..续本文上一页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]

　　“同时，阿难，游方者问我：“没有我吗？”如果我答：“没有！”那我就跟持断见的梵志出家人站在一边了。［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]

　　“再说，阿难，婆嗟种问我：“有我吗？”如果我答“有的！”这答案与我所知“一切法无我”［注二十六］符合吗？”

　　”Surely not, Sir.”

　　“当然不符啰！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]

　　“还有，阿难，游方者问我：“没有我吗？”如果我答：“没有！”那将使得本来已经糊里糊涂的婆嗟种［注二十七］越搅越糊涂了。他就会这样想：以前我倒还有一个神我(我)［注二十八］，而今却没有了。”［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.

　　佛陀为什么保持缄默，现在该很明白了。但如我们将全部背景，和佛对付问题及问话人的态度，也考虑在内，就会更加明白。可惜这种态度完全为讨论这问题的人所忽略了。

　　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]

　　佛并不是一座计算机，不管什么人问什么样的问题，他都会不加思索的答覆。他是一位很踏实的导师，充满了慈悲与智慧。他并不是为了炫耀自己的才智知识而答问，而是为了要帮助问话人走上正觉的道路，他和人讲话时，时刻不忘对方的水准、倾向、根器、性格以及了解某一问题的能力。［注三十］

　　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]

　　根据佛说，对付问题有四种方式：(一)某些问题必须直截了当的回答；(二)某些问题须以分析的方法解答；(三)另有一些问题须以反问为答覆；(四)最后，有一类问题须予以搁置。［注三十一］

　　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.

　　搁置一个问题有许多方法。其中有一个方法就是说出这问题是不可解答的。有好几次同一的婆嗟种来问佛世界是否有常的时候，佛就是这样告诉他的。［注三十二］他对羁舍子以及其他的人，也是这样答覆的。但是对于有无神我的问题，他可不能同样地答覆，因为他一直都在讨论与解释这问题。他不能说“有我”，因为它与他所知的一切法无我相违背。而他也不能说“没有我”，因为这将毫无必要、毫无意义地增加婆嗟种的困扰。婆嗟种早就承认［注三十三］他本来已经为一则类似的问题所困惑。他尚未到能了解“无我”的地步。因此，在这种特殊情形之下，保持缄默，将问题置之不答，就是最明智之举。

　　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…

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