Luangpor Teean(隆波田)
Developing Awareness is The Path That the Buddha Teaches
培养觉性是佛陀教导的道路
Things Outside of Buddhism 教外之法门
Making merit, being generous, keeping precepts and doing tranquility–meditation are a pair with the world. Whether there is a Buddha or there is no Buddha, these things exist anyway.
作功德、布施、持戒及修止禅是对应于世间的,在佛陀出世前及出世后,这些都一直存在着。
When prince Sidhartha was born, the Brahmins were assiduously looked after, which is making merit and offerings. As for tranquility–meditation, it’s a matter of psychic powers, a matter of ambition. We’ve probably heard about becoming invisible, flying through the air, diving into the earth, reading other people’s minds, multiplying oneself, reciting magical verses to obstruct vision, and hearing by entering absorption. This is not insight.
悉达多太子出生时,当时婆罗门得到一般人完善的护持,那就是所谓的作功德和供养。至于止禅,那是一种精神力量,是一种有所求心。我们可能听过,有人可以隐形不见、在空中飞行、遁入地里、有他心通、应化身、或能念诵不思议的咒语而让人看不见,乃至入定而发起天耳通等等,这些都不是观慧。
Teachings Outside of Buddhism 教外之教导
This kind of practice is called tranquility-meditation. Tranquility-meditation is not more than means to make the mind peaceful, but it is peace under the influence of delusion. It’s just like putting a rock on top of grass: as long as the rock is on top of the grass, the grass can’t grow: but when the rock is removed, the grass grows just as before, or maybe even more vigorously than before. It is true that there is no Lobha,
Dosa & Moha when we’re sitting alone, with the eyes closed; but as soon as we go back into society, like and dislike are born again. This is how it is! Going off to stay in a cave in a forest or the mountains, cannot extinguish suffering, just because of going to stay there. At first, I did it like that also.
这种修行称为止禅,止禅是一种让心平静的方法,但这还是一种带有无明的平静,就像大石压草一样,石头压在草上,草就不能生长,一旦搬开石头,被压的草还是会像以前那样生长,或甚至比以前更茂盛。没错!当我们闭眼坐着的时候,的确没有贪、瞋、痴,但是当我们回到社会,喜恶爱憎的分别心又生起来了,这种方法就是这样!远离尘嚣而跑到洞穴、森林或山中,不会只因为待在那里就能灭苦,早先我就是那么做的。
The Teachings inside Buddhism 教内之教导
The word VIPASSANA translates as realizing and truly seeing. Seeing what? Seeing impermanence, instability and non-selfhood. When having insight, one views things differently than before. It is a transcendency. When we don’t yet see clearly nor truly know then, acting, speaking and thinking are
as before. It is not yet VIPASSANA. But when we feel differently than before – that is, greed, hatred and delusion decrease – it can be called VIPASSANA.
毘婆舍那(VIPASSANA),翻译为通达及真正见到。见到什么?见到无常、苦和无我。当你有了通达的智慧,你看事情就会和以前不一样,这是一种超越(而不只是春风吹又生的压制)。在我们还没清楚见到及真正知道(明见及真知)之前,我们的行为、语言及思想还是和以前一样,会有贪瞋痴,那样就还不是毘婆舍那(通达、真见才能彻底断除贪瞋痴),只有在感觉和以前不一样—即贪瞋痴真正减少(而不是暂时压制)的时候,那才可以称为毘婆舍那。
A Handful of Leaves: Awareness一掌之叶:觉知
To practice insight-meditation, the Buddha teaches us to develop four foundations of awareness, namely:在练习观禅(内观禅修)方面,佛陀教导我们培养正念觉知(sati)的四个基础:
1. KAYANUPASSANA SATIPATTHANA, that is, to meditate on the body, in the body and see according to actuality that this body is only just a body; it’s not a being, an individual, nor a self. It is neither me nor it.
身观念处:即以「身体或身内」为所缘而禅修,并如实见到身体只是身体,不是实有、不是实体、也不是自我,它既非我亦非它。
2.VEDANANUPASSANA SATIPATTHANA, to meditate on the feelings and see according to actuality that these feelings are only just feelings; they are not a being, an individual, nor a self. They are neither me nor them.
受观念处:以「觉受」为所缘而禅修,并如实见到这些觉受只是觉受,不是实有、不是实体、也不是自我,它们也是非自非它。
3. CITTANUPASSANA SATIPATTHANA, to meditate on the mind in the mind and seeing according to actuality that this mind is only just mind; it is not a being, an individual, not a self. It is neither me nor it.
心观念处:以「心」为所缘而禅修,并如实见到心只是心,不是实有、不是实体、也不是自我,它既非我亦非它。
4.DHAMMANUPASSANA SATIPATTHANA, to meditate on the mental objects in the mental objects and seeing according to actuality that these mental objects are only just mental objects. They are not a being, an individual, nor a self. They are neither me nor them.
法观念处:以「法(mental object)」为所缘而禅修,并如实见到这些法只是法,不是实有、不是实体、也不是自我,它们既非我亦非它。
The teachings of the Buddha are many; I’m not able to describe all of it. We’ve probably heard that at one time, our Buddha was walking with a number of monks in the forest. Seeing fallen leaves scattered around, the Buddha picked up a handful of leaves and asked those bhikkhus, “Monks, which is more, the leaves in my hand or all the leaves in the forest?” The bhikkhus answered, ‘The leaves in the forest are more than those in your hand, so much so that they cannot be compared.’ The Buddha then taught that the knowledge and understanding that the Buddha had studied was comparable to the leaves in the forest, and the knowledge that He taught us was comparable to a handful of leaves.
佛陀有很多的教导,我无法一一介绍他所有的教导。大家可能听过:有一次,佛陀与一群比丘在森林中,佛陀看到满地落叶,于是抓起一把叶子问那些比丘:「比丘们!是我手上的叶子多,还是森林里的叶子多呢?」那些比丘们回答:「森林里的叶子比你手中的多,而且多到不能比。」于是佛陀教导说:佛陀学过的知识和智能,就像森林里的叶子那么多,而他教导我们的,就像手中的叶子那么少。
The leaves in the forest stand for making merit, generosity, keeping precepts and developing tranquility-meditation, and the handful of leaves for insight-meditation. However, to do Vipassana we have to study through listening and reading at first, before we start practicing. Otherwise we’ll waste a lot of time
gathering all the leaves in the forest.
森林里的叶子指做功德、布施、持戒和练习止禅,而手中的叶子就是指观禅(内观禅修)。然而,在练习毘婆舍那之前,我们必须先听闻并阅读经典,否则会浪费很多时间在收集森林里的叶子。
The practice of Vipassana that the Buddha teaches through developing the four Satipatthana, means learning to be aware. The Buddha said that there are two things that are of great assistance, namely 1. SATI: to recollect; * before doing or thinking anything, know it with awareness, and 2. SAMPAJANYA: to realize; the moment we’re thinking something, to realize it fully. SATI-SAMPAJANYA, when using ordinary language, just means to wake up, to awaken, to feel oneself all the time.
佛陀藉由培养四种念住(Satipatthana)而修的毘婆舍那的教导,就是练习保持觉知。佛陀说有两样东西能产生大帮助,那就是:
1. 正念(Sati):即忆念不失*,也就是在做或想任何事情之前,要觉知,知道它。
2. 正知(Sampajanya):即了知,也就是我们想事情的当下,完全了知它。
正念和正知,用一般话来说,就是清醒、觉醒、随时感知到自己的身口意活动。
Developing Awareness Gives Rise to Wisdom 培养觉知‧生起智慧
Talking from my experience, it is not necessary to sit with the eyes closed in order to develop awareness. I’ve done the method of sitting with closed eyes and wisdom didn’t arise. But doing the new method, my method, wisdom did arise and I got the feeling that is in accordance with the texts. Some people may think that my method is new because they’ve never heard it before but actually it is as old as the Buddhist teachings.
就我的经验来说,我已经修学过闭眼坐禅的方式,来培养觉知,但是并没有因此而生智慧。但是我修学我的方法之后,智慧确实生起了,而且我如实了知,这是与经典吻合的。有些人可能认为我这个是自创的新方法,因为他们从没听说过,但是,实际上这方法是和佛陀教导的一样古老啊。
A. Arouse The Body To Always Feel And Be Awake 唤醒身体,令感知与觉醒
The development of awareness that I’m talking about and have been doing is done as follows. We can either sit down on the floor or on a chair, and it can even be done in the lying or standing-position. Catch with your awareness the movements of the hands; turn the hand up, turn the hand down, raise the hand, lower the hand. Be aware of each posture. Do this often. This is the coarse way of developing awareness. Simply speaking, walking or lying down, or whatever you may be doing. Know it. Everyone can do this method, no matter what religion one believed in. It can be practiced by all. People of all nationalities can do it because everyone has a body and mind. All religions teach the same thing: to abandon what is bad and to do what is good.
我修学的「培养觉知之道」是这样的:我们可以坐在地板或椅子上,甚至可以躺着或站着练习,重点是:保持觉知在手部的动作—翻起手掌、翻下手掌、举起手臂、放下手臂,觉知每个姿势的动作,要经常这样练习。这是「培养觉知」比较粗浅和初步的方法,也就是单纯地,只是在说话、走路、躺卧或做任何事的时候,觉知它(身体的动作)!每一个人都可以练习这方法,不管你信什么宗教,所有的人都可以练习。不管你是哪一国人,也都可以练习这方法,因为—每个人都有身体和心。所有宗教都教导同样一件事:修练身心,止恶行善。
B. Arouse The Mind To Always Feel And Be Awake 唤醒心灵,令恒感知与觉醒
Having developed awareness until one is skilled at it, catch the feelings in the mind with awareness; following whatever comes up, no matter what one is thinking. Know and see it. Keep watching your own thoughts continuously. Regardless of what you’re doing, look at your own mind all the time, no matter what it is that you are doing – reading a book, writing, digging, cutting grass or bathing. Keep watch over your own mind all the time. What kinds of feelings are coming up? Satisfaction, dissatisfaction, worry, doubts, etc.; these things are all thoughts, objects. Watch over these thoughts and objects. Then we will see the various kinds of thoughts, such as gladness, sadness, desire to get, desire to not get, anger, hate, and so forth. They don’t exist all the time. They arise and pass away, they change all the time. We are not glad or sad for twenty-four hours.
当培养觉知身体的动作达到熟练时,接着就要进一步修学:觉知心里的感受。不管你正在想什么,都要跟随内心生起的任何东西,要知道并且看见它(内心的活动);不论你在做什么,都要持续不断地看着自己的念头,不论你做什么事,例如看书、写字、挖洞、割草或洗澡,都要一直看着自己的心。不断地观照自己的心,看看生起了什么感受?是欢喜、不欢喜、担忧、疑虑等等;这些东西都是念头,都是内心缘虑之物(所缘),我们要观照这些念头和缘虑之物,这样才能见到各种念头,像是高兴、悲伤、想要、不想要、生气、憎恨等等。它们不是一直都存在的,它们不断生起、灭去,不断在变化。我们不会二十四小时都在高兴或都在忧伤中。
To Know And See According To Reality 如实知‧如实见
Change, arising-passing away, is what the Buddha showed to be impermanence, instability and non-selfhood. So don’t follow moods. Following moods will give rise to suffering. We just watch there. As soon as something arises in a flash, know and see it. As soon as you see it, it will stop. The stopping is equivalent to destroying defilements.
变化和生灭就是佛陀所说的无常、苦及无我,所以,不要随着情绪起哄,跟着情绪起哄,只会引起苦恼。我们只是在一旁看着,只要一有什么剎那生起,马上知道并且看见它。只要你看见它,它就停了,这一停就等于消灭了烦恼。
Taking a Shortcut 直取快捷方式
The Results Of Developing Awareness In The Right Way 正确培养觉知的果报
A.Cleanliness As Result 清净为果
So each of the practices, of making merit, generosity, keeping precepts, tranquility-meditation and insight-meditation, are ways to destroy defilement, that is to say Lobha, Dosa & Moha. The destruction of defilement, is what real merit is, the highest merit. Talking in terms of heaven, it’s the real heaven, it’s the essence, the peak of heaven. Talking in terms of Nibbana, it’s true Nibbana, the essence, the marrow of Nibbana.The finish of defilements is cleanliness.
Nibbana translates as extinguishment, coolness ; our hearts are not hot because defilements have been extinguished and become cool.If, at this moment, we don’t have suffering, it is Nibbana at this moment. When we experience Nibbana at this moment, we’ll go to Nibbana for sure. We should know heaven in our hearts ; not having suffering is heaven : we are joyful.; to look at our minds, is to be in heaven. When we have heaven in our minds like this, when we die, we’ll be born in heaven without doubt!
每一种修行:做功德、布施、持戒、止禅及观禅等,这些都是灭除烦恼(也就是灭除贪瞋痴的方法)。灭除烦恼是真正的,最高的功德。若要说天堂,这才是真正的天堂,是其本质,是最崇高的天堂;若要说涅槃,这才是真正的涅槃,是涅槃的本质,涅槃的精髓。灭除烦恼就是清净。
涅槃意为寂灭、清凉,这样的心无热恼,因为烦恼已被消灭,变得清凉。如果当下这一刻,我们没有痛苦,那当下这一刻便是涅槃。当下这一刻体验到涅槃,我们一定会从此趣向涅槃。我们应该知道天堂在我们的心中,内心没有痛苦就是天堂,而这也就是快乐了。向内看我们的心就是进入天堂了,当我们内心有了这样的天堂,死后我们也毫无疑问,必然会投生在天堂!
B. Brightness As Result 光明为果
If someone doesn’t know heaven, he or she won’t be able to go there, for example, we have electricity in our house and we want to have light but we go and take hold of the lightbulb ; the light doesn’t go on. When we’ve learned that we have to turn the switch in order for the light to go on, we turn on the switch and light appears at the lightbulb.
It is similar with the method to deal with greed, hatred and delusion : we don’t have to figure out where greed, hatred and delusion are, we just come back to look at our minds and Lobha, Dosa & Moha are destroyed by themselves.
The Buddha proclaimed that He was enlightened by working with the mind. We have to look at our minds. Watching the mind is turning on the light by using the switch. When we do this often, awareness will become nimble and quick; awareness will intercept greed, hatred and delusion and prevent it from arising. Awareness and concentration are together. As for wisdom, it means knowing and seeing clearly. In Pali, it says NATTHI PANYA SAMA ABHA, meaning there is nothing as bright as wisdom. And SATI
TESAM NIVARANAM, meaning awareness is that which prevents the stream of defilements. There isn’t anything that is fast enough to hold back this stream, other than Sati. It is this awareness and wisdom that come and contact, know, see and stop it, not letting us become deluded. This is because Sati-Samadhi-Panya is opposite to Lobha-Dosa-Moha. If we don’t see, know and understand, there is full greed, hatred and delusion. It is comparable to nighttime, when it’s dark. As soon as we light a candle there is light and the darkness disappears, because darkness is afraid of light; as soon as the candle
goes out, the darkness immediately comes back.
如果你不了解天堂,你就不能去到那里,举例来说,房子里有电,我们都希望能有灯光,可是,我们却只是抓着灯泡,这样灯是不会亮的。当我们明白必须打开开关,灯才会亮,然后我们去打开开关,灯泡就发出光亮了。对治贪瞋痴的方法也类似这个道理,我们不必搞清楚贪瞋痴在哪里,只需要回来看我们的心,贪瞋痴自自然然就会灭除。
佛陀由于对治清净了自己的心,而宣称他觉悟了,所以我们也必须看自己的心,观心就是打开开关-真正开灯的方法。如果我们经常这么做,觉知就会变得敏锐快捷,可以截断贪瞋痴,不再让它生起。但是,觉知和禅定是一体的,至于智慧,意思是清楚地知道和见到。在巴利文里说:「NATTHI PANYA SAMA ABHA。」意思就是说,没有任何东西像智慧一样光明。又说:「SATI TESAM NIVARANAM。」意思是,觉知可以防杜烦恼之流,除了正念,没有任何东西的速度,快到能够阻断这股泛流。只有这觉知和智慧才能跟随它、赶上它,并且知道、看到和阻断它,而不让我们陷入迷惑。这是因为觉-定-慧(Sati-Samadhi-Panya)是贪瞋痴的反面。如果我们没有觉知,没有看到、知道和了解,就会充满了贪瞋痴,就好比夜晚,充满黑暗;明暗是相对的,只要我们点燃蜡烛,有了灯光,黑暗就消失了,黑暗害怕光明;一旦蜡烛熄灭,黑暗又立即回来了。
C. Peace As Result 寂静为果
That I’m giving some reflections and explaining this shortcut-method of practice is in order for you all to take it and practice with it, so that you get quick results and don’t have to waste time. This method can
be used in daily life; there is no need to stop working in order to practice. Some people have practiced a bit already, and some people have only just heard it. Some people who have never heard it might feel displeased. If that’s how you feel, then discard that feeling first, the knowledge that you have learned
before. put it down for now and test out what I’m saying; try it out and you will know what the results that arise are like. I dare to guarantee that this method is at least eighty percent right according to what the Buddha teaches. According to just my own personal feeling, it is one-hundred percent right, because having practiced it, I know that it alleviates greed, hatred and delusion. When those things diminish, peace arises instead.
我之所以要给大家一些观念及解释这个快捷方式的修法,是希望你们能接受它并依之修学,让你们快速得到成果而不浪费时间。这个方法可用于日常生活中,没有必要为了修学而停止工作。有些人已经修学过一点,有些人可能才刚听说而已,而也有些人可能从来没听说过,而且感觉不喜欢,如果你是这样的感觉,那么请你先放下那种感觉,以及你以前学到的知识,请现在就放下,然后试试我说的方法,去体验看看,你会明白结果是怎么回事。我敢保证,这方法至少有八成是直接传承于佛陀的教导。就我个人的感觉来说,这是百分之百正确的方法,因为我已经练习过了,我知道它可以减少贪瞋痴。当这些东西消灭了,反之,寂静安祥就会生起。
D. Full Awareness As Result 圆觉为果
I’d like to give another example: Take a glass. We can see that there is air in the glass. When we pour water into it, the air goes out and the water is in it instead. Then, when we pour the water out, the air
goes back in and replaces the water. This compares with our turning up the hand, we know, we have awareness, Sati comes to replace not-knowing, delusion. Not-knowing goes out of our minds. Do it often. Catch the feeling often, in all postures. Sati will increase; and delusion, not-knowing will decrease just as
the water replaces air in the glass.
我再举个例子:就以杯子为例吧!我们可以见到杯子里有空气,当我们把水倒下去,空气会跑出来,而水会进到里头去。当我们把水倒出来,空气就会回到里头而取代了水。这就好比我们在翻掌时,如果我们知道、有觉知,那么正念就会取代不知与妄念,不知会被赶出我们的心。你们要经常这样练习,在任何姿势中,随时抓住那个感觉(即觉知动作),这样你的正念就会增长,而不知与妄念就会减少,就像杯子里的水取代了空气一样。
Maybe some of you have heard about, or have been taught, to make merit, for example by building a
ceremonial hall or temple; and you get merit for this or that many eons. And you’ve probably heard that one-hundred years on earth equals one year in heaven. The angels throw one sesame seed in a pit that is one-hundred leagues wide and one-hundred leagues deep. When it is full, that’s one eon!
也许你们有些人曾听过或被教导:要你们去作功德。比如说,盖一间法堂或寺庙,你们可以因此而得到无量劫的功德。或许你也听过:地球一百年等于天上一年,以及一位天神每天丢一粒芝麻到一个将近五百公里宽和五百里深的坑洞里,当洞被填满的时候,就是一劫的时间!
Other than that, you’ve probably heard that to once put food into a monks bowl, you get rewarded
for six eons, sending a container with food to offer to monks, one gets rewarded for five eons, to send food for the midday meal, five eons. These things are puzzles, but some people don’t understand. If you want to understand, you have to practice, to develop awareness, by turning the hand up and down, feeling it.
除了那些之外,你们可能也听说:只要在出家人的钵里供养食物,你就能得到六大劫不思议的福报;而用东西装好食物供养僧侣,则能得到五大劫的果报;或者供养午斋的食物有五大劫福报;这些都是让人陷入迷惑的说法,但是有些人不了解而深信不疑。如果你想要了解真相,就必须练习培养觉知,手掌像这样翻上或翻下,并觉知它。
Before, we would do things without Sati, not feeling anything at all. Comparable to an abyss or pit that is empty, nothing in it, just like in that puzzle. But when training in awareness, catching the movement in all postures – for example, blinking the eyes, sitting and lying down – we are aware, feeling it, knowing it. When doing this, Sati increases, just like the sesame seeds that fall in the pit or abyss that is one-hundred leagues wide and one-hundred leagues deep. The aim of this comparison is that we train a lot in awareness that we do it a lot in order to get results, to make Sati full, so that we are not negligent or deluded.
以前,我们常常会在做事时没有正念,一点都没有觉知,这就像前述惑乱人心的说法里,那个空无一物的深渊或坑洞。但是当我们开始练习培养觉知,把捉住任何姿势的动作,比如眨眼、坐下和躺卧—我们都觉知它、感觉它、知道它。这样练习,正念就会增加,这就像丢入那个长宽深各五百公里的坑洞里的芝麻粒一样。这个比喻是说,只要我们努力精进地练习培养觉知,让正念达到圆满,那么我们就不会再失念或迷惑了。
When we have developed the four foundations of awareness, as described earlier, we will have the ability to really contemplate, ponder and understand the various problems in our minds.
当我们修学了前面说过的四种培养觉知的念处之后,我们就会有能力真正去观照、思惟并了解心中的各种问题了。
Taking a Shortcut 直取快捷方式
Developing Awareness In The Right Way Will Yield Results Within Three Years. It says in the scriptures that whoever develops the four SATIPATTHANA in the right way and as continuous as links in a chain, will receive one of the following two results: at most, within seven years, medium within months or as fast as one-to-fifteen days to become one; an Arahant or two; an Anagami (i.e. one who is nearly fully
enlightened) in this very life.
正确培养觉性,三年便能证果。经典上说:任何正确修学四种念住并达到正念持续如炼的人,他这一生中只需最多七年、中等的七个月之内或最快一至十五天之内,便会得下列两种成果之一:1. 成为阿罗汉;2. 成为阿那含Anagami(接近完全觉悟者)。
As for the way of developing awareness that I’m talking about, if you really do it, knowledge and understanding will arise, and suffering will diminish, at most within three years, medium within one year, or as fast as one-to-ninety days. We will know, see and understand, and our life from then onwards will have happiness and no suffering. To practice like this, we don’t have to spend money; we can do it an hour a day, or 5 minutes. Even hearing about it often makes the defilements gradually diminish.
至于我所介绍培养觉性的方式,假若你真地去修它,便能生起智慧与理解,而苦会减少。至多三年内、中等的一年内或最快一至九十天,就会知道、看到与了解。而且从此,我们的生命就能快乐而无苦。像这样的练习,不需要花钱,可以一天练习个一小时或五分钟。甚至听闻这方面的教导,也能使我们的烦恼逐渐减少。
Greed, hatred and delusion are evil; they are suffering. To get angry once is evil and is suffering one time. Evil and darkness are the same. Darkness means not seeing, not knowing, not understanding. Merit and knowledge are the same. When we understand, we are at ease, we don’t have suffering and we don’t doubt. If the mind is dark, there is suffering and doubt. For example, doubt that we’re going to be reborn like this and like that after death. But some people, including myself, who have made merit, been generous, kept precepts and practiced tranquility-meditation, still doubt about merit and demerit, about falling into hell or going up to heaven after death. They don’t understand at that time. The Buddha teaches that heaven is in the heart, hell is in the mind; and Nibbana also is in the mind. Our grandparents use to tell us this, but we didn’t reflect on it, so we didn’t understand it.
贪、瞋、痴是恶的,是苦的。生一次气就造一次恶,也受一次苦。恶和黑暗是相同的,黑暗意思是没看见、不知道和不了解;功德和知解是相同的,当我们知解,便能自在、没有苦、不疑惑;假若心是黑暗的,就有苦、有疑惑,例如,疑惑自己死后会再投生为此,或投生为彼。但是有些人,包括我在内,曾经做功德、布施、持戒和修习止禅,但还是对有功德或无功德,以及死后下地狱,或上天堂感到疑惑,他们到死的时候都还不了解。佛陀教导我们:天堂在心中,地狱在心中,涅槃也在心中。我们的祖父母们曾告诉我们这些,但我们没深思,所以不了解其真义。
We Have To Practice And Know For Ourselves 我们必须修行而且自己亲知
Studying from scriptures is good, but it cannot solve suffering. Teachers teach that we should let go of greed, hatred and delusion; but they themselves can’t let go of it. Teaching others is easy, but teaching oneself is hard. But this method of mine is not difficult. You don’t have to study or learn anything. Being able to read and write or not is of no importance. Everyone can practice; men as well as women ordained or not ordained. We can all practice.
从经典中学习佛法是好的,但那样不能解脱苦恼。有些导师教导我们放下贪、瞋、痴,但他们自己却放不下,因此,教导别人容易,而教导自己很难。但是我教的这个方法不难,你不须研究或学习任何东西,能不能读书写字也不重要;任何人都可以修习,不管男人、女人、出家人或在家人,所有人都可以修习。
There is only one Dhamma, not many kinds. To say that the Dhamma of a person who keeps five precepts is one thing, that the Dhamma of a person who keeps eight precepts is another thing, the Dhamma of an ordained person is another thing, the Dhamma of a lay-person is another thing, the Dhamma of a person who practices insight-meditation yet another thing. That is a different matter. That is not what I’m talking about. I say that there is only one Dhamma. Dhamma is to finish Lobha, Dosa & Moha. Doing this is what virtue and Dhamma are. It says in the scriptures that virtue is the means to eliminate course
defilements, concentration is the means to eliminate medium defilements, and wisdom is the means to eliminate subtle defilements. But can we really eliminate them? No. Why not? Because we don’t do it properly.
「法」只有一个,没有很多种。一般人说,持五戒者的法是一种,持八戒者的法是另一种,出家众的法是一种,在家众的法是另一种,修止禅者的法是一种,修内观禅者的法是另一种;他们认为这些法是不同的。那不是我所谓的「法」。我说的只有一个「法」,「法」就是去断除贪、瞋、痴,这么做才是所谓的戒律与「法」。经典中说:「戒是断除粗重烦恼的工具,定是断除中等烦恼的工具,而慧是断除微细烦恼的工具。」我们都修学戒定慧,但是!我们真的能断除它们吗?不行!为何不行?因为我们没有正确如法地修行。
The word defilement stands for greed, hatred and delusion but most of us understand it only as materialistic, that having money, a big house and a smart car is defilement. But in reality, those things are not defilements, they are just things that come from being diligent and knowing how to work, and from knowing how to save and accumulate things. But the defilements that I’m talking about are greed, hatred, delusion and sorrow. These defilements are not afraid of anyone, not of rich people, not of influential people, not even of monks ordained for a long time, with a title, are they afraid. They enter into
everyone’s mind.
所谓「烦恼」是指贪、瞋、痴,但大多数人所谓的烦恼,仅是外在物质方面的;比如,有些人认为钱、大房子及精美房车是烦恼。但实际上,这些东西不是烦恼,它们是由勤勉、熟知工作技能及熟知节省及积累财物而来的产物。我所谓的烦恼是指内心的贪、瞋、痴及忧悲苦恼。这些烦恼不怕任何人,不怕有钱财有权势的人,甚至出家已久且有德号的僧伽。它们能渗入每一个人的心中。
On speaking in another way, we could say that the defilements slap everyone’s face. A wealthy person, on being told off a bit, is displeased. This shows that the defilements slap him or her in the face. Or when someone praises him or her, satisfaction arises. This is the defilements slapping his or her face. These defilements are not afraid of anyone at all. They are only afraid of those who are disciples of the Buddha, they are afraid of those who develop the four foundations of awareness in the right way; they are ashamed, they don’t dare to come close, because that person has the eye to see the Dhamma, the wisdom to see clearly.
换个方式来讲,可以说烦恼在每个人脸上打了一巴掌,有钱人稍微被责备就不高兴,这就等于烦恼在他脸上打了一巴掌;或是当人们赞美时,他就感到高兴,这样也等于烦恼在他脸上打了一巴掌。这些烦恼完全不怕任何人,它们只怕佛陀的弟子,只怕那些正确如法修学四念住培养觉性的人,它们羞愧甚至不敢靠近那些具有见法眼,以及如实知见之智慧者。
This is the heartwood, the essence of Buddhism! The word Buddha means the one who knows, the awakened one, one who is joyful with Dhamma.
这是佛法的心要与精义!所谓的「佛」是指一个明了的人、觉悟的人以及法喜的人。
I have shared some of my reflections and understanding. It is a shortcut to practicing Vipassana. It is instantaneous. Having listened, please practice with every breath, no matter where you are, whatever work you are engaged in. You can practice while washing clothes, doing the dishes, sweeping up, or working in the field. Vipassana is wisdom, it is life, it is virtue, it is the Dhamma, it is everything. It is the real life, it is the real Dhamma. May you understand it like this.
我曾经与人分享我的某些感想和理解,这是一个练习毘婆舍那禅修的快捷方式,是立即可修的。当你听了之后,不管你在那儿或做什么工作,请随着每一呼吸来练习,比如,在洗衣、做菜、打扫或在田里工作时,你都可以练习。毘婆奢那是智慧、是生命、是戒律、是法、是一切,它是真实的生命、是真正的法,希望你们能这样理解它。
Taking a Shortcut 直取快捷方式(Summary Of The Shortcut 直取快捷方式的摘要)
I’ll give you a few small reflections:我来为你们快速做个回顾:
1. To be diligent in developing awareness in all postures: Turn the hand up, turn the hand down, raise the hand, lower the hand, walk back and forth, lean to the right and the left, blink the eyes, open the mouth, swallow saliva, breath in and out, fully feeling yourself doing it. This is called having Sati. It is equal to throwing sesame seeds into the abyss. When awareness is complete, wisdom arises to really know and see the following matters: Rupa-Nama, Rupa doing – Nama doing, Rupa disease – Nama disease, knowing instability, impermanence and non-selfhood, knowing convention, knowing religion, knowing Buddhism, knowing evil, knowing merit, really knowing! These are objects to know with real awareness and wisdom.
在一切姿势当中,精进培养觉性:在翻起手掌、翻下手掌、举起手臂、放下手臂、来回经行、斜向右边及左边、眨眼、开口、吞口水及吸气呼气时,全然觉知自己正在做的动作,这样就是有正念,这如同丢芝麻粒进深渊里,必须一点一点累积成果。当觉性达到圆满时,就会生起智慧而如实地知道,并看到以下事物:色与名(Rupa-Nama, 即身与心),身行、心行、身病与心病,进而知道苦(instability)、无常(impermanence)和无我,知道世俗法、宗教、佛教、善恶、功德等意义,而且是真正如实地知道!这些是要用真正的觉性和智慧去了知的东西。
2. Next, to work with the mind: Look at the mind with awareness. Whatever the mind thinks, immediately know it and conquer it. When we immediately know and conquer thought, this is called
working with the mind.
其次,对治这颗心:要用觉性来看着心,不管心在想什么,要立刻知道并降伏它。当我们能立刻知道并降伏念头,这样就是在对治心了。
3. Do it until you are nimble and swift, until greed, hatred and delusion stop arising. It is the calming and extinguishing of suffering in the mind. This type of suffering we can’t chase away as we would chase off a pig, a dog, a duck or a chicken. We must depend on the development of awareness and see our minds in order to deal with these types of defilements. If we don’t see our minds, we will be empty, similar to a pit or abyss that is never full. When we have awareness, it means it is full, it is no longer a pit or an abyss; and Lobha, Dosa & Moha don’t have a place to enter, because awareness is full.
你要持续练习,直到觉性变得敏锐快捷,直到贪、瞋、痴不再生起,这样就是心中苦恼的平静与熄灭。这种苦恼,我们无法像赶鸡鸭狗猪那样赶掉牠们;想对治这类烦恼,就必须培养觉性和看见我们的心。假若我们不看见自己的心,觉性就会变得空乏,像一个没填满的坑洞或深渊;反之,当我们有了觉性,意指圆满的觉性,它便不再像个坑洞或深渊,这样贪、瞋、痴就无从渗入,因为觉性已圆满了。
Whatever work we do, we do it with Sati/Panya. there is no delusion, only rightness. These types of defilements are ugly and worthy of getting fed up with. Whoever is a disciple of the Buddha with an eye to see the Dhamma will not have them lying around in his or her mind. they are afraid. Suppose we have defilements at a level of one-hundred percent. They slap our face one-hundred percent. When we see and understand them, they will gradually diminish. Then, when we try to become familiar with looking at our minds, the defilements will diminish increasingly, step by step. When it reaches one-hundred percent we’re rid of suffering. What is left is one-hundred percent happiness. Therefore, may you all try to practice and reach the real peace and happiness.
不管我们做什么工作,都要带着正念/智慧去做,没有迷惑而完全正确如理。这些贪瞋痴烦恼,是令人厌恶而应当厌离的,任何一位具有见法眼的佛弟子,绝不会让这些烦恼住在心中,它们畏惧这些烦恼。假设我们有无止尽的烦恼,它们就会无止尽地打我们巴掌,而当我们能看见并了知它们,它们就会渐渐减少;那么,当我们努力并熟练于看我们的心,烦恼就会逐步减少,当觉性达到百分百圆满时,我们就能灭苦,剩下的就是全然的快乐。因此,希望诸位能努力练习,得到真正的安祥与快乐。