Mindfulness In Plain English - Chapter 6: What To Do With Your Body

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 6: What To Do With Your Body

第六章 如何調身

The practice of meditation has been going on for several thousand years. That is quite a bit of time for experimentation, and the procedure has been very, very thoroughly refined. Buddhist practice has always recognized that the mind and body are tightly linked and that each influences the other. Thus there are certain recommended physical practices which will greatly assist you to master your skill. And these practices should be followed. Keep in mind, however, that these postures are practice aids. Don’t confuse the two. Meditation does not mean sitting in the lotus position. It is a mental skill. It can be practiced anywhere you wish. But these postures will help you learn this skill and they speed your progress and development. So use them.

禪修實踐的歷史已有幾千年，實驗的時間可謂不算少了，它的程序已很精鍊和細緻。佛教禪修一貫認為身心相連、且相互影響，因此，一些傳統的調身建議，對你掌握禪修技巧會有極大幫助，應緊密遵循，但要記住，這些姿勢只是修行實踐的輔助，不可混淆二者。禪修不一定要你以蓮花坐姿(雙盤腿)進行，它是一種心智技巧，可以在任何地方進行，但這些姿勢有助你學習此種技巧、加速你的進步和發展，因此，請善用它們。

General Rules

一般規則

The purpose of the various postures is threefold. First, they provide a stable feeling in the body. This allows you to remove your attention from such issues as balance and muscular fatigue, so that you can then center your concentration upon the formal object of meditation. Second, they promote physical immobility which is then reflected by an immobility of mind. This creates a deeply settled and tranquil concentration. Third, they give you the ability to sit for a long period of time without yielding to the meditator’s three main enemies–pain, muscular tension and falling asleep. The most essential thing is to sit with your back straight. The spine should be erect with the spinal vertebrae held like a stack of coins, one on top of the other. Your head should be held in line with the rest of the spine. All of this is done in a relaxed manner. No Stiffness. You are not a wooden soldier, and there is no drill sergeant. There should be no muscular tension involved in keeping the back straight. Sit light and easy. The spine should be like a firm young tree growing out of soft ground. The rest of the body just hangs from it in a loose, relaxed manner. This is going to require a bit of experimentation on your part. We generally sit in tight, guarded postures when we are walking or talking and in sprawling postures when we are relaxing. Neither of those will do. But they are cultural habits and they can be re-learned.

用這些姿勢的目的有三：第一，它們令身體穩重，不用你分心去處理平衡或肌肉疲勞等問題，你可更專注于正規的禪修對象。第二，它們讓身體較難搖動，這亦可反映心意的不動搖性，因而產生深度的安穩與平靜的定力。第三，它使你能久坐而無需屈服于禪修者的三個敵人：痛苦、肌肉緊張與昏沉。

Your objective is to achieve a posture in which you can sit for the entire session without moving at all. In the beginning, you will probably feel a bit odd to sit with the straight back. But you will get used to it. It takes practice, and an erect posture is very important. This is what is known in physiology as a position of arousal, and with it goes mental alertness. If you slouch, you are inviting drowsiness. What you sit on is equally important. You are going to need a chair or a cushion, depending on the posture you choose, and the firmness of the seat must be chosen with some care. Too soft a seat can put you right to sleep. Too hard can promote pain.

最重要的是，坐定後背部要正直，要豎直脊骨，有如一串疊得整齊筆直的錢幣，頭部要保持與脊骨成一直線，這一切都要做得輕松自然、不可僵硬，你不是木制士兵，也沒有訓練的長官在場。保持脊骨正直時，不可讓肌肉過分緊張，要坐得輕松自然，脊骨要像一株剛在松軟泥土生長出來的、堅挺的幼樹，身體的其他部分則在它上面掛著，無拘無束，這要你做些實驗才懂。我們通常坐著時，都很緊張慎重，說話或走動時，又會緊張兮兮；到全身放松時，又會四肢攤開地倒下來，兩者皆不可取。不過，這是養成的習慣，可以重新學習改善的。你的目標是要養成一種姿勢，好讓你可坐畢全程而無需移動。開始時，你會覺得坐直身子有點怪異，但你終究會習慣它的，這要練習，直身端坐是非常重要的，生理學稱之為覺醒的姿勢，它令內心提起警覺。若你無精打彩地坐著，便會招來昏沉。坐在什麼東西上面也很重要，視乎所選姿勢，你可能需要一張椅子或坐墊，座位硬度也要小心選擇，太軟容易令你昏沉，太硬則容易引起疼痛。

Clothing

衣服

The clothes you wear for meditation should be loose and soft. If they restrict blood flow or put pressure on nerves, the result will be pain and/or that tingling numbness which we normally refer to as our ‘legs going to sleep’. If you are wearing a belt, loosen it. Don’t wear tight pants or pants made of thick material. Long skirts are a good choice for women. Loose pants made of thin or elastic material are fine for anybody. Soft, flowing robes are the traditional garb in Asia and they come in an enormous variety of styles such as sarongs and kimonos. Take your shoes off and if your stockings are thick and binding, take them off, too.

禪修所穿的衣服要寬松柔軟，如果它們阻礙血液循環或壓迫神經，就會產生痛苦和麻痺；如果你身系腰帶，就要放松它；不要穿太緊或太厚的褲子，女士宜穿著長裙，薄而有彈性的寬松褲子，對任何人皆適宜，亞洲人的傳統制服多是柔軟飄動的長袍，其中有多種，如圍裙(莎籠)及和服等。脫掉鞋子，長襪如果太緊，亦可除下來。

Traditional Postures

傳統姿勢

When you are sitting on the floor in the traditional Asian manner, you need a cushion to elevate your spine. Choose one that is relatively firm and at least three inches thick when compressed. Sit close to the front edge of the cushion and let your crossed legs rest on the floor in front of you. If the floor is carpeted, that may be enough to protect your shins and ankles from pressure. If it is not, you will probably need some sort of padding for your legs. A folded blanket will do nicely. Don’t sit all the way back on the cushion. This position causes its front edge to press into the underside of your thigh, causing nerves to pinch. The result will be leg pain.

如果你依亞洲人的傳統方式坐在地上，要用坐墊抬高你的脊骨，所選坐墊宜結實一點，壓下去時至少還有三吋高。坐下去時要接近坐墊的前沿地方，兩腿則交叉在身前的地上，要是地上已有氈子，那可能已足夠保護你的脛部和踝骨免受壓迫，如若不然，就要采用墊料來保護你的腿部，如用一塊折疊好的毛巾或毛氈之類。不要接近坐墊的後沿來坐，這會令坐墊的前沿壓住你大腿底部神經，令腿部產生痛楚。

There are a number of ways you can fold your legs. We will list four in ascending order of preference.

有幾種盤腿方式可供選擇，以下我們列出四種，其中數字越大者越難，但也越可取：

1. American indian style. Your right foot is tucked under the left knee and left foot is tucked under your right knee.

(1) 美國印第安人式：右腳掌放在左膝下，左腳掌放在右膝下。

2. Burmese style. Both of your legs lie flat on the floor from knee to foot. They are parallel with each other and one in front of the other.

(2) 緬甸式：兩只小腿向身體屈曲，一前一後、平行地放在地上。

3. Half lotus. Both knees touch the floor. One leg and foot lie flat along the calf of the other leg.

(3) 半蓮花式：雙膝著地，一小腿置于另一小腿之底部。

4. Full lotus. Both knees touch the floor, and your legs are crossed at the calf. Your left foot rests on the right thigh, and your right foot rests on the left thigh. Both soles turn upward.

(4) 全蓮花式：雙膝著地，兩小腿互相交叉，左腳掌置于右大腿上，右腳掌置于左大腿上，雙腳腳掌朝天。

In these postures, your hands are cupped one on the other, and they rest on your lap with the palms turned upward. The hands lie just below the navel with the bend of each wrist pressed against the thigh. This arm position provides firm bracing for the upper body. Don’t tighten your neck muscles. Relax your arms. Your diaphragm is held relaxed, expanded to maximum fullness. Don’t let tension build up in the stomach area. Your chin is up. Your eyes can be open or closed. If you keep them open, fix them on the tip of your nose or in the middle distance straight in front. You are not looking at anything. You are just putting your eyes in some arbitrary direction where there is nothing in particular to see, so that you can forget about vision. Don’t strain. Don’t stiffen and don’t be rigid. Relax; let the body be natural and supple. Let it hang from the erect spine like a rag doll.

在上述姿勢中，雙掌掌心向上作杯狀重疊，然後置于臍下與二大腿之間，兩腕微彎，輕輕按住大腿，這樣子的手臂姿勢能對上身提供穩固的支撐。不可繃緊頸部肌肉，讓手臂肌肉放松，也讓橫隔膜放松，令之可作最大程度的擴展，胃部周圍也不要緊張，下顎輕微朝上，眼睛可張開或閉合。如果保持張開，就要凝視鼻端或前面中等距離的地方，你不要望住任何東西，只把目光朝著前面沒有什麼特別要看的地方，做到視而不見即可。不可使勁繃緊、不可僵硬，要放松，讓身體自然、柔軟，就像布娃娃垂掛在豎直的脊骨上一樣。

Half and full lotus positions are the traditional meditation postures in asia. And the full lotus is considered the best. It is the most solid by far. Once you are locked into this position, you can be completely immovable for a very long period. Since it requires a considerable flexibility in the legs, not everybody can do it. Besides, the main criterion by which you choose a posture for yourself is not what others say about it. It is your own comfort. Choose a position which allows you to sit the longest without pain, without moving. Experiment with different postures. The tendons will loosen with practice. And then you can work gradually towards the full lotus.

在亞洲，半蓮花式和全蓮花式是傳統的禪修坐姿，全蓮花式被認為是最好的，因為至今它還是最穩固的，一旦你鎖定在這個姿勢，就可長時間全然不動地坐著。由于它要腿部有相當的柔軟度，不是每一個人都可以做到的，況且，替自己選取合適坐姿的標準，不在乎別人的評價，要自己感到舒適才行。應選一個你最能久坐不痛、亦不會移動的姿勢，可嘗試不同的姿勢後才作選擇。隨著修習，筋腱是會慢慢變松的，不久之後，你就可試坐全蓮花式的姿勢了。

Using A Chair

利用椅子

Sitting on the floor may not be feasible for you because of pain or some other reason. No problem. You can always use a chair instead. Pick one that has a level seat, a straight back and no arms. It is best to sit in such a way that your back does not lean against the back of the chair. The front of the seat should not dig into the underside of your thighs. Place your legs side by side,feet flat on the floor. As with the traditional postures, place both hands on your lap, cupped one upon the other. Don’t tighten your neck or shoulder muscles, and relax your arms. Your eyes can be open or closed.

由于疼痛或其他原因，要你坐在地上，或許是不行的。沒問題，你可以利用椅子。所用的椅子不要扶手，坐面要平，椅背要直，坐下後背部不要靠著椅背，坐面前沿不可壓住你的大腿下部，兩腿平列，腳掌要平放地上，如同傳統的坐姿一樣，手心向上重疊後要放在大腿前部及臍下，不可令頸部及肩膀肌肉緊張，放松手臂，眼睛可張開或閉合。

In all the above postures, remember your objectives. You want to achieve a state of complete physical stillness, yet you don’t want to fall asleep. Recall the analogy of the muddy water. You want to promote a totally settled state of the body which will engender a corresponding mental settling. There must also be a state of physical alertness which can induce the kind of mental clarity you seek. So experiment. Your body is a tool for creating desired mental states. Use it judiciously.

在上述所有姿勢中，你都要清楚自己的目的── 你要身體達致完全安靜而又不會昏沉。還記得第五章提過的那杯泥水比喻嗎？你想安靜身體，好讓心靈也可安靜下來。不過，身體亦須處于警覺狀態，心才可達致清明的。因此，實踐吧！身體是創造理想心靈狀態的一個工具，明智地善用它吧！