樂與苦 Happiness and Suffering

Happiness and Suffering

　　樂與苦

A young Western monk had just arrived at one of Achaan Chah’s forest monasteries and asked permission to stay and practice.

　　一位年青的西方僧侶剛到阿姜 查的森林寺院中的一家分院，並請求准許留下來修行。

I hope you’re not afraid of suffering” was Achaan Chah’s first response.

　　「我希望你不怕受苦。」阿姜 查事先聲明。

Somewhat taken aback, the young Westerner explained that he did not come to suffer but to learn meditation and to live peacefully in the forest.

　　這位西方僧侶有點驚訝，他說他不是來受苦的，而是來學習禪坐和平靜地生活在森林中的。

Achaan Chah explained, ’’There are two kinds of suffering: the suffering that leads to more suffering and the suffering that leads to the end of suffering. If you are not willing to face the second kind of suffering, you will surely continue to experience the first.”

　　阿姜 查解釋說：「苦有兩種：一種是會導致更多苦的苦，另一種是會導致苦熄滅的苦。如果你不願意去面對第二種苦的話，你一定是願意繼續經驗第一種苦。」

Achaan Chah’s way of teaching is usually straightforward and direct. When he meets his monks on the monastery grounds, he often asks, “Are you suffering much today?” If one answers yes, he replies, ’Well, you must have many attachments today,” and then laughs with the monk about it.

　　阿姜 查教導的方式通常是直接了當的。當他在寺里的庭園中碰到他的弟子時，他常常問：「你今天有沒有受到很多苦啊?」如果你回答有的話，他會說：「你今天一定有很多的執著羅!」然後就跟弟子們一起笑起來。

Have you ever had happiness? Have you ever had suffering? Have you ever considered which of these is really valuable? If happiness is true, then it should not dissolve, should it? You should study this point to see what is real, what is true. This study, this meditation, leads to right understanding.

　　你曾有過快樂嗎?你曾有過痛苦嗎?你曾想過何者真的有價值?如果快樂是真的，那麼它不應該會消失，對不對?你應該學習這點，以看見真實。這種學習、這種禪坐，會導致正見。