The Basic Method of Meditation

《正定初阶》

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本书录自作者於一九九七年十二月在西澳大利亚帕斯北部一个为期九天的禅期中的开示。

October 2005

Contents

Part 1  Sustained attention on the present moment

Part 2 Silent awareness of the present moment

Silent present moment awareness of the breath

Full sustained attention on the breath

Part 3 Full sustained attention on the beautiful breath

Experiencing the beautiful Nimitta

First Jhana

NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA 
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA

正定初阶7阶段：

第一部 1把注意力保持在当下

第二部 2当下的默然觉知 (当下对呼吸的默然觉知)

3持续地注意著呼吸

4完全持续地注意著呼吸

第三部 5完全持续地注意著美妙的呼吸

6 体验美妙禅相

7 初禅

PART 1 

第一部

“The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind”

此初阶禅法的目标是要使心达至美妙的静默、静止和清明的状态

Mditation is the way to achieve letting go. In meditation one lets go of the complex world outside in order to reach the serene world inside. In all types of mysticism, in many traditions, this is known as the path to the pure and powerful mind. The experience of this pure mind, released from the world, is very wonderful and blissful.

禅修是离弃执著、达至放下的方法。在禅修时，我们要放下外面的复杂世界，才能进入内在的宁静世界。在所有的神秘主义中、在许多的传统中，这都被认为是达至心灵清净、心力强化之道。心灵从世间解放出来，这种清净心的体验，是非常精彩和充满妙乐的。

Often with meditation there will be some hard work at the beginning, but be willing to bear that hard work knowing that it will lead you to experience some very beautiful and meaningful states. They will be well worth the effort! It is a law of nature that without effort one does not make progress. Whether one is a layperson or a monk, with­out effort one gets nowhere, in meditation or in anything.

禅修通常在开始时是会有点辛苦，但请不要抗拒，要明白你将会因而经验到一些非常美妙、非常有意义的状态，这是很值得辛劳的。不努力便不会有进步，这是大自然的法则，不论是在家人或出家人，禅修或做任何事情若不精进努力，便不会有所成就。

Effort alone, though, is not sufficient. The effort needs to be skilful. This means directing your energy just at the right places and sustaining it there until its task is completed. Skilful effort neither hinders nor disturbs you, instead it produces the beautiful peace of deep meditation.

然而，单是努力并不足够，努力得来必须巧妙。这即是说，要将精力用於恰当之处，并维持至其任务完成为止。巧妙的精进努力不会障碍你亦不会阻扰你，反而只会把你带至深层的禅定，体验很美妙的平静。

In order to know where your effort should be directed, you must have a clear understanding of the goal of meditation. The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind. If you can understand that goal then the place to apply your effort and the means to achieve the goal become very clear.

想知道精进努力应用於何处，便须彻底明白禅修的目标。此初阶禅法的目标便是要使心达至美妙的静默、静止和清明的状态。若你明白此目标，那么应该投入精进努力之处和达成此目标的方法都会变得很清晰。

The effort is directed to letting go, to developing a mind that inclines to abandoning. One of the many simple but profound statements of the Lord Buddha is that a meditator whose mind inclines to abandoning, easily achieves Samadhi. Such a meditator gains these states of inner bliss almost automatically. What the Lord Buddha is saying is that the major cause for attaining deep meditation, for reaching these powerful states, is the willingness to abandon, to let go and to renounce.

精进努力是用来放下一切、用来发展出一颗趣向离执的心。佛陀说的话深睿但简单，他曾说：「禅修者拥有一颗趣向离执的心，便很容易成就三摩地。」这样的禅修者几乎是自然地证得这些内在的妙乐状态。佛陀的意思是，证入深层禅定、达至这等强劲状态的主要原因，便是有舍弃、放下和出离的意愿。

During meditation, we should not develop a mind which accumulates and holds on to things, but instead we develop a mind which is willing to let go of things, to let go of burdens. Outside of meditation we have to carry the burden of our many duties, like so many heavy suitcases, but within the period of meditation so much baggage is unnecessary. So, in meditation, see how much baggage you can unload. Think of these things as burdens, heavy weights pressing upon you. Then you have the right attitude for letting go of these things, abandoning them freely without looking back. This effort, this attitude, this movement of mind that inclines to giving up, is what will lead you into deep meditation. Even during the beginning stages of this meditation, see if you can generate the energy of renunciation, the willingness to give things away, and little by little the letting go will occur. As you give things away in your mind you will feel much lighter, unburdened and free. In the way of meditation, this abandoning of things occurs in stages, step by step.

我们禅修不是要发展出一颗积聚事物、抓持事物的心，我们是要发展出一颗愿意放下事物、愿意放下负担的心。在非禅修期间，我们须要肩负很多责任，就像带著很多重甸甸的手提箱一样，但在禅修时，这么多的行李是不必要的，所以，看看你在禅修时能把多少行李卸下。你把这些东西视为加诸你身上、把你压著的重物负担。这样，你便会有正确的态度来放下所有这些东西，大方爽快地舍弃，头也不回。这种精进努力、这种态度、这种转变，在一颗趣向离执的心中，将会引发出深层的禅定。即使在这种禅法的起步阶段，也请看看你能否生起引发舍离的精力，即那种放弃事物的意愿。这样，放下的意愿便会逐点儿地生起。当你在心内把东西放弃，你便会感到轻快得多、感到轻松自在。在修禅定的方法中，这种对事物的舍离会逐阶段地、逐步地生起。

You may go through the initial stages quickly if you wish, but be very careful if you do so. Sometimes, when you pass through the initial steps too quickly, you find the preparatory work has not been completed. It is like trying to build a town house on a very weak and rushed foundation. The structure goes up very quickly, but it comes down very quickly as well! So you are wise to spend a lot of time on the foundations, and on the 'first storeys' as well, making the groundwork well done, strong and firm. Then when you proceed to the higher storeys, the bliss states of meditation, they too are stable and firm.

若你喜欢，你可以快速完成起始阶段，但若这样做，务必要很小心。有些时候，当你太快通过起始步骤，你会发觉准备功夫还未完成。这就好像在一个很不稳固、很马虎的地基上建造大厦一样，楼宇很快建起，但亦会很快倒塌！因此，花多些时间於地基和第一层楼上，使基础工作做得牢固、坚稳、扎实，这才是明智的做法。然後，当你达到较高的层次时，禅定的妙乐状态亦会稳固扎实。

In the way that I teach meditation, I like to begin at the very simple stage of giving up the baggage of past and future. Sometimes you may think that this is such an easy thing to do, that it is too basic. However, if you give it your full effort, not running ahead to the higher stages of meditation until you have properly reached the first goal of sustained attention on the present moment, then you will find later on that you have established a very strong foundation on which to build the higher stages.

我教导禅修的方式，是喜欢从很简单的阶段开始，先要抛弃过去和未来这些包袱。有些时候，也许你会认为这有何难，太初阶了。可是，假如你肯全力以赴，不匆忙跃上较高的阶层，直至你真正达到第一目标，能把注意力保持在当下，这样，你随後便会发觉到，你已建立起一个十分坚稳的根基，可在其上建立更高的阶层。

Abandoning the past means not even thinking about your work, your family, your commitments, your responsibilities, your history, the good or bad times you had as a child .." you abandon all past experiences by showing no interest in them at all. You become someone who has no history during the time that you meditate. You do not even think about where you are from, where you were born, who your parents were or what your upbringing was like. All of that history is renounced in meditation. In this way, everyone here on the retreat becomes equal, just a meditator. It becomes unimportant how many years you have been meditating, whether you are an old hand or a beginner. If you abandon all that history then we are all equal and free. We are freeing ourselves of some of these concerns, perceptions and thoughts that limit us and which stop us from developing the peace born of letting go. So every 'part' of your history you finally let go of, even the history of what has happened to you so far in this retreat, even the memory of what happened to you just a moment ago! In this way, you carry no burden from the past into the present. Whatever has just happened, you are no longer interested in it and you let it go. You do not allow the past to reverberate in your mind.

抛弃过去的意思是，连你的工作、家庭、承担、责任、前尘往事、儿时的甘苦片段等等，也不去想，对所有过去的经历完全不感兴趣、全部抛弃掉，你於禅修时变成一个没有过去的人，甚至不去想你从何处来、生於何处、谁是你父母，或你的教养如何，所有这些过去经历在禅修时都要抛弃。这样，每一个参加禅期的人都变成平等，大家都只是一个禅修者。你禅修了几多年、你是老手还是新手，这些都变得不重要。如果你抛弃所有这些个人经历，那么大家便都是平等无束缚。我们正是在摆脱这些关注、观感和心念思想，不让它们束缚我们、阻止我们开展出从放下而来的平静。就这样，你彻彻底底放下你过去的每一个片段，即使是在此禅期间时至这刻曾发生过的事，即使仅在这一刻之前所发生的事情的记忆！这样，你不把负担从过去带进当下，无论刚刚发生了甚么事，你都不再感兴趣，任它来去。你不让过去在心内回荡。

I describe this as developing your mind like a padded cell! When any experience, perception or thought hits the wall of the 'padded cell' , it does not bounce back-again. It just sinks into the padding and stops right there. Thus we do not allow the past to echo in our consciousness, certainly not the past of yesterday and all that time before, because we are developing the mind inclined to letting go, giving away and unburdening.

我会把这描述为把心发展成有如一间软壁房间一样，当有任何经验、观感，或心念思想打在软壁上，都不会反弹回来，只是嵌进软垫内，停於该处。如是地，我们不让过去在我们的意识内回响，不管是昨日或所有之前的过去，因为我们正在开展著趣向於离执、舍弃和不累赘的心。

Some people have the view that if they take up the past for contemplation they can somehow learn from it and solve the problems of the past. However, you should understand that when you gaze at the past, you invariably look through distorted lenses. Whatever you think it was like, in truth it was not quite like that! This is why people have arguments about what actually happened, even a few moments ago. It is well known to police who investigate traffic accidents that even though the accident may have happened only half an hour ago, two different eyewitnesses, both completely honest, will give different accounts. Our memory is untrustworthy. If you consider just how unreliable memory is, then you do not put value on thinking about the past. Then you can let it go. You can bury it, just as you bury a person who has died. You place them in a coffin then bury it, or cremate it, and  it is done with, finished. Do not linger on the past. Do not continue to carry the coffins of dead moments on your head! If you do, then you are weighing yourself down with heavy burdens which do not really belong to you. Let all of the past go and you have the ability to be free in the present moment.

有些人认为，如果他们深思过去，便可从中学习，并能解决到过去的问题。可是，你要明白，在你凝视著过去时，你总是透过扭曲的镜片来看。无论你认为那是怎样，事实却不完全是这样！这便是为何人们都对真实发生过的事情会有所争论的原因，即使那是几刹那之前的事。负责调查交通意外的警员都很清楚，即使意外是发生於半小时之前，两个都是绝对诚实的不同的目击证人都会有不同的描述。我们的记忆很不可靠，假如你细心想想记忆是如何不可靠，你便不会认为回忆过去是有意义的。於是，你便可以把它放下，你可把它埋葬，有如埋葬死人一样，你把它们放在棺材内，然後埋葬，或火化，这便完结、了事。不要流连过去，不要继续把装著流逝时光的棺材顶在头上！否则你便是把实际上不属於你的重担加诸身上。忘掉所有过去，这样你便有能力在当下中解脱。

As for the future, the anticipations, fears, plans, and expectations-let all of that go too. The Lord Buddha once said about the future 'whatever you think it will be, it will always be something different' ! This future is known to the wise as uncertain, unknown and so unpredictable. It is often complete stupidity to anticipate the future, and always a great waste of your time to think of the future in meditation.

至於未来方面，预计、担忧、计划、期望，所有这些亦都要放下。佛陀有一次说到未来：「无论你预料那将会是怎样，但结果往往会是别样！」智者都了解，未来是不确定、未知和不可预知的。预想未来往往是十分愚昧，而且在禅修中预想未来更是在浪费时间。

When you work with your mind, you find that the mind is so strange. It can do some wonderful and unexpected things. It is very common for meditators who are having a difficult time, who are not getting very peaceful, to sit there thinking 'Here we go again, another hour of frustration'. Even though they begin thinking like that, anticipating failure, something strange happens and they get into a very peaceful meditation.

在修心的修行中，你会发觉心是那么的奇怪，它竟会做出些那么的令人赞叹和意想不到的事。禅修者吃苦头，坐得不很平静，边坐边想：「唉，又开始啦，另一个小时的沮丧」，这都很平常。虽然他们开始时会这样想，预计会失败，然而奇怪的事情发生起来，他们竟进入十分平静的禅定。

Recently I heard of one man on his first ten-day retreat. After the first day his body was hurting so much he asked to go home. The teacher said, 'Stay one more day and the pain will disappear, I promise' . So he stayed another day, the pain got worse so he wanted to go home again. The teacher repeated 'just one more day, the pain will go'. He stayed for a third day and the pain was even worse. For each of nine days, in the evening he would go to the teacher and, in great pain, ask to go home and the teacher would say, 'Just one more day and the pain will disappear'. It was completely beyond his expectations, that on the final day when he started the first sit of the morning, the pain did disappear! It did not come back. He could sit for long periods with no pain at all! He was amazed at how wonderful is this mind and how it can produce such unexpected results. So, you don't know about the future. It can be so strange, even weird, completely beyond whatever you expect. Experiences like this give you the wisdom and courage to abandon all thoughts about the future, and all expectation as well.

最近，我听说有一个人参加了一个十天的禅期，这是他首次。一天後，他坐得身体很痛，於是请求回家。老师说：「多留一天吧，我保证疼痛会消失。」这样他便留下多一天，但疼痛却加剧，於是他又再次想回家。老师重复说：「只多一天，疼痛便会消失。」他留至第三天，但疼痛甚至更剧烈。在一连九天中，每天黄昏他都去找老师，十分痛苦地请求回家，但老师总是说：「只多一天，疼痛便会消失。」最後一天，却完全超乎他所想像，在开始早上的第一坐时，痛楚竟真的消失了！痛楚不再出现。他可坐很久，一点痛楚也没有！这个心竟是这么奇妙，他感到惊讶，惊叹它居然能产生出如此出人意表的结果。所以，你不会预知到未来，未来可以是这么的奇怪，甚至怪异，完全超乎你预料之外。像这样的体验会带给你智慧和勇气来抛弃所有有关未来的思虑，以及所有的期望。

When you're meditating and thinking, 'How many more minutes are there to go? How much longer have I to endure all of this?', then that is just wandering off into the future again. The pain could just disappear in a moment. The next moment might be the tree one. You just cannot anticipate what is going to happen.

打坐时若想著「还要坐多少分钟？我还要忍受多久？」这其实只是又再回到未来。疼痛可以在一刹那後消失，下一刹那就可能会很顺畅，你实在无法预知将会发生甚么事。

When on retreat, after you have been meditating for many sessions, you may sometimes think that none of those meditations have been any good. In the next meditation session you sit down and everything becomes so peaceful and easy. You think 'Wow! Now I can meditate!', but the next meditation is again awful. What's going on here?

你在密集禅期中一直坐了很多节，有时可能会认为没有一节是坐得好的。接著的一节，你开始坐，发觉竟然坐得很平静、很舒适。你想，「哇！我现在会禅修了」，可是，下一节又再是这般糟糕。到底出了甚么事？

The first meditation teacher I had told me something that then sounded quite strange. He said that there is no such thing as a bad meditation! He was right. All those meditations which you call bad, frustrating and not meeting your expectations, all those meditations are where you do the hard work for your 'pay cheque' ...

我第一个禅修老师告诉过我一句话，我当时听得莫明其妙，他说，世上没有很糟的禅坐这种事儿！他说得对，所有你认为是很糟、失败、未如理想的禅坐，其实都是「赚取工钱」所要付出的辛劳……。

It is like a person who goes to work all day Monday and gets no money at the end of the day. 'What am I doing this for?', he thinks. He works all day Tuesday and still gets nothing. Another bad day. All day Wednesday, all day Thursday, and still nothing to show for all the hard work. That's four bad days in a row. Then along comes Friday, he does exactly the same work as before and at the end of the day the boss gives him a pay cheque. 'Wow! Why can't every day be a pay day?!'

这就好像一个人星期一上班，工作了一整天，但下班时没得到工钱一样。他想：「我做这些是为了甚么？」星期二，又工作了一整天，下班时仍是没得到工钱，又是糟透的一天。星期三一整天、星期四一整天，所有付出的辛劳，仍是没有回报，一连四天都很糟。然後到星期五，仍是如前一样地工作，然而，下班时，老板发给他一张工资支票。「哇！为何不可以每天都是发薪日？！」

Why can't every meditation be 'pay day'? Now, do you understand the simile? It is in the difficult meditations that you build up your credit, where you build up the causes for success. While working for peace in the hard meditations, you build up your strength, the momentum for peace. Then when there's enough credit of good qualities, the mind goes into a good meditation and it feels like 'pay day'. It is in the bad meditations that you do most of the work.

为何不可以每天都是「发薪日」？现在，你明白此譬喻吗？你正是在艰苦的禅坐中积聚功劳、积聚成功因素。你在辛苦的禅坐中为了得到平静而努力，你是在积聚力量、积聚获取平静的动量。这样，当优良的质素足够了，心便会进入精彩的禅定，感觉就有如「发薪日」一样。你正是在很糟的禅坐中耕耘哩。

At a recent retreat that I gave in Sydney, during interview time, a lady told me that she had been angry with me all day, but for two different reasons. In her early meditations she was having a difficult time and was angry with me for not ringing the bell to end the meditation early enough. In the later meditations she got into a beautiful peaceful state and was angry with me for ringing the bell too soon. The sessions were all the same length, exactly one hour. You just can't win as a teacher, ringing the bell!

最近一次，我在悉尼主持一个禅期，面谈中，一位女士对我说，她一整天都迁怒於我，原因有两个。在早段的禅坐中，她修得很辛苦吃力，她迁怒於我，因为我不早些打钟；在後段的禅坐中，她进入了很美妙的平静状态，但却因为嫌我过早打钟，所以又迁怒於我。其实每一节的时间都相同，正正一小时。唉，做老师连打钟也不讨好！

This is what happens when you go anticipating the future, thinking, 'How many more minutes until the bell goes?' That is where you torture, yourself, where you pick up a heavy burden that is none of your business. So be very careful not to pick up the heavy suitcase of 'How many more minutes are there to go?' or 'What should I do next?' If that is what you are thinking, then you are not paying attention to what is happening now. You are not doing the meditation. You have lost the plot and are asking for trouble.

这便是当你一面打坐，一面期望未来，想著「还有几多分钟才响钟」时所会发生的事，这正是你自己折磨自己、背上与你无关的沉重负担之所在。所以，要很小心，不要背上「还有几多分钟？」或「之後我应怎样做？」等等这些重担。若你心中想著的便是这些，那么你便不是在注意著当下所发生的事，你不是在禅修，你已失却当下，自招烦恼。

In this stage of the meditation keep your attention right in the present moment, to the point where you don't even know what day it is or what time it is-morning? afternoon?--don't know! All you know is what moment it is-right now! In this way you arrive at this beautiful monastic time scale where you are just meditating in the moment, not aware of how many minutes have gone or how many remain, not even remembering what day it is.

在此禅修阶段中，你应把注意力保持在正正的当下，你要做到甚至不知道今天是星期几，或现在是甚么时间——早上？下午？——不知道！你所知道的只是心正在哪个时刻——当下！如是地，你进入了此种美妙的寺院时间尺度，你只是於当下禅修，不知道已过了多久，或还有多久，甚至记不起是哪一天。

Once, as a young monk in Thailand, I had actually forgotten what year it was! It is marvellous living in that realm that is timeless, a realm so much more free than the time-driven world we usually have to live in. In the timeless realm, you experience this moment, just as all wise beings have been experiencing this same moment for thousands of years. It has always been just like this, no different. You have come into the reality of 'now'.

有一次在泰国，我仍是一个年青僧人时，我当时的的确确已忘了是哪一年！生活於那种没有时间的领域中，比生活於我们平日受制於时间的世界里要自由得多，实在非凡。在无时间的领域中，你体验到此当下的刹那，就正像所有智者数千年以来一直都体验到此相同的刹那一样。它一直以来都就是这样，没有不同。你已进入了「当下」的实相。

The reality of now is magnificent and awesome. When you have abandoned all past and all future, it is as if you have come alive. You are here, you are mindful. This is the first stage of the meditation, just this mindfulness sustained only in the present. Reaching here, you have done a great deal. You have let go of the first burden which stops deep meditation. So put forth a lot of effort to reach this first stage until it is strong, firm and well established. Next we will refine the present moment awareness into the second stage of the meditation - silent awareness of the present moment.

当下的实相是很非凡、很令人惊叹的。能抛弃掉所有过去和未来，就好像获得重生一样。你没有走失，你有念住，这就是第一个禅定阶段——只有这念住，仅是维持在当下。你达到这一步，已是做了很多了，你已摆脱掉妨碍深层禅定的第一重障碍。因此，应花多点劲来达到这第一阶段，直至它很强劲、牢固、坚稳。接著，我们会把当下的觉知精炼至下一阶段——当下的默然觉知。

 

 

PART 2

第二部

'Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking. '

静默远比思维活动更能生出智慧和清明。

In part 1, I outlined the goal of this meditation, which is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind, pregnant with the most profound of insights. Then I pointed out the underlying theme which runs like an unbroken thread throughout all meditation, that is the letting go of material and mental burdens. Lastly, in Part 1, I described at length the practice which leads to what I call the first stage of this medi­tation, and that first stage is attained when the meditator comfortably abides in the present moment for long, unbroken periods of time. I made the point that 'The reality of now is magnificent and awesome... Reaching, here you have done a great deal. You have let go of the first burden which stops deep meditation.' But having achieved so much, one should go further into the even more beautiful and truthful silence of the mind.

本书三部曲中的第一部点出这种初阶禅法的目标，便是要使心达至美妙的静默、静止和清明的状态，以孕育出最深睿的智慧，然後指出有如一条不断的线贯通著所有禅定般的根本主题——对物质和心灵上负担的舍弃，而在最後部份则用了很多篇幅来描述能达至我所称为「这种初阶禅法第一阶段」的修习方法，还说明禅修者若能舒服地、长时间不间断地安住於当下，便能证得此第一阶段。正如前文中提到：「当下的实相是很非凡、很令人惊叹的…………… 你达到这一步，已是做了很多了，你已摆脱掉妨碍进入深层禅定的第一重障碍。」但纵使有如此成就，你仍须再进一步，达至更美妙、更真实的心灵静默。

It is helpful, here, to clarify the difference between silent awareness of the present moment and thinking about it. The simile of watching a tennis match on TV is informative. When watching such a match, you may notice that, in fact, there are two matches occurring simultaneously-there is the match that you see on the screen, and there is the match that you hear described by the commentator. Indeed, if an Australian is playing a New Zealander, then the commentary from the Australian or New Zealand presenter is likely to be much different from what actually occurred! Commentary is often biased. In this simile, watching the screen with no commentary stands for silent awareness in meditation, paying attention to the commentary stands for thinking about it. You should realize that you are much closer to Truth when you observe without commentary, when you experience just the silent awareness of the present moment.

在此有需要分辨清楚对当下的默然觉知和对当下的想像两者之分别。以看电视上的网球比赛作譬喻可说明这点，当观看这样的比赛时，你或会注意到，事实上有两场比赛在同时进行：一场在萤幕上看到的，另一场则是你所听到的评述员所讲述的比赛。真的，如果一个澳洲球员与一个新西兰球员对垒，那么澳洲评述员或新西兰评述员所作的评论便很可能跟真正的比赛有很大的分别。评论往往是有偏差的，在这个譬喻中，纯粹观看著萤幕而没有评论表示在禅修中的默然觉知，同时听著评述员讲解则表示用思维来想像。你要明白，当你不理会评论而只是纯粹观察、当你只是经验著当下的默然觉知，你便更接近真理。

Sometimes it is through the inner commentary that we think we know the world. Actually, that inner speech does not know the world at all! It is the inner speech that weaves the delusions that cause suffering. It is the inner speech that causes us to be angry with those we make our enemies, and to have dangerous attachments to those we make our loved ones. Inner speech causes all of life's problems. It constructs fear and guilt. It creates anxiety and depression. It builds these illusions as surely as the skilful commentator on TV can manipulate an audience to create anger or tears. So if you seek for Truth, you should value silent awareness, considering it more important, when meditating, than any thought whatsoever.

有时候，我们以为我们知道这世界，但其实那只是依仗我们内部的评论来认知这世界。事实上，那种内部讲话对世界一无所知！正是内部的讲话编造出惑乱来，因而产生痛苦；正是内部的讲话令到我们对被我们认为是敌人的人生起愤怒、对被我们认为是至爱的人怀有危险的执著。内部的讲话产生生命中的所有问题，它建造出恐惧和内咎、制造出忧虑和抑郁。它确实建立出这些幻象，这就有如电视中巧妙的评述员肯定可把观众弄至生气或流泪一样。因此，若要寻找真理，便应重视默然的觉知，在禅修时把它看成比任何心念思想都更为重要。

It is the high value that one gives to one's thoughts that is the major obstacle to silent awareness. Carefully removing the importance one gives to one's thinking and realizing the value and truthfulness of silent awareness, is the insight that makes this second stage-silent awareness of the present moment-possible.

发展默然觉知的主要障碍是因为你高度评价你的心念思想。仔细地消除你认为心念思想是至高无上的想法，明白到默然觉知的价值和真实性，这都是令到这第二阶段——当下的默然觉知——得以成就的智慧。

One of the beautiful ways of overcoming the inner commentary is to develop such refined present moment awareness, that you are watching every moment so closely that you simply do not have the time to comment about what has just happened. A thought is often an opinion on what has just happened, e.g. 'That was good', 'That was gross', 'What was that?'. All of these comments are about an experience that has just passed by. When you are noting, making a comment about an experience that has just passed, then you are not paying attention to the experience that has just arrived. You are dealing with old visitors and neglecting the new visitors coming now!

克服内部评论的一个巧妙方法便是把当下觉知发展至更幼细，你是那么紧密地看著每一个刹那，你根本不会有时间来评论刚刚发生了甚么事。心念思想通常都是对刚刚发生的事情的想法，例如「那很好啊」、「那真恶心呀」、「那是甚么？」这些评论都是有关刚刚出现过的经验。当你在用心观记标名 (noting)，为刚刚出现过的经验作出评论，那你便不是在注意著刚刚到来的经验，你是在招呼旧客人，忽略了此时到来的新访客！

You may imagine your mind to be a host at a party, meeting the guests as they come in the door. If one guest comes in and you meet them and start talking to them about this that or the other, then you are not doing your duty of paying attention to the next guest that comes in the door. Because a guest comes in the door every moment, all you can do is to greet one and then immediately go on to greet the next one. You cannot afford to engage in even the shortest conversation with any guest, since this would mean you would miss the one coming in next. In meditation, all experiences come through the door of our senses into the mind one by one in succession. If you greet one experience with mindfulness and then get into conversation with your guest, then you will miss the next experience following right behind.

你可想像你的心是一个派对的主人，在门边恭候宾客到来。如果有位宾客来到，你款待他，开始跟他攀谈这些那些，那么你便没有尽本分来欢迎新来到门前的客人了。由於每个刹那都有宾客来到门前，你所能做的便是迎接了一位，然後立即迎接下一位。即使是跟客人作最短暂的交谈，你也赔不上，因为这即表示你将会忽略到来的下一位。在禅修方面，所有经验都是一个接一个经我们的感官之门进入我们心内，假如你以念住来迎接一个经验，然後跟这位客人攀谈，那你便会忽略了紧随在後的下一个经验。

When you are perfectly in the moment with every experience, with every guest that comes in your mind, then you just do not have the space for inner speech. You cannot chatter to yourself because you are completely taken up with mindfully greeting everything just as it arrives in your mind. This is refined present moment awareness to the level that it becomes silent awareness of the present in every moment.

当每一个经验到来你都是完全留守在当下，迎接著每一位来到你心内的客人，那你便不会有空来作内部讲话，你不能和自己唠叨，因为你正专心以念住来迎接每一个刚刚来到心内的对象而不能抽身，这便是精炼了的当下觉知，在每个刹那中都有的当下的默然觉知。

You discover, on developing that degree of inner silence, that this is like giving up another great burden. It is as if you have been carrying a big heavy. rucksack on your back for forty or fifty years continuously, and during that time you have wearily trudged through many, many miles. Now you have had the courage and found the wisdom to take that rucksack off and put it on the ground for a while. One feels so immensely relieved, so light, so free, because one is now not burdened with that heavy rucksack of inner chatter.

在发展这种层次的内部静默时，你发现到就像放下另一个大负担一样，这就好像一直背负著一个庞大沉重的背囊四十或五十年，期间疲惫地走了很多里路，而现在却有勇气也找到智慧来卸下它，把它搁在地下一会儿。你感到多么的宽慰、多么的轻松、多么的自在，因为你现在不是被那重甸甸的内部唠叨背囊所重压著。

_Another useful method of developing silent awareness is to recognize the space between thoughts, between periods of inner chatter. Please attend closely with sharp mindfulness when one thought ends and before another thought begins-There! That is silent awareness! It may be only momentary at first, but as you recognize that fleeting silence you become accustomed to it, and as you become accustomed to it then the silence lasts longer. You begin to enjoy the silence, once you have found it at last, and that is why it grows. But remember silence is shy. If silence hears you talking about her, she vanishes immediately!

发展默然觉知的另一个有用的方法便是观出思想与思想之间的空间、在每一段内部唠叨之间的空间。如果你以敏锐的念住紧密地注意著，当一个心念思想完结，在另一个心念思想开始之前——瞧！那就是默然觉知了！它最初可能只是刹那间的，但随著你认识到那种一闪而过的静默，你会习惯它；当你习惯了它，它便会持续久些。当你最终发现到静默，你便会开始享受那种静默，这就是它会生长的原因。但要记住，静默很害羞，如果静默听到你在谈论她，她便会立刻消失！

It would be marvelous for each one of us if we could aban­don the inner speech and abide in silent awareness of the present mo­ment long enough to realize how delightful it is. Silence is so much more productive of wisdom and clarity than thinking. When you real­ize how much more enjoyable and valuable it is to be silent within, then silence becomes more attractive and important to you. The Inner Silence becomes what the mind inclines towards. The mind seeks out silence constantly, to the point where it only thinks if it really has to, only if there is some point to it. Since, at this stage, you have realized that most of our thinking is really pointless anyway, that it gets you nowhere, only giving you many headaches, you gladly and easily spend much time in inner quiet.

若我们能抛弃内部的讲话，并长时间安住於当下的默然觉知上，直至能体会到个中的乐趣，这会是我们极棒的成就。静默远比思维活动更能生出智慧和清明。当你体会到内心静了下来时是如何地更写意和更宝贵，那么你便会觉得静默变得更具吸引力和更重要了。内部静默成为心向往之事，心经常会选择静默，心甚至会在觉得真的有需要、真的应该时，才会去思想。时至此阶段，你已体会到你的大部份思想活动实在都是无谓的、没有助益，只会经常令你头痛，你於是便会高兴地、很容易地放很多时间於内部的宁静中。

The second stage of this meditation, then, is 'silent awareness of the present moment'. You may spend the majority of your time just developing these two stages because if you can get this far then you have gone a long way indeed in your meditation. In that silent awareness of' Just Now' you will experience much peace, joy and consequent wisdom.

因此，此初阶禅法的第二阶段便是当下的默然觉知。你或许要用上你大部份时间来开发这两个阶段，因为若能达至这地步，可说是在禅修上已走了一段很长的路了。在此种对「此刻」的默然觉知中，你会经验到很多的平静、乐趣和随之而来的智慧。

If you want to go further, then instead of being silently aware of whatever comes into the mind, you choose silent present moment awareness of just ONE THING. That ONE THING can be the experience of breathing, the idea of loving kindness (Metta), a coloured circle visualised in the mind (Kasina) or several other, less common, focal points for awareness. Here we will describe the silent present moment awareness of the breath, the third stage of the meditation.

若你想更深入，那便不用对任何走进心内的对象都作默然觉知，你可选择仅是默然地觉知著当下的「一个对象」。这「一个对象」可以是呼吸的体验、可以是慈爱 (mettŒ) 的心念，也可以是於心内观想的一只色碟 (kasiöa)，或其他几种比较少用的觉知聚焦对象。在此我们会谈谈当下对呼吸的默然觉知。

Choosing to fix one's attention on one thing is letting go of diversity and moving to its opposite, unity. As the mind begins to unity, sustaining attention on just one thing, the experience of peace, bliss and power increases significantly. You discover here that the diversity of consciousness, attending to six different senses-like having six telephones on one's desk ringing at the same time-is such a burden. Letting go of this diversity only permitting one telephone, a private line at that, on one's desk-is such a relief it generates bliss. The understanding that diversity is a burden is crucial to being able to settle on the breath.

选择将注意力固定於一个对象上，是舍弃多样对象，转向与其相反之统一。当心开始收摄统一，持续地注意著仅一个对象，其时所体验到的平静、妙乐和力量便会激增。此时你发觉到意识的多样化，注意著六个不同的根门——有如有六个电话在你桌面上同时响起一样——真是一种负担，而放下此种多样化——如桌上只留有一个电话、一条私人线——是多么的如释重负，这会产生妙乐。当你体会到这种多样性是一种负担，你便很容易安定於呼吸上。

If you have developed silent awareness of the present moment carefully for long periods of time, then you will find it quite easy to turn that awareness on to the breath and follow that breath from moment to moment without interruption. This is because the two major obstacles to breath meditation have already been subdued. The first of these two obstacles is the mind's tendency to go off into the past or future, and the second obstacle is the inner speech. This is why I teach the two preliminary stages of present moment awareness and silent awareness of the present moment as a solid preparation for deeper meditation on the breath.

如果你已用了很长时间很精心地发展出当下的默然觉知，那你便会发觉很容易把那种觉知转移到呼吸上，并能刹那复刹那地跟随著呼吸，没有中断，这是因为观呼吸禅法的两个主要障碍经已被压止了。这两个障碍的第一个便是心会很容易走失，跑到过去或未来去，第二个则是内部的讲话。这便是为何我在教观呼吸禅法之前，总会先教当下的觉知和当下的默然觉知，以作为进入更深层禅定所需的扎实准备功夫的原因了。

It often happens that meditators start breath meditation when their mind is still jumping around between past and future, and when awareness is being drowned by the inner commentary. With no preparation they find breath meditation so difficult, even impossible, and give up in frustration. They give up because they did not start at the right place. They did not perform the preparatory work before taking up the breath as a focus of their attention. However, if your mind has been well prepared by completing these first two stages then you will find when you turn to the breath, you can sustain your attention on it with ease. If you find it difficult to keep attention on your breath then this is a sign that you rushed the first two stages. Go back to the preliminary exercises! Careful patience is the fastest way.

禅修者通常都是当心仍十分活跃地奔跃於过去和未来之间，或当内部评论淹盖了觉知时，便已开始修习观呼吸，他们未有做好准备功夫，於是便觉得观呼吸很困难，甚至不可能修，因而沮丧地放弃，这都是因为他们不是在应在的地方起步之故，他们在把呼吸当做注意力的焦点之前，没有先做好准备功夫。不过，若心已完成了这两个起始阶段，已有好好的准备，那你便会发觉当你转移到呼吸上时，你可很轻而易举地把注意力保持在呼吸上。若果你发觉很难把注意力保持在呼吸上，这即表示你是匆忙地完成两个起始阶段。回到初阶的训练去吧！谨慎地忍耐才是最快的方法。

When you focus on the breath, you focus on the experience of the breath happening now. You experience 'that which tells you what the breath is doing', whether it is going in or out or in between. Some teachers say to watch the breath at the tip of the nose, some say to watch it at the abdomen and some say to move it here and then move it there. I have found through experience that it does not matter where you watch the breath. In fact it is best not to locate the breath anywhere! If you locate the breath at the tip of your nose then it becomes nose awareness, not breath awareness, and if you locate it at your abdomen then it becomes abdomen awareness. Just ask yourself the question right now, 'Am I breathing in or am I breathing out?' How do you know? There! That experience which tells you what the breath is doing, that is what you focus on in breath meditation. Let go of concern about where this experience is located; just focus on the experience itself.

当你集中注意著呼吸，你是要集中於现在发生的呼吸经验上，你经验到那种「会告诉你呼吸正在做甚么的体验」，到底是正在入，或出，或正在中间。有些老师叫在鼻端处观著呼吸，有些老师叫在腹部处观著呼吸，又有些叫把它移到这儿，然後又移到那儿。我自己凭经验发觉到在哪里观著呼吸都不紧要。事实上，最好是不要把呼吸定於任何地方！若你把呼吸定在鼻端，那便变成鼻子觉知，而不是呼吸觉知，又若你把呼吸定在腹部，那便变成腹部觉知。你应只是在当下问问自己「我是在呼气还是在吸气？」你怎知道呢？哪！那种告诉你呼吸正在做甚么的体验，便是你在观呼吸中所要集中之处。不要理会这种体验是在何处，只是集中注意著体验本身就是了。

A common problem at this stage is the tendency to control the breathing, and this makes the breathing uncomfortable. To overcome this problem, imagine that you are just a passenger in a car looking through the window at your breath. You are not the driver, nor a 'back seat driver', so stop giving orders, let go and enjoy the ride. Let the breath do the breathing while you simply watch without interfering.

此阶段中的一个常见障碍便是会有种控制呼吸的倾向，因而使到呼吸不舒服。要克服这障碍，你可想像你只是一个坐在车内的乘客，透过玻璃窗观看著你的呼吸，你不是司机，也不是指指点点的「後座司机」，所以，停止发出指令，放下并享受乘车之旅，让呼吸自己呼吸，你只是不干预地看著。

When you know the breath going in and the breath going out, for say one hundred breaths in a row, not missing one, then you have achieved what I call the third stage of this meditation, 'sustained attention on the breath'. This again is more peaceful and joyful than the previous stage. To go deeper, you now aim for full sustained attention on the breath.

当你知道气息是入或出，这样地比如说连续一百个呼吸，没有漏失，那你便已达到我所说的第三阶段「持续地注意著呼吸」了，这同样是比前一个阶段更平静和更令人喜悦。要想再深入一层，你此时的目标便是完全持续地注意著呼吸。

This fourth stage, or 'full sustained attention on the breath', occurs when one's attention expands to take in every single moment of the breath. You know the in-breath at the very first moment, when the first sensation of in-breathing arises. Then you observe those sensations develop gradually through the whole course of one in-breath, not missing even a moment of the in-breath. When that in-breath finishes, you know that moment, you see in your mind that last movement of the in­ breath. You then see the next moment as a pause between breaths, and then many more pauses until the out-breath begins. You see the first moment of the out-breath and each subsequent sensation as the out-breath evolves, until the out-breath disappears when its function is complete. All this is done in silence and just in the present moment.

当注意力增强至对呼吸中的每个刹那都注意到，这时便进入了此第四阶段，「完全持续地注意著呼吸」。你知道吸气时最先的那个刹那，你知道其时生起的第一个感觉。然後，你一直观察著在整个吸气过程中逐渐发展起来的那些感觉，其间连一个刹那都不遗漏。当吸气完结，该刹那你知道，你在心中看到吸气最後的移动。然後，在接著的一个刹那，你看到那是吸和呼之间的停顿，跟著还有更多的停顿刹那，然後才开始呼气。你看到呼气的第一个刹那和随後在呼气过程中的每一个随之而来的感觉，直至呼气完结消失为止。所有这些都是在静默和正正在当下中进行。

You experience every part of each in-breath and out-breath, continuously for many hundred breaths in a row. This is why this stage is called 'FULL sustained attention on the breath' . You cannot reach this stage through force, through holding or gripping. You can only attain this degree of stillness by letting go of everything in the entire universe, except for this momentary experience of breath happening silently now. 'You' don't reach this stage; the mind reaches this stage. The mind does the work itself The mind recognizes this stage to be a very peaceful and pleasant abiding, just being alone with the breath. This is where the 'doer', the major part of one's ego, starts to disappear.

你经验到吸气和呼气的每个部份，这样地连续几百个呼吸，这便是为何这阶段被称为「完全持续地注意著呼吸」了。你不能用力、用抓持或紧握等方法来达到这阶段。除了这种发生在当下的默然刹那呼吸体验之外，世界上所有其他东西你都一概放下，只有这样你才能证得这种层次的静止。不是「你」达到这阶段，是心达到这阶段，心自己做这份工作，心认知到这阶段是一处十分平静和愉悦的安住之处，那仅是独自跟呼吸一起。那位「作者」，即一个人自我的主要部份，便是在此时开始消失。

You will find that progress happens effortlessly at this stage of  the meditation. You just have to get out of the way, let go, and watch it all happen. The mind will automatically incline, if you only let it, towards this very simple, peaceful and delicious unity of being alone with one thing, just being with the breath in each and every moment. This is the unity of mind, the unity in the moment, the unity in stillness. 

你会发觉在此阶段里禅修的进展毫不费力，你只须让开条路，放下一切，只是观看著整个过程的出现。要是你不阻拦，心便会自动趣向这种非常简单、平静、快意、只有一个对象的收摄统一，在每个刹那中都只跟呼吸一起。这是心的收摄统一，在刹那中的收摄统一，在静止中的收摄统一。

The fourth stage is what I call the 'springboard' of meditation, because from here one can dive into the blissful states. When you simply maintain this unity of consciousness, by not interfering, the breath will begin to disappear. The breath appears to fade away as the mind focuses instead on what is at the centre of the experience of breath, which is the awesome peace, freedom and bliss.

第四阶段便是我所谓的禅修「跳板」，因为从这里你可以跳进充满妙乐的状态。当你只是维持著这种心识的收摄统一，不去干预，呼吸便会开始消失。由於心会转移去集中於处於呼吸体验中心的对象，即那种非凡的平静、自在和妙乐，因此呼吸显得似是渐渐地消失掉。

At this stage I use the term 'the beautiful breath'. Here the mind recognizes that this peaceful breath is extraordinarily beautiful. You are aware of this beautiful breath continuously, moment after moment, with no break in the chain of experience. You are aware only of the beautiful breath, without effort, and for a very long time.

在这阶段我用上「美妙呼吸」此词，因为心此时认知到这种平静的呼吸是出奇的美妙。你持续地觉知著这种美妙呼吸，刹那相续地经验著，如一条不断的长链一样，你只是觉知著这种美妙呼吸，不用费力而可持续至很长的时间。

Now you let the breath disappear and all that is left is 'the beautiful'. Disembodied beauty becomes the sole object of the mind. The mind is now taking the mind as its own object. You are now not aware at all of breath, body, thought, sound or the world outside. All that you are aware of is beauty, peace, bliss, light or whatever your perception will later call it. You are experiencing only beauty, with nothing being beautiful, continuously, effortlessly. You have long ago let go of chatter, let go of descriptions and assessments. Here, the mind is so still that you cannot say anything.

此时你任由呼吸消失，所剩下来的只是一种「美妙」，这种没有主体的美妙便成为心的唯一对象。心此时正在抓著它自己的对象，你完全觉知不到呼吸、身体、思想、声音，或外面的世界，你所觉知到的只是美妙、平静、妙乐、光，或你的想蕴其後认为那应是甚么的东西。你正在经验著纯粹的美妙，但没有东西作为美妙的主体，这样毫不费力地持续著。你在很久之前已放下了唠叨，放下了描述和评估，此时，心是那么的静止，你根本不能说些甚么话。

You are just experiencing the first flowering of bliss in the mind. That bliss will develop, grow, become very firm and strong. Thus you enter into those states of meditation called Jhana. But that is for Part 3 of this booklet!

你正是在经验著妙乐首次在心内成熟开花。这种妙乐会发展、生长，变得很稳固和强大。这样你便进入那些被称为「禅那」的禅定状态，而这将会是这本小著作下一部曲的内容。

 

PART 3 

第三部

'Do absolutely nothing and see how smooth and beautiful and timeless the breath can appear'

绝不要有任何做作，只是看看呼吸可以是如何平稳、美妙和恒久。

Parts 1 and 2 describe the first four stages (as they are called here) of meditation

These are:    

·Sustained attention on the present moment;

·Silent awareness of the present moment;

·Silent present moment awareness of the breath; and

·Full sustained attention on the breath.

本书的第一和第二部份描述 [我所界定的] 禅修之四个阶段，即是：
‧当下的觉知
‧当下的默然觉知
‧当下呼吸的默然觉知
‧完全持续地注意著呼吸

Each of these stages needs to be well developed before going in to the next stage. When one rushes through these' stages of letting go' then the higher stages will be unreachable. It is like constructing a tall building with inadequate foundations. The first storey is built quickly and so is the second and third storey. When the fourth storey is added, though, the structure begins to wobble a bit. Then when they try to add a fifth storey it all comes tumbling down. So please take a lot of time on these four initial stages, making them all firm and stable, before proceeding on to the fifth stage. You should be able to maintain the fourth stage, 'full sustained attention on the breath', aware of every moment of the breath without a single break, for two or three hundred breaths in succession with ease. I am not saying to count the breaths during this stage, but I am giving an indication of the sort of time interval that one should remain with stage four before proceeding further. In meditation, patience is the fastest way!

要先好好地发展出这几个阶段，然後才进入下一个。若急著要通过这些「放下的阶段」，那么便不可能推进至较高的阶层。这就好像在不适当的地基上建高楼一样，第一层楼匆匆建成，第二层、第三层也一样。然而，当建完第四层楼时，大楼结构开始有点摇晃，当再继续建造第五层时，大楼便倒塌了。所以，请花多点时间在这四个起始阶段上，使之扎实稳固，然後才进展至第五阶段。你须能毫不费力地维持第四阶段「完全持续地注意著呼吸」连续二、三百个呼吸，觉知到呼吸过程的每一个刹那，没有间断。我不是说要在这阶段中数息，我只是在说明在向前推进之前，须留在第四阶段多久。在禅修中，忍耐才是最快的方法！

The fifth stage is called full sustained attention on the beautiful breath. Often, this stage flows on naturally, seamlessly, from the previous stage. As one's full attention rests easily and continuously on the experience of breath, with nothing interrupting the even flow of awareness, the breath calms down. It changes from a coarse, ordinary breath, to a very smooth and peaceful 'beautiful breath'. The mind recognizes this beautiful breath and delights in it. The mind experiences a deepening of contentment. It is happy just to be there watching this beautiful breath. The mind does not need to be forced. It stays with the beautiful breath by itself. 'You' don't do anything. If you try and do something at this stage, you disturb the' whole process, the beauty is lost and, like landing on a snake's head in the game of snakes and ladders, you go back many squares. The 'doer' has to disappear from this stage of the meditation on, with just the' knower' passively observing.

第五阶段名为「完全持续地注意著美妙的呼吸」。这阶段往往都是从前一阶段自然地一直推进过来，当中没有停顿或间隔。当你全部注意力能轻易持续地安住於呼吸的体验上，没东西打断那平稳地一路去的觉知，呼吸便会平息下来，从一种粗重的普通呼吸转变成一种很顺畅平静的「美妙呼吸」。心认知到这种美妙呼吸并生起愉快的感觉，它经验到一种深层的满足，仅是在那儿看著这种美妙呼吸便感到畅快。你不用强迫，它会自然地跟著美妙的呼吸。「你」甚么也不做，若你在此阶段尝试有所做作，便会扰乱整个过程，美妙便会消失，这就有如玩蛇梯棋般，棋子落到蛇头的一格，便要回落多格。从这阶段开始，「作者」要消失掉，只有「知者」在被动地观察著。

A helpful trick to achieve this stage is to break the inner silence just once and gently think to yourself 'calm'. That's all. At this stage of the meditation, the mind is usually so sensitive that just a little nudge like _ this causes the mind to follow the instruction obediently. The breath calms down and the beautiful breath emerges.

有个巧妙方法可令你进入此阶段，你打破内部静默，只需一次，在心内轻轻的对自己说：「定！」这便是了。禅修至此阶段，心通常都十分灵敏，只如此地轻轻一推，心便会贴贴服服地依随指示做。呼吸沉定下来，美妙呼吸呈现眼前。

When you are passively observing just the beautiful breath in the moment, the perceptions of 'in' (breath) or 'out' (breath), or beginning or middle or end of a breath, should all be allowed to disappear. All that is known is this experience of the beautiful breath happening now. The mind is not concerned with what part of the breath cycle this is in, nor on what part of the body this is occurring. Here we are simplifying the object of meditation, the experience of breath in the moment, stripping away all unnecessary details, moving beyond the duality of 'in' and 'out', and just being aware of a beautiful breath which appears smooth and continuous, hardly changing at all.

当你只是被动地观察著当下的美妙呼吸时，「入」和「出」，或开始、中间、结尾等的观感都应消失，所有知道的只是於此时美妙呼吸的体验，心没兴趣知道这是在呼吸过程中的哪个部份，或这是发生在身体的哪个部份。在此我们把当下呼吸的体验此禅修对象简单化，除掉所有不必要的细节，跃出至「入」和「出」等的二元对立以外，只是觉知著其时很平稳连续的美妙呼吸，几近乎完全不变。

Do absolutely nothing and see how smooth and beautiful and timeless the breath can appear. See how calm you can allow it to be. Take time to savour the sweetness of the beautiful breath, ever calmer, ever sweeter.

绝不要有任何做作，只是看看呼吸可以是如何平稳、美妙和恒久。看看你能让它定至甚么程度。慢慢体味美妙呼吸的甜美，不断变得更沉定，不断变得更甜美。

Now the breath will disappear, not when 'you' want it to, but when there is enough calm, leaving only 'the beautiful'. A simile from English literature might help. In Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland " Alice and the Red Queen saw a vision of a smiling Cheshire cat appear in the sky. As they watched, first the cat's tail disappeared, then its paws followed by the rest of its legs. Soon the Cheshire cat's torso completely vanished leaving only the cat's head, still with a smile. Then the head started to fade into nothing, from the ears and whiskers inwards, and soon the smiling cat's head had completely disappeared--except for the smile which still remained in the sky! This was a smile without any lips to do the smiling, but a visible smile nevertheless. This is an accurate analogy for the process of letting go happening at this point in meditation. The cat with a smile on her face stands for the beautiful breath. The cat disappearing represents the breath disappearing and the disembodied smile still visible in the sky stands for the pure mental object 'beauty' clearly visible in the mind.   

此时呼吸会消失，但不是由於「你」要它消失，而是由於有足够的定，其时只剩下那「美妙」。这可从英国文学中取个比喻来说明，在路易斯‧卡洛尔的《爱丽斯梦游仙境》中，有一只来自柴郡的猫咪，爱丽斯和红王后都看到它出现在空中的微笑景象，但随即看到它的尾巴首先消失掉，然後到其爪消失，跟著四条腿消失。很快地，柴郡猫的身躯完全消失掉，只剩下个仍在微笑的猫头。接著，猫头由猫耳和猫须开始渐渐隐没，很快微笑的猫样也整个消失了，只剩下微笑仍留在天空中！这是比喻没有口笑的微笑，但却还是一种可见的微笑。这个譬喻表达禅修在此阶段时所发生的放下过程表达得很贴切，带著一张笑脸的猫儿代表美妙的呼吸，猫儿的消失代表呼吸的消失，而脱离了躯体但仍可在空中看到的微笑，则代表在心中清楚看到的纯心识对象「美妙」。

This pure mental object is called a nimitta. 'Nimitta' means 'a sign', here a mental sign. This is a real object in the landscape of the mind (citta) and when it appears for the first time it is extremely strange. One simply has not experienced anything like it before. Nevertheless, the mental activity called 'perception' searches through its memory bank of life experiences for something even a little bit similar in order to supply a description to the mind. For most meditators, this 'disembodied beauty', this mental joy, is perceived as a beautiful light. It is not a light. The eyes are closed and the sight consciousness has long been turned off. It is the mind consciousness freed for the first time from the world of the five senses. It is like the full moon, here standing for the radiant mind, coming out from behind the clouds, here standing for the world of the five senses. It is the mind manifesting, not alight, but for most it appears like a light, it is perceived as a light, because this imperfect description is the best that perception can offer.

这种纯心识对象名为「禅相」(nimitta)。「禅相」指「一种标志」，在此是指一种心识标志。这是在心识内的景致【心识概貌】中一个真实对象，当它第一次出现时，会给人一种极之奇特的感觉，觉得完全从未有过如此的体验。虽然是这样，那个叫「想蕴」的心识活动为要向心提供一种对此对象的描述，会从其储存生活经历的记忆库中搜寻相同的以至即使只是有点相似的记录。在大部份人的感觉中，这种「脱离躯体的美妙」、这种心识的喜悦，是一种美丽的光。其实那不是一种光，眼睛是闭上的，眼识也早已关闭，这是第六识意识第一次从五感官世界中解放出来，这就有如满月从云层背後走出来一样，在此处满月代表光芒四射的心，云层代表五感官世界。这是心的展现，并非是光，但对大部份人来说它看似是光，大部份人都把它看作是光，因为这种不实的描述是想蕴所能提供的最好描述。

For other meditators, perception chooses to describe this first appearance of mind in terms of physical sensation, such as intense tranquility or ecstasy. Again, the body consciousness (that which experiences pleasure and pain, heat and cold and so on) has long since closed down and this is not a physical feeling. It is just 'perceived' as similar to pleasure. Some see a white light, some a gold star, some a blue pearl... the important fact to know is that they are all describing the same phenomena. They all experience the same pure mental object and these different details are added by their different perceptions.

其他禅修者的想蕴则选择以肉体感受来描述心的这种首次显露，例如极深的平静或强烈的狂喜。同样地，[经验乐与痛、冷与热等等的] 身识早已关闭，所以这并不是一种肉体感觉，只是被「想」成似是一种悦乐而已。一些人看到白光，一些看到金色的星，一些看到蓝宝珠……要知道清楚的是，他们全都是在描述相同的现象、全都是在经验著相同的纯心识对象，只是他们有不同的观感，所以才加上这些不同的描述细节。

You can recognize a nimitta by the following six features:

你可以以下六种特点来断定那是否禅相：

1. It appears only after the fifth stage of the meditation, after the meditator has been with the beautiful breath for a long time;

2. It appears when the breath disappears;

3. It only comes when the external five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch are completely absent;

4. It manifests only in the silent mind, when descriptive thoughts (inner speech) are totally absent;

5. It is strange but powerfully attractive; and

6. It is a beautifully simple object.

一、它只出现於第五个禅定阶段之後，即在禅修者观著美妙呼吸已有一段长时间之後；
二、它出现於呼吸消失时；
三、它只出现於色、声、香、味、触等的外五境完全隐却之时；
四、它只在静默的心中展现，其时描述性的思维运作 (内部讲话) 完全停止；
五、它很奇特但极之吸引；
六、它是个简单得美妙的对象。

I mention these features so that you may distinguish real nimittas from imaginary ones.

我提及这些特点，可让你可分辨到甚么是真禅相、甚么是幻想出来的禅相。

 The sixth stage, then, is called experiencing the beautiful nimitta. It is achieved when one lets go of the body, thought, and the five senses (including the awareness of the breath) so completely that only the beautiful nimitta remains.

因此，第六阶段便名为「体验美妙禅相」。当我们把身体、思想和五感官 (包括对呼吸的觉知) 都完全放下，只剩下美妙的禅相时，这便可成就。

Sometimes when the nimitta first arises it may appear' dull'. In this case, one should immediately go back to the previous stage of the meditation, continuous silent awareness of the beautiful breath. One has moved to the nimitta too soon. Sometimes the nimitta is bright but unstable, flashing on and off like a lighthouse beacon and then disappearing. This too shows that you have left he beautiful breath too early. One must be able to sustain one's attention on the beautiful breath with ease for a long, long time before the mind is capable of maintaining clear attention on the far more subtle nimitta. So train the mind on the beautiful breath, train it patiently and diligently, then when it is time to go on to the nimitta, it is bright, stable and easy to sustain.

有些时候，当禅相首次生起，可能会很「暗淡」，在此情况下，你应立刻返回前一个阶段，即对美妙呼吸的持续默然觉知阶段，你转去禅相转得太快了。又有些时候，禅相很明亮但不稳定，如灯塔的灯光般亮下熄下，然後更消失掉。同样，这显示出你是太早离开了美妙的呼吸。禅相远比呼吸微细很多，你必须能轻易地将注意力保持在美妙的呼吸上一段很长的时间，然後心才能把清晰的注意力保持在禅相上。所以，先在美妙的呼吸上好好地把心修练好，耐心勤奋地修练，然後，当是时候转移至禅相上时，禅相便会明亮、稳定和容易保持。

The main reason why the nimitta can appear dull is that the depth of contentment is too shallow. You are still 'wanting' something. Usually, you are wanting the bright nimitta or you are wanting Jhana. Remember, and this is important, Jhanas are states of letting go, incredibly deep states of contentment. So give away the hungry m, ind, develop contentment on the beautiful breath and the nimitta and Jhana will happen by themselves.

禅相暗淡的主要原因，是你的满足程度太浅的缘故，你仍然「想要」些甚么。通常的情况是，你想要有明亮的禅相，或你想要禅那。记住，这是很重要的，禅那是放下的状态、是十分深层的满足状态。因此，送走那饥饿的心，於美妙呼吸上发展出满足吧，然後禅相和禅那便会自然出现。

Put another way, the reason why the nimitta is unstable is because the' doer' just will not stop interfering. The' doer' is the controller, the back seat driver, always getting involved where it does not belong and messing everything up. This meditation is a natural process of coming to rest and it requires 'you' to get out of the way completely. Deep meditation only occurs when you really let go, and this means REALLY LET GO to the point that the process becomes inaccessible to the' doer'.

禅相不稳定的主要原因，是因为「作者」就是不断在干预著。「作者」便是那个操控者，那个指指点点的後座司机，总想介入不属於他的事情，并把所有事情都弄到一团糟。此初阶禅法乃是一种静止下来的自然过程，它需要「你」完全走开让路，当你能真真正正放下时，深层禅定才会出现，这意思是说，要真真正正放下，以至在过程当中「作者」全不能介入。

A skilful means to achieve such profound letting go is to deliberately offer the gift of confidence to the nimitta. Interrupt the silence just for a moment, so so gently, and whisper as it were inside your mind that you give complete trust to the nimitta, so that the' doer' can relinquish all control and just disappear. The mind, represented here by the nimitta before you, will then take over the process as you watch it all happen.

有一种可达成此种深厚放下态度的巧妙方法，那便是刻意地给予禅相信任。你极之轻柔地打断静默一下，只一下，把它当作在你心内般向它轻轻低语，说你把十足的信任交给禅相，以便「作者」可放弃所有操控，就此消失掉。心在此处等於出现在你面前的禅相，在你看著这一切时，它便会接管整个过程。

You do not need to do anything here because the intense beauty of the nimitta is more than capable of holding the attention without your assistance. Be careful, here, not to go assessing. Questions such as 'What is this?', 'Is this Jhana?', 'What should I do next?' , and so on are all the work of 'the doer' trying to get involved again. This is disturbing the process. You may assess everything once the journey is over. A good scientist only assesses the experiment at the end, when all the data are in. So now, do not assess or try to work it all out. There is no need to pay attention to the edge of the nimitta 'Is it round or oval?', 'Is the edge clear or fuzzy?'. This is all unnecessary and just leads to more diversity, more duality of 'inside' and 'outside', and more disturbance.

你此时甚么事都不需做，因为禅相的美妙程度，强烈得已超过把你的注意力吸住所需的力度，根本不用你帮助。此时要小心，不要去做判断。「这是甚么？」「这是禅那吗？」「我接著应怎样做？」诸如此类的疑问，都是「作者」想再次介入的杰作，是在过程中的骚扰。你可在旅程完毕後才为每一样东西作判断。一个出色的科学家只会在实验完毕後，当所有资料都具备时，才作判断。因此，现在不要作判断或尝试辨清所有东西，不需要理会禅相的边缘，「它是圆还是椭圆的呢？」、「边缘清晰或是模糊？」所有这些都是不需要的，只会引致更多的杂乱、更多的「内」和「外」等的二元分化、更多的打扰。

Let the mind incline where it wants, which is usually to the centre of the nimitta. The centre is where the most beautiful part lies, where the light is most brilliant and pure. Let go and just enjoy the ride as the attention gets drawn into the centre and falls right inside, or as the light expands all around enveloping you totally. This is, in fact, one and the same experience perceived from different perspectives. Let the mind merge in the bliss. Let the seventh stage of this path of meditation, First Jhana, occur.

让心趣向於它想要之处，那通常是禅相的中心，中心是最美丽的部份，那里的光是最明亮最纯净的。当注意力被吸引至中心去，并掉进里面，或当光向所有方向扩展，把你完全包著时，你应放手并只是享受当乘客的乐趣。事实上，这都是同一个体验，只是有著不同角度的观感。让心融入妙乐中，让此禅定之路的第七阶段——初禅——出现。

There are two common obstacles at the door into Jhana: exhilaration and fear. Exhilaration is becoming excited. If, at this point, the mind thinks, 'Wow, this is it!' then the Jhana is most unlikely to happen. This' Wow' response needs to be subdued in favour of absolute passivity. You can leave all the 'Wows' until after emerging from the Jhana, where they properly belong. The more likely obstacle, though, is fear. Fear arises at the recognition of the sheer power and bliss of the Jhana, or else at the recognition that to go fully inside the Jhana, something must be left behind-You! The' doer' is silent before entering Jhana but it is still there. Inside Jhana, the 'doer' is completely gone. The 'knower' is still functioning, you are fully aware, but all the controls are now beyond reach. You cannot even form a single thought, let alone make a decision. The will is frozen, and this can appear scary to the beginner. Never before in your whole life have you ever experienced being so stripped of all control yet so fully awake. The fear is the fear of surrendering something so essentially personal as the will to do.

在踏进禅那之门之前有两种常见的障碍：兴奋和恐惧。兴奋是变得振奋紧张，假如此时心在想：「哗，这就是啦！」那样，这便变成为禅那最不可能出现的时刻。为要配合绝对被动的要求，这种「哗」的反应须被压止，你可在从禅那出来後才「哗」，那才是你「哗」的时候。然而，较有可能出现的障碍还是恐惧，恐惧生起於心认知到禅那的惊人力量和妙乐，或认知到要完全进入禅那，某样东西便必须要丢下——「你」！在入禅那之前，「作者」是静默的，但仍在那儿；在处於禅那中时，「作者」则完全消失掉，「知者」仍起作用，你完全有觉知，但所有操控此时都遥不可及，你甚至不能使一个思念形成，更莫说要下一个决定。意志已被冻结，这会令初手生起恐惧。在你一生中，你从未经验过这般厉害地被解除掉所有的操控能力，却仍完全清醒。这种恐惧便是由於害怕要交出如做事的意志般本质上甚个人的东西而生起的恐惧。

This fear can be overcome through confidence in the Buddha's Teachings together with the enticing bliss just ahead that one can see as the reward. The Lord Buddha often said that this bliss of Jhana' should not be feared but should be followed, developed and practised often'(Latukikopama Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya). So before fear arises, offer your full confidence to that bliss and maintain faith in the Lord Buddha's Teachings and the example of the Noble Disciples. Trust the Dhamma and let the Jhana warmly embrace you for an effortless, body-less and ego-less, blissful experience that will be the most profound of your life. Have the courage to fully relinquish control for a while and experience all this for yourself. 

这种恐惧可藉著对佛陀的教导的信心，和相信将会出现并可看作是回报的那种难以抗拒的妙乐两者一起来克服。佛陀经常说，对这种禅那妙乐「不应害怕，反而应该经常仿效、发展，和修习之」《中部‧(66) 鹑喻经》(MN 66, LaÊukikopama Sutta)。因此，在恐惧生起之前，要对那种妙乐充满十足的信心，并保持对佛陀的教导和对圣弟子榜样的信念。为了一尝那种全不费力、超脱身体、我执消失和充满妙乐的体验，请信赖法，让禅那热烈地拥抱你吧，那将会是你生命中最深湛的体验。拿出勇气来彻底抛弃操控一会，并亲自去体验吧。

If it is a Jhana it will last a long time. It does not deserve to be called Jhana if it lasts only a few minutes. Usually, the higher Jhanas persist for many hours. Once inside, there is no choice. You will emerge trom the Jhana only when the mind is ready to come out, when the 'fuel' of relinquishment that was built up before is all used up. These are such still and satisfying states of consciousness that their very nature is to persist for a very long time. Another feature of Jhana is that it occurs only after the nimitta is discerned as described above. Furthermore, you should know that while in any Jhana it is impossible to experience the body (e.g. physical pain), hear a sound from outside or produce any thought, not even' good' thoughts. There is just a clear singleness of perception, an experience of non-dualistic bliss which continues unchanging for a very long time. This is not a trance, but a state of heightened awareness. This is said so that you may know for yourself whether what you take to be a Jhana is real or imaginary.

如果是禅那，便会持续一段长时间，若只持续数分钟，便不配被称为禅那了。通常，较高层的禅那会维持很多小时。一旦进入了禅那，便没有选择的余地，只有当心一切就绪可随时离开，即当所有你在之前积聚起的抛弃力量之「燃料」都耗尽时，你才会从禅那退出来。这都是些十分静止和满足的心识状态，其性质就是要持续一段很长的时间。禅那的另一种特性是只会於当禅相如前所述般被清楚观注之後才出现。此外，你还要明白，当处於任何层次的禅那中，是不可能经验到身体的感觉的 (如肉体疼痛)，不可能听到外面的声音，或产生任何思想，即使是「善」念也不可能出现，只有清明而单一的感知，一种持久不变的非二元妙乐的体验，这不是一种恍惚的出神状态，而是一种提升了的觉知状态。在此说出这些，都是为了让你懂得自己分辨出你所认为的禅那到底是真的还是想像出来的。

There is much more to meditation, but here only the basic method has been described using seven stages culminating with the First Jhana. Much more could be said about the 'Five Hindrances' and how they are overcome, about the meaning of mindfulness and how it is used, about the Four Satipatthana and the Four Roads to Success (Iddhipiida) and the Five Controlling Faculties (Indriya) and, of course, about the higher Jhanas. All these concern this practice of meditation but must be left for another occasion.

还有很多禅修的话题，这里只是说出这种分七个阶段最高达至初禅的基本方法，还有很多可以说，如五盖及其克服方法、念住的意思和运用方法、四念处和四神足乃至五根，当然还有更高层次的禅那，所有这些都跟这种初阶禅修方法有关，只有留待以後有机会时再说。

For those who are misled to conceive of all this as 'just Samatha practice' without regard to Insight (Vipassana), please know that this is neither Vipassana nor Samatha. It is called' Bhavana " the method taught by the Lord Buddha and repeated in the Forest Tradition of NE Thailand of which my teacher, Ven. Ajahn Chah, was a part. Ajahn Chah often said that Samatha and Vipassana cannot be separated, nor can the pair be developed apart from Right View, Right Thought, Right Moral Conduct and so forth. Indeed, to make progress on the above seven stages, the meditator needs an understanding and acceptance of the Lord Buddha's Teachings and one's precepts must be pure. Insight will be needed to achieve each of these stages, that is insight into the meaning of' letting go'. The further one develops these stages, the more profound will be the insight, and if you reach as far as Jhana then it will change your whole understanding. As it were, Insight dances around Jhana and Jhana dances around Insight. This is the Path to Nibbana, the Lord Buddha said, 'for one who indulges in Jhana, four results are to be expected: Stream-Winner, Once-Returner, Non­Returner or Arahant' (Pasadika Sutta, Digha Nikaya).

那些被误导以为所有这些都是「纯定禅法」而没有内观 (毗婆奢那) 的人，我想请他们明白，这并非毗婆奢那亦非奢摩他，这叫做「巴瓦拿」(BhŒvanŒ)，乃是佛陀所教导的方法，并在泰国东北部的森林传统里延续著，而我的老师阿姜查尊者就是其中的一员。阿姜查经常说，奢摩他 (止) 与毗婆奢那 (观) 是不能分割的，两者也不可离开正见、正思惟、正确道德行为等等而独立发展。真的，要於上述七个阶段上有所进步，禅修者必须明白并接受佛陀的教导，而且戒行亦必须清净。要成就以上的每一个阶段，智慧是必须的，那就是领悟「放下」的意思的智慧。这些阶段发展得愈深入，智慧便会愈深睿，还有，若你达至禅那，你整个见解亦会有所改变。可以说，禅那与智慧两者互相辉映、相辅相成。这便是通往涅槃之道，因为佛陀说过：「一个常住於禅那的人，有四种可想像得到的结果：入流果、一来果、不还果，或阿罗汉果」《长部‧(29) 宜人经》(DN 29, PŒsŒdika Sutta)。

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MAY ALL BEINGS GET JHANA

The Buddhist Society of WA and Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre in Perth

The Buddhist Society of Western Australia has been established to encourage the teaching, practice and realisation of the Dhamma (the Buddhist word for 'Truth') with special emphasis on Theravada Buddhism. To fulfil this aim, the Society has established Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine, 60 km south of Perth, and Dhammasara Nuns' Monastery in Gidgegannup, 35 km north east of Perth. The Society actively supports the monastic communities living there.

The complex which we call Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre at Nollamara consists of a large Dhamma Hall used for talks on Buddhism, instruction in meditation and for major Buddhist Ceremonies; adjoining meditation and shrine rooms; and a Community Hall for Buddhist cultural activities. A multipurpose building provides accommodation for monks, offices for the administration of the Buddhist Society, a library containing many books for loan and sale as well as audio cassettes and CD recordings of many talks given by monks and nuns, and a reception area and kitchen where visitors can sit down to a cup of tea and friendly chat. The whole complex of buildings is set in beautiful grounds on a very quiet street opposite a park, just 5 km north of the centre of Perth.

Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre aims to serve the whole Buddhist community and others, regardless of age, gender or country of origin.

作者简介

梵种尊者 (Venerable Brahmavamso，百拉马王索尊者，一般被单音节化简称为阿姜班 Ajahn Brahm)，俗名Peter Betts，於一九五一年生於伦敦。他还在读书时有一次在伦敦一间书店内浏览，由此而开始接触佛教。他其後进入剑桥大学修读理论物理，并於其时加入当地的佛学会成为会员，也开始修习禅定。他取得一级荣誉毕业後，在德文郡一所中学教导物理学，其间他在伦敦遇到一些泰国僧人，很受到激励，於是在当了一年教师後，便毅然跑到泰国去加入僧团生活。他二十三岁时在撒克寺 (Wat Sraket ) 於Tan Chao Khun Prom Gunaphorn比丘座下受比丘戒。

梵种尊者从一九七五年开始追随阿姜查学习，也成为国际森林寺院 (Wat Pah Nanachat) 的第一批常住之一员。一九八三年，他来到扎咖洛尊者 (Jagaro，阿姜查弟子，意大利裔，曾任国际森林寺院住持) 在西澳大利亚帕斯新建立的菩提智寺 (Bodhinyana Monastery - 「菩提智」乃阿姜查的巴利文僧名)，一直留至现在。他曾积极参与该寺的主要建筑计划，也向自小童至癌症病人乃至监狱囚犯等不同类别的大众教导佛法。

梵种尊者对戒律的广博学识，在西方比丘社群中享负盛名，他早在早期的出家岁月中已被请求编写一部英文的戒律指导书籍。他在这方面的成果目前正为在英国、瑞士、澳洲和纽西兰寺院的西方僧人提供戒律训练的基础。此外尊者的讲座尤以幽默及振奋人心而见称，经常被邀请在澳洲内和东南亚地区作讲座。

梵种尊者於是便接手他的工作，并接任成为菩提智寺的住持，也成为西澳大利亚佛教协会的精神主事。自那时开始，他便在这所瑟彭泰恩 (Serpentine) 寺里勤奋地教导白衣修士众和沙弥众，以及指导比丘众，周末则在法界佛法中心 (Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre) 教导在家众佛典与禅修，也不时开办讲座，并提供有需要人士心灵辅导服务。

 

Addresses:

The Buddhist Society of WA

Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre, 18-20 Nanson Way Nollamara WA6061, AUSTRALIA

Phone: (61-8)93451711      Fax: (61-8)93444220

Website: www.dhammaloka.org.au
Email address:info@dhammaloka.org.au

Bodhinyana Buddhist Monastery 216 Kingsbury Drive

Serpentine WA6125 AUSTRALIA

Phone: (61-8) 9525 2420

Fax: (61-8) 95253420
 

Dhammasara Nuns' Monastery 287 Reen Road

Gidgegannup WA 6083 AUSTRALIA

Phone/Fax: (61-8)95746583

May the merits generated be to the well-being and happiness of the donors, departed ones and all sentient beings.

May all beings be liberated from suffering.

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!