august23

It is possible to indicate one’s

particular spiritual way of life

through external means, such as

wearing certain clothes, having a shrine

or altar in one’s house, doing recitations

and chanting. However, these practices

are secondary to one’s religious or

spiritual way of life because all of these

activities can be performed by a

person who harbours a very negative

state of mind. On the other hand, all the

virtues of mind, the mental qualities,

are genuine spiritual qualities because

all of these internal mental qualities

cannot exist in a single moment

simultaneously with ill feelings or

negative states of mind.

一個人當然可以從外在形式

來表現出他的性靈生活傾向,

像是穿著特定的衣服,

在家中安置神龕或祭壇,

詠唱或吟誦. 然而, 這些練習

在一個人的宗教習性及

精神生活狀況都是次要的,

因為這所有細節都能被一個

心中充滿負面情緒的人遵行不誤.

另一方面, 心靈的所有德行, 心的質地,

才是真正的精神品質,

因為所有內在的心智品質,

是無法與反感或心靈的

負面狀態片刻共存的.