[向内学习]

Discover It Inside

在此，我们面临两种选择：是要向外学习，还是要向内学习？这两种学习有天壤之别，而佛陀告诉我们必须向内学习。如来( Tathagata ) 曾宣说：应该要学习的一切，存在于活生生(未死)的身体中【译注一】。那儿才学得到，因此我们就在那儿学习。向内学习，就是在自己活生生的身体本身学习；而向外学──从书本中或各式各样的仪式中学习，是无法获致任何用处的。请向内学习吧！请切记“向内学习”！

At this point, we are confronted by two choices: are you going to learn from the outside or are you going to learn from the inside? The distinction is crucial. The Buddha said that we must study from inside. The external learning is from books, ceremonies, practices, and things like that. Everything that we must learn, the Tathagata has explained in terms of the body which is still alive. That means a living body, with a living mind, not a dead one. That's where real learning takes place, so learn there. Learn from that inside, which means learn within yourself while still alive, before you die. External studies, learning from books and all those different ceremonies and rituals, hasn't really accomplished anything of value. So let's study inside. Please remember these words "learn inside."

修习止观，例如我们在这里修习出入息念，就是向内学习。向内学习必须具有相当的耐力，但也不是太困难。实际上，人们所从事的高难度运动和特技等比修习止观困难多了，然而人们却有足够的耐力来胜任这些。可见只要有适度的耐力，便可以透过专注观呼吸来修习止观。但有些人耐不住就半途而废，其实只要再忍耐一些，便能有所成就。因此，请你以充分的耐力努力向内学习。

我想，使用譬喻说明会帮助大家更了解接下来所要讨论的主题，因此我们今天就应用这个技巧来谈“囚牢”。

Training in samadhi and vipassana (concentration and insight), that is, developing mindfulness with breathing (anapanasati-bhavana) as we have been doing here, is this learning inside. To do this inner study takes a fairly good amount of patience and endurance, but not too much. Actually, in comparison with some of the things other people are practicing, such as high level sports, gymnastics, and acrobatics, training in samadhi and vipassana is less difficult. Yet people have enough endurance and perseverance to be able to do such things. Just have moderate endurance and we will be able to train with samadhi and vipassana , through mindfulness with breathing. Some people can't take it, and have run away already. We have had enough endurance to get this far, and if we continue a bit more, then we'll be able to do it and we'll receive the proper benefits. So, please, apply yourself to this inner study and do so with sufficient patience and endurance.