The Four Noble Truths
Chapter II. The First Noble Truth: Dukkha
第二章 四圣谛
第一圣谛——苦谛
The heart of the Buddha”s teaching lies in the Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariyasaccāni) which he expounded in his very first sermon[1] to his old colleagues, the five ascetics, at Isipatana (modern Sarnath) near Benares. In the sermon, as well have it in the original texts, these four Truths are given briefly. But there are innumerable places in the early Buddhist scriptures where they are explained again and again, with greater detail and in different ways. If we study the Four Noble Truths with the help of these references and explanations, we get fairly good and accurate account of the essential teachings of the Buddha according to the original texts.
在佛陀的教法中，四圣谛可算是其中的心要了。他在波罗奈附近的鹿野苑(今印度沙纳特地方)，向他的老同修——五苦行者作第一次说法时﹝注一﹞，所讲的就是这个。这次说法的原文尚在，其中只是简单地叙述了一下四谛。但是在早期的佛典中，有无数的地方，都是反覆阐明四谛的，解释得很详细，解释的方法也不同。如果利用这种资料和注疏来研究四圣谛，便不难根据原典，对佛教的要义，作一个相当完善而正确的阐释。
The Four Noble Truths are:
四圣谛是：
Dukkha
(一)苦谛。(注一)
Samudaya, the arising or origin of dukkha
(二)集谛：苦之生起或苦之根源。
Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha
(三)灭谛：苦之止息。
Magga, the way leading to the cessation of dukkha
(四)道谛：导致苦之止息的途径。
The First Noble Truth: Dukkha
第一圣谛——苦谛
The First Noble Truth (Dukkha-ariyasacca) is generally translated by almost all scholars as ”The Noble Truth of Suffering”, and it is interpreted to mean that life according to Buddhism is nothing but suffering and pain. Both translation and interpretation are highly unsatisfactory and misleading. It is because of this limited, free and easy translation, and its superficial interpretation, that many people have been misled into regarding Buddhism as pessimistic.
几乎所有的学者，(在英文著作里)都将第一圣谛译成“苦难圣谛( The Noble Truth of Suffering)”，并且将它的意义解释为：“根据佛教，生命除了苦难与哀痛之外，别无他物。”这种翻译及释义极难令人满意，而且易致误会。就因为这种狭义、粗疏而草率的翻译，以及肤浅的阐释，才使得许多人发生错觉，以为佛教是悲观的。
First of all, Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor optimistic. If anything at all, it is realistic, for it takes a realistic view of life and of the world. It looks at things objectively (yathābūtam). It does not falsely lull you into living in a fool”s paradise, nor does it frighten and agonize you with all kinds of imaginary fears and sins. It tells you exactly and objectively what you are and what the world around you is, and shows you the way to perfect freedom, peace, tranquillity and happiness.
先说，佛教是既非悲观的，也非乐观的。如果一定要说它怎么样，毋宁说它是“实观”的。因为它对人生、对世界的观点是如实的。它以客观的眼光看一切事物，既不诳骗你，使你在一个愚人的乐园中，醉生梦死的度过一生；也不以各种虚幻的恐惧与罪恶来恫吓、折磨你。它只是客观而正确地告诉你：你是什么？你周围的世界又是什么？并为你指出走向十足自由、和平、宁静与快乐的途径。
One physician may gravely exaggerate an illness and give up hope altogether. Another may ignorantly declare that there is no illness and that no treatment is necessary, thus deceiving the patient with a false consolation. You may call the first one pessimistic and the second optimistic. Both are equally dangerous. But a third physician diagnoses the symptoms correctly, understands the cause and the nature of the illness, sees clearly that it can be cured, and courageously administers a course of treatment, thus saving his patient. The Buddha is like the last physician. He is the wise and scientific doctor for the ills of the world (Bhisakka) or Bhaisajya-guru).
有的医生会过份夸大病情，对它放弃一切希望。有的医生会愚昧地宣称根本无病，不需要治疗，以虚妄的安慰来欺骗病人。你也许可以叫前者为悲观的，后者为乐观的。两者都是同样的危险。可是另有一类医生，却能把症候诊断得很正确；他了解疾病的原因与性质，很清楚地看到这种病可以治愈，而且果敢地采取治疗措施，因而救了病人一命。佛就像这第三类的医师。他是拯救世间疾患的，有智慧而且合乎科学的科学的医师(药师佛)(此药师佛并非大乘经中之东方净土药师佛。——张澄基注)
It is true that the Pali word dukka (or Sanskrit dukka) in ordinary usage means ”suffering”, ”pain”, ”sorrow” or ”misery”, as opposed to the word sukha meaning ”happiness”, ”comfort” or ”ease”. But the term dukkha as the First Noble Truth, which represents the Buddha”s view of life and the world, has a deeper philosophical meaning and connotes enormously wider senses. It is admitted…
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