Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 6—1513 B.C.E. kuqhubeke—Izincwadi Zenkolo Ezidayiswa Kakhulu

“Inkolo yethu isencwadini.”—USamuel Johnson, imbongi nombhali wezindaba oyiNgisi weshumi le-18 leminyaka

ZONKE izinkolo ezinkulu zinencwadi noma izincwadi zazo. Nakuba zingase “zihluke kakhulu ngokubonakala, ubukhulu, ubude besikhathi zikhona, nezinga lobungcwele bazo,” kusho iThe New Encyclopædia Britannica, “imfanelo yazo efanayo iwukuthi amazwi azo abhekwa abazinikezele njengangcwele.” Bona kanye ubukhona bezincwadi eziningi kangaka ezingcwele buyabonisa ngokwakho ukuthi isintu ngokuyisisekelo sakhiwe ngendlela yokuba sithande inkolo.

IBhayibheli (lamaKristu), iKoran (yamaSulumane), iTalmud (yobuJuda), iVedas (yamaHindu), neTripitaka (yamaBuddha) kuyimibhalo engcwele egunyaziwe yezinkolo ezinkulu.a

Ezinye izincwadi, nakuba zingaqashelwa izinkolo ezihleliwe njengezincwadi zazo ezingcwele ezisemthethweni, nokho ziphathelene nenkolo ngokokubhalwa. Lokhu kunjalo ngeKojiki neNihongi, izincwadi lezo emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka eziye zaba nethonya elikhulu ekuphileni kwabantu baseJapane nakumaShinto. Ukuphila kwabantu baseChina kuye kwathonywa ngokufanayo izincwadi eziyi-13 zikaConfucius. Lezincwadi eziyi-13 zisekelwe ezimfundisweni zikaConfucius, umhlonishwa waseChina owayengakabi ngisho naneminyaka eyishumi nantathu lapho iBabiloni liwela ezandleni zamaMede namaPheresiya ngo-539 B.C.E. Incwadi eyisisekelo yezimfundiso zikaConfucius iAnalects (Lun yü), kuthiwa iqukethe ezahlukweni zayo eziyi-496 amazwi kaConfucius siqu.

Imibhalo yamuva nje yenkolo nayo iye yathola ukuhlonishwa njengengcwele. Eminye icatshangelwa njengeyizenezelo ezidingekile emibhalweni eyamukelekayo. Ngokwesibonelo, amalungu eChurch of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, akholelwa ukuthi iNcwadi KaMormon yabhalwa egolideni eliyizicaba ibhalwa umprofethi okuthiwa uMormon; ukuthi kamuva yagqitshwa indodana yakhe uMoroni; nokuthi eminyakeni eyi-1 400 kamuva, phakathi nengxenye yokuqala yekhulu le-19 leminyaka, yatholwa ingelosi futhi yayinikeza uJoseph Smith, owayihumusha.

Incwadi iScience and Health With Key to the Scriptures, eyabhalwa nguMary Baker Eddy, eyakhishwa okokuqala ngo-1875 njengeScience and Health, ibhekwa ngendlela efanayo. Eminyakeni eminingi wenqaba ukuba incwadi yakhe ihunyushelwe kwezinye izilimi kodwa ekugcineni wavuma, ebeka lomthetho: “Loluhlelo olusha luzonyatheliswa kubhalwa ikhasi lesiNgisi nelesiJalimane ngokulandelana, olunye uhlangothi kumelwe lube nenguqulo yesiNgisi ephefumlelwe ngokwaphezulu ezoba yindinganiso, olunye uhlangothi kumelwe lube nombhalo wesiJalimane ozoba ukuhunyushwa kwalo.”—Omalukeke sizenzele.

Ngisho nezincwadi ezingaphathelene nenkolo ziye zakhushulelwa esikhundleni semibhalo engcwele. Kuloluhlu kunemibhalo yekhulu le-19 nelama-20 leminyaka eyabhalwa amadoda anjengoCharles Darwin, uKarl Marx, noMao Tsetung, abamibono yabo ngokuziphendukela kwemvelo nobukhomanisi isekelwa njengenkolo izigidigidi zabantu.

Ukwakha Imibhalo Engcwele

Imibhalo eminingi engcwele ekuqaleni yayidluliselwa ngezwi lomlomo, ngezinye izikhathi kuthathe amakhulu eminyaka. Kodwa ngokuvamile, ngesikhathi esithile, kwakucatshangelwa njengokudingekile ukunquma ukuthi yiziphi izingxenye zamazwi aqongelelwe—kungaba awomlomo noma abhaliwe—okwakumelwe abe imibhalo engcwele engokomthetho yenkolo ethile. Igama elithi “imibhalo engcwele” lichazwa ngokuthi “iqoqo noma uhlu olugunyaziwe lwezincwadi ezamukelwa njengemibhalo engcwele.”

Ukwakha imibhalo engcwele efanayo kwakungelula, ngezinye izikhathi kwakungenzeki ngisho nokwenzeka. Ngokwesibonelo, iThe Encyclopedia of Religion ibiza izincwadi zamaBuddha ngokuthi ziyingqayizivele phakathi kwemibhalo engcwele yezwe engokwenkolo ngenxa yokuthi kunemibhalo engcwele eminingi. Ithi: “Iqoqo lemibhalo lihluka kakhulu omunye komunye, imbalwa imibhalo engatholakala kuwo wonke amahlelo.” Lempicabadala yaphumela ekubunjweni kwamaqembu amahlelo nakulokho umlando okubiza ngokuthi “iZikole Eziyishumi Nesishiyagalombili” zomqondo wobuBuddha.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, amaHindu ayahlukanisa phakathi kweqoqo lemibhalo engcwele elamukelekayo nezinye izincwadi ezinikezwa isikhundla sobungcwele obungaphelele. Lesosigaba semibhalo engcwele yamaHindu esibizwa ngokuthi iSruti, okusho “ukufunda ngokuzwa,” sibhekisela esambulweni esiyinhloko futhi sihlanganisa iVedas neUpanishads. ISmrti, okusho “ukuqoqa kabusha,” yenezela kuyiSruti, iyichaza futhi yenaba kuyo. Ngakho iSmrti icatshangelwa njengengaphansi ngokubaluleka, eyingxenye yeqoqo lemibhalo engcwele, nakuba empeleni amaHindu ethola okuningi kuyo kwalokho akwaziyo ngenkolo yawo.

AmaKristu okuzisholo nawo aye aba nobunzima ekwakheni iqoqo lemibhalo engcwele yeBhayibheli. ISonto LamaRoma Katolika namasonto amaningi aseMpumalanga nawobuOrthodox eseMpumalanga Ekude abheka eminye noma yonke imibhalo eyi-13 eyenezelwe njengemibhalo engatholakali ngesiHeberu, okusho ukuthi “eyeqoqo lesibili (noma lamuva) lemibhalo engcwele.” AmaProthestani ayibiza ngokuthi ingamanga, ekuqaleni okwakusho ukuthi “eyayifihlwe ngokucophelela” ngenxa yokuthi yayingafundwa obala kodwa namuhla kusho ukuthi ubuqiniso bayo buyangabazeka. UJames H. Charlesworth waseSikoleni Sokufundela Ubufundisi sasePrinceton uthi: “Lapho iqoqo lemibhalo engcwele lalivaliwe, okokuqala ngamaJuda kwase kuba izikhulu zamaKristu, lemibhalo yayingahlanganisiwe, futhi ngokushesha yaqala ukulahlekelwa ithonya layo nokubaluleka.” Kwaze kwaba ngo-1546 lapho uMkhandlu waseTrent uthi iyingxenye yeqoqo lemibhalo engcwele yeBhayibheli.

“Wat schrifft, blifft”

Lesisaga esisahubo sesiJalimane saseZansi, esisho ukuthi “lokho okubhaliwe kuyohlala phakade,” sibonisa amaphutha okudlulisela ukwaziswa ngomlomo. Imininingwane ebalulekile ingase ikhohlakale; izinguquko ezincane zinganezela ushintsho olunganakekile olwalungahlosiwe ekuqaleni. Ngakho, kuyaphawuleka ukuthi ezincwadini ezingcwele, iBhayibheli lingenye yezokuqala ezabhalwa. Eqinisweni, uMose waqeda ingxenye yalo yokuqala ngo-1513 B.C.E.

Ngokuphambene, ngokweThe Encyclopedia of Religion, amaUpanishad, umxhantela wamaVeda asukela ekhulwini lesishiyagalombili kuya kwelesine leminyaka B.C.E. futhi ahlelwa ngesiSanskrit “abhalwa okokuqala ngo-1656 CE.” Kodwa lokhu kwakungeyona indaba yokunganaki. Kwakuhlosiwe. Isazimlando uWill Durant siyachaza: “AmaVeda nezibongo zamaqhawe ayeyizingoma ezakhula nezizukulwane zalabo ababezihaya; zazingahlelelwe ukubonwa kodwa ukuzwiwa.”

Amanye amaHindu namaBuddha asazisholo ukuthi ukuyisho ngomlomo kuphela imibhalo okuyinikeza umqondo omkhulu nokubaluleka. Agcizelela kakhulu kumamantra, amazwi ahlelelwe ukushiwo emikhosini okuthiwa ngokwemvelo anamandla okusindisa. IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica ithi “ngokusho imantra ngendlela eqondile kukholelwa ukuthi umuntu angancenga noma ngisho aphoqe onkulunkulu ukuba banikeze ozinikezele amandla omlingo nawemimoya abengeke abe nawo ngaphandle kwalokho.”

IZwi Likabani, Futhi Elabangaki?

Akuyona yonke imibhalo engcwele ezisholo ukuthi ibhalwe ngokwaphezulu noma efuna ukuba isakazwe kabanzi futhi yenziwe itholakale kubo bonke abantu. Ngokwesibonelo, amaUpanishad amaHindu (okusho “ukuhlala eduze”) abizwa kanjalo ngenxa yokuthi abafundisi bezenkolo babejwayele ukuthululela izimfundiso eziyisifuba kubafundi babo abangcono nababebathanda, kulabo ‘abahleli eduze.’” Igama elithi upaniṣad ngaleyondlela lisikisela isici sokuba yimfihlo,” kuchaza iThe Encyclopedia of Religion, yenezela: “Eqinisweni, amaUpanisad asho ngokucacile ukuthi izifundo ezinjalo azenzelwe wonke umphakathi . . .. [kodwa] zazenzelwe ukuba zizwiwe izindlebe ezikhethiwe kuphela.”

Ngokufanayo, iKoran yama-Arabu yayicatshangelwa uMuhammad njengencwadi ehloselwe ama-Arabu kuphela. Lokhu kwakunjalo naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi lowo omelelwa njengokhulumayo unguNkulunkulu uqobo lwakhe, uMdali wabo bonke abantu. Ukuhunyushelwa kweKoran kwezinye izilimi kucatshangelwa njengokungafanele; ngakho, imibhalo yesiArabu kuphela engashiwo ngekhanda futhi isetshenziselwe izinjongo zemikhosi. Lokhu kungase kukhumbuze amanye amaKatolika iqiniso lokuthi ngaphambi koMkhandlu Wesibili WaseVatican, owawungeminyaka yawo-1960, isiLatin kuphela okwakumelwe sisetshenziswe emithendelekweni yamaRoma Katolika.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli likwenza kucace ukuthi isigijimi salo akumelwe sigcine kunoma yiliphi iqembu elilodwa. Lokhu kuvumelana nokuzisholo kwalo kokuthi ‘alilona izwi labantu, kodwa liyizwi likaNkulunkulu.’ (1Thesalonika 2:13) Abameleli balo balwela ukulisakaza kabanzi, benomcabango wokuthi bonke abantu banelungelo elifanayo lokuzuza emazwini okuhlakanipha oMdali wabo. Ngakho ngasekupheleni kuka-1987, lase lihunyushelwe, okungenani ingxenye yalo, ezilimini eziyi-1884. Ngo-1977 iThe Book of Lists yalinganisela ukusakazwa kweBhayibheli ezigidini eziyizi-2 458, nokho, ithi, izigidi eziyizi-3 000 ziyocishe zibe yilona nani.

Izinkolo—Zahlulelwa Ngezincwadi Zazo

Ngo-1933 isazi sefilosofi esiyiNgisi uAlfred Whitehead sabhala: “Ayikho inkolo engacatshangelwa yodwa ngaphandle kokucwaningwa kwabalandeli bayo.” Ngokufanelekile, inkolo ingahlulelwa njengeyiqiniso noma engamanga, enhle noma embi, ngesisekelo sohlobo lwabantu ebakhiqizayo. Futhi, yebo, imibhalo engcwele ezisholo ukuthi iyayilandela—ngezinga izimfundiso zayo ezisetshenziswa ngalo—inikela kakhulu ekulolongeni abakholelwa kuyo ukuba babe yilokho abayikho.

Imibhalo engcwele kumelwe inikeze isiqondiso esifanele. Kufanele njengoba iBhayibheli lisho “ilungele ukufundisa, nokusola, nokuqondisa, nokuyala ekulungeni,” isiza abantu ukuba ‘baphelele, bapheleliselwe yonke imisebenzi emihle.’—2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.

Zinjani izincwadi zenkolo ezithengiswa kakhulu uma ziqhathaniswa neBhayibheli? Ngokwesibonelo, imibhalo engcwele yamaHindu namaBuddha iye yabasiza ngezinga elingakanani abafundi bayo ukuba babhekane nezinkinga zokuphila? Ukuze sithole impendulo, kumelwe siphendukele eNdiya, isazi sezomlando uDurant esithi ngayo: “Alikho elinye izwe lapho inkolo inamandla, noma ibaluleke kakhulu khona kunaseNdiya.” Esihlokweni sethu esilandelayo kuzovela izihloko ezimbili ezikhuluma ngalendaba ethakazelisayo, esokuqala sizobe sithi “UbuHindu—Buwuvuma Zonke.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 26]

Lokho Okushiwo Amagama Azo

UBUBUDDHA: ITripitaka, lisuselwa kwelesiSanskrit elisho “obhasikidi abathathu [bokuqongelelwe]”

UBUKRISTU: IBhayibheli, lisuselwa kwelesiGreki elisho “izincwajana ezincane”

UBUCONFUCIAN: ILun yü, elesiShayina elisho “izingxoxo”

UBUHINDU: IVeda, lisuselwa kwelesiSanskrit elisho “ulwazi”

UBUSULUMANE: IKoran, lisuselwa kwelesiArabu elisho “ukufunda, ukusho ngekhanda”

UBUJUDA: ITalmud, lisuselwa kwelesiHeberu elisho “ukutadisha, ukufunda”

UBUSHINTO: IKojiki neNihongi, elesiJapane elisho “imibhalo yezindaba zakudala” nokuthi “imilando yaseJapane”

UBUTAO: ITao-te Ching, elesiShayina elisho “isibonelo sendlela yamandla”

UBUZOROASTRIAN: lAvesta, eyaqanjwa ngesiAvesta, ulimi olungasasetshenziswa lwaseIran eyayibhalwe ngalo