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)
2-3-4-3. Normality : the third Jhana 了悟平常心:三禅
(This talk was given the next day and continues with the fore-going. 这段是隔天才开示的,并且继续前面的话题。)
(REVIEWING THE OBJECTS SO FAR 回顾截至目前为止的所观境)
When I knew Rupa-Nama and the objects of Rupa-Nama fully, I still didn't know the defilements due to Vipassana, nor did I know analytical knowledge, nor abnormal views. But when I returned to looking at the mind and awareness was strong and fast enough to keep up with it, being able to prevent and deal with it, a change took place in my mind twice. That's why I understood the value of the beginning stages of enlightenment and I understood the defilements due to Vipassana. But analytical knowledge and abnormal views, I didn't know yet, I understood that afterwards.
当我完全地了悟色-名及其它所有色-名层次的所观境时(基础修习阶段),我还不知道那是观障(由毘婆奢那引起的染污),也不知道解慧与偏邪异见。但当我反过来观照自心(进入对治自心修习阶段),而觉性强大迅速到能跟得上念头并能对治、阻断它的时候,我的心发生一次两层转变,就是这次的两层转变让我体悟到初步觉悟(即证初果)的重要性,也了解到基础修习阶段那些体悟是观障,是毘婆奢那引起的染污。但我这时候还不明了解慧与偏邪异见,我是在这之后才明了的。
The path is the practice to reach the end of suffering. I understood suffering - the cause of it - the extinguishing of it - the path, as the genuine characteristics of the 4 Noble truths. Suffering or Dukkha, as I understand it from my practice is thought ; first we understand the bark of it, then the very thinking itself that is the origin of suffering. The path of practice is to watch thought with awareness, when watching like this, the result is that one breaks away from it, one frees oneself from suffering ; the end of suffering is Nirodha. The extinguishment of suffering has to be realized, said the Buddha. When one is free from it, one realizes it, this is called realizing, really knowing, that's Nirodha. One might wonder how to practice. The answer is : build up awareness and then watch thought, this is the path which means the practice that leads to the end of suffering.
道圣谛是能达到灭苦的修行法门,我依循四圣谛的真义而了悟了苦圣谛、集圣谛(苦的因)、灭圣谛(苦的灭)与道基谛(灭苦之道)。依我实修的理解,苦(Dukkha)就是念头(苦圣谛);起先我只了解到表皮,后来才了解就是这个念头,是我们苦的来源(集圣谛)。道圣谛就是用觉性去观照念头,当你能这样观照时,就能够跟念头分开来,就能解脱痛苦,苦终结了就是灭圣谛(Nirodha),佛陀说:「此是灭,汝应证。」当你解脱了痛苦,证得了苦灭,这就叫做证悟、如实真知,那就是灭圣谛。有人可能想知道要怎么修?答案是:培养出觉性,然后观照念头,这就是道圣谛,也就是:能够直通灭苦的修习之道。
I know the source of it, the knowledge came step by step. It is like putting water in a cup and we pour some out ; there remains only little water, when the water decreases we add more to it, then it decreases again and we keep topping it up often. Or it's like rain ; the rain-water dries up and then it rains again. This a way of talking but the way of practicing is to build up Sati ; stay alone, don't talk and chat but build up lots of awareness and it will burst into flames, so to speak.
我了悟苦的原因,智慧一个接一个生起。那好比把杯子加满水,再倒一些出去,剩下一点水,当水变少了又再加更多一点上去,当它又减少时,我们再继续不断地把它加满。又好比下雨,雨水干了之后又再下雨。说是这样说,但修习之道则是要培养出正念,独自用功,不要说话和闲聊,要培养出更多的觉性,那么它自然会燃起熊熊大火。
The day that I understood, I understood greed, hatred and delusion and was able to destroy them and I understood the 4 objective forms, namely : feeling, perception, volitional thought and conciousness, they're also called Nama-Rupa. Dosa, Moha and Lobha don't exist, Nama-Rupa does exist but there is no suffering in them. After that, I understood defilement - craving - clinging - Kamma ; the mind changed a second time and clinging was destroyed. This was in the evening ; I continued to do walking-meditation and practice the rhytmic-meditation, when it was time, I went to sleep.
我觉悟的那天,我了悟了贪、瞋、痴,破除了它们的疑惑,并且能够进一步断除它们,同时我又了悟四个客体的色法,亦即:受、想、行与识等四蕴,它们也叫做名-色(名之色)。我那天觉悟到没有瞋、痴、贪,只有名-色,而且名-色里头并没有苦;随后,我又了悟烦恼、贪爱、执着、业;我心中第二次生起转变并且烦恼执着断除了。这事发生在(第三天)晚上,那时我继续经行和练习手部规律动作的禅修,最后时间到了,我就去睡觉。
(UNDERSTANDING VIRTUE 了悟戒律)
Before dawn, as I was pacing up and down, a centipede passed in front of me. There was no light there, only candles at intervals of the path for walking-meditation. I took a candle and looked around but the centipede had disappeared already. A long time ago, I was bitten by one once ; I remember : it hurt. When I didn't see it, I continued to walk and look at my thoughts. At that instant a thought flashed up, I knew the thought and understood what virtue is. The word virtue means normality, it is not the 5, 8 or 227 precepts, that I used to observe since I was young. But now I understood that virtue is the means to eliminate the gross defilements, concentration is the means to eliminate the medium defilements and wisdom is the means to eliminate subtle defilements. That's what it says in the scriptures and now I understood because I had eliminated the coarse defilements and virtue was perfected. In fact, perfected virtue is what concentration and wisdom is.
(第四天)黎明前,当我正在经时行,一只蜈蚣打从我面前经过。那里没有光线,只是路边隔一小段就有一些为经行行者准备的烛火。我拿只烛火四处看看,但蜈蚣已经不见了。很久以前,我曾被蜈蚣咬过一次,我记得那很痛。由于没找到牠,于是我继续经行并观照我的念头。突然间一个念头闪过,我立即觉知到那个念头并了悟了什么是戒(想必跟那蜈蚣有关)。戒的意思是平常心(常道),而不是从我年轻时起就持守的5戒、8戒或227条戒。现在我明了戒是断除粗重烦恼的方便,定是断除中等烦恼的方便,而慧是断除微细烦恼的方便,这是经典上提到的,但现在我明了了,因为我已断除了粗重的烦恼,且圆满了戒行。事实上,圆满的戒就是定与慧的本质(都是觉性、平常心)。
(UNDERSTANDING THE AGGREGATE OF VIRTUE, CONCENTRATION AND WISDOM 了悟戒蕴、定蕴、慧蕴)
Let's have a look at the aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration and the aggregate of wisdom. The word 'aggregate' means intensive, means to support, means in good order, means to strive, means to melt. At that time, my wife had given me some cloth, good cloth that can be used to wear or spread out to sleep on. This cloth is heavy and tightly woven, so I bring this up for comparison ; when cloth is tightly woven, it is good quality cloth. When I understood this well, I comprehended the higher training in virtue, the higher training of the mind and the higher training in wisdom. This is what it says in the scriptures but what appeared was the aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration and the aggregate of wisdom, I understand it like this.
让我们看看戒蕴、定蕴和慧蕴。“蕴”这个字是指密集加行、护持、井然有序、精进与消融。当时,我妻子给了我一些布,很好的布,可以用来当僧袍穿或摊开来睡在上面。这块布很重而且编织紧密,所以我拿它来作个比喻:紧密编织的布才是好布料。当我正确明了这点之后,我了悟较超胜的持戒密集加行(增上戒学),较超胜的修定密集加行(增上定学)和较超胜的修慧密集加行(增上慧学)。这是经典中所说的内涵,但经文表面上是说戒蕴、定蕴和慧蕴。这是我的体悟。
(UNDERSTANDING CONCENTRATION 了悟禅定)
Next, I understood that concentration is the means to eliminate medium defilements ; at this point, I comprehended tranquility-meditation. The kind of meditation where they sit until all stiff, my view is that that is not the teaching of the Buddha. But it's good, not that it's bad ; it's better than doing evil, making merit is better than doing evil ; have some merit first, don't take evil ; take what is good, don't take what is bad ; this is good on one level. But it's still not getting close to the real Buddha.
接下来,我了悟禅定是断除中等烦恼的方便。当时,我了悟什么是止禅。这种禅修方法是要坐到全身不动,我的看法是,那不是佛陀的教法。不过这是很好的,并不是不好的;那比作恶好。做功德也比作恶好;要先取功德,不要取恶业;要取好的,不要取坏的;在某个层面来说止禅、做功德是好的,但那还不是趣向真佛之道。
When eating, we have to eat cooked rice, uncooked rice is not eatable ; making merit, giving offerings, keeping precepts and practicing tranquility-meditation compares with uncooked rice.
吃饭时,我们必须吃煮熟的米(正因),没煮熟的米是不能吃的;做功德、布施、持戒和修习止禅就好比没煮熟的米(世间善因而非出世正因)。
If one asks : 'Can one do insight-meditation without having made merit, having been generous, having kept precepts and having practiced calming-meditation before ?' , I can assure you that it is possible indeed. But one should completely stop doing evil and build up and develop awareness a lot ; this will make you understand, really understand ; having understood, it becomes natural. The kind of peace of the Buddha, is peace through awareness & wisdom. Peace because of the abcence of greed, hatred and delusion, peace because of the lack of clinging, peace because there is no more not-knowing. The peace of the Buddha is like going against the stream, the stream of thought, until one sees the source and origin of thought. The tray that floats against the stream of the water is like the aggregates going against the stream of thought. How does one go against it ? When you reflect on it, you might see that when the eye sees forms, the ear hears sounds etc. the eye and ear don't know anything, but the mind is the one who knows ; so look at the mind. Conciousness is the one who knows. Conciousness translates as knowing. Conciousness here, is not what many people believe it to be ; that when one dies, conciousness is what takes rebirth here or there. I used to think like that, but now I know that it' s not like that.
假若有人问:“一个人以前没有做功德、布施、持戒与修习止禅,可以直接修内观禅法吗?”我可以向你保证,绝对可以!但必须彻底地停止作恶,并且精勤地培养觉性,这样你才能了解,真实地了解;了解之后,修行就变得很轻松自然。佛陀的平静,是由觉知与智能而成就的,是去除了贪、瞋、痴而来的平静,是破除执着而获致的,是永断无明而生起的平静。佛陀的平静是对抗川流—念头的洪流—直到看见念头的来源与起处。逆流而上的盘子就像五蕴对抗念头的洪流,要怎么去对抗它呢?当你反照念头时,你就会明了:当眼见色、耳闻声…的时候,眼睛和耳朵并不能了知任何东西,而是心能了知,所以要观照自心。识是了知者,识译为了知,此处所说的识不像许多人所相信的那样:也就是人死后,会去到此处或彼处投生的识。我过去也一直以为是那样,但现在知道不是那样。
Just look at the difference between those thoughts and wisdom. There is a change from the old way of thinking, this knowledge is not the same as it was before. Let me give an example : when the eyes see the opposite sex, it stimulates the mind, but when I knew the origin of thought in the mind, there is no stimulation. This is going against the stream, the 5 aggregates go against the stream of thought. The Buddha teaches not to let the 6 internal senses, that is, the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind, join the 6 external senses, namely forms, sounds, smell, taste, touch and mental phenomena. On seeing, let there just be seeing, don't call it good or bad or whatever. These are still the words from the scriptures, they still have glue in them so they are defilements. Defilements are like sticky glue. Craving means wanting, when we want things we are stuck fast by the glue and being stuck, we go and carry things around, that is what clinging is. This happens by itself but if we go against the stream as I've explained, one can reach the end of suffering. Therefore, may you all determine to really practice so you really know and when you know you will be sure about the teachings of the Buddha.
我去观察那些念头思想与智慧的区别之处!和过去的思惟模式相比有了转变,这种智慧和以前的思惟有所不同。举例来说:一般人眼睛看到异性,会刺激我们的心,但当我了悟心中念头的源头时,就不再受它刺激了,这就是逆反川流,也就是五蕴逆反了念头之流,佛陀教导我们:不要让内六根(即眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意)攀缘外六处(即色、声、香、味、触、法),看的时候就只是看,不要有好、坏或任何的分别,这些都是出自经典的文字。但它们(即此时的智慧)里面还是有染着,所以还是“烦恼”,烦恼就像黏胶;“贪爱”的意思是欲求,当我们欲求东西时,我们就被胶水牢牢的黏住了;一旦被黏住,我们就会带着这些东西到处跑,那就是“执着”。这些都是修习过程中自自然然会发生的,但如果能如我所说的那样去逆反念头的洪流,就能达到苦灭。因此,希望诸位下决心去真参实修,这样才能如实真知,而当你了悟之后你对佛陀的教导就会确信无疑。
When I had concentration it eliminated the medium defilements. I knew this after they were eliminated, it was the same with the defiiements due to insight: after I was free from them, I knew it. On being free from analytical knowledge, I knew it. And it's the same with abnormal views : after being free from them, I knew. Only after eliminating the coarse defilements, did I know the coarse defilements. Virtue is the means to eliminate coarse defilements, the coarse defilements are greed, hatred, delusion, defilernents, craving, clinging and Kamma. Having eliminated the medium defilements, I knew what they are. The medium defilements are to be attached to peacefulness. That's why I say that there are 2 kinds of peace : one kind is to sit with the eyes closed and have visions ; that is like the 2 hermits in the time of the Buddha ; one doesn't see one's own mind, it is temporarily peace, one still has suffering because of Lobha, Dosa, Moha, it is called peace under the influence of delusion. It is peace because one doesn't know or doesn't want to know.
如果有定就能断除中等的烦恼。在中等烦恼断除之后,我了悟了这点,这和由内观引起的染污一样:都是在我解脱这些染污烦恼之后,才得到了悟。在破除解慧之后,我才了悟,这也和偏邪异见一样:都是在解脱它们之后,我才得到了悟。因此,就在断除了粗重烦恼之后,我了悟了粗重烦恼,了悟戒是断除粗重烦恼的方便。所谓粗重烦恼就是贪、瞋、痴、烦恼、贪爱、执着和业。断除了中等烦恼之后,我才了悟什么是中等烦恼。中等烦恼就是染着于平静,所以我说有两种平静:一种是闭起眼睛坐着并且会有幻象,这种就像佛陀时代的那两位隐士,他们没有看见自己的心,只是暂时的平静,因为还有贪、瞋、痴,所以还是有苦,这叫做带有痴惑的平静,是因为人们不了悟或不想了悟而得的平静。
Another kind of peace, is the peace of the Buddha ; peace due to the abcence of greed, hatred and delusion, peace due to the abcence of clinging etc. One is peaceful because one knows, it is called peace because of awareness and wisdom. This kind of peace is the concentration that eliminates the medium defilements, I would like to insist that I really know this. The kind of peace of those 2 hermits in the time of the Buddha are still under the power of sensuality, are still under the power of being, are still under the power of ignorance ; it is called the canker of sensuality, the canker of being and the canker of ignorance. Sensuality here, means gladness ; one is glad about being in some state or being identified with something because one doesn't know, one is under the power of sensuality, being and ignorance. As for sensuality ; no need to talk about it it's too gross. I comprehended this ; first we just know from memory and then we comprehend, realize and really know, this is the same for all people. Developing awareness is therefore a shaking-up of the knowing-element of that individual, which already exists in everybody without exception, there is no point in lying. When I knew this I was not diffident. At this time, my mind changed for the third time, that is, there was a shift twice in the evening. In the early morning, there were two more transformations ; the mind became two levels lighter, not sticking to anything.
另一种的平静,是佛陀的平静,那是由断除贪、瞋、痴而生起,由破除执着而得到…等。我们平静是因为觉悟,之所以称为平静是因为它是由觉知和智慧而来的。但是我那时的平静是一种断除了中等烦恼的定境,我要再强调一次,我如实了悟这点。佛陀时代那两位隐士的那种平静,是还带有欲乐,带有众生性,带有无明,这种叫做欲乐之瘤,众生之瘤与无明之瘤。此处的欲乐是指喜乐;我们由于不悟而带有欲乐,带有众生性,带有无明,所以在某些情境中或认同某些事物时会感到喜乐。欲乐不须讨论,因为它太粗了。我的了悟是这样:我们刚开始先是依见闻记忆而知,其次依思惟理解而知,乃至最后证悟与如实真知,这次第对所有人都是适用的。因此培养觉性是一个人觉悟因素(knowing-element)的一块敲门砖(shaking-up,方便),觉悟之因人人本具,无一不有,我没有必要骗你们。当我了悟这点,我不再没有自信了,这个时候,我的心生起了第三次的转变,也就是说,那天晚上有了两层的转变,而到了隔天凌晨,又有两层的转变,这颗心变得轻了两倍,不再黏着任何东西。
By practicing in this way, I understood the teachings of the Buddha concerning the lst, 2nd and 3rd Jhana. Talking like this, I might get blamed of claiming superhuman attainments, but I'd like to insist that I'm explaining this backed up by reason. If one desires to know the truth, it is necessary to speak the truth ; if one doesn't speak the truth or talks about things that one hasn't realized for oneself, it is making false claims or lying. What's the use of that ? Better to speak honestly !
借着这样修习,我了悟佛陀有关初、二、三禅的教导。像我这样宣称自己已得超凡之果证,极可能遭人谴责,但我要强调:我这样说是有道理的。一个人如果想要觉悟真理,就必须说真话,如果不说真话而说些自己尚未亲证的东西,那就是未得谓得、未证言证的大妄语,那有什么好处呢?还不如老老实实说真话!
The kind of knowledge, like seeing light, colours, ghosts, angels etc. that some people have, I don't know. That is illusion and deception, but people call those things visions. A vision or sign is a mark. What does it mark ? It marks to catch that point with awareness, that's the real sign ! On the profound level, it means to watch this very mind with awareness. Mark this well, don't let go of it ! Keep gazing at the mind, do it like a cat does with a mouse or like a boxer : whoever he meets gets whacked ; this means a thought pops up and whack, it is cut straight away.
像某些人有经验到看见光、彩色、鬼,天神等,那种我不知道。那是幻觉和骗人的假相,但人们称之为幻觉。幻相或征兆是个标记,标示什么呢?标示我们用觉性去把它抓起来,那才是真正的标记!说深一点,那意思就是要我们用觉性来观照这颗心,好好地标记锁定它,不要让它跑掉!持续凝注于这颗心,像猫捉老鼠一样,或像一位拳击手,不论遭逢什么对手都重击之,这意思就是说:念头一冒出来,啪的一声!就立刻切断它。
Abandoning greed, hatred and delusion through formal sitting-meditation, doesn't agree with the principles of the right way to develop awareness ; it compares to sitting in a cave and lighting a candle : it is true that there is some light, but only inside the cave. There is only light on one side ; other sides are still in the dark. Put the candle behind you and it's dark in front, when the candle is on the left, the darkness goes to the right, put the light on your right and there is darkness on your left ; the darkness circles around one like this and as soon as the light goes out, it is immediately totally dark. So one still doesn't really know how to abandon Lobha, Dosa and Moha.
藉由正式的坐禅修定来舍断贪、瞋、痴,这点和培养觉性此一正道的原则是不同的,坐禅修定好比是坐在一个点燃蜡烛的洞穴里,的确是有些光亮,但只是在洞穴内有光,只是一边光亮,另一边还是黑暗的,把蜡烛放在你身后,你面前就是黑暗的,当蜡烛在左边,则右边就变黑暗,把烛光放在右边,那左边就变黑暗,黑暗一直像这样绕着我们转,不会消失,而且一旦烛光熄灭,就会立刻全部变暗。所以,这样的人还没有真正知道如何舍断贪、瞋、痴。
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