平常心 Normality - 破愚痴見惑的階位：初禪 The level of destroying delusions : the first 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)

2-3-4-1. The level of destroying delusions : the first Jhana. 破愚痴見惑的階位：初禪

After these experiences, I continued to do walking-meditation, it was evening already. A thought flashed up ; I thought : ‘Hey, where did that thought come from ?’.

When a thought came up a second time, it was just as if someone bumbed into me or gave me a push. I didn’t see the thought, I only understood it slightly.

But when a thought flashed up for the third time, I saw, knew and understood : ‘Oh, the mind thinks !’. I watched it with awareness. It’s just like a cat catching a mouse.

That I compare it with a cat catching a mouse, is because I haven’t been to school. Before, in my village, there was no school, I was born out in the country, far from the district and I didn’t learn how to read and write. -Therefore, when I speak I use conventional comparisons. The teachings of the Buddha have a lot of comparisons in them too. It is translated from the ancient Pali language.

(第三天的白天里)經歷前面這些體悟之後，我繼續經行，那時已經是晚上了。突然一個念頭閃過，過後我心想：「嘿！這個念頭打哪兒來呢？」(這次只是由見聞記憶而知道是有念頭生起而已)

當另一個念頭再次生起的時候，我感覺有點像被人撞到或被人推了一下，但還是沒有看見那個念頭，只是稍微有點了知。(這次稍微對念頭有一點理解)

但是當念頭第三次閃過時，我便看見、知道並了悟它：「喔！心在起念！」我用覺性觀照它，就像貓捉老鼠一樣。(這次覺悟念頭的真相)

我用貓捉鼠來比喻，是因為我不曾上過學校。以前，我們村莊里頭沒有學校，我是出生在鄉下地方，離市區很遠，沒有學過讀書寫字。因此，當我說法時都常用較傳統世俗的比喻。佛陀的教導里頭也有許多的比喻，那是從古巴利文翻譯而成的。

To come back to the cat and the mouse : when the cat is still small and the mouse is big, the cat will jump on the mouse - whack, but the mouse can get away because it is bigger. When it’s like this, the cat will have to be the loser.We have to feed the cat so it grows bigger. This means to be dilligent to develop awareness all the time.

回來說說這個貓和老鼠，當貓還小而老鼠很大時，貓會啪的一聲撲向老鼠，但老鼠會逃得掉，因為它比較大。如果是這樣，貓必定是個輸家，因此，我們必須餵貓好讓它長得更大，這意思也就是說，我們要時時刻刻努力培養覺性。

We know thought just as when there were defilements due to Vipassana, that is, we know but we don’t comprehend, so we get caught up in the thoughts that arise. Suppose we spread out a mosquito net because we have mosquitos at home. When the mosquitos can’t get in, we don’t get bitten. But even though we put out a mosquito net, bed bugs can still get in and bite us, we don’t know where they are, so we have to find some way to prevent and get rid of the bed bugs, that means we have to find out where they live and where they come from ; after we have eliminated them we can sleep in comfort. It is the same with thought : when the mind thinks we get caught up in thought and we follow the thought but we’re still suffering, we think this, and we think that but we don’t see thought ; this is called knowing thought but not seeing thought or knowing within the scope of thought, it is knowing inside a mosquito net, in a dark corner of a cave, it is not knowing outside of thought that’s how it is.

通常，我們雖知道念頭，但那如同觀障(由毘婆奢那引起的染污)的那種知道，也就是說，我們雖知道但並沒了解念頭，所以我們會卷入那個生起的念頭之中。舉例來說，比如我們家里有蚊子，于是我們掛起蚊帳，蚊子進不來，我們就不會被叮咬，但雖然掛起了蚊帳，床上的蟲還是能夠進來咬我們，我們不知道它們在哪里，所以我們必須想個方法防止並除去床上的蟲，這意思就是說，我們必須找出它們住在哪里和它們從哪里來？然後，等我們消除了它們，便能舒舒服服地睡個好覺。念頭也是一樣：我們只要一起心動念，就被念頭纏住，而且我們會跟隨著念頭，但這種跟隨還是有苦，因為我們會想東想西但卻看不見念頭，這叫做知道念頭但沒看見念頭，或叫做「在念頭內知道」(只知道是有念頭，沒跳出念頭之外，不知道在哪里及從何處來)，這是在蚊帳內或在洞穴內黑暗角落的知道，而不是「在念頭外知道」(即跳出念頭之外，在蚊帳、洞穴之外，了解念頭在哪里及從何處來)，就是這麼回事。

According to the scriptures, it is said that Avijja is not-knowing ; ‘A’ means not, so Vijja means knowing, it means realising and truly knowing. When realising and truly knowing, we must be able to go beyond thought. Going beyond thought is to see thought, to know thought and to understand thought. I saw thoughts : when a thought arose, whack, I knew it, I did it just as a cat grabbing a mouse.

依經典所說：無明(Avijja)是不知道；『A-』意思是『不』，所以『-Vijja』的意思是『知道』，這里所謂的『知道』是指覺悟和如實真知。當我們覺悟與如實真知時，就必定能「超越念頭」，所謂超越念頭就是看見念頭、知道念頭與了悟念頭。(第三次)念頭一生起，我就看見念頭，像貓捉老鼠一樣，啪的一聲！就立刻知道。

When we keep feeding a cat, the cat becomes big and strong. When the cat is big and strong, no matter how big the mouse is, the cat can catch it. Continuously developing awareness compares with feeding a cat ; when awareness becomes stronger : whack, it knows the thought that arises, and in the end it sees thought.

當我們這樣持續餵貓，貓就會變得又大又壯。當貓變得壯大時，不管老鼠有多大，就都能捉住牠。持續培養覺性就有如餵貓，當覺性較強大時，啪的一聲！就能知道生起的念頭，而且最後能看見念頭。

Having come to this point, I would like to emphasize again, by comparing it with 3 types of ricegrains that if we develop awareness and wisdom a lot and continuously so that it becomes full and complete, it is similar to the no.l type of grains that are fat and full : when planted they grow easily because of the warmth of the earth and the coolness of the water are already there ; when they interact with each other, the grains sprout up.The method of developing awareness is the same : when it becomes more continuous - as they say, like the links in a chain – the time comes that wisdom arises and realisation and genuine seeing takes place. Practicing until one knows thought is like this. As for the previous knowledge, it is knowing Rupa- Nama, as I described earlier and from that one sees thought. When thought is seen, deluded beliefs are destroyed.

講到這里，我要用三種不同稻谷的比喻跟你們再強調一次：如果我們不斷努力地培養覺性與智慧，使它圓滿成熟，這就有如第一等成熟肥滿的稻谷，一種下去，就很容易成長，因為大地的溫熱與水的清涼本來已具足，當它們彼此交相感應時，稻谷就會發芽。培養覺性的方法也一樣：當覺性變得更為持續不斷—即所謂的「持續如煉」—那麼開智慧、覺悟與如實真知的時機就到來了，這得要不斷修習直到能像這樣知道念頭才有可能達到。至于前一基礎修習階段的智慧，即我之前所說的了悟色-名，必須在得到那種智慧之後(不會在念頭生起時迷于念頭的種種假名概念之中)，才能進一步看見念頭。當能看見念頭時，智慧開啟，愚癡的信仰觀念就能破除了。

(SEEING OBJECTIVE MATTER, ULTIMATE MEANING AND CHANGING CONDITIONS了悟客體事物、究竟法、變異因緣生滅)

At that time, I knew thought and I looked at my thoughts, I saw them in the mind, the mind saw and knew that turning up the hand is a kind of objective matter, turning the hand down is a kind of objective matter ; it is ultimate meaning and it is a changing condition, it is objective matter. When the eye sees something : this is objective matter, it is ultimate meaning and it is a changing condition arising, a changing condition passing away- that’s how it is. Now, when seeing thought : it is a kind of objective matter, it is a kind of ultimate meaning and it is a changing condition arising and passing away also.

那時(即第三天傍晚經行，第三次念頭生起而他看見、知道、了悟念頭時)，我知道念頭並且看著它，我看見心中的種種念頭，我的心看見並知道翻手向上及覆手向下是「客體事物(Vatthu)，是究竟法(Paramattha, 勝義諦)，是變異因緣生滅(Akara)」。當眼睛看到一些東西：就了悟這是客體事物，是究竟法，是變異因緣生、變異因緣滅—就是這麼回事；看見念頭時也一樣：這是客體事物，是究竟法，是變異因緣生滅。

That the Buddha teaches us that whoever sees the state of arising/passing is called one who sees the Dhamma on a high level - is true, but there is also the level of the bark, the outer wood and the hardwood, in other words, there are different steps ; don’t think at this point that you’ve reached the end - it is not ! * I really know about these matters and I dare to guarantee that what I’m saying is right. I assure you that the teachings of the Buddha can really be practised nowadays, they are not out of fashion ! Whoever develops awareness in this way, will really know and really extinguish suffering and trouble - that’s the way it is !

佛陀教導我們：「任何看見生滅性(即緣起, the state of arising/passing)者，即是上上根器的見法者。」—這是真話，但是，還有其它樹皮、外層木材和內層木心等的不同根器，換句話說，有不同的位階；當你修到這里時切莫認為你已達到終點—這還不是！ *我已真正了悟這些修證方面的事，而且我敢保證我現在說的是對的。我向你保證，佛陀的教導在今天這個時代真的仍然是可以修學的，它們不會退流行！任何人用這個方法培養覺性，就會真實了悟，並且真實滅除苦惱與煩惱—就是這麼回事。

• As will be explained later on and was briefly mentioned on 2-2-1 and 2-2-2, there is a state of arising/passing which refers to the highest and final insight ;this should not be confused with this level of seeing thought-don’t misunderstand and think that you’ve reached the end already !

＊看見生滅狀態(生滅性)是最高與最終的智慧(前面2-2-1與2-2-2節已簡述而稍後亦將詳釋)，不要將此處「看念頭修習階段」的智慧誤以為就是那種最高、最終的究竟智慧，切莫錯認定盤星而自以為已經達到終點唷！

(SEEING HATRED, DELUSION & GREED看見瞋、癡、貪)

When I saw objective matter, saw ultimate meaning and saw changing conditions, I understood that Dosa, Moha and Lobha are the same : they are objective things and they are changing states ; they don’t adhere to our real mind. It could be compared with the sun : when the clouds are in the way, we say the sky is dark, the sun is blocked, but actually clouds, fog and smoke only just hide the sun from view, the clouds don’t stick to the sun, they just pass through and having passed, the sun springs forth again. In actual fact, the sun shines all the time, whether clouds obscure it or not, but we don’t see that - that’s how it is.

當我看見客體事物，看見究竟法，及看見變異因緣之後，我又了悟「瞋、癡、貪(Dosa, Moha , Lobha)」也一樣：是客體事物(Vatthu)，是究竟法(Paramattha)，是變異因緣生滅(Akara)。了悟它們並沒有黏著住我們的真心！就好比太陽，當它被烏云擋住時，我們說天空暗了，太陽被遮住了，實際上，云、霧和煙只是遮住太陽而看不見，云沒有黏著住太陽，它們只是經過，一旦過去，太陽就又會現出來。事實上，不管有沒有被云遮住，太陽一直都在照，只是我們不了解罷了—就是這麼回事！。

Our thoughts are just the same as the clouds ; life itself abides in normality, it doesn’t get twisted or distorted this way and that, it is neutral. Neutrality means indifference, it’s just there. This characteristic of neutrality, that I’m talking about, already exists in everybody. All male and female laypeople, monks and novices : if you feel neutral at this moment, as you’re listening to me talking ; you don’t have happiness or suffering, but you know : this is called indifference. It functions as dead weight that holds back things like anger. If it wasn’t like that, we could easily die. Greed is the same : when it arises we feel we want to get something ; that feeling of wanting must be held back by the quality of neutrality, so it won’t go to an extreme - extreme greed can easily lead to death. In the scriptures it says that no matter what you see or do, may you make your mind equanimous to all of it, without like or dislike - that’s what the scriptures say.

我們的念頭就和云一樣：生命本質是住于平常心的，它本來圓常，沒有這樣那樣扭曲或歪曲，是中道的。中道的意思是無分別，它就在現前當下。我所說的這個中道的本質，是每一個人本來就具足的。諸位男女在家眾、法師和沙彌們！如果你們現前聽我說法，能夠體會到當下這個中道，你就不會有苦樂憂喜，但你會了悟：這就是無分別。它有如一個重物，能壓制住瞋心等這些東西。如果不那樣，我們可能很容易就死掉。貪心也一樣，當它生起時，我們內心會感覺想要什麼東西，那種想要什麼的感覺必須藉這中道實性來壓制住它，才不會走入極端，極度的貪欲很容易致人于死。經典說：不論看什麼或做什麼，你的心要能寂照一切，沒有喜怒愛憎—這是經中的教導。(中譯注：依後文，隆波田至此對貪瞋癡不再有疑惑，知道心性本淨，元無污染，而證初果入聖流)

(SEEING NAMA-RUPA：FEELING, PERCEPTION, VOLITION, CONCIOUSNESS看見名-色：感受(受)、知覺(想)、意志(行)、意識(識))

Having seen Dosa, Moha, Lobha, I comprehended, realized and really knew feeling, perception, volition and conciousness. Sometimes they are called the 4 aggregates, sometimes the 4 matters. The form-aggregate is an object that can be seen with the eyes and touched with the hands, but Vedana, Sanya, Sankhara; Vinyana, are mental things : Nama-Rupa, they cannot be touched with the hands or seen with the eyes, but they can be seen with awareness/wisdom. * There is no Dosa, Moha, Lobha, but there is feeling, perception, volition and conciousness. But there is no suffering in these things because they don’t get concocted. I really know this, this is really the way it is. I can assure you that greed, hatred and delusion don’t exist ; that they can arise, is because at that moment we’re not aware, we forget and get lost, we disregard ourselves and pay attention to external things and people.

看見瞋、癡、貪之後，我又明了、證悟並如實真知「感受、知覺、意志與意識(Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, Vinyana; 即受想行識)，它們有時被稱為四蘊，有時稱四事。色蘊是眼能看見、手能摸到的東西。但受(Vedana)、想(Sanna)、行(Sankhara)、識(Vinyana)是心法：也就是名-色(Nama-Rupa,名之色)，它們是手不能摸、眼不能見，只能用覺知/智慧看見。 *我了悟沒有瞋、癡、貪，只有受、想、行、識，且在這些東西(四蘊)里頭並沒有苦，因為它們不會妄想，這點我確實明了，真的就是這樣。我可以向你保證：貪、瞋、癡並不存在；它們之所以會生起，是因為我們當下沒有覺知，我們忘記自己而迷失了，也就是沒有注意我們自己，而注意外在的人事物去了。

Most of us, since the time we were born, we don’t look at ourselves, we only look at other things and people. A child is only interested in its mother and wants to drink milk ; filled up with milk, it goes to sleep and on waking up, it wants to play ; when it sees its mother, it wants more milk - that’s how it goes. Growing up, the child goes to school and is just interested in clothes ; it only just thinks about what to dress. Becoming an adult, one only has eyes for who is beautiful or handsome, then, on being middle-adged, one only is concerned with the children and the work one is engaged in. One never looks at oneself ! This is called forgetting oneself. Whoever has a car, only cares for cars and whoever has necklaces and bracelets, is only interested in those things. Therefore the Buddha called them: people who forget themselves. And people who forget themselves are called heedless people. Heedless people are people who are dead already.

我們大多數人自出生以後，就從來不曾反照自己，我們只去看外在的其他人事物：小孩只對自己母親有興趣，且想要喝奶，喝完奶就睡，醒過來就想玩，看見了母親，又要喝奶—小孩就是這樣。長大之後就去上學，而且只對衣服感興趣，只想著要穿什麼好。成年之後，他眼睛只看誰漂亮或英俊，然後到了中年，只關心小孩和自己的工作。人們就是這樣，從小到老，從來就不曾反照自己！這叫做忘記自己。人們有了車子，就只關心車子，有了項鏈、手鐲，就只對那些東西感興趣；因此佛陀稱他們是：忘記自己的人。而忘記自己的人就叫做沒有正念的人。沒有正念的人就是已經死了的人。

*Even though feeling, perception, volition and consciousness are mental things, they can be objects for sati/panya and therefore be regarded as objective forms.

＊即使感受、覺知、意志、意識是心法，他們可以是正念/觀智的所緣，因此被視為所觀之境(名-色, 名之色)。