我们可以由下面的问题知道这个定义，为什么不要相信三藏经典(Tipitaka)、不要相信导师、不要相信研究报告或传说、不要相信常识、不要相信逻辑推理？这是帮助我们建立正见的原则，因为所有盲目的相信是迷信，例如我们翻开三藏经典，阅读了几页，没有经过思考，没有经过试验，没有经过任何评论，便相信它，那就是对三藏经典的迷信，这是佛陀所喝止的。

　　“相信导师”是指盲目地相信导师的每一句话，而没有经过思考、试验，亲自去“看清楚”，这就是所谓的“相信导师”。

We can see what is meant here from the following questions. Why are we warned not to believe the Tipi.aka (the Buddhist Canon)? not to believe a teacher? not to believe what is reported or rumoured? not to believe what has been reasoned out? not to believe what has been arrived at by means of logic? The principles are a help towards right understanding, because all blind credulity is foolishness.

Suppose we were to open the Tipi.aka and read some passage and then believe it without thinking, without testing it, without any critical examination. This would be foolish belief in the Tipi.aka, which the Buddha condemned. Believing what a teacher says without having used our eyes and ears, without criticizing, and without having seen for ourselves that what he says is really so, this is what is meant here by “believing a teacher”.

　　以此类推，“相信逻辑推理”是指学习使用前提，或熟练地运用前提作正确的推理，并且从这前提推论出结论。但这还是不够的，也不可倚赖这类的推论。
　　请听清楚这一点：以上的说法不是禁止我们去阅读三藏经典，去向导师求教，去听研究报告和传说，或去运用逻辑的推理。它的意思是：虽然我们会阅读、会听，但不要轻易接受以这些方式所提供的一切讯息，除非我们已深入地探讨、思惟它，而有所领悟，直到亲自“看清楚”它真的是如此为止。

It is the same with believing any report or rumour that happens to arise. “Believing in what has been arrived at by way of logic” means that, having learn how to reason correctly and being experienced in reasoning we come to the conclusion that a certain proposition must be logically so. But this is still not good enough; we are not to put our trust in this sort of reasoning.

But here we must be careful and take good note that this discourse does not forbid us to read the Tipi.aka. Nor does it forbid us to consult a teacher, to listen to reports and rumours, or to use logical reasoning. Rather it means that although we may have read, listened, and heard, we should not simply accept what is offered in these ways unless we have first thought it over, considered it carefully, fathomed it out, examined fully, and seen clearly for ourselves that it really is so.

　　举例来说，佛陀教导贪、瞋、痴是引起痛苦的原因，假如我们自己不熟悉贪、瞋、痴，就不能相信这个说法，如果我们相信，那就是迷信。但是当我们亲自体验贪、瞋、痴是怎么一回事——当它在心中生起，我们就会像被火烧灼一样痛苦，这就是所谓亲自“看清楚”的“相信”。

For instance, the Buddha taught that greed, anger, and delusion are the causes that give rise to suffering. If we ourselves are not yet acquainted with greed, anger, and delusion, then there is no way that we can believe this, there is no need to believe it, and to believe it would, in such a case, be foolish. But when we know ourselves what greed is like, what anger is like, and what delusion is like; and that whenever they arise in the mind, they produce suffering as if they were fires burning us; then we can believe on the basis of our own experience.

　　在三藏经典中，不论佛陀教导什么，当读到或听到时，我们必须要研究、思考，直到“看清楚”为止。

So what the Buddha taught in this connection appears in the Tipi.aka as follows. Having read or having heard something, we must investigate until we have seen clearly the fact being taught.

　　假如我们还没有“看清楚”，就势必会重新回到推论，如果这样，则不妨暂时放下，先相信和践行已“看清楚”的部份，那就足够了。不必害怕，逐渐地，我们就会愈来愈相信，且愈看愈清楚，这是佛陀所说非常盛行的噶拉玛经教法。

If still we don’t see it clearly, we must fall back on reasoning and then leave it for a while. So to start with, we shall believe and practise no more than we have seen clearly to be the case. Then gradually, we shall come to believe and see more and more clearly. This is a very popular teaching of the Buddha.

　　如果你需要对外国人演讲，请务必正确地解释“不要相信”这句话，假如你解释错误，就是冒犯了佛陀。不可相信三藏经典，不可相信他是导师，不可相信研究报告或传说，不可相信逻辑，隐藏其中的深义，我们必须去发现它。

If someone from another country asks you about it, do explain it properly. If you explain it wrongly, you may misrepresent the Buddha’s teaching. Not believing the Tipi.aka, not believing the teacher, not believing reports and rumours, not believing reasoning by way of logic — these have a hidden meaning. We must search for it.

　　立即相信就是迷信，佛陀曾如此坚定而明确地喝止，甚至纵使是如来所说的也不要相信，必须经过思考、试验，直到“看清楚”时，我们才可相信。立即相信就是迷信，“看清楚”后再相信才是正信，这是佛教徒的“相信”。不要愚蠢地相信人、经典、推测或推论，而是要相信亲自所“看清楚”的是什么，这就是佛教所说的正信，身为佛教徒的我们也要这样相信。

To believe straight away is foolishness. The Buddha condemned this firmly and definitely. He told us not to believe until we have put it to the test and have come to see it clearly. Then we may believe.To believe straight away is foolishness; to believe after having seen clearly is good sense.

That is the Buddhist policy on belief: not to believe stupidly, not relying only on people, text-books, conjecture, reasoning, or whatever the majority believes, but rather to believe what we see clearly for ourselves to be the case. This is how it is in Buddhism. We Buddhists make it our policy.