III. 因為不穩定的心，過去世在輪迴中漂流 Drift in Past Saṃsāra Because of Unstable Mind

III. Drift in Past Saṃsāra Because of Unstable Mind

III. 因為不穩定的心，過去世在輪迴中漂流

Here, for ordinary householders, practising for spiritual success means firmly establishing oneself in morality with right livelihood as the eighth precept (ājīvaṭṭhamakasīla), [1] and assiduously practising mindfulness of the body (kāyagatā-sati), tranquillity meditation (samatha-kammaṭṭhāna), and insight meditation (vipassanā-kammaṭṭhāna) within this lifetime, while one is yet in possession of the difficult achievements of obtaining a human birth and encountering the Buddha-sāsana.

今生再生為人並遇到佛法，這是很難得的機會，必須珍惜這個機會，修習心成就。對于普通在家人，修習心成就意味著讓自己穩固確立于守持活命第八戒(ājīvaṭṭhamakasīla) [1]，和勤奮修習身念(kāyagatā-sati)、止禪(samatha-kammaṭṭhāna)、觀禪(vipassanā-kammaṭṭhāna)。

Before acquiring tranquillity and insight, one must practise mindfulness of the body, which is one of the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna). I shall now explain with an example why it is necessary to practise the foundations of mindfulness at the outset.

在修止和修觀之前，禪修者必須修習四念處(satipaṭṭhāna)中的身念處。我現在用例子來解釋，為什麼在開始時修習念處是必要的。

In this world, a madman who has no control over his mind is unable to work either for his own benefit or for the benefit of others. Even when eating his meals, he is liable to upset his plate and walk away. Far is it for him to be able to concentrate on work for the benefit of others. When this mad person is properly treated, he becomes sane and stable in mind and is then able to work for both his own benefit as well as for the benefit of others, just like other normal people.

在這個世界，無法控制自己的心的瘋子，他沒有能力從事利益自己或他人的工作。即使在進食時，他也常常會推翻餐盤，然後跑開，更不用談專心于利益他人的工作了。但是當瘋子得到合適的治療後，他的心就變得健全而穩定，然後就有能力從事利益自己和他人的工作，就像其他正常人一樣。

Similarly, when ordinary normal persons in this world, those with ordinary sane minds, undertake the subtle work of meditation for tranquillity and insight, they resemble the mad man without control over his mind. For example, when paying respects and reverence to the Buddha, the minds of normal persons do not remain steadily and continuously concentrated on the Buddha』s noble and incomparable qualities. Even when repeating the stanza for recollection of the Buddha (iti pi so bhagavā …), their minds wander, and if they were obliged to start again from the beginning whenever their attention strayed, their task of repeating the stanza would never be successfully completed. It is only because they have committed the stanza to memory that they can repeat it to the end. The same occurs in relation to any subject of meditation. This is how ordinary persons—who are normally considered sane—are established as mad persons in the relation to the meditative development of concentration and wisdom.

類似地，這個世上的普通正常人，雖然擁有普通健全的心，但在從事止禪和觀禪的精細工作時，他們無法控制他的心，就像瘋子一樣。例如，在禮敬佛陀時，普通人的心無法保持穩定持續地專注于佛陀神聖和殊勝的特質。即使是誦讀憶念佛陀的偈頌 (iti pi so bhagavā …)，他們的心也會走神，只要他的心走神，他們只能被迫重新從頭誦讀。他們從來未能成功完成誦讀偈頌這項任務。他們只有把經句記憶住後，才有能力把經句從頭到讀到尾。同樣的情況發生在任何一種禪修。通常認為是健全的普通人，在修定和修慧時就像瘋子一樣。

Let all take heed! For in the case of such persons who have no control over their minds, far from being able to achieve the path, fruit, and Nibbāna (magga-phala-nibbāna), it is uncertain whether they can even obtain a rebirth in one of the happy worlds (sugati-loka).

大家注意！無法控制自己的心的這些人，他們遠遠沒有能力去成就道、果、和涅槃(magga-phala-nibbāna)，甚至無法確定他們是否能再生到善趣地(sugati-loka)。

In this world, people who have no control over their legs cannot successfully perform work that requires the use of legs. People who have no control over their hands cannot successfully perform work that requires the use of hands. People who have no control over their tongues and mouths cannot successfully perform work that must be performed with their tongues and mouths. People who have no control over their minds cannot successfully perform work that must be performed with the mind. The work of meditative development is work that must be performed solely with the mind. Hence it is that worldlings, both lay and ordained, who have no control over their minds cannot successfully practise the development of meditation. Their work consists merely of imitation.

這個世界上，無法控制腿的人，就無法成功完成需要使用腿的工作。無法控制手的人，就無法成功完成需要使用手的工作。無法控制舌和口的人，就無法成功完成需要使用舌和口的工作。無法控制心的人，就無法成功完成需要使用心的工作。禪修的工作必須單獨用心去完成。因此，凡夫，不管是在家人還是出家人，只要無法控制他們的心，就無法成功地練習禪修。他們的練習只不過是做樣子。

Consider the case of a boatman who has not mastered the art of steering a boat floating down with the swift and strong currents of a great river, his craft filled with merchandise. During the night, he does not see the towns, havens, and anchorages that lie along the banks. During the day, although he can see the towns, havens, and anchorages, he is unable to stop and anchor at any of them because he cannot steer his boat, and thus he drifts down to the ocean looking at those towns, havens, and anchorages with longing and admiration.

思考船夫的例子。有位沒有掌握開船技術的船夫，開著一艘載滿貨物的船在一條湍急洶湧的河流上順流而下。在晚上，他無法看清堤岸沿途的市鎮、港口、和停泊地。在白天，雖然他能看到市鎮、港口、和停泊地，但是他無法停下船並停泊到任一地點，因為他無法操縱他的船，因此他一邊渴望和羨慕地看著那些市鎮、港口、和停泊地，一邊漂流到大海。

In this example, the great river with the swift and strong currents, together with the ocean, is saṃsāra, the round of rebirths, with its four floods (ogha). The boat laden with merchandise is the aggregates (khandha) of a being. The boatman who cannot control his boat is a worldling (puthujjana). Stretches of the river lined with forests, where no towns, havens, and anchorages exist, are the world cycles where no Buddha-sāsanas appear. The period of night when the boatman cannot see the towns, havens, and anchorages may be compared to the plight of those beings who, though reborn in this world during the time of a Buddha-sāsana, nevertheless remain ignorant or unmindful of it because they happen to be in one or another of the eight inopportune places (aṭṭhakkhaṇas). [2]

在這個例子中，湍急洶湧的河流、以及海洋，比喻再生輪迴(saṃsāra)及其四暴流(ogha)。裝滿貨物的船，比喻有情的諸蘊(khandha)。無法控制船的船夫，比喻凡夫(puthujjana)。那沿途是森林，沒有市鎮、港口、和停泊地的河流段，比喻沒有佛法出現的世界輪迴。船夫無法看到市鎮、港口、和停泊地的夜晚時段，比喻這種情況：有些人雖然是在佛法出現時再生于這個世界，但是他們依然沒有知道、沒有留意到佛法，因為他們剛好出生于八難地(aṭṭhakkhaṇas) [2]。

The period of day when the towns, havens, and anchorages can be seen, but the boatman is unable to stop and anchor at any of them because he cannot steer his boat and thus drifts down to the ocean looking at them with longing and admiration—this may be compared to the plight of those beings who, though Buddhists, do not make any effort to practise meditation and thus resemble insane persons having no control over their minds. They are unable to attain the towns, havens, and anchorages that are the absorptions achieved through tranquillity exercises (samatha-jhāna), insight knowledges (vipassanā-ñāṇa), path knowledge (magga-ñāṇa), fruition knowledge (phala-ñāṇa), and Nibbāna. Paying respects to and evoking admiration for the Three Gems (the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha), they drift without control to the world cycles devoid of a Buddha-sāsana, posing as payātagas and payā-amas (lay-donors of pagodas and shrines), as kyaungtagas and kyaungamas (lay-donors of monasteries), as dāyakas (donors) of the four requisites to the Sangha, as ordinary bhikkhus and famed mahātheras (great elders) honoured for the extensiveness and profundity of their learning.

在白天，雖然能看到市鎮、港口、和停泊地，但是船無法停下來並停泊到任何一處，因為他無法操縱他的船，只能一邊渴望和羨慕地望著這些地方，一邊漂流到海洋中—比喻這種情況：有些眾生，雖然是佛教徒，但是沒有任何禪修的努力，因此就像無法控制他們的心的瘋子。他們所沒有能力到達的市鎮、港口、和停泊地，比喻安止定(samatha-jhāna)、觀智(vipassanā-ñāṇa)、道智(magga-ñāṇa)、果智(phala-ñāṇa)、和涅槃。他們一邊禮敬和讚美著三寶(佛、法、僧)，一邊不由自由地漂流到沒有佛法的世界輪迴中。這些人有寶塔、聖地、寺院、及僧團四類資具的凡夫施主，有(凡夫)普通比庫及以廣博精湛學識聞名于世的(凡夫)長老。

This is the picture of the drifting that has occurred to beings in the infinitely long past saṃsāra, the round of rebirths.

這個譬喻描繪了有情在無窮盡的過去輪迴中漂流的情形。