..续本文上一页acher, or a teacher of teachers of Brahmins back to the seventh generation, or even any one of those original authors of those scriptures, who claims that he knows and he sees: “This alone is Truth, and everything else is false”
”
“那末，有没有一位婆罗门的教师，或是教师的教师，如此上溯至于七代，或是婆罗门经典的原著作人，曾自称他已知已见“只有这才是真理，余者皆是假法”？”
”No.”
“没有！”
”Then, it is like a line of blind men, each holding on to the preceding one; the first one does not see, the middle one also does not see, the last one also does not see. Thus, it seems to me that the state of the Brahmins is like that of line blind men.”
“那末，这就像一队盲人，每一个都抓住了前面的人。第一个看不见，中间的看不见，最后也看不见。这样，依我看来，婆罗门教徒的情形正与一队盲人相彷。”
Then the Buddha gave advice of extreme importance to the group of Brahmins: ”It is not proper for a wise man who maintains (lit. protects) truth to come to the conclusions: “This alone is Truth, and everything else is false”.”
然后，佛给了这群婆罗门教徒一些极为重要的忠告。他说：“护法的智者，不应作如是的结论：“只有这才是真理，余者皆假”。”
Asked by the young Brahmin to explain the idea of maintaining or protecting truth, the Buddha said: ”A man has a faith. If he says “This is my faith”, so far he maintains truth. But by that he cannot proceed to the absolute conclusions: “This alone is Truth, and everything else is false”.” In other words, a man may believe what he likes, and he may say ”I believe this”. So far he respects truth. But because of his belief or faith, he should not say that what he believes is alone the Truth, and everything else is false.
那年轻的婆罗门，就请佛解释应如何护法。佛说：“如人有信仰，而他说“这是我的信仰”，这样可说是护法了。但这样说过之后，他却不可进一步地得出一个绝对的结论：“只有这才是真理，余者皆假。”换言之，谁都可以相信他所喜爱的，也可以说“我相信这个”。到此为止，他仍是尊重真理的。但是由于他的信仰，他却不能说唯有他所相信的才是真理，而其他一切都是假的。”
The Buddha says: ”To be attached to one thing (to a certain view) and to look down upon other things (views) as inferior – this the wise men call a fetter.” [29]
佛说：“凡执著某一事物(或见解)而藐视其他事物(见解)为卑劣，智者叫这个是桎梏(缠缚)。”﹝注二十九﹞
Once the Buddha explained[30] the doctrine of cause and effect to his disciples, and they said that they saw it and understood it clearly. Then the Buddha said:
有一次，佛为弟子说因果律。﹝注三十﹞他的弟子们说他们已看见了，也明白了解了。于是佛说：
”O bhikkhus, even this view, which is so pure and so clear, if you cling to it, if you fondle it, if you treasure it, if you are attached to it, then you do not understand that the teacher is similar to a raft, which is for crossing over, and not for getting hold of.” [31]
“比丘们啊！甚至此一见地，如此清净澄澈，但如你贪取它，把玩它，珍藏它，执著它，那你就是还没有了解凡所教诫只如一条木筏，是用来济渡河川的，而不是供执取的。”﹝注三十一﹞
Elsewhere the Buddha explains this famous simile in which his teaching is compared to a raft for crossing over, and not for getting hold of and carrying on one”s back:
在另一经里，佛曾解释这则有名的譬喻。就是说：“他的法，好比是一条用以渡河的木筏，而不是为人执取、负在背上用的。”他说：
”O bhikkhus, a man is on a journey. He comes to a vast stretch of water. On this side the shore is dangerous, but on the other it is safe without danger. No boat goes to the other shore which is safe and without danger, nor is there any bridge for crossing over. He says to himself: “This sea of water is vast, and the shore on this side is full of danger; but on the other shore it is safe and without danger. No boat goes to the other side, nor is there a bridge for crossing over. It would be good therefore if I would gather grass, wood, branches and leaves to make a raft, and with the help of the raft cross over safely to the other side, exerting myself with my hands and feet”. Then that man, O bhikkhus, gather grass, wood, branches and leaves and makes a raft, and with the help of that raft crosses over safely to the other side, exerting himself with his hands and feet. Having crossed over and got to the other side, he thinks: “This raft was of great help to me. With its aid I have crossed safely over to this side, exerting myself with my hands and feet. It would be good if I carry this raft on my head or on my back wherever I go”.
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《佛陀的启示 第一章 佛教的宗教态度 Chapter I· The Buddhist Attitude of Mind》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…