(２)接下来，可能有人问我们：
“佛陀有什么特别的教导？”
2) Following on this we may be asked,
2) “What did he teach in particular
”
如果有人问起这问题，我们可以由许多不同角度来回答：
(一)首先我们可以说：佛陀教导我们践行不松不紧、不偏不倚的中道。一方面避免修禁欲的苦行，因为它只能带来无谓的困扰和麻烦；另一方面也避免纵容感官的满足，对于只爱享受感官乐趣的人，有一个相当贴切的反讽：“明天可能就要死了，好好地吃喝玩乐吧！”
相反地，中道则主张不自我折磨，同时强调不耽溺在感官的满足上。践行中道能使生活、学习、修行和灭苦各方面都恰到好处，它可广泛地应用在许多不同的情况，而且让你不会误入歧途。践行中道与“七知”——知因、知果、知己、知节、知时、知人、知众，是并行不悖的，“七知”让我们懂得践行中道。这是一种回答方式。
A) AS YOU CAN see, this is a big subject which can be answered from many different points of view. If asked this, we can say first of all that he taught us to tread the Middle Way, to be neither too strict nor too slack, to go to neither the one extreme nor the other. On the one hand, we are to avoid the very harsh self-mortification practised in certain yoga schools, which simply creates difficulties and trouble. On the other hand, we must keep away from that way of practice which allows us sensual pleasures, which amounts to saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” This is an extremely cynical expression appropriate for people interested only in sensual pleasures.
By contrast, the Middle Way consists, on one hand, in not creat- ing hardships for yourself and, on the other hand, not indulging to your heart”s content in sensual pleasures. Walking the Middle Way brings about conditions which are in every way conducive to study and practice, and to success in putting an end to dukkha (suffering). The expression “Middle Way” can be applied generally in many varied situations. It can”t lead you astray. The Middle Way consists in striking the golden mean. Knowing causes, knowing effects, knowing oneself, knowing how much is enough, knowing the proper time, knowing inpiduals, knowing groups of people: these Seven Noble Virtues constitute walking the Middle Way. This is one way of answering the question,
(二)我们也可采用另一种回答：佛陀教导“自助”(self-help)。“自助”的意思你们可能都懂，似乎不必再作解释。简单地说，就是我们别想依赖运气或命运，也不应该依赖天神和所谓的“上帝”，我们必须自己皈依自己，这在巴利文藏经中有记载。甚至有神论者也这么说：“上帝只帮助愿意帮助自己的人”。其他的宗教里或多或少存在着“自助”的教义，但在佛教中则要完全“自助”，例如当一个人在悲惨、迷惑的处境中，身心遭痛苦时，他必须“自助”。佛陀说：“诸佛只指出道路，用功则需要靠自己。”换句话说，佛陀教导“自助”。我们应谨记在心！
B) WE COULD ANSWER it equally well by saying that he taught self- help. You all understand what self-help is; you hardly will want it explained. To put it briefly, we are not to rely on fortune and fate. We are not to rely on celestial beings, nor even, finally, on what is called “God”. We must help ourselves. To quote the Buddha, “Self is the refuge of self.” Even in theistic religions it is said that God helps only those who help themselves. In other religions this matter of self-help may be stated more or less definitely, but in Buddhism it is all important. When one is miserable and, deluded, suffering pain and anguish, then one must turn to the way of self-help. The Buddha said, “Buddhas merely point out the way. Making the effort is something that each inpidual must do for himself.” In other words, Buddhism teaches self-help. Let us bear this in mind.
(三)另一种回答是：佛陀教导一切是缘起，随因缘而改变，有其自然的法则。这种叙述很像舍利弗出家前，由一位比丘那里所得到的答案：“佛陀教导一切事物由因生起，必须认识现象的因和现象因的息灭。”这个教义在本质上相当科学，可以说符合科学原则。佛教是主张“依法不依人”的理性宗教。
C) ANOTHER WAY OF answering is to say the Buddha taught that everything is caused and conditioned. Everything happens in consequence of causes and conditions, and in accordance with law. This statement is like the answer received by Sariputta when, prior to his entering the Order, he questioned a bhikkhu (monk) and was told, “The Buddha teaches thus: Each thing arises from a cause. We must know the cause of that thing and the ceasing of the cause of that thing.” This principle of Dhamma is scientific in nature, and we can say that the principles of Buddhism agree with the principles of science. The Buddha did not use inpiduals or subjective things as criteria; that is to say, Bu…
《佛陀有什么特别的教导？What did he teach in particular
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