Monks Don't Chatter

　　出家人不闲聊

As for speaking little, saying just what is necessary, if someone asks, 'Where are you going?" simply answer, ''To get jackfruit wood." And if they ask further, 'What are you going to do with the wood," just answer, "I'm going to dye my robes." Rather than, "Oh, I've just come from Umpur Muang, and I've heard there's some good jackfruit wood around, so I'll cut some and dye these robes, which I just finished sewing last week. Boy, what a job it's been! Say, what have you been doing this week?"

　　关於寡言，就是只说必要的。如果有人问：“你要去哪里?”只要回答：“去拿波罗蜜木。”就好了。如果他们再问：“你要木头干什　呢？”也只须回答：“要用来染袈裟。”就好。而不是：“噢，我刚从安波市来，我听说这附近有很好的波罗蜜木，所以我要砍一些下来染我上星期刚缝好的袈裟。啊，真是件难事!说说看，你这星期做了些什么?”

Ordained people should not be interested in chattering and socializing. Not that they should not speak at all, but they should only speak what is useful and necessary. In Achaan Mun's monastery, after the afternoon water hauling, sweeping, and bathing, no noise could be heard save the sound of the sandals of monks doing walking meditation. Once a week or so, the monks would gather for instruction and teaching, then go right back to their practice. The walking paths were well worn in those days, whereas today the only footprints to be found are often those of the village dogs.

　　出了家的人不应当喜於闲聊和社交。并不是说他们应该完全禁语，而是应该只说有用和必要的话。在阿姜 满的寺院里，过了午后的打水、扫地和净身之後，除了僧侣们经行时的拖鞋声外，听不到任何喧哗。大约每一星期，僧侣们会聚集在一起聆听指导及教示，然後又立刻回去修行。昔日，经行的道迹，显而易见，而现在唯一能找到的，通常只是村落里的狗足迹而已。

Good meditation temples are increasingly hard to find. For most monks, Buddhism is a lot of study without real practice. Everywhere, there is more interest in cutting down forests and building new temples than in developing the mind. In earlier times, this was not the case-meditation teachers lived with nature and did not try to build anything. Now, offering buildings is the religious activity that most interests lay people. So be it. But we must know the purpose of having a~ monastery. The monk's own practice is 80 to 90 percent of his job, and the remainder of his time can be spent benefiting the public. Even then, those who teach the public should be ones who are in control of themselves and thus capable of helping others, not caught up with their own burdens.

　　优良的禅修道场愈来愈难找了。对大部份约出家人而言，佛教是广博的研充究而没有实际的修行。每一个地方对砍伐树林，兴建道场的兴趣也都比增长心来得高。然而早期的情况并非如此──禅师们与大自然生活在一起，并不想建造任何东西。如今，最令在家众感兴趣的宗教活动就是布施建庙。世事如此的话，那就让它去吧!但是，我们必须知道寺院的目的。出家人的职责，百分之八十到九十是他们自己的修行，而剩余的时间可以用做利益众生之事。即使如此，那些在外教导众生的人，应当是一些能主宰自己的人，方能有能力去协助他人，而不是那些被自己的负担所束缚的人。

The occasional talks the teacher gives are an opportunity to check out your state of mind and your practice. The points he teaches are important to work with. Can you see them in yourself? Are you practicing correctly or making certain mistakes? Do you have the right outlook? Nobody else can do this for you, you cannot end doubt by listening to others. You may assuage your uncertainty temporarily, but it will return and you will only have more questions. The only end to doubt is to put it to rest by yourself once and for all.

　　老师偶而的开示，通常是审查自心状态和修行的机会。他所教导的重点是非常重要而必须去实践的。你可以在自己身上看到吗?你修行得正确吗?抑或犯了一些错?你有正确的看法吗?没有任何人能替你做，光听别人说也无法断除你的疑惑。你也许能暂缓你的不定，可是，它还是会回来，到头来你只会有更多疑惑罢了。唯一能断除疑惑之道，就是你亲自做一次地完全放下。

We must use the physical solitude of the forest to help develop mindfulness, not just for isolation and escape. How can we escape our mind and the three characteristics of conditioned phenomena? Really, suffering, impermanence and no self are everywhere. They are like the smell of excrement. Whether you have big piles or little piles, the smell is the same.

　　我们必须利用森林的独处来帮助增长正念，而不是为了隔离或逃避。我们怎么逃得过自己的心和和合事物的三大特质(无常、苦、无我)呢？真的，无常、苦、无我三者无所不在。它们就好像粪便的臭味，不论是大或小，其味道都是一样的。