堅持到底 Stick To It

Stick To It

　　堅持到底

Endurance and moderation are the foundation, the beginning of our practice. To start we simply follow the practice and the schedule set up by our self or in a retreat or monastery. To train an animal, we have to restrain it; likewise, we need to restrict ourselves. An animal which is difficult to train should be given little food. Here we have the ascetic practices to limit ourselves in regard to food, robes, and living quarters, to bring us down to bare essentials, to cut away infatuation.

　　耐心和節制是我們修行之初的基礎。開始修行時，只要遵循修行及我們自己或靜修班或寺院里所制定的作息表。要訓練一只動物，必須管束它；同樣的道理，我們也必須約束自己。對于一只很難訓練的動物，不應該給他大多食物，在這方面，我們有苦行來限制我們對食物、袈裟、住宿的重視，把我們的需求，降到最低，將所有的迷戀都斬除。

These practices are the basis for concentration. Constant mindfulness in all postures and activities will make the mind calm and clear. But this calm is not the end point of practice. Tranquil states give the mind a temporary rest, as eating will temporarily remove hunger, but that is not all there is to life. You must use the calmed mind to see things in a new light, the light of wisdom. When the heart becomes firm in this wisdom, you will not adhere to worldly standards of good and bad and will not be swayed by external conditions. With wisdom, dung can be used for fertilizer-all our experiences become sources of insight. Normally, we want praise and dislike criticism, but, seen with a clear mind, we see them as equally empty. Thus, we can let go of all these things and find peace.

　　這些修行是定的基礎。持續不斷地對所有的姿勢和活動保持正念，會使心平靜和清明，但，這種平靜並不是修行的終點。平靜的狀態給予心暫時的休息，就如同吃飯可以暫時免除飢渴一樣，但，這並不是生命的全部。你必須用平靜的心去以一種新的眼光看待事物──智慧的眼光。當心在這種智慧中穩固時，就不會黏著世間好、壞的標準，也不會被外在的現象所動搖。有了智慧，糞便可拿來做肥料用──所有的經驗都會變成內觀「慧」的泉源。通常，我們喜歡受人讚揚，厭惡被批評，可是，要以一顆清明的心來看，我們視它們都是空的。因此，我們能夠放下所有這一切，而尋找到平靜。

Do not worry about how long it will take to get results, just do it. Practice endurance. If your legs hurt, tell yourself, “I have no legs.” If your head aches, think, “I do not have a head.” If you get sleepy when sitting at night, think, “It is daytime.” During meditation using mindfulness of breathing, if you have uncomfortable feelings in the chest, take a few long, deep breaths. If the mind wanders, just hold your breath and let the mind go where it will-it will not go far.

　　只要做就對了，不要擔心多久才能有結果。修習耐力，如果你的腿很痛，告訴你自己：「我沒有腿。」如果你的頭痛，就想：「我沒有頭。」晚上打坐時，如果昏昏欲睡的話，就想：「現在是大白天。」禪坐這段時間里，用觀呼吸的方法，如果胸口感到不舒服的話，做幾下深呼吸。如果心散亂，就憋住呼吸，讓心去它要去的地方──它不會跑遠的。

You can change postures after an appropriate time, but do not be a slave to your restlessness or feelings of discomfort. Sometimes it is good just to sit on them. You feel hot, legs are painful, you are unable to concentrate-just tell it all to die. The feelings will get more and more intense and then hit a breaking point, after which you will be calm and cool. But the next day your mind will not want to do it again. Training yourself requires constant effort. By practicing over a long period of time, you will learn when to push, when to relax, learn to separate physical fatigue from laziness.

　　到了適當的時間時，可以改變一下姿勢，但是，可不要作一個煩燥不安和不舒服感的奴隸。有時候，就繼續忍下去反倒是件好事。你覺得熱，腿很痛，沒辦法專注──就叫它們全都死去吧!那種感覺會愈來愈激烈，直到突破的那點──突破之後，你會很平靜和清涼的那一點。可是，隔天你的心就會不想再做了。訓練你自己是需要持續的精進力的。修行了一段很長的時間之後，你就會學會何時該逼自己，何時該放輕松；學習去分別身體的疲憊與懈怠的不同。

Do not worry about enlightenment. When growing a tree, you plant it, water it, fertilize it, keep the bugs away and if these things are done properly, the tree will naturally grow. How quickly it grows, however, is something you cannot control.

　　不要在意開悟。種樹的時侯，你種它，給它水，給它施肥、除害蟲，如果污這都做得很好，樹自然會成長。不管如何，樹長得多快，都不是一件你可以控制的事。

At first, endurance and persistence are necessary, but after a time, faith and certainty arise. Then you see the value of practice and want to do it; you want to avoid socializing and be by yourself in quiet places; you seek extra time just to practice and to study yourself.

　　剛開始，耐心與毅力是非常必要的，不過，一段時間之後，信心與堅定心會生起。然後，你就會看到修行的價值，而且會想繼續修行下去──你會想要遠離杜交活動，而獨處于避靜之處：你會為了修行而特別謄出時間來修行和探討自己。

Just do the practice beginning with the basic steps being honest and clean and being aware of whatever you do. All the rest will follow.

　　從基本的步驟開始修行吧──誠實、清淨和覺醒你所做的一切，其他的自然會接踵而來。