石頭 Rock

〖石頭〗

放下和「以空心修行」的教導是最令人不解，也是最和自己的觀念沖突的教法。當我們以世俗的語言來理解這兩種教法時，我們會迷糊地認為我們可以為所欲為，然而它真正的涵意是：如果我們背負著一顆沉重的石頭，不久以後，我們開始感到石頭的沉重，但是我們卻不知道如何去放下它，所以我們一直都在承受這個沉重的負擔。如果有人叫我們把石頭拋開，我們會說：「如果我把它給扔掉，我將一無所有！」如果有人告訴我們，放下石頭後將能獲得的一切利益時，我們不但不會相信他們，反而會固執地認為：「如果我丟了它，我將一無所有！」因此，我們繼續背負這顆重石，直到石頭重得難以忍受，我們也虛弱不堪且筋疲力竭時，只好放下它。

放下它之後，才突然間體會到放下的益處，我們立即覺得較舒適，也較輕松，並且明白背負著一顆石頭是個多麼沉重的負擔啊！而在我們放下這顆石頭之前，我們不可能了解放下的益處。我們也許又會再度扛起這個包袱，但現在我們已經知道這樣做將會有什麼後果，因此我們能更輕易的放下它。「背負著沉重包袱是沒用的，相反地，放下，將帶來舒適與輕安」這樣的理解，是一個能夠逐漸了解我們自己的好例子。

我們的自尊，我們所仰賴的自我意識，就如同一顆沉重的石頭。如果我們考慮要放下自我時，我們會懼怕沒有了它之後，將會一無所有。然而，當我們終于放下它時，我們將覺悟到不執著自我的輕安和自在。

Rock

The teaching that people least understand and which conflicts most with their own opinions is the teaching of letting go or working with the empty mind. When we conceive this in worldly terms, we become confused and think that we can do anything we want. It can be interpreted in this way, but its real meaning is closer to this: It’s as if we were carrying a heavy rock. After a while we begin to feel its weight, but we don’t know how to let go. So we endure this heavy burden all the time. If someone tells us to throw it away, we say, “If I throw it away, I won’t have anything left!” If told of all the benefits to be gained by throwing it away, we would not believe it, but would keep on thinking, “If I throw my rock away, I will have nothing.” So we keep on carrying this heavy rock until it becomes so unbearably heavy, and we become so weak and exhausted, that we just have to drop it. Having dropped it, we suddenly experience the benefits of letting go. We immediately feel better and lighter and we know for ourselves how much of a burden carrying a rock can be. Before we let go of the rock, we couldn’t possibly know the benefits of letting go. Later on we may start carrying burdens again, but now we know what the results will be, so we can now let go more easily. This understanding - that it’s useless carrying burdens around and that letting go brings ease and lightness - is an example of knowing ourselves. Our pride, our sense of self that we depend on, is the same as that heavy rock. Like that rock, if we think about letting go of self, we are afraid that without it there would be nothing left. But when we can finally let it go we realize for ourselves the ease and comfort of not clinging.