第一天 问答
Questions and Answers
问： 我们如何避免业力呢？
Q: How can we avoid karma?
答： 做你自心的主人。整个内观的方法就是教导你如何成为你自心的主人。如 果你无法主宰你的心，那么因为旧有的习性模式，你仍然会持续地造作这些行 为，造作这些「业」––––这些你原本并不想做的。在理智上你了解：「我不应该 造作这些行为」。但是，你仍然造作，因为你无法主宰你的心。这个内观的方法 将会帮助你成为自心的主人。
A: Be the master of your own mind. The whole technique teaches you how to become your own master. If you are not the master of your mind, then because of the old habit pattern, you will keep on performing those actions, that karma, which you don’t want to perform. Intellectually you understand: "I should not perform these actions." Yet you still perform them, because you do not have mastery over your mind. This technique will help you to become the master of your own mind.
问： 什么是生命最终究的目标？也就是說，和谐的生活将导向什么呢？
Q: What is the ultimate goal of life? That is, what does all this harmony lead to?
答： 终究的生命，终极的目标是在此时此地。如果你一直期望未來能得到某些 事物，但却无法于现在获得利益，那么这只是幻想。如果你现在已经开始经验到此刻的和谐与安详，那么你将会达到目标，达到这个无时无刻都是安详与和谐、 别无它物的目标。所以在此时此刻就要去体验，那么你就是真正走在正道上了。
A: The ultimate life, the ultimate goal, is here and now. If you keep looking for something in the future but you don’t gain anything now, this is a delusion. If you have started experiencing peace and harmony now, then there is every likelihood that you will reach the goal, which is nothing but peace and harmony. So experience it now, at this moment. Then you are really on the right path.
问： 一位真正如法的人要如何面对这个不如法的世界呢？
Q: How can a truly Dharmic person face this adharmic world?
答： 不要尝试去改变这不如法的世界。试着去改变你自己不如法之处，改变你的习性反应和给自己带來痛苦的方式。就像我說过的，当某人辱骂你时，你要瞭解这个人是痛苦的，这是那个人的问题。为何要变成你的问题呢？为何要开始产 生忿怒和变得痛苦呢？如果你这么做，那么你并不是你自心的主人，而是那个人的奴隸；只要那个人想，他随时都可让你痛苦。你是一个痛苦的人的奴隸。你尚未了解法。做你自己的主人，那么尽管四周有这么多不如法的情形，你仍然可以过着如法的生活。
A: Don’t try to change the adharmic world. Try to change the adharma in yourself, the way in which you are reacting and making yourself miserable. As I said, when somebody is abusing you, understand that this person is miserable. It is the problem of that person. Why make it your problem? Why start generating anger and becoming miserable? Doing that means you are not your own master, you are that person’s slave; whenever that person wants to, he can make you miserable. You are the slave of someone else who is a miserable person. You have not understood Dharma. Be your own master and you can live a Dharmic life in spite of the adharmic situations all around.
问： 是否有任何快捷方式呢？
Q: Is there any shorter way?
答： 你必须改变你的习性模式，你必须找到你问题的根源––––这就是最短的路径。而问题的根源是内在而不是在外面。如果你学习如何向内深入，如果你由问 题的根源來开始改变一些事情，那么这就是一条使你由痛苦之中解脱出來的最短路径。
A: I would say this is the shortest way. You have to change your habit pattern; you have to go to the root of your problem. And the root of problem is inside, not outside. If you learn how to take a dip inside, if you start changing things at the root level, this is the shortest way for you to come out of your misery.
问： 请解释，为何有一些人并不清净，但他们仍然觉得快樂，看起來并不痛苦？
Q: Some people have impurities, but they feel happy and don’t look miserable. Please explain.
答： 你还未进入这些人的内心世界。比如說一个人很有钱，别人可能会觉得：
「多快樂的人啊！看看他，他拥有如此多的财富啊！」但是你不知道的是，这个 人无法安稳地睡觉，他必须依赖着安眠药––––他是一位非常痛苦的人啊。如果深 入你的内心，你当然可以了解你自己是如何痛苦；但是你无法透过一个人的外表，从脸上就看出他(或她)是痛苦或快樂的。痛苦是藏于内在深层的。
A: You have not entered the minds of these people. A person may have alot of money, and others may feel: "Such a happy person. Look, he has so much wealth." But what you don’t know is that this person can’t get sound sleep; he has to use sleeping pills—a very miserable person. You can know for yourself how miserable you are, going deep inside. You can’t understand at the external level by seeing sombody’s face whether he or she is miserable or happy. The misery lies deep inside.
问： 什么是 a-tma(我)，是靈魂吗？
Q: What is the Dharma of ātma, soul?
答： 观察你自己，你将会发现内在发生了什么。你会发现你所谓的「靈魂」， 所谓的「a-tma」，仅仅是一个习性反应的心，只是心的某个部份而已。然而， 你还是有错觉：「这是『我』，你看，这是『我』、这就是『我』」但是，只要你继续观察下去，这个「我」的错觉将会消失、这些习性反应也会远離，你将会 从痛苦之中解脱出來。如果只是接受哲学上的信仰，是无法解脱痛苦的。
A: Observe yourself and you will find what is happening inside. What you call "soul," what you call ātma, you will notice, is just a reacting mind, a certain part of the mind. Yet you remain under the illusion that: "This is ‘I.’ See, this is ‘I,’ this is ‘I.’" This illusion of ‘I’ will go away, and then the reaction will go away, and you will be liberated from your misery. This does not happen by accepting philosophical beliefs.
问： 如何处理失眠症？
Q: How to deal with insomnia?
答： 内观将有助于这种情况。当一个人无法正常入眠时，如果他躺下來观察呼吸或感受，他将会睡得很安稳。即使他无法熟睡，隔天起床时，他会感觉到精神饱满，就像从熟睡之中醒來一般。试着練习，你将会发现到这是非常有帮助的。
A: Vipassana will help you. When people can’t sleep properly, if they lie down and observe respiration or sensations, they can get sound sleep. Even if they don’t get sound sleep, the next day they will get up feeling very fresh, as if they have come out of a deep sleep. Practise. Try, and you will find that it is very helpful.
问： 正法对饥饿的街民而言，有何关聯呢？
Q: What is the relevance of Dharma to a person on the street, whose stomach is empty?
答： 有许多居住在贫民区的居民，在參加内观课程之后发现到内观对他们有许多帮助。他们的肚子是空的，不但如此，他们的心也同样是相当地不安；有着如 此不安的心，他们无法解决日常的问题。透过内观，他们学习到如何保持自己心 的平稳与平静，因而能够面对他们的问题，在生活上得到较好的结果。而且，我还发现到，在贫民区的人生活虽然非常贫困，他们却还是将大部份的收入花费在 饮酒及赌博当中。在经过几次内观课程之后，他们戒掉了饮酒及赌博、戒掉了一切不良的癖好。所以說，法是有益的，对个人乃至所有人、富有或贫穷，都是有益的，没有任何差别！
A: A large number of people living in slums come to Vipassana courses and find it very helpful. Their stomachs are empty, but theirs mind also are so agitated. With such agitated minds, they can’t solve their daily problems. With Vipassana, they learn how to keep their minds calm and equanimous. Then they can face their problems. They get better results in their lives. Moreover, I have found that, although people from the slums are very poor, most of their earnings is spent on alcohol and gambling. After taking a few courses, they come out of gambling, they come out of alcohol; they come out of all kinds of addictions. Dharma is helpful. It is helpful to one and all, rich or poor. It makes no difference.
问： 内观对于微细身体内的 chakras(脉輪)有何影响呢？
Q: What is the effect of Vipassana on the chakras of the subtle body?
答： chakras 就只是脊髓上的神经中心。内观将会带你到达一个阶段，到那个时侯你可以觉察到身体每一个微细粒子的活动；整个身体都能体验到这种活动的， chakras 只不过是其中的一部份。
A: Chakras are nothing but nerve centres on the spinal chord. Vipassana takes you to the stage where you can feel activity in every little atom of your body. Chakras are just a part of that. This activity can be experienced in the entire body.
问： 在你的禅修系统中，你如何定义永恒的生命呢？
Q: How do you define eternal life in your meditation system?
答： 这不是我的禅修系统！这是一种印度的禅修系统、一种印度古时候的禅修系统。生命是永恒的，但你必须要净化它，才能有较好的生活，和一个好的生命。 不要尝试寻找生命的起源、它是何时开始的––––这能让你获得什么呢？每一时刻 生命都在开始、是不停地在转动的。它总是往错误的方向滚动，使你成为一个痛苦的人。从不幸痛苦之中解脱吧！这比其它的任何事更为重要。
A: It is not my meditation system! It is an Indian meditation system, ancient India’s meditation system. The life is eternal, but you have to make it purified, so that you live a better life, a good life. Don’t try to find the beginning of life, when it started—what you will gain by that? The life is starting every moment; this ball is rolling. It is rolling in a wrong way, and you are a miserable person. Come out of that misery. That is more important than anything else.
问： 一个人如何远離忿怒呢?
Q: How does one escape from anger?
答： 这就是内观要教导你的。观察你的忿怒，你就会从中解脱。而要观察你的 忿怒，你要先学习如何观察你的呼吸以及如何观察你身体上的感受。
A: This is what Vipassana will teach you. Observe your anger, and you will come out of it. And to observe anger, you learn how to observe your respiration, and how to observe your sensations.
问： 对于繁忙于事业的人而言，他们的时间很少，如何能修习内观呢？
Q: How can professionals, who have less time, practise meditation?
答： 内观对于这些人而言显得更为重要！在家人忙于生活，因为他们生活中有 很多的责任，必须面对生活之中种种的变化；因此，他们当然就非常需要内观禅 修。因为生活中的起伏不定，使得他们心亂；如果他们修习内观，那么他们就能 以较好的心态來面对生活，可以作出对自己非常有帮助的––––良好、正确的决定。内观对于忙于事业者、主管人员、以及所有担负着责任义务的人们，都是有 相当大的裨益的。
A: Meditation is all the more important for professionals! Those who are householders, who have responsibilities in life, need Vipassana much more, because they have to face situations in life where there are so many vicissitudes. They become agitated because of these vicissitudes. If they learn Vipassana, they can face life much better. They can make good decisions, right decisions, correct decisions, which will be very helpful to them. For professionals, executives, and other people with responsibilities, Vipassana is a great boon.
问： 你相信輪回吗？
Q: Do you believe in rebirth?
答： 我的相信与否对你是没有帮助的。不断地禅修吧！你就会达到看清你自己 的过去及未來的这种阶段；到那时候才相信吧。不要因为是你的老师說的就相信，否则你将只是盲目地依附在老师的权威之下，而这是有违正法的。
A: My believing or not believing will not help you. Meditate, and you will reach a stage where you can see your past, and you can see your future. Then only believe. Don’t believe something just because your guru says so. Otherwise you will be under the clutches of a guru, which is against Dharma.
问： 什么是心？它在哪里？
Q: What is mind? Where it is?
答： 经由修习内观，你将会了解的。你将会探究你的身、你的心以及它们兩者之间的相互作用。
A: This is what you will understand by practising Vipassana. You will make an analytical study of your mind, an analytical study of your matter, and the interaction between the two.
问： 我们如何使他人平静安详呢？
Q: How can we make others peaceful?
答： 先让你自己平静安详吧！这样你才能使他人平静安详。
A: Make yourself peaceful! Only then you can make others peaceful.
问： 我同意内观会有助于我，但它如何解决社会问题呢？
Q: I agree that this meditation will help me, but how does it solve the problems of society?
答： 社会毕竟只是结合一群个人的团体。我们都想要解决社会问题，但是却不去解决个人问题；我们想要世界和平却毫不致力于个人的和平，这怎么可能呢？ 如果每一个人都体验到安详与和谐，那么我们就会发现，整个社会也会开始弥漫着安详与和谐。
A: Society is, after all, nothing but a group of individuals. We want to solve the problems of society, yet we don’t solve the problems of the individual. We want peace in the world, yet we do nothing for the peace of the individual. How is this possible? If each individual experiences peace and harmony, then we will find that the whole society starts experiencing peace and harmony.
问： 即使我尝试了，我的愤怒还是压不下來，怎么办？
Q: I can’t suppress my anger, even if I try.
答： 不要压抑它；就只是观察它！如果你压抑，问题就会发生。你愈试着压抑 忿怒，它就会进入你内心的更深处；那么忿怒的情结会逐渐地增强，使你很难从中解脱出來。就只是观察你的忿怒，不要压抑，也不要纵容它；就只是观察。
A: Don’t suppress it: observe it! If you suppress it, problems will come. The more you try to suppress the anger, the more it goes to the deeper level of your mind. The complexes become stronger and stronger, and it is so difficult to come out of them. Just observe your anger. No suppression, no expression. Just observe.
问： 忿怒生起时，要同时观察吗？而观察是在忿怒生起之后的一种思惟过程吗？
Q: Are anger and observation simultaneous, or is observation a process arising after thought?
答： 不是的！所谓的观察不是指思惟。当忿怒生起时，就要同时去观察。
A: No, it is not a thought. You observe simultaneously, as the anger arises.
问： 如果有人故意造成我们的生活痛苦，我们要如何容忍这些呢？
Q: If someone is purposely making our life miserable—how to tolerate this?
答： 首先，不要想去改变别人，要试着改变你自己。虽然某些人想要让你痛苦， 但是你变得痛苦的原因却是因为你对此有了习性反应。如果你学会了观察你的习性反应，那么便没有人可以使你痛苦。如果你学会了保持内心的平稳、保持平等心，无論从别人那儿在你身上加诸了多少痛苦，也没办法让你痛苦。这个内观的 方法将会协助你。而一旦你开始从你内心深处的痛苦解脱，同时你也将开始影响到其他人；那些伤害你的人将一点一滴地改变。
A: First of all, don’t try to change the other person. Try to change yourself. Somebody is trying to make you miserable. But you are becoming miserable because you are reacting to this. If you learn how to observe your reaction, then nobody can make you miserable. Any amount of misery from others cannot make you miserable if you learn to remain equanimous deep inside. This technique will help you. Once you become free from misery deep inside, this will also start affecting others. The same person who was harming you will start changing little by little.
问： 原諒犯罪的人，不是鼓勵犯罪吗？
Q: Isn’t excusing a sinner encouraging sin?
答： 绝不要鼓勵犯罪，要阻止人们犯罪；但不要对犯罪的人产生瞋恨或愤怒。 要有爱和慈悲。这个人是个痛苦的人，无知的人，他(她)不知道自己在做什么。 他在伤害自己也伤害别人。所以你要尽全力，在身体的行为上、言语上，去阻止这个人犯罪，不过，要本着爱和慈悲來对待他。这是内观所要教你的。
A: Never encourage sin. Stop people from committing sin. But don’t have aversion or anger towards the sinner. Have love, have compassion. This person is a miserable person, an ignorant person, who doesn’t know what he or she is doing. They are harming themselves and harming others. So you use all your strength, physical and vocal, to stop this person from committing sin, but with love and compassion towards them. This is what Vipassana will teach you.
问： 经由修习内观，我们能获得完全的转化以及完全的快樂吗？
Q: Can we get complete transformation and complete happiness through Vipassana?
答： 这是一个渐进的过程。当你开始修习之时，将会发现你正体验到愈來愈多的喜悦，并且最后你会达到全然的快樂。你逐渐地在转化，并且你会达到完全的转化。不过这是渐进的。
A: It is a progressive process. As you start working, you will find that you are experiencing more and more happiness, and eventually you will reach the stage which is total happiness. You become more and more transformed, and you will reach the stage which is total transformation. It is progressive.
问： 超越心的是什么呢？
Q: What is superior to mind?
答： 首先你要了解心是什么，接着你将了解心之外的是什么、超越心的是什么。
A: First know what mind is. Then you will know what is beyond mind, what is superior to mind.
问： 如何将宗教和法划上等号呢？
Q: How do you equate religion and Dharma?
答： 嗯！如果宗教是指所谓的印度教的宗教或佛教的宗教等等，那么宗教就不等同于法。如果把宗教解释成自然的法则、普遍性的自然法则，那么这和法是相同的。
A: Well, if religion is taken as Hindu religion or Buddhist religion, and so on, then it is totally against Dharma. But if religion is taken as the law of nature, the universal law of nature, then it is the same as Dharma.
问： 我们要如何地将内观应用在日常生活当中呢？
Q: How much should we practise Vipassana in our daily life?
答： 去參加一次课程，然后你会了解如何将内观的修习应用在生活之中。如果你只是參加个课程，而不应用在你生活之中，那么内观也会变成只是一种典禮、 仪轨或宗教仪式，对你是没有多大帮助的。内观是为了要过一种良好的生活；而 在參加一次课程之后，你会了解到如何将它应用在生活之中。
A: Take a course, and then you will understand how to apply the practice in your life. If you just take a course and don’t apply it in life, then Vipassana will become just a rite, ritual, or a religious ceremony. It won’t help you. Vipassana is to live a good life. You will understand how to apply it in life after taking a course.
问： 什么是沮丧？它是属于内在或外在的问题呢？
Q: What is depression? Is it an external, or an internal, problem?
答： 所有的问题都是内在的问题，没有所谓的外在问题。如果你进入内心的深层，发现你所有不幸痛苦的原因，你将会发现到每一个原因都是隐藏在你自身当中而非在外界。根除这些原因，之后你将从不幸痛苦之中解脱出來。
A: All problems are internal. There are no external problems. If you go deep inside and discover the cause of your misery, you will find that every cause lies within yourself, not outside. Remove that cause, and you will be free from misery.
问： 法与责任有何关聯？
Q: What is the difference between Dharma and duty?
答： 凡是有益于你自己和他人的，就是你的责任、就是法。凡是对你自己和他 人是有害的就不是你的责任，因为它伤害你自己也伤害他人。
A: Whatever is helpful to you and helpful to others is your duty, is Dharma. Whatever is harmful to you and harmful to others is not your duty, because it harms you and also harms others.
问： 苦难、战争与冲突从有歷史以來就存在，你真的相信这个世界有真正的和平吗？
Q: Suffering, war and conflict are as old as history. Do you really believe in a world of peace?
答： 嗯！即使只有一些人能从痛苦不幸当中走出來，这仍然是好的；当四周充满着黑暗而仍有一盏灯绽放着光明，这仍然是好的。就像这样，如果一盏灯变为十盏、二十盏灯时，黑暗将逐渐地散去。我们无法保证全世界变成和平，但是你 在自身当中发展出了多少的和平，就会对这世界的和平有多少的帮助。
A: Well, even if a few people come out of misery, it is good. When there is darkness all around and one lamp has started giving light, it is good. And like this, if one lamp becomes ten lamps, or twenty lamps, the darkness will get dispelled here and there. There is no guarantee that the entire world will become peaceful, but as much peace as you make in yourself, that much you are helping the peace of the world.
