最近越來越發(fā)覺斯多葛中的一些思想與佛學(xué)的思想有相像之處，試圖去理解兩者的異同。
- 控制欲 與 “苦”
Outside our control, however, are such things as what kind of body we have, whether we're born into wealth or strike it rich, how we are regarded by others, and our status in society. We must remember that those things are externals and are therefore not our concern. Trying to control or to change what we can't only results in torment.
佛陀所說的dukkha(苦），意旨 suffering, unsatisfactoriness. 既然苦就是不滿足，那么Epictetus的這句：“Trying to control or to change what we can’t only results in torment. ” 試圖去控制一切所導(dǎo)致的結(jié)果是不是也在指dukkha?
- Tanha 與 擁有
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
Epictetus的這句話又使我聯(lián)想到佛學(xué)中的Tanha。Tanha即欲望，英文中的解釋是desire, craving, thirst, want, longing, yearning。最通俗的例子，我們經(jīng)常說“吃著碗里的看著鍋里的”，引申一步，欲望是無休止的，因?yàn)橛杏鸗anha，才有了不滿足dukkha，這使我們淪入苦海之中。貪使人欲罷不能，嗔使人為得不到的而瘋狂，兩者的狀態(tài)則為癡。 Epictetus 是想告訴給人們珍惜已擁有的東西，而佛陀的則教給了我們徹底放下Tanha，遠(yuǎn)離貪嗔癡的苦海。
- 空 與 靜
Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not. It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can't control that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.
佛學(xué)與斯多葛學(xué)派不都是在追求真正意義上的極樂與自由嗎？
佛學(xué)中常講“空” (Emptiness) ，空使人排除主觀的干預(yù)，從而能獲得更真實(shí)、豐富的體驗(yàn)，從而達(dá)到自由。斯多葛追求“平靜” （Tranquility），理解什么是我們能夠控制的，什么不是，進(jìn)而達(dá)到內(nèi)心的平靜與外在有效性，即快樂與自由。
個(gè)人愚見，仍在學(xué)習(xí)的路上。
