如此而已 Just That Much

Just That Much

　　如此而已

When you take a good look at it, this world of ours is just that much; it exists just as it is. Ruled by birth, aging, sickness, and death, it is only that much. Great or little is only that much. The wheel of life and death is only that much. Then why are we still attached, caught up, not removed? Playing around with the objects of life gives us some enjoyment; yet this enjoyment is also just that much.

　　當你好好地去看我們這個世界時，其實它只是「如此而已」，它是如是存在的。被生、老、病、死所支配，也只是「如此而已」；偉大的或渺小的也只是「如此而已」；生死的輪轉也只是「如此而已」。那為什麼我們還執著、還黏著不肯遠離呢?游戲于生活中的外境所給予我們的一些樂趣，然而，這些樂趣也只是「如此而已」。

Whatever is pleasurable, delicious, exciting, good, is just that much; it has its limit, it is not as if it is anything outstanding. The Buddha taught that everything is just that much, of equal value. We should contemplate this point. Just look at the Western monks who have come here to practice. They have experienced much pleasure and comfort in their lives, but it was only that much; trying to make more of it just drove them crazy. They became world travelers, let everything go-it was still only that much. Then they carne here to the forest to learn to give it all up, all attachments, all suffering.

　　無論是愉快的、美味的、興奮的、美好的，都只是「如此而已」，都有其限制，並役有任何特別之處。佛陀教導，一切事物都只是「如此而已」，都是平等的。我們應思惟(觀)這點。再看看來這里修行的西方僧侶，他們在他們的生活中曾經驗了許多享樂和舒適，不過那也只是「如此而已」，試圖去要求更多，只會使他們發瘋。他們于是成為環游世界的旅客，他們拋開一切──那也只是「如此而已」。後來他們來到這里，到森林里來學習放下一切──放下所有的執著及所有的痛苦。

All conditioned things are the same-impermanent, caught up in the cycle of birth and death. Just look at them; they are only that much. All things in this world exist thus. Some people say, ’’Doing virtuous deeds, practicing religion, you grow old just the same.” This may be true of the body, but not of the heart, of virtue; when we understand the difference, we have a chance to become free.

　　所有因緣和合的事物都一樣──無常，束縛于生死的輪迴之中。看看它們，它們只是「如此而已」，這世界上的一切都是如此存在著。有些人說：「種善根、信奉宗教，還不是一樣會老。」這對色身來說，也許是的，可是心和德行並非如此。當我們了解到它的差別以後，我們就有機會得到解脫了。

Look at the elements of our body and mind. They are conditioned phenomena, arising from a cause and therefore impermanent. Their nature is always the same, it cannot be changed. A great noble and a common servant are the same. When they become old, their act comes to an end; they can no longer put on airs or hide behind masks. There is nowhere to go, no more taste, no more texture. When you get old, your sight becomes dim, your hearing weakens, your body becomes feeble-you must face yourself.

　　看看我們身和心的元素，它們都是因緣和合的現象，都是由因而生起的，所以無常。它們的本質永遠都是一樣的，永不會改變。一個偉大的貴族和一個平凡的僕人都是一樣的。富他們年老時，當他們的表演將盡，他們再也不能偽裝或隱藏在面具之下。沒有一處可逃，也不再有味覺，不再有觸覺。當你年老時，你的視覺會變得模糊，你的聽覺逐漸減弱，你的身體變得衰弱──你必須面對你自己。

We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being just that much. But instead of escaping, we continue to create more suffering, waging war with good, waging war with evil, waging war with what is small, waging war with what is big, waging war with what is short or long or right or wrong, courageously carrying on the battle.

　　我們人類一直都在不斷的斗爭當中，為了逃避「如此而已」的事實而斗爭。可是，逃避反倒使我們制造更多痛苦──為正義而戰、為邪惡而戰；為了什麼是人、什麼是小而戰；為了什麼是長、什麼是短而戰；為了什麼是對、什麼是錯而戰，而且勇敢地繼續戰斗。

The Buddha taught the truth, but we are like buffalo-unless they are tied down firmly by all four legs, they will not allow themselves to be given any medicine. Once they have been tied down and cannot do anything-aha, now you can go ahead and give them medicine, and they are unable to struggle away. In the same way, most of us must be totally bound up in suffering before we will let go and give up our delusions. If we can still writhe away, we will not yet give in. A few people can understand the Dharma when they hear it taught and explained by a teacher. But life must teach most of us all the way to the end.

You can pull on the end of a rope, but if the other end is stuck, the rope will never budge. In order to make it come free, you need to find out where it is stuck, you need to seek out the source or the root of the problem. We must use our practice fully to discover how we are stuck, to discover the heart of peace. We must follow the ox’s tracks from the beginning, from the point at which it left the corral. If we start in the middle of the trail, we will not be able to tell whose ox’s tracks they are, and thus we could be led anywhere.

　　我們必須全力以赴，用修行去掘發平靜的心。我們必須打從一開始就追隨公牛的足跡──從它離開畜欄的那一點開始。如果我們從路途的中間開始，我們將無法告知那是誰的公牛足跡，如此一來，我們是會被帶到其他地方去的。

Therefore, the Buddha spoke of first correcting our views. We must investigate the very root of suffering, the very truth of our life. If we can see that all things are just that much, we will find the true Path. We must come to know the reality of conditioned phenomena, the way things are. Only then can we have peace in our world.

　　所以，佛陀說：首先要糾正我們的知見，我們必須觀察苦的根本、生命的真理。如果我們可以看到所有的一切都只是「如此而已」，我們將會找到真正的「道」。我們必須明白因緣和合現象的真理，事物的本然。唯有如此，我們方能在我們的世界中擁有平靜。