Answering a Critic

回答一个质疑

Among those who are not experienced in meditation are some who doubt the suitability of noting phenomena. Some of them even suggest that the method of contemplation is wrong. While I was at Chauk, a man approached me with the criticism that eye-consciousness fails to recognise the genesis (upāda) and dissolution (bhanga) on the arising and passing away of mind and matter. It can recognise only the visible object that enters the eye-door, it cannot appreciate how the object is behaving. His criticism was along the following lines, “As eye-consciousness fails to see the visible object actually occurring, how can observation and noting it contribute to the knowledge of the genesis and dissolution of matter?”

有些人没有内观禅修的经验，这些人中某些人怀疑注意现象的合理性。甚至有的人提出，内观的方法是错误的。我在Chauk的时候，有个人向我提出一个质疑，认为眼识无法识别名法和色法的生灭过程中的生起和坏灭。它只能识别进入眼门的视觉对象，它无法鉴别对象如何运作。他的质问发展到这样的语句，“既然眼识无法看到视觉对象实际的生灭，观察和注意该对象又怎么会有助于对色法的生起和坏灭的认识呢？”

According to the Commentaries and the Abhidhamma, matter (rūpa) comes into existence four or five thought moments before eye-consciousness and dissolves twelve, or at least nine or ten thought moments after its subsidence. It is, therefore, correct to say that eye-consciousness fails to notice the genesis and dissolution of the visible object at the moment of seeing. However, mindfulness has the ability to recall the genesis and dissolution of the actual phenomena perceived by eye-consciousness. According to the teaching in the Suttas, if the phenomenon is known by virtue of mindfulness, the genesis and dissolution of the sense-object can be cognised by eye-consciousness too.

依据注释书和阿毗达摩，色法在眼识生起前的四或五个心识刹那生起，然后十二个心识刹那以后坏灭，或者说，在眼识灭去后的至少九个或十个心识刹那后坏灭。因此，眼识无法注意到看的时候视觉对象的生起和坏灭，这个说法是对的。然而，正念有能力回忆眼识感知到的实际现象的生起和坏灭。依据经文中的教导，如果现象是由正念的力量来认识，感官对象的生起和坏灭也能被眼识所认知。

The Jhāna Sutta in the Anguttaranikāya mentions that when a meditator arises from absorption, he is able to recall the absorption consciousness, its concomitants, and the mental aggregate, which he meditated upon during absorption. He is clearly aware of them as if observing them with eye-consciousness. However, the genesis and dissolution of matter could not be perceived distinctly during absorption because he did not pay attention to it then. However, when jhānic consciousness, its concomitants, and the mental aggregate have been clearly understood, the nature of the matter that arises because of absorption can be understood by inference.

增支部的禅那经中提到，禅修者从安止定出定后，他有能力回忆起入定期间的禅那心、它的心所，以及其它名法。他能清楚地觉知到它们，就像用眼识观察它们一般。然而，入定期间的色法的生起和坏灭无法被清楚察觉到，因为入定时他并没有去注意它们。不过，禅那心、它的心所、和其它名法已经被清楚地了知后，由禅那心生起的色法的特性就就可以通过推论来了知。

So on the authority of that discourse, it may be shown that when one is noting the phenomenon of seeing, one is aware of the genesis and dissolution of the matter that forms the visible object, and that depends on eye-consciousness. When a meditator contemplates matter, he sees its arising and disappearance just like lightning. So it has been said:

所以依据那段经文典据，可以看出，某人在注意看到的现象时，他能觉知那构成视觉对象和依赖眼识的色法的生起和坏灭。一个禅修者观照色法，他看到色法的生起和坏灭就像闪电。所以，经文说到：

 “Mental formations renew their appearance, and just as they are renewed they perish, just as a flash of lightning appears and disappears instantly.”

“行法更新它们的生，就像被它们的死更新，就像闪电生起又立即灭去。”

Consider a lightning flash. Who can honestly say that he can see its genesis and dissolution? Although one can see the entire phenomenon, one can see neither its beginning nor its end, but one does see it happen. To a meditator who possesses knowledge of dissolution and knowledge of equanimity with regard to formations, it is clear that the visible object makes its appearance, only to vanish at the next instant, just as lightning arises and disappears. This is even more evident in the case of sounds or tactile sensations. When one realises the three characteristics by direct knowledge of the arising and passing away of mind and matter, one may be sure that one has acquired insight knowledge.

思考下闪电。有人能老实说，他能看到闪电的生起和坏灭吗？尽管他能看到整个现象，但是既无法看到它的起端也无法看不到末尾，然而他的确看到它发生了。视觉对象生起然后在下一瞬间立即消失掉，这一现象对于达到坏灭智和行舍智的禅修者来说，是很清楚的，就像看到闪电出现然后消失一样。声音和触觉的情况甚至更加明显。某人通过对名色法生灭的直接了知来认识三种特相，或许才能确定他已经达到了观智。

Furthermore, if one continues to meditate in the way instructed, knowledge of disgust (nibbidā-ñāna) will develop. When one thus gets disenchanted with the aggregates, craving will be expelled, and with the absence of craving, the Noble Path can be attained, when one will become a Stream-winner.

此外，如果用这种指导的方式继续禅修，他将会培育出厌离智(nibbidā-ñāna)。当他因而不再贪爱五蕴，渴爱将会被驱除，接着，因为渴爱的止息，圣道就能达到，那时他将成为入流者。

Matter that is cognised by eye-consciousness arises simultaneously with passive subconsciousness (atīta bhavanga) inherited from the past. It dissolves simultaneously with the second thought-moment of registering during the formation of the thought process. However, it is not possible to be directly aware of genesis and dissolution. They can only be understood through applied knowledge (sutamayapaññā). Learning things at second-hand, however, may not contribute to the awakening of insight and the consequent realisation of knowledge of disgust (nibbidā-ñāna). No one can say precisely how matter arises, whether it is with the first, second, or third moment of subconsciousness, or when exactly it dissolves, whether with the second moment of registering or the seventh moment of impulsion. If insight knowledge were to require such precision regarding these thought processes, an ordinary meditator could not attain it. What the Abhidhamma Commentaries aim at is for the meditator to gain knowledge through applied methods when necessary. Such details do not matter in the practice of insight meditation. It is enough for the meditator to note the phenomenon as it arises in the same way that one notes the phenomenon of lightning. This agrees with the instruction: “Note that you go, when you go.”

眼识认知的色法和过去有分心(atīta bhavanga)同时生起。它在心路过程序列中和第二个心识刹那的彼所缘同时灭去。不过，想直接地觉知生起和坏灭，这是不可能做到的。它们只能通过听闻来了解，是闻所成智(sutamayapaññā)。不过，用二手的方式了知事物，可能无助于内观的觉醒以及随后厌离智(nibbidā-ñāna)的达成。没有人能精确觉知到色法是如何生起，它是和第一、第二、还是第三个刹那的有分心同时生起，或者精确是何时坏灭，它是和第二个刹那的彼所缘还是第七个刹那的速行同时灭去。如果观智需要对这些心路过程如此精确地觉知，那么普通的禅修者可能就无法达成它。阿毗达摩解释这些内容的目的是，让禅修者通过听闻的方式获得知识。这样的细节在内观禅修的练习中是不紧要的。修禅者在现象生起时注意它，就像注意闪电的现象一样，这就足够。这符合(佛陀的)教导：“你走时，注意你走。”

眼识认知的色法和过去有分心(atīta bhavanga)同时生起。它在心路过程序列中和第二个心识刹那的彼所缘同时灭去。不过，想直接地觉知生起和坏灭，这是不可能做到的。它们只能通过听闻来了解，是闻所成智(sutamayapaññā)。不过，用二手的方式了知事物，可能无助于内观的觉醒以及随后厌离智(nibbidā-ñāna)的达成。没有人能精确觉知到色法是如何生起，它是和第一、第二、还是第三个刹那的有分心同时生起，或者精确是何时坏灭，它是和第二个刹那的彼所缘还是第七个刹那的速行同时灭去。如果观智需要对这些心路过程如此精确地觉知，那么普通的禅修者可能就无法达成它。阿毗达摩解释这些内容的目的是，让禅修者通过听闻的方式获得知识。这样的细节在内观禅修的练习中是不紧要的。修禅者在现象生起时注意它，就像注意闪电的现象一样，这就足够。这符合(佛陀的)教导：“你走时，注意你走。”