蜘蛛 Spider

〖蜘蛛〗

像這樣觀察一只蜘蛛，可以令人生起智慧。蜘蛛會在任何一個適當的角落結網，然後守在中央，靜靜地不動聲色。不久，一只蒼蠅飛到牠的網上，當他一觸動了網，「碰！」一聲，蜘蛛迅速地撲過去，用絲把牠綁住，牠會把昆蟲貯藏起來，然後再回來，不動聲色的守候在它的網中央。

這與我們的心是一樣的。我們的心可喻為蜘蛛，我們的情緒和法塵可以觀察各種昆蟲。心常被各種環繞的感官所刺激，當根、塵接觸時，迅速地傳達給心識，經由心識徹底的審視和檢查之後，又回到中央來。「回到中央」，意思是住于正念和正知，經常地保持警覺，並正確、精密地做每一件事——這就是我們的中心。事實上，我們不須大費周章，只要照著這個方法小心地生活就夠了。但並不是要我們漫不經心地生活，認為「沒有必要禪坐或行禪！」因而忘記了所有的修行。我們不能掉以輕心，我們必須保持警覺，就像蜘蛛守候獵物一般。這就是我們要安住的方法——保持警覺，謹慎的行止，時時以智慧覺知。

Spider

Watching a spider can give rise to wisdom. A spider spins its webs in any convenient niche and then sits in the center, staying still. Later a fly comes along and lands on its web. As soon as the fly touches and shakes the web - boop! ’ the spider pounces on it and winds it up in thread. It stores the insect away and then returns again to collect itself silently in the center of its web. This is not at all different from our own minds. Our mind is comparable to the spider, and our moods and mental impressions to the various insects. The senses constantly stimulate the mind. When any of them contacts something, it immediately reaches the mind. The mind then investigates and examines it thoroughly, after which it returns to the center. “Coming to the center” means living mindfully with clear comprehension, being always alert and doing everything with precision - this is our center. There’s really not a lot for us to do. We just carefully live in this way. But that doesn’t mean that we live heedlessly thinking, “No need to do sitting or walking meditation!” and so forget all about our practice. We can’t be careless. We must remain alert like the spider waiting to snatch up insects for its food. This is how we abide - alert, acting with precision and always mindfully comprehending with wisdom.