Meditating on Form Brings Nibbāna Near 观照色，涅槃近前

The foregoing stanzas paint the dark side of the picture, but I shall also give the bright side of it.

前述的经句描绘了图画黑暗的一面，但我也应当给出它光明的一面。

“Na so rajjati rūpesu, rūpam disvā patissato;
Virattacitto vedeti, tañca nājjhossa titthati.”

“Passion remains undeveloped in him who recollects with mindfulness the form that he has seen. Thus freed from lust, he refuses to imbibe it.”

“他忆持正念地见所见之色，染着便不会生起。因此从贪着解脱，他不会粘着于色。”

This stanza reveals the essence of insight meditation. It enjoins the meditator to note with mindfulness the object seen, and meditate on it. From this it is clear that insight meditation means noting the object one has actually seen, not an object one has not seen. It can be accomplished only through practical wisdom, and not through knowledge acquired from hearing what others say.

这句揭示了内观禅修的要点。它嘱咐禅修者正念注意见到的对象，并观照它。从这句明显可知，内观禅修的意思是，注意实际看到的对象，而不是还未看到的对象。它只能通过实修的智慧达成，而不是通过听闻别人所说而得到的知识。

The Commentaries on the Theragāthā say that a meditator must try to note the eye-object perceived as it presents itself to eye-consciousness through the eye-door, being mindful of the four aspects of clear comprehension: knowing what is beneficial, what is proper, what is the objective, and with unconfused mindfulness.

长老偈(Theragāthā)的注释提到，在视觉对象通过眼门呈现给眼识，感知到该对象时，必须在这个时刻努力正念正知地注意该对象。正知有四个方面：有益正知，适宜正知，行处正知，不痴正知。

Earlier I told you about the thought process relating to eye-consciousness. What I am talking about now is the same thing. If you fail to note the process of seeing just as it occurs, try to catch the first thought moment of mind-consciousness. One who can seize that moment and notice the absolute reality of form, may notice the dissolution of both the sense-object and the eye-consciousness at the moment of seeing. When one concentrates on the act of seeing without thinking over what one has seen, visual perception will last only for an instant. This agrees with the saying, “Ditthe ditthamattam bhavissati.” In that case, defilements will have no chance to assert themselves. In the absence of defilements, lust and craving subside.

先前我已经介绍了涉及眼识的心路过程。现在所讲的是相同的事情。如果你无法在看的过程(注，眼门心路过程)刚发生时注意到它，那就努力抓住第一个意识心路过程(注1)。能逮住那个瞬间并注意色法的人，可能会注意到在看的瞬间，感官对象和眼识两者的坏灭。当他专法于看的运作，不思考他所看的，色想(visual perception，视觉的感知)将会只持续一瞬间。这符合经句，“Ditthe ditthamattam bhavissati. 在你见时，你只见到它”。在那种情况，烦恼将找不到机会来宣告它们自己。没有了烦恼，贪爱和渴望平息了。

(注1，此处，旧版英文是“意识的心识刹那”，修订版是“意识的第一个心识刹那”。依据本人理解，认为是指第一个意识心路过程。英文版在心路过程、心识刹那、普通瞬间这三种时间在用词上有点混淆不清。)

Desire stimulates feelings and passions, which beget craving (tanhā), by means of which one imbibes form. A non-meditator, although fully aware of seeing the object, fails to note it with mindfulness, and so permits craving to arise. However, a meditator does not conceptualise about what is seen, so there is no chance for desire or craving to arise, for the meditator is always mindful of dissolution. In this case, delusion is eliminated and wisdom arises. In the absence of defilements such as craving, kamma and its results as new becoming cannot arise, so the meditator will be liberated from suffering. This is emphasized in the next stanza:

欲念激发感受和染着，感受和染着引发渴爱(tanhā)，人们通过渴爱来粘着色法。虽然非禅修者完全知道在看对象，然而不是带有正念地注意它，所以渴爱得以生起。但是禅修者始终正念于坏灭，不构想所见对象的概念，因此欲念或渴爱就没有机会生起，无明被消除，智慧生起。没有了渴爱等烦恼，业和它的果报比如新的生命，就无法生起，所以禅修者将从苦中解放出来。下面的行是总结：

“Yathāssa passato rūpam, sevato cāpi vedanam;
Khīyati nopacīyati, evam so caratī sato.
Evam apacinato dukkham, santike nibbāna vuccati.”

“Looking at a visible object, a meditator just sees it and just feels that he sees it, without conceptualising it. With this, suffering ceases. One who practises in this way is said to be near to nibbāna.”

“见到所见之色时，禅修者只是见色，只是感受他见色，没有构想色的概念。如此，苦熄灭。用这种方式禅修的人，我说，他倾近于涅槃。”

As the meditator is not imbibing or conceptualising forms, which he or she notes with mindfulness, he or she is not inviting defilements, which bring about kamma and its results.

禅修者没有粘着色或者构想色的概念，他带有正念地注意色，因此他没有邀请引生业和业报的烦恼。

The Commentaries on the Theragāthā emphasise that “seeing the form” means seeing it with the strength of conviction that what one sees is impermanent. Eye-consciousness brings about sensations of seeing, which mind-consciousness takes to heart. The mind collects them and stores them up in the same way that a greedy person amasses wealth. The result is the upsurge of covetousness, one of the defilements on which kamma and its results depends. A meditator refuses to accept eye-consciousness and its consequences in this way. In other words a meditator abstains from imbibing defilements that lead to the round of suffering. Each time one meditates on the phenomenon of seeing, insight knowledge is developed. Each time insight knowledge is developed, defilements are discarded. So one is said to be enjoying tadanga nibbāna - momentary bliss obtained at the moment that defilements are discarded.

长老偈(Theragāthā)的注释强调，“见色”的意思是，在看色时，具有高度的确信，所看到的色是无常的。眼识产生看的感觉，意识把感觉带到心中。心收集这些感觉，把它们储存起来，就像贪婪者积聚财富。结果就是贪婪的增长。贪是烦恼的一种，依赖烦恼，业和业报得以形成。禅修者拒绝这样粘着眼识和它的(认知)结果。也就说，禅修者放弃对烦恼的粘着，烦恼导致苦的轮转。每次观照看到的色法，观智就得到培育。每次观智得到培育，烦恼就被丢弃。如此，我们说他正在享受一向涅槃—在烦恼被丢弃的刹那得到的瞬间安乐。

A meditator who is dwelling with the realities (paramattha), will gradually realise the insight knowledges stage by stage. He or she will proceed from analytical knowledge of mind and matter (nāmarūpa-pariccheda-ñāna) to knowledge of change of lineage (gotrabhū-ñāna) through adaptation knowledge (anuloma-ñāna). According to the sayings in the Patthāna, this will ultimately lead one to the Path and its Fruition. It should be noted that adaptation knowledge is the highest of the ten stages of insight knowledge. Aspirants to nibbāna must, therefore, engage themselves in insight meditation.

和究竟法居住在一起的禅修者，将能一个阶段一个阶段逐次地证入观智。他将依次证入名色分别智(nāmarūpa-pariccheda-ñāna)，经过随顺智(anuloma-ñāna)，到达种姓智(gotrabhū-ñāna)。依据《发趣论》(Paṭṭhāna)所说，这(注，种姓智)将最终把禅修者带到道智和果智。应该注意到，随顺智是十个阶段内观智的最高阶段。因此，立志证悟涅槃的人必须鞭策自己勤奋地修习内观禅修。

The following is a summary of the points discussed so far:

以下是论述到现在为止的要点总结:

1. On noting forms with mindfulness, lust is eliminated.
2. In the absence of lust or desire, the mind refuses to imbibe forms.
3. Note as soon as you see, and be conscious just of seeing.
4. If one meditates in that way, the round of suffering will cease.
5. This is the way for meditators to practise.
6. On the cessation of suffering, nibbāna will come into view.

1. 正念地注意色法，贪爱就能清除。
2. 没有了贪爱或欲念，心就不再粘着色法。
3. 看到时立即注意，仅仅觉知看。
4. 如果用这种方式观照，苦的轮转将会停止。
5. 这就是禅修者实践的方法。
6. 苦息灭后，将看到涅槃。