..續本文上一頁“比丘啊！有人在旅行時遇到一片大水。在這邊岸上充滿了危險，而水的對岸則安全無險。可是卻沒有船可渡此人登上那安全的彼岸，也無橋梁跨越水面。此人即自語道：“此海甚大，而此岸危機重重，彼岸則安全無險。無船可渡，亦無橋梁。我不免采集草木枝葉，做一只木筏，藉此筏之助，當得安登彼岸，只須胼手胝足自己努力即可。”于是，那人即采集了草木枝葉，做了一只木筏。由于木筏之助，他只賴自己手足之力，安然渡達彼岸。他就這樣想：“此筏對我大有助益。由于它的幫助，我得只靠自己手足之力，安然渡達此岸。我不妨將此筏頂在頭上，或負于背上，隨我所之。””
”What do you think, O bhikkhus, if he acted in this way would that man be acting properly with regard to the raft
“No, Sir”. In which way then would he be acting properly with regard to the raft
Having crossed and gone over to the other side, suppose that man should think: “This raft was a great help to me. With its aid I have crossed safely over to this side, exerting myself with my hands and feet. It would be good if I beached this raft on the shore, or moored it and left it afloat, and then went on my way wherever it may be”. Acting in this way would that man act properly with regard to that raft.
“比丘啊！你們意下如何呢？此人對筏如此處置，是否適當？”“不，世尊。”“那末，要怎樣處置這筏，才算適當呢？既以渡達彼岸了，假使此人這樣想：“這筏對我大有助益。由于它的幫助，我得只靠自己手足之力，安然抵達此岸。我不妨將筏拖到沙灘上來，或停泊某處，由它浮著，然後繼續我的旅程，不問何之。”如果這樣做，此人的處置此筏，就很適當了。”
”In the same manner, O bhikkhus, I have taught a doctrine similar to a raft – it is for crossing over, and not for carrying (lit. getting hold of). You, O bhikkhus, who understand that the teaching similar to a raft, should give up even good things (dhamma); how much more then should you give up evil things (adhamma).” [32]
“同樣的，比丘們啊！我所說的法也好像木筏一樣，是用來濟渡的，不是爲了負荷(巴利文原字義作執取)的。比丘們啊！你們懂得我的教誡猶如木筏，就當明白好的東西(法)尚應舍棄，何況不好的東西(非法)呢？”﹝注叁十二﹞
From this parable it is quite clear that the Buddha”s teaching is meant to carry man to safety, peace, happiness, tranquillity, the attainment of Nirvāna. The whole doctrine taught by the Buddha leads to this end. He did not say things just to satisfy intellectual curiosity. He was a practical teacher and taught only those things which would bring peace and happiness to man.
從這則譬喻，可以很清楚的了知，佛的教誡是用以度人，使他得到安全、和平、快樂、甯靜的涅槃的。佛的整個教義都以此爲目的。他的說法，從來不是僅爲了滿足求知的好奇。他是一位現實的導師。他只教導能爲人類帶來和平與快樂的學問。
The Buddha was once staying in a Simsapā forest in Kosambi (near Allahabad). He took a few leaves into his hand, and asked his disciples: ”What do you think, O bhikkhus
Which is more
These few leaves in my hand or the leaves in the forest over here
有一次，佛在憍賞彌(今印度阿拉哈巴特附近)一座屍舍婆林中住錫。他取了幾張葉子放在手裏，問他的弟子們道：“比丘們啊！你們意下如何？我手中的葉子多呢？還是此間樹林的葉子多？”
”Sir, very few are the leaves in the hand of the Blessed One , but indeed the leaves in the Simsapā forest over here are very much more abundant.”
“世尊！世尊手中只有很少幾片葉子，但此間屍舍婆林中的葉子卻確實要多得多了。”
”Even so, bhikkhus, of what I have known I have told you only a little, what I have not told you is very much more. And why have I not told you (those things)
Because that is not useful… not leading to Nirvāna. That is why I have not told you those things.” [33]
“同樣的，我所知法，已經告訴你們的只是一點點。我所未說的法還多的呢。而我爲什麼不爲你們說(那些法)呢？因爲它們沒有用處......不能導人至涅槃。這就是我沒說那些法的原因。”﹝注叁十叁﹞
It is futile, as some scholars vainly try to do, for us to speculate on what the Buddha knew but did not tell us.
有些學者正在揣測佛所知而未說的是些什麼法。這是徒勞無功的。
The Buddha was not interested in discussing unnecessary metaphysical questions which are purely speculative and which create imaginary problems. He considered them as a ”wilderness of opinions.” It seems that there were some among his own disciples who did not appreciate this attribute of his. For, we have the example of one of them, Mālunkyaputta by name, who put to the Buddha ten well-known classical questions on metaphysical problems and demanded answers. [34]
佛對于討論不必要的形上學方面的問題不感興趣。這些都是純粹的臆想，只能製造莫須有的問題。他把它們形容爲“戲論的原野”。在他的弟子中，似乎有幾個人不能領會佛的這種態度。因爲有一個例子：一個叫做鬘童子的弟子，就曾以十條有名的形上學方面的問題問佛，並要求佛作一個答覆。﹝注叁十四﹞
One day Mālunkyaputta got up from his afternoon meditation, went to the Buddha, saluted him, sat on one side and said:
有一天，鬘童子午後靜坐時，忽然起來去到佛所，行過禮後在一旁坐下，就說：
”Sir, when I was all alone meditating, this …
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