怎樣才能稱為抵達『涅槃流』？ What is it to attain the Stream of Nibbāna?

(４４)現在我要提出下一個問題： 「怎樣才能稱為抵達『涅槃流』？」

44. Now I shall put the following question:

45. 「What is it to attain the Stream of Nibbāna?」

　　回想前面已討論過的「涅槃」這個字，那是人類所能到達最好、最高的境界(參閱第２９則)。在一期生命中，若人不去認識涅槃的境界，或不能體嘗涅槃的法味，生命就虛擲了。

THINK BACK TO the word 「nibbāna」 in the sense already discussed, that is, as the highest good attainable by humanity (see No. 30). If, in any one lifetime, one does not come to know the state called nibbāna, or fails even to taste the flavour of nibbāna, that life has been wasted.

　　「涅槃流」(the strean of nibbana)是指一種道跡——已達相當層次，確保只流向或趨向涅槃，流向苦的止息，而不再倒流回痛苦及惡道，我們稱這道跡為「流」。

「Stream of Nibbāna」 refers to a course that has reached the stage that ensures a flowing and tending only towards nibbāna. It flows towards the extinction of suffering, with no backflow in the direction of suffering and the Woeful States. We call this course 「The Stream」.

　　抵達「流」的人，稱為「須陀洹」(sotapanna預流)，須陀洹還未抵達究竟涅槃，他抵達與他本身相應的「現法涅槃」(ditthadhamma-nibbana)(參閱第２７則)或「現世涅槃」(tadange-nibbana)。能抵達真正的涅槃流，就不會被世間的「味」、「患」或其他任何事物所迷惑，「世間」再也不能欺騙他了，這意思不是指須陀洹要放棄與世間相關的一切，或甚至放棄欲樂的享受，而是指他的心已看清這些事物，不會全心全意執著，雖然偶爾失去正念時仍會執著，但他有信心做到不執著。

One who has attained the Stream is a sotapanna (Stream-enterer). A sotapanna has not yet attained complete nibbāna. The Stream- enterer attains di..hadhamma-nibbāna (see No. 28), or tadanga- nibbāna (coincidental nibbāna), or whatever sort of nibbāna is appropriate in one』s case. But having attained the real Stream of Nibbāna, one will never again become attached to the assāda and ādīnava (bait and hook) of the world. The world never again will be able to deceive one. This doesn』t mean, for instance, that one gives up all connection with the world, or even all indulgence in sensuality. It means simply that one』s mind has begun to view these things as unworthy of grasping and clinging. It is practically certain that it will not grasp and cling, though it may still do so in occasional moments of unawareness.

　　成為須陀洹，必須斷除三結(samyojana)——身見結(sakayaditthi)、疑結(vicikiccha)、戒禁取結(silabbata-paramasa)。斷身見結是斷一種惑，斷疑結是斷另一種惑，而斷戒禁取結是斷第三種惑，他還沒有斷除欲貪(kama-raga)——第四種結，連斯陀含(sakadagamin)也沒有徹底斷盡。須陀洹還無法斷除欲貪，仍可能接觸或享受感官欲樂，但他不會掉進感官欲樂的陷井，而會循著聖人的正念去做。別忘了須陀洹已斷除身見結、疑結和戒禁取結，這即是抵達涅槃流的基準，且最終必定會證得涅槃。

To be a sotapanna, one must give up three of the 「fetters」 (sa.yojana), namely belief in a permanent ego-entity (sakkāya- di..hi), doubt (vicikicchā), and superstition (sīlabbata-parāmāsa). To give up ego-belief is to give up one kind of delusion, to give up doubt is to give up another kind of delusion, and to give up superstition is to give up a third kind of delusion. He has not yet given up sensual desire (kāma-rāga), the fourth fetter. A sakidāgāmī (「Once-returner」, one stage more advanced than the sotapanna) has not altogether given it up either. This means that though one may not be able to give up sensual desire, still one does not fall right into the pit of sensuality. Though one may make contact with or indulge in sensuality, one will do so mindfully, as an ariyan. But don』t forget that one has given up ego-belief, doubt, and superstition. This is the criterion for one』s having attained to the Stream of Nibbāna and being certain to carry on toward nibbāna itself.

　　所以，這是斷見惑的問題，斷欲貪之前必先斷見惑。欲貪本身並不是危險可怕的問題或敵人，真正可怕的是「痴」。巴利經典中有這麼一句話：所有事中最惡臭的是「慢」——自我膨脹，佛陀沒有說感官欲樂是最惡臭的事，而說是「慢惑」。通常我們都高估了須陀洹斷除感官欲樂的程度，一旦它的基準被誤會成這樣，一切都錯了，而且無法(與真相)相符。所以，必定要認識抵達涅槃流的第一階段——先斷除的不是欲貪而是見惑。

So it is a matter of giving up misunderstanding. One must give up misunderstanding before giving up sensual desire (kāma-rāga). Sensual desire is not as yet a dangerous and terrifying problem or enemy. What is terrifying is delusion. In the texts there is a saying that the most putrid thing of all is a mind clinging to self, to ego. The Buddha did not point to sensuality as the most foul-smelling thing; he pointed to delusion. We generally tend to overestimate and overvalue the extent of a sotapanna』s giving up of involvement in sensuality. When its standard is thus misconceived, the whole picture becomes distorted and there is no way things can be brought into agreement. So it is essential that we know what it is to attain the first stage, the Stream of Nibbāna. Not sensual desire but ignorance is what must be given up first.

　　「身見」由自我中心形成。以自我為中心的感覺，通常每天都會發生，它是由于我們不知空，甚至連顯而易見的空相也無法察覺；是心就迷亂且不「空」，而產生身見，所以必須斷除身見結，不讓它再現，才能證須陀洹果。在一般情況下，身見生了又滅，生了又滅，生了又滅 ……每天一再出現許多次，但也有不出現的時刻，我們必須學習去認識有身見時像什麼，空掉身見時又像什麼，最後你會發現，當自我中心生起時就有身見。

Ego-belief (sakkāya-di..hi) consists in self-centredness. Self-centredness, as it normally occurs every day, comes from failure to perceive su..atā (emptiness) even in a crude way. The mind is confused and not free; consequently there is ego-belief. So to be a sotapanna one must give up ego-belief for good and all. In the normal course of events it arises and ceases, arises and ceases. Every day ego-belief is present many times, over and over. But there are also times when it is not present. We have to study what it is like to have ego-belief and what it is like to be free of ego-belief. When there is self-centredness, that is sakkāya-di..hi.

　　「疑」是對什麼是可信的產生懷疑或猶疑不決——是否要信仰佛陀？是否要為徹底滅苦的出世間而修行？因為有這種猶疑，就無法專注地關心「法」，甚至一天關心五分鍾都覺得困難。相反地，卻無時無刻不對吃喝玩樂、讀書學習、生意工作等事情感興趣。如果把戲笑的時間拿來培養對「法」的關心，我相信那一定會領悟得很快。 　　最嚴重的懷疑是——采用佛陀滅苦的方法好嗎？踏上滅苦之道好嗎？有能力做到嗎？大部分的人因為已被世間的誘惑弄糊涂了，而認為滅苦之道枯燥乏味、無趣、沒有吸引力，這才是問題的關鍵，且是最嚴重的懷疑。我們正在受苦，要毫不猶疑地滅苦，所以，必須根除猶疑。

Now vicikicchā is doubt or hesitancy as to what may be taken as certain, hesitancy as to whether or not to believe the Buddha, and hesitancy as to whether or not to practise for the absolute and complete extincition of suffering on the supramundane level. Because there is this hesitancy, one is not sufficiently interested in Dhamma. It is hard to be interested in Dhamma even for five minutes a day. Yet one is interested in such things as fun and laughter, food and drink, study and learning, business and work, for hours and hours a day. If the time spent on fun and laughter were devoted instead to developing an interest in Dhamma, one would come to understand it quickly. The most important kind of hesitancy is hesitancy about whether or not it would be a good thing to adopt the Buddha』s means of extinguishing suffering. Indecision about setting out on the Path to the extinction of suffering constitutes a great problem and a great danger. Most people consider the prospect lacking in flavour, unpleasant, unagreeable, and devoid of attraction, because they are infatuated by the allurements of the world. So hesitancy must be eradicated. We are subject to suffering; we must be resolute about putting an end to suffering.

　　第三種結是「戒禁取」，是由來已久的習慣性迷信。檢視你自己，看看能發現那種一直存在的迷信行為。如你已被誤導習慣性地害怕小壁虎或同類小動物，這是戒禁取結，它是原始的、幼稚的；你被教成要相信靈樹、靈山、靈廟和靈屋，這些也全都是戒禁取結。 　　總之，對自己所作的事有所迷信，事情本來應該如此，卻弄成另一回事，這是戒禁取結。如行善應該是用來排除私心，卻縱容行善增長私心，可見行善有時成了戒禁取結；有些出家眾和在家眾嚴守戒律，迷信到習慣成性，而演變成戒禁取結；至于我們所誤解的某些事情，一直延續到今天，都還依然迷信著，這也算是戒禁取結。

The third fetter is sīlabbata-parāmāsa (chronic superstition). Have a look at yourself and see what sort of chronically superstitious behaviour is to be found in you. You have been taught to fear harmless little lizards and similar animals until it has become a habit. This is superstition. It is primitive and childlike. You have been brought up to believe in sacred trees, sacred mountains, sacred temples, sacred spirit houses: all this too is superstition. To sum up, sīlabbata-parāmāsa is superstition with regard to things one does oneself. Taking certain things which should be used in a particular way and using them in a different way — for instance, letting charitable deeds reinforce selfishness when they should be used to eliminate it — this is superstition. So there are charitable deeds which are superstition, and there is rigorous adherence to moral precepts by both bhikkhus and lay people which is superstition. Chronically superstitious and false understanding with respect to anything at all is covered by the term sīlabbata-parāmāsa.

　　請容許我再提出一個第三種戒禁取結的例子：被刻劃在寺院牆上的四惡道——地獄、畜生、餓鬼(peta)和阿修羅(asura)。我們被教導而相信臨終時才可能墜惡道，卻從來沒人說我們天天墜惡道，這種惡道比寺院牆上的惡道更真實、更重要，千萬別掉入！如果你現在不墜惡道，死後必定不會墜惡道。這個道理從來沒人教過，所以，人未理解四惡道的核心和真正意義。

　　佛陀不是個唯物論者，他不會以身為準則，以致于說地獄是一個用銅鍋煮人或煎人的地方，佛陀以「心」為準則。

Please bear with me while I give just one more example of the third fetter: the four Woeful States, which are depicted on the walls of temples — hell, the realm of beasts, the realm of hungry ghosts (petas), and the realm of cowardly demons (asuras). These are known as the Four Woeful States. We are taught to believe that on dying we may descend into the Woeful States. We are never taught that we fall into woeful states every day. Such woeful states are more real and more important than those on temple walls. Don』t fall at all! If you don』t fall into these woeful states now, you will be sure not to fall into any woeful states after death. This is never taught, so people never get to the essence and real meaning of the words 「Four Woeful States」. The Buddha was not a materialist. He did not take the body as his reference standard as does the story of the hell where one is boiled and fried in a copper pan. The Buddha took mind as his reference standard.

　　現在我們想想「四惡道」是什麼意思？

Now, let us see, 「What is the meaning of the Four Woeful States?」

　　第一是地獄。地獄的意思是焦慮(泰文字義為「灼熱的心」)，當人經歷像被火燒烤一樣的焦慮時，當下就化生為地獄眾生，這是「心靈的投生」。身體雖然仍居留人道，但焦慮一生起，心就墜入地獄，如因怕犯錯，或因怕被處罰，或因擔憂威望受損，或由于其他種種原因而產生焦慮，這就是地獄。

THE FIRST OF the Four Woeful States is hell. Hell is anxiety (in Thai, literally 「a hot heart」). Whenever one experiences anxiety, burning, and scorching, one is simultaneously reborn as a creature of hell. It is a spontaneous rebirth, a mental rebirth. Although the body physically inhabits the human realm, as soon as anxiety arises the mind falls into hell. Anxiety about possible loss of prestige and fame, anxiety of any sort — that is hell.

　　第二是畜生。人一生起不應該有的愚癡，就會投生為畜生；例如：不知法和涅槃值得追求，愚癡到不敢接觸或親近佛教，甚至認為若對佛法、佛教感興趣，是種既落伍又怪異的行為，不但小孩這麼想，父母親也這樣，他們盡可能遠離「法」和宗教，這就是愚癡。不管那一種愚癡，只要一生起且被它控制，就等于化生為畜生，它也是「心靈的投生」，這是第二惡道。

Now rebirth in the realm of beasts is stupidity. Whenever one is inexcusably stupid about something: stupid in not knowing that Dhamma and nibbāna are desirable, stupid in not daring to come into contact with or get close to Buddhism, stupid in believing that if one became interested in Dhamma or Buddhism it would make one old-fashioned and odd. That is how children see it, and their parents too. They try to pull back and move far away from Dhamma and religion. This is stupidity. Regardless of what sort of stupidity it is, it amounts to rebirth as an animal. As soon as stupidity arises and overwhelms one, one becomes an animal. One is a beast by spontaneous rebirth, by mental rebirth. This is the second Woeful State.

　　第三惡道是餓鬼，是一種長期飢餓的狀態。因為所供應的物品始終無法滿足他的欲望，這是指長期的心靈饑渴，而不是身體的挨餓。例如有人想獲取一千銖，隨後剛得到一千銖，馬上就想獲取一萬銖；才得到一萬銖，又馬上想獲取十萬銖；剛得到十萬銖，就想獲取百萬銖或一億銖。這是個一直追逐但從未滿足欲望的例子，它有長期飢餓的情形。腹大如山，口細如針，是餓鬼的表徵，因為所吸取的從未滿足他的飢餓感，所以一直是個餓鬼。

　　與餓鬼恰好相反的是另一種人：他得到十沙丹[譯注一]，就滿足只得十沙丹；得二十沙丹，就滿足只得二十沙丹。但千萬別以為這麼容易知足，就會墜入衰途，不再追求；因為他有智慧，知道什麼該做，且用適當的方法依次去做，他總是對所獲得的感到滿足，不但享受追求的快樂而且知足。這樣就沒有長期的飢餓，也就不是餓鬼，以煩惱追求事物的才是餓鬼；依智慧而追求，沒有煩惱貪染，就不是餓鬼，只是做該做的事。

The third Woeful State is the condition of a peta, a ghost that is chronically hungry because his desires continually outrun the supply of goods. It is a chronic mental hunger which a person suffers from, not hunger for bodily food. For instance, one wants to get a thousand baht. Then having just got the thousand baht, one suddenly wants to get ten thousand baht. Having just got the ten thousand baht, one suddenly wants to get a hundred thousand baht. No sooner has one got the hundred thousand baht, it』s a mil Going after something intelligently is not craving: then one is not a peta; one is simply doing lion baht that one wants, or a hundred million. It is a case of chasing and never catching. One has all the symptoms of chronic hunger. One further resembles a hungry ghost in having a stomach as big as a mountain and a mouth as small as a needle』s eye. The intake is never sufficient for the hunger, so one is all the time a peta. The peta』s direct opposite is the person who, on getting ten satang *, is content with getting just the ten satang, or on getting twenty satang is content with twenty. But don』t get the idea that being easily satisfied like this means one falls into decline and stops looking for things. Intelligence tells one what has to be done, and one goes about doing it the right way. In this way, one is filled to satisfaction every time one goes after something. One enjoys the seeking and then is satisfied. This is how to live without being a peta, that is, without being chronically hungry. Going after something with craving constitutes being a peta. what has to be done.

　　因此，希求滅苦的「欲」不是煩惱貪染。別把「欲」說成愛欲或貪染而誤導別人，愛欲或貪染必定是來自愚痴的「欲」；甚至求證涅槃的「欲」，如果是由于愚痴——瘋狂盲目地追求，而全然無知地修習內觀，就是煩惱貪染，這無知將導致痛苦，因為它充滿執著。反之，如果有人想證涅槃，他如實觀照苦和滅苦之道，且正確、直接、認真地學習內觀，這種想證涅槃的「欲」就不是煩惱貪染，也不是苦。所以，「欲」不全然是煩惱貪染，全看它源自何處，如果源于無明或煩惱，那追求無厭的現象就會像長期飢餓，這樣處在長期飢餓的狀態，我們稱它為化生的餓鬼。

Thus, a wish such as the wish to extinguish suffering is not craving. Don』t go telling people the wrong thing, spreading the word that mere wishing is craving or greed. To be craving or greed it must be a wish stemming from stupidity. The wish to attain nibbāna is a craving, if pursued with foolishness, infatuation, and pride. Going for lessons in insight meditation without knowing what it is all about is craving and greed; it is ignorance that leads to suffering because it is full of grasping and clinging. However, if a person wishes to attain nibbāna, after clearly and intelligently perceiving suffering and the means whereby it can be extinguished, and in this frame of mind steadily and earnestly learns about insight meditation in the right way, then such a wish to attain nibbāna is not craving, and it is not suffering. So wishing is not necessarily always craving. It all depends on where it has its origin. If it stems from ignorance or the defilements, the symptoms will be similar to those of chronic hunger — that chasing without ever catching. We speak of this chronically hungry condition as spontaneous rebirth as a hungry ghost (peta).

　　最後的惡道是阿修羅。首先解釋「阿修羅」(asura)這個詞：「修羅」(sura)意思是「勇敢」，「阿」(a)意思是「不」，「阿修羅」的意思即是「不勇敢」或「膽怯懦弱」。請大家注意：人一旦沒來由地膽怯，就化生為阿修羅。例如懼怕無害的小蜥蜴、千足蟲或蚯蚓，是不應該的，是一種痛苦；若人常有不必要的恐懼，或憂慮過多而生恐懼，就生為阿修羅。

　　每個人都怕死，但我們會恐懼死亡是由于自己把真實情況以十萬倍、百萬倍夸大而成的，這種恐懼一直折磨人。人正因為害怕墜地獄，而成為阿修羅；于是就真的每天墜四惡道，日復一日、月復一月、年復一年。如果我們現在行為正當，不墜入這種四惡道，我們就能確保死後不會墜入刻畫在寺院牆上的四惡道。

The last Woeful State is the realm of the asuras (cowardly demons). First to explain the word asura: sura means 「brave」, a means 「not」, thus asura means 「not brave」 or 「cowardly」. Take it that whenever one is cowardly without reason, one has been spontaneously reborn an asura. Being afraid of harmless little lizards, millipedes, or earthworms is unjustified fear and a form of suffering. To be afraid unnecessarily, or to be afraid of something as a result of pondering too much on it, is to be reborn as an asura. We all fear death, but our fear is made a hundred or a thousand times greater by our own exaggeration of the danger. Fear torments a person all the time. He is afraid of falling into hell and in so doing becomes an asura. Thus he is actually falling into the Four Woeful States every day, day after day, month after month, year in and year out. If we act rightly and don』t fall into these Woeful States now, we can be sure that after dying we shall not fall into the Woeful States depicted on temple walls.

　　這是告訴我們，如果知道佛陀所說的戒禁取結是怎麼一回事，有何用意，就不會再迷信寺院牆上的四惡道了。這種造成混淆的四惡道的迷信說法，是不能契入正道的；由于不知四惡道的真相，使我們每天一再地墜入惡道。

　　佛教徒最可悲的事是——錯誤地詮釋佛陀的教導，並使用愚癡的方法修行。不必到別處尋找戒禁取結，相信寺院牆上的四惡道就是一種戒禁取結，。在經典中曾提到有人模仿牛和狗的行為，佛陀時代印度很盛行那種修行方式，那就是戒禁取結，最近不再有了，但正像他們一樣愚蠢且更不值得的行為確實存在，必須要斷除所有的戒禁取結才能入涅槃流。 　　斷除身見結、疑結、戒禁取結就入涅槃流、得法眼淨——見法和斷除見惑、愚癡。

This interpretation of the Woeful States agrees in meaning and purpose with what the Buddha taught. These sorts of false belief regarding the Four Woeful States should be recognized as superstition. The most pitiable thing about Buddhists is the inaccurate way we interpret the teaching of the Buddha and the stupid way we put it into practice. There』s no need to go looking for superstition in other places. In the texts there are references to people imitating the behaviour of cows and dogs; these were practices current in India at the time of the Buddha. There is no more of that these days, but behaviour does exist now which is just as foolish and much more undersirable. So give up all this superstition and enter the Stream of Nibbāna. To give up belief in a permanent ego- entity, to give up doubt, and to give up superstition is to enter the Stream of Nibbāna and have the Dhamma-eye — the eye that sees Dhamma and is free of delusion and ignorance.

　　請記住！我們凡夫總有某種程度的愚痴與迷惑——身見、疑、戒禁取，我們必須向上提升，超越這三種愚癡以入涅槃流。從這點開始，有個斜坡能便捷地滑向涅槃，就像大石頭沿著山坡滾下。 　　如果你要熟識涅槃、涅槃流並修證涅槃，你就必須了解：斷除欲貪和瞋恨之前，必須斷除這三種迷惑和愚癡，而貪、瞋是更微細的結使。 　　徹底斷除這三種愚癡——自我中心(身見)、對確定生命目標猶疑不定(疑)、由來已久的習慣性迷信(戒禁取)，就入涅槃流。

Bear in mind that in us worldlings there is always a certain measure of ignorance and delusion in the form of ego-belief, doubt, and superstition. We must move up a step and break free of these three kinds of stupidity in order to enter the Stream of Nibbāna. From that point on there is a flowing downhill, a convenient sloping down towards nibbāna, like a large stone rolling down a mountain- side. If you are to become acquainted with nibbāna and the Stream of Nibbāna, if you are to practise towards attaining nibbāna, then you must understand that these three kinds of delusion and stupidity must be given up before one can give up sensual desire and ill-will, which are fetters of a higher and more subtle order. Simply giving up these three forms of ignorance constitutes entering the Stream of Nibbāna. To completely give up self-centredness, hesitancy in pinpointing one』s life objective, and ingrained superstitious behaviour is to enter the Stream of Nibbāna. You can see that this kind of giving up is universally valuable and applicable to every person in the world. These three forms of ignorance are undersirable, Just as soon as a person has succeeded in giving them up he becomes an ariyan, a Noble One. Prior to this he is a fool, a deluded person, a lowly worldling, not at all an ariyan. When one has improved and progressed to the highest level of worldling, one must advance still further, until one reaches the stage where there is nowhere to go except enter the Stream of Nibbāna by becoming a sotapanna. Then one continues to progress and flow on to nibbāna itself.

　　斷除三結，對世界上每個人不但有價值，而且有功用，這三種愚痴是不受歡迎的，人只要成功地斷除它們就成為聖人。在這之前他是個傻瓜，是迷惑的人，是低劣的層次就提升為聖人，接著一定會證得涅槃，它們的距離不會太遙遠。 　　當到達凡夫最高、最好的境界，除了朝向成為須陀洹的途徑之外，沒其他途徑了，即是進入涅槃流，然後繼續前進流入涅槃，而這就是斷除三結，抵達涅槃流。 　　這種不去執取「自我」與迷惑的修行，即是如實照見一切是不值得執著的，因為了知一切都不值得執取，就能斷除猶疑不定、盲目執取和自我中心等惡習。所以，此刻我們就得開始在最適合自己的層次內，作意「不執著」。如果你考試不及格，不必哭，決心再出發且盡已所能；如果你已通過考試，也不必得意忘形，你該明了這很平常，這樣就意味著你已稍微了解「不執著」。

The practice that leads away from grasping, self-centredness, and delusion is to observe all things as unworthy of being grasped at or clung to. This results in the eradication of hesitancy, blind grasping, and self-centredness. So we ought to start taking an interest in non-attachment right this very minute, each of us at the level most appropriate for us. If you fail in an examination there is no need to weep. Determine to start again and do your best. If you pass an examination you should not become carried away; you should realize that this is the normal way of things. This will then mean that there has arisen some understanding of non-grasping and non- clinging.

　　當應考時，你應該忘記自己。好好注意！開始答題時，你應該忘記自己，忘記「我」將通過考試或考不及格。考試前，你可以預想如何按照計劃進行以通過考試；但只要你一開始寫，就必須忘記那一切，只有專注(定)分析問題找出答案，空掉通過或失敗的「我」、「我所有」，心就會立刻輕快清淨，快速記起、思考敏捷，所以專注(定)應考會得到好成績。應考時，若應用「空心」或「不執著」的方法 ，你會得到好成績。

When you are sitting for an examination, you should forget about yourself. Take good note of this! When starting to write an examination answer, you should forget about being yourself. Forget about the 「me」 who is being examined and who will pass or fail. You may think beforehand of how to go about passing the examination and plan accordingly, but as soon as you start to write, you must forget all that. Leave only concentration, which will pierce through the questions and seek out the answers. A mind free of any 「me」 or 「mine」 who will pass or fail immediately comes up agile and clean. It remembers immediately and thinks keenly. So sitting for an examination with proper concentration will produce good results. This is how to apply cit waang (a mind free of the self- illusion), or Buddhist non-grasping and non-clinging, when sitting for examinations. In this way you will get good results.

　　不知利用這技巧的人常會擔憂失敗，他們太緊張而無法回憶學過的內容，無法寫出正確而有條理的答案，結果他們徹底失敗。

　　另一種人被「我是卓越的，我必定會通過」的想法沖昏了頭，被這種執著沖昏頭的學生也必定考不好，因為他缺乏「空心」。 　　有「空心」的人，內心沒有「我」、「我所有」介入，所以不會恐慌或過度自信，只有維持專注(定)——自然的力量，完全忘記「自我」而能順利通過考試。就「不執著」、「空心」的成果而言，這是初步的、最基本的例子。

Those who don』t know how to make use of this technique always feel anxious about failing. They become so nervous that they are unable to call to mind what they have learned. They can not write accurate and orderly answers. Consequently they fail thoroughly. Others become carried away by the idea that 「I am brilliant, I am certain to pass.」 A student carried away by this sort of grasping and clinging is also bound to do poorly, because he lacks cit waang. On the other hand, for the 「person」 with cit waang there is no 「me」 or 「mine」 involved, so he cannot become panicky or over-confident. There remains only concentration, which is a natural power. Entirely forgetting about self, he can pass well. This is an elementary, most basic example of the effect of non-attachment and of cit waang.

　　現在愚蠢和迷惑的人一聽到寺院講堂提到「空」(sunnata)這個字，就解釋成「虛空」或「什麼都沒有」，那是某些團體唯物論的觀點所作的錯誤詮釋。佛陀所說的「空」是：我們執著為永久實體或「自我」的一切都不存在，雖然，每件事物都仍完整地存在著，如果我們執著，就苦；如果不執著，就不苦了。

　　世間是「空」的，因為沒有什麼可以被執取，我們必須以無執無著的心應對這「空」的世界。如果我們想要些什麼，須以無執無著的心追求，這樣我們會得到想要的東西，而不會使它成為痛苦的來源。

Now a stupid and deluded person, as soon as he hears the word su..ata mentioned in temple lecture halls, translates it as 「utter emptiness or nothingness」. That is the materialistic interpretation and is how certain groups of people understand it. The su..ata of the Buddha means absence of anything that we should grasp at and cling to as being an abiding entity or self, although physically everything is there in its entirety. If we cling, there is dukkha; if we do not cling, there is freedom from dukkha. The world is described as empty because there is nothing whatsoever that we might have a right to grasp at. We must cope with this empty world with a mind that does not cling. If we want something, we must go after it with a mind free from grasping, so that we get the desired object without it becoming a source of suffering.

　　光是誤解「空」這個字，就是大迷信(戒禁取結)，它不但會中斷人的思考，而且是抵達涅槃流的大障礙。所以讓我們正確地、徹底地了解「空」義和其他佛陀所用的字，因為沒有任何東西可被當成「自我」，所以他說世間是「空」。佛陀曾回答莫伽(Mogha)國王的問題說：「時常觀察世間為『空』，時常觀察世間所包含的一切為『空』。」觀一切為「空」，心會自動放下執著，而不再生起貪、瞋、癡，若能成功地止息貪、瞋、癡，就能成為阿羅漢，如果未成功，必須繼續嘗試，雖然仍是一般凡夫，將只剩下一點點痛苦。只要有「空心」，就不會產生痛苦，雖然失去正念時又會痛苦，但如果我們能好好守護心，持續地增長、擴充內心的「空」，就能體悟涅槃流，進入佛教的核心。

Misunderstanding the word 「empty」, just this one single word, is a great superstition (sīlappata-parāmāsa) and constitutes a major obstacle to people attaining the Stream of Nibbāna. So let us understand the word 「empty」, and all other words used by the Buddha, properly and completely. He described the world as empty because there is nothing in it which can be taken as a self or ego. He answered King Mogha』s question by saying, 「Always regard the world as something empty. Always look on this world with all that it contains as something empty.」 Viewing it as empty, the mind automatically becomes free of grasping and clinging. There can not arise lust, hatred, and delusion. To succeed in doing this is to be an arahant. If one has not succeeded in doing it, one has to keep on trying; though still an ordinary worldling, one will have less suffering. No suffering arises as long as there is cit waang. Whenever one becomes carried away and lapses, there is suffering again. If we keep good watch, producing emptiness (of self-idea) more and more often and lastingly, we come to penetrate to the core of Buddhism, and come to know the Stream of Nibbāna.

[譯注一]一百沙丹(satang)等于一銖。

• 100 satang equal 1 baht.