生命之囚

The Prison of Life

(from a lecture given to foreign meditators on
10 February 2531 (1988) at Suan Mokkhabalarama.)

英译序

《生命之囚》这本小册子是佛使尊者于一九八八年二月，在泰国素叻他尼府猜耶县的解脱自在园，对前来禅修的外国人所讲授课程的译本。那时，佛使尊者的身体状况并不好，但在课程最后一天，慈悲的尊者还是勉力为禅修者开示佛法的核心教义并鼓励大家。

这场演讲虽然简短，但极具价值也相当切合实际，因为它直指佛教的核心──不执著。“执著”在各方面禁锢我们的生命，剥夺生命的自由，这些方面包括从执取生命本身、人性本能、六根反应、盲目信仰、道场、导师、神圣及见解等，乃至至高无上的善及清净。佛使尊者指出，除非人们能了解到我执( attavadupadana )是苦及心灵囚牢的起因，并致力断除它，否则将不可能达到所有宗教的共同目标──心灵的自在与解脱。人们可以透过学习像出入息念( anapanasati)这种修习止观的方法，从内在全然地了解生命，而达到心灵的释放，这种专注观呼吸的方法，就是佛陀在证悟前后所采用的一种方便、安全且极为有效的修持方法。

本书虽然没有详细描述这种禅修方法，但读者可以从佛使尊者的另一本著作《出入息念──揭开生命的奥秘》( Mindfulness with Breathing ： Unveiling the Secretsof Life )中研习，这本书已由法隆解行基金会以泰文及英文出版。

值此书以英文版付梓之际， 本中心要感谢译者山帝卡罗比丘( Ven. SantikaroBhikkhu )及其他所有协助出版的人。

我们衷心期盼这本书能帮助所有把本书内容纳入自己生命，耐烦坚毅地去践行的求法者，让他们如愿从所有囚牢之苦中解脱出来。

谨献上最诚挚的祝福

佛法解行中心( The Dhamma Study & Practice Group )

生命之囚

今天我们要谈的主题是“囚牢”，了解囚牢会帮助我们更了解生命，更清楚能解除生命痛苦的佛法。所以，今天我们来谈“囚牢”，请各位专心聆听。

Today, we'll talk about the thing called "prison." This should help us to understand the thing called "life" better. Then, we'll know Dhamma better, which will help us to live life without dukkha (dissatisfaction, pain, stress, suffering). So today we'll talk about the thing called "prison." Please prepare your minds to listen carefully.

只要有囚牢状态的地方，便有苦( dukkha )的存在，大家应该可观察到各式各样的苦都含有囚牢的本质。苦的特征包括被系缚、监禁或锢上锁炼，以及历经各种困厄和纷争。

Wherever the conditions and signs of prison exist, right there is dukkha. You should observe that all the forms and types of dukkha have a quality of prison about them. Being captured, incarcerated, enchained, and put through difficulties and hassles, are characteristics of dukkha.

如果你懂得这些，就会更了解“执著”( upadana )的意义， 因为只要有执著，就会有囚牢。执著使人被监禁于囚牢中，成为“阶下囚”。

If you understand this, then you will understand more clearly the meaning of what we call "upadana" (clinging, attachment). Wherever there is upadana, right there is a prison. This thing "upadana" itself brings about the conditions of imprisonment.

那个地方有执著，那儿就有束缚，不论是正面或负面的束缚，两者同样都会捆绑人。只要执著事物为“我”或“我所有”，便会产生系缚，而人一旦陷入系缚之中，就好比身陷囚狱一般了。

Wherever there is upadana, right there is bondage. The bondage may be positive or negative; both are equally binding. By regarding things and clinging to them as "I" or "mine," bondage occurs. When bound to something, we get stuck in it, just like being stuck in prison.

所有佛法的原则可以归纳为：执著是苦的因，苦是执著的果。我们每个人都必须善加了解执著，为了便于了解执著，我们必须像看囚牢一样把执著看清楚，执著就是心灵的、精神的囚牢。

All of the Dhamma principles of Buddhism can be summarized: upadana is the cause of dukkha; dukkha is born out of upadana. We all must understand this matter of upadana well. To make it easy to understand, we must see it clearly as being just like a prison -- a mental prison, a spiritual prison. We come to study Dhamma and develop samadhi (mental stability and calm) and vipassana (insight) in order to destroy upadana. Or, if we speak metaphorically, we study Dhamma and develop the mind in order to destroy the prison that now traps us.

我们学习佛法，修持止观就是为了要摧毁执著。或者，打个比方，就是为了摧毁禁锢我们的囚牢。

我们现在所谈的虽然是心灵或精神的囚牢，但它和遍布各地监禁犯人的囚牢具有相同的特质。而这种纯属精神的囚牢，却无法以肉眼得见，更奇特的是，人们往往自愿被锁在里面。大家如此欣然前往并甘心被锁在其中，真是心灵囚牢非常奇妙的一面。

We're speaking about a mental or spiritual prison, but it has the same meaning as a concrete prison. It's just like the physical prisons that people are caught in everywhere, but now we're speaking of a purely spiritual prison. This prison's a bit odd, or extraordinary, in that we can't see its substance with our eyes. What's even more extraordinary is that people volunteer to get locked up in this prison. People are actually delighted to go and get locked up in spiritual prison. This is a very queer aspect of the spiritual prison.