Mindfulness In Plain English

佛教禅修直解

by Mahathera Henepola Gunaratana

德宝法师著作
梁国雄居士译

Chapter 14: Mindfulness Versus Concentration

第十四章 止与观

Vipassana meditation is something of a mental balancing act. You are going to be cultivating two separate qualities of the mind--mindfulness and concentration. Ideally these two work together as a team. They pull in tandem, so to speak. Therefore it is important to cultivate them side-by-side and in a balanced manner. If one of the factors is strengthened at the expense of the other, the balance of the mind is lost and meditation impossible.

内观禅(Insight Meditation)的修习，多少有点像心理平衡活动，你将要培育两种不同的心理品质── 止与观；「止」是定力或集中力，「观」是观察力、敏锐的觉知力或静观力。理想上两者必须协力合作，它们可以说是串联地运作的，所以，重要的是确保两者能平衡地、肩并肩地一起培育和发展，如果要牺牲一个来发展另一个要素，心理就会失去平衡，禅修亦难继续进行。

Concentration and mindfulness are distinctly different functions. They each have their role to play in meditation, and the relationship between them is definite and delicate. Concentration is often called one-pointedness of mind. It consists of forcing the mind to remain on one static point. Please note the word FORCE.

止与观是截然不同的功能，在禅修中各别扮演不同的角色，它们之间的关系既明确又微妙。止常被说成是心的一境性(One-pointedness of Mind)[1]，它是通过强迫心固定在某一静态点上而成就的。请注意「强迫」这个字眼，在很大程度上，止的确似强迫性活动，它可以经由强迫力── 纯粹不懈的意志力去发展，且在发展后仍会保持此韵味。在另一方面，观是一种微妙的功能，它可令你达至精炼的感觉能力。两者是禅修工作中的伙伴，观是敏感的那个人，他负责觉察事物；止则提供力量，他令注意力持续固定在某个目标上。理想地，他们的关系应如下述：观选择要注意的事物，并且监视着心，看它有否离开正道(离开注意应注意的事物)，止做的实际工作是要保持注意力稳定地停留在所选目标(对象)之上，如果两伙伴中任何一个衰弱，禅修便会走错路。

Concentration is pretty much a forced type of activity. It can be developed by force, by sheer unremitting willpower. And once developed, it retains some of that forced flavor. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is a delicate function leading to refined sensibilities. These two are partners in the job of meditation. Mindfulness is the sensitive one. He notices things. Concentration provides the power. He keeps the attention pinned down to one item. Ideally, mindfulness is in this relationship. Mindfulness picks the objects of attention, and notices when the attention has gone astray. Concentration does the actual work of holding the attention steady on that chosen object. If either of these partners is weak, your meditation goes astray.

止可定义为：能一心一意、不间断地集中精神于一目标上的心理机能。必须强调，真正的止是健康的心的一境性，即是说，那止的心态是远离贪瞋痴等根本烦恼的。不健康的心的一境性亦有可能，不过，它是不能助你解脱的；你可以在欲念中一心一意，但于解脱毫不管用；不间断地集中心意于你的嫌恶目标上，对你亦丝毫无助。事实上，此类不健康的止，纵使获得，亦甚短暂，尤其是用来危害他人的时候。真正的止本身是没有这些(贪瞋痴等)污染物的，心意在止的状态中被凝聚起来，从而增加力量与强度。我们或可把它比喻为一面凸透镜，平行的日光光线若直射纸上，最多只能令纸温暖，若经过一面凸透镜再聚焦到纸上，则纸很快就会燃烧起来。止的功能就像那面凸透镜，它凝聚烈焰般的强烈心力，好让我们看到内心深处的区域。观则选择目标，好让那面凸透镜凝聚心力，以及通过那面凸透镜，仔细地观察那里的东西。

Concentration could be defined as that faculty of the mind which focuses single mindedly on one object without interruption. It must be emphasized that true concentration is a wholesome one-pointedness of mind. That is, the state is free from greed, hatred and delusion. Unwholesome one-pointedness is also possible, but it will not lead to liberation. You can be very single-minded in a state of lust. But that gets you nowhere. Uninterrupted focus on something that you hate does not help yo at all. In fact, such unwholesome concentration is fairly short-lived even when it is achieved--especially when it is used to harm others. True concentration itself is free from such contaminants. It is a state in which the mind is gathered together and thus gains power and intensity. We might use the analogy of a lens. Parallel waves of sunlight falling on a piece of paper will do no more than warm the surface. But the same amount of light, when focused through a lens, falls on a single point and the paper bursts into flames. Concentration is the lens. It produces the burning intensity necessary to see into the deeper reaches of the mind. Mindfulness selects the object that the lens will focus on and looks through the lens to see what is there.

止应被视为一件工具，像任何工具一样，它可以被善用或恶用，一把尖刀可以用来创作一件精美的雕刻品，亦可用来伤害他人，那全看用刀者的心意。止亦如是，正当地运用它，止有助我们达致解脱，但它也可为我们的「自我」服务，在成就事业与竞争架构中运作。你可用止去支配他人，亦可用止去谋取私利。真正的问题是：单独的止不能帮你透视和了解自己，它不能令你得到启发，明白到自私自利的问题，以及苦的本性；它可用来发掘深层次的心态，可是，即使如此，仍未能了解隐藏着的自私自利的势力，只有观能做得到，如果没有观在场去直视那面凸透镜所暴露出来的东西，也是徒劳无功的。只有观可了解，只有观可带给你智慧。除此之外，止还有其他局限与缺陷。

Concentration should be regarded as a tool. Like any tool, it can be used for good or for ill. A sharp knife can be used to create a beautiful carving or to harm someone. It is all up to the one who uses the knife. Concentration is similar. Properly used, it can assist you towards liberation. But it can also be used in the service of the ego. It can operate in the framework of achievement and competition. You can use concentration to dominate others. You can use it to be selfish. The real problem is that concentration alone will not give you a perspective on yourself. It won't throw light on the basic problems of selfishness and the nature of suffering. It can be used to dig down into deep psychological states. But even then, the forces of egotism won't be understood. Only mindfulness can do that. If mindfulness is not there to look into the lens and see what has been uncovered, then it is all for nothing. Only mindfulness understands. Only mindfulness brings wisdom. Concentration has other limitations, too.

Really deep concentration can only take place under certain specific conditions. Buddhists go to a lot of trouble to build meditation halls and monasteries. Their main purpose is to create a physical environment free of distractions in which to learn this skill. No noise, no interruptions. Just as important, however, is the creation of a distraction-free emotional environment. The development of concentration will be blocked by the presence of certain mental states which we call the five hindrances. They are greed for sensual pleasure, hatred, mental lethargy, restlessness, and mental vacillation. We have examined these mental states more fully in Chapter 12.

真正深度的止只有在特定的条件下才会出现。佛教徒挖空心思去建造禅堂与寺庙，主要目的不过是想营造一极少干扰的居住环境，好让禅修能顺利进行。除了安静和少干扰的居住环境外，营造一免除情绪干扰的环境，亦同样重要。若有五盖障，止将难于发展，那五盖障就是：贪、瞋、疑、掉举(散乱)或昏沉等五种内心障碍。我们在第十二章中已对此五盖障作了详细的叙述。

A monastery is a controlled environment where this sort of emotional noise is kept to a minimum. No members of the opposite sex are allowed to live together there. Therefore, there is less opportunity for lust. No possessions are allowed. Therefore, no ownership squabbles and less chance for greed and coveting. Another hurdle for concentration should also be mentioned. In really deep concentration, you get so absorbed in the object of concentration that you forget all about trifles. Like your body, for instance, and your identity and everything around you. Here again the monastery is a useful convenience. It is nice to know that there is somebody to take care of you by watching over all the mundane matters of food and physical security. Without such assurance, one hesitates to go as deeply into concentration as one might.

一座管理完善的寺庙，可令情绪干扰减至最低。例如：僧尼不同住，可减少产生对异性的贪欲；不私蓄财物，可免除对财物拥有权的争吵与贪求。有关止的另一个障碍亦要一提，当达至真正深度的止时，由于已全神贯注于禅修目标上，自会忘记其他琐事，例如：你的身体、身份、身外的其他东西等，于此情势，寺庙又再成为有用及方便之所，因为，知道有人看护你、照顾你日常的饮食与安全，是十分令人安慰的；没有这些保证，想随意进入真正深度的止，任何人也会踌躇不前的。

Mindfulness, on the other hand, is free from all these drawbacks. Mindfulness is not dependent on any such particular circumstance, physical or otherwise. It is a pure noticing factor. Thus it is free to notice whatever comes up--lust, hatred, or noise. Mindfulness is not limited by any condition. It exists to some extent in every moment, in every circumstance that arises. Also, mindfulness has no fixed object of focus. It observes change. Thus it has an unlimited number of objects of attention. It just looks at whatever is passing through the mind and it does not categorize. Distractions and interruptions are noticed with the same amount of attention as the formal objects of meditation. In a state of pure mindfulness your attention just flows along with whatever changes are taking place in the mind. "Shift, shift, shift. Now this, now this, and now this."

观却没有这些弊端，观并不依赖上述的任何环境，它只是一个纯粹的觉知要素， 因此，无论有什么出现── 贪、瞋或各种声音，它都可自由地去觉知它们。观不受任何条件或情况所限，在任何时刻与境况，它都会有某程度的存在。此外，观并没有固定的专注目标，它观察转变，因此，它有可注意的无限量目标，它只注视任何飘过心中的东西而不去归类，觉知到分神与干扰的注意力分量，与觉知到禅修主要目标的注意力分量相同，在纯粹觉知状态中，你的注意会随心内任何发生的转变而流动── 「转移、转移、转移，此刻如是、此刻如是、而此刻又如是。」

You can't develop mindfulness by force. Active teeth gritting willpower won't do you any good at all. As a matter of fact, it will hinder progress. Mindfulness cannot be cultivated by struggle. It grows by realizing, by letting go, by just settling down in the moment and letting yourself get comfortable with whatever you are experiencing. This does not mean that mindfulness happens all by itself. Far from it. Energy is required. Effort is required. But this effort is different from force. Mindfulness is cultivated by a gentle effort, by effortless effort. The meditator cultivates mindfulness by constantly reminding himself in a gentle way to maintain his awareness of whatever is happening right now. Persistence and a light touch are the secrets. Mindfulness is cultivated by constantly pulling oneself back to a state of awareness, gently, gently, gently.

你不能用强迫力去发展观[2]，积极咬紧牙关式的意志力运用，对你并无帮助，事实上，它只会造成妨碍。观不能经由努力挣扎去发展，它的发展有赖了解、去执、在此刻安顿下来、以及让自己安于任何形式的体验。这并不等于说观可完全自发，事实远非如此，精力、努力是需要的。不过，此努力与前述的强迫力不同。观的培育有赖温和的努力，禅修者在培育观时，会柔和地不断提醒自己，要保持觉知任何在此刻发生的事情，坚持与轻描淡写是修观秘诀。想发展观，就要轻柔地、和缓地、友善地不断抽离自己，回到觉知的心态中。

Mindfulness can't be used in any selfish way, either. It is nonegoistic alertness. There is no 'me' in a state of pure mindfulness. So there is no self to be selfish. On the contrary, it is mindfulness which gives you the real perspective on yourself. It allows you to take that crucial mental step backward from your own desires and aversions so that you can then look and say, "Ah ha, so that's how I really am."

观也不能以自私自利的方式去运用，它是无我的警愓，在观的状态中并没有「我」，所以，并没有「我」去自私自利。刚好相反，是观令你透彻了解自己的真正本性。它让你内心从贪瞋中采取决定性的后退一步，从而可以让你看清楚之后说：「哦！原来真正的我是这个样子的。」

In a state of mindfulness, you see yourself exactly as you are. You see your own selfish behavior. You see your own suffering. And you see how you create that suffering. You see how you hurt others. You pierce right through the layer of lies that you normally tell yourself and you see what is really there. Mindfulness leads to wisdom.

在观的状态中，你如实地看到自己，你看到自己的自私自利行为，你看到自己的苦恼，而且，你看到自己是怎样制造苦恼的，你看到自己怎样伤害别人，你刺穿一层一层习以为常的自欺谎言，而你亦看到那里的真相，所以说：观能导致智慧。

Mindfulness is not trying to achieve anything. It is just looking. Therefore, desire and aversion are not involved. Competition and struggle for achievement have no place in the process. Mindfulness does not aim at anything. It just sees whatever is already there.

观不会尝试去获得任何成就，它只是不断地观察，因此，贪瞋不会被牵涉在内，在观的过程中，为获得成就而出现的竞赛与争斗亦无立足之地。观并没有固定的专注目标，它只观察着任何出现在那里的事物。

Mindfulness is a broader and larger function than concentration. it is an all-encompassing function. Concentration is exclusive. It settles down on one item and ignores everything else. Mindfulness is inclusive. It stands back from the focus of attention and watches with a broad focus, quick to notice any change that occurs.

观对止来说，是较为广大的功能，它是无所不包的功能；而止是排外的(Exclusive)，它只会固定在某一项目上，而忽视所有其他东西。观是包括的(Inclusive)，它站在注意的焦点后面，用较宽的焦距观察着，敏捷地察觉着生起的任何变化。

If you have focused the mind on a stone, concentration will see only the stone. Mindfulness stands back from this process, aware of the stone, aware of the concentration focusing on the stone, aware of the intensity of that focus and instantly aware of the shift of attention when concentration is distracted. It is mindfulness which notices the distraction which has occurred, and it is mindfulness which redirects the attention to the stone. Mindfulness is more difficult to cultivate than concentration because it is a deeper-reaching function. Concentration is merely focusing of the mind, rather like a laser beam. It has the power to burn its way deep into the mind and illuminate what is there. But it does not understand what it sees. Mindfulness can examine the mechanics of selfishness and understand what it sees. Mindfulness can pierce the mystery of suffering and the mechanism of discomfort. Mindfulness can make you free.

若你用心凝视一块石头，止可令你看到的是一块石头；观则站在此过程后面，觉察到那块石头、觉察到止如何集中于那块石头上、觉察到那集中力的强度、也会立即觉察到注意随分心出现时的转移。分心出现后，是观察觉出来的；带领注意回到石块上，也是观所做的。观较止更难培育，因为观是一种要达到更为深邃之处的功能。止做的只不过是集中心意，有点像雷射光束，它有燃烧力量直透内心深处，照亮着那里发生的一切，但它不明所见；观则能详细检查自私自利的技俩，明白所见的一切；观能刺穿苦恼的神秘面纱与内心不安的机制；观能令你得到解脱。

There is, however, another Catch-22. Mindfulness does not react to what it sees. It just sees and understands. Mindfulness is the essence of patience. Therefore, whatever you see must be simply accepted, acknowledged and dispassionately observed. This is not easy, but it is utterly necessary. We are ignorant. We are selfish and greedy and boastful. We lust and we lie. These are facts. Mindfulness means seeing these facts and being patient with ourselves, accepting ourselves as we are. That goes against the grain. We don't want to accept. We want to deny it. Or change it, or justify it. But acceptance is the essence of mindfulness. If we want to grow in mindfulness we must accept what mindfulness finds. It may be boredom, irritation, or fear. It may be weakness, inadequacy, or faults. Whatever it is, that is the way we are. That is what is real.

观还有另一个困境── 观不会对看到的东西有所反应，它只看视和理解。观是忍耐的要素，因此，无论你看到什么，你必须单纯地接受、承认、以及冷静地观察。这样做并不容易，但却完全必须。我们是无知的、自私自利的、贪得无厌的、爱自夸的，我们纵欲、说谎，这些都是事实。观的意义，是要一面看着这些事实，一面对自己耐心地忍受，接受着如是的自己。这样做与人性相违，我们是不会接受的，我们想否定、改变它们、或对它们作出种种辩解。可是，接受是观的精髓，如果我们要观有所进步，就得接受任何观所发现的东西，那可能是厌倦、烦躁、或恐惧，亦可能是软弱、不足、或缺陷。无论那是什么，全都是我们的现况，全都是真实不虚。

Mindfulness simply accepts whatever is there. If you want to grow in mindfulness, patient acceptance is the only route. Mindfulness grows only one way: by continuous practice of mindfulness, by simply trying to be mindful, and that means being patient. The process cannot be forced and it cannot be rushed. It proceeds at its own pace.

观只单纯地接受任何现前的事物，如果你想发展观，有耐性地接受是唯一途径。观的发展只有一种方式，那就是持续地去修习观、单纯地去尝试观，这意味着要保持耐性，过程中不可太勉强或猛攻，它有自己前进的步伐。

Concentration and mindfulness go hand-in-hand in the job of meditation. Mindfulness directs the power of concentration. Mindfulness is the manager of the operation. Concentration furnishes the power by which mindfulness can penetrate into the deepest level of the mind. Their cooperation results in insight and understanding. These must be cultivated together in a balanced ratio. Just a bit more emphasis is given to mindfulness because mindfulness is the center of meditation. The deepest levels of concentration are not really needed to do the job of liberation. Still, a balance is essential. Too much awareness without calm to balance it will result in a wildly over sensitized state similar to abusing LSD. Too much concentration without a balancing ratio of awareness will result in the 'Stone Buddha' syndrome. The meditator gets so tranquilized that he sits there like a rock. Both of these are to be avoided.

在禅修工作中，止与观是手拉手地协办的，观引导止的力量，观是运作过程的总管，止提供力量予观，好让观能通达内心至深之处，它们的合作可导致(对现实的)洞察与理解。这些运作要同时用平衡的方式来培育，可稍为着重观，因为观是禅修的中心，而至深程度的止对解脱工作实际无益。平衡仍是必要的，太多的觉察(观)若无平静(止)去平衡，会导致像滥用迷幻药那样失控的过敏状态，太深的止而无比例上相称的观来平衡，亦会令人生起石佛综合症(‘Stone Buddha’ Syndrome) ── 禅修者安静得像一块不知不觉的石头。两者皆要尽量避免。

The initial stages of mental cultivation are especially delicate. Too much emphasis on mindfulness at this point will actually retard the development of concentration. When getting started in meditation, one of the first things you will notice is how incredibly active the mind really is. The Theravada tradition calls this phenomenon 'monkey mind'. The Tibetan tradition likens it to a waterfall of thought. If you emphasize the awareness function at this point, there will be so much to be aware of that concentration will be impossible. Don't get discouraged. This happens to everybody. And there is a simple solution. Put most of your effort into one-pointedness at the beginning. Just keep calling the attention from wandering over and over again. Tough it out. Full instructions on how to do this are in Chapters 7 and 8. A couple of months down the track and you will have developed concentration power. Then you can start pumping you energy into mindfulness. Do not, however, go so far with concentration that you find yourself going into a stupor.

心智培育(禅修)在最初阶段会稍为微妙、棘手，此时若太着重观，必会减慢止的发展。在开始禅修时，你会惊讶地发觉，心原来是如此活跃难驯的，南传佛教称之为「像猴子般的心」，藏传佛教把它比喻为「像瀑布般的心」。此时若太着重观，由于有太多事物要观察，要止是不可能的。不用失望，很多人都遇过这种情况，幸好，有一个简单的解决办法── 在开始时，把你的大部分努力放在止上，只须不断地、重复地把分散的注意力唤回到禅修目标上即可，要坚持捱过去，详细说明可参阅第七章与第八章。如是修习数个月后，你的止自会有所增进，到时，你才可调配多些精力去发展观。不管怎样，不要过分修止，以免陷入迷糊或昏沉之境。

Mindfulness still is the more important of the two components. It should be built as soon as you comfortably can do so. Mindfulness provides the needed foundation for the subsequent development of deeper concentration. Most blunders in this area of balance will correct themselves in time. Right concentration develops naturally in the wake of strong mindfulness. The more you develop the noticing factor, the quicker you will notice the distraction and the quicker you will pull out of it and return to the formal object of attention. The natural result is increased concentration. And as concentration develops, it assists the development of mindfulness. The more concentration power you have, the less chance there is of launching off on a long chain of analysis about the distraction. You simply note the distraction and return your attention to where it is supposed to be.

观仍是两者中较重要的一个，一旦时机合适，就要马上增进。观可提供必需的基础让较深的止往后发展，而大部分的平衡错失将会随时间而得到更正。随着强大的观力生起，正定亦会自然发展。你越加修习观，就越快觉察到分心，亦会越快把心(注意)拉回到禅修目标上，结果自然是较强的止。而止的增强又会帮助观的发展。止力越强，分心及随后有关分心的思维分析亦会越少。你只须单纯地注意分心，随即令注意回到禅修目标上即可。

Thus the two factors tend to balance and support each other's growth quite naturally. Just about the only rule you need to follow at this point is to put your effort on concentration at the beginning, until the monkey mind phenomenon has cooled down a bit. After that, emphasize mindfulness. If you find yourself getting frantic, emphasize concentration. If you find yourself going into a stupor, emphasize mindfulness. Overall, mindfulness is the one to emphasize.

以此方式，两者很自然地朝着相互支持与平衡对方的发展而前进。于此要守的唯一规则是：开始时要主力发展止，当散乱心稍为静下来时，就可着重发展观了。如果发现自己有点忙乱，要着重修止；如果感到昏沉，就要着重修观。整体来说，观是要着重的一个。

Mindfulness guides your development in meditation because mindfulness has the ability to be aware of itself. It is mindfulness which will give you a perspective on your practice. Mindfulness will let you know how you are doing. But don't worry too much about that. This is not a race. You are not in competition with anybody, and there is no schedule.

观可指导禅修的发展，因为观有能力觉察自身。是观令你看到自己的修习，了解到自己是怎么样修习的。可是，不要太忧虑这些东西，这不是赛跑或与人竞赛，也无时间表限制。

One of the most difficult things to learn is that mindfulness is not dependent on any emotional or mental state. We have certain images of meditation. Meditation is something done in quiet caves by tranquil people who move slowly. Those are training conditions. They are set up to foster concentration and to learn the skill of mindfulness. Once you have learned that skill, however, you can dispense with the training restrictions, and you should. You don't need to move at a snail's pace to be mindful. You don't even need to be calm. You can be mindful while solving problems in intensive calculus. You can be mindful in the middle of a football scrimmage. You can even be mindful in the midst of a raging fury. Mental and physical activities are no bar to mindfulness. If you find your mind extremely active, then simply observe the nature and degree of that activity. It is just a part of the passing show within.

其中之一最难学到的是，观并不取决于任何情绪或心态。我们对禅修存有某些片面影像，以为禅修是一些慢慢走动的安静的人，在安静的山洞内所作的一些事情，其实那些东西只是训练助缘，采用它们有助止观技巧的培育和发展，一旦学懂，你可以、亦有必要去解除那些训练束缚，你不用像蜗牛般缓慢步行才可修观，你亦无须保持安静，其实，就算在解决微积分数学难题时、在足球比赛混战中，你也可修观；甚至在盛怒中，你也可以修观，身心活动是禁不了观的。如果你发觉内心非常活跃，可单纯地观察那活跃的程度与性质，你会发觉，那只不过是你内部流逝景象的一部分吧了。

【注释】

[1] 心的一境性(One-pointedness of Mind)：即佛教所称的「心一境性」或「定」，是心念高度集中时的境界。令心停留(专注)于一境而不散乱，久而久之，便可得「定」。[2] 你不能用强迫力去发展观：强迫性做法是止的技巧，尤其是要集中心念观察某一痛点时，或要降伏内心的烦恼与挣扎反应时难免要运用。请参阅上文第二段及《中阿含经》内的《念处经》及《增上心经》等。要了解的是，在禅修初期，止与观的活动是甚难分得清的，只有在达至近分定或初禅时，始可不用费力地去观。希望行者留意，不可见人在禅修时有奋力精进等行为表现时即妄言不妥。