(２)接下來，可能有人問我們：
“佛陀有什麼特別的教導？”
2) Following on this we may be asked,
2) “What did he teach in particular
”
如果有人問起這問題，我們可以由許多不同角度來回答：
(一)首先我們可以說：佛陀教導我們踐行不松不緊、不偏不倚的中道。一方面避免修禁欲的苦行，因爲它只能帶來無謂的困擾和麻煩；另一方面也避免縱容感官的滿足，對于只愛享受感官樂趣的人，有一個相當貼切的反諷：“明天可能就要死了，好好地吃喝玩樂吧！”
相反地，中道則主張不自我折磨，同時強調不耽溺在感官的滿足上。踐行中道能使生活、學習、修行和滅苦各方面都恰到好處，它可廣泛地應用在許多不同的情況，而且讓你不會誤入歧途。踐行中道與“七知”——知因、知果、知己、知節、知時、知人、知衆，是並行不悖的，“七知”讓我們懂得踐行中道。這是一種回答方式。
A) AS YOU CAN see, this is a big subject which can be answered from many different points of view. If asked this, we can say first of all that he taught us to tread the Middle Way, to be neither too strict nor too slack, to go to neither the one extreme nor the other. On the one hand, we are to avoid the very harsh self-mortification practised in certain yoga schools, which simply creates difficulties and trouble. On the other hand, we must keep away from that way of practice which allows us sensual pleasures, which amounts to saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” This is an extremely cynical expression appropriate for people interested only in sensual pleasures.
By contrast, the Middle Way consists, on one hand, in not creat- ing hardships for yourself and, on the other hand, not indulging to your heart”s content in sensual pleasures. Walking the Middle Way brings about conditions which are in every way conducive to study and practice, and to success in putting an end to dukkha (suffering). The expression “Middle Way” can be applied generally in many varied situations. It can”t lead you astray. The Middle Way consists in striking the golden mean. Knowing causes, knowing effects, knowing oneself, knowing how much is enough, knowing the proper time, knowing inpiduals, knowing groups of people: these Seven Noble Virtues constitute walking the Middle Way. This is one way of answering the question,
(二)我們也可采用另一種回答：佛陀教導“自助”(self-help)。“自助”的意思你們可能都懂，似乎不必再作解釋。簡單地說，就是我們別想依賴運氣或命運，也不應該依賴天神和所謂的“上帝”，我們必須自己皈依自己，這在巴利文藏經中有記載。甚至有神論者也這麼說：“上帝只幫助願意幫助自己的人”。其他的宗教裏或多或少存在著“自助”的教義，但在佛教中則要完全“自助”，例如當一個人在悲慘、迷惑的處境中，身心遭痛苦時，他必須“自助”。佛陀說：“諸佛只指出道路，用功則需要靠自己。”換句話說，佛陀教導“自助”。我們應謹記在心！
B) WE COULD ANSWER it equally well by saying that he taught self- help. You all understand what self-help is; you hardly will want it explained. To put it briefly, we are not to rely on fortune and fate. We are not to rely on celestial beings, nor even, finally, on what is called “God”. We must help ourselves. To quote the Buddha, “Self is the refuge of self.” Even in theistic religions it is said that God helps only those who help themselves. In other religions this matter of self-help may be stated more or less definitely, but in Buddhism it is all important. When one is miserable and, deluded, suffering pain and anguish, then one must turn to the way of self-help. The Buddha said, “Buddhas merely point out the way. Making the effort is something that each inpidual must do for himself.” In other words, Buddhism teaches self-help. Let us bear this in mind.
(叁)另一種回答是：佛陀教導一切是緣起，隨因緣而改變，有其自然的法則。這種敘述很像舍利弗出家前，由一位比丘那裏所得到的答案：“佛陀教導一切事物由因生起，必須認識現象的因和現象因的息滅。”這個教義在本質上相當科學，可以說符合科學原則。佛教是主張“依法不依人”的理性宗教。
C) ANOTHER WAY OF answering is to say the Buddha taught that everything is caused and conditioned. Everything happens in consequence of causes and conditions, and in accordance with law. This statement is like the answer received by Sariputta when, prior to his entering the Order, he questioned a bhikkhu (monk) and was told, “The Buddha teaches thus: Each thing arises from a cause. We must know the cause of that thing and the ceasing of the cause of that thing.” This principle of Dhamma is scientific in nature, and we can say that the principles of Buddhism agree with the principles of science. The Buddha did not use inpiduals or subjective things as criteria; that is to say, Bu…
《佛陀有什麼特別的教導？What did he teach in particular
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