---
title: "佛陀的啟示 第三章 第二聖諦：集諦——苦之生起 Chapter III. The Second Noble Truth - Samudaya: The Arising of Dukkha"
description: "The Second Noble Truth is that of the arising or origin of dukkha (Dukkhasamudaya-ariyasacca). The most popular and well"
---

Chapter III. The Second Noble Truth
Samudaya: The Arising of Dukkha

第三章 第二聖諦：集諦——苦之生起

The Second Noble Truth is that of the arising or origin of dukkha (Dukkhasamudaya-ariyasacca). The most popular and well-known definition of the Second Truth as found in innumerable places in the original texts runs as follows:

第二聖諦——集諦，就是關于苦之生起或根源的真諦。這一聖諦最通俗而為人所熟知的界說，在巴利文原典中許多地方都可見到。

'It is this 「thirst」 (craving, tanhā) which produces re-existence and re-becoming (ponobhavikā), and which is bound up with passionate greed (nandirāgasahagatā), and which finds fresh delight now here and now there (tatratatrābhinandini), namely, (1) thirst for sense- pleasures (kāma-tanhā), (2) thirst for existence and becoming (bhava-tanhā) and (3) thirst for non-existence (self-annihilation, vibhava-tanhā). [1]

『苦的根源，就是「渴(愛)」。它造成「來世」與「後有」；與強烈的貪欲相纏結，隨地隨處拾取新歡。這「渴(愛)」有三：(一)感官享受的渴求(欲愛)；(二)生與存的渴求(有愛)；(三)不再存在的渴求(無有愛)。』﹝注一﹞

In this 'thirst', desire, greed, craving, manifesting itself in various ways, that gives rise to all forms of suffering and the continuity of beings. But it should not be taken as the first cause, for there is no first cause possible as, according to Buddhism, everything is relative and inter-dependent. Even this 'thirst', tanhā, which is considered as the cause or origin of dukkha, depends for its arising (samudaya) on something else, which is sensation (vedanā)[2] , and sensation arises depending on contact (phassa), and so on and so forth on the circle which is known as Conditioned Genesis (Paticca-samuppāda), which we will discuss later. [3]

這以各種形式表現的『渴求』、欲望、貪婪、愛著，就是生起一切痛苦及使得生死相續不斷的根源。但卻不能將它視為最初因，因為按佛法說，一切都是相對的、相互依存的。這苦之根源的渴(愛)，也是依其他的條件而生起的。這條件就是受﹝注二﹞，而受又依觸而生起，輾轉相依，即構成所謂十二緣起。這在下文再為詳論。

So tanhā, 'thirst', is not the first or the only cause of the arising of dukkha. But it is the most palpable and the 'all-pervading thing'. [4] Hence in certain places of the original Pali texts themselves the definition of samudaya or the origin of dukkha includes other defilements and impurities (kilesā, sāsavā dhammā), in addition to tanhā 'thirst' which is always given the first place. [5] Within the necessarily limited space of our discussion, it will be sufficient if we remember that this 'thirst' has as its centre the false idea of self arising out of ignorance.

由上可知，『渴(愛)』並不是苦之生起的最初或唯一的原因，而是最明顯、最直接的原因，也是最主要與最普遍的事實。﹝注三﹞因此，在巴利文原典的某些地方，集諦的定義中，除了以渴(愛)為主要原因以外，還包括了其他的煩惱不淨法。﹝注四﹞本文篇幅有限，無法詳論，只請牢記一點：這渴(愛)的核心，就是從無明生起的虛妄我見。

Here the term 'thirst' includes not only desire for, and attachment to, sense-pleasures, wealth and power, but also desire for, and attachment to, idea and ideals, views, opinions, theories, conceptions and beliefs (dhamma-tanhā). [6] According to the Buddha's analysis, all the troubles and strife in the world, from little personal quarrels in families to great wars between nations and countries, arise out of this selfish 'thirst'. From this point of view, all economic, political and social problems are rooted in this selfish 'thirst'. [7] Great statesmen who try to settle international disputes and talk of war and peace only in economic and political terms touch the superficialities, and never go deep into the real root of the problem. As the Buddha told Rattpāla: 'The world lacks and hankers, and is enslaved to 「thirst」 (tanhādāso).'

『渴(愛)』一詞的意義，不僅是對欲樂、財富、權勢的貪求與執著，也包括對意念、理想、觀點、意見、理論、概念、信仰等的貪求與執著。﹝注五﹞根據佛的分析，世間一切困擾紛爭，小至家庭個人之間的口角，大至國與國間的戰爭，無不由于這自私的『渴(愛)』所引起的。﹝注六﹞從這一觀點看，一切經濟、政治、與社會的根本，都在這自私的渴愛。大政治家們想僅從經濟與政治方面去解決國際糾紛，討論戰爭與和平，只觸及問題的表面，而不能深入到根本症結之所在。佛就曾告訴羅吒波羅：『世人常感不足，夢寐以求，乃成為「渴(愛)」的奴隸。』

Every one will admit that all the evils in the world are produced by selfish desire. This is not difficult to understand. But now this desire, 'thirst', can produce re-existence and re-becoming (ponobhavikā) is a problem not so easy to grasp. It is here that we have to discuss the deeper philosophical side of the Second Noble Truth corresponding to the philosophical side of the First Noble Truth. Here we must have some idea about the theory of karma and rebirth.

每一個人都會承認，世間一切惡事都從自私欲生。這並不難懂。但是這『渴(愛)』如何能產生來世與後有，就不是那末容易把握的一個問題了。在這里，我們必須探討與第一聖諦的哲理相應的第二聖諦中的深奧哲理。我們必須對業與再生的理論有若干的概念。

There are four Nutriments (āhāra) in the sense of 'cause' or 'condition' necessary for the existence and continuity of beings」 (1) ordinary material food (kabalinkārāhāra), (2) contact of our sense-organs (including mind) with the external world (phassāhāra), (3) consciousness (viňňānāhara) and (4) mental volition or will (manosaňcetanāhāra). [8]

眾生所賴以繼續生存的要件『因、緣』共有四種，叫做四食：(一)普通物質的食糧(段食)；(二)感官(包括意根)與外境的接觸(觸食)；(三)知覺(識食)；(四)思或意志(思食)。﹝注七﹞

One these four, the last mentioned 'mental volition' is the will to live, to re-exist, to continue, to become more and more. [9] It creates the root of existence and continuity, striving forward by the way of good and bad actions (kusalākusalakamma). [10] It is the same as 'Volition' (cetanā). [11] We have seen earlier[12] that volition is karma, as the Buddha himself has defined it. Referring to 'Mental volition' just mentioned above the Buddha says: 'When one understands the nutriment of mental volition one understands the three forms of 'thirst' (tamhā).' [13] Thus the terms 'thirst', 'volition', 'mental volition' and 'karma' all denote the same thing: they denote the desire, the will to be, to exist, to re-exist, to become more and more, to grow more and more, to accumulate more and more. This is the cause of the arising of dukkha, and this is found within the Aggregate of Mental Formations, one of the Five Aggregates which constitute a being. [14]

四者中最後一項的思食，就是求生、求存、求再生、求生生不已、繁衍滋長的意志：。﹝注八﹞它是造成生命延續的根本，以善惡等業使生命向前邁進。﹝注九﹞它就是『思』。﹝注十﹞在前面已經說明過思就是業，這就是佛自己所下的定義。關于剛才提到的『思食』，佛說：『一個人能了解思食的意義，他就能懂得三種「渴(愛)」的意義。』﹝注十一﹞可知『渴(愛)』、『思』、『思食』及『業』等名詞所表詮的，都是一樣的東西，都是表示求生、求存、求再生、求日益繁衍、滋長、積聚。這就是苦之生起的原因。在構成眾生的五蘊中，它是隸屬于行蘊的。

Here is one of the most important and essential points in the Buddha's teaching. We must therefore clearly and carefully mark and remember that the cause, the germ, of the arising of dukkha itself, and not outside; and we must equally well remember that the cause, the germ, of the cessation of dukkha, of the destruction of dukkha, is also within dukkha itself, and not outside. This is what is meant by the well-known formula often found in original Pali texts: Yam kiňci samudayadhammam sabbam tam nirodhadhammam 'Whatever is of the nature of arising, all that is of the nature of cessation.' [15] A being, a thing, or a system, if it has within itself the nature of arising, the nature of coming into being, has also within itself the nature, the germ, of its own cessation and destruction. Thus dukkha (Five Aggregates) has within itself the nature of its own arising, and has also within itself the nature of its own cessation. This point will be taken up again in the discussion of the Third Noble Truth, Nirodha.

在佛教的教義中，這是最重要的精義之一。因此，我們必須明白記取苦之生起的原因、種子，只在苦的本身之內，而不在外。我們也須同樣地記取苦之止息、苦之滅除的種子、原因，也是在苦的本身之內，而不在外。在巴利文原典里，時常可以看到一條人所熟知的公式：『凡是有生的，亦必有滅。』﹝注十二﹞眾生、事物、體制，凡其內在的本性是生起的、是從無到有的，其身內亦必含有自行息滅的種子。因此，苦(五蘊)之內，有它自行生起的本質，也就含有它自行息滅的本質。這一點在討論第三聖諦——滅諦時，還會再談到。

Now, the Pali word kamma or the Sankrit word karma (from the root kr to do) literally means 'action', 'doing'. But in the Buddhist theory of karma it has a specific meaning: it means only 'volitional action', not all action. Nor does it mean the result of karma as many people wrongly and loosely use it. In Buddhist terminology karma never means its effect; its effect is known as the 'fruit' or the 'result' or karma (kamma-phala or kamma-vipāka).

巴利文 Kamma和梵文 Karma(從字根 Kr 做、作而來)，其字義是『活動』、『作為』。但在佛教的『業』的理論中，它具有一個特別的意義：僅指『有意的行為』，而不指有的行為。有許多人誤用或濫用業字來表示業的效應。在佛學術語中，『業』字決沒有『業的效應』的意思。業的效應，叫做業果或業報。

Volition may relatively be good or bad, just as a desire may relatively be good or bad. So karma may be good or bad relatively. Good karma (kusala) produces good effects, and bad karma (akusala) produces bad effects. 'Thirst', volition, karma, whether good or bad, has one force as its effect: force to continue-to continue in a good or bad direction. Whether good or bad it is relative, and is within the cycle of continuity (samsāra). An Arahant, though he acts, does not accumulate karma, because he is free from the false idea of self, free from the 'thirst' for continuity and becoming, free from all other defilements and impurities (kilesā, sāsavā dhammā). For him there is no rebirth.

意志(思)有相對的善或惡，如同欲望有相對的善或惡一樣。所以業也有相對的善或惡。善業得善果，惡業得惡果。『渴(愛)』、思、業，無論善惡，其結果都能產生一種力量，一種繼續向善的或向惡的方向前進的力量。無論善惡，業果也是相對的，而且是存在于輪迴之內的。阿羅漢雖然也有活動與作為，卻不造業。因為他沒有虛妄我執，沒有煩惱不淨，他已不受後有。

The theory of karma should not be confused with so-called 'moral justice' or 'reward and punishment'. The idea of moral justice, or reward and punishment, arises out of the conception of a supreme being, a God, who sits in judgment, who is a law-giver and who decides what is right and wrong. The term 'justice' is ambiguous and dangerous, and in its name more harm than good is done to humanity. The theory of karma is the theory of cause and effect, of action and reaction; it is a natural law, which has nothing to do with the idea of justice or reward and punishment. Every volitional action produces its effects or results. If a good action produces good effects and a bad action bad effects, it is not justice, or reward, or punishment meted out by anybody or any power sitting in judgment on your action, but this is in virtue of its own nature, its own law. This is not difficult to understand. But what is difficult is that, according to the karma theory, the effects of a volitional action may continue to manifest themselves even in a life after death. Here we have to explain what death is according to Buddhism.

業的理論，不可與『道德的正義』或『獎善懲惡』之說混為一談。獎善懲惡與道德的正義，是以一個最高的主宰——上帝的觀念為出發點的。上帝制造法律，君臨眾生，裁判是非。所謂『正義』一詞，意義含混。使用不當，危險甚大。假彼之名以危害人類者，實較造福為多。業的理論，就是因果的理論、動力與反動力的理論。這是自然律，與正義、獎懲的觀念毫不相干。每一個有意的行為，一定有它的效應和結果。善業得善果，惡業得惡果。不是正義，不是任何『人』或力量對你的行為加以裁判後所施于你的獎懲，而是因為這些行為的本質如此。這是它們本身的法則。這一點還不難懂。難懂的是：根據『業』的理論，意志行為的效果，即使在人死後，在來生仍能繼續呈現。在這里，我們必須依據佛教先解釋一下，死倒底是什麼？

We have seen earlier that a being is nothing but a combination physical and mental forces or energies. What we call death is the total non-functioning of the physical body. Do all these forces and energies stop altogether with the non-functioning of the body? Buddhism says 'No'. Will, volition, desire, thirst to exist, to continue, to become more and more, is a tremendous force that moves whole lives, whole existences, that even moves the whole world. This is the greatest force, the greatest energy in the world. According to Buddhism, this force does not stop with the non-functioning of the body, which is death; but it continues manifesting itself in another form, producing re-existence which is called rebirth.

前文曾說明：眾生者，不過是肉體與精神力量(能)的綜合。我們叫做死的東西，只是身體機能的全部停止而已。這身體機能停止之後，是否這一切的力量與能也全部停頓了呢？佛教說：『不然！』對于生存、持續、繁衍的意志、願力、欲望與渴愛，是一股極大的力量，大到足以推動整個生命、整個存在、整個世界。這是世界最大的力量、最大的『能』。根據佛教，這力量並不因身體機能的活動停頓——死亡——而止息。它繼續以另一形式呈現，而造成稱為再生的後有。

Now, another question arises: If there is no permanent, unchanging entity or substance like Self or Soul (ātman), what is it that can re-exist or be reborn after death? Before we can go on to life after death, let us consider what this life is, and how it continues now. What we call life, as we have so often repeated, is the combination of the Five Aggregates, a combination of physical and mental energies. These are constantly changing: they do not remain the same for two consecutive moments. Every moment they are born and they die. 'When the Aggregates arise, decay and die, O bhikkhu, every moment you are born, decay and die[16] .' Thus, even now during this life time, every moment we are born and die, but we continue. If we can understand that in this life we can continue without a permanent, unchanging substance like Self or Soul, why can't we understand that those forces themselves can continue without a Self or a Soul behind them after then non-functioning of the body?

現在又生起另外一個問題：如果沒有永恆不變的實體如『自我』、『神我』者，那末這個在死後仍能受有、仍能再生的是什麼呢？在進一步討論死後的生命之前，我們先來研究一下現生是什麼？以及它如何持續？我們已經一再重複的說過，所謂生命乃是五蘊和合而成，是肉體與精神力量的綜合。這些力量時刻在變，沒有兩個相續的剎那是相同的。每一剎那，它們生起又立刻死亡。『五蘊生起、變壞、死亡的時後，比丘啊！那每一剎那，你也生起、變壞、死亡。』﹝注十三﹞所以在今生一生當中，每一剎那我們都在生了又死，死了又生，而我依舊繼續存在。假使我們能夠了解，在今生中，我們沒有一個永恆不變的實體如『自我』、『神我』者，而能繼續存在，為什麼我們就不能了解在身體機能的活動停頓之後，這力量仍能不假助于『自我』、『神我』而繼續存在呢？

When this physical body is no more capable of functioning, energies do not die with it, but continue to take some other shape or form, which we call another life. In a child all the physical, mental and intellectual faculties are tender and weak, but they have within them the potentiality of producing a full grown man. Physical and mental energies which constitute the so-called being have within themselves the power to take a new form, and grow gradually and gather force to the full.

物質的身體不再活動的時後，『能』並不隨之消失。它繼續形成另外一種形態，就是我們叫做另一生命的東西。兒童的身體與心智機能都非常嬌嫩、柔弱，可是其中卻含有成長為發育完全的成人的勢能。構成所謂眾生的身心的能，其中即含有形成新色身、並使之逐漸長成及充份發育的力量。

As there is no permanent, unchanging substance, nothing passes from one moment to the next. So quite obviously, nothing permanent or unchanging can pass or transmigrate from one life to the next. It is a series that continues unbroken, but changes every moment. The series is, really speaking, nothing but movement. It is like a flame that burns through the night: it is not the same flame nor it is another. A child grows up to be a man of sixty. Certainly the man of sixty is not the same as the child of sixty years ago, nor is he another person. Similarly, a person who dies here and is reborn elsewhere is nether the same person, nor another (na ca so na ca aňňo). It is the continuity of the same series. The difference between death and birth is only a thought-moment: the last thought-moment in this life conditions the first thought-moment in the so-called next life, which, in fact, is the continuity of the same series. During this life itself, too, one thought-moment conditions the next thought-moment. So from the Buddhist point of view, the question of life after death is not a great mystery, and a Buddhist is never worried about this problem.

因為沒有永恆不滅的實體，所以並沒有任何東西可以從這一剎那度到另一剎那。因而，很明顯的，也就沒有任何恆常不變的東西可以從今生投向他生。生命只是剎那變化而相繼不斷的一個系列。這系列，實在講起來，只是一連串的運動。它就像一朵徹夜長明的燈焰。(從初夜到天明)它既非同一焰，也不是另一焰。一個小孩成長為六十老翁。當然的，這六十老翁與六十年前的稚子不會一樣，可是他也不是另一個人。同樣地，一個人在此地死了，在另一個地方又生了下來；這兩者既非同一人，亦非另一人。他仍是同一系列的繼續。死與生的差別只在一念頃間。此生的最後一念頃，便決定了所謂下一生的最初一念頃。這下一生實際上仍是此生同一系列的延續。就在此生中，亦復如是。此一念頃便是構成下一念頃的要件。因此，從佛教的觀點看，生死的問題並不是什麼大神秘。佛教徒對這問題是素不掛懷的。

As long as there is this 'thirst' to be and to become, the cycle of continuity (samsāra) goes on. It can stop only when its driving force, this 'thirst', is cut off through wisdom which sees Reality, Truth, Nirvāna.

只是求生、求存的『渴(愛)』存在一天，生死相續的輪迴，就將不停的流轉。只有以智慧照見實相、真理、涅槃，將它的動力『渴(愛)』切斷了，這輪迴才會停止轉動。

[1] Mhvg. (Alutgama, 1922), p. 9; S V (PTS), p. 421 and passim.

[2] Vedanāsamudayā tanhāsamudayo. M I (PTS), p. 51

[3] See p.53.

[4] Abhisamuc, p. 43, prādhānyārtha, sarvatragārtha.

[5] See Vibh. (PTS), p. 106 ff.

[6] M I (PTS), p. 51; S II p. 72; Vibh. P. 380.

[7] M I, p. 86.

[8] Ibid., p. 48.

[9] It is interesting to compare this 'mental volition' with 'libido' in modern psychology.

[10] MA I (PTS), p. 210.

[11] Manosaňcetanā' ti cetanā eva vuccati. MA I (PTS), p. 209.

[12] See above p. 22.

[13] S II (PTS), p. 100. The three forms of 'thirst' are: (1) Thirst for sense-pleasures, (2) Thirst for existence and becoming, and (3) Thirst for non-existence, as given in the definition of samudaya 'arising of dukkha' above.

[14] See above p. 22.

[15] M III (PTS), p. 280; S IV, pp. 47, 107; V, p. 423 and passim.

[16] Prmj. I (PTS), p. 78 'Khandhese jāyamānesu jiyamānesu miyamānesu ca khane khane ivam bhikkhu jāyase ca jiyase ca miyase ca.' This is quoted in the Paramatthajotikā Commentary as the Buddha's own words. So far I have not been able to trace this passage back to its original text.

注釋：

一：見一九二二年阿陸葛瑪版律藏大品第九頁；巴利文學會版《雜部經》第五集第四二一頁及其他各處。

二：見巴利文學會版《中部經》第一集第五十一頁。

三：見《阿毗達摩集論》第四十三頁。

四：見巴利文學會版《毗崩伽》(分別論)第一零六頁以次各頁。

五：見巴利文學會版《中部經》第一集第五十一頁；《雜部經》第二集第七十二頁；《毗崩伽》第三八零頁。

六：見巴利文學會版《中部經》第一集第八十六頁。

七：見巴利文學會版《中部經》第一集第四十八頁

八：所謂『思食』與現代心理中之libido(性本能、生命的泉源)可成一有趣的對比。

九：見巴利文學會版學《中部經》覺音疏第一集第二一零頁。

十：見同書二零九頁。

十一：見巴利文學會版《雜部經》第二集第一零零頁。三種渴(愛)是(一)感官享受的渴求(欲愛)，(二)生與存的渴求(有愛)，(三)不再存在的渴求(無有愛)。前文集諦——苦之生起的定義中，業已列舉。

十二：見巴利文學會版《中部經》第三集第二八零頁；。《雜部經》第四集第四十七頁及一零七頁；第五集第四二三頁及其他各處。

十三：根據《小部經》集覺音疏(巴利文學會版)第七十八頁，此語系佛親口所說。但著者迄未能查得其原文出處。