..續本文上一頁or. Only you yourself, armed with right effort, can eradicate unwholesome thoughts. / 假設你長久以來內心一直隱藏著複仇的念頭，當你了解這些念頭是很不健康的時候，你就會想要消除他們。但是，誰能有效地消除你心中的這些念頭呢？別人嗎？別人可以提供你有利的助緣，但是你該負責的部份一定要你自己去做，只有你自己加上正確的精進，才能消除不健康的念頭。
"You yourself should walk the path Buddha merely shows the way." / 「你自己要去踐履聖道，佛陀只是爲你指出道路。」
Confidence / 信心
No blind faith is necessary to understand the Dhamma. The Buddha-Dhamma is built on a bed-rock of facts and realizations. The truths that are expounded can be tested and verified by personal experience. / 想要了解佛法是不需要盲目信仰的。佛法是建立在事實和實踐的岩床上，它所闡述的真理可以由任何人自己親自體驗而加以檢測與證明。
Faith in the theistic sense is not found in Buddhism. Referring to the `blind” nature of faith, Voltaire said, "Faith is to believe in something which your reasons tells you cannot be true: for if your reason approved of it, there is no question of blind faith." / 有神論者的信仰在佛教裏是找不到的。提及信仰“盲目的”性質，福爾泰曾這麼說：「信仰就是相信你的理智告訴你不可能是真實的事；因爲如果你的理智贊同那件事，就沒有盲目信仰的問題了。」
Confidence is the product of reason, knowledge and experience. When it is developed, confidence can never be blind. / 信心是理性、知識和經驗的産物，所以當你發展出了信心，那絕不會是盲目的。
Confidence born of knowledge need not necessarily be confidence born of one”s personal experience only. That is why people pay big fees to doctors, to people who have acquired specialized medical knowledge. We need not undergo a medical and a pharmaceutical course before accepting the doctor”s prescription. He has made it his business to acquire the necessary experience and knowledge to cure others. Being confident of his competence, we accept and act on his advice. / 依于知識而建立的信心不必一定是依自己親自體證而生起的信心，那就是爲什麼人們願意支付大筆費用給醫生以及一些有專業醫學知識者的原因——因爲我們對于他們的專業知識有信心，所以我們在接受醫生的處方之前，不需要自己也接受醫療與藥物的相關課程，醫生已經將獲取醫療上必需的經驗與知識當成他的本分事，而由于對他的能力有信心，我們就會接受他的忠告並依之行動。
To the Buddhist, the Buddha is the greatest instructor of all time. In the Dhamma, there is nothing that is impractical or irrational. The Buddha practised what he taught; and he taught what he practised. / 對佛教徒而言，佛陀是曆史上最偉大的導師；佛法中也沒有不切合實際或不理性的東西。佛陀已實踐他所教導的；而且他只教導他已實踐的。
4. Come and See / 4. 來見
The teaching of the Buddha is qualified as ehi-passiko, inviting you to `come and see” but not to come and believe. The question of belief arises when there is no seeing. The moment you see, the question of belief disappears. / 佛陀的教導被標舉爲『來見(ehi-passiko)』，意思是邀請你『來見』，而不是邀請你『來信』。信不信的問題是因爲我們沒親見才産生的，當你親見的當下，信不信的問題就消失了。
If I tell you that I have a gem hidden in the folded palm of my hand, the question of belief arises. As you do not see the gem yourself, your belief will be based on how well I am able to convince you. But if I unclench my fist, the question of belief does not arise as you can judge for
yourself whether or not the gem is there. / 如果我告訴你我的拳頭裏藏有一顆珠寶，信不信的問題就産生了，而由于你沒有親眼見到那顆珠寶，所以你的信心就看我說的話能讓你信服幾分而定了。但是，如果我張開我的拳頭，就沒有信不信的問題了，因爲你自己就可以判斷有沒有珠寶。
A phrase in the Buddhist texts read: "Realizing, as one sees a gem in the palm." / 佛典中有一句經文說： 「要體悟佛法，就像見手中的珠寶一樣清楚。」
Practise the Dhamma / 修學佛法
The Buddha”s teaching shows a unique path of enlightenment, and is not a subject to be studied from a mere academic standpoint. The doctrine must be studied first, then practised and finally realized. / 佛陀的教導爲我們指出了覺悟的唯一道路，而且那不是僅作學術立場研習即可的一門學科。換句話說，我們必須先研習佛法的教義，接著要修學，最後還要親證。
Mere learning is of no avail without practise. According to the Buddha, the learned man who does not practise the Dhamma, is like a colourful flower without scent. / 只學習而不修行是沒有用的。依佛陀的教導，很懂佛法學問而不修學佛法的人，就像一朵顔色五彩缤紛卻沒有香味的花。
Even if a person is located far away from the Buddha but if he practises the Dhamma, is calm, composed and restrained than that person is close to the Master: he who sees the Dhamma, said the Buddha, sees him. This is the advice the Buddha gave to a monk who followed the Blessed One like a shadow but did not practice the Dhamma. / 一個人即使他離佛陀很遠，只要他修學佛法， 他一定會比圍在佛陀身邊而不修學的人更能得到平和、寂靜與自製。佛陀說過：「見法即是見佛。」這是佛陀送給一位比丘的忠告，因爲他整天如影隨形跟著佛陀卻不修學佛法。
Buddhism contains an excellent moral code for monks and laity, but it is much more than an ordinary moral teaching. Morality is a means, not an end in itself. It is only the first stage on the Path to Purity. Beyond morality is wisdom. The base of Buddhism is morality, and wisdom its apex. / 佛教爲比丘和在家人製訂了很好的戒律，但是它比一般的道德教學要求得更高。道德戒律只是一個手段，它本身不是目的，而只是清淨聖道的第一階段而已，在戒律之後則是智慧。佛法的基礎是戒律， 而智慧則是頂峰。
In Buddhism, wisdom is paramount; for purification arises from wisdom and insight. The Buddha never praised mere intellect. / 在佛教裏，智慧是最重要的，因爲清淨是從智慧和洞察力生起的。佛陀不曾贊歎只有聰明才智的人。
A genuine Buddhist, besides gaining knowledge, must practise loving-kindness and compassion towards every living being. Compassion embraces all sorrowful. Wisdom gained by development of the qualities of the mind and heart is wisdom par excellence. / 一個真正的佛教徒， 除了要獲取智慧以外，一定要修學對一切有情衆生的慈悲心，慈悲心能擁抱所有的悲傷，只有從慈悲心生起的智慧才是真正的無上智慧。
References / 參考資料K. Sri Dhammananda, What Buddhists Believe (BMS) / 達摩難陀長老著，佛教徒信仰的是什麼(佛教弘法會出版)
Narada Thera, Buddhism In A Nutshell (BPS) / 那爛陀長老著，佛學簡說(佛教出版學會出版)
《佛法與你 第叁課 什麼是佛教》全文閱讀結束。