Mindfulness In Plain English - Chapter 12: Dealing with Distractions - II

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 12: Dealing with Distractions - II

第十二章 分心的處理(下)

(禪修時分心？別緊張！)

So there you are meditating beautifully. Your body is totally immobile, and you mind is totally still. You just glide right along following the flow of the breath, in, out, in, out…calm, serene and concentrated. Everything is perfect. And then, all of a sudden, something totally different pops into your mind: “I sure wish I had an ice cream cone.” That’s a distraction, obviously. That’s not what you are supposed to be doing. You notice that, and you drag yourself back to the breath, back to the smooth flow, in, out, in…and then: “Did I ever pay that gas bill?” Another distraction. You notice that one, and you haul yourself back to the breath. In, out, in, out, in…“That new science fiction movie is out. Maybe I can go see it Tuesday night. No, not Tuesday, got too much to do on Wednesday. Thursday’s better…” Another distraction. You pull yourself out of that one and back you go to the breath, except that you never quite get there because before you do that little voice in your head goes, “My back is killing me.” And on and on it goes, distraction after distraction, seemingly without end.

就這樣，你坐在那里禪修得很好，你的身體完全不動，你的心也十分平靜，你正暢順地隨著呼吸的氣流在進、出、進、出…… 平靜，安祥，而又集中，一切都很完美。然後，突然間，一個完全無關的念頭在心中跳了出來：「我真的想吃蛋筒雪糕！」顯然，那是一個分心，那不是你該做的事，你注意到分心了，于是把自己拉回到呼吸上，回到暢順的流動，進、出、進、出……。然後另一念頭又出現：「我付煤氣費了嗎？」那是另一個分心，你留意到它，又把自己拉回到呼吸之上，進、出、進、出……。「那新的科幻影片上映了，也許星期二晚我可以去看，不！星期二不行，星期三要做的事太多了，還是星期四去較好……。」又是另一個分心，你又再把自己拉回到呼吸之上，可是，你未能做到，因為有一微小的聲音在腦中說話：「噢！我的背正痛得要命。」這樣的念頭不斷出現，一個分心接著一個分心，好像沒完沒了的。

What a bother. But this is what it is all about. These distractions are actually the whole point. The key is to learn to deal with these things. Learning to notice them without being trapped in them. That’s what we are here for. The mental wandering is unpleasant, to be sure. But it is the normal mode of operation of your mind. Don’t think of it as the enemy. It is just the simple reality. And if you want to change something, the first thing you have to do is see it the way it is.

多麼困擾啊！然而，事實的確如是，這些分心實是要關注的重點，關鍵是要學習處理這些分心，學習覺察它們而又不會受其所困，這就是我們坐在這里的主要目的。當然，心意漂蕩是令人不快的，然而，這是心的運作常態，不可把它當作敵人，它不過是樸素的事實而已。如果你想改變什麼，首先要做的，就是看清楚它本身的實際活動情況。

When you first sit down to concentrate on the breath, you will be struck by how incredibly busy the mind actually is. It jumps and jibbers. It veers and bucks. It chases itself around in constant circles. It chatters. It thinks. It fantasizes and daydreams. Don’t be upset about that. It’s natural. When your mind wanders from the subject of meditation, just observe the distraction mindfully.

當你第一次坐下來把心意集中于氣息時，你會因心意那麼難以置信的忙亂而大吃一驚。它時而跳躍、時而躊躇、時而轉向、又時而反抗，它不斷循環地追逐自己，它喋喋不休，它思索，它亦會幻想和發白日夢。不要為這些現象而心煩意亂，那都是自然的事。當你的心離開禪修目標時，只須留意地觀察著這個分心即可。

(將注意力暫時移到分心上面)

When we speak of a distraction in Insight Meditation, we are speaking of any preoccupation that pulls the attention off the breath. This brings up a new, major rule for your meditation: When any mental state arises strongly enough to distract you from the object of meditation, switch your attention to the distraction briefly. Make the distraction a temporary object of meditation. Please not the word temporary. It’s quite important. We are not advising that you switch horses in midstream. We do not expect you to adopt a whole new object of meditation every three seconds. The breath will always remain your primary focus. You switch your attention to the distraction only long enough to notice certain specific things about it. What is it? How strong is it? and, how long does it last? As soon as you have wordlessly answered these questions, you are through with your examination of that distraction, and you return your attention to the breath. Here again, please note the operant term, wordlessly. These questions are not an invitation to more mental chatter. That would be moving you in the wrong direction, toward more thinking. We want you to move away from thinking, back to a direct, wordless and nonconceptual experience of the breath. These questions are designed to free you from the distraction and give you insight into its nature, not to get you more thoroughly stuck in it. They will tune you in to what is distracting you and help you get rid of it–all in one step.

當我們提到內觀禪里的分心時，我們是指任何令你的注意力離開氣息(禪修的主要目標)之出神事件。這里要為你提出禪修的一條重要而新的準則：當任何強大的心態生起，令你偏離禪修目標時，可暫時把注意力轉到分心上去，讓分心成為你的暫時禪修目標。請留意「暫時」這個字眼，它很重要。我們不是要你在中途改弦易轍，也不是要你在每三秒鍾左右就轉換新的禪修目標，呼吸永遠是你的主要禪修目標。你把注意力轉到分心上所逗留的時間，只須足夠令你注意到它的某些特點即可，那些特點包括：它是什麼？它有多強？它持續了多久？當你已默然回答了這些問題時，實已檢視分心完畢，然後讓注意力回到氣息上來。這里請再一次留意「默然(Wordless)」這個有用的運作字眼。這些問題不是為了引發更多的內心喋喋不休(Mental Chatter)，那會把你導致錯誤方向，引來更多的思想；我們只想你離開思想，回到直接、默然、與非概念性的呼吸體驗上去。這些問題設計是要讓你解除分心的束縛，洞察它的本性，而不是要你更深地受其所困。它們讓你察覺到什麼事情令你分心了，以及幫你脫離它，全部皆在一個步驟中完成。

(對治分心的三個善巧問答)

Here is the problem: When a distraction, or any mental state, arises in the mind, it blossoms forth first in the unconscious. Only a moment later does it rise to the conscious mind. That split-second difference is quite important, because it time enough for grasping to occur. Grasping occurs almost instantaneously, and it takes place first in the unconscious. Thus, by the time the grasping rises to the level of conscious recognition, we have already begun to lock on to it. It is quite natural for us to simply continue that process, getting more and more tightly stuck in the distraction as we continue to view it. We are, by this time, quite definitely thinking the thought, rather than just viewing it with bare attention. The whole sequence takes place in a flash. This presents us with a problem. By the time we become consciously aware of a distraction we are already, in a sense, stuck in it. Our three questions are a clever remedy for this particular malady. In order to answer these questions, we must ascertain the quality of the distraction. To do that, we must divorce ourselves from it, take a mental step back from it, disengage from it, and view it objectively. We must stop thinking the thought or feeling the feeling in order to view it as an object of inspection. This very process is an exercise in mindfulness, uninvolved, detached awareness. The hold of the distraction is thus broken, and mindfulness is back in control. At this point, mindfulness makes a smooth transition back to its primary focus and we return to the breath.

問題來了：當分心或任何心態在心中生起時，它是在「無意識」中開始的，片刻之後，它才會浮現在意識心中。此瞬間的時差是很重要的，因為它讓執取有充足的時間發生。執取可在瞬間生起，而它是在「無意識」中開始的，因此，待執取浮升至能認知它的意識心時，我們已被鎖在它的上面了，既然受其所困，也就自然隨著那過程單純地繼續下去，而繼續觀看分心時，我們亦會對分心的執取越來越加深。到了這個時候，我們肯定是在思考著那個分心的念頭，而非單純地在觀看著它了。整件事在一瞬間發生！這提醒了我們一個問題：在我們開始覺察到一個分心時，就某種意義而言，我們已經被它纏住了。

要善巧地對治這一特殊病症，可試用我們的三個問題：「它是什麼？」「它有多強？」以及「它持續了多久？」為了回答這些問題，我們必須弄清楚那個分心的性質，要這麼做，我們就要與它分離，意識上後退一步，脫離它，然後客觀地觀察著它。為了使它成為一個觀察對象，我們必須停止想那個念頭、停止感受那個感覺，這個過程本身也是一種保持中立、客觀、無執的留意覺察練習。對分心的執取就這樣被打斷，而我們又可專注了。這時，專注可平滑地回到原來的目標上來，而我們又可回到呼吸上了。

When you first begin to practice this technique, you will probably have to do it with words. You will ask your questions in words, and get answers in words. It won’t be long, however, before you can dispense with the formality of words altogether. Once the mental habits are in place, you simply note the distraction, note the qualities of the distraction, and return to the breath. It’s a totally nonconceptual process, and it’s very quick. The distraction itself can be anything: a sound, a sensation, an emotion, a fantasy, anything at all. Whatever it is, don’t try to repress it. Don’t try to force it out of your mind. There’s no need for that. Just observe it mindfully with bare attention. Examine the distraction wordlessly and it will pass away by itself. You will find your attention drifting effortlessly back to the breath. And do not condemn yourself for having being distracted. Distractions are natural. They come and they go.

(不要為分心自責，誰不會分心？)

當你開始練習這技巧時，難免要依靠文字，你要用文字發問、用文字作答，雖然字句不長，你仍需依靠它一段時間。一旦內心習慣之後，你只須察覺到那個分心，察覺到它的性質，然後回到呼吸上來，那完全是一個非概念性的過程，且異常快速。分心本身可以是任何事情：一個聲音、感覺、情緒、幻想等，幾乎什麼都可以。無論它是什麼，都不要去壓抑它，也不要去趕走它，無需這樣做，只須以單純的注意力專心地觀察著它即可，無言地仔細觀察著那個分心，它自會完全消失，而你的注意力又可輕松地回到呼吸上來。也不要為了分心而自責，分心乃自然之事，它們總會自來自去。

Despite this piece of sage counsel, you’re going to find yourself condemning anyway. That’s natural too. Just observe the process of condemnation as another distraction, and then return to the breath.

雖然這是聖者之言，你還是會自責的，那亦是自然之事，就把自責的過程作為一個分心來觀察，然後回到呼吸上去吧！

Watch the sequence of events: Breathing. Breathing. Distracting thought arises. Frustration arising over the distracting thought. You condemn yourself for being distracted. You notice the self condemnation. You return to the breathing. Breathing. Breathing. It’s really a very natural, smooth-flowing cycle, if you do it correctly. The trick, of course, is patience. If you can learn to observe these distractions without getting involved, it’s all very easy. You just glide through the distractions and your attention returns to the breath quite easily. Of course, the very same distraction may pop up a moment later. If it does, just observe that mindfully. If you are dealing with an old, established thought pattern, this can go on happening for quite a while, sometimes years. Don’t get upset. This too is natural. just observe the distraction and return to the breath. Don’t fight with these distracting thoughts. Don’t strain or struggle. It’s a waste. Every bit of energy that you apply to that resistance goes into the thought complex and makes it all the stronger. So don’t try to force such thoughts out of your mind. It’s a battle you can never win. Just observe the distraction mindfully and, it will eventually go away. It’s very strange, but the more bare attention you pay to such disturbances, the weaker they get. Observe them long enough, and often enough, with bare attention, and they fade away forever. Fight with them and they gain in strength. Watch them with detachment and they wither.

要知事件的次序為：呼吸，呼吸，分心之念生起了，因分心而受挫之念出現了，你因分心而開始自責，你察覺到自責之念，你回到呼吸上來，呼吸，呼吸。如果你做得正確，那真的是一個很自然暢順的循環。當然，其中的要訣是忍耐。如果你能學會觀察這些分心，而又不會被它們纏住，那就輕易不過了。你只悄然滑過分心，你的注意力很輕易地又回到呼吸上來。當然，同樣的分心可能會在片刻之後又冒出來，若是的話，只須再度專心地觀察著它即可。如果你在處理一個頑固的慣性思想模式，這種情況可能會持續多時，甚至經年累月。不要氣餒心煩，這亦是自然之事，只須察覺那個分心，然後回到呼吸上去即可。不要與這些分心之念搏斗，不要緊張或掙扎，那是徒勞無功的，你用在抗拒的每一分精力(能量)，只會進到思想情結之中，令它們更加強大。因此，不可試圖強迫思想離開你的心意，你是無法獲勝的。只須專心地觀察著那個分心，它最後自會離開。很奇怪，你越能單純地注意那些分心，它們就會變得越來越弱。如果能夠經常長時間地、單純地注意著它們，久而久之，它們自會消失得無影無蹤。若與之搏斗，只會增強它們的力量，能超然、客觀地觀看著它們，它們自會凋謝。

Mindfulness is a function that disarms distractions, in the same way that a munitions expert might defuse a bomb. Weak distractions are disarmed by a single glance. Shine the light of awareness on them and they evaporate instantly, never to return. Deep-seated, habitual thought patterns require constant mindfulness repeatedly applied over whatever time period it takes to break their hold. Distractions are really paper tigers. They have no power of their own. They need to be fed constantly, or else they die. If you refuse to feed them by your own fear, anger, and greed, they fade.

(讓覺知助你一臂之力)

覺知具有破解分心的功能，就好像軍火專家有拆掉炸彈*的能力一樣。輕微的分心只須一瞥即可化解，以覺知默照，它們很快就會消失得無影無蹤。至于根深柢固的慣性思想模式，則須不計時間多少，堅持重複不斷的恆常專注始能破解。實際上，分心是紙老虎而已，它們本身是沒有什麼力量的，它們必須經常被餵養，否則就會死去。如果你拒絕以自己的恐懼、貪、瞋等餵養它們，它們就會奄奄一息。

Mindfulness is the most important aspect of meditation. It is the primary thing that you are trying to cultivate. So there is really no need at all to struggle against distractions. The crucial thing is to be mindful of what is occurring, not to control what is occurring. Remember, concentration is a tool. It is secondary to bare attention. From the point of view of mindfulness, there is really no such thing as a distraction. Whatever arises in the mind is viewed as just one more opportunity to cultivate mindfulness. Breath, remember, is an arbitrary focus, and it is used as our primary object of attention. Distractions are used as secondary objects of attention. They are certainly as much a part of reality as breath. It actually makes rather little difference what the object of mindfulness is. You can be mindful of the breath, or you can be mindful of the distraction. You can be mindful of the fact that you mind is still, and your concentration is strong, or you can be mindful of the fact that your concentration is in ribbons and your mind is in an absolute shambles. It’s all mindfulness. Just maintain that mindfulness and concentration eventually will follow.

覺知是禪修的一個重要部分，它是你要奮力培育發展的一個基本東西。因此，實際上是不必去與分心對抗的，關鍵是要覺知當下正在發生的事情，而不是去控制它們。記住，定力只是一件工具，其重要性僅次于單純的注意。從覺知的角度來看，根本就沒有所謂分心，心里生起的任何現象都只是另一個培育覺知的機會而已。記住！呼吸只是一個任意選擇出來的禪修對象(焦點)，被用作為注意的主要或基本對象，而分心則是注意的次要對象，它們與呼吸一樣，都是現實的一個部分。作為注意的對象，是什麼東西實在分別很微，你可以注意呼吸，也可以注意分心；你可以注意到自心靜止的事實，亦可以注意到定力強的事實；你可以注意到定力散失，也可以注意到自心一團糟的事實。所有這些都是覺知活動，只要維持此覺知活動，定力自會隨之而來。

The purpose of meditation is not to concentrate on the breath, without interruption, forever. That by itself would be a useless goal. The purpose of meditation is not to achieve a perfectly still and serene mind. Although a lovely state, it doesn’t lead to liberation by itself. The purpose of meditation is to achieve uninterrupted mindfulness. Mindfulness, and only mindfulness, produces Enlightenment.

(禪修究竟是為了什麼？)

禪修目的，不是為了要把心意永無間斷地集中于呼吸之上，這目標本身是無法達致解脫的。禪修目的，不是為了要達到一完美無缺的靜止、安祥心態，雖然那境界甚為可愛，它本身是無法令人解脫的。禪修目的，是為了達致無間斷的留意覺察力(念力、靜觀力)，(完美的)留意覺察力，亦只有(完美的)留意覺察力才可以令人開悟、解脫。

Distractions come in all sizes, shapes and flavors. Buddhist philosophy has organized them into categories. One of them is the category of hindrances. They are called hindrances because they block your development of both components of mediation, mindfulness and concentration. A bit of caution on this term: The word ‘hindrances’ carries a negative connotation, and indeed these are states of mind we want to eradicate. That does not mean, however, that they are to be repressed, avoided or condemned.

(五種蓋障)

分心會以各種大小、形狀和風格等不同形態出現，佛教論師把它們分門別類，其中一種被稱為「蓋障(Hindrances)」[1]。它們被稱為「蓋障」，是因為它們障礙你在禪修中要培育發展的「止」與「觀」。請留意一下這個用語，「蓋障」這個詞包含一種貶意，事實上，那些心態也是我們想根除的。不過，那並非意味我們要去壓抑、迴避或譴責它們。

Let’s use greed as an example. We wish to avoid prolonging any state of greed that arises, because a continuation of that state leads to bondage and sorrow. That does not mean we try to toss the thought out of the mind when it appears. We simply refuse to encourage it to stay. We let it come, and we let it go. When greed is first observed with bare attention, no value judgements are made. We simply stand back and watch it arise. The whole dynamic of greed from start to finish is simply observed in this way. We don’t help it, or hinder it, or interfere with it in the slightest. It stays as long as it stays. And we learn as much about it as we can while it is there. We watch what greed does. We watch how it troubles us, and how it burdens others. We notice how it keeps us perpetually unsatisfied, forever in a state of unfulfilled longing. From this first-hand experience, we ascertain at a gut level that greed is an unskillful way to run your life. There is nothing theoretical about this realization.

讓我們以「貪」為例，我們不欲延長在心內生起的任何貪念，因為延續貪念會導致束縛與悲痛。這不是說在覺察到它出現時，就要把它拋出心外，我們只是不鼓勵它逗留，以不迎不拒的態度，讓它自來自去。當貪念剛剛被覺察到時，心是不會對它起價值判斷的，心只是站在一旁看著它的生起。由頭到尾，整個貪念的動態，都應只是用此方式來觀看即可。我們一點兒也不去幫助它、阻礙它、或是干擾它，讓它逗留多久就多久，我們只是在它的逗留時間內去盡量認識它：默察貪念在做些什麼，默察它怎樣打擾我們和怎樣困擾他人，我們默察它是怎樣令我們一直無法稱心如意。從這些第一手經驗，我們深心確知依從貪欲生活是不善巧的，而這種領悟(認知)是絕非理論性的。

All of the hindrances are dealt with in the same way, and we will look at them here one by one.

對于所有「蓋障」的處理方式都是一樣的，在這里讓我們仔細地逐一檢視。

Desire: Let us suppose you have been distracted by some nice experience in meditation. It could be pleasant fantasy or a thought of pride. It might be a feeling of self-esteem. It might be a thought of love or even the physical sensation of bliss that comes with the meditation experience itself. Whatever it is, what follows is the state of desire – desire to obtain whatever you have been thinking about or desire to prolong the experience you are having. No matter what its nature, you should handle desire in the following manner. Notice the thought or sensation as it arises. Notice the mental state of desire which accompanies it as a separate thing. Notice the exact extent or degree of that desire. Then notice how long it lasts and when it finally disappears. When you have done that, return your attention to breathing.

貪蓋障

假設在禪修中，你因美好的感受而分心，那可能是一念令人愉快的幻想、自豪或自尊自大的感受，可能是一念慈愛的感受，亦可能是禪修時生起的身體輕安感受。無論它是什麼，緊接而來的將是貪念，也就是欲得到任何你正想著的東西之貪念，或是欲延長正感受著的美好體驗之想法。無論其性質為何，你都應用下述方式來處理貪念：在貪念或感受生起的當下就要覺察到它，將伴隨而來的貪念區分開來覺察，留意一下它的確實范圍和程度，留意它會持續多久，以及留意它最後會在何時消失，如是地完成之後，將你的注意力帶回到呼吸上來。

Aversion: Suppose that you have been distracted by some negative experience. It could be something you fear or some nagging worry. It might be guilt or depression or pain. Whatever the actual substance of the thought or sensation, you find yourself rejecting or repressing – trying to avoid it, resist it or deny it. The handling here is essentially the same. Watch the arising of the thought or sensation. Notice the state of rejection that comes with it. Gauge the extent or degree of that rejection. See how long it lasts and when it fades away. Then return your attention to your breath.

瞋蓋障

假設在禪修中，你因負面的感受而分心，那可能是令人恐懼或困擾的東西，也可能內疚不安、情緒低落、或是身體痛苦，無論那心念或感覺的實質為何，你發覺自己已在抗拒或壓抑它，也即是想避開它、抵抗它、或是否定它。這里的處理方式基本上是一樣的：在心念或感覺生起的當下就要覺察到它，留意伴隨而來的抗拒心念，估量一下它的范圍與程度，看看它會持續多久，以及何時消失，然後將注意力帶回到呼吸上來。

Lethargy: Lethargy comes in various grades and intensities, ranging from slight drowsiness to total torpor. We are talking about a mental state here, not a physical one. Sleepiness or physical fatigue is something quite different and, in the Buddhist system of classification, it would be categorized as a physical feeling. Mental lethargy is closely related to aversion in that it is one of the mind’s clever little ways of avoiding those issues it finds unpleasant. Lethargy is a sort of turn-off of the mental apparatus, a dulling of sensory and cognitive acuity. It is an enforced stupidity pretending to be sleep. This can be a tough one to deal with, because its presence is directly contrary to the employment of mindfulness. Lethargy is nearly the reverse of mindfulness. Nevertheless, mindfulness is the cure for this hindrance, too, and the handling is the same. Note the state of drowsiness when it arises, and note its extent or degree. Note when it arises, how long it lasts, and when it passes away. The only thing special here is the importance of catching the phenomenon early. You have got to get it right at its conception and apply liberal doses of pure awareness right away. If you let it get a start, its growth probably will out pace your mindfulness power. When lethargy wins, the result is the sinking mind and/or sleep.

昏沉蓋障

昏沉以不同的等級與強度出現，由輕微的昏昏欲睡至完全呆滯、遲鈍皆有。我們在這里說的是心理狀態，而非生理狀態。心理上的困倦與身體上的疲勞是完全不同的一回事，而在佛教論典的分類中，它屬于生理上的感受。心理上的昏沉較接近厭惡(瞋)，因為那正是心意為了逃避不適意感受所耍的一種聰明小手段。昏沉有點像心理功能的關閉、或是感官與認知功能的遲鈍化，它假裝昏昏欲睡來迫使自己愚笨。

處理昏沉是棘手的，因為它的存在會直接違反覺知的運作。昏沉幾乎是覺知的相反現象，然而，覺知亦是對治此障礙的良策，而處理方法也是相同的。當昏沉現象出現時就要立即覺察到它，覺察到它的范圍和程度，覺察到它的出現、持續多久與消失。這里要特別留神的地方是，你要在它剛萌芽時就要立即猛然地覺察到它，這是至關重要的。如果錯失第一個時機，它的高速發展很快就會壓倒覺知的力量。當昏沉勝過覺知力時，心就會沉下來，甚至熟睡起來。

Agitation: States of restlessness and worry are expressions of mental agitation. Your mind keeps darting around, refusing to settle on any one thing. You may keep running over and over the same issues. But even here an unsettled feeling is the predominant component. The mind refuses to settle anywhere. It jumps around constantly. The cure for this condition is the same basic sequence. Restlessness imparts a certain feeling to consciousness. You might call it a flavor or texture. Whatever you call it, that unsettled feeling is there as a definable characteristic. Look for it. Once you have spotted it, note how much of it is present. Note when it arises. Watch how long it lasts, and see when it fades away. Then return your attention to the breath.

掉舉(散亂)蓋障

憂慮與不安心態是內心的掉舉表現，你的心一直在四周飛奔不停，不願在任何一件事上安頓下來，你可能在一些事上重複不已。就算此時此地的你，不安的感覺仍占內心的主要地位。心不願在任何地方安頓下來，它不停在四周跳動。這情況的對治還是同樣的基本程序。不安給意識一種特定的感覺，你可稱之為味道或質地(Flavor or Texture)，無論你叫它做什麼，那不安之感在當時是會呈現出一些可被定義的特質的。尋找它，一旦你發現它後，就要注意它的剩余程度，注意它的生起，注意它的持續時間，以及注意它何時消逝，然後把注意力重新拉回到呼吸上來。

Doubt: Doubt has its own distinct feeling in consciousness. The Pali tests describe it very nicely. It’s the feeling of a man stumbling through a desert and arriving at an unmarked crossroad. Which road should he take? There is no way to tell. So he just stands there vacillating. One of the common forms this takes in meditation is an inner dialogue something like this: “What am I doing just sitting like this? Am I really getting anything out of this at all? Oh! Sure I am. This is good for me. The book said so. No, that is crazy. This is a waste of time. No, I won’t give up. I said I was going to do this, and I am going to do it. Or am I being just stubborn? I don’t know. I just don’t know.” Don’t get stuck in this trap. It is just another hindrance. Another of the mind’s little smoke screens to keep you from doing the most terrible thing in the world: actually becoming aware of what is happening. To handle doubt, simply become aware of this mental state of wavering as an object of inspection. Don’t be trapped in it. Back out of it and look at it. See how strong it is. See when it comes and how long it lasts. Then watch it fade away, and go back to the breathing.

疑蓋障

在意識上，疑有其本身的獨特感覺，巴利藏經把它描述得很好：那種感覺就像一個人，從沙漠中瞎闖而出，來到一處沒有任何標示的十字路口，他應走哪一條路？由于無法解答，他只有站在那里躊躇、搖擺不定。在禪修之中，類似以下方式的內心對話會出現：「我為了什麼要這樣地坐著？我這樣做究竟真的得到什麼沒有？噢！當然有，這對我是好的，書是這麼說的。不！那是瘋狂做法，簡直浪費時間。不！我不會放棄，我說過要做就一定要去做。又或者我只是頑固、執著？不知道，我真的不知道。」不要跌落這個陷阱之中，它只是另一個障礙，一個內心的小煙幕彈，要障礙你做世間最艱巨的留意覺知當下實相的壯舉。處理疑並不難，只須覺知到這動搖不定的心態，把它作為一個禪修對象來審視即可。不要被它困住，要退一步來看它，看看它有多強，看看它何時來、逗留多久，再看著它消逝，然後重新返回呼吸。

This is the general pattern you will use on any distraction that arises. By distraction, remember we mean any mental state that arises to impede your meditation. Some of these are quite subtle. It is useful to list some of the possibilities. The negative states are pretty easy to spot: insecurity, fear, anger, depression, irritation and frustration.

(美好高尚的心態，畢竟如過眼云煙)

這是處理任何分心的一般模式。記住，所謂「分心」，是指障礙禪修的任何心理狀態。其中有一些是很微細的，這里列出的一些可能性，或許對禪修會有幫助，負面的心態較易辨識，其中包括：不安全感、恐懼、憤怒、情緒低落、激怒與失意等。

Craving and desire are a bit more difficult to spot because they can apply to things we normally regard as virtuous or noble. You can experience the desire to perfect yourself. You can feel craving for greater virtue. You can even develop an attachment to the bliss of the meditation experience itself. It is a bit hard to detach yourself from such altruistic feelings. In the end, though, it is just more greed. It is a desire for gratification and a clever way of ignoring the present-time reality.

貪愛與欲望則比較難察覺，因為它們會被用在我們常認為是高尚和有品德的事物上。你可能有令自己止于至善至美的欲望，亦可能有較高品德的渴求，你甚至可能貪戀著禪修本身的喜樂經驗。要使自己脫離這些高尚的感受是比較困難的，到最後，它只會令你越來越多貪欲。它(求取高尚的事物)是一種滿足欲望的活動，一種忽視現實的聰明做法而已。

Trickiest of all, however, are those really positive mental states that come creeping into your meditation. Happiness, peace, inner contentment, sympathy and compassion for all beings everywhere. These mental states are so sweet and so benevolent that you can scarcely bear to pry yourself loose from them. It makes you feel like a traitor to mankind. There is no need to feel this way. We are not advising you to reject these states of mind or to become heartless robots. We merely want you to see them for what they are. They are mental states. They come and they go. They arise and they pass away. As you continue your meditation, these states will arise more often. The trick is not to become attached to them. Just see each one as it comes up. See what it is, how strong it is and how long it lasts. Then watch it drift away. It is all just more of the passing show of your own mental universe.

然而，最難處理的是，那些靜悄悄滲入禪修之中的正面心態，例如：快樂、平靜、滿足、對各地方所有眾生的同情與慈悲。這些心態如此甜美、仁愛，乃至令你不忍舍棄它們，因為，這麼做會令你覺得有點像一個背叛人類的人，其實這想法是不必要的，這樣說不是勸你去排斥這些心態，或是要變成一冷酷無情的機械人，我們只想你如實地去看待它們。它們不過是一些心態，會自來自去，會自生自滅。如你繼續禪修，這些心態是會更常出現的。要訣就是不去依戀或執著它們，只須在旁觀看著每一個生起的心態，看看它是什麼、它有多強、它會持續多久，然後看著它的消失。每一心態的出現，只不過是你內心世界的一片過眼云煙而已。

Just as breathing comes in stages, so do the mental states. Every breath has a beginning, a middle and an end. Every mental states has a birth, a growth and a decay. You should strive to see these stages clearly.

就像呼吸分階段進行，心態也是一樣，每一個呼吸都有開始、中間和結束，同樣，每一個心態也有生起、成長和壞滅三個階段，你要努力看清楚這些階段，

This is no easy thing to do, however. As we have already noted, every thought and sensation begins first in the unconscious region of the mind and only later rises to consciousness. We generally become aware of such things only after they have arisen in the conscious realm and stayed there for some time. Indeed we usually become aware of distractions only when they have released their hold on us and are already on their way out. It is at this point that we are struck with the sudden realization that we have been somewhere, day-dreaming, fantasizing, or whatever. Quite obviously this is far too late in the chain of events. We may call this phenomenon catching the lion by is tail, and it is an unskillful thing to do. Like confronting a dangerous beast, we must approach mental states head-on. Patiently, we will learn to recognize them as they arise from progressively deeper levels of our conscious mind.

然而，這並非易事。之前我們已經提過，每一個念頭和感覺都是首先從「無意識」中生起，然後才浮升至意識層面；而我們通常在它們進入了意識層里及逗留一段時間後才覺察到它們。事實上，我們在覺察到分心時，它已開始壞滅離開，不再糾纏我們了。就在這個時候，我們才突然驚覺，自己正在作白日夢、幻想或是胡思亂想。很明顯，這是事件的尾聲，要補救已太遲了，就好像賊過興兵一樣，于事無補。我們應正面迎戰逼近的心態，若能安忍不動，自然曉得不斷深入意識心中，在它們從「無意識」中冒出時就把它們認出來。

(定力帶你往何處去？)

Since mental states arise first in the unconscious, to catch the arising of the mental state, you’ve got to extend your awareness down into this unconscious area. That is difficult, because you can’t see what is going on down there, at least not in the same way you see a conscious thought. But you can learn to get a vague sense of movement and to operate by a sort of mental sense of touch. This comes with practice, and the ability is another of the effects of the deep calm of concentration. Concentration slows down the arising of these mental states and gives you time to feel each one arising out of the unconscious even before you see it in consciousness.

由于心態會首先從「無意識」中冒起，若想捕捉到它，你就要把覺知力(Awareness)深入到這「無意識」層里面。那是困難的，因為你看不到那兒正在發生什麼事，至少與你習慣在意識層里看到的念頭不一樣，不過，你可以從學習中得到一個模糊的動態感覺，而運作方式有點似心靈上的觸覺。這要不斷練習始得，同時，這能力又與深度的定力有關。定力可令這些心態的生起減慢，從而令你有時間感受到每一個從「無意識」中浮現的心態，就在它們出現在意識層之前。

Concentration helps you to extend your awareness down into that boiling darkness where thought and sensation begin.

定力可以幫助你把覺知力延伸至念頭與感覺之源── 動盪難測的黑暗(喻「無意識」)之中。

As your concentration deepens, you gain the ability to see thoughts and sensations arising slowly, like separate bubbles, each distinct and with spaces between them. They bubble up in slow motion out of the unconscious. They stay a while in the conscious mind and then they drift away.

隨著定力的提高，你開始感受到念頭與感覺的慢慢生起，它們好像一個個水泡，獨立而又分離。它們從「無意識」中慢慢冒上來，在有意識的心中逗留片刻，然後悄然消逝。

The application of awareness to mental states is a precision operation. This is particularly true of feelings or sensations. It is very easy to overreach the sensation. That is, to add something to it above and beyond what is really there. It is equally easy to fall short of sensation, to get part of it but not all. The ideal that you are striving for is to experience each mental state fully, exactly the way it is, adding nothing to it and not missing any part of it. Let us use pain in the leg as an example. What is actually there is a pure flowing sensation. It changes constantly, never the same from one moment to the next. It moves from one location to another, and its intensity surges up and down. Pain is not a thing. It is an event. There should be no concepts tacked on to it and none associated with it. A pure unobstructed awareness of this event will experience it simply as a flowing pattern of energy and nothing more. No thought and no rejection. Just energy.

留意覺知自己的心態是一種精密的行動，對于感受或感覺尤其如是。你很容易走在感覺之前，意思是：在感覺的現實上添加了一些東西；同樣，你亦很容易落後于感覺，只得到其中的一部分而非全部。要奮力達到的理想是：完全如實地體會到每一個心態，不添加任何東西，也沒有任何遺漏。讓我們以腳痛為例，事實上它只是一純粹的感覺流動，它不斷改變，時刻不同，它到處移動，時強時弱。疼痛不是一個(實在的)東西，而是一件事(現象、過程)。因此，不宜以任何概念名之，亦不可以任何概念與之相聯系。對此疼痛事件之單純無礙的覺知，將體會到它只是單單的能量流動形態而已。無需思想反應、無需拒絕，僅是能量活動而已。

Early on in our practice of meditation, we need to rethink our underlying assumptions regarding conceptualization. For most of us, we have earned high marks in school and in life for our ability to manipulate mental phenomena – concepts – logically. Our careers, much of our success in everyday life, our happy relationships, we view as largely the result of our successful manipulation of concepts. In developing mindfulness, however, we temporarily suspend the conceptualization process and focus on the pure nature of mental phenomena. During meditation we are seeking to experience the mind at the pre-concept level.

(擺脫概念所惹的禍)

在禪修初期，我們需要反思一下有關概念化背後的假設。依靠邏輯方式，我們大多數人在學校與生活中，都能運用概念(心法)來取得良好成績。我們的事業、日常生活上的大多數成就、愉快的人際關系…… 等等，我們都視為大部分與成功地、巧妙地處理概念有關。然而，在發展覺知力時，我們要暫時擱置概念化過程，致力于體會心理現象的單純本性。在禪修當中，我們試圖在概念生起之前去直接體驗自心。

But the human mind conceptualizes such occurrences as pain. You find yourself thinking of it as ‘the pain’. That is a concept. It is a label, something added to the sensation itself. You find yourself building a mental image, a picture of the pain, seeing it as a shape. You may see a diagram of the leg with the pain outlined in some lovely color. This is very creative and terribly entertaining, but not what we want. Those are concepts tacked on to the living reality. Most likely, you will probably find yourself thinking: “I have a pain in my leg.” ‘I’ is a concept. It is something extra added to the pure experience.

可是，人的心把這事件概念化為疼痛，你發現自己正把它想為「疼痛」，那是概念、標籤、一種加在感覺本身之上的東西。你發覺自己正構思起一個心理形象、一幅疼痛的畫面，而且開始看到它的樣子了。你可能看到那只腳的圖畫，上面有些象徵著疼痛的色彩，這很有創意和娛樂性，然而，那不是我們想要的，那是扣在生動活潑的現實上之概念。很有可能你會開始想著：「我的腳有點痛。」「我」是一個概念，它是額外加諸純粹經驗上的東西。

When you introduce ‘I’ into the process, you are building a conceptual gap between the reality and the awareness viewing that reality. Thoughts such as ‘Me’, ‘My’ or ‘Mine’ have no place in direct awareness. They are extraneous addenda, and insidious ones at that. When you bring ‘me’ into the picture, you are identifying with the pain. That simply adds emphasis to it. If you leave ‘I’ out of the operation, pain is not painful. It is just a pure surging energy flow. It can even be beautiful. If you find ‘I’ insinuating itself in your experience of pain or indeed any other sensation, then just observe that mindfully. Pay bare attention to the phenomenon of personal identification with the pain.

當你把「我」引進到這過程時，你正在為現實與觀照現實的覺知之間建築起一道概念的鴻溝。諸如「我」或「我的」想法，在直接覺知之中是沒有任何地位的，它們是多余的附加物，不時暗中為害。當你把「我」引入畫面時，實際上在確認疼痛為一體，那只會令它的影響力加倍而已。如果不讓「我」來打擾運作，疼痛就不會那麼令人難受，而僅是純粹的能量波動，且可以是美妙的。如你發現「我」正在迂迴進入你的疼痛或其他感受的體驗之中，那就留心地觀察著這個情況即可。對痛苦作個人認同的現象要保持單純的注意。

The general idea, however, is almost too simple. You want to really see each sensation, whether it is pain, bliss or boredom. You want to experience that thing fully in its natural and unadulterated form. There is only one way to do this. Your timing has to be precise. Your awareness of each sensation must coordinate exactly with the arising of that sensation. If you catch it just a bit too late, you miss the beginning. You won’t get all of it. If you hang on to any sensation past the time when it has memory. The thing itself is gone, and by holding onto that memory, you miss the arising of the next sensation. It is a very delicate operation. You’ve got to cruise along right here in present time, picking things up and letting things drop with no delays whatsoever. It takes a very light touch. Your relation to sensation should never be one of past or future but always of the simple and immediate now.

總的來說，我想表達的意思十分簡單：你要如實覺察每一個感覺，無論它是疼痛、狂喜、或是厭煩，你要在那東西(現象)處于自然和純潔無染的狀態下，完全地體驗到它。只有一個方法可以做得到，那就是：你要精準地抓緊時機。你對每一個感覺的覺知必須與它的生起精確地同步。若稍有遲緩，你會錯失開始，無法掌握到它的全貌；如果某感覺已在心中消逝，而你仍對它依依不舍，停留在任何感覺的過去記憶之中，如是地執著那個記憶，只會令你錯失下一個感覺的生起。這運作十分精巧，你必須漫游于當下(此時此地)，提起與放下皆不許稍有差遲(延誤)，且十分需要瞬間的輕觸，你與感覺的聯系(接觸)永不可在過去或未來，只可單單在眼前當下。

The human mind seeks to conceptualize phenomena, and it has developed a host of clever ways to do so. Every simple sensation will trigger a burst of conceptual thinking if you give the mind its way. Lets us take hearing, for example. You are sitting in meditation and somebody in the next room drops a dish. The sounds strike your ear. Instantly you see a picture of that other room. You probably see a person dropping a dish, too. If this a familiar environment, say your own home, you probably will have a 3-D technicolor mind movie of who did the dropping and which dish was dropped. This whole sequence presents itself to consciousness instantly. It just jumps out of the unconscious so bright and clear and compelling that it shoves everything else out of sight. What happens to the original sensation, the pure experience of hearing? It got lost in the shuffle, completely overwhelmed and forgotten. We miss reality. We enter a world of fantasy.

(感覺會引起一連串的概念性思維)

人類的心習慣把現象概念化，且已發展了很多聰明的做法。如果你放縱心意，每一個簡單的感覺都可以啟動一連串的概念性思維。讓我們以聽為例子：你正坐著禪修，隔壁房間有人掉下一只碟子，那聲音撞擊你的耳朵，你的腦海馬上出現一幅隔壁房間的圖像，你也許還看到掉下碟子的那個人呢！如果那是熟悉的環境，比如說是你的住所，你的內心可能出現一套立體而色彩鮮明的動畫，在里面你看到誰在掉碟子，以及掉的是那只碟子等等。整個次序就在瞬間出現在意識之中，它就是這樣地從「無意識」中跳出來，那麼地鮮明、清楚和引人注目，它擠掉一切事物，令人只知它的存在。原來的感覺── 那純粹的聽覺體驗── 怎麼樣了？它在混亂中走失了，完全被蓋過與遺忘了。我們錯失現實，進入了一個幻想世界。

Here is another example: You are sitting in meditation and a sound strikes your ear. It is just an indistinct noise, sort of a muffled crunch; it could be anything. What happens next will probably be something like this. “What was that? Who did that? Where did that come from? How far away was that? Is it dangerous?”. And on and on you go, getting no answers but your fantasy projection.

這里有另一個例子：你正坐著禪修，突然有聲音撞擊你的耳朵，那是一個朦朧的雜音，類似一種低沉的壓碎聲，它可以是任何事情。跟著你可能會想：「什麼聲音？是誰做的？從哪里發出來？距離有多遠？有危險嗎？」你會一直如是地繼續想下去，可是，除了你的幻想投射之外，沒有任何答案可得。

Conceptualization is an insidiously clever process It creeps into you experience, and it simply takes over. When you hear a sound in meditation, pay bare attention to the experience of hearing. That and that only. What is really happening is so utterly simple that we can and do miss it altogether. Sound waves are striking the ear in a certain unique pattern. Those waves are being translated into electrical impulses within the brain and those impulses present a sound pattern to consciousness. That is all. No pictures. No mind movies. No concepts. No interior dialogues about the question. Just noise. Reality is elegantly simple and unadorned. When you hear a sound, be mindful of the process of hearing. Everything else is just added chatter. Drop it. The same rule applies to every sensation, every emotion, every experience you may have. Look closely at your own experience. Dig down through the layers of mental bric-a-brac and see what is really there. You will be amazed how simple it is, and how beautiful.

(只需單純地聽！)

概念化是一個潛伏的狡猾過程，它暗中潛入你的體驗之中，完全接管一切。當你在禪修中聽到一個聲音時，應單純地注意著那聽的感受本身，僅僅是這麼做即可。實際上，由于發生的事簡單異常，乃致我們經常把它完全遺漏了。聲波以一獨特的模式撞擊耳朵，聲波在腦中被轉成為電波，而那些電波脈沖則以聲音模式呈現給意識。如此而已，沒有畫面、沒有動畫、沒有概念、也沒有與之相關的內心對話，只有聲響。現實就是那麼單純和樸素，當你聽到一個聲音時，就要專注著聽的過程，其他一切只當是附加贅言，可以完全放下不理。同樣原則亦適用于你的每一個感覺、情緒或經驗。仔細觀看一下你自己的感受或體驗，向內心深處挖掘你的久遠收藏，看看有什麼發現。你也許會驚訝地發覺，它竟然如是簡單、如是美妙。

There are times when a number of sensations may arise at once. You might have a thought of fear, a squeezing in the stomach and an aching back and an itch on your left earlobe, all at the same time. Don’t sit there in a quandary. Don’t keep switching back and forth or wondering what to pick. One of them will be strongest. Just open yourself up and the most insistent of these phenomena will intrude itself and demand your attention. So give it some attention just long enough to see it fade away. Then return to your breathing. If another one intrudes itself, let it in. When it is done, return to the breathing.

(幾種感覺同時生起時的處理)

有時候，好幾種感覺會突然同時生起，你可能同時有一念恐懼、胃痙攣、背痛，以及左耳垂痕癢。不要坐在那里不知所措，不要一直來回地轉移目標，或是疑惑著選哪一個才好，其中必有一個感覺是最強烈的，只須開放自己，其中最堅持的或最強烈的那個自會闖入，吸引你的注意，到時，要留意觀察著它，直至它消失為止，然後回來注意呼吸。如果有另一個(強烈的感覺)自己闖進來，就讓它進入，當它結束後，再回到呼吸上來。

This process can be carried too far, however. Don’t sit there looking for things to be mindful of. Keep your mindfulness on the breath until something else steps in and pulls your attention away. When you feel that happening, don’t fight it. Let you attention flow naturally over to the distraction, and keep it there until the distraction evaporates. Then return to breathing. Don’t seek out other physical or mental phenomena. Just return to breathing. Let them come to you. There will be times when you drift off, of course. Even after long practice you find yourself suddenly waking up, realizing you have been off the track for some while. Don’t get discouraged. Realize that you have been off the track for such and such a length of time and go back to the breath. There is no need for any negative reaction at all. The very act of realizing that you have been off the track is an active awareness. It is an exercise of pure mindfulness all by itself.

不過，此過程可能會做得太過火了，不要坐在那里不停地尋找對象來專注，應該維持對呼吸的專注，直至有干擾闖入來令你分心，當你察覺到這樣的事情出現時，不可與之抗爭，就讓心自然地注意到那個干擾、專注著它、待它消逝後，再回到呼吸上來。不可尋找其他的身心現象，應讓它們來找你，只須讓注意力回到呼吸上來即可。當然，有時候你會昏沉的，就算是禪修多年的人，亦會有時在禪修中突然醒來，發覺自己已經偏離正軌好一段時間了。不要氣餒，知道自己已分心了這麼一段時間後，再回到呼吸上來，完全不必生起任何負面情緒的反應。了解到自己已偏離正軌這動作本身，就是一種積極、有效的覺知，它本身就是純粹覺知的一次練習。

Mindfulness grows by the exercise of mindfulness. It is like exercising a muscle. Every time you work it, you pump it up just a little. You make it a little stronger. The very fact that you have felt that wake-up sensation means that you have just improved your mindfulness power. That means you win. Move back to the breathing without regret. However, the regret is a conditioned reflex and it may come along anyway–another mental habit. If you find yourself getting frustrated, feeling discouraged, or condemning yourself, just observe that with bare attention. It is just another distraction. Give it some attention and watch it fade away, and return to the breath.

(像訓練肌肉一樣訓練專注)

專注要不斷運用與練習才能進步，就像訓練肌肉一樣，每一次練習都會令它進步少許，強壯一些。你感到醒覺這事實本身，意味著你的覺知力已剛剛增進了，那表示你勝利了，可以無悔地把注意轉回到呼吸上來。可是，懊悔是一種受條件反射的動作，它像其他心理習氣(Mental habit)[2]一樣，總會在不知不覺間發生的。如果你發覺自己開始有點挫敗感、氣餒或自責，只須以單純的注意觀察著它即可。它只不過是另一個令你分心的事物而已，給它一點注意，監視著它的消逝，然後回到呼吸上來。

The rules we have just reviewed can and should be applied thoroughly to all of your mental states. You are going to find this an utterly ruthless injunction. It is the toughest job that you will ever undertake. You will find yourself relatively willing to apply this technique to certain parts of your experience, and you will find yourself totally unwilling to use it on the other parts.

上述原則可以、並且應該被認真地運用到你的所有心態之中。你將很快發覺，這是一條毫不容情的指令，也是你從未遇過的挑戰。你也會發覺，自己只願把這技巧實施于某些感受或經驗之中，而非全部。

Meditation is a bit like mental acid. It eats away slowly at whatever you put it on. We humans are very odd beings. We like the taste of certain poisons and we stubbornly continue to eat them even while they are killing us. Thoughts to which we are attached are poison. You will find yourself quite eager to dig some thoughts out by the roots while you jealously guard and cherish certain others. That is the human condition.

禪修有點像心內的酸性物質，它會慢慢侵蝕你放入心內的任何東西。我們人類是很奇怪的生物，我們喜歡某些有毒物品的味道，而且堅持要繼續吃它們，即使它們正致我們于死地。我們所執著的思想是毒藥。你會發覺，自己很熱心去剷除某些思想，對其他思想則很維護與珍惜，舍不得鏟除。這就是我們人類的境況。

(內觀禪助你脫離貪瞋等心理困境)

Vipassana meditation is not a game. Clear awareness is more than a pleasurable pastime. It is a road up and out of the quagmire in which we are all stuck, the swamp of our own desires and aversions. It is relatively easy to apply awareness to the nastier aspects of your existence. Once you have seen fear and depression evaporate in the hot, intense beacon of awareness, you want to repeat the process. Those are the unpleasant mental states. They hurt. You want to get rid of those things because they bother you. It is a good deal harder to apply that same process to mental states which you cherish, like patriotism, or parental protectiveness or true love.

內觀禪修不是一種游戲，清楚覺知決非一般的娛樂消遣那麼簡單，它是一條引領我們脫離貪瞋困境的道路。運用覺知于生活中較令人不快的情況，相信比較容易。一旦你體驗過恐懼與沮喪在覺知的強烈照射下消散殆盡，你就會想重複那個過程。那些是令人不快的心態，它們會造成傷害，你希望擺脫它們，因為它們經常煩擾著你。要運用同樣的過程到你愛惜的心態，如愛國心、愛兒心或摯愛之上，則會困難得多。

But it is just as necessary. Positive attachments hold you in the mud just as assuredly as negative attachments. You may rise above the mud far enough to breathe a bit more easily if you practice Vipassana meditation with diligence. Vipassana meditation is the road to Nibbana. And from the reports of those who have toiled their way to that lofty goal, it is well worth every effort involved.

不過，那一樣是必須的，因為，無論是正面的(善的)或負面的(不善的)依戀執著，它們都會令你陷于泥濘之中。若能勤習內觀禪法，就可輕易地出離困境，呼吸到一口新鮮空氣。內觀禪是直達涅槃的道路，從那些已攀上頂峰的聖者報導中可以知道，所付出的每一分努力都會是非常值得的。

【注釋】

[1] 蓋障(Hindrances)：佛教稱為「蓋」，是煩惱的別稱，能覆蓋自心，障礙善心的生起與發展。主要有五種：貪(Desire)、瞋( Aversion)、疑( Doubt)、昏沉( Lethargy)與

掉舉或散亂(Agitation)等。它們合稱「五蓋」。佛教禪修，初步努力必須克服此「五蓋」，始得成就「定境」。之後，便可進一步修持「靜觀」，獲得解脫智慧。

[2] 習氣(Mental habit)：即習慣。佛教認為，由于我們的思想行為(尤指內心的煩惱)經常生起，不斷薰習自心，經久成習，令人受制，難于自拔。所指「習氣」，多指令我們受苦之壞習慣。