第三天 问答

Questions and Answers

问： 什么是生命的最终目的？

Q: What is the ultimate goal of life?

答： 从一切的不幸、痛苦之中解脱出來。因为你是人類，所以有能力从痛苦当 中解脱出來；善用这个能力吧！

A: To come out of all the miseries. Because you are a human being, you have this faculty to come out of misery. Make use of this faculty.

问： 一位没有吃素的人能在内观之中有所成就吗？

Q: Can a non-vegetarian succeed in Vipassana?

答： 当你來參加课程时，我们只供给素食的餐点。但我们不会說，如果你不吃 素就会下地狱。因为这不是这样的。不过，慢慢地你会觉得不吃肉比较好，你会 了解吃荤和吃素这兩者对你的差别。素食对于你的进步会比较有帮助。
 
A: When you come to a course only vegetarian food is given. But we don’t say that if you take non-vegetarian food you will go to hell. It is not like that. Slowly you will come out of eating meat. You will understand for yourself the difference between the two. Your progress will certainly be better if you are vegetarian.

问： 我们如何能够解除自卑感或优越感的情结呢？

Q: How can we come out of inferiority or superiority complexes?

答： 这就是内观的功效。每一种情结都是一种内心的不净杂染；当不净杂染浮 现在心的表层时，你就只是观察、观察它，它就会自然地消失。如果你一直压抑 它，它将会不断地增长；相反地，如果你纵容它，则会伤害到别人。所以既不放 纵也不是压抑，就只是观察；内观将会帮助你观察。
 
A: This is what Vipassana does. Every complex is an impurity of the mind. As that impurity comes to the surface, you observe it. You observe it, and it passes away. When you keep suppressing it, it multiplies. When you express it, you harm others. So neither express nor suppress. Just observe. Vipassana will help you to observe.

问： 为何我们只观察呼吸呢？

Q: Why should we work with respiration only?

答： 呼吸是时时刻刻发生在身心当中的实相。呼吸是和你的身、心密切相关的； 而你是來解析探究你自己的身心的。所以你开始以呼吸作为对象來观察，之后就 会进入身心的更深层面。
 
A: Respiration is the truth. Respiration is related to your mind and matter, and you are here to make an analytical study of mind and matter. So you start with respiration, and then go to a deeper level of mind and matter.

问： 要能过着正确的生活，难道我们不需要神的力量吗？

Q: To live a righteous life, don’t we need God’s power?

答： 神的力量就是法的力量。法是神、实相就是神。当你与实相、与法同在时， 你就与神同在。藉由净化你的自心，在你自身内发展神的力量。

A: God’s power is Dharma’s power. Dharma is God. Truth is God. When you are with truth, when you are with Dharma, you are with God. Develop God’s power within yourself, by purifying your mind.

问： 我常常情绪化、敏感并且充满了焦虑。这些现象在修习内观后是否能有所改善呢？

Q: I am emotional, sensitive and always full of anxiety. Can these be overcome by Vipassana?

答： 当然，这就是修习内观的目的––––使你从所有的痛苦之中解脱出來。焦躁和忧虑是最大的痛苦；它们存在是因为某些不净杂染深藏在你内心当中。因此， 当你修习内观时，这些不净将会浮现到表面并且消失。当然这是需要一些时间的，没有任何魔法、奇迹或上师加持；没有上师会将他的手放在你的头上而使你 成为一位解脱的人的––––这些都是不可能的。别人只能为你指出正法的道路，而你必须自己努力走在正法的道路上，來解脱你自己。

A: Certainly. This is the purpose of Vipassana—to liberate you from all the miseries. Anxiety and worry are the biggest miseries, and they are there because of certain impurities deep within you, which will come on the surface and pass away. Of course it takes time. There is no magic involved, no miracle involved, no gurudom involved. No guru will put his hand on your head and make you a liberated person—nothing doing. Somebody will just show you the Path. You have to work out your own liberation. Walk on the Path.

问： 你是否曾经見过你的前世呢？

Q: Have you seen your previous birth?

答： 在每一个时刻我都在死去，在每一个时刻我都在新生。这个过程不断地在发生，而我不断地观察着它。
 
A: Every moment I am dying, every moment I am taking a new birth. This process is going on, and I keep observing it.

问： 在我的职业中一定会不诚实；我也不能换别的职业，因为那会造成很大的不便。怎么办呢？

Q: My professional life involves dishonesty. I cannot take up another calling as that will cause great inconvenience.

答： 修习内观，你的心力将会变得强大。现在你是你自心的奴隸，你的心不断地强迫你去做不想要做的事。经由修习内观，你将会有足够的心力，而很容易地就从中解脱；然后你会找到别的职业，找到一个对你有益、也很健康的职业。
 
A: Practise Vipassana and your mind will become strong. At present you are a slave of your mind, and your mind keeps forcing you to do things which you don’t want to do. By the practice of Vipassana, you will get the strength to come out of this easily, and then you will find some other profession, which will be helpful to you, and which will be healthy.

问： 当我在众人之前被轻视、侮辱、打击时，我应该如何处理这种情况呢？

Q: How should I deal with a situation where I am abused, kicked and belittled in front of many people?

答： 在众人之前或单独一人，这兩者有何差别呢？如果某人侮辱你，你就接受有人侮辱你的事实，为什么要有生气的反应呢？当你开始反应时，你已经是在伤 害你自己了。当某人侮辱你时，他想要使你不快樂；结果你就任它摆布，你的习 性会說：「好的，你想让我不快樂吗？没问题，我就配合你！我会让自己不快樂、 我会一直保持不快樂，现在你想要我不快樂，好啊，那我就不快樂几个小时、几天。」这是怎么一回事啊？你正在做什么呢？你正在伤害你自己。这个事实在你 修习内观之后，会变得十分清楚。

A: In front of many or alone, what difference does it make? If somebody insults you, somebody insults you. Why react? When you start reacting, you have started harming yourself. When that person is insulting you, he wants to make you unhappy. So you say, "All right, you want to make me unhappy? Shake hands! I’ll be unhappy. I’ll remain unhappy. You want to make me unhappy once, but I’ll continue to be unhappy for hours, or for days at a time." What is going on? What are you doing? You are harming yourself. This will become so clear by the practice of Vipassana.

问： 什么是无选择地(、如实地)观察呢？

Q: What is choiceless observation?

答： 这个意思就是：不做什么；一切正在发生之时，你就只是观察着它，不要 附加这个信仰或那个信仰、这个教条、那个仪式或这种哲学，不要附加任何东西， 也不要创造任何东西：让所有事物自然地发生。在你身心之内所自然发生的，无 論是什么，都是实相；而实相就是神。

A: It means to do nothing. Things are just happening, and you are observing. Don’t impose this belief or that belief, this dogma, that cult, this philosophy. Don’t impose anything, don’t create anything: let things happen naturally. Whatever is happening within you naturally is the truth, and truth is God.

问： 内观与专注有何差别？

Q: What is the difference between Vipassana and concentration?

答： 内观不仅仅是专注而已，内观是在每一个当下观察实相。你发展自己的觉 知力、发展你的念住；事物不断地改变，而你只是保持觉知：这就是内观。如果 你仅仅是专注于某个可能是一个想象的对象，那么是不会观察到任何变化的。当 你的心以想象作为专注的对象，那么你不是在观察实相。当你在观察实相时，它 必然是变化的；它不断地在变化，但是你保持觉知。它不断地在变化而你也不断 地觉知到这个变化，这就是内观。
 
A: Vipassana is not merely concentration. Vipassana is observation of the truth from moment to moment. You develop your faculty of awareness, your mindfulness. Things keep changing, but you remain aware: this is Vipassana. If you concentrate only on one object, which may be an imaginary object, then nothing will change. When you are with this imagination and your mind remains concentrated on it, you are not observing the truth. When you are observing the truth, it is bound to change. It keeps changing and yet you are aware of it. It keeps changing and you aware of the change. This is Vipassana.

问： 禅修是解脱的唯一方法吗？

Q: Is meditation the only way to get liberated?
 
答： 是的，如果只是以盲目的信仰來接受任何东西，对你是没有多大帮助的。 你必须自己努力使你自身解脱；你要发现束缚在那裡，然后让自己从束缚之中解 脱出來––––这就是内观。观察你的束缚，观察你的痛苦。那么你将会发现束缚的 真正原因、痛苦的真正原因，并且看到这些原因逐渐地根除、根除，渐渐地你就 从中解脱了。所以解脱是來自于内观的修习。
 
A: Yes. Just accepting something with blind faith will not help. You have to work for your liberation. You have to find out where the bondage is, and then you have to come out of that bondage. This is Vipassana. Observe your bondage, observe your misery. Then you will find the real cause of the bondage, the real cause of misery and you will find how this cause starts getting eradicated, eradicated. Gradually you are coming out of it. So liberation comes by the practice of Vipassana.

问： 如果人们在古时候的印度就已经修习了正法，为何阶级制度现在仍然存在呢？

Q: If people practised Dharma in ancient India, why does the caste system exist today?

答： 因为人们忘了正法；当正法从这个社会消失时，阶级制度就变强。当这个社会之中存有正法，阶级制度是不可能存在的。
 
A: Because they forgot Dharma. When Dharma disappears from society, then the caste system becomes strong. When there is Dharma, there can’t be a caste system in society.

问： 如何成就自己的目标与抱负呢？

Q: How to accomplish one’s goals and ambitions?

答： 经由修习内观來净化你的心，你就会成为自心的主人。那么你会发现你在世俗所做的一切都是成功的；在出世间也一样，所做的也是成功的。所以做你自心的主人，净化你的心！

A: Purify your mind by Vipassana and you become the master of your mind. Then you will find that all the work you do at the mundane level will be successful. At the supra-mundane level also, your work will be successful. So be the master of your mind. Make your mind pure.

问： 一个人要參加多少次的内观课程呢？

Q: How many times does a person have to attend a Vipassana course?

答： 这要视情况而定，但我要說的是，先來參加一次十日课程，然后看看这对 你有了什么样的帮助。如果你发现能应用在生活上，非常好，过一阵子，再來參 加另一次的十日课程。但是重要的不在于只參加十日课程而已，而是要将内观的 方法应用在你的生活当中。如果你每天的生活当中，内观对你有明显的帮助，那 么你的修习是正确的；否则只是去參加课程，对你是没有帮助的。

A: It depends, but I would say first attend for ten days, and see yourself how it has helped you. If you find that you can apply it in life, very good. Later on, go for another ten days. But the main thing is not merely going to the courses for ten days, but applying the technique in life. If Vipassana is manifesting itself in your day-to-day life, then you are practising properly. Otherwise, merely going to courses will not help.

问： Dharma 和 Dhamma 有何差别？

Q: Is there any difference between Dharma and Dhamma?

答： 一个是梵文，一个是巴利文，没有差别。

A: There is no difference.

问： 您对无法參加十日课程的人有什么建议呢？

Q: What do you suggest to people who cannot attend a ten-day course?

答： 请下定决心來參加一次十日课程，没有參加，就得不到什么结果。这是没有魔术或奇迹的。假使我只坐在这儿花费一小时就能够指导他们，那么我何必要 求他们拨出十天的时间來參加呢？花一个小时是很容易的，但是没有用；你必须 在生命之中，腾出十天的时间來学习这个方法。这是一个如此深奥、如此微细的方法，是需要一些时间來学习的。

A: Make a determination to come to a ten-day course. Without that, nothing can be done. There is no magic, no miracle. Why would I ask people to spare ten days of their life, if I could just sit here and teach them in an hour? That would be easy, but it wouldn’t work. One has to spare ten days of one’s life to learn the technique. It is such a deep technique, such a subtle technique, that it requires time.

问： 请描述一下，您日常生活中典型的一天。

Q: Describe a typical day in your everyday life.
 
答： 我持续地修持内观，持续地指导内观；我使我自己快樂，也使其他人快樂──这就是我做的事。

A: This is what I do: I keep practising Vipassana. I keep teaching Vipassana. I make myself happy, I make others happy.

问： 当我们用功时，如何去除淫欲的念头呢？

Q: How can we remove thoughts of lust while we are studying?
 
答： 不是只有在用功时如此，而是任何时刻都要如此！淫欲就是淫欲，它是有害的。爱应该是清净的爱；清净的爱是单行道，你不期望有任何回报。法、内观， 将会帮助你将这淫欲的念头转为清净的爱──清净的爱是没有丝毫激情的，清净 的爱是充满慈悲的。

A: Not only while studying, but all the time! Lust is lust; it is harmful. Love should be pure love. Pure love is one-way traffic; you don’t expect anything in return. Dharma, Vipassana, will help this lust to turn into pure love—pure love is without a trace of passion. Pure love is full of compassion.

问： 这个方法是否以自我为中心呢？我们要如何才能让自己变得活跃并且帮助 他人呢？

Q: Isn’t this technique self-centred? How can we become active and help others?

答： 首先你必须以自己为中心，你必须帮助你自己；除非你先帮助你自己，否则你无法帮助别人。［一个弱者是无法帮助另一个弱者的：一位跛脚的人无法帮助另一个跛脚的人。］你必须使自己够坚强，然后用这个力量來协助他人，也使他们坚强。

A: First you have to be self-centred, you have to help yourself. Unless you help yourself, you can’t help others. A weak person cannot help another weak person. A lame person cannot help another lame person. You have to become strong yourself, and then use this strength to help others and make others strong also.

问： 在学习过内观课程之后，每天要花费多少时间在禅修上呢？

Q: After learning Vipassana, how much time daily should we spend on meditation?

答： 终究它会变成你全天的工作，你能够在每一个时刻都清楚地觉知。但刚开 始的时候，如果你在每天早晚各修习一个小时，对你是有帮助的。这是对心的训練，就如同你每天做身体的运动，使身体健康强壮一样；所以，你每天要做这个心的运动，让你的心保持健康又强壮。

A: Ultimately it will become a full-time job, and you will be aware every moment. But initially, if you practise for one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, it will help you. It is a mental exercise. Just as you do physical exercise every day to keep your body healthy and strong, so you do this mental exercise every day to keep your mind healthy and strong.

问： 为什么这个世界的道德风气会一天天地败坏呢？

Q: What about corruption, which is increasing day by day?

答： 人们己经忘了自然的法则。如果这些人开始观察在他们自身之内的实相， 那么他们就不可能过着糜爛败坏的生活。

A: People have forgotten the law of nature. If these very people start observing the truth within themselves, it will become impossible for them to live a corrupt life.

问： 我们可以结合兩种或多种的技巧來修行吗？

Q: Can we combine two or more techniques?
 
答： 你可以依你喜欢，将许多不同的技巧结合起來修行，但是不要将其它方法 和内观混杂來修持。内观是一种独特的方法，如果你又加上其它的技巧，这对你 是没有什么帮助的，甚至可能会伤害到你。保持内观修法的纯净。其它的技巧有 可能只是停留在心的表层；而内观是一种深层的开刀手术，它是从内心的深层去 根除不净烦恼。假使你将内观混合了其它技巧，你是在玩游戏并且可能会对你造 成非常大的伤害。

A: You can combine as many techniques as you like, but don’t combine them with Vipassana. Vipassana is a unique technique and combining it with anything else will not help you. It may even harm you. Keep Vipassana pure. Other techniques only give a veneer to the surface of the mind. But Vipassana makes a deep surgical operation; it takes out complexes from the depth of the mind. If you combine it with another technique, you are playing a game which may be very harmful to you.

问： 经由修习内观是否能够引发拙火(kun<d<alini)呢？

Q: Can kuṇdalinī be awakened by the practice of Vipassana?

答： 什么是拙火(kun<d<alini)呢？拙火是在脊髓上神经中枢的一种活化作用。 经由修习内观，你会很清楚在身上的每一个微细原子都在活动；而拙火只是其中一小部份而已。修习内观，你将很容易地了解到这兩者的不同。

A: What is kuṇḍalinī? Kuṇḍalinī is the activation of nerve centres on the spinal chord. By the practice of Vipassana, every atom of the body gets activated. Kuṇḍalinī is just a small part of that. Practise Vipassana and you will easily understand the difference between the two.

问： 是否有可能经由书籍的指导來修持内观？

Q: Is it possible to practise Vipassana by taking guidance from a book?

答： 不！绝对不要这么做，这太危险了。

A: No, never do that. That will be dangerous.
 
问： 可否參与政治，以便在印度建立正法，解决目前的问题。

Q: Kindly enter politics to establish Dharma in India and solve the present problems.

答： 我从报纸上看到一个說法：正法应远離政治。我是全然反对这个观点的； 政治必须充满正法。但问题是这个国家已经将法视为派别意識；其实，政治是要 超越派别意識而不是要脱離正法。如果政治合乎正法，这是最好的；整个国家将会变得纯净、快樂、和平。
 
A: I have read in the newspapers that politics should be kept away from Dharma. I am totally against this view. Politics must be full of Dharma. The trouble is that the country has taken Dharma to mean sectarianism. Politics must be free from sectarianism, not from Dharma. If there is Dharma in politics, it will be wonderful. The whole country will become so pure, so happy, so peaceful.

问： 我们如何能像悉达多．乔达摩一样成为觉悟的人呢？

Q: How can we become enlightened as Siddhārtha Gotama did?

答： 每个人都能觉悟，觉悟并非是悉达多．乔达摩所独有的。他曾经說过：「在我之前，有许多人觉悟，而在我之后也会有许多人觉悟。」任何人在经验的层面 上，从无明当中解脱出來的，他就是一位觉悟者。任何一个人都可以修行，并且达到觉悟。
 
A: Everyone can become enlightened. Enlightenment is not the monopoly of Siddhārtha Gotama. He said: "Before me, so many people became enlightened, and after me also so many are going to become enlightened." Anyone who comes out of ignorance at the experiential level is an enlightened person. Any human being can practise this and become enlightened.