(１６)“对某个教法，若生起是佛说或非佛说的怀疑时，我们应如何解决这个问题？”

16) Here is a question which asks,

16) “If doubt arises as to whether a certain teaching is the Buddha’s or not, how can we settle the matter?”

佛陀设定一个检核的原则：对照经典(Sutta)——法，来审查及判断，并与毗奈耶(Vinaya)——律作比较。这个原则是建立在不相信任何人，或不以任何人为权威的基础上。
　　若有人发表论述，自称是从佛陀或一群博学的长老听来的教法，并说用它来修行可以灭苦，如果我们对他的言论产生怀疑，佛陀说要用二种方式进行检核：

THE BUDDHA LAID down a principle for testing: examine and measure against the Suttas (discourses), compare with the Vinaya (discipline). This principle is based on not believing anything second hand and not taking anyone else as an authority. If doubt arises concerning a certain statement of some person who claims to have heard it from the Buddha or from a learned group of elders, which he says leads to the cessation of suffering, the Buddha said that it must be tested in two ways:

　　(一)对照经典以审查、判断。经典是将各种不同的教诲予以系统化集成，它有明确的轨则，若某种说法不符合这个轨则，那么就抛弃它。

(1) Examine and measure it against the suttas. The suttas are a setting out of the various discourses which constitute a distinct line. If an utterance will not fit to this line, it must be discarded.

　　(二)与毗奈耶比较。毗奈耶是一种典范、准绳、明确的制度，若某种说法不符合这个制度，那么就抛弃它。

(2) Compare it with the Vinaya. The Vinaya is an exemplary model, a standard, a fixed system. If the utterance in question will not fit to the system, if it does not conform with the Vinaya, then discard it.

　　不要一听闻就相信，例如某个比丘说这教法是我从佛陀那儿听来的，或说是听闻于僧团长老和博学的人，而他们都说这是辗转从佛陀那儿听来的。虽然如此，也请各位务必先起疑，并且去审查它，然后对照经典去判断，它如法吗？与毗奈耶比较，它如律吗？

Don’t trust any bhikkhu, nor any section of Sangha, nor any group of elders, nor any group of learned and practised individuals who claim to have heard such and such from the Buddha. The Buddha always asked that we, before all else, raise a doubt and investigate. Then measure it against the Suttas, does it fit? Compare with the Vinaya, does it conform?

　　这是个保障的工具，即使佛教延续了二千年、三千年、五千年，甚至数千年、数万年，假如这个原则一直保存使用，佛教或法、律将不会被毁灭或混淆。所以它是一个非常有用的原则，名叫“四大教法”[译注一]，这是佛陀设定以经和律作为检核根据的教导，他没有提到阿毗达磨(Abhidhamma),只提出要以经典来审查、判断，及与毗奈耶作比较。

This is a means of ensuring that, though Buddhism lasts two thousand years, three thousand years, five thousand years, however many thousands or tens of thousands of years, if this principle remains in use, the religion or Dhamma-Vinaya cannot in any way become distorted or confused. So it is an extremely useful prin- ciple. It is called the Great Standard. It is a teaching of the Buddha laying down the use of testing things against the Suttas and the Vinaya. He did not mention the Abhidhamma (the last “basket” of the Pali Canon).

　　[译注一]请参考巴宙译，《南传大般涅槃经》，５５页；《长阿含经》卷第三，(《大正藏》)第一册，１７——１８页)。