Mindfulness In Plain English - Chapter 14: Mindfulness Versus Concentration

Mindfulness In Plain English

佛教禪修直解

by Mahathera Henepola Gunaratana

德寶法師著作 梁國雄居士譯

Chapter 14: Mindfulness Versus Concentration

第十四章 止與觀

Vipassana meditation is something of a mental balancing act. You are going to be cultivating two separate qualities of the mind–mindfulness and concentration. Ideally these two work together as a team. They pull in tandem, so to speak. Therefore it is important to cultivate them side-by-side and in a balanced manner. If one of the factors is strengthened at the expense of the other, the balance of the mind is lost and meditation impossible.

內觀禪(Insight Meditation)的修習，多少有點像心理平衡活動，你將要培育兩種不同的心理品質── 止與觀；「止」是定力或集中力，「觀」是觀察力、敏銳的覺知力或靜觀力。理想上兩者必須協力合作，它們可以說是串聯地運作的，所以，重要的是確保兩者能平衡地、肩並肩地一起培育和發展，如果要犧牲一個來發展另一個要素，心理就會失去平衡，禪修亦難繼續進行。

Concentration and mindfulness are distinctly different functions. They each have their role to play in meditation, and the relationship between them is definite and delicate. Concentration is often called one-pointedness of mind. It consists of forcing the mind to remain on one static point. Please note the word FORCE.

止與觀是截然不同的功能，在禪修中各別扮演不同的角色，它們之間的關系既明確又微妙。止常被說成是心的一境性(One-pointedness of Mind)[1]，它是通過強迫心固定在某一靜態點上而成就的。請注意「強迫」這個字眼，在很大程度上，止的確似強迫性活動，它可以經由強迫力── 純粹不懈的意志力去發展，且在發展後仍會保持此韻味。在另一方面，觀是一種微妙的功能，它可令你達至精煉的感覺能力。兩者是禪修工作中的夥伴，觀是敏感的那個人，他負責覺察事物；止則提供力量，他令注意力持續固定在某個目標上。理想地，他們的關系應如下述：觀選擇要注意的事物，並且監視著心，看它有否離開正道(離開注意應注意的事物)，止做的實際工作是要保持注意力穩定地停留在所選目標(對象)之上，如果兩夥伴中任何一個衰弱，禪修便會走錯路。

Concentration is pretty much a forced type of activity. It can be developed by force, by sheer unremitting willpower. And once developed, it retains some of that forced flavor. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is a delicate function leading to refined sensibilities. These two are partners in the job of meditation. Mindfulness is the sensitive one. He notices things. Concentration provides the power. He keeps the attention pinned down to one item. Ideally, mindfulness is in this relationship. Mindfulness picks the objects of attention, and notices when the attention has gone astray. Concentration does the actual work of holding the attention steady on that chosen object. If either of these partners is weak, your meditation goes astray.

止可定義為：能一心一意、不間斷地集中精神于一目標上的心理機能。必須強調，真正的止是健康的心的一境性，即是說，那止的心態是遠離貪瞋癡等根本煩惱的。不健康的心的一境性亦有可能，不過，它是不能助你解脫的；你可以在欲念中一心一意，但于解脫毫不管用；不間斷地集中心意于你的嫌惡目標上，對你亦絲毫無助。事實上，此類不健康的止，縱使獲得，亦甚短暫，尤其是用來危害他人的時候。真正的止本身是沒有這些(貪瞋癡等)污染物的，心意在止的狀態中被凝聚起來，從而增加力量與強度。我們或可把它比喻為一面凸透鏡，平行的日光光線若直射紙上，最多只能令紙溫暖，若經過一面凸透鏡再聚焦到紙上，則紙很快就會燃燒起來。止的功能就像那面凸透鏡，它凝聚烈焰般的強烈心力，好讓我們看到內心深處的區域。觀則選擇目標，好讓那面凸透鏡凝聚心力，以及通過那面凸透鏡，仔細地觀察那里的東西。

Concentration could be defined as that faculty of the mind which focuses single mindedly on one object without interruption. It must be emphasized that true concentration is a wholesome one-pointedness of mind. That is, the state is free from greed, hatred and delusion. Unwholesome one-pointedness is also possible, but it will not lead to liberation. You can be very single-minded in a state of lust. But that gets you nowhere. Uninterrupted focus on something that you hate does not help yo at all. In fact, such unwholesome concentration is fairly short-lived even when it is achieved–especially when it is used to harm others. True concentration itself is free from such contaminants. It is a state in which the mind is gathered together and thus gains power and intensity. We might use the analogy of a lens. Parallel waves of sunlight falling on a piece of paper will do no more than warm the surface. But the same amount of light, when focused through a lens, falls on a single point and the paper bursts into flames. Concentration is the lens. It produces the burning intensity necessary to see into the deeper reaches of the mind. Mindfulness selects the object that the lens will focus on and looks through the lens to see what is there.

止應被視為一件工具，像任何工具一樣，它可以被善用或惡用，一把尖刀可以用來創作一件精美的雕刻品，亦可用來傷害他人，那全看用刀者的心意。止亦如是，正當地運用它，止有助我們達致解脫，但它也可為我們的「自我」服務，在成就事業與競爭架構中運作。你可用止去支配他人，亦可用止去謀取私利。真正的問題是：單獨的止不能幫你透視和了解自己，它不能令你得到啟發，明白到自私自利的問題，以及苦的本性；它可用來發掘深層次的心態，可是，即使如此，仍未能了解隱藏著的自私自利的勢力，只有觀能做得到，如果沒有觀在場去直視那面凸透鏡所暴露出來的東西，也是徒勞無功的。只有觀可了解，只有觀可帶給你智慧。除此之外，止還有其他局限與缺陷。

Concentration should be regarded as a tool. Like any tool, it can be used for good or for ill. A sharp knife can be used to create a beautiful carving or to harm someone. It is all up to the one who uses the knife. Concentration is similar. Properly used, it can assist you towards liberation. But it can also be used in the service of the ego. It can operate in the framework of achievement and competition. You can use concentration to dominate others. You can use it to be selfish. The real problem is that concentration alone will not give you a perspective on yourself. It won’t throw light on the basic problems of selfishness and the nature of suffering. It can be used to dig down into deep psychological states. But even then, the forces of egotism won’t be understood. Only mindfulness can do that. If mindfulness is not there to look into the lens and see what has been uncovered, then it is all for nothing. Only mindfulness understands. Only mindfulness brings wisdom. Concentration has other limitations, too.

Really deep concentration can only take place under certain specific conditions. Buddhists go to a lot of trouble to build meditation halls and monasteries. Their main purpose is to create a physical environment free of distractions in which to learn this skill. No noise, no interruptions. Just as important, however, is the creation of a distraction-free emotional environment. The development of concentration will be blocked by the presence of certain mental states which we call the five hindrances. They are greed for sensual pleasure, hatred, mental lethargy, restlessness, and mental vacillation. We have examined these mental states more fully in Chapter 12.

真正深度的止只有在特定的條件下才會出現。佛教徒挖空心思去建造禪堂與寺廟，主要目的不過是想營造一極少干擾的居住環境，好讓禪修能順利進行。除了安靜和少干擾的居住環境外，營造一免除情緒干擾的環境，亦同樣重要。若有五蓋障，止將難于發展，那五蓋障就是：貪、瞋、疑、掉舉(散亂)或昏沉等五種內心障礙。我們在第十二章中已對此五蓋障作了詳細的敘述。

A monastery is a controlled environment where this sort of emotional noise is kept to a minimum. No members of the opposite sex are allowed to live together there. Therefore, there is less opportunity for lust. No possessions are allowed. Therefore, no ownership squabbles and less chance for greed and coveting. Another hurdle for concentration should also be mentioned. In really deep concentration, you get so absorbed in the object of concentration that you forget all about trifles. Like your body, for instance, and your identity and everything around you. Here again the monastery is a useful convenience. It is nice to know that there is somebody to take care of you by watching over all the mundane matters of food and physical security. Without such assurance, one hesitates to go as deeply into concentration as one might.

一座管理完善的寺廟，可令情緒干擾減至最低。例如：僧尼不同住，可減少產生對異性的貪欲；不私蓄財物，可免除對財物擁有權的爭吵與貪求。有關止的另一個障礙亦要一提，當達至真正深度的止時，由于已全神貫注于禪修目標上，自會忘記其他瑣事，例如：你的身體、身份、身外的其他東西等，于此情勢，寺廟又再成為有用及方便之所，因為，知道有人看護你、照顧你日常的飲食與安全，是十分令人安慰的；沒有這些保證，想隨意進入真正深度的止，任何人也會躊躇不前的。

Mindfulness, on the other hand, is free from all these drawbacks. Mindfulness is not dependent on any such particular circumstance, physical or otherwise. It is a pure noticing factor. Thus it is free to notice whatever comes up–lust, hatred, or noise. Mindfulness is not limited by any condition. It exists to some extent in every moment, in every circumstance that arises. Also, mindfulness has no fixed object of focus. It observes change. Thus it has an unlimited number of objects of attention. It just looks at whatever is passing through the mind and it does not categorize. Distractions and interruptions are noticed with the same amount of attention as the formal objects of meditation. In a state of pure mindfulness your attention just flows along with whatever changes are taking place in the mind. “Shift, shift, shift. Now this, now this, and now this.”

觀卻沒有這些弊端，觀並不依賴上述的任何環境，它只是一個純粹的覺知要素， 因此，無論有什麼出現── 貪、瞋或各種聲音，它都可自由地去覺知它們。觀不受任何條件或情況所限，在任何時刻與境況，它都會有某程度的存在。此外，觀並沒有固定的專注目標，它觀察轉變，因此，它有可注意的無限量目標，它只注視任何飄過心中的東西而不去歸類，覺知到分神與干擾的注意力分量，與覺知到禪修主要目標的注意力分量相同，在純粹覺知狀態中，你的注意會隨心內任何發生的轉變而流動── 「轉移、轉移、轉移，此刻如是、此刻如是、而此刻又如是。」

You can’t develop mindfulness by force. Active teeth gritting willpower won’t do you any good at all. As a matter of fact, it will hinder progress. Mindfulness cannot be cultivated by struggle. It grows by realizing, by letting go, by just settling down in the moment and letting yourself get comfortable with whatever you are experiencing. This does not mean that mindfulness happens all by itself. Far from it. Energy is required. Effort is required. But this effort is different from force. Mindfulness is cultivated by a gentle effort, by effortless effort. The meditator cultivates mindfulness by constantly reminding himself in a gentle way to maintain his awareness of whatever is happening right now. Persistence and a light touch are the secrets. Mindfulness is cultivated by constantly pulling oneself back to a state of awareness, gently, gently, gently.

你不能用強迫力去發展觀[2]，積極咬緊牙關式的意志力運用，對你並無幫助，事實上，它只會造成妨礙。觀不能經由努力掙扎去發展，它的發展有賴了解、去執、在此刻安頓下來、以及讓自己安于任何形式的體驗。這並不等于說觀可完全自發，事實遠非如此，精力、努力是需要的。不過，此努力與前述的強迫力不同。觀的培育有賴溫和的努力，禪修者在培育觀時，會柔和地不斷提醒自己，要保持覺知任何在此刻發生的事情，堅持與輕描淡寫是修觀秘訣。想發展觀，就要輕柔地、和緩地、友善地不斷抽離自己，回到覺知的心態中。

Mindfulness can’t be used in any selfish way, either. It is nonegoistic alertness. There is no ‘me’ in a state of pure mindfulness. So there is no self to be selfish. On the contrary, it is mindfulness which gives you the real perspective on yourself. It allows you to take that crucial mental step backward from your own desires and aversions so that you can then look and say, “Ah ha, so that’s how I really am.”

觀也不能以自私自利的方式去運用，它是無我的警愓，在觀的狀態中並沒有「我」，所以，並沒有「我」去自私自利。剛好相反，是觀令你透徹了解自己的真正本性。它讓你內心從貪瞋中采取決定性的後退一步，從而可以讓你看清楚之後說：「哦！原來真正的我是這個樣子的。」

In a state of mindfulness, you see yourself exactly as you are. You see your own selfish behavior. You see your own suffering. And you see how you create that suffering. You see how you hurt others. You pierce right through the layer of lies that you normally tell yourself and you see what is really there. Mindfulness leads to wisdom.

在觀的狀態中，你如實地看到自己，你看到自己的自私自利行為，你看到自己的苦惱，而且，你看到自己是怎樣制造苦惱的，你看到自己怎樣傷害別人，你刺穿一層一層習以為常的自欺謊言，而你亦看到那里的真相，所以說：觀能導致智慧。

Mindfulness is not trying to achieve anything. It is just looking. Therefore, desire and aversion are not involved. Competition and struggle for achievement have no place in the process. Mindfulness does not aim at anything. It just sees whatever is already there.

觀不會嘗試去獲得任何成就，它只是不斷地觀察，因此，貪瞋不會被牽涉在內，在觀的過程中，為獲得成就而出現的競賽與爭斗亦無立足之地。觀並沒有固定的專注目標，它只觀察著任何出現在那里的事物。

Mindfulness is a broader and larger function than concentration. it is an all-encompassing function. Concentration is exclusive. It settles down on one item and ignores everything else. Mindfulness is inclusive. It stands back from the focus of attention and watches with a broad focus, quick to notice any change that occurs.

觀對止來說，是較為廣大的功能，它是無所不包的功能；而止是排外的(Exclusive)，它只會固定在某一項目上，而忽視所有其他東西。觀是包括的(Inclusive)，它站在注意的焦點後面，用較寬的焦距觀察著，敏捷地察覺著生起的任何變化。

If you have focused the mind on a stone, concentration will see only the stone. Mindfulness stands back from this process, aware of the stone, aware of the concentration focusing on the stone, aware of the intensity of that focus and instantly aware of the shift of attention when concentration is distracted. It is mindfulness which notices the distraction which has occurred, and it is mindfulness which redirects the attention to the stone. Mindfulness is more difficult to cultivate than concentration because it is a deeper-reaching function. Concentration is merely focusing of the mind, rather like a laser beam. It has the power to burn its way deep into the mind and illuminate what is there. But it does not understand what it sees. Mindfulness can examine the mechanics of selfishness and understand what it sees. Mindfulness can pierce the mystery of suffering and the mechanism of discomfort. Mindfulness can make you free.

若你用心凝視一塊石頭，止可令你看到的是一塊石頭；觀則站在此過程後面，覺察到那塊石頭、覺察到止如何集中于那塊石頭上、覺察到那集中力的強度、也會立即覺察到注意隨分心出現時的轉移。分心出現後，是觀察覺出來的；帶領注意回到石塊上，也是觀所做的。觀較止更難培育，因為觀是一種要達到更為深邃之處的功能。止做的只不過是集中心意，有點像雷射光束，它有燃燒力量直透內心深處，照亮著那里發生的一切，但它不明所見；觀則能詳細檢查自私自利的技倆，明白所見的一切；觀能刺穿苦惱的神秘面紗與內心不安的機制；觀能令你得到解脫。

There is, however, another Catch-22. Mindfulness does not react to what it sees. It just sees and understands. Mindfulness is the essence of patience. Therefore, whatever you see must be simply accepted, acknowledged and dispassionately observed. This is not easy, but it is utterly necessary. We are ignorant. We are selfish and greedy and boastful. We lust and we lie. These are facts. Mindfulness means seeing these facts and being patient with ourselves, accepting ourselves as we are. That goes against the grain. We don’t want to accept. We want to deny it. Or change it, or justify it. But acceptance is the essence of mindfulness. If we want to grow in mindfulness we must accept what mindfulness finds. It may be boredom, irritation, or fear. It may be weakness, inadequacy, or faults. Whatever it is, that is the way we are. That is what is real.

觀還有另一個困境── 觀不會對看到的東西有所反應，它只看視和理解。觀是忍耐的要素，因此，無論你看到什麼，你必須單純地接受、承認、以及冷靜地觀察。這樣做並不容易，但卻完全必須。我們是無知的、自私自利的、貪得無厭的、愛自夸的，我們縱欲、說謊，這些都是事實。觀的意義，是要一面看著這些事實，一面對自己耐心地忍受，接受著如是的自己。這樣做與人性相違，我們是不會接受的，我們想否定、改變它們、或對它們作出種種辯解。可是，接受是觀的精髓，如果我們要觀有所進步，就得接受任何觀所發現的東西，那可能是厭倦、煩躁、或恐懼，亦可能是軟弱、不足、或缺陷。無論那是什麼，全都是我們的現況，全都是真實不虛。

Mindfulness simply accepts whatever is there. If you want to grow in mindfulness, patient acceptance is the only route. Mindfulness grows only one way: by continuous practice of mindfulness, by simply trying to be mindful, and that means being patient. The process cannot be forced and it cannot be rushed. It proceeds at its own pace.

觀只單純地接受任何現前的事物，如果你想發展觀，有耐性地接受是唯一途徑。觀的發展只有一種方式，那就是持續地去修習觀、單純地去嘗試觀，這意味著要保持耐性，過程中不可太勉強或猛攻，它有自己前進的步伐。

Concentration and mindfulness go hand-in-hand in the job of meditation. Mindfulness directs the power of concentration. Mindfulness is the manager of the operation. Concentration furnishes the power by which mindfulness can penetrate into the deepest level of the mind. Their cooperation results in insight and understanding. These must be cultivated together in a balanced ratio. Just a bit more emphasis is given to mindfulness because mindfulness is the center of meditation. The deepest levels of concentration are not really needed to do the job of liberation. Still, a balance is essential. Too much awareness without calm to balance it will result in a wildly over sensitized state similar to abusing LSD. Too much concentration without a balancing ratio of awareness will result in the ‘Stone Buddha’ syndrome. The meditator gets so tranquilized that he sits there like a rock. Both of these are to be avoided.

在禪修工作中，止與觀是手拉手地協辦的，觀引導止的力量，觀是運作過程的總管，止提供力量予觀，好讓觀能通達內心至深之處，它們的合作可導致(對現實的)洞察與理解。這些運作要同時用平衡的方式來培育，可稍為著重觀，因為觀是禪修的中心，而至深程度的止對解脫工作實際無益。平衡仍是必要的，太多的覺察(觀)若無平靜(止)去平衡，會導致像濫用迷幻藥那樣失控的過敏狀態，太深的止而無比例上相稱的觀來平衡，亦會令人生起石佛綜合症(『Stone Buddha』 Syndrome) ── 禪修者安靜得像一塊不知不覺的石頭。兩者皆要盡量避免。

The initial stages of mental cultivation are especially delicate. Too much emphasis on mindfulness at this point will actually retard the development of concentration. When getting started in meditation, one of the first things you will notice is how incredibly active the mind really is. The Theravada tradition calls this phenomenon ‘monkey mind’. The Tibetan tradition likens it to a waterfall of thought. If you emphasize the awareness function at this point, there will be so much to be aware of that concentration will be impossible. Don’t get discouraged. This happens to everybody. And there is a simple solution. Put most of your effort into one-pointedness at the beginning. Just keep calling the attention from wandering over and over again. Tough it out. Full instructions on how to do this are in Chapters 7 and 8. A couple of months down the track and you will have developed concentration power. Then you can start pumping you energy into mindfulness. Do not, however, go so far with concentration that you find yourself going into a stupor.

心智培育(禪修)在最初階段會稍為微妙、棘手，此時若太著重觀，必會減慢止的發展。在開始禪修時，你會驚訝地發覺，心原來是如此活躍難馴的，南傳佛教稱之為「像猴子般的心」，藏傳佛教把它比喻為「像瀑布般的心」。此時若太著重觀，由于有太多事物要觀察，要止是不可能的。不用失望，很多人都遇過這種情況，幸好，有一個簡單的解決辦法── 在開始時，把你的大部分努力放在止上，只須不斷地、重複地把分散的注意力喚回到禪修目標上即可，要堅持捱過去，詳細說明可參閱第七章與第八章。如是修習數個月後，你的止自會有所增進，到時，你才可調配多些精力去發展觀。不管怎樣，不要過分修止，以免陷入迷糊或昏沉之境。

Mindfulness still is the more important of the two components. It should be built as soon as you comfortably can do so. Mindfulness provides the needed foundation for the subsequent development of deeper concentration. Most blunders in this area of balance will correct themselves in time. Right concentration develops naturally in the wake of strong mindfulness. The more you develop the noticing factor, the quicker you will notice the distraction and the quicker you will pull out of it and return to the formal object of attention. The natural result is increased concentration. And as concentration develops, it assists the development of mindfulness. The more concentration power you have, the less chance there is of launching off on a long chain of analysis about the distraction. You simply note the distraction and return your attention to where it is supposed to be.

觀仍是兩者中較重要的一個，一旦時機合適，就要馬上增進。觀可提供必需的基礎讓較深的止往後發展，而大部分的平衡錯失將會隨時間而得到更正。隨著強大的觀力生起，正定亦會自然發展。你越加修習觀，就越快覺察到分心，亦會越快把心(注意)拉回到禪修目標上，結果自然是較強的止。而止的增強又會幫助觀的發展。止力越強，分心及隨後有關分心的思維分析亦會越少。你只須單純地注意分心，隨即令注意回到禪修目標上即可。

Thus the two factors tend to balance and support each other’s growth quite naturally. Just about the only rule you need to follow at this point is to put your effort on concentration at the beginning, until the monkey mind phenomenon has cooled down a bit. After that, emphasize mindfulness. If you find yourself getting frantic, emphasize concentration. If you find yourself going into a stupor, emphasize mindfulness. Overall, mindfulness is the one to emphasize.

以此方式，兩者很自然地朝著相互支持與平衡對方的發展而前進。于此要守的唯一規則是：開始時要主力發展止，當散亂心稍為靜下來時，就可著重發展觀了。如果發現自己有點忙亂，要著重修止；如果感到昏沉，就要著重修觀。整體來說，觀是要著重的一個。

Mindfulness guides your development in meditation because mindfulness has the ability to be aware of itself. It is mindfulness which will give you a perspective on your practice. Mindfulness will let you know how you are doing. But don’t worry too much about that. This is not a race. You are not in competition with anybody, and there is no schedule.

觀可指導禪修的發展，因為觀有能力覺察自身。是觀令你看到自己的修習，了解到自己是怎麼樣修習的。可是，不要太憂慮這些東西，這不是賽跑或與人競賽，也無時間表限制。

One of the most difficult things to learn is that mindfulness is not dependent on any emotional or mental state. We have certain images of meditation. Meditation is something done in quiet caves by tranquil people who move slowly. Those are training conditions. They are set up to foster concentration and to learn the skill of mindfulness. Once you have learned that skill, however, you can dispense with the training restrictions, and you should. You don’t need to move at a snail’s pace to be mindful. You don’t even need to be calm. You can be mindful while solving problems in intensive calculus. You can be mindful in the middle of a football scrimmage. You can even be mindful in the midst of a raging fury. Mental and physical activities are no bar to mindfulness. If you find your mind extremely active, then simply observe the nature and degree of that activity. It is just a part of the passing show within.

其中之一最難學到的是，觀並不取決于任何情緒或心態。我們對禪修存有某些片面影像，以為禪修是一些慢慢走動的安靜的人，在安靜的山洞內所作的一些事情，其實那些東西只是訓練助緣，采用它們有助止觀技巧的培育和發展，一旦學懂，你可以、亦有必要去解除那些訓練束縛，你不用像蝸牛般緩慢步行才可修觀，你亦無須保持安靜，其實，就算在解決微積分數學難題時、在足球比賽混戰中，你也可修觀；甚至在盛怒中，你也可以修觀，身心活動是禁不了觀的。如果你發覺內心非常活躍，可單純地觀察那活躍的程度與性質，你會發覺，那只不過是你內部流逝景象的一部分吧了。

【注釋】

[1] 心的一境性(One-pointedness of Mind)：即佛教所稱的「心一境性」或「定」，是心念高度集中時的境界。令心停留(專注)于一境而不散亂，久而久之，便可得「定」。[2] 你不能用強迫力去發展觀：強迫性做法是止的技巧，尤其是要集中心念觀察某一痛點時，或要降伏內心的煩惱與掙扎反應時難免要運用。請參閱上文第二段及《中阿含經》內的《念處經》及《增上心經》等。要了解的是，在禪修初期，止與觀的活動是甚難分得清的，只有在達至近分定或初禪時，始可不用費力地去觀。希望行者留意，不可見人在禪修時有奮力精進等行為表現時即妄言不妥。