(４)如果他接下来又问：
　　“如何修习不执着？”

4) Now suppose you are then asked,

4) “How is this non-grasping and non-clinging to be put into practice?”

　　如果有外国人问起：“如何才能修习佛教的精髓——不执着？”我们可以再度引用佛陀的话，不必以自己的观点回答。佛陀会简洁又完整地解释如何修习：眼睛看到可见的对象时，只是看；耳朵听到声音时，只是听；鼻子闻到气味时，只是闻；舌头尝到味道时，只是尝；身体有所接触时，只是触；当心中生起念头，例如情绪等时，只是清楚知道它。

IF YOU MEET a person from another country who asks by what means one may practise the essence of Buddhism, you can once again answer by quoting the Buddha. We don’t have to answer with our own ideas. The Buddha explained how to practise in succinct and complete terms. When seeing a visual object, just see it. When hearing a sound with the ear, just hear it. When smelling an odour with the nose, just smell it. When tasting something by way of the tongue, just taste it. When experiencing a tactile sensation by way of the general skin and body sense, just experience that sensation. And when a mental object, such as some defiling thought, arises in the mind, just know it; know that defiling mental object.

　　我为不曾听过的人再说一遍：看只是看，听只是听，闻只是闻，尝只是尝，触只是触，起念只是觉察，这表示不要造作出“自我”。佛陀教导我们：如果这样修习，“自我”就不会存在，当“自我”不存在，苦也就止息了。

Let us go over it again for those of you who have never heard this before. When seeing, just see! If at all possible, in seeing, just see. When listening, just hear; when smelling an odour, just smell the odour; in tasting, just taste; in detecting a tactile sensation by the way of skin and body, just experience that sensation; and on the arising of a mental object in the mind, just be aware of it. This means that these are not to be added to by the arising of the self- idea. The Buddha taught that if one can practise like this, the “self” will cease to exist; and the non-existence of the “self” is the cessation of suffering (dukkha).

　　“看只是看”这句话需要解释：当所看的对象和眼睛接触时，只要认清对象，知道应该如何去处理就好了，千万别让喜欢和讨厌的念头趁虚而入。如果你生起喜欢的念头，就会想拥有它；如果生起讨厌的念头，就会厌弃它。如此一来，我们自己就成为那“喜欢的人”和“讨厌的人”，这就是所谓的“自我”，走向“自我”就是走向痛苦和错误。所以当看东西时，保持了了分明，要有智慧远离烦恼，清楚什么动作是正确、适当的，如果是没有必要的动作，就保持冷静，不要去做它。如果想获得某种成就，就得完全应用了了分明的心念去做，不让“自我”产生，使用这种方法，你就能得到想要的结果，而且心中没有苦恼。

“Viewing an object by way of the eye, just see it.” This needs explaining. When objects make contact with the eye, observe and identify them; know what action has to be taken with whatever is seen. But don’t permit liking or disliking to arise. If you permit the arising of liking, you will desire; if you permit the arising of disliking, you will want to destroy. Thus it is that there are likers and haters. This is what is called “the self”. To go the way of the self is suffering and deception. If an object is seen, let there be intelligence and awareness. Don’t allow your mental defilements to compel you to grasp and cling. Cultivate enough intelligence to know which line of action is right and appropriate. And if no action is required, ignore the object. If some sort of result is wanted from this thing, then proceed, with full awareness and intelligence, not giving birth to the self-idea. In this way you get the results you wanted and no suffering arises.

　　这是一个最好又简洁的修行原则：看只是看，听只是听，尝只是尝，嗅只是嗅，触只是触，起念只是觉察。让一切只停留在这个层次，当下就能产生智慧，可以正确又恰当地处理一切，不会产生爱、恨的“自我”。如果随着喜欢或讨厌的欲望去做，“自我”就会生起，让心不能自主，也就无法具足智慧了。以上是佛陀为某比丘所作的开示。

This is a very concise principle of practice, and it should be regarded as a most excellent one.The Buddha taught: When seeing, just see. When hearing, just hear. When smelling an odour, just smell it. When tasting, just taste. When experiencing a tactile sensation, just experience it. When sensing a mental object, just sense it. Let things stop right there and insight will function automatically. Take the course that is right and fitting. Don’t give birth to “the liker” or “the hater”, and so to the desire to act in accordance with that liking or disliking, which is the arising of selfhood. Such a mind is turbulent, it is not free, it functions without any insight at all. This is what the Buddha taught.

　　接下来，可能有人会问：“为什么我们讨论最易证果的修行方法时，没有提及戒、定、慧、行善、布施等呢？”实际上，这些都是辅行，而不是佛法的核心。行善、布施、持戒、修定和修慧，终究都是为了使我们成为“如如不动”的人,而修习“看只是看、听只是听”等等，就足以使我们成为“如如不动”的人——当接触任何外境时，都不会产生“自我”，能保持平常心，而不被境转。

Why, then, didn’t we mention morality, concentration, insight, merit-making, or alms-giving in connection with the most fruitful practice? These are helpful conditions, but they are not the heart of Dhamma, not the essential matter. We make merit, give alms, observe morality, develop concentration, and gain insight in order to become stable persons. When seeing, just to see; when hearing, just to hear. Achieving this, we become stable people. We have stability, unshakeability, and equilibrium. Although objects of every kind make contact with us in every way and by every sensory route, self does not arise.

　　行善和布施是为了拔除“自我”，持戒和修定是为了调御“自我”，修慧则为破除“自我”。

Merit-making and alms-giving are means for getting rid of self. Observing morality is a process by which we gain mastery over self, as is concentration practice. Acquiring insight serves to destroy self.

在此我不想多谈，而只讨论每天最迫切的事情——眼睛要看、耳朵要听、鼻子要闻……等等，只要守护六根就是已控制一切，修行圆满了，这正是修习佛法的核心。如果有外国人问你修行的问题，就这样回答他。

Here we are not speaking of several different matters; we are speaking of one urgent everyday matter. Our eyes see this and that, our ears hear this and that, our nose smells odours, and so on for all six sense channels. We have to stand on guard, keeping a constant watch at the entrances of the six channels. This single practice covers all practices. It is the very essence of Dhamma practice. If you meet a person from another country who asks how to practise, answer in this way.