什麼是無明 What is Moha (Ignorance)?
What is Moha (Ignorance)? - By Yogavacara Rahula Bhikkhu
什麼是無明？
羅侯羅尊者著
In order to understand the characteristic of moha we should know what we are ignorant or unaware of when there is moha. There is the world of conventional terms expressed as words and ideas and there is the world of paramattha dhammas (absolute realities, i.e., things that are actually real in our experience before conceptualising and proliferating thought has distorted their true nature). When we think of the world we may think of people, animals, houses, cars, trees and so forth and give them different names. However, do we know them as they really are; as they are initially experienced through our senses, as being mere elements or characteristics of material phenomena and mental phenomena which arise and pass away in our body and mind? 為了了解無明的特徵，我們應該知道存在無明時我們對什麼無知或不覺察。存在由文字和觀念所表達的概念構成的世界，存在由究竟真實法構成的世界(究竟真實法就是其真實本質在沒有被概念化和不斷攀援的念頭扭曲之前在我們經驗中真實存在的東西)。當我們想到世界，我們可能會想到人、動物、房子、汽車、樹木等等，並給他們不同的名稱。但是，我們對它們如實知嗎，知道當其被感官體驗的當下只是元素，或者說只是我們身心中生滅的名色的特質嗎？
The material and mental phenomena which appear in our daily life can be directly experienced through the five physical sense-doors and through the mind-door, no matter how we name them or organise them for our own use. This is the world which is real, the world of conditioned realities as they are initially encountered through the senses. 在日常生活中出現的身心現象，可以直接通過身五根門和意門來體驗，不管我們如何命名或組織它們以便使用都是如此——這就是真實的世界，感官當下感知的緣起真實的世界。
The Buddha has explained this “world of conditioned realities” which he calls “the All”:“Bhikkhus, I will teach you the All. Listen to it, apply your minds and I will speak.“Now what, bhikkhus, is the All? It is just the eye and visible objects, the ear and sounds, the nose and odours, the tongue and tastes, the body and touch objects, the mind and mental objects. This, bhikkhus, is called the All.“Now whoever should speak thus: ‘Setting aside this All, I will proclaim another All’, it would be mere talk on his part and on being questioned he would be unable to proceed and in addition, vexation would befall him. Why is this? Because it would be beyond his scope to do so. 佛陀已經解釋了這個「緣起真實的世界」，佛陀將之稱為 「一切法」：「比庫，我要教你們「 一切法」。用心注意聽，我將要說法。」「比庫，什麼是 「 一切法」呢？只是眼睛和可見物，耳朵和聲音，鼻子和氣味，舌頭和味道，身體和觸摸物，意和法塵。比庫，這就是所謂的「 一切法」。「現在，無論誰說：『撇開這個一切法，我將宣布另有一個一切法，』那只是他的片面之詞，若被質疑，他將無法進行下去，此外，他會被煩惱所困。為什麼會這樣呢？因為這超出了他的能力范圍。」
The world in the sense of absolute realities is in fact, called “the World” in the Buddha’s teaching. Those who develop the teachings of the Buddha, the Awakened One, develop the wisdom which sees things as they really are (before the mind interferes); he truly knows the world. One of the Buddha’s disciples said to the Buddha: 實際上，究竟真實意義上的世界在佛陀的教導中被稱為「世界」。佛陀是覺悟者，那些修行佛陀教導、開發如實知見(在心干涉之前)智慧的人，他確切地知道這世界。佛陀的一個弟子對佛陀說：
“The world! The world!’ is the saying, Lord. Pray how far, Lord, does this saying go? 「人們說世界！世界！世尊，這種說法所指的范圍有多廣？」
“What is transitory by nature, Ananda, is called the world in the discipline of the Noble Ones. And what, Ananda, is transitory by nature? The eye is transitory by nature, visual objects, visual consciousness is transitory by nature. The ear, sounds, ear consciousness, ear contact, nose, tongue, body, mind objects, mind contact and mind consciousness is transitory by nature. Whatever pleasant or painful experiences which arise on account of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind contact, that also is transitory by nature, of a nature to pass. What is thus transitory, Ananda, is called ‘the world’ in the Noble One’s discipline.” 「阿難，本質為非持久的一切在聖教中被稱為世界。阿難，什麼是本質非持久的呢？眼睛是本質非持久的，可見物及眼識是本質非持久的。耳朵、聲音、耳識、耳觸、鼻、舌、身、心的對象、意觸和心識是本質非持久的。藉著眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意接觸而生起的愉快或痛苦的體驗也是本質非持久的，會消失。阿難，如此非持久的在聖教中被稱為世界。」
Through the above suttas we can see what is meant by the world, the way it is perceived according to the Buddha. And we can see the truth of the world in our own experience to confirm for ourselves the truth which the Buddha was teaching. The world of conditioned realities is real. When we see, there is the world of colour, because in reality what we initially see is only colour experienced through the eyes. When we hear there is the world of sound experienced through the ear. When we feel a touch-feeling on the body, there is the world of bodily feeling experienced through the body. When we think, there is the world of thought experienced through the mind. This holds true for the world of smell experienced through the nose and the world of taste experienced through the tongue. 通過上面的經文，我們可以看到世界意味著什麼，它是從佛的角度觀察世界所現。我們可以通過自己的親身經驗了解世界的真相，來證實佛陀教導的真理。緣起真實的世界是真實的。當我們看時，有顏色的世界，因為實際上我們最初看到的只是通過眼睛體驗到的顏色。當我們聽時，有通過耳朵體驗的聲音世界。當我們感受身體上的觸覺時，有通過身體體驗的身體感覺的世界。當我們想時，有通過意門體驗的心念的世界。對于通過鼻子體驗氣味的世界以及通過舌頭體驗味道的世界也是如此。
Why is it important to be mindful of the different conditioned realities as they appear one at a time? If there can be mindfulness(sati) of the conditioned realities as they appear one at a time through the six doorways, the tendency to take them for permanent entities, or for Self, will become less. When we think that we see a person, what is it that appears through the eyes? What appears through the eyes is only a visible object, not a person. “Person” is a concept which we have added or construed to give meaning to the visible object, it is not Self. 為什麼逐個地如實觀照不同的緣起真實法很重要呢？如果當緣起真實法一一呈現于六根門時我們能以正念觀照，將它們當成是永恆的個體或「我」的這種傾向就會減少。當我們認為我們看到一個人時，通過眼睛呈現的是什麼呢？通過眼睛呈現的只是一個可見的對象，不是人。「人」只是一個我們自己添加或構造的概念，以便賦予可見的對象意義罷了，它不是「我」。
A visible object can be experienced only through the eye-door, not through any other doorway (sense organ). A visible object can’t be touched. 可見的對象只能通過眼門來體驗，而不是通過任何其它根門(感覺器官)來體驗。可見的對象不能被觸摸。
When a visible object (rupa) appears, there is also seeing (nama) which experiences the visible object, otherwise the visible object can’t appear. The “seeing” is merely a reflex action, a conditioned phenomena, it is not a person who sees, not a Self, it can only experience the visible object. The same holds true for the other senses. A visible object should be realised and also “seen”; and the experience of a visible object should be realised. A visible object is not the same as the experience of it, they are different conditioned phenomena. If “seeing” is not known as it really is, we are bound to take “seeing” for Self. 當可見對象(色法)出現時，也會有「看」(名法)體驗這一可見對象，否則可見對象就不能被看見。「看」只是一種反射作用，一種緣起的現象，它不是人在看，不是「我」在看，它只能體驗可見對象。對于其它的感官也是如此。可見對象會被體證(即「被看見」)、經歷可見對象會被體證。可見對象與經歷可見對象是不一樣的，它們是不同因緣產生的現象。如果不能如實了知「看」，我們就會認為是「我」在「看」。
We may think we can touch a visible object, but when there is “touching”, what appears? It may be hardness, softness, heat, cold, motion or pressure. A visible object, that which appears through the eye door, can’t be touched, it can only be seen. When a visible object is touched, it becomes a tangible object appearing through the sense-door of the body, being a completely different experience from that of a visible object. Seeing and touching can’t appear at the same time; they appear one at a time, at different moments. 我們可能會認為我們能夠觸摸可見對象，但是當有「接觸」時，會出現什麼？可能感受到硬、軟、熱、冷、移動或壓迫。我們不能觸摸通過眼門顯現的可見對象，只能看見它。當我們觸摸可見對象時，它就成為通過身體的感官門顯現的可觸對象，這與可見對象的體驗完全不同。看和觸不能同時出現，它們在不同的時刻逐個出現。
It is the elements of mind which may connect up the two experiences to relate to a certain thing, but again that process of nama is another series of different “conditioned realities” arising and falling away one at a time; it is not Self. When we touch a table, it is not the table which appears, but a tangible object or an experience of hardness, etc. At the moment hardness appears, there is only hardness and the “experience of hardness”; there is no table in hardness, there is no Self in hardness. If the rupa which appears is not realised as it is (i.e., not Self), one is bound to cling to it as happening to him. 正是心元素可以把這兩種體驗連起來，與某一東西相關聯，但該名法過程又是另一系列「緣起真實法」，一個接一個生起和滅去，亦是無我的。當我們觸到桌子，並不是桌子顯現，而是一個可觸對象或對硬的體驗。當硬顯現的剎那，只有硬和「對硬的體驗」，硬中沒有桌子，沒有「我」。如果不能如實了知出現的色法(即無我)，你就一定會在當其發生于你身上的時候執著它。
We may think of the concept “table”, but thinking and formulating concepts are different conditioned phenomena altogether from those of hardness and the experience of hardness, etc. 我們也許會思考「桌子」這一概念，但思考和形成概念與硬及對硬的體驗等等是不同的緣起現象。
If there is no mindfulness of the characteristics of nama (feeling, perception, thinking, mental moods, and consciousness) as they arise one at a time, we fall into the delusion of a Self who experiences. Rupas arise through the body senses—eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. Namas arise only through the mind-door. They are all conditioned and not Self. If one still thinks it is “I” who experiences these phenomena of matter and mind, he has still not developed any insight. 如果對逐一生起的名法(感覺，知覺，思維，心理情緒，意識)特性沒有正念，我們就會陷入于「是我在體驗」的錯覺中。色法通過人體的感官––眼、耳、鼻、舌、身––顯現。名法只是通過意門出現。它們都是緣起的、無我的。如果一個人仍然認為是「我」在體驗這些物質現象與精神現象，那他仍然沒有發展任何觀智。
Sati, or mindfulness, is the conditioned mental factor which is aware or mindful of the different realities, appearing one at a time. Sati is aware of the characteristics of hardness, softness, heat, cold, pressure, motion; it is aware of visible object, sound, odour, flavour, as they appear through the body senses. Sati is aware of mental states such as greed, sense desire, ill-will, anger, excitement, depression, pride, stinginess, jealousy etc. as they arise through the mind door. Sati again is only a conditioned mental factor, conditioned by our hearing about right mindfulness. When one has listened to Dhamma and heard about sati, there will be more remembrance of it. In this way sati can arise and it can be developed. 薩提，或正念，是緣起的心所，它對逐個出現的不同真實法保持覺知或留意。正念就是對硬、軟、熱、冷、壓迫和移動的特性的覺知，是對通過身體感官顯現的可見對象、聲音、氣味和味道的覺知。正念是對通過意門生起的心理狀態，如貪婪、欲望、嗔惡、憤怒、興奮、抑郁、驕傲、吝嗇、嫉妒等的覺知。正念只是一個緣起的心所，以聽聞正念為因而生起。當一個人已聽聞佛法並聽到了正念，將會對此有更多的記憶。如此就可以產生併發展正念。
It is the conditioned mental factor panna or wisdom which experiences or knows the objects of sati as not Self. Sati has to be practised and accumulated for a long time before panna can experience the five aggregates of clinging as they arise, as being not Self. If sati, which is aware of the characteristics of rupas and nama has not been greatly established so that it arises very frequently no matter where we are and what we are doing, we can’t expect that panna (wisdom) can realise the objects of sati as being not self. If there is no sati at that moment, there can be no panna either. 正是緣起的慧心所體驗並知道正念的所緣是無我的。正念需要長時間練習和積累，然後智慧才能在五取蘊生起的時候體驗其為無我。正念覺知名色的特性，如果正念沒有非常穩固地建立起來，沒達到無論我們在哪、無論在干什麼都能很頻繁地地生起，我們就不能期望智慧能體證正念的所緣為無我。如果在那一刻沒有正念，就不可能有智慧。
These two, sati and panna (mindfulness and wisdom), are mental factors (sankhara) which are not Self. They arise only because they have been cultivated and developed and not otherwise. If we confuse them for being Self or that we are doing these things, or if we think it is my mind, there is again no real panna, only thinking and delusion. Only in the short moment of sati does panna, have the opportunity to know a rupa or nama more distinctly as they really are, as not Self. If we realise that this short moment (each individual arising) of sati is the only opportunity for panna to become keener, then there will be more sati and it will be accumulated. Then the notion or feeling of a self or I which is experiencing these phenomena will wear away and become eliminated from the consciousness; it will be understood that it is sati and panna, both mental factors, not a “person” or “I” who is aware of and realises the characteristics of rupas and nama as they arise, as impermanent, fleeting and not Self. 正念和智慧這兩個是心所(行蘊)，是無我的。它們生起是因為一直被培育和發展，而不是其它原因。如果我們誤認為它們是「我」或認為是我們在做這些事情，或者如果我們認為這是我的心，那也是沒有真正的智慧，只是思考和妄想。只有存在正念的短暫時刻，智慧才有機會更清楚地如實認識色法或名法，知其為無我。如果我們認識到有正念的短暫時刻(每一個單獨生起)是唯一使智慧變得更敏銳的時機，就會有更多的正念，正念就會逐漸積累。然後，認為是「我」在體驗這些現象的想法或感覺就會淡化並從意識中消除；你將會明白不是 「人」或「我」， 而是正念和智慧這兩個心所，在覺知和認識生起的名色的特性為無常、苦、無我。
We must learn to be able to distinguish each characteristics of rupa and nama as they arise, but we should not look for them or try excessively to be aware. When they arise we should just be aware of them. If there is searching out and waiting for them to arise with the desire to “catch” them in order to gain insight, then this must also be realised as another type of nama, and not seeing the phenomena as they are. All kinds of rupas and namas, even the effort to be aware, or doubt about the value of this practice, or the desire to gain something (i.e., enlightenment) by it should be realised as they arise, as not Self. 我們必須學會于其生起時辨別色法和名法的每個特性，但我們不應該去尋找它們或過度地試著去覺知。當它們生起時，我們只是覺知它們。如果搜尋及等待它們生起以期望「抓住」它們獲得觀智，那麼必須認識到這也只是另一種名法，而不是對法的如實知。所有名法和色法，甚至是保持覺知的精進，或對禪修價值的懷疑，或者通過禪修獲得證悟的期望，在它們生起時都應該認識到它們是無我的。
Nama/Rupa名法/色法Only in fully knowing and comprehending all these conditioned phenomena which present themselves now at the present moment through the six doorways, can ignorance and the defilements be eradicated. We can only eradicate the cankers of greed, hatred, and ignorance when they appear, and not allow them to overwhelm us, and influence our thought, speech, and actions. 只有在充分認識和理解在當下通過六根門所生起的這些因緣法，無明和煩惱才可以被根除。我們只能在貪、嗔、痴出現的時候消除它們，而不是讓他們控制我們，以及影響我們的身口意。
We may know the truth in theory, but until panna is developed to the degree that it can realise directly, intuitively, the truth of not-Self, we will never be able to fully understand and appreciate the Buddha’s teaching, nor gain the fruits therefrom which is the reason for practising the Buddha Dhamma. If sati and panna can realise the arising and passing away of the rupas and namas which appear here and now through the six doors, there would be more detachment from these conditioned phenomena. We would not erroneously see and regard them as “mine” or myself being “in them”. In this way we could free ourselves from their intoxicating and overpowering binding influence in our daily lives. If we listen to the teachings of the Awakened One without awareness, there will only be intellectual knowledge but no detachment. Disenchantment, dispassion, and detachment from these five aggregates of clinging and grasping here and now is for the destruction of suffering and for the realisation of the unconditioned reality, nibbana. 我們可能在理論上知道真理，但是如果智慧的發展還沒有達到直接地、直觀地認識無我的真相的程度，我們就無法完全理解佛陀的教導，也無法證果，證果是修行佛法的原因。如果正念和智慧能夠體證當下通過六根門出現的名色的生滅，對這些因緣生法的執著就會減少。我們將不會錯誤地看待它們為「我的」或我「在它們中」。這樣，我們在日常生活中就可以從它們對我們的毒害及強大束縛中解脫出來。如果我們聽佛陀的教導而沒有覺知，那只有知識而沒有解脫。當下對執著的五取蘊保持清醒、冷靜和離執，是為了滅苦和證悟非緣起真實——涅槃。