..續本文上一頁a, when asked by the Wanderer: “Is there no self

　　” if I had answered: “There is no self”, then that would be siding with those recluses and brāhmanas who hold the annihilationist theory (uccheda-vāda). [25]

　　“同時，阿難，遊方者問我：“沒有我嗎？”如果我答：“沒有！”那我就跟持斷見的梵志出家人站在一邊了。［注二十五］

　　”Again, Ānanda, when asked by Vacchagotta: “Is there a self

　　”, if I had answered: “There is a self”, would that be in accordance with my knowledge that all dhammas are without self

　　” [26]

　　“再說，阿難，婆嗟種問我：“有我嗎？”如果我答“有的！”這答案與我所知“一切法無我”［注二十六］符合嗎？”

　　”Surely not, Sir.”

　　“當然不符啰！世尊。”

　　”And again, Ānanda, when asked by the Wanderer: “Is there no self

　　” if I had answered: “There is no self”, then that would have been a greater confusion to the already confused Vacchagotta. [27] For he would have thought: Formerly indeed I had an Ātman (self), but now I haven”t got one.” [28]

　　“還有，阿難，遊方者問我：“沒有我嗎？”如果我答：“沒有！”那將使得本來已經糊裏糊塗的婆嗟種［注二十七］越攪越糊塗了。他就會這樣想：以前我倒還有一個神我(我)［注二十八］，而今卻沒有了。”［注二十九］

　　It should now be quite clear why the Buddha was silent. But it will be still clearer if we take into consideration the whole background, and the way the Buddha treated questions and questioners – which is altogether ignored by those who have discussed this problem.

　　佛陀爲什麼保持緘默，現在該很明白了。但如我們將全部背景，和佛對付問題及問話人的態度，也考慮在內，就會更加明白。可惜這種態度完全爲討論這問題的人所忽略了。

　　The Buddha was not a computing machine giving answers to whatever questions were put to him by another at all, without any consideration. He was a practical teacher, full of compassion and wisdom. He did not answer questions to show his knowledge and intelligence, but to help the questioner on the way to realization. He always spoke to people bearing in mind their standard of development, their tendencies, their mental make-up, their character, their capacity to understand a particular question. [29]

　　佛並不是一座計算機，不管什麼人問什麼樣的問題，他都會不加思索的答覆。他是一位很踏實的導師，充滿了慈悲與智慧。他並不是爲了炫耀自己的才智知識而答問，而是爲了要幫助問話人走上正覺的道路，他和人講話時，時刻不忘對方的水准、傾向、根器、性格以及了解某一問題的能力。［注叁十］

　　According to the Buddha, there are four ways of treating questions: (I) Some should be answered directly; (2) others should be answered by way of analyzing them; (3) yet others should be answered by counter-questions; (4) and lastly, there are questions which should be put aside. [30]

　　根據佛說，對付問題有四種方式：(一)某些問題必須直截了當的回答；(二)某些問題須以分析的方法解答；(叁)另有一些問題須以反問爲答覆；(四)最後，有一類問題須予以擱置。［注叁十一］

　　There may be several ways putting aside a question. One is to day that a particular question is not answered or explained, as the Buddha had told this very same Vacchagotta on more than one occasion, when those famous questions whether the universe is eternal or not, etc., were put to him. [31] In the same way he had replied to Mālunkyaputta and others. But he could not say the same thing with regard to the question whether there is an Ātman (Self) or not, because he had always discussed and explained it. He could not say ”there is self”, because it is contrary to his knowledge that ”all dhammas are without self”. Then he did not want to say ”there is no self”, because that would unnecessarily, without any purpose, have confused and disturbed poor Vacchagotta who was already confused on a similar question, as he had himself admitted earlier. [32] He was not yet in a position to understand the idea of Anatta. Therefore, to put aside this question by silence was the wisest thing in this particular case.

　　擱置一個問題有許多方法。其中有一個方法就是說出這問題是不可解答的。有好幾次同一的婆嗟種來問佛世界是否有常的時候，佛就是這樣告訴他的。［注叁十二］他對羁舍子以及其他的人，也是這樣答覆的。但是對于有無神我的問題，他可不能同樣地答覆，因爲他一直都在討論與解釋這問題。他不能說“有我”，因爲它與他所知的一切法無我相違背。而他也不能說“沒有我”，因爲這將毫無必要、毫無意義地增加婆嗟種的困擾。婆嗟種早就承認［注叁十叁］他本來已經爲一則類似的問題所困惑。他尚未到能了解“無我”的地步。因此，在這種特殊情形之下，保持緘默，將問題置之不答，就是最明智之舉。

　　We must not forget too that the Buddha has known Vacchagotta quite well for a long time. This was not the first occasion on which this inquiring Wanderer had come to see him. The wise an…

《佛陀的啓示 第六章 無我論 Chapter VI· The Doctrine of No Soul: Anatta》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…