Part 2: Walking The Path 第2篇:行道
2-3. Stages of Practice 修学阶段
2-3-4. WORKING WITH THE MIND第二阶段:对治自心修习阶段 (或看念头(心)修习阶段)
2-3-4-1. The level of destroying delusions : the first Jhana. 破愚痴见惑的阶位:初禅
After these experiences, I continued to do walking-meditation, it was evening already. A thought flashed up ; I thought : 'Hey, where did that thought come from ?'.
When a thought came up a second time, it was just as if someone bumbed into me or gave me a push. I didn't see the thought, I only understood it slightly.
But when a thought flashed up for the third time, I saw, knew and understood : 'Oh, the mind thinks !'. I watched it with awareness. It's just like a cat catching a mouse.
That I compare it with a cat catching a mouse, is because I haven't been to school. Before, in my village, there was no school, I was born out in the country, far from the district and I didn't learn how to read and write. -Therefore, when I speak I use conventional comparisons. The teachings of the Buddha have a lot of comparisons in them too. It is translated from the ancient Pali language.
(第三天的白天里)经历前面这些体悟之后,我继续经行,那时已经是晚上了。突然一个念头闪过,过后我心想:“嘿!这个念头打哪儿来呢?”(这次只是由见闻记忆而知道是有念头生起而已)
当另一个念头再次生起的时候,我感觉有点像被人撞到或被人推了一下,但还是没有看见那个念头,只是稍微有点了知。(这次稍微对念头有一点理解)
但是当念头第三次闪过时,我便看见、知道并了悟它:“喔!心在起念!”我用觉性观照它,就像猫捉老鼠一样。(这次觉悟念头的真相)
我用猫捉鼠来比喻,是因为我不曾上过学校。以前,我们村庄里头没有学校,我是出生在乡下地方,离市区很远,没有学过读书写字。因此,当我说法时都常用较传统世俗的比喻。佛陀的教导里头也有许多的比喻,那是从古巴利文翻译而成的。
To come back to the cat and the mouse : when the cat is still small and the mouse is big, the cat will jump on the mouse - whack, but the mouse can get away because it is bigger. When it's like this, the cat will have to be the loser.We have to feed the cat so it grows bigger. This means to be dilligent to develop awareness all the time.
回来说说这个猫和老鼠,当猫还小而老鼠很大时,猫会啪的一声扑向老鼠,但老鼠会逃得掉,因为它比较大。如果是这样,猫必定是个输家,因此,我们必须喂猫好让它长得更大,这意思也就是说,我们要时时刻刻努力培养觉性。
We know thought just as when there were defilements due to Vipassana, that is, we know but we don't comprehend, so we get caught up in the thoughts that arise. Suppose we spread out a mosquito net because we have mosquitos at home. When the mosquitos can't get in, we don't get bitten. But even though we put out a mosquito net, bed bugs can still get in and bite us, we don't know where they are, so we have to find some way to prevent and get rid of the bed bugs, that means we have to find out where they live and where they come from ; after we have eliminated them we can sleep in comfort. It is the same with thought : when the mind thinks we get caught up in thought and we follow the thought but we're still suffering, we think this, and we think that but we don't see thought ; this is called knowing thought but not seeing thought or knowing within the scope of thought, it is knowing inside a mosquito net, in a dark corner of a cave, it is not knowing outside of thought that's how it is.
通常,我们虽知道念头,但那如同观障(由毘婆奢那引起的染污)的那种知道,也就是说,我们虽知道但并没了解念头,所以我们会卷入那个生起的念头之中。举例来说,比如我们家里有蚊子,于是我们挂起蚊帐,蚊子进不来,我们就不会被叮咬,但虽然挂起了蚊帐,床上的虫还是能够进来咬我们,我们不知道它们在哪里,所以我们必须想个方法防止并除去床上的虫,这意思就是说,我们必须找出它们住在哪里和它们从哪里来?然后,等我们消除了它们,便能舒舒服服地睡个好觉。念头也是一样:我们只要一起心动念,就被念头缠住,而且我们会跟随着念头,但这种跟随还是有苦,因为我们会想东想西但却看不见念头,这叫做知道念头但没看见念头,或叫做「在念头内知道」(只知道是有念头,没跳出念头之外,不知道在哪里及从何处来),这是在蚊帐内或在洞穴内黑暗角落的知道,而不是「在念头外知道」(即跳出念头之外,在蚊帐、洞穴之外,了解念头在哪里及从何处来),就是这么回事。
According to the scriptures, it is said that Avijja is not-knowing ; 'A' means not, so Vijja means knowing, it means realising and truly knowing. When realising and truly knowing, we must be able to go beyond thought. Going beyond thought is to see thought, to know thought and to understand thought. I saw thoughts : when a thought arose, whack, I knew it, I did it just as a cat grabbing a mouse.
依经典所说:无明(Avijja)是不知道;‘A-’意思是‘不’,所以‘-Vijja’的意思是‘知道’,这里所谓的‘知道’是指觉悟和如实真知。当我们觉悟与如实真知时,就必定能“超越念头”,所谓超越念头就是看见念头、知道念头与了悟念头。(第三次)念头一生起,我就看见念头,像猫捉老鼠一样,啪的一声!就立刻知道。
When we keep feeding a cat, the cat becomes big and strong. When the cat is big and strong, no matter how big the mouse is, the cat can catch it. Continuously developing awareness compares with feeding a cat ; when awareness becomes stronger : whack, it knows the thought that arises, and in the end it sees thought.
当我们这样持续喂猫,猫就会变得又大又壮。当猫变得壮大时,不管老鼠有多大,就都能捉住牠。持续培养觉性就有如喂猫,当觉性较强大时,啪的一声!就能知道生起的念头,而且最后能看见念头。
Having come to this point, I would like to emphasize again, by comparing it with 3 types of ricegrains that if we develop awareness and wisdom a lot and continuously so that it becomes full and complete, it is similar to the no.l type of grains that are fat and full : when planted they grow easily because of the warmth of the earth and the coolness of the water are already there ; when they interact with each other, the grains sprout up.The method of developing awareness is the same : when it becomes more continuous - as they say, like the links in a chain -- the time comes that wisdom arises and realisation and genuine seeing takes place. Practicing until one knows thought is like this. As for the previous knowledge, it is knowing Rupa- Nama, as I described earlier and from that one sees thought. When thought is seen, deluded beliefs are destroyed.
讲到这里,我要用三种不同稻谷的比喻跟你们再强调一次:如果我们不断努力地培养觉性与智慧,使它圆满成熟,这就有如第一等成熟肥满的稻谷,一种下去,就很容易成长,因为大地的温热与水的清凉本来已具足,当它们彼此交相感应时,稻谷就会发芽。培养觉性的方法也一样:当觉性变得更为持续不断—即所谓的“持续如炼”—那么开智慧、觉悟与如实真知的时机就到来了,这得要不断修习直到能像这样知道念头才有可能达到。至于前一基础修习阶段的智慧,即我之前所说的了悟色-名,必须在得到那种智慧之后(不会在念头生起时迷于念头的种种假名概念之中),才能进一步看见念头。当能看见念头时,智慧开启,愚痴的信仰观念就能破除了。
(SEEING OBJECTIVE MATTER, ULTIMATE MEANING AND CHANGING CONDITIONS了悟客体事物、究竟法、变异因缘生灭)
At that time, I knew thought and I looked at my thoughts, I saw them in the mind, the mind saw and knew that turning up the hand is a kind of objective matter, turning the hand down is a kind of objective matter ; it is ultimate meaning and it is a changing condition, it is objective matter. When the eye sees something : this is objective matter, it is ultimate meaning and it is a changing condition arising, a changing condition passing away- that's how it is. Now, when seeing thought : it is a kind of objective matter, it is a kind of ultimate meaning and it is a changing condition arising and passing away also.
那时(即第三天傍晚经行,第三次念头生起而他看见、知道、了悟念头时),我知道念头并且看着它,我看见心中的种种念头,我的心看见并知道翻手向上及覆手向下是“客体事物(Vatthu),是究竟法(Paramattha, 胜义谛),是变异因缘生灭(Akara)”。当眼睛看到一些东西:就了悟这是客体事物,是究竟法,是变异因缘生、变异因缘灭—就是这么回事;看见念头时也一样:这是客体事物,是究竟法,是变异因缘生灭。
That the Buddha teaches us that whoever sees the state of arising/passing is called one who sees the Dhamma on a high level - is true, but there is also the level of the bark, the outer wood and the hardwood, in other words, there are different steps ; don't think at this point that you've reached the end - it is not ! * I really know about these matters and I dare to guarantee that what I'm saying is right. I assure you that the teachings of the Buddha can really be practised nowadays, they are not out of fashion ! Whoever develops awareness in this way, will really know and really extinguish suffering and trouble - that's the way it is !
佛陀教导我们:「任何看见生灭性(即缘起, the state of arising/passing)者,即是上上根器的见法者。」—这是真话,但是,还有其它树皮、外层木材和内层木心等的不同根器,换句话说,有不同的位阶;当你修到这里时切莫认为你已达到终点—这还不是! *我已真正了悟这些修证方面的事,而且我敢保证我现在说的是对的。我向你保证,佛陀的教导在今天这个时代真的仍然是可以修学的,它们不会退流行!任何人用这个方法培养觉性,就会真实了悟,并且真实灭除苦恼与烦恼—就是这么回事。
* As will be explained later on and was briefly mentioned on 2-2-1 and 2-2-2, there is a state of arising/passing which refers to the highest and final insight ;this should not be confused with this level of seeing thought-don't misunderstand and think that you've reached the end already !
*看见生灭状态(生灭性)是最高与最终的智慧(前面2-2-1与2-2-2节已简述而稍后亦将详释),不要将此处「看念头修习阶段」的智慧误以为就是那种最高、最终的究竟智慧,切莫错认定盘星而自以为已经达到终点唷!
(SEEING HATRED, DELUSION & GREED看见瞋、痴、贪)
When I saw objective matter, saw ultimate meaning and saw changing conditions, I understood that Dosa, Moha and Lobha are the same : they are objective things and they are changing states ; they don't adhere to our real mind. It could be compared with the sun : when the clouds are in the way, we say the sky is dark, the sun is blocked, but actually clouds, fog and smoke only just hide the sun from view, the clouds don't stick to the sun, they just pass through and having passed, the sun springs forth again. In actual fact, the sun shines all the time, whether clouds obscure it or not, but we don't see that - that's how it is.
当我看见客体事物,看见究竟法,及看见变异因缘之后,我又了悟“瞋、痴、贪(Dosa, Moha , Lobha)”也一样:是客体事物(Vatthu),是究竟法(Paramattha),是变异因缘生灭(Akara)。了悟它们并没有黏着住我们的真心!就好比太阳,当它被乌云挡住时,我们说天空暗了,太阳被遮住了,实际上,云、雾和烟只是遮住太阳而看不见,云没有黏着住太阳,它们只是经过,一旦过去,太阳就又会现出来。事实上,不管有没有被云遮住,太阳一直都在照,只是我们不了解罢了—就是这么回事!。
Our thoughts are just the same as the clouds ; life itself abides in normality, it doesn't get twisted or distorted this way and that, it is neutral. Neutrality means indifference, it's just there. This characteristic of neutrality, that I'm talking about, already exists in everybody. All male and female laypeople, monks and novices : if you feel neutral at this moment, as you're listening to me talking ; you don't have happiness or suffering, but you know : this is called indifference. It functions as dead weight that holds back things like anger. If it wasn't like that, we could easily die. Greed is the same : when it arises we feel we want to get something ; that feeling of wanting must be held back by the quality of neutrality, so it won't go to an extreme - extreme greed can easily lead to death. In the scriptures it says that no matter what you see or do, may you make your mind equanimous to all of it, without like or dislike - that's what the scriptures say.
我们的念头就和云一样:生命本质是住于平常心的,它本来圆常,没有这样那样扭曲或歪曲,是中道的。中道的意思是无分别,它就在现前当下。我所说的这个中道的本质,是每一个人本来就具足的。诸位男女在家众、法师和沙弥们!如果你们现前听我说法,能够体会到当下这个中道,你就不会有苦乐忧喜,但你会了悟:这就是无分别。它有如一个重物,能压制住瞋心等这些东西。如果不那样,我们可能很容易就死掉。贪心也一样,当它生起时,我们内心会感觉想要什么东西,那种想要什么的感觉必须藉这中道实性来压制住它,才不会走入极端,极度的贪欲很容易致人于死。经典说:不论看什么或做什么,你的心要能寂照一切,没有喜怒爱憎—这是经中的教导。(中译注:依后文,隆波田至此对贪瞋痴不再有疑惑,知道心性本净,元无污染,而证初果入圣流)
(SEEING NAMA-RUPA:FEELING, PERCEPTION, VOLITION, CONCIOUSNESS看见名-色:感受(受)、知觉(想)、意志(行)、意识(识))
Having seen Dosa, Moha, Lobha, I comprehended, realized and really knew feeling, perception, volition and conciousness. Sometimes they are called the 4 aggregates, sometimes the 4 matters. The form-aggregate is an object that can be seen with the eyes and touched with the hands, but Vedana, Sanya, Sankhara; Vinyana, are mental things : Nama-Rupa, they cannot be touched with the hands or seen with the eyes, but they can be seen with awareness/wisdom. * There is no Dosa, Moha, Lobha, but there is feeling, perception, volition and conciousness. But there is no suffering in these things because they don't get concocted. I really know this, this is really the way it is. I can assure you that greed, hatred and delusion don't exist ; that they can arise, is because at that moment we're not aware, we forget and get lost, we disregard ourselves and pay attention to external things and people.
看见瞋、痴、贪之后,我又明了、证悟并如实真知“感受、知觉、意志与意识(Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, Vinyana; 即受想行识),它们有时被称为四蕴,有时称四事。色蕴是眼能看见、手能摸到的东西。但受(Vedana)、想(Sanna)、行(Sankhara)、识(Vinyana)是心法:也就是名-色(Nama-Rupa,名之色),它们是手不能摸、眼不能见,只能用觉知/智慧看见。 *我了悟没有瞋、痴、贪,只有受、想、行、识,且在这些东西(四蕴)里头并没有苦,因为它们不会妄想,这点我确实明了,真的就是这样。我可以向你保证:贪、瞋、痴并不存在;它们之所以会生起,是因为我们当下没有觉知,我们忘记自己而迷失了,也就是没有注意我们自己,而注意外在的人事物去了。
Most of us, since the time we were born, we don't look at ourselves, we only look at other things and people. A child is only interested in its mother and wants to drink milk ; filled up with milk, it goes to sleep and on waking up, it wants to play ; when it sees its mother, it wants more milk - that's how it goes. Growing up, the child goes to school and is just interested in clothes ; it only just thinks about what to dress. Becoming an adult, one only has eyes for who is beautiful or handsome, then, on being middle-adged, one only is concerned with the children and the work one is engaged in. One never looks at oneself ! This is called forgetting oneself. Whoever has a car, only cares for cars and whoever has necklaces and bracelets, is only interested in those things. Therefore the Buddha called them: people who forget themselves. And people who forget themselves are called heedless people. Heedless people are people who are dead already.
我们大多数人自出生以后,就从来不曾反照自己,我们只去看外在的其他人事物:小孩只对自己母亲有兴趣,且想要喝奶,喝完奶就睡,醒过来就想玩,看见了母亲,又要喝奶—小孩就是这样。长大之后就去上学,而且只对衣服感兴趣,只想着要穿什么好。成年之后,他眼睛只看谁漂亮或英俊,然后到了中年,只关心小孩和自己的工作。人们就是这样,从小到老,从来就不曾反照自己!这叫做忘记自己。人们有了车子,就只关心车子,有了项链、手镯,就只对那些东西感兴趣;因此佛陀称他们是:忘记自己的人。而忘记自己的人就叫做没有正念的人。没有正念的人就是已经死了的人。
*Even though feeling, perception, volition and consciousness are mental things, they can be objects for sati/panya and therefore be regarded as objective forms.
*即使感受、觉知、意志、意识是心法,他们可以是正念/观智的所缘,因此被视为所观之境(名-色, 名之色)。
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