The Noble Eightfold Path

　　 The Middle Way

　　八聖道-中道

　　This is the Path for leading a religious life without going to extremes.

　　八聖道是不走極端的中道，是領導神聖的宗教生活的正道。

　　An outstanding aspect of the Buddha”s Teaching is the adoption of the Eightfold Path is the Middle Path. The Buddha advised His followers to follow this Path so as to avoid the extremes of sensual pleasures and self-mortification. The Middle Path is a righteous way of life which does not advocate the acceptance of decrees given by someone outside oneself. A person practises the Middle Path, the guide for moral conduct, not out of fear of nay supernatural agency, but out of the intrinsic value in following such an action. He chooses this self-imposed discipline for a definite end in view: self-purification.

　　八聖道是佛陀教義中最傑出的真理，是指引生活的正道。八聖道也稱爲中道。佛陀教誨弟子們，正確的修行方法是避免兩個極端──縱欲和自我苦行。中道是正確的生活方式，不存在外在的影響，是一種以自我道德行爲作爲引導的一種修行方式。實踐于正道，不畏懼任何外在的力量或神、魔。根據八聖道修行是一種正確的修行方式，正當的行爲，是一種自我的要求，目的就在于淨化自己。

　　The Middle Path is a planned course of inward culture and progress. A person can make real progress in righteousness and insight by following this Path, and not by engaging in external worship and prayers. According to the Buddha, anyone who lives in accordance with the Dhamma will be guided and protected by that very Law. When a person lives according to Dhamma, he will also be living in harmony with the universal law. Every Buddhist is encouraged to mould his life according to the Noble Eightfold Path as taught by the Buddha. He who adjusts his life according to this noble way of living will be free from, miseries and calamities both in this life-time and hereafter. He will also be able to develop his mind by restraining from evil and observing morality. The Eightfold Path can be compared to a road map. Just as a traveler will need a map to lead him to his destination, we all need the Eightfold Path which shows us how to attain Nibbana, the final goal of human life. To attain the final goal, there are three aspects of the Eightfold path to be developed by the devotee. He has to develop Sila(Morality), Samadhi(Mental Culture) and Panna (Wisdom). While the three must be developed simultaneously, the intensity with which any one area is to be practised varies according to a person”s own spiritual development.

　　A devotee must first develop his morality, that is, his actions should bring good to other living beings. He does this by faithfully adhering to the precepts of abstaining from killing, slandering, stealing, becoming intoxicated or being lustful. As he develops his morality, his mind will become more easily controlled, enabling him to develop his powers of concentration. Finally, with the development of concentration, wisdom will arise. Gradual Development With His infinite wisdom, the Buddha knew that not all humans have the same ability to reach spiritual maturity at once. So He expounded the Noble Eightfold Path for the gradual development of the spiritual way of life in a practical way. He knew that not all people can become perfect in one lifetime. He said that Sila, Samadhi, and Panna, must and can be developed over many lifetimes with diligent effort. This path finally leads to the attainment of ultimate peace where there is no more unsatisfactoriness.

　　中道是一種有計劃的內心訓練和發展的過程，一個人可以透過對中道的實踐來訓練和發展自己的心靈，而不是通過膜拜或祈禱。佛陀說過，任何人只要根據佛法而生活，將獲得佛法的護持和指引。當一個人根據佛法生活，他也同樣的生活在和諧的世間法裏。

　　每一個佛教徒都被鼓勵以佛陀所宣教的八聖道過生活。依八聖道的生活方式，可以脫離今生或來世的憂苦和災難。他的心識也將獲得發展，因此而遠離邪惡，獲得道德修養方面的增長。

　　八聖道就好像一張地圖，指引遊人到正確的目的地。我們需要八聖道來指引我們邁向涅槃──人生的終極目標。要達到涅槃境界，就要修證八聖道。信徒們需要發展八聖道的叁種特性──戒(Sila)、定(Samàdhi)、慧(Pa¤¤a)。透過戒、定、慧叁學的發展，才能獲得心靈的全面發展。首先，必須持戒，使自己的行爲利益衆生，持守五戒：不殺生、不偷盜、不邪淫、不妄語、不飲用酒等麻醉品。當戒學獲得發展後，他已完全能控製自己的心識，這時，他開始發展定學，通過定學的發展，智慧自然生起。

　　逐步進展：透過那無盡的智慧，佛陀知道不是所有的衆生都有相同的根基來獲得心靈的發展。因此，他宣說了八聖道，指示了心靈修行的實際道路。他知道不是每一個人都能在這一生獲得圓滿的心靈發展，因此，他宣說了戒、定、慧叁學，讓衆生能在多世的生命中獲得精進。八聖道引導修行者進入絕對究竟和無苦的境界。

《八聖道-中道 The Noble Eightfold Path

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