平常心 Normality - 了悟平常心：三禪 Normality : the third Jhana

Part 2: Walking The Path 第2篇：行道

2-3. Stages of Practice 修學階段

2-3-4. WORKING WITH THE MIND第二階段：對治自心修習階段 (或看念頭(心)修習階段)

2-3-4-3. Normality : the third Jhana 了悟平常心：三禪

(This talk was given the next day and continues with the fore-going. 這段是隔天才開示的，並且繼續前面的話題。)

(REVIEWING THE OBJECTS SO FAR 回顧截至目前為止的所觀境)

When I knew Rupa-Nama and the objects of Rupa-Nama fully, I still didn’t know the defilements due to Vipassana, nor did I know analytical knowledge, nor abnormal views. But when I returned to looking at the mind and awareness was strong and fast enough to keep up with it, being able to prevent and deal with it, a change took place in my mind twice. That’s why I understood the value of the beginning stages of enlightenment and I understood the defilements due to Vipassana. But analytical knowledge and abnormal views, I didn’t know yet, I understood that afterwards.

當我完全地了悟色-名及其它所有色-名層次的所觀境時(基礎修習階段)，我還不知道那是觀障(由毘婆奢那引起的染污)，也不知道解慧與偏邪異見。但當我反過來觀照自心(進入對治自心修習階段)，而覺性強大迅速到能跟得上念頭並能對治、阻斷它的時候，我的心發生一次兩層轉變，就是這次的兩層轉變讓我體悟到初步覺悟(即證初果)的重要性，也了解到基礎修習階段那些體悟是觀障，是毘婆奢那引起的染污。但我這時候還不明了解慧與偏邪異見，我是在這之後才明了的。

The path is the practice to reach the end of suffering. I understood suffering - the cause of it - the extinguishing of it - the path, as the genuine characteristics of the 4 Noble truths. Suffering or Dukkha, as I understand it from my practice is thought ; first we understand the bark of it, then the very thinking itself that is the origin of suffering. The path of practice is to watch thought with awareness, when watching like this, the result is that one breaks away from it, one frees oneself from suffering ; the end of suffering is Nirodha. The extinguishment of suffering has to be realized, said the Buddha. When one is free from it, one realizes it, this is called realizing, really knowing, that’s Nirodha. One might wonder how to practice. The answer is : build up awareness and then watch thought, this is the path which means the practice that leads to the end of suffering.

道聖諦是能達到滅苦的修行法門，我依循四聖諦的真義而了悟了苦聖諦、集聖諦(苦的因)、滅聖諦(苦的滅)與道基諦(滅苦之道)。依我實修的理解，苦(Dukkha)就是念頭(苦聖諦)；起先我只了解到表皮，後來才了解就是這個念頭，是我們苦的來源(集聖諦)。道聖諦就是用覺性去觀照念頭，當你能這樣觀照時，就能夠跟念頭分開來，就能解脫痛苦，苦終結了就是滅聖諦(Nirodha)，佛陀說：「此是滅，汝應證。」當你解脫了痛苦，證得了苦滅，這就叫做證悟、如實真知，那就是滅聖諦。有人可能想知道要怎麼修？答案是：培養出覺性，然後觀照念頭，這就是道聖諦，也就是：能夠直通滅苦的修習之道。

I know the source of it, the knowledge came step by step. It is like putting water in a cup and we pour some out ; there remains only little water, when the water decreases we add more to it, then it decreases again and we keep topping it up often. Or it’s like rain ; the rain-water dries up and then it rains again. This a way of talking but the way of practicing is to build up Sati ; stay alone, don’t talk and chat but build up lots of awareness and it will burst into flames, so to speak.

我了悟苦的原因，智慧一個接一個生起。那好比把杯子加滿水，再倒一些出去，剩下一點水，當水變少了又再加更多一點上去，當它又減少時，我們再繼續不斷地把它加滿。又好比下雨，雨水乾了之後又再下雨。說是這樣說，但修習之道則是要培養出正念，獨自用功，不要說話和閒聊，要培養出更多的覺性，那麼它自然會燃起熊熊大火。

The day that I understood, I understood greed, hatred and delusion and was able to destroy them and I understood the 4 objective forms, namely : feeling, perception, volitional thought and conciousness, they’re also called Nama-Rupa. Dosa, Moha and Lobha don’t exist, Nama-Rupa does exist but there is no suffering in them. After that, I understood defilement - craving - clinging - Kamma ; the mind changed a second time and clinging was destroyed. This was in the evening ; I continued to do walking-meditation and practice the rhytmic-meditation, when it was time, I went to sleep.

我覺悟的那天，我了悟了貪、瞋、痴，破除了它們的疑惑，並且能夠進一步斷除它們，同時我又了悟四個客體的色法，亦即：受、想、行與識等四蘊，它們也叫做名-色(名之色)。我那天覺悟到沒有瞋、癡、貪，只有名-色，而且名-色里頭並沒有苦；隨後，我又了悟煩惱、貪愛、執著、業；我心中第二次生起轉變並且煩惱執著斷除了。這事發生在(第三天)晚上，那時我繼續經行和練習手部規律動作的禪修，最後時間到了，我就去睡覺。

(UNDERSTANDING VIRTUE 了悟戒律)

Before dawn, as I was pacing up and down, a centipede passed in front of me. There was no light there, only candles at intervals of the path for walking-meditation. I took a candle and looked around but the centipede had disappeared already. A long time ago, I was bitten by one once ; I remember : it hurt. When I didn’t see it, I continued to walk and look at my thoughts. At that instant a thought flashed up, I knew the thought and understood what virtue is. The word virtue means normality, it is not the 5, 8 or 227 precepts, that I used to observe since I was young. But now I understood that virtue is the means to eliminate the gross defilements, concentration is the means to eliminate the medium defilements and wisdom is the means to eliminate subtle defilements. That’s what it says in the scriptures and now I understood because I had eliminated the coarse defilements and virtue was perfected. In fact, perfected virtue is what concentration and wisdom is.

(第四天)黎明前，當我正在經時行，一只蜈蚣打從我面前經過。那里沒有光線，只是路邊隔一小段就有一些為經行行者準備的燭火。我拿只燭火四處看看，但蜈蚣已經不見了。很久以前，我曾被蜈蚣咬過一次，我記得那很痛。由于沒找到牠，于是我繼續經行並觀照我的念頭。突然間一個念頭閃過，我立即覺知到那個念頭並了悟了什麼是戒(想必跟那蜈蚣有關)。戒的意思是平常心(常道)，而不是從我年輕時起就持守的5戒、8戒或227條戒。現在我明了戒是斷除粗重煩惱的方便，定是斷除中等煩惱的方便，而慧是斷除微細煩惱的方便，這是經典上提到的，但現在我明了了，因為我已斷除了粗重的煩惱，且圓滿了戒行。事實上，圓滿的戒就是定與慧的本質(都是覺性、平常心)。

(UNDERSTANDING THE AGGREGATE OF VIRTUE, CONCENTRATION AND WISDOM 了悟戒蘊、定蘊、慧蘊)

Let’s have a look at the aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration and the aggregate of wisdom. The word ‘aggregate’ means intensive, means to support, means in good order, means to strive, means to melt. At that time, my wife had given me some cloth, good cloth that can be used to wear or spread out to sleep on. This cloth is heavy and tightly woven, so I bring this up for comparison ; when cloth is tightly woven, it is good quality cloth. When I understood this well, I comprehended the higher training in virtue, the higher training of the mind and the higher training in wisdom. This is what it says in the scriptures but what appeared was the aggregate of virtue, the aggregate of concentration and the aggregate of wisdom, I understand it like this.

讓我們看看戒蘊、定蘊和慧蘊。「蘊」這個字是指密集加行、護持、井然有序、精進與消融。當時，我妻子給了我一些布，很好的布，可以用來當僧袍穿或攤開來睡在上面。這塊布很重而且編織緊密，所以我拿它來作個比喻：緊密編織的布才是好布料。當我正確明了這點之後，我了悟較超勝的持戒密集加行(增上戒學)，較超勝的修定密集加行(增上定學)和較超勝的修慧密集加行(增上慧學)。這是經典中所說的內涵，但經文表面上是說戒蘊、定蘊和慧蘊。這是我的體悟。

(UNDERSTANDING CONCENTRATION 了悟禪定)

Next, I understood that concentration is the means to eliminate medium defilements ; at this point, I comprehended tranquility-meditation. The kind of meditation where they sit until all stiff, my view is that that is not the teaching of the Buddha. But it’s good, not that it’s bad ; it’s better than doing evil, making merit is better than doing evil ; have some merit first, don’t take evil ; take what is good, don’t take what is bad ; this is good on one level. But it’s still not getting close to the real Buddha.

接下來，我了悟禪定是斷除中等煩惱的方便。當時，我了悟什麼是止禪。這種禪修方法是要坐到全身不動，我的看法是，那不是佛陀的教法。不過這是很好的，並不是不好的；那比作惡好。做功德也比作惡好；要先取功德，不要取惡業；要取好的，不要取壞的；在某個層面來說止禪、做功德是好的，但那還不是趣向真佛之道。

When eating, we have to eat cooked rice, uncooked rice is not eatable ; making merit, giving offerings, keeping precepts and practicing tranquility-meditation compares with uncooked rice.

吃飯時，我們必須吃煮熟的米(正因)，沒煮熟的米是不能吃的；做功德、布施、持戒和修習止禪就好比沒煮熟的米(世間善因而非出世正因)。

If one asks : ‘Can one do insight-meditation without having made merit, having been generous, having kept precepts and having practiced calming-meditation before ?’ , I can assure you that it is possible indeed. But one should completely stop doing evil and build up and develop awareness a lot ; this will make you understand, really understand ; having understood, it becomes natural. The kind of peace of the Buddha, is peace through awareness & wisdom. Peace because of the abcence of greed, hatred and delusion, peace because of the lack of clinging, peace because there is no more not-knowing. The peace of the Buddha is like going against the stream, the stream of thought, until one sees the source and origin of thought. The tray that floats against the stream of the water is like the aggregates going against the stream of thought. How does one go against it ? When you reflect on it, you might see that when the eye sees forms, the ear hears sounds etc. the eye and ear don’t know anything, but the mind is the one who knows ; so look at the mind. Conciousness is the one who knows. Conciousness translates as knowing. Conciousness here, is not what many people believe it to be ; that when one dies, conciousness is what takes rebirth here or there. I used to think like that, but now I know that it’ s not like that.

假若有人問：「一個人以前沒有做功德、布施、持戒與修習止禪，可以直接修內觀禪法嗎？」我可以向你保證，絕對可以！但必須徹底地停止作惡，並且精勤地培養覺性，這樣你才能了解，真實地了解；了解之後，修行就變得很輕松自然。佛陀的平靜，是由覺知與智能而成就的，是去除了貪、瞋、癡而來的平靜，是破除執著而獲致的，是永斷無明而生起的平靜。佛陀的平靜是對抗川流—念頭的洪流—直到看見念頭的來源與起處。逆流而上的盤子就像五蘊對抗念頭的洪流，要怎麼去對抗它呢？當你反照念頭時，你就會明了：當眼見色、耳聞聲…的時候，眼睛和耳朵並不能了知任何東西，而是心能了知，所以要觀照自心。識是了知者，識譯為了知，此處所說的識不像許多人所相信的那樣：也就是人死後，會去到此處或彼處投生的識。我過去也一直以為是那樣，但現在知道不是那樣。

Just look at the difference between those thoughts and wisdom. There is a change from the old way of thinking, this knowledge is not the same as it was before. Let me give an example : when the eyes see the opposite sex, it stimulates the mind, but when I knew the origin of thought in the mind, there is no stimulation. This is going against the stream, the 5 aggregates go against the stream of thought. The Buddha teaches not to let the 6 internal senses, that is, the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind, join the 6 external senses, namely forms, sounds, smell, taste, touch and mental phenomena. On seeing, let there just be seeing, don’t call it good or bad or whatever. These are still the words from the scriptures, they still have glue in them so they are defilements. Defilements are like sticky glue. Craving means wanting, when we want things we are stuck fast by the glue and being stuck, we go and carry things around, that is what clinging is. This happens by itself but if we go against the stream as I’ve explained, one can reach the end of suffering. Therefore, may you all determine to really practice so you really know and when you know you will be sure about the teachings of the Buddha.

我去觀察那些念頭思想與智慧的區別之處！和過去的思惟模式相比有了轉變，這種智慧和以前的思惟有所不同。舉例來說：一般人眼睛看到異性，會刺激我們的心，但當我了悟心中念頭的源頭時，就不再受它刺激了，這就是逆反川流，也就是五蘊逆反了念頭之流，佛陀教導我們：不要讓內六根(即眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意)攀緣外六處(即色、聲、香、味、觸、法)，看的時候就只是看，不要有好、壞或任何的分別，這些都是出自經典的文字。但它們(即此時的智慧)里面還是有染著，所以還是「煩惱」，煩惱就像黏膠；「貪愛」的意思是欲求，當我們欲求東西時，我們就被膠水牢牢的黏住了；一旦被黏住，我們就會帶著這些東西到處跑，那就是「執著」。這些都是修習過程中自自然然會發生的，但如果能如我所說的那樣去逆反念頭的洪流，就能達到苦滅。因此，希望諸位下決心去真參實修，這樣才能如實真知，而當你了悟之後你對佛陀的教導就會確信無疑。

When I had concentration it eliminated the medium defilements. I knew this after they were eliminated, it was the same with the defiiements due to insight: after I was free from them, I knew it. On being free from analytical knowledge, I knew it. And it’s the same with abnormal views : after being free from them, I knew. Only after eliminating the coarse defilements, did I know the coarse defilements. Virtue is the means to eliminate coarse defilements, the coarse defilements are greed, hatred, delusion, defilernents, craving, clinging and Kamma. Having eliminated the medium defilements, I knew what they are. The medium defilements are to be attached to peacefulness. That’s why I say that there are 2 kinds of peace : one kind is to sit with the eyes closed and have visions ; that is like the 2 hermits in the time of the Buddha ; one doesn’t see one’s own mind, it is temporarily peace, one still has suffering because of Lobha, Dosa, Moha, it is called peace under the influence of delusion. It is peace because one doesn’t know or doesn’t want to know.

如果有定就能斷除中等的煩惱。在中等煩惱斷除之後，我了悟了這點，這和由內觀引起的染污一樣：都是在我解脫這些染污煩惱之後，才得到了悟。在破除解慧之後，我才了悟，這也和偏邪異見一樣：都是在解脫它們之後，我才得到了悟。因此，就在斷除了粗重煩惱之後，我了悟了粗重煩惱，了悟戒是斷除粗重煩惱的方便。所謂粗重煩惱就是貪、瞋、癡、煩惱、貪愛、執著和業。斷除了中等煩惱之後，我才了悟什麼是中等煩惱。中等煩惱就是染著于平靜，所以我說有兩種平靜：一種是閉起眼睛坐著並且會有幻象，這種就像佛陀時代的那兩位隱士，他們沒有看見自己的心，只是暫時的平靜，因為還有貪、瞋、癡，所以還是有苦，這叫做帶有癡惑的平靜，是因為人們不了悟或不想了悟而得的平靜。

Another kind of peace, is the peace of the Buddha ; peace due to the abcence of greed, hatred and delusion, peace due to the abcence of clinging etc. One is peaceful because one knows, it is called peace because of awareness and wisdom. This kind of peace is the concentration that eliminates the medium defilements, I would like to insist that I really know this. The kind of peace of those 2 hermits in the time of the Buddha are still under the power of sensuality, are still under the power of being, are still under the power of ignorance ; it is called the canker of sensuality, the canker of being and the canker of ignorance. Sensuality here, means gladness ; one is glad about being in some state or being identified with something because one doesn’t know, one is under the power of sensuality, being and ignorance. As for sensuality ; no need to talk about it it’s too gross. I comprehended this ; first we just know from memory and then we comprehend, realize and really know, this is the same for all people. Developing awareness is therefore a shaking-up of the knowing-element of that individual, which already exists in everybody without exception, there is no point in lying. When I knew this I was not diffident. At this time, my mind changed for the third time, that is, there was a shift twice in the evening. In the early morning, there were two more transformations ; the mind became two levels lighter, not sticking to anything.

另一種的平靜，是佛陀的平靜，那是由斷除貪、瞋、癡而生起，由破除執著而得到…等。我們平靜是因為覺悟，之所以稱為平靜是因為它是由覺知和智慧而來的。但是我那時的平靜是一種斷除了中等煩惱的定境，我要再強調一次，我如實了悟這點。佛陀時代那兩位隱士的那種平靜，是還帶有欲樂，帶有眾生性，帶有無明，這種叫做欲樂之瘤，眾生之瘤與無明之瘤。此處的欲樂是指喜樂；我們由于不悟而帶有欲樂，帶有眾生性，帶有無明，所以在某些情境中或認同某些事物時會感到喜樂。欲樂不須討論，因為它太粗了。我的了悟是這樣：我們剛開始先是依見聞記憶而知，其次依思惟理解而知，乃至最後證悟與如實真知，這次第對所有人都是適用的。因此培養覺性是一個人覺悟因素(knowing-element)的一塊敲門磚(shaking-up,方便)，覺悟之因人人本具，無一不有，我沒有必要騙你們。當我了悟這點，我不再沒有自信了，這個時候，我的心生起了第三次的轉變，也就是說，那天晚上有了兩層的轉變，而到了隔天凌晨，又有兩層的轉變，這顆心變得輕了兩倍，不再黏著任何東西。

By practicing in this way, I understood the teachings of the Buddha concerning the lst, 2nd and 3rd Jhana. Talking like this, I might get blamed of claiming superhuman attainments, but I’d like to insist that I’m explaining this backed up by reason. If one desires to know the truth, it is necessary to speak the truth ; if one doesn’t speak the truth or talks about things that one hasn’t realized for oneself, it is making false claims or lying. What’s the use of that ? Better to speak honestly !

藉著這樣修習，我了悟佛陀有關初、二、三禪的教導。像我這樣宣稱自己已得超凡之果證，極可能遭人譴責，但我要強調：我這樣說是有道理的。一個人如果想要覺悟真理，就必須說真話，如果不說真話而說些自己尚未親證的東西，那就是未得謂得、未證言證的大妄語，那有什麼好處呢？還不如老老實實說真話！

The kind of knowledge, like seeing light, colours, ghosts, angels etc. that some people have, I don’t know. That is illusion and deception, but people call those things visions. A vision or sign is a mark. What does it mark ? It marks to catch that point with awareness, that’s the real sign ! On the profound level, it means to watch this very mind with awareness. Mark this well, don’t let go of it ! Keep gazing at the mind, do it like a cat does with a mouse or like a boxer : whoever he meets gets whacked ; this means a thought pops up and whack, it is cut straight away.

像某些人有經驗到看見光、彩色、鬼，天神等，那種我不知道。那是幻覺和騙人的假相，但人們稱之為幻覺。幻相或徵兆是個標記，標示什麼呢？標示我們用覺性去把它抓起來，那才是真正的標記！說深一點，那意思就是要我們用覺性來觀照這顆心，好好地標記鎖定它，不要讓它跑掉！持續凝注于這顆心，像貓捉老鼠一樣，或像一位拳擊手，不論遭逢什麼對手都重擊之，這意思就是說：念頭一冒出來，啪的一聲！就立刻切斷它。

Abandoning greed, hatred and delusion through formal sitting-meditation, doesn’t agree with the principles of the right way to develop awareness ; it compares to sitting in a cave and lighting a candle : it is true that there is some light, but only inside the cave. There is only light on one side ; other sides are still in the dark. Put the candle behind you and it’s dark in front, when the candle is on the left, the darkness goes to the right, put the light on your right and there is darkness on your left ; the darkness circles around one like this and as soon as the light goes out, it is immediately totally dark. So one still doesn’t really know how to abandon Lobha, Dosa and Moha.

藉由正式的坐禪修定來舍斷貪、瞋、癡，這點和培養覺性此一正道的原則是不同的，坐禪修定好比是坐在一個點燃蠟燭的洞穴里，的確是有些光亮，但只是在洞穴內有光，只是一邊光亮，另一邊還是黑暗的，把蠟燭放在你身後，你面前就是黑暗的，當蠟燭在左邊，則右邊就變黑暗，把燭光放在右邊，那左邊就變黑暗，黑暗一直像這樣繞著我們轉，不會消失，而且一旦燭光熄滅，就會立刻全部變暗。所以，這樣的人還沒有真正知道如何舍斷貪、瞋、癡。