Stick To It

　　坚持到底

Endurance and moderation are the foundation, the beginning of our practice. To start we simply follow the practice and the schedule set up by our self or in a retreat or monastery. To train an animal, we have to restrain it; likewise, we need to restrict ourselves. An animal which is difficult to train should be given little food. Here we have the ascetic practices to limit ourselves in regard to food, robes, and living quarters, to bring us down to bare essentials, to cut away infatuation.

　　耐心和节制是我们修行之初的基础。开始修行时，只要遵循修行及我们自己或静修班或寺院里所制定的作息表。要训练一只动物，必须管束它；同样的道理，我们也必须约束自己。对於一只很难训练的动物，不应该给他大多食物，在这方面，我们有苦行来限制我们对食物、袈裟、住宿的重视，把我们的需求，降到最低，将所有的迷恋都斩除。

These practices are the basis for concentration. Constant mindfulness in all postures and activities will make the mind calm and clear. But this calm is not the end point of practice. Tranquil states give the mind a temporary rest, as eating will temporarily remove hunger, but that is not all there is to life. You must use the calmed mind to see things in a new light, the light of wisdom. When the heart becomes firm in this wisdom, you will not adhere to worldly standards of good and bad and will not be swayed by external conditions. With wisdom, dung can be used for fertilizer-all our experiences become sources of insight. Normally, we want praise and dislike criticism, but, seen with a clear mind, we see them as equally empty. Thus, we can let go of all these things and find peace.

　　这些修行是定的基础。持续不断地对所有的姿势和活动保持正念，会使心平静和清明，但，这种平静并不是修行的终点。平静的状态给予心暂时的休息，就如同吃饭可以暂时免除饥渴一样，但，这并不是生命的全部。你必须用平静的心去以一种新的眼光看待事物──智慧的眼光。当心在这种智慧中稳固时，就不会黏著世间好、坏的标准，也不会被外在的现象所动摇。有了智慧，粪便可拿来做肥料用──所有的经验都会变成内观“慧”的泉源。通常，我们喜欢受人赞扬，厌恶被批评，可是，要以一颗清明的心来看，我们视它们都是空的。因此，我们能够放下所有这一切，而寻找到平静。

Do not worry about how long it will take to get results, just do it. Practice endurance. If your legs hurt, tell yourself, "I have no legs." If your head aches, think, "I do not have a head." If you get sleepy when sitting at night, think, "It is daytime." During meditation using mindfulness of breathing, if you have uncomfortable feelings in the chest, take a few long, deep breaths. If the mind wanders, just hold your breath and let the mind go where it will-it will not go far.

　　只要做就对了，不要担心多久才能有结果。修习耐力，如果你的腿很痛，告诉你自己：“我没有腿。”如果你的头痛，就想：“我没有头。”晚上打坐时，如果昏昏欲睡的话，就想：“现在是大白天。”禅坐这段时间里，用观呼吸的方法，如果胸口感到不舒服的话，做几下深呼吸。如果心散乱，就憋住呼吸，让心去它要去的地方──它不会跑远的。

You can change postures after an appropriate time, but do not be a slave to your restlessness or feelings of discomfort. Sometimes it is good just to sit on them. You feel hot, legs are painful, you are unable to concentrate-just tell it all to die. The feelings will get more and more intense and then hit a breaking point, after which you will be calm and cool. But the next day your mind will not want to do it again. Training yourself requires constant effort. By practicing over a long period of time, you will learn when to push, when to relax, learn to separate physical fatigue from laziness.

　　到了适当的时间时，可以改变一下姿势，但是，可不要作一个烦燥不安和不舒服感的奴隶。有时候，就继续忍下去反倒是件好事。你觉得热，腿很痛，没办法专注──就叫它们全都死去吧!那种感觉会愈来愈激烈，直到突破的那点──突破之後，你会很平静和清凉的那一点。可是，隔天你的心就会不想再做了。训练你自己是需要持续的精进力的。修行了一段很长的时间之後，你就会学会何时该逼自己，何时该放轻松；学习去分别身体的疲惫与懈怠的不同。

Do not worry about enlightenment. When growing a tree, you plant it, water it, fertilize it, keep the bugs away and if these things are done properly, the tree will naturally grow. How quickly it grows, however, is something you cannot control.

　　不要在意开悟。种树的时侯，你种它，给它水，给它施肥、除害虫，如果污这都做得很好，树自然会成长。不管如何，树长得多快，都不是一件你可以控制的事。

At first, endurance and persistence are necessary, but after a time, faith and certainty arise. Then you see the value of practice and want to do it; you want to avoid socializing and be by yourself in quiet places; you seek extra time just to practice and to study yourself.

　　刚开始，耐心与毅力是非常必要的，不过，一段时间之後，信心与坚定心会生起。然後，你就会看到修行的价值，而且会想继续修行下去──你会想要远离杜交活动，而独处於避静之处：你会为了修行而特别誊出时间来修行和探讨自己。

Just do the practice beginning with the basic steps being honest and clean and being aware of whatever you do. All the rest will follow.

　　从基本的步骤开始修行吧──诚实、清净和觉醒你所做的一切，其他的自然会接踵而来。