清淨是至高無上的囚牢 Purity is the Highest Prison

[清淨是至高無上的囚牢]

Purity is the Highest Prison

接下來我們要談一種奇妙且不可思議的囚牢，可以稱為「至高無上的囚牢」。也就是一般所謂的「清淨」( visuddhi )。巴利文 visuddhi 這個字很難翻譯，一般人把它翻譯成「天真無邪」( innocence )，有時也稱為「純潔」( purity )， 但是人們從來不知道他們所說的「天真無邪」及「純潔」究竟是什麼。人們緊緊地執著崇拜清淨，並拿它來到處炫耀、競爭，吹噓自己是多麼地清淨。但是假如當中有了執著，那只是透過執著而產生的清淨，不是真正的清淨，只是假相的清淨罷了。例如：必須要經過洗浴、念咒、涂油、灑淨、占卜等，或任何為了使自己清淨所做出的許多儀式，這些都是存有執著的清淨。透過執著而來的清淨就是囚牢，請不要迷失，而禁錮在「清淨」的囚牢中。這是非常可悲的事，愈執著自我，便愈執著于清淨，請務必小心！某些宗教甚至教導永恆的清淨，在永恆的清淨中有個恆常的自我，于是產生永恆的囚牢，這完全是因執著于清淨而使自己陷入永恆的囚牢之中。

Next we come to a prison which is really strange and marvelous; you could call it the “highest prison.” The highest prison is what they call “innocence” or “purity.” It’s difficult to understand exactly what they mean by these words. We hear all kinds of talk about innocence and purity, but people never seem to know what they’re talking about. This purity is clung to and attached to, is regarded as this and that, is worshipped, is used for show and competition, is for boasting all over how pure “I am.” But if there’s upadana it’s all just purity through upadana, not genuine purity. There are many forms of purity that are assumed out of clinging, such as, needing to take baths; making incantations; being anointed, sprinkled, or dowsed with who knows what; or any of the myriad rituals and ceremonies done for “purity.” This purity is pure upadana, and purity through attachment is a prison. Please don’t get lost and end up in the prison named “purity.”

請注意，這是最後一個囚牢。想逃脫、突破這清淨的囚牢，必須要空掉自我，全然沒有自我，才是真正的清淨。不管從那一方面來看，真正永恆的清淨絕不可能是囚牢，除非人們誤解它，並執著它而產生自我，才會讓清淨變成了囚牢。讓我們毫不猶疑地從自我中全然超脫，這才是真正的清淨，而不是囚牢。

It’s something pitiful to see. Clinging to self so much, then attaching to purity just as much, some religious creeds even go so far as to teach some perpetual purity as some eternal soul dwelling in some eternity, or some such thing. The whole thing comes from grasping and clinging to purity through upadana until one is caught in an eternal prison. It just ends up an eternal prison.