Mindfulness In Plain English - Chapter 13: Mindfulness (Sati)

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 13: Mindfulness (Sati)

第十三章靜觀(Mindfulness)的闡釋

Mindfulness is the English translation of the Pali word Sati. Sati is an activity. What exactly is that? There can be no precise answer, at least not in words. Words are devised by the symbolic levels of the mind and they describe those realities with which symbolic thinking deals. Mindfulness is pre-symbolic. It is not shackled to logic. Nevertheless, Mindfulness can be experienced – rather easily – and it can be described, as long as you keep in mind that the words are only fingers pointing at the moon. They are not the thing itself. The actual experience lies beyond the words and above the symbols. Mindfulness could be describes in completely different terms than will be used here and each description could still be correct. Mindfulness is a subtle process that you are using at this very moment. The fact that this process lies above and beyond words does not make it unreal–quite the reverse.

Sati 是巴利文，它的英譯多為Mindfulness，中文的古譯為「念、念住、正念或觀照」等，但今譯則多為「觀、靜觀、留意覺察、留意覺知、留意觀察、專注、覺知、覺察、觀察、注意」等。【譯者注：Sati 與Mindfulness 皆有憶念、惦記、密切注意、覺知、專注等意思，但欲了解其禪修涵義，非參閱《念住經》[1]或《念處經》等經文不可。作者在本章中的闡釋，可謂深入淺出，幫了我們一個很大的忙。譯者為了方便讀者理解，決定根據不同的上下文義，給Mindfulness 以適切的不同翻譯。】Sati 是一種活動，它真實的意思是什麼？確實的答案恐怕找不到，至少很難用文字來表達。文字是心設計出來的符號，它們描述的真實是符號思維要處理的東西，而靜觀所處理的，是在符號之前的真實，故不受符號邏輯所束縛。儘管如此，靜觀頗為容易被體驗，亦可被描述，只須緊記，文字只不過像指著月亮的手指，文字不是其所指的東西本身。實際的經驗皆超越文字與符號的范圍。靜觀可以用全然不同于本書的術語來描述，而每一描述也可以是正確的。

Mindfulness is the reality which gives rise to words–the words that follow are simply pale shadows of reality. So, it is important to understand that everything that follows here is analogy. It is not going to make perfect sense. It will always remain beyond verbal logic. But you can experience it. The meditation technique called Vipassana (insight) that was introduced by the Buddha about twenty-five centuries ago is a set of mental activities specifically aimed at experiencing a state of uninterrupted Mindfulness.

靜觀是你在當下正在運用的一種微妙過程，它超越文字，但此事實不會讓它變成不真實，正好相反，靜觀是引發文字的真實，隨後而來的文字只是真實的影子而已。因此，重要的是要了解，以下所述的一切皆是比喻而已，並沒有太大的意義。靜觀永遠超越語言文字的邏輯，不過你可以體驗它。佛陀在二千五百多年前所介紹的內觀禪修技巧，是一套專門用來體驗無間斷靜觀狀態的心理活動。

When you first become aware of something, there is a fleeting instant of pure awareness just before you conceptualize the thing, before you identify it. That is a stage of Mindfulness. Ordinarily, this stage is very short. It is that flashing split second just as you focus your eyes on the thing, just as you focus your mind on the thing, just before you objectify it, clamp down on it mentally and segregate it from the rest of existence. It takes place just before you start thinking about it–before your mind says, “Oh, it’s a dog.”

當你開始覺知某物，就在你將它概念化或確認之前，總會有一瞬間的純粹覺知，那是一種覺知狀態，通常歷時短暫；就在你集中視力于某物，就在你集中心力于某物，就在你把它具體化(Objectify)、在心里鎖定它、並從其他事物中抽離出來之前那一瞬間。它發生在你開始想它之前，就在你心里說：「啊！它是一只狗。」

That flowing, soft-focused moment of pure awareness is Mindfulness. In that brief flashing mind-moment you experience a thing as an un-thing. You experience a softly flowing moment of pure experience that is interlocked with the rest of reality, not separate from it. Mindfulness is very much like what you see with your peripheral vision as opposed to the hard focus of normal or central vision. Yet this moment of soft, unfocused, awareness contains a very deep sort of knowing that is lost as soon as you focus your mind and objectify the object into a thing. In the process of ordinary perception, the Mindfulness step is so fleeting as to be unobservable.

之前就發生了。那流動的、柔和聚焦的瞬間純粹覺知就是靜觀。在那電光火石間的短暫時間里，你經驗到的東西皆非實在的東西。你體驗到一柔和流動的、瞬間消逝的純粹經驗，它與其他實際事物環環相扣，而非分離。靜觀好比以周邊視覺去看，而非以正常的中央視覺去看。然而，此瞬間的柔和而非集中的覺知，包含著一種非常深邃的洞悉，那是當你集中心意和把事物具體化時即會消失的能力。在平常的知覺過程中，靜觀階段瞬即飛逝，乃至常被忽略；

We have developed the habit of squandering our attention on all the remaining steps, focusing on the perception, recognizing the perception, labeling it, and most of all, getting involved in a long string of symbolic thought about it. That original moment of Mindfulness is rapidly passed over. It is the purpose of the above mentioned Vipassana (or insight) meditation to train us to prolong that moment of awareness.

于是，我們養成了只注意知覺過程其他階段的習慣，把焦點放在知覺、認知到知覺、標籤，以及大部分時間花在與之有關的符號思維之中，以致原來的瞬間靜觀一閃即逝。前面提過的內觀禪修，其目的就是要訓練我們去延長此瞬間的覺知時間。

When this Mindfulness is prolonged by using proper techniques, you find that this experience is profound and it changes your entire view of the universe. This state of perception has to be learned, however, and it takes regular practice. Once you learn the technique, you will find that Mindfulness has many interesting aspects.

利用適當技巧把靜觀延長後，你將有一深刻體驗，它會改變你的整個世界觀。然而，這認識層次必須通過學習與持續的定時練習始得。一旦學會此技巧，你將發現靜觀有很多方面都是非常有趣的。

The Characteristics of Mindfulness Mindfulness is mirror-thought. It reflects only what is presently happening and in exactly the way it is happening. There are no biases.

靜觀的特質

(1) 靜觀好像一面心鏡。它只會反映當下正在發生的事情或現象，而且是如其實在的反映，沒有任何偏見。

Mindfulness is non-judgmental observation. It is that ability of the mind to observe without criticism. With this ability, one sees things without condemnation or judgment. One is surprised by nothing. One simply takes a balanced interest in things exactly as they are in their natural states. One does not decide and does not judge. One just observes. Please note that when we say “One does not decide and does not judge,” what we mean is that the meditator observes experiences very much like a scientist observing an object under the microscope without any preconceived notions, only to see the object exactly as it is. In the same way the meditator notices impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and selflessness.

(2) 靜觀是無判斷的觀察。它是內心那種不加批判的觀察能力。憑藉此能力，人才可以沒有責難、沒有判斷地來觀看事物，他不會為任何事物而驚訝，他只是大公無私地、如實地看待任何事物的自然狀態，他不判斷，也不決定，只是觀察。請留意，當我們說：「他不判斷，也不決定」時，我們的意思是，這位禪修者在觀察經驗時，十分像科學家用顯微鏡觀察物件，心中沒有任何先入為主的想法，只是如實地觀看那物件。禪修者也是以同樣的方式來留意觀察無常、苦及無我。

It is psychologically impossible for us to objectively observe what is going on within us if we do not at the same time accept the occurrence of our various states of mind. This is especially true with unpleasant states of mind. In order to observe our own fear, we must accept the fact that we are afraid. We can’t examine our own depression without accepting it fully. The same is true for irritation and agitation, frustration and all those other uncomfortable emotional states. You can’t examine something fully if you are busy reflecting its existence.

從心理學上來說，如果我們不能在事件發生時，同時接受內心生起的各種狀態，要客觀地向內觀察自己是不可能的。此點對于不適意的心態而言尤其如是，例如，要觀察我們的恐懼，我們必須接受自己恐懼的事實。假如不能完全接受自己的情緒低落，我們又怎麼能審察它呢？這道理對于惱怒、激動、挫敗感，以及其他一切令人不舒服的情緒來說，亦是同樣適用的。如果你忙于排斥某些事情，你是無法同一時間去徹底檢察它們的。

Whatever experience we may be having, Mindfulness just accepts it. It is simply another of life’s occurrences, just another thing to be aware of. No pride, no shame, nothing personal at stake–what is there, is there.

我們現有的任何感受或經驗，靜觀都會一概接受，它只不過是生命里發生的另一件事，另一項要被覺知的事而已。沒有驕傲、沒有羞愧、亦沒有個人風險，那里出現什麼，就是什麼。

Mindfulness is an impartial watchfulness. It does not take sides. It does not get hung up in what is perceived. It just perceives. Mindfulness does not get infatuated with the good mental states. It does not try to sidestep the bad mental states. There is no clinging to the pleasant, no fleeing from the unpleasant. Mindfulness sees all experiences as equal, all thoughts as equal, all feelings as equal. Nothing is suppressed. Nothing is repressed. Mindfulness does not play favorites.

(3) 靜觀是不偏不倚的密切注意。它不會偏袒任何一方，它不會依戀執著所感知到的事物，它只是感知。靜觀不會迷戀那些美好心態，也不會嘗試迴避不好的心態。它不依戀樂事，也不逃避苦境。靜觀對所有經驗、想法、感受等皆一視同仁，沒有任何壓抑或壓制，靜觀不會搞個人偏愛。

Mindfulness is nonconceptual awareness. Another English term for Sati is ‘bare attention’. It is not thinking. It does not get involved with thought or concepts. It does not get hung up on ideas or opinions or memories. It just looks. Mindfulness registers experiences, but it does not compare them. It does not label them or categorize them. It just observes everything as if it was occurring for the first time. It is not analysis which is based on reflection and memory. It is, rather, the direct and immediate experiencing of whatever is happening, without the medium of thought. It comes before thought in the perceptual process.

(4) 靜觀是非概念性的覺知。巴利文Sati 的一個翻譯是靜觀，另一個翻譯是純粹注意。它不是思維，它不牽涉思想或概念，亦與意念、意見或記憶等無關，它只注視。靜觀會自動記下經驗，不會比較它們，不會給它們標籤或歸類，對每一件事，它都會視之為第一次相遇那樣來觀察。它不是建基于反省與記憶之上的分析，剛好相反，它是對當下發生著的任何事物的直接體驗，當中無須以思想概念等為媒介。在知覺過程中，它是先于思想出現的。

Mindfulness is present time awareness. It takes place in the here and now. It is the observance of what is happening right now, in the present moment. It stays forever in the present, surging perpetually on the crest of the ongoing wave of passing time. If you are remembering your second-grade teacher, that is memory. When you then become aware that you are remembering your second-grade teacher, that is mindfulness. If you then conceptualize the process and say to yourself, “Oh, I am remembering”, that is thinking. Mindfulness is non-egoistic alertness.

(5) 靜觀是當下的覺知。它發生在眼前當下，它是對現正發生著的事件所作之觀察。它永遠逗留在現在，永遠在時光流逝的波浪頂峰上滑浪。如果你想起二年級的老師，那是記憶；當你覺知到自己正在想著二年級的老師時，那是靜觀；如果你把這過程概念化，對自己說道：「噢！我正在回憶。」那是思維。

It takes place without reference to self. With Mindfulness one sees all phenomena without references to concepts like ‘me’, ‘my’ or ‘mine’. For example, suppose there is pain in your left leg. Ordinary consciousness would say, “I have a pain.” Using Mindfulness, one would simply note the sensation as a sensation. One would not tack on that extra concept ‘I’. Mindfulness stops one from adding anything to perception, or subtracting anything from it. One does not enhance anything. One does not emphasize anything. One just observes exactly what is there–without distortion.

(6) 靜觀是不自私的警覺。它是在無私的前提下發生的。秉持靜觀去觀看一切現象的人，是不會心懷「我」或「我的」等概念的。例如：假設你的左腳有些疼痛，一般人的意識會說：「我有些疼痛。」而運用靜觀的人，心中只知道那感覺就是感覺，不會再在上面附加「我」的概念。靜觀不容許任何人在知覺上增加或減少任何東西。靜觀的人不會增強任何事，也不會強調任何事，他只是在當下如實地觀察，不作任何扭曲。

Mindfulness is goal-less awareness. In Mindfulness, one does not strain for results. One does not try to accomplish anything. When one is mindful, one experiences reality in the present moment in whatever form it takes. There is nothing to be achieved. There is only observation. Mindfulness is awareness of change. It is observing the passing flow of experience. It is watching things as they are changing. it is seeing the birth, growth, and maturity of all phenomena. It is watching phenomena decay and die. Mindfulness is watching things moment by moment, continuously. It is observing all phenomena–physical, mental or emotional–whatever is presently taking place in the mind. One just sits back and watches the show. Mindfulness is the observance of the basic nature of each passing phenomenon. It is watching the thing arising and passing away. It is seeing how that thing makes us feel and how we react to it. It is observing how it affects others. In Mindfulness, one is an unbiased observer whose sole job is to keep track of the constantly passing show of the universe within.

(7) 靜觀是變化的覺知。它觀察著當下的流逝經驗，它觀看著正在變化的現象，它看著所有現象的生起、成長與成熟，它注視著現象的衰微與消逝。靜觀是時刻不停地、持續地觀看事物。它觀察所有現象，任何正在心中出現的身體、心理、或情緒現象，都包括在內，你只須坐下來觀看表演即可。靜觀是觀察眼前每一個流逝現象之本質，看到現象的生起與消逝，看到現象影響我們的方式，以及我們對它的反應，看到它如何影響其他人。在靜觀中，你是一個無私、公平的觀察者，你唯一的工作是要清楚了知內在世界不斷流逝的表演。

Please note that last point. In Mindfulness, one watches the universe within. The meditator who is developing Mindfulness is not concerned with the external universe. It is there, but in meditation, one’s field of study is one’s own experience, one’s thoughts, one’s feelings, and one’s perceptions. In meditation, one is one’s own laboratory. The universe within has an enormous fund of information containing the reflection of the external world and much more. An examination of this material leads to total freedom.

請留意最後那一點，在靜觀中，你要觀察自己的內在世界，正在發展靜觀力的禪修者是不會關心外在世界的，它仍在那里，但在禪修時，你的研究領域是自己的經驗、思想、感受、以及個人的知覺。在禪修中，你自己的實驗室就是你自己本人。內在世界貯存著龐大的資料，里面不但包括外在世界的反映，還有很多其他的事物。仔細檢查一下這個資料庫，可令你達致完全解脫。

Mindfulness is participatory observation. The meditator is both participant and observer at one and the same time. If one watches one’s emotions or physical sensations, one is feeling them at that very same moment. Mindfulness is not an intellectual awareness. It is just awareness. The mirror-thought metaphor breaks down here.

Mindfulness is objective, but it is not cold or unfeeling. It is the wakeful experience of life, an alert participation in the ongoing process of living. Mindfulness is an extremely difficult concept to define in words – not because it is complex, but because it is too simple and open. The same problem crops up in every area of human experience.

(8) 靜觀是參與性的觀察。禪修者在同一時間內，既是參與者、又是觀察者。當你觀察自己的情緒或感覺時，在同一時間內，你也在感受著它們。靜觀不是一種知識性的覺知(Intellectual Awareness)，它只是覺知而已。心鏡的比喻在此失效了，靜觀是客觀的，但不是冷酷無情，它是對生命之醒覺體驗，對進行著的生活過程的一種警覺性的參與。

The most basic concept is always the most difficult to pin down. Look at a dictionary and you will see a clear example. Long words generally have concise definitions, but for short basic words like ‘the’ and ‘is’, definitions can be a page long. And in physics, the most difficult functions to describe are the most basic–those that deal with the most fundamental realities of quantum mechanics. Mindfulness is a pre-symbolic function. You can play with word symbols all day long and you will never pin it down completely. We can never fully express what it is. However, we can say what it does.

(9) 靜觀是很難用文字來定義的。不是因為它很複雜，而是因為它太簡單和開放。同樣的問題，在人類經驗的每一個領域也會出現，最基本的概念總是最難定義的。看一看字典吧，你會發現很明顯的例子，長的英文字都有簡明的定義，短的英文字如「the( 這)」和「be(是)」等，往往需要一頁紙長的定義；在物理學中，越基本的現象，它的功能就越難描述，如量子力學所研究的現象就是。靜觀是先于符號與文字的功能，你就算整天玩弄符號與文字，也是無法完全掌握靜觀的。我們永遠無法完全地描述它是什麼，不過，我們可以說它做的是什麼。

Three Fundamental Activities

靜觀的三種基本活動

There are three fundamental activities of Mindfulness. We can use these activities as functional definitions of the term:

靜觀有三種基本活動，我們可以用之作為這個專門名詞的功能性定義：

(a) Mindfulness reminds us of what we are supposed to be doing; (b) it sees things as they really are; and (c) it sees the deep nature of all phenomena.

(一)靜觀提醒我們現在該做什麼，(二)靜觀如實地觀察事物，(三)靜觀洞悉到諸種現象的真實本質。

Let’s examine these definitions in greater detail.

讓我們在下面較仔細地探討一下這些定義：

(a) Mindfulness reminds you of what you are supposed to be doing.

(一)靜觀提醒我們現在該做什麼

In meditation, you put your attention on one item. When your mind wanders from this focus, it is Mindfulness that reminds you that your mind is wandering and what you are supposed to be doing. It is Mindfulness that brings your mind back to the object of meditation. All of this occurs instantaneously and without internal dialogue. Mindfulness is not thinking. Repeated practice in meditation establishes this function as a mental habit which then carries over into the rest of your life. A serious meditator pays bare attention to occurrences all the time, day in, day out, whether formally sitting in meditation or not. This is a very lofty ideal towards which those who meditate may be working for a period of years or even decades. Our habit of getting stuck in thought is years old, and that habit will hang on in the most tenacious manner. The only way out is to be equally persistent in the cultivation of constant Mindfulness. When Mindfulness is present, you will notice when you become stuck in your thought patterns. It is that very noticing which allows you to back out of the thought process and free yourself from it. Mindfulness then returns your attention to its proper focus. If you are meditating at that moment, then your focus will be the formal object of meditation. If your are not in formal meditation, it will be just a pure application of bare attention itself, just a pure noticing of whatever comes up without getting involved–“Ah, this comes up…and now this, and now this… and now this”.

在禪修中，你把注意力放在某一對象上，當自心離開這個焦點時，是靜觀提醒你現正分心，以及提醒你該做什麼，是靜觀把你的心拉回到禪修對象上，這一切都在瞬間發生，沒有心內的自我交談。靜觀不是思維活動。在禪修中不斷練習，可令靜觀這一功能成為習慣，並可引進到生活的其他領域。一個認真的禪修者，不論在正式禪坐時或在日常生活時，都會日復一日地經常保持純粹的注意。這是一個非常崇高的理想，往往需要數年、甚至數十年的日子才能成功。我們多年來忙于思想的習慣已是根深柢固，要擺脫它的唯一做法，就是要同樣地堅持不斷培育與發展無間斷的靜觀力。當靜觀出現時，你會留意到哪個時候會陷于思維模式之中，正是這種覺察令你從思維過程中可抽身而出。然後，靜觀把你的注意力帶回到正當的焦點上。如果那個時候你正在禪修，那個焦點就是你禪修的正式對象；如果你不是在禪修，那只是純粹注意本身的一次簡樸應用，即覺察到當下生起的任何現象，而沒有參與其中──「呀！這個出現了…… 現在是這個…… 現在是這個…… 而現在是這個。」

Mindfulness is at one and the same time both bare attention itself and the function of reminding us to pay bare attention if we have ceased to do so. Bare attention is noticing. It re- establishes itself simply by noticing that it has not been present. As soon as you are noticing that you have not been noticing, then by definition you are noticing and then you are back again to paying bare attention.

靜觀是純粹的注意，同時也是在分心時要我們專心致志的提醒功能。純粹注意是一種覺察活動，它覺察到自己消失時能重新恢復過來。當你覺察到自己沒有留意覺察時，根據定義，你是正在覺察，且同時已重新靜觀起來了。

Mindfulness creates its own distinct feeling in consciousness. It has a flavor–a light, clear, energetic flavor. Conscious thought is heavy by comparison, ponderous and picky. But here again, these are just words. Your own practice will show you the difference. Then you will probably come up with your own words and the words used here will become superfluous. Remember, practice is the thing.

靜觀在意識中創造出自己獨特的感受，它的特色是：一種輕盈、清晰、且有活力的風味。相比之下，意識思維是沉悶的、好挑剔的。然而，這里要多說一次，這些都是文字，你自己的實踐才能告訴你分別在哪里，到時，你可能會提出自己的用語和文字，而這里所用的文字亦會變成是多余的了。記住！實踐才是重要。

(b) Mindfulness sees things as they really are.

(二)靜觀如實地觀察事物

Mindfulness adds nothing to perception and it subtracts nothing. It distorts nothing. It is bare attention and just looks at whatever comes up. Conscious thought pastes things over our experience, loads us down with concepts and ideas, immerses us in a churning vortex of plans and worries, fears and fantasies. When mindful, you don’t play that game. You just notice exactly what arises in the mind, then you notice the next thing. “Ah, this…and this…and now this.” It is really very simple.

靜觀不會對知覺有所增加或減少，亦不會有所扭曲。它是純粹的注意，只觀察發生的任何事物。意識思維把一些東西貼在我們的經驗上，以概念和觀念來加重我們的負擔，還要把我們淹沒于轉動不停的計劃、憂慮、恐懼與幻想的漩渦之中。在靜觀時，你是不會玩這些把戲的，你只會精密地覺察著心內正生起的任何現象，然後再留意覺察下一個。「呀！這個……現在是這個…… 現在又是這個。」它實在很簡單。

(c) Mindfulness sees the true nature of all phenomena.

(三)靜觀洞悉到諸種現象的真實本質

Mindfulness and only Mindfulness can perceive the three prime characteristics that Buddhism teaches are the deepest truths of existence.

靜觀，亦只有靜觀才能覺知到現象的三個重要根本特性，那就是佛教里有關現象的最深奧的道理(諸法實相)。

In Pali these three are called Anicca (impermanence), Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), and Anatta (selflessness–the absence of a permanent, unchanging, entity that we call Soul or Self). These truths are not present in Buddhist teaching as dogmas demanding blind faith. The Buddhists feel that these truths are universal and self-evident to anyone who cares to investigate in a proper way. Mindfulness is the method of investigation. Mindfulness alone has the power to reveal the deepest level of reality available to human observation. At this level of inspection, one sees the following:

在巴利文中，這三個特性被稱為Anicca(Impermanence)、Dukkha(Unsatisfactoriness)與Anatta(Absence of a permanent, unchanging, entity that wecall Soul or Self)。(即中文所稱之無常、苦、無我等三法印)。這三個真理在佛教教義中並不是一些教條，要人盲目地去信仰，佛教徒認為只要人們肯適當地依法研究，自會發現這三個真理是不証自明的、萬事萬物皆有的實相。靜觀就是那個研究方法。單靠靜觀本身，就有能力揭露人類觀察力所能達到的最深層次的實相。在這個視察層面，你可以了解到：

(a) all conditioned things are inherently transitory; (b) every worldly thing is, in the end, unsatisfying; and (c) there are really no entities that are unchanging or permanent, only processes.

(1) 一切因緣而生的事物其本性皆悉短暫無常，(2) 所有世間事物最終皆無法令人滿意，以及(3)實在沒有永恆、不變的(單獨)實體，有的只是過程。

Mindfulness works like and electron microscope. That is, it operates on so fine a level that one can actually see directly those realities which are at best theoretical constructs to the conscious thought process. Mindfulness actually sees the impermanent character of every perception. It sees the transitory and passing nature of everything that is perceived. It also sees the inherently unsatisfactory nature of all conditioned things. It sees that there is no sense grabbing onto any of these passing shows. Peace and happiness cannot be found that way. And finally, Mindfulness sees the inherent selflessness of all phenomena. It sees the way that we have arbitrarily selected a certain bundle of perceptions, chopped them off from the rest of the surging flow of experience and then conceptualized them as separate, enduring, entities. Mindfulness actually sees these things. It does not think about them, it sees them directly.

靜觀的運作有如電子顯微鏡，那是說，它在極微細的層面運作，令人們能夠直接、真正觀察到那些實相。換取意識思維，充其量只能達致理論上建構的實相模型而已。靜觀真正觀察到每一知覺的無常本性，它了解到知覺里一切事物皆瞬間流逝的本質，它也明白到一切因緣所生事物的內在不能令人滿意的(苦的)本質。它領悟到抓取任何過眼云煙事物之不智，安寧與快樂是無法用此法獲得的。到最後，靜觀了解到一切現象的內在無我本性，它知道我們的認知方式，是隨意抓取一束感覺，把它們從洶湧的經驗之流中切割出來，然後將之概念化成獨立、持久不變的實體。靜觀真正了解這些事情，它不用思維，而是直接用心去覺察它們。

When it is fully developed, Mindfulness sees these three attributes of existence directly, instantaneously, and without the intervening medium of conscious thought. In fact, even the attributes which we just covered are inherently unified. They don’t really exist as separate items. They are purely the result of our struggle to take this fundamentally simple process called Mindfulness and express it in the cumbersome and inadequate thought symbols of the conscious level. Mindfulness is a process, but it does not take place in steps. It is a holistic process that occurs as a unit: you notice your own lack of Mindfulness; and that noticing itself is a result of Mindfulness; and Mindfulness is bare attention; and bare attention is noticing things exactly as they are without distortion; and the way they are is impermanent (Anicca) , unsatisfactory (Dukkha), and selfless (Anatta). It all takes place in the space of a few mind-moments. This does not mean, however, that you will instantly attain liberation (freedom from all human weaknesses) as a result of your first moment of Mindfulness. Learning to integrate this material into your conscious life is another whole process. And learning to prolong this state of Mindfulness is still another. They are joyous processes, however, and they are well worth the effort.

當靜觀得到完滿發展時，它能在剎那間直接體會到實際現象所共有的三個基本屬性，完全無須依靠意識思維作中間媒介。事實上，這三者在本質上是一體而非分開獨立的。它們的存在，純粹是我們的努力成果── 努力地單純靜觀，以及運用那累贅的、本質上並不適當的意識層面上的思維符號來表達出來。靜觀是一個連續過程，它並非逐步發生，而是作為一個單位發生的整體過程：你察覺到自己沒有靜觀，這個察覺本身就是靜觀的結果；而靜觀是純粹的注意，純粹的注意是沒有扭曲地、如實地觀察事物，看到它們的實相是無常、苦和無我。這一切皆是在幾個心念(剎那)之內發生的。不過，這並不表示，你在第一次生起完滿靜觀(正念)的當下，就可立即得到解脫(擺脫一切人類的弱點)的成果，因為，學習把靜觀整合到你的平常意識生活，完全是另一個過程，而學習延長此靜觀狀態又是另一個過程。不過，它們是令人高興的過程，是十分值得你奮力做下去的。

Mindfulness (Sati) and Insight (Vipassana) Meditation

靜觀與內觀禪

Mindfulness is the center of Vipassana Meditation and the key to the whole process. It is both the goal of this meditation and the means to that end. You reach Mindfulness by being ever more mindful. One other Pali word that is translated into English as Mindfulness is Appamada , which means non-negligence or an absence of madness. One who attends constantly to what is really going on in one’s mind achieves the state of ultimate sanity.

靜觀是內觀禪修的中心，也是整個過程的關鍵。它是禪修的目標，也是達致禪修目標的手段。你依賴不斷增強靜觀力來達致靜觀。另一個巴利文被翻譯為靜觀的是Appamada，Appamada 的意思是不放逸或不錯亂。你若隨時隨地注意自己內心的當下實況，便可達致最高狀態的健全心智。

The Pali term Sati also bears the connotation of remembering. It is not memory in the sense of ideas and pictures from the past, but rather clear, direct, wordless knowing of what is and what is not, of what is correct and what is incorrect, of what we are doing and how we should go about it. Mindfulness reminds the meditator to apply his attention to the proper object at the proper time and to exert precisely the amount of energy needed to do the job. When this energy is properly applied, the meditator stays constantly in a state of calm and alertness. As long as this condition is maintained, those mind-states call “hindrances” or “psychic irritants” cannot arise–there is no greed, no hatred, no lust or laziness.

巴利文Sati 還有「記憶」的含義。它不是儲存及回憶過去的想法或圖像，而是清楚、直接、無言地知道什麼是事實、什麼不是事實，什麼是對、什麼是不對，以及自己在做著什麼和應該怎麼進行等。靜觀提醒禪修者要在合適的時間運用合適的注意力于合適的對象上，以及精確地運用所需的精進力去完成任務。當這精進力被恰當地運用時，禪修者就會持續地處于一種平靜與警覺狀態，只要這種狀態能夠被保持，那些稱為「五蓋障」或「煩惱」等心態就無法生起，當下便沒有貪、瞋、愛欲或懈怠。

But we all are human and we do err. Most of us err repeatedly. Despite honest effort, the meditator lets his Mindfulness slip now and then and he finds himself stuck in some regrettable, but normal, human failure. It is Mindfulness that notices that change. And it is Mindfulness that reminds him to apply the energy required to pull himself out. These slips happen over and over, but their frequency decreases with practice.

但是我們都是人，總會有時犯錯的。其實大多數人都會重複犯錯。儘管老實地精進，禪修者還是會久不久失念(分心)，然後發覺自己陷入一些令人遺憾、卻又是正常的人性上的失誤。是靜觀覺察到那個改變，同樣也是靜觀提醒我們實施足夠的精進力，把自己拉出困境。這些失念情況會一再發生的，不過，它們的頻率是會隨著修習而遞減的。

Once Mindfulness has pushed these mental defilements aside, more wholesome states of mind can take their place. Hatred makes way for loving kindness, lust is replaced by detachment. It is Mindfulness which notices this change, too, and which reminds the Vipassana meditator to maintain that extra little mental sharpness needed to keep these more desirable states of mind. Mindfulness makes possible the growth of wisdom and compassion. Without Mindfulness they cannot develop to full maturity.

一旦靜觀把這些煩惱(內心的污染)暫時移走，更為健康的心態就會取而代之，慈悲會替代瞋恚，離欲(Detachment)會替代愛欲(Lust)。同樣也是靜觀覺察到這個改變，並提醒內觀禪修者臨時增多一點心靈敏銳度， 好讓理想的心態能維持。靜觀能促進智慧與慈悲的生長，沒有靜觀，它們是無法達致完全成熟的。

Deeply buried in the mind, there lies a mental mechanism which accepts what the mind perceives as beautiful and pleasant experiences and rejects those experiences which are perceived as ugly and painful. This mechanism gives rise to those states of mind which we are training ourselves to avoid–things like greed, lust, hatred, aversion, and jealousy. We choose to avoid these hindrances, not because they are evil in the normal sense of the word, but because they are compulsive; because they take the mind over and capture the attention completely; because they keep going round and round in tight little circles of thought; and because they seal us off from living reality.

我們的內心深處，埋藏著一個機制，它只接受內心認為美好和適意的經驗(感受)，拒絕被知覺過程認為是丑陋和痛苦的經驗。這個機制引起的心態，如貪心、愛欲、瞋恚、厭惡與妒忌等，皆是我們在禪修中要訓練自己去防止的。我們選擇去防止這些障礙，不是因為它們是惡劣的，就如字面上所包含的意義；而是因為它們的強制性，因為它們把心整個接管過去，完全奪取了注意力；因為它們令思緒在小圈子內旋轉不息；亦因為它們把我們封鎖起來，與生動活潑的現實隔開。

These hindrances cannot arise when Mindfulness is present. Mindfulness is attention to present time reality, and therefore, directly antithetical to the dazed state of mind which characterizes impediments. As meditators, it is only when we let our Mindfulness slip that the deep mechanisms of our mind take over – grasping, clinging and rejecting. Then resistance emerges and obscures our awareness. We do not notice that the change is taking place – we are too busy with a thought of revenge, or greed, whatever it may be. While an untrained person will continue in this state indefinitely, a trained meditator will soon realize what is happening. It is Mindfulness that notices the change. It is Mindfulness that remembers the training received and that focuses our attention so that the confusion fades away. And it is Mindfulness that then attempts to maintain itself indefinitely so that the resistance cannot arise again. Thus, Mindfulness is the specific antidote for hindrances. It is both the cure and the preventive measure.

這些障礙在靜觀存在時是無法生起的，由于靜觀是對當下現實的注意，故此，它與障礙的迷亂心態特質是直接相反的。作為禪修者，只有當我們讓靜觀走失，深埋的機制才會出來接管我們的心意，做著執取、依戀、拒絕等活動。跟著各種抵抗出現，令我們的覺知模糊不清，我們覺察不到當下發生著的改變，因為內心可能正忙于想著報仇、貪取、或是什麼的東西。一個未經教導與訓練的人會一直處于這種狀態之中，一個已受訓練的禪修者則會很快察覺到正在發生什麼事情。是靜觀覺察到改變，是靜觀記得受訓時的知識以及集中注意令紛亂消失，也是靜觀隨之奮力地不斷維持自身，令各種抗拒不能再生起。所以說，靜觀是各種障礙的特效解毒劑，它既能醫治也能防止。

(靜觀能化解心中的煩惱)

完善發展的靜觀是一種不會執取或依戀世間任何事物的心態。如果我們能維持這種心態，就無須用任何方法或措施來讓我們遠離障礙、解脫人類的弱點。靜觀不是表面、膚淺的覺知，它深入地了解事物，到達比概念與意見更為底下的層面去了解。這種深入的觀察可生起完全確知、沒有絲毫疑惑。它表現出來的，主要是一種持續、穩定、毫不動搖的注意力，它不會退縮、也不會轉移。

Fully developed Mindfulness is a state of total non-attachment and utter absence of clinging to anything in the world. If we can maintain this state, no other means or device is needed to keep ourselves free of obstructions, to achieve liberation from our human weaknesses. Mindfulness is non-superficial awareness. It sees things deeply, down below the level of concepts and opinions. This sort of deep observation leads to total certainty, and complete absence of confusion. It manifests itself primarily as a constant and unwavering attention which never flags and never turns away.

這純粹、無染、愛好研究的覺知，不但能防止各種障礙，也能揭穿它們的機制與摧毀它們。靜觀能化解心中煩惱(污染)，令內心保持不受污染、不受損害、完全不受人生的盛衰浮沉所影響。

This pure and unstained investigative awareness not only holds mental hindrances at bay, it lays bare their very mechanism and destroys them. Mindfulness neutralizes defilements in the mind. The result is a mind which remains unstained and invulnerable, completely unaffected by the ups and downs of life.

【注釋】

[1]《念住經》：又稱《念處經》，巴利文為Satipatthana Sutta，可參考南傳《中部經》MN-10(Satipatthana Sutta)、南傳《長部經》DN-22(Maha-satipatthana Sutta)、北傳《中阿含經》第九十八經《念處經》、北傳《雜阿含經》卷第二十四之605至639經等。