回答一個質疑 Answering a Critic

Answering a Critic

回答一個質疑

Among those who are not experienced in meditation are some who doubt the suitability of noting phenomena. Some of them even suggest that the method of contemplation is wrong. While I was at Chauk, a man approached me with the criticism that eye-consciousness fails to recognise the genesis (upāda) and dissolution (bhanga) on the arising and passing away of mind and matter. It can recognise only the visible object that enters the eye-door, it cannot appreciate how the object is behaving. His criticism was along the following lines, 「As eye-consciousness fails to see the visible object actually occurring, how can observation and noting it contribute to the knowledge of the genesis and dissolution of matter?」

有些人沒有內觀禪修的經驗，這些人中某些人懷疑注意現象的合理性。甚至有的人提出，內觀的方法是錯誤的。我在Chauk的時候，有個人向我提出一個質疑，認為眼識無法識別名法和色法的生滅過程中的生起和壞滅。它只能識別進入眼門的視覺對象，它無法鑑別對象如何運作。他的質問發展到這樣的語句，「既然眼識無法看到視覺對象實際的生滅，觀察和注意該對象又怎麼會有助于對色法的生起和壞滅的認識呢？」

According to the Commentaries and the Abhidhamma, matter (rūpa) comes into existence four or five thought moments before eye-consciousness and dissolves twelve, or at least nine or ten thought moments after its subsidence. It is, therefore, correct to say that eye-consciousness fails to notice the genesis and dissolution of the visible object at the moment of seeing. However, mindfulness has the ability to recall the genesis and dissolution of the actual phenomena perceived by eye-consciousness. According to the teaching in the Suttas, if the phenomenon is known by virtue of mindfulness, the genesis and dissolution of the sense-object can be cognised by eye-consciousness too.

依據注釋書和阿毗達摩，色法在眼識生起前的四或五個心識剎那生起，然後十二個心識剎那以後壞滅，或者說，在眼識滅去後的至少九個或十個心識剎那後壞滅。因此，眼識無法注意到看的時候視覺對象的生起和壞滅，這個說法是對的。然而，正念有能力回憶眼識感知到的實際現象的生起和壞滅。依據經文中的教導，如果現象是由正念的力量來認識，感官對象的生起和壞滅也能被眼識所認知。

The Jhāna Sutta in the Anguttaranikāya mentions that when a meditator arises from absorption, he is able to recall the absorption consciousness, its concomitants, and the mental aggregate, which he meditated upon during absorption. He is clearly aware of them as if observing them with eye-consciousness. However, the genesis and dissolution of matter could not be perceived distinctly during absorption because he did not pay attention to it then. However, when jhānic consciousness, its concomitants, and the mental aggregate have been clearly understood, the nature of the matter that arises because of absorption can be understood by inference.

增支部的禪那經中提到，禪修者從安止定出定後，他有能力回憶起入定期間的禪那心、它的心所，以及其它名法。他能清楚地覺知到它們，就像用眼識觀察它們一般。然而，入定期間的色法的生起和壞滅無法被清楚察覺到，因為入定時他並沒有去注意它們。不過，禪那心、它的心所、和其它名法已經被清楚地了知後，由禪那心生起的色法的特性就就可以通過推論來了知。

So on the authority of that discourse, it may be shown that when one is noting the phenomenon of seeing, one is aware of the genesis and dissolution of the matter that forms the visible object, and that depends on eye-consciousness. When a meditator contemplates matter, he sees its arising and disappearance just like lightning. So it has been said:

所以依據那段經文典據，可以看出，某人在注意看到的現象時，他能覺知那構成視覺對象和依賴眼識的色法的生起和壞滅。一個禪修者觀照色法，他看到色法的生起和壞滅就像閃電。所以，經文說到：

「Mental formations renew their appearance, and just as they are renewed they perish, just as a flash of lightning appears and disappears instantly.」

「行法更新它們的生，就像被它們的死更新，就像閃電生起又立即滅去。」

Consider a lightning flash. Who can honestly say that he can see its genesis and dissolution? Although one can see the entire phenomenon, one can see neither its beginning nor its end, but one does see it happen. To a meditator who possesses knowledge of dissolution and knowledge of equanimity with regard to formations, it is clear that the visible object makes its appearance, only to vanish at the next instant, just as lightning arises and disappears. This is even more evident in the case of sounds or tactile sensations. When one realises the three characteristics by direct knowledge of the arising and passing away of mind and matter, one may be sure that one has acquired insight knowledge.

思考下閃電。有人能老實說，他能看到閃電的生起和壞滅嗎？儘管他能看到整個現象，但是既無法看到它的起端也無法看不到末尾，然而他的確看到它發生了。視覺對象生起然後在下一瞬間立即消失掉，這一現象對于達到壞滅智和行舍智的禪修者來說，是很清楚的，就像看到閃電出現然後消失一樣。聲音和觸覺的情況甚至更加明顯。某人通過對名色法生滅的直接了知來認識三種特相，或許才能確定他已經達到了觀智。

Furthermore, if one continues to meditate in the way instructed, knowledge of disgust (nibbidā-ñāna) will develop. When one thus gets disenchanted with the aggregates, craving will be expelled, and with the absence of craving, the Noble Path can be attained, when one will become a Stream-winner.

此外，如果用這種指導的方式繼續禪修，他將會培育出厭離智(nibbidā-ñāna)。當他因而不再貪愛五蘊，渴愛將會被驅除，接著，因為渴愛的止息，聖道就能達到，那時他將成為入流者。

Matter that is cognised by eye-consciousness arises simultaneously with passive subconsciousness (atīta bhavanga) inherited from the past. It dissolves simultaneously with the second thought-moment of registering during the formation of the thought process. However, it is not possible to be directly aware of genesis and dissolution. They can only be understood through applied knowledge (sutamayapaññā). Learning things at second-hand, however, may not contribute to the awakening of insight and the consequent realisation of knowledge of disgust (nibbidā-ñāna). No one can say precisely how matter arises, whether it is with the first, second, or third moment of subconsciousness, or when exactly it dissolves, whether with the second moment of registering or the seventh moment of impulsion. If insight knowledge were to require such precision regarding these thought processes, an ordinary meditator could not attain it. What the Abhidhamma Commentaries aim at is for the meditator to gain knowledge through applied methods when necessary. Such details do not matter in the practice of insight meditation. It is enough for the meditator to note the phenomenon as it arises in the same way that one notes the phenomenon of lightning. This agrees with the instruction: 「Note that you go, when you go.」

眼識認知的色法和過去有分心(atīta bhavanga)同時生起。它在心路過程序列中和第二個心識剎那的彼所緣同時滅去。不過，想直接地覺知生起和壞滅，這是不可能做到的。它們只能通過聽聞來了解，是聞所成智(sutamayapaññā)。不過，用二手的方式了知事物，可能無助于內觀的覺醒以及隨後厭離智(nibbidā-ñāna)的達成。沒有人能精確覺知到色法是如何生起，它是和第一、第二、還是第三個剎那的有分心同時生起，或者精確是何時壞滅，它是和第二個剎那的彼所緣還是第七個剎那的速行同時滅去。如果觀智需要對這些心路過程如此精確地覺知，那麼普通的禪修者可能就無法達成它。阿毗達摩解釋這些內容的目的是，讓禪修者通過聽聞的方式獲得知識。這樣的細節在內觀禪修的練習中是不緊要的。修禪者在現象生起時注意它，就像注意閃電的現象一樣，這就足夠。這符合(佛陀的)教導：「你走時，注意你走。」

開佛知見，示佛知見，使悟佛知見，入佛知見也。