V. Why Mindfulness of Breathing Should Be Practised

V. 为什么应该修习安那般那念

Hence, people of the present day who have encountered the Buddha-sāsana, whether lay or ordained, should abhor and fear the uncontrolled mind and should adopt and practise, as quickly as possible, one of the exercises in mindfulness of the body given in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10) in order to gain secure control over their minds.

因此，遇到佛法的当代人，不管是在家人还是出家人，都应该拒绝和警惕不受控制的心，应该尽早采用和修习《念处经》(MN 10)给出的其中一种身念处，从而可靠地掌控他们的心。

In the Kāyagatā-sati Sutta (MN 119), eighteen exercises in mindfulness of the body are described, namely, mindfulness of breathing (ānāpānasati), mindfulness of the bodily postures and movements (iriyāpatha), clear comprehension of acts and deeds (sampajañña), attention to the impurities of the body (paṭikkūla), analysis of the elements (dhātu-vavatthāna), nine cemetery contemplations (sīvathikā), and the four jhānas.

《身念经》(MN 119)描述了十八种身念处的训练，也就是，安那般那念(ānāpānasati)、四威仪(iriyāpatha)、正知(sampajañña)、可厌作意(paṭikkūla manasikāra)、界作意(dhātu manasikāra)、九种坟场观(sīvathikā)、还有四种禅那。

In the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), it is shown how the work of mindfulness of the body, and the four absorptions of tranquillity meditation (appanā-jhānas of samatha-bhāvanā), insight meditation (vipassanā-bhāvanā), the development of the path (magga-bhāvanā), and the realisation of the fruit (phala-sacchikiriya)—these last two being known as true knowledge and deliverance (vijjā-vimutti)—are accomplished by the practise of mindfulness of breathing alone.

《安那般那念经》(MN 118)教导了如何只通过安那般那念而完成修习身念、修习四种安止定的止禅(appanā-jhānas of samatha-bhāvanā)、修观(vipassanā-bhāvanā)，以及修道(magga-bhāvanā)和证果(phala-sacchikiriya)—最后两项称为明(vijjā)和解脱(vimutti)。

It is also usual for all Buddhas to attain Supreme Enlightenment by means of mindfulness of breathing, and having attained Buddhahood, all Buddhas have continued to remain established in mindfulness of breathing without a break until they attained Parinibbāna.

所有的佛陀都是通过安那般那念到达最高觉悟和证得佛果，所有的佛陀都继续安住于安那般那念，从不间断，直到入般涅槃。这也是一个惯例。

Of the forty prescribed exercises of tranquillity meditation, mindfulness of breathing is the easiest to establish continuously at all times. The Buddha also extolled this meditation subject more highly than he did other subjects. The commentators too called ānāpānasati “the plane of great personages” (mahāpurisa-bhūmi). But mindfulness of breathing is not a meditation subject suitable for ordinary persons. It is suited only to persons of great wisdom.

在所描述的四十种止禅业处中，安那般那念是最容易一直持续不断地修习的。比起其他业处，佛陀也是更高地赞美这种禅修业处。义注者也称安那般那念为“大人物的境地”(mahāpurisa-bhūmi)。但是安那般那念并不适合于普通人。它只适合于具有大智慧的人。(参看《清净道论》P284)

Hence I now propose to expound concisely the Ānāpānasati Sutta as found in the Majjhima Nikāya (MN 118), for the benefit of those wise people wishing to attain spiritual success and to reap the benefits offered by this rare encounter with a Buddha-sāsana, thus emulating the way of the aforementioned King Pukkusāti of Takkasilā, who spent the rest of his life alone on the top storey of his seven-storied palace practising meditation beginning with mindfulness of the body until he achieved the fourth jhāna. [3]

因此，为了那些希望仿效前述答咖西喇城的郡主Pukkusāti的方式(他花费生命的剩余时间独自在七层宫殿最高层从身念处着手修禅直到证到第四禅)、希望达到心成就、和希望从所遭遇佛法受益的有智者的利益，我现在打算简要解释中部的《安那般念经》(MN 118)。[3]