother and the child physically and emotionally. ? 有一天，有个居士带著她妇产科医生的先生到道场来。为什麽？这位医生患癌症，希望藉著佛菩萨的力量来帮助他。他告诉我，他很注重健康的，每天运动以保持健康，不知道为什麽还会患癌症。其实，社会上堕胎的风气炽盛，身为妇产科医生更不能不慎！医生的职责是「济世活人」；帮人堕胎，正与「活人」相违。种什麽因，结什麽果。「业」，是我们天天造的；「因」，是你偶尔做这麽一次，这因种了，将来结这果。如春天播种子，这种子种下去，等秋天才可收成。 ? A woman once brought her husband, an OB/GYN, to the temple. He had been diagnosed with cancer and hoped that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas could help him. He told me that he took good care of his body and exercised everyday to maintain his health. Therefore he had no idea why he still got cancer. Actually, with abortions being so prevalent nowadays, OB/GYNs especially need to be careful. A doctor’s duty is to save lives, and performing abortions is contrary to this duty. Whatever causes we plant, we reap the corresponding effects. Karma results from our daily actions, while we create a cause only once in a while. Let me give you an example to illustrate these concepts. If we plant seeds in the spring, we need to wait until autumn for the harvests.  ? 由种上到结果，这叫「种因结果」。这个「业」，就是从春天到秋天这段时间，中间经过所发生的事；也就是你常常做什麽，这就叫「业」。拿前面的例子来说，年轻的女子去堕一次胎，这就是「因」；妇产科医生常常帮人堕胎，这就是「业」。这个业，你随时做，有可能随时就受报的，做善就是善业，做恶就是恶业。 ? The seeds and their resulting fruits are the “causes and effects.” “Karma” is all the events that occurred between spring and autumn or the things that we do frequently. Going back to the OB/GYN with cancer, a woman creates a cause when she has an abortion, while the OB/GYN creates karma when he performs abortions frequently. A person who creates karma constantly may face its retribution constantly. Wholesome actions create wholesome karma, while unwholesome actions create unwholesome karma. ? 《梵网经菩萨戒》云∶「若佛子，若自杀，教人杀，方便杀，赞叹杀，见作随喜，乃至咒杀。杀因、杀缘、杀法、杀业。乃至一切有命者，不得故杀。」所谓「自杀」，就是自己动手结束对方的生命；也包括自己结束自己的生命。「教人杀」，自己虽然不杀，但教人杀，如当面劝人行杀，或派人到别处行杀，这样和自己杀死，罪是一样的。 ? The Brahma Net Sutra’s Bodhisattva precepts states that “A disciple of the Buddha must not kill by himself, tell others to kill, kill with expedient means, praise killing, or condone killing. He must not use any methods whatsoever, not even mantras, to kill. He must not create any causes for killing, effects of killing, methods of killing, and karma of killing. As long as the being has a life, he must not end its life intentionally.” “To kill by oneself” means not only to take other’s life, but also to take one’s own life. “Telling others to kill” includes advising others to kill or sending someone to kill on your behalf. Whether the act of killing is done by your own hands or by others’ hands because you told them to do so, the offense is the same. ? 谈谈「教人杀」的实例，在八○年代，有一位经理级的先生，远从东南亚来到万佛圣城向上人求救，因为他身患癌症。上人让他在圣城的万佛宝殿中，在十方诸佛菩萨及四众前发露忏悔，以挽救他的罪业。他提到他因口所犯的恶业，惨无人道地吃众生肉，如吃猴脑、鹅掌等。接著，上人问他∶「你杀过人吗？」他说∶「绝对没有！除非我喝醉开车，不知道撞死人。」上人又问∶「那你太太呢？」「唉呀，我想起来了，我曾叫我太太堕胎！」所以，这些生命都来和他讨债了！因此，有人问你，堕胎好不好？应该劝她不要堕胎。不要说∶「若有困难，就把孩子拿掉吧。」这是教他杀。 ? Speaking of telling others to kill, let me tell you a true story. During the 1980s, a manager came all the way from Southeast Asia to visit the Venerable Master at CTTB. This man had cancer and hoped the Venerable Master could save him. In CTTB’s Buddha Hall, the Venerable Master helped this man by letting him repent in front of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions and the Fourfold Assembly. The man talked about the evil karma he had created with his mouth, because he cruelly ate living beings’ flesh such as monkey brains and goose feet. The Venerable Master then asked him if he had ever killed a person. He replied, “Never. The only way I might have done so would be if I were driving what drunk and killed someone unknowingly.” The Venerable Master further asked, “How about your wife?” In surprise, the manager answered, “Oh, I remember now. I once talked my wife into getting an abortion!” All the lives he had taken were coming to him and demanding payments. Therefore, if someone asks you whether she should get an abortion, you should advise her against it. Don’t say things such as, “If you are in a difficult situation, just get rid of the fetus.” If you tell someone to get an abortion, it is considered as telling others to kill. ? 你持戒，有持戒的功德；破戒，有破戒的罪业。可是在因果上来说，不管有没有受戒，因果都是存在的；杀胎的这种过失，因果上默默中都要互相论对的。曾见过在超度牌位中，有同一个妈妈超度十几个未出生的胎儿，看得令人触目惊心，这身上有多少条生命呀！人的无知，造成无知的未来；无知的未来，让人更无知，就像滚雪球似的。 ? Upholding the precepts creates merit and virtue; breaking the precepts creates negative karma. However, causes and effects exist regardless of whether one has received the precepts. By killing a fetus, one will bear the consequences. I once saw rebirth plaques made by a mother who tried to cross over more than ten fetuses that she had aborted. It was frightening to realize how many lives she was indebted to! Our current ignorance creates a future full of ignorance, and a future full of ignorance causes us to be even more ignorant, thus creating a snowball effect.  ? 问∶请问法师对九月是堕胎月有什麽看法？ ? Question: Dharma Master, what is your view on “September as the month of abortion”? ? 答∶这是十几年前，一位广播员问我的问题。当时我不明白为什麽九月是堕胎月？广播员回答说∶「因为学生放璁假，所以很多两性的事情发生。有孕了，学生九月要回到学校上课，就去打胎。」那麽，十几年前风气就这样，现在更不用说了。这件事说起来，其实大家都有责任── ? Answer: This is a question that a radio announcer asked me about ten years ago. When I said that I didn’t understand why September is the month for abortions, the radio announcer told me: “Since during summer vacations, many students have sex and get pregnant. So when it’s time for them to go back to school in September, they get an abortion.” If things were this bad ten years ago, we can imagine how things are now. Actually, all of us share some responsibility in this matter for the following reasons: ? （一）从饮食来说∶人应该吃人乳，但现在的孩子大多是饮牛乳长大的；牛是兽，兽有兽性，用兽的奶来养大孩子。断乳以後，又是大鱼大肉、甜点、油炸食品。用这样的饮食来养孩子，孩子或许看似快高长大，生理成长得快，但没有真正健康的基础，同时欲念也重，心理的成熟度够不上生理的成长。 ? First, our children’s diet. Human beings should be fed with human milk; however, most children nowadays grow up drinking cow's milk. Cow is an animal, and yet we feed our children milk produced by a animal. When children are old enough to eat solid food, they are fed with a lot of fish, meat, sweets and fried foods. Children on such a diet seem to grow taller and faster. However, even if their bodies were growing rapidly, this growth is not rooted in genuinely good health. In addition, due to their diet, these children tend to have strong desires, and their emotional maturity cannot keep up with their physical maturity. ? （二）媒体的泛滥∶在我们享用科技的方便时，风气所及，年轻的一代更是在媒体的泛滥下失去保护，诱惑太大，很难洁身自爱，也不懂洁身自爱。 ? Second, overwhelming influence of the media. While we are enjoying the conveniences brought by modern technology, the younger generations are being inundated by the media without any protection. These youngsters are extremely attracted by what they see; under such influences it is hard for them to keep their bodies pure and cherish themselves, and they also don’t know how to do so. ? （三）从教育方面来说∶教育是要教人「明理」，不是「名利」。但现在的教育反行其道，年轻的一代受不到道德教育的滋润，就像没有根一样，随波逐流，失去做人的基础。 ? Third, our children’s education. Education should teach people how to understand the truth, instead of how to pursue profits and fame. Unfortunately, education nowadays is contrary to the Way. Without the nourishment provided by an education based on ethics and morality, the younger generations don’t have a strong foundation in how to be upright individuals. Instead, they are like rootless plants, being carried adrift by the tides. ? 所以增欲的饮食、导欲的媒体、错向的教育┅┅，学生自然很容易恣情纵欲，为所欲为，堕胎月就出来了！若能改善教育、饮食，省悟科技带来的负面作用，提升道德观念等等，想必日後根本没有「堕胎月」这个名词！ ? Therefore, under the influence of these factors: a diet that increases desires, media that teach desires, and education that focuses on the wrong values, students naturally tend toward indulging in sexual desires without any restraint. By doing whatever they please, the month of abortion comes into being. If we can improve our children’s diet and education, realize the negative side-effects of modern technology, and strengthen our sense of ethics and morality, I think we definitely won’t have the phrase “the month for abortion” in the future! ? 结语∶ 有一次，我参加一个会议，主题是∶「佛教对社会的参与影响」。个人觉得∶用佛法来改造人心，这就是最大的影响！拿我出家人的身份来说，我不觉得一定要去外面做一些事情，这样才能帮助社会；而是，把正确的观念带给大家，影响得人人都有正确的观念。就像现在我们谈到堕胎的问题，这是社会上已存在的一个严重事实，如果人人有正确的观念，那就会帮助很多的生命。所以，带给大家正确的知见，这就是行持佛法的一部份！ ? Conclusion: Once I attended a conference on “The Role of Buddhism and its Impact on Society.” I believe that Buddhism’s greatest impact is how it transforms our minds. As a member of the Sangha, I have found that I don’t need to go around and do things for others in order to benefit the society. Rather, I can share the proper views with others, and help everyone to attain such views. For example, the issue of abortion we have been discussing is one of the serious problems in society today. If everyone can understand the proper view of no killing, many lives will be saved. Helping people to understand this true principle is one way of upholding the Buddhadharma.