§8. The stronghold that forms the practice area for training oneself.

八、城堡─自我训练的修习区域

In which set of principles did the Lord Buddha establish our stronghold? When we consider this question, we find that he established our stronghold in the great frames of reference (satipatthana).

　　佛陀是基于那一套法则来建立我们的城堡？当我们思考这个问题时，我们发现他基于伟大的参学架构(念处)来建立我们的城堡。

To make a comparison with worldly affairs: In armed battles where victory is at stake, it is necessary to find a stronghold. If one obtains a good stronghold, one can successfully ward off the weapons of the enemy; and there one can accumulate great strength to launch an attack, driving the enemy to defeat. Such a place is thus called a stronghold, i.e., a place complete with strong stockades, gates, moats and embattlements.

　　用世间的事务来做个比喻：武装战斗中，在胜败攸关的地方，必需要找一个城堡，如果有一方得到了一个良好的城堡，就能成功地挡开敌人的武器；这一方就能集结广大的力量来发动攻击，驱使敌人落败，这样的一个地方就叫做城堡，也就是一个具备了坚强的护栏、闸门、护城河和城墙的地方。

So it is with the affairs of the Dhamma when we take the great frames of reference as our stronghold, in that those who go into battle with the enemy — defilement — must start out by keeping track of the body as their frame of reference, because when such things as sensual passion arise, they arise at the body and mind. Because the sight of a body causes the mind to be aroused, we can conclude that the body is the provocation, and so we must examine the body as a means of stilling the Hindrances (nivarana) and calming the mind. This is a point that you should work at and develop as much as possible. In other words, keep investigating that point without giving way at all. When an image (uggaha nimitta) of any part of the body arises, take that part of the body as the basic theme for your investigation. You don't have to go shifting to other parts. To think that, 'I've already seen this part. Other parts I haven't seen, so I'll have to go and investigate other parts,' isn't advisable at all. Even if you investigate the body until you have it analyzed minutely into all of its parts that are composed of the properties (dhatu) of earth, water, fire, and wind — this is called patibhaga — you should still keep examining the body as it first appeared in the original image until you have it mastered. To master it, you have to examine that same point over and over again, just as when you chant. If you memorize a particular discourse and then leave it, without chanting or repeating it again, you will forget it, and it won't serve any purpose, due to your complacency in not mastering it. The same holds true in your investigation of the body. Once an image of any part arises, if you don't investigate it repeatedly, and instead heedlessly let it pass, it won't serve any purpose at all.

　　法义的事务也是一样，当我们采取伟大的念处做为我们的城堡时，那些与敌人─烦恼展开战斗的人，必须由密切注意身体的动向开始，做为他们的念处，因为，例如当感官的情欲生起时，它们在身体和心意里生起，既然身体的视觉引起心意的生起，我们可以断定身体是诱发者，所以我们必须观察思惟身体，做为遏制障碍和平静心意的方法。这是你必须努力的重点并尽可能地去开发，也就是持续观察思惟那个重点，决不让步。当身体任何部份的一个取相(nimitta禅思时自发地显现的形像)生起时，就采用身体那个部份做为你观察思惟的基本主题，你不必要变换到其它部份，想著：‘我已经看到这部份，其它部份我还没有看到，所以我要去观察思惟其它部份。’这全然是不明智的，即使你已经把身体观察思惟并时常地解析到它所有的部份都是由地、水、火、风─所谓似相(禅思时可以巧妙操纵的幻相)─的性质所组成，你仍须继续观察思惟身体，如同它第一次呈现的原始影像一样，直到你已经熟练了为止。为了熟悉它，你必须一遍又一遍的检视同一个地方，就像你在背诵时一样，如果你记住了一篇特殊的说法，然后就不管它，不再背诵或重复它，你就会忘掉它，它也起不了任何作用；由于你未纯熟的自满所致，你对身体的观察思惟也是一样，一旦任何部位的影像生起，如果你不重复地观察它，反而粗心大意地让它流逝，它就起不了任何作用了。

This investigation of the body has many citations, one being in our present-day ordination ceremony. Before all else, the preceptor must tell the ordinand the five meditation themes — hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, and skin, i.e., this very body — because of their importance. In the Commentary to the Dhammapada, it is said that an unwise preceptor who doesn't teach the investigation of the body may destroy his pupil's potential for arahantship. So at present the preceptor must first teach the five meditation themes.

　　这个身体的观察思惟有很多例证，其中之一是在我们现代的剃度仪式中。首先，戒师必须告诉受剃度者五个禅思的主题—头发、体毛、指甲、牙齿和皮肤，也就是这个身体—由于它们的重要性。在法句经的注释里提到，一个不智的戒师若未教导对身体的查究(中译注：身观念处─对身体的观察思惟)，可能会毁掉他的徒弟成为阿罗汉的潜能，所以现在戒师必须先教导五个禅思的主题。

In another spot the Buddha taught that there is no such thing as a Buddha or an arahant who has not fixed on at least one part of the body as a meditation theme. Thus he told a group of 500 monks who were discussing the earth — saying that such and such a village had red soil or black soil, etc. — that they were discussing external earth when they should be investigating internal earth. In other words, they should have been investigating this body intelligently, penetrating it throughout and making it absolutely clear. When the Buddha finished his discussion of this topic, all 500 monks reached the fruition of arahantship.

　　另一方面，佛陀教过，没有一个佛陀或阿罗汉，不曾把禅思的主题至少锁定在身体的某一部份。对于正在讨论著某村是红土、黑土的五百个比丘们，佛陀告诉他们应该观察思惟内在的土地(中译注：构成身体的四大之一)，而不是讨论外在的土地，换句话说，他们必须一直智慧地观察思惟著这个身体，贯穿全身，让它完全地清楚明白。当佛陀结束这场说法时，所有五百个比丘都得到了阿罗汉的果证。

From this we can conclude that the investigation of the body must be important. Each and every person who is to gain release from all suffering and stress has to investigate the body. If we are to accumulate great strength, we must accumulate it by investigating the body. Even the Lord Buddha, when he was about to attain Awakening, started out by investigating the breath — and what is the breath, if not the body?

　　由此我们可以推断，对身体的观察思惟必定很重要，每一个想要从所有痛苦中获得解脱的人，都必须观察思惟此身，如果我们要凝聚巨大的力量，我们必须藉著身观念处来凝聚它。即使佛陀，当他即将证得正觉时，也是从观察呼吸著手‥‥呼吸是什么，不就是身体吗？

So the great frames of reference, starting with the contemplation of the body, are said to be our stronghold. Once we have obtained a good stronghold — i.e., once we have put the principles of the great frames of reference into practice until we have them mastered — we should then investigate things as they are in terms of the inherent nature of their elements, using the strategies of clear insight, which will be discussed next.

　　所以从身观念处开始的，伟大的参学架构，就称为我们的城堡。一旦我们获得了一个良好的城堡—亦即一旦我们把这参学的伟大架构的精要付诸实践，直到我们洞悉了它们─然后我们就能运用清净内明的战略(接下来将讨论)，就事物构成的元素来观察思惟它与生俱来的本性。