咒語 4 Mantra 4

常跟咒語一起運用的是密宗的手印，手印有加強咒語能力的效果，在很多佛教法會的儀式，尤其是以超度法會為主的儀式，顯教的(大方向是指漢傳佛教) 、密宗的、都可以看到咒語跟手印一起的運用，大概是想借雙重效果，達到超薦、伏魔的目的。

Vajrayāna Buddhism's mudra are often used with mantras. Mudra can amplify the effects of mantra. In many rituals of Buddhist services, especially the services that focused on salvation of the dead, whether it is Chinese Buddhisms or Vajrayāna Buddhism, it is common to see mantras and mudras used together. I guess the idea is to double the effects to reach the goal of salvation or exorcism.

密宗由印度傳入西藏，再結合當地的笨教成為密宗，笨教首重咒語、巫術、而密宗儀軌的前身來自印度婆羅門教，印度釋迦牟尼佛時代，以辯論哲學、八正道、十二因緣，四果的證悟為基礎 (參考阿含經，現今國際的稱呼為原始教典)，這些教法完全看不見咒語的出現，純粹是針對人的修行及可達到的境界做討論與說明，法會的儀式出現是後來，大乘佛法開始的時期，似乎說明佛教從修道與教學的殿堂，走下來遁入人間，開始重視人世間生活的需求，生、離、死、別、的歡樂與哀愁，都須要儀式的慶祝、超度，以達到人性的要求，佛法流傳中，隨著地方性的傳播，也納入當地的習俗。

Indian Vajrayāna Buddhism was spread to Tibet from India, and combined with the local religion, Bon, to become Tibetan Vajrayāna Buddhism. Bon's main focus is mantra and sorcery. The rituals of Indian Vajrayāna's predecessor is Brahmanism from India. At the time of Sakyamuni Buddha's India, Buddhism uses philosophical debates, Noble Eightfold Path, Twelve Niadana and the Four stages of Enlightenment as foundations. (Consult Agama for reference.) These teachings did not show any existence of mantras. At that time, the teaching of Buddhism was simply focused on Practice, and the discussion and clarification on the stages that practitioners can achieve. The rituals and services appeared later, with the start of Mahayana Buddhism. Its appearance seems to imply that Buddhism left the palace of Practice and academic surroundings, to the human world, and started to focus on the need of the people. The joy and sorrows of birth, separation and death, celebration and salvation all needed a ritual. Therefore, the spread of Buddhism also incorporated many local traditions.

古代所有民間的資訊大都是遲緩、黑暗的較多，應運民間需求的宗教，儀軌與儀式一定是佔大部份，甚至是超越佛學本身的。

In ancient time, information that reach the populace tended to be slow, late and dark. To meet the need of the populace, rituals and ceremonies are needed. Sometime, these rituals even exceed the teaching of Buddhism itself.

半寄 Master Ban Ji

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