Tough Answers, part 2

2024-08-16 heyumapati  Hare Krishna

调皮的奎师那拿着一块糖

Introduction
导⾔

July. Warm evening air. But nothing to write about. My mind was blank. Then I saw an article on Microsoft News (MSN).
七月。夜晚的空气温暖宜人。但没什么可写的。我的思绪一片空白。然后我在微软新闻（MSN）上看到了一篇文章。
标题是：“无神论者想向信神者提出的十九个厉害的问题。”

But the questions were not so tough. After all, Lord Krishna is tougher than any atheist. And I needed a topic to write about anyway.
但这些问题并不太难。毕竟，主奎师那比任何无神论者都更厉害。而且，无论如何我都需要一个写作的话题。

So I decided to answer the questions with the teachings of Hare Krishna. It will take more than one post, of course. But please bear with me and see if my “tough” answers to “tough” questions are not also logical.
因此，我决定用哈瑞·奎师那的教导来回答这些问题。当然，这需要多篇文章来阐述。但请耐心听我说，看看我对这些“厉害”的问题的“厉害”的回答是否也合乎逻辑。

Question 2. How Do You Explain Natural Disasters?
问题⼆，你如何解释⾃然灾害？

August 2024. An election year. On November 5, people all across the United States will jump in their cars, turn the key in the ignition,  and head to their local polling stations to drop their ballots in the slotted box.
2024 年 8 ⽉。选举年。11 ⽉ 5 ⽇，美国各地的⼈们将跳上他们的汽车，转动钥匙于点⽕装置内，前往当地的投票站，把选票投进有槽的盒⼦⾥。

It happens every four years, ready or not.
这每四年发⽣⼀次，不管是否准备好了。

And as usual, the two main candidates,  fiery enemies this year,  have agreed to debate against each other on television.  Let us all see who’s the smarter. Or whether either one is even smart at all.
像往常⼀样，两位主要候选⼈——今年的劲敌，已经同意在电视上进⾏辩论。让我们都看看谁更明智。或者他们⼀点都不明智。

What will they debate about? First and foremost, taxes, jobs, abortion, the war in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East, the hordes of  Central Americans  fleeing extortion and murder in their own countries as they march northward through Mexico to finally climb over the border fence.
他们会辩论什么？⾸要的是税收、就业、堕胎、乌克兰战争、中东战争、成群结队的中美洲⼈向北⾏进，穿过墨西哥，最终爬过边境围栏，逃离本国的勒索和谋杀。

The question: Should we give these tan-skinned people refuge in our United States?
问题是：我们应该在我们美国为这些棕褐⾊⽪肤的⼈提供庇护吗？

Still,  the candidates will surely skip over issues that directly affect the lives of many citizens: the proliferation of bedbugs and disease-carrying ticks, the deadly new viruses.
尽管如此，候选⼈肯定会跳过直接影响许多公民⽣活的问题：臭⾍和携带疾病的蜱⾍的扩散，以及致命的新病毒。

Not to mention the  unbearable heat in the Southwest, the hurricanes in the Southeast, the tornadoes in the Midwest,  and the wildfires along the Pacific Coast.
更不⽤说西南部难以忍受的⾼温、东南部的飓风、中西部的龙卷风和太平洋沿岸的野⽕。

But why will they debate about the wars and not about the weather? Because they can talk big about having the solution to the problem of war, but what can they say about the tornadoes?
但为什么他们辩论的是战争⽽不是天⽓呢？因为他们可以就解决战争问题的⽅案说⼤话，但他们对龙卷风又能说些什么呢？

Still, their job is to protect the citizens from bugs as well as from bombs. Joe Citizen may worry about the war in Ukraine, and rightly so. But he will worry more when his daughter is in a hospital bed with tick-borne Lyme disease or when his home in Florida is washed into the sea by the waters of a hurricane. Certainly. And what can the president do?
尽管如此，他们的⼯作是保护市民免受⾍⼦和炸弹的伤害。普通的市民可能会担⼼乌克兰的战争，这是理所当然的。但当他的⼥⼉因蜱传播的莱姆病躺在医院病床上，或者他在佛罗⾥达州的家被飓风冲⼊⼤海时，他会更担⼼。当然。总统能做些什么呢？

Ever hear the old saying, “Everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it”?
有没有听过这句⽼话：“⼈⼈都抱怨天⽓，但没有⼈对它做点什么”？

Well it wasn’t always like that. There was a time when people knew what to do about the weather and the disease-carrying bugs. There is an answer.
事情并不总是这样的。曾经有⼀段时间，⼈们知道如何应对天⽓和携带疾病的⾍⼦。有⼀个答案。

The Srimad Bhagavatam tells about Krishna’s friend, King Yudisthir, who ruled over the world five thousand years ago:
《圣典博伽⽡谭》讲述了奎师那的朋友，五千年前统治世界的尤帝⼠提尔国王：

Because of the King’s having no enemy, the living beings were not at any time disturbed by mental agonies, diseases, or excessive heat or cold. (1.10.6)
“因为国王没有敌⼈，众⽣在任何时候都不会受到精神痛苦、疾病或过热或过冷的困扰。”（1.10.6）

And more. Prabhupada writes:
还有。帕布帕德写道：

Formerly, when there were responsible kings, up to the time …when Lord Krsna was present, the king was liable to be blamed for the untimely death of a child in the presence of his parents.  (Krishna Book 89)
“从前，那时有负责任的国王，直到……主奎师那临在时，国王要为孩⼦在⽗母⾯前过早死亡⽽受到指责。”（《奎师那——至尊人格首神》第89章）

How was it possible?
这怎么可能？

Because the king—and his subjects—knew something that even the greatest scientists and educators of today do not know: that the forces of nature are controlled by conscious living beings.
因为国王及其⾂民知道⼀些即使是当今最伟⼤的科学家和教育家也不知道的事情：⼤⾃然的⼒量是由有知觉的⽣物控制的。

It was common knowledge in the ancient world even as far back as the kingdom of Lord Ramachandra a million years ago. And that’s no exaggeration. The Greek and Roman writings speak of gods, but Srila Prabhupada calls them demigods because they are subordinate to the Supreme God, Krishna. The sun god, the earth goddess, the wind god—they are his agents in this world.
这是古代世界的常识，甚⾄可以追溯到⼀百万年前主茹阿玛禅铎的王国。这⼀点也不夸张。希腊和罗马的著作谈到神，但施瑞拉·帕布帕德称他们为半神⼈，因为他们从属于⾄尊神——奎师那。太阳神，地球⼥神，风神——他们是祂在这个世界上的代理⼈。

But why do the demigods give us  tornadoes and wildfires? What do they want from us?
但为什么半神⼈会给我们龙卷风和野⽕呢？他们想从我们这⾥得到什么呢？

In the Bhagavad-Gita Krishna tells us:
在《博伽梵歌》中，奎师那告诉我们：

In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu [Krishna], and blessed them by saying:
“在创造之初，万物之主遣来⼀代又⼀代的⼈类和半神⼈，带着对维施努（奎师那）的种种祭祀，并祝福他们道：

‘Be happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.
‘The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.’ (3.10,11)
‘让祭祀带给你们快乐，因为祭祀的举⾏将赐予你们幸福⽣活和获得解脱所欲求的⼀切。’
‘半神⼈——被祭祀所满⾜，亦会满⾜你们，因此，通过⼈类与半神⼈之间的合作，⼀切都会繁荣昌盛。’（《博伽梵歌》3.10.11）

But why  offer sacrifices to Krishna and not to the demigods themselves? Aren’t they the ones we want to blow away the hurricanes and dry up the floods? Prabhupada explains this in the Bhagavad-Gita (13.14)
但为什么要向奎师那献祭，⽽不是向半神⼈献祭呢？他们不正是我们想要吹⾛飓风，让洪⽔⼲涸的⼈吗？帕布帕德在《博伽梵歌》（13.14）中解释了这⼀点。

Demigods like Indra, [Chandra] and Varuna are appointed officers who manage material affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to satisfy these demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light and water sufficiently to produce food grains.When Lord Krishna is worshiped, the demigods, who are different limbs of the Lord, are also automatically worshiped; therefore there is no separate need to worship the demigods.
像因陀罗（Indra）、禅铎（Chandra）和⽡茹拿（Varuna）这样的半神⼈被任命为管理物质事务的官员，韦达经教导我们献祭来满⾜这些半神⼈，这样他们就乐于提供⾜够的空⽓、光和⽔来⽣产粮⾷。当主奎师那受到崇拜时，作为主的个别肢体的半神⼈也⾃动受到崇拜；因此，没有必要单独崇拜半神⼈。

The demigods are also Krishna’s police officers. When we break the laws of nature, the demigods punish us with disease, natural disasters, and wars.
半神⼈也是奎师那的警察。当我们违反⾃然法则时，半神⼈会⽤疾病、⾃然灾害和战争来惩罚我们。

Like the weather, everyone complains about war, but no one does anything  about it. People are unwilling to eliminate the root cause. Srila Prabhupada explains:
就像天⽓⼀样，每个⼈都抱怨战争，但没有⼈对此采取任何⾏动。⼈们不愿意消除根本原因。施瑞拉·帕布帕德解释说：

In this age of Kali [the present cosmic age] the propensity for mercy is almost nil. Consequently there is always fighting and wars between men and nations.
在这卡利年代[现在的宇宙年代]，仁慈的倾向⼏乎为零。因此，⼈与⼈之间和国与国之间总是有战⽃和战争。

Men do not understand that because they unrestrictedly kill so many animals, they also must be slaughtered like animals in big wars.This is very much evident in the Western countries. In the West, slaughterhouses are maintained without restriction, and therefore every fifth or tenth year there is a big war in which countless people are slaughtered even more cruelly than the animals.(Srimad Bhagavatam 4.26.5)
⼈类不明⽩，因为他们⽆限制地杀死了这么多动物，他们也必须像动物⼀样在⼤型战争中被屠杀。这在西⽅国家⾮常明显。在西⽅，屠宰场没有任何限制，因此每隔五年或⼗年就会有⼀场⼤战，⽆数的⼈被残忍地屠杀，甚⾄⽐对动物更残忍。（《圣典博伽⽡谭》4.26.5）

War is also the domain of the goddess Kali, as Prabhupada explains in Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.18:
战争也是⼥神卡莉的领域，正如帕布帕德在《圣典博伽⽡谭》2.4.18 中解释的那样：

There is a popular picture of goddess Kali in which she wears a garland composed of the heads of the asuras [demons] and holds in her left hand a captured head and in her right hand a great khadga, or chopper, for killing asuras.
有⼀幅流⾏的⼥神卡莉的照⽚，她戴着由阿修罗（恶魔）的头组成的花环，左⼿拿着⼀个被捕获的头，右⼿拿着⼀个巨⼤的 khadga，或砍⼑，⽤来杀死阿修罗。

Great wars are symbolic representations of Kali’s devastation of the asuras and are actually conducted by the goddess Kali.
⼤型战争是卡莉毁灭阿修罗的象征性表现，实际上是由⼥神卡莉指挥的。

Wait. Is Kali the name of a goddess or a cosmic age?  The two names look alike in English though  spelled and pronounced differently in the original Sanskrit.
等等。卡利是⼀个⼥神的名字还是⼀个宇宙年代的名字？这两个名字在中⽂中看起来很像，尽管在原始梵⽂中拼写和发⾳不同。

The name of the cosmic age is pronounced kully with a short U as in dull.
宇宙年代的名字发⾳是/ kʌli /（喀⼒），就像单词 dull（⼤阿奥）中的阿⼀样。

The name of the goddess almost rhymes with jolly but with the vowels stretched out, like KAAH-leee.
⼥神的名字⼏乎与英⽂单词 jolly（佳阿利⼀）押韵，但元⾳被拉长，如kaah -lee/ kɑːliː /（卡阿莉⼀）。

That settled, one more question arises: Vegetarians may also be killed in wars, and innocent people may be hurt in natural disasters. Why?
解决了这个问题，又有⼀个问题出现了：素⾷者也可能在战争中丧⽣，⽆辜的⼈也可能在⾃然灾害中受伤。为什么？

Prabhupada answers this in the case of Krishna’s mother Devaki. She was not hurt in a war or disaster, but the six sons she  gave birth to before Krishna, one each year, were killed right after birth by her evil brother, King Kamsa.
帕布帕德以奎师那的母亲黛⽡克伊为例回答了这个问题。她没有在战争或灾难中受伤，但她在奎师那之前⽣下的六个⼉⼦，每年⼀个，⼀出⽣就被她邪恶的哥哥康萨王杀死。

Nor did Devaki have the pleasure of raising Krishna. He was taken away to be raised by Devaki’s friend Yasoda while Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, were held prisoner by Kamsa until Krishna grew up and killed the cruel king. Some years later Krishna reunited Devaki with the six boys.
黛⽡克伊也没有养育奎师那的乐趣。祂被带去由黛⽡克伊的朋友雅⾸达抚养，⽽黛⽡克伊和她的丈夫⽡苏戴⽡则被康萨囚禁，直到奎师那长⼤并杀死了残忍的国王。⼏年后，奎师那让黛⽡克伊和六个男孩团聚了。

But all in all, Devaki endured years of anguish. Why?
但总⽽⾔之，黛⽡克伊忍受了多年的痛苦。为什么？

Prabhupada answers (quoted from memory):
帕布帕德回答（引⽤⾃记忆）：

Why did Devaki have to suffer? She has no karma. She is sinless. She is Krishna’s mother. But she had to suffer just because she came into this world. Suffering is the nature of this world.
为什么黛⽡克伊要受苦？她没有业报。她是⽆罪的。她是奎师那的母亲。但她必须受苦，因为她来到了这个世界。苦难是这个世界的本性。

⁓Umapati Swami, August 16, 2024
⁓Umapati Swami， 2024 年 8 ⽉ 16 ⽇

Eternally touching my head to the floor at the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, for showing me this.
永远顶拜我的灵性导师施瑞拉·帕布帕德，感谢他向我展示这一切。

Notes:
备注：

The Hare Krishna Mantra: Haré Krishna, Haré Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Haré Haré / Haré Rama, Haré Rama, Rama Rama, Haré Haré.
哈瑞奎师那 玛哈·曼陀罗：哈瑞 奎师那，哈瑞 奎师那，奎师那 奎师那，哈瑞 哈瑞 / 哈瑞 茹阿玛，哈瑞 茹阿玛，茹阿玛 茹阿玛，哈瑞 哈瑞。（Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare）

The opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any organization or any other person.
本文所表达的观点仅代表我个人，并不一定反映任何组织或任何其他人的观点。

Scriptural passages © Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

Photo top: Naughty Krishna holding a piece of candy (Jishnu Das)

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© 乌玛帕提·斯瓦米 2024

Srila Prabhupada

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the teacher who brought Krishna Consciousness from India to the West and then to the rest of the world. He is the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement as well as the author and compiler of many works of Vedic knowledge. He left this world in 1977.

Umapati Swami

One of the first American devotees of the Hare Krishna Movement, he became Srila Prabhupada’s disciple in 1966. Since then, he has preached Krishna Consciousness in many countries and is the author of “My Days with Prabhupada,” available from Amazon. Now 87 years old, he maintains this blog to share what he has learned.