IV. Mindfulness of the Body before Tranquillity and Insight

IV. 身念先于止和观

If beings in this present life, therefore, fail to practise mindfulness of the body (kāyagatā-sati) and thus continue to live without control over their minds, they will drift and founder in future saṃsāra just as they have done in the past, even though they may be Buddhists. Absence of control over the mind is the certain path of drift in saṃsāra, because without control over the mind the work of tranquillity (samatha) and insight (vipassanā) cannot be undertaken. Gaining control of the mind is, on the other hand, the certain path to Nibbāna, because it enables the work of tranquillity and insight to be undertaken. The practice of mindfulness of the body is the effort to gain control of the mind.

因此，如果人类在今生没有修习身念(kāyagatā-sati)，从而继续过着心不受控制的生活，那么他们将飘流和沉没于未来的轮回，就像他们在过去世经历的那样，即使他们可能是佛教徒。没有控制心，就是通向漂流于轮回的确定道路，因为除非控制心，就无法从事止(samatha，奢摩他)和观(vipassanā，维巴沙那)的训练。另一方面，获得对心的控制，就是通向涅槃的确定道路，因为它使得能够从事止和观的训练。修习身念，就是努力去获得对心的控制。

Even though one is unable to undertake the higher work of tranquillity and insight, the Buddha said that if one can firmly control one’s mind and keep it successfully at will within one’s body, one enjoys the flavour of Nibbāna:

佛陀说，即使某人没有能力开展更高的止观训练，如果他能稳固地控制他的心，并成功地随意把心安置在他的身体内，他就能享受到涅槃的滋味。

Amataṃ tesaṃ viraddhaṃ, yesaṃ kāyagatā-sati viraddhā.

Amataṃ tesaṃ aviraddhaṃ, yesaṃ kāyagatā-sati aviraddhā.

Amataṃ tesaṃ aparibhuttaṃ, yesaṃ kāyagatā-sati aparibhuttā.

Amataṃ tesaṃ paribhuttaṃ, yesaṃ kāyagatā-sati paribhuttā.

(Aṅguttara Nikāya, Ekaka-nipāta, Amata-vagga)

Those who have missed mindfulness of the body have missed Nibbāna.

Those who have not missed mindfulness of the body have not missed Nibbāna.

Those who have not utilised mindfulness of the body have not utilised Nibbāna.

Those who have utilised mindfulness of the body have utilised Nibbāna.

谁已经忘失身念，谁就已经忘失涅槃。

谁没有忘失身念，谁就没有忘失涅槃。

谁没有修习身念，谁就没有修习涅槃。

谁已经修习身念，谁就已经修习涅槃。

(增支部，一集, 不死品)(译注，参看《清净道论》身至念节，P243)

The essential meaning is that if one is established in mindfulness of the body one can successfully undertake the work of tranquillity and insight because one has firm control over one’s mind, thus it is certain that in this very life one cannot miss nibbāna. If, however, like the mad man, one has no control over one’s mind because one continues to neglect the work of mindfulness of the body, one is unable to fulfil the work of tranquillity and insight, and hence will miss nibbāna.

基本含义是，如果某人确立于身念，他就能成功地修习止观，因为他已经稳固地控制他的心，因此能确定他在今生不会错失涅槃。然而，如果类似那疯子，他继续忽视修习身念，从而无法控制他的心，那他就无法圆满止观禅修，因此他将错失涅槃。

There are many degrees of control over one’s mind.

心的控制有很多层次。

In this world, ordinary persons who are not insane have sufficient control over their minds to perform the various tasks, both individual and social, that arise among humans. This is one kind of control。

在这个世界，精神没问题的普通人已经充分控制他们的心，完成出现于人类间的各种不同的事务，包括个人的以及社会的。这是一类控制。(译注：以上三段是aimwell版的文字，BPS版中缺失。)

Within the Buddha-sāsana, keeping the morality consisting of sense control (indriyasaṃvara-sīla) is another kind of control. It is not, however, control that can be called dependable.

在佛陀的教法中，守持根律仪戒(indriyasaṃvara-sīla)是另一类控制。然而，这不能认为是可靠的控制。

Establishing oneself in mindfulness of the body, being the proximate cause (padaṭṭhāna) of the meditative development of tranquillity and insight, is control that is firm. The attainment of access concentration (upacāra-samādhi), attained just before entering any of the jhānas, is control that is firmer. Firmer still is the attainment of absorption concentration (appanā-samādhi), attained during the jhānas. The attainment of the eight stages of absorption are controls that become progressively firmer as each higher stage is attained. In the matter of tranquillity, the attainment of the higher spiritual powers (abhiññās) represents the highest control.

作为止禅和观禅的近因(padaṭṭhāna)，安住于身念，是一类稳固的控制。成就进入任一种禅那前的近行定(upacāra-samādhi)，是更稳固的控制。再进一步的稳固控制是成就入禅那期间得到的安止定(appanā-samādhi)。八个层次的安止定中，每次达到更高的层次，控制是逐次更加稳固。就止禅而言，成就更高的神通(abhiññās)意味着最高的控制。

This is the path of tranquillity called samatha-yānika.

这就是止的道路，称为samatha-yānika(奢摩他—引导)。

The path of insight is called vipassanā-yānika.

观的道路，称为vipassanā-yānika(维巴沙那—引导)

Here ends the section showing that mindfulness of the body must precede the work of tranquillity and insight.

本节说明了，身念必须先于止观的修习。本节到此结束。