見色之前 Sights Not Seen Before

Sights Not Seen Before

見色之前

「What do you think, Mālukyaputta? There are certain visible objects that you have never seen before, do not see now, nor hope to see in the future. Could such objects arouse desire, lust, or affection in you?」

「摩羅迦子，你如何認為？對于你此前從未見到的、現在沒有見到的、在未來不可能會見到的色，這樣的色會導致你生起欲念、貪愛、喜愛嗎？」

The visible objects or form (rūpa) that one can see with one』s eyes are a reality, but there may be other unreal objects that appear in one』s imagination or dreams. These are called conceptual images. The text refers to objects in the distant past, which means objects from the past existence that are remembered in the present. In the Buddha』s time there was a woman by the name of Patipūjika who could recall her past existence in which her husband was a deva called Mālābhāri. She kept remembering him in her present existence. It was with reference to inpiduals like her that the remote past is mentioned in the text.

通過眼睛能看到的視覺對象或色法是種究竟法，但是，可能有其他出現于想象或臆想中的非真實的對象，它們稱為概念法。經書中提到存在于遙遠過去的對象，這種對象存在于過去世，在現在被回憶出來。在佛陀時代，有位婦人叫Patipūjika，她能回憶起她的過去世，在過去世她的丈夫是一位叫做Mālābhāri的天神。在現在世，她依然記得她的丈夫。經書中還提及類似她的個人，並記載有這些人遙遠的過去世。

It is understandable that one can develop attachment to things dreamt of or imagined, but no attachment could arise in relation to objects that one cannot even imagine. No man could fall in love with a woman he has never met or imagined meeting, and no women could love a man she has never seen or imagined, either.

某人會對臆想或想象到的事物發展出執著，這是能理解的。但是，對于甚至無法想象得到的對象，執著就不可能會產生。男人不會愛上一位他從未遇到或想象遇到的女人，女人也不會愛上一位她從未見到或想象到的男人。

Mālukyaputta replied, 「No desire, lust, or affection could arise in me for things that I have never seen before, do not see now, nor hope to see in the future.」

摩羅迦子答道，「對于此前從未看到的、現在沒有看到的、在未來不可能會看到的色，我不會生起欲念、貪愛、或喜愛。」

(節末注：「見色」章中的「色」指顏色。「色」有不同意思。「色法」即物質。其中色法中的「色境色」指顏色，「觸境色」指地、火、風三界。)