問：世界上物質多得很，都有內在條件嗎？石頭那麼硬，水那樣軟、散，科學家都考察研究啦？
答：當分子或原子在相互作用影響下，只能圍繞各自的平衡位置，做微小振動時表現爲固態（即石頭等）。當分子或原子轉動較劇烈，使其沒有固定平衡位置，但不致分散遠離時就表現爲液態（即水等）。如果不但分子或原子的平衡位置沒有了，也不能維持一定的距離就表現爲氣態。用不著考查物質，什麼樣的內在條件就表象什麼樣狀態物質，決不會錯的。
問：這與真理，尤其人類社會常用的真理有什麼關係？
答：它本身就是真理的標準，就是人類社會所用的真理的依據。所謂真理的標準是客觀實際嘛。
問：客觀實際多得很，吃飯、睡覺、偷盜等不都是客觀實際嗎？它們都是真理呀？
答：客觀即非主觀、實際、不是虛僞，尤其內外一致，取其真實之義，以充實抽象之概念真理，並不需其形質。真理本身並無是非曲直，更無善惡好歹，假設被告八點去銀行偷款，被告提出八點正在食堂吃飯的事實了事。有人因「偷東西」被拘留審查，都起到真理即實際作用。
所謂真理就是真實、實際、內外一致，也就是萬事萬物的實際活動過程，凡不真實即非真理，或背離真理。仔細想想凡違背真理的事件，和違法亂紀的行為，斷言都是由於不真實而造成的，所以才決定真理的標準是客觀實際，凡事物脫離或違背客觀實際那就必然是錯誤，或非理。這個道理深刻，惟有佛教徒徹底明白，他們嚴戒妄語，連一句假話都不能說，何況不真實的事事物物。
二、真理的作用。真理是包括人類在內萬事萬物存在的條件、活動方向依據。具體說，世界的和平進步，國家的富強，社會的繁榮，工農等各業的發展，乃至鄰里的團結，家庭的和順，個人的如願等等，可以說都是真理作用的結果。再看天空的飛機，海洋的船艦，陸地的車輛以及樓臺殿閤，凡世界上所有一切物質和精神文明都是依據真理發明創造出來的。人和真理的關係，有似魚水，人離不開真理，人們掌握真理的程度不同，對社會的貢獻各異。
待續 |
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Question: "There are so many things in the world. Do they all have intrinsic properties? For example, stones are hard, while water is soft and diffusive. Have scientists observed and studied them all?" Answer: When the molecules or atoms are under mutual influence and can only vibrate slightly around their own position of equilibrium, the substance appears in a solid state (like a stone). When the molecule or atoms vibrate more freely, so that there is no fixed equilibrium position, and yet they do not disperse, it appears in a liquid state (like water). If the molecules or atoms not only have no equilibrium position, but cannot sustain a constant distance, the substance appears in a gaseous state. Since the intrinsic properties accurately determine the physical appearance of the material, there is no need to study the material itself.
Question: "How is this related to the truth, particularly the truth as used in society?" Answer: "This itself is the standard of truth; it is what people in society rely on as the truth. The standard of truth is just the objective reality."
Question: "There are so many objective realities. For example, aren't eating, sleeping, stealing, and so forth, objective realities? Are these all considered the truth?"
Answer: "By 'objective' we mean it is not subjective; by `reality' we mean it is not a falsehood. In particular, what makes it the truth is the unity of the intrinsic and extrinsic; that supplements the abstract concept of truth, in which form and substance are not essential. The truth fundamentally has no right and wrong, crooked and straight, good and bad, proper and evil. If someone is accused of robbing a bank at eight o'clock, and he can prove that at eight he was eating in a restaurant, then the case is settled. When he was arrested on the charge of stealing and put under investigation, the truth and reality were considered.
The truth refers to facts and reality, to the correspondence of what is inside and outside, and to the actual motion of all things. Anything which is not real is not the truth, and is opposed to the truth. If we think carefully, all cases in which the truth is opposed or the laws are violated, come about because of falsity. That is why objective reality is taken to be the standard of truth. Anything which disagrees with objective reality must be wrong or unreasonable. This principle is profound, and only Buddhists understand it thoroughly. They uphold the precept which prohibits lying, and are not allowed to utter even one false statement, how much the less other untrue things!
B. The function of the Truth. Truth is the base which directs movement/actions of myriad things and affairs, and including people. To speak concretly, the development of world peace, the strength and wealth of a country, the prosperity of a society, the progress in all work fields, like technology and agriculture, and the unity in a neighborhood, the harmony and compliance of a family, the fulfillment of one's wish are all the results of the function of a truth. Take a further look at the planes in the sky, the ships in the ocean, the vehicles on land and buildings, palaces and pavilions, of all material and civilization are the inventions derive from the Truth. The relation between Man and Truth is like fish and water. Man cannot separate from Truth and the level of people's mastery of Truth is different, so are their contributions to the society.
To be continued |
