The Right Method （C）正确的方法（丙）


One who meditates on the rising and falling of the abdomen knows its firmness or softness — its characteristic. He or she knows the moving in or out — its function. If one knows these things as they really are, does one need to learn about them? Not if one only wants to gain realisation for oneself. One will need to learn about them only if one will teach others.

行者观照腹部的上升与下降，知道坚实性或松懈性──它的特相。他知道收缩或膨胀的活动──它的作用。他也知道它的引入和推出──它的现起。假如他知道这些事物的实相，他需要学这些吗？假如他只要自己觉悟，他不需要学，但假如他要教导他人，他需要学。

When you note “right step, left step,” you know the tension in each step — its characteristic. You know the moving forward — its function, and you know its stepping out — its manifestation. This is right knowledge of the realities.

当你观照“右步、左步”，你知道每一步的紧缩──它的特相。你知道移动──它的作用。你也知道传送──它的现起。这是正确的智慧，对的智慧。

To know for yourselves how to discern the characteristics, function, and manifestation, you must do some meditation. You certainly have some hotness, pain, stiffness, or aching somewhere in your body now. These unpleasant feelings are hard to bear. Concentrate on this unpleasantness and note “hot, hot,” or “pain, pain.” You will find that you are experiencing unpleasant feelings, which is the characteristic of suffering.

想亲身知道怎样才能通过观照当下生起的现象辨明特性，就要尝试习禅。你在身体某部份肯定会有些热觉、痛、疲倦、疼，这些是苦受，难以忍受。以你的智慧集中精神于这苦受并观照“热、热”或“痛、痛”，你会发现你正经历难受和苦。这是苦的特性──经历难受的经验。

When this unpleasant feeling occurs, you become low-spirited. If the unpleasantness is slight, you will be only slightly low-spirited. If it severe, your spirits will be very low. Even those who are very strong-willed will find that their spirits go low when unpleasant feelings are intense. When you are very tired, you cannot even move. Making the spirits go low is the function of unpleasant feeling. When we say ‘spirits’ we mean the mind. When the mind is low, its mental concomitants become low too.

当苦受出现，你变得情绪低落。如苦受是一点点，那也只是一点点情绪低落；如苦受很强烈，情绪就很低落。即使那些意志力坚强者，若苦受强烈也会情绪低落。一旦你很疲倦，你甚至不能移动。这使人情绪低落是苦受的作用。我们说情绪是指心识。当心识低落，其相随的心所也低落。

The manifestation of unpleasant feeling is physical oppression. It manifests as physical affliction, something unbearable to the meditator’s mind. As one meditates on “hot, hot,” “pain, pain,” it manifests as something oppressing the body, something very hard to bear. It may oppress you so much that you have to sigh or groan.

苦受的现起是身体的压迫感，它呈现为身体的痛苦，是某种难以忍受的东西，为行者的心识所感知。当他观照“热、热”，“痛、痛”，对他来说显现的是对身体的某种压迫，很难忍受，它显现太多以致让你呻吟。

If you meditate on the unpleasant feeling in your body as it arises, you will know that you experience an unpleasant feeling — its characteristic. You will know that your spirits sink — its function, and you will know the physical affliction — its manifestation. This is the way that meditators gain insight knowledge.

假如你观照身体生起的不适感时，你知道是体验到明确讨厌的事物──它的特性；相关情绪的退缩──它的作用；身体的痛苦──它的现起。这是行者获得智慧的方法。

The Mind  心

You can meditate on mind too. The mind cognises and thinks. What you think of and imagine is mentality. Contemplate this mental process as “thinking,” “imagining,” or “planning,” whenever it arises. You will find that its nature is to cognise the object — which is the characteristic of consciousness. Every kind of consciousness cognises — seeing cognises the sight, hearing cognises the sound, smelling cognises the odour, tasting cognises the flavour, touching cognises a tangible object, and thinking cognises mental objects.

你也可以心为禅观对象。心能认知和思维。所以能够思维和想象的就是心。任何时刻，心生起时即观照此心，“思维、想象、沉思”。你会发现它有趋向目标、认知目标的内在性质。这是心的特性，如通常说的：“心有认知的特性。”每种心必然认知。眼识认知目标，耳识、鼻识、舌识、身识和意识也是这样。

When you work in a team, you have a leader. Consciousness is the leader that cognises objects appearing at the sense doors. When a visible object contacts the eye, consciousness cognises it first. Only then, can feeling, perception, desire, delight, dislike, admiration, and so on occur. Similarly, when a sound contacts the ear, it is consciousness that cognises it first.

集体工作时就有一个领袖。心识是认知出现在任何感觉器官的目标的领袖。当可见对象在眼前出现，心识先认知它，跟随其后的是受、想、爱、乐、憎、羡慕等。同样，当可听的对象在耳朵出现，是心识先认知它。

It is more obvious when you think or imagine. If an idea comes to mind while you are contemplating the rising and falling movements, you have to note the idea. If you can note it the moment it appears, it disappears immediately. If you cannot, several of its followers will come up in succession — delight, desire, etc. So the meditator realises that consciousness is the leader — which is its function. As the Dhammapada says, “Manopubbangamā dhammā — mind precedes things.” If you note consciousness whenever it occurs, you will see clearly how it acts as the leader, going first to this object, then to that one.

心的先导作用在你思维或想象时会更显然。当你观照上升、下降等时，如念头出现，你需观照念头。若你在它出现的那刻观照它，它即刻消失。若你无法即刻观照，心的几个‘随从’如乐、爱将一个接一个冒出来。行者就会了悟心识如何当领袖的──这是心的作用。“一切事物以心为前导。”《法句经》第一偈
假如无论何时心识生起，你就观照到它，你会清楚看到它如何扮演领袖的角色，它一会领向这个目标，一会领向那个对象。

The commentaries say that the manifestation of consciousness is continuous arising. As you note “rising, falling,” etc., the mind sometimes wanders away. You note it, and it disappears. Then another consciousness arises, you note it, and it disappears. You have to note the arising and disappearance of consciousness very often. You come to realise, “Consciousness is a succession of events that arise and vanish one after another. As soon as one disappears, another one appears.” Thus you realise the continuous manifestation of consciousness. The meditator who realises this also realises death and birth. “Death is nothing strange after all. It is just like the passing away of the consciousness I have been noting. Being reborn is like the arising of the present consciousness following on from the one preceding it.”

再者注疏说：“相续是心的现起。”当你观照 “上升、下降”时，心有时跑开，你观照它，它就消失。接着另一心识生起，你观照它，它消失。另一心识接着生起，再次观照它，它再次消失。另一心识再生起。你需要观照很多不断生起与消失的心识。行者会了悟：“心识是相续发生的事件，一个接一个生起与灭去。当一个消失，另一个生起。”因此，你了悟到连续现起的心识。了悟这些的行者也了悟死与生。“死并不陌生，它就如我观照的每一刹那的心识那样消失。再生就如我所观照的心识之生起，它接着前一个心识后生起。”

To show that one can understand the characteristic, function, and manifestation of things even though one has not learnt about them, we have highlighted the air element among material phenomena, and unpleasant feeling and consciousness among mental phenomena. You just have to note them as they arise. The same applies to all other mental and material phenomena. If you note them as they arise, you will comprehend their characteristics, function, and manifestation. A beginner can understand the aggregates of attachment only by way of their characteristics, function, and manifestation. At the initial stages of insight — analytical knowledge of mind and matter (nāmarūpa-pariccheda-ñāna) and knowledge by discerning conditionality (paccaya-pariggaha-ñāna) — understanding that much is enough. When you come to the further stage of knowledge by comprehension (sammasana-ñāna) you will know the characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self, too.

为表明一个人即使未曾学会它们，也可了解事物的特性、作用和现起，我们以物质的风大，精神方面的苦受和心识为例。你只需在它们生起时观照它们。同样方法也适用于观照其它的精神与物质。如你在它们生起时观照它们，你将了解它们的特性、作用和现起。初学者只能经由特性、作用和现起来观照和了解精神与物质的执取蕴。在最初阶段，即修习谛观的最基本智阶，“名色分别智”和“缘摄受智”，明白这些就够了。当你达到真正的谛观智如“审察遍知智”时，你就知道无常、苦和无我相。

What is the Purpose of Meditation?为何和何时 【TA注：“何时”与英文版不相符，英文版仅仅说：“修习谛观的目的是什么”】

【TA注:这篇，很多地方改译过，向原译者汤华俊（http://www.akhaldan.cn/forum/thread-2-1-1.html)道歉，是自己的学习过程中的笔记，并非为了篡改别人的工作成果。】

One may ask, “What is the purpose of meditating on the aggregates of attachment?” One may wonder, “Do we meditate on the past, present, future, or on some indefinite time?”
到此有这样的问题：为何我们观照执取蕴？我们何时观照，当它们已过去、当它们出现以前、或当它们生起之时？【TA注：这句翻译与英文版不符，应为：我们是观照过去，现在，未来，还是什么不确定的时间点？】

What do we meditate for? Is to gain material prosperity? Is to cure diseases? Is it to gain clairvoyance, to levitate, or for other such supernormal powers? The aim of insight meditation is none of these. Some people have been cured of serious diseases through the practice of insight meditation. In the time of the Buddha, many who gained perfection through insight meditation also gained supernormal powers. Some people today, too, may also gain such powers. However, gaining such powers is not the aim of insight meditation.
我们为何修习谛观？是为了世间财富，去除病痛，得天眼通，或是能飘浮在空中或是诸如此类的超自然能力？这些，都不是谛观的目标。有人因修习谛观而疗愈严重的疾病。佛陀住世时，很多修谛观而圆满的人也取得了超自然能力。现今的人也有可能取得这些能力。但取得这些能力并非谛观的目标。【Ta注：这一段大部分改译过了。】

Should we meditate on the phenomena that have already passed away? Should we meditate on those phenomena yet to arise, or only on presently arising phenomena? Should we meditate on those phenomena that we can imagine because we have read about them in books?
我们应该观照已经消逝的现象，观照尚未升起的的现象，还是现下正在升起的现象？还是我们应当观照那些从书上阅读过故可以想象的现象呢？

The answer to these questions is: “We meditate to let go of grasping, and we meditate on what is arising in the present.”
这些问题的答案是：“我们修习是为了释放执着，故我们观照现下正在生起的现象。”

People who have not practised meditation, grasp at the arising mind and matter every time they see, hear, smell, taste, touch, or know anything. They grasp these things with craving because they are pleased with them. They grasp them with wrong views as permanent, happy, and as self or ego. We meditate for the non-arising of this grasping, to be free from it. This is the basic aim of insight meditation.
没有习禅的人们，每当他们看、听、触或觉察时，就执着于升起的名色。他们愉悦于它们，故带着贪爱执着它们。他们带着不正确的见解，执取它们为永恒、快乐、“我”。我们观照，为了执取的不升起，以从中解脱，这是谛观的基本目标。

We meditate only on what is arising in the present moment. We do not meditate on things in the past or future, nor on concepts. Here, I am speaking about practical insight meditation, but in inferential meditation we do meditate on things in the past and future, or on concepts. Let me explain. Insight meditation is of two kinds: practical and inferential. The knowledge that you gain by meditating on what is actually arising by way of its characteristics, function, and manifestation is practical insight. From this practical knowledge, you infer the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self nature of things in the past and future, or things you have not experienced. This is inferential insight.
我们观照当下生起的现象。我们不观照过去、未来或不确定时间的事物或概念。这里，我在讲实践的谛观。在推论的禅思中，我们可以观照过去、未来和不确定时间的事物或概念。谛观有两种，实际的与推论的。观照实际生起现象的特性、作用和现起所获得的智慧是实践谛观。从实践的知识推论过去、未来和未曾经验过的事物为无常、苦、无我，这是推论谛观。

As it is says in the Patisambhidāmagga, “The fixing both (the seen and unseen) as one by inference ...” The Visuddhimagga explains this statement as follows: “... by inference, by induction, from the object seen by actual experience he defines both [the seen and the unseen] to have a single individual essence thus ‘The field of formations dissolved in the past, and will break up in the future, just it does [in the present]’. (Vism. 643)
“依所缘，确定两者（未见与所见）相似……”《无碍解道》
《清净道论》讲述这一段如下：“…依眼前所见的所缘，如是确定两者（所见与未见）是同一自性：比类于此（现在所缘），同样，于过去的行已坏，于未来的当坏。”

“The object seen” means practical insight, and “by inference, by induction” is inferential insight. However, note that inferential insight is possible only after practical insight. No inference can be made without first knowing the present object. The same explanation is given in the commentary on the Kathāvatthu: “Seeing the impermanence of even one formation, one draws the conclusion regarding the others as ‘impermanent are all the things of life’.”
“所见的所缘”──这是实践谛观。“依所见的所缘…确定两者…过去的…未来的”──这是推论谛观。但要注意，只有实际谛观后才可能有推论谛观。未先知道现在的是不可能作出推理。同样的解释在《论事》注疏有述及：“即使只看到一次行的无常，一个人就对其余得出结论：诸行无常。”

Why don’t we meditate on things past or future? Because they will not help us to understand the real nature of phenomena or remove any defilements. You do not remember your past existence; you do not even remember most of your childhood. So by meditating on things past, how could you know things as they really are with their characteristics, function, and manifestation? Things from the recent past may be recalled, but as you recall them you think, “I saw, I heard, I thought. It was I who saw at that time, and it is I who am seeing now.” The notion of “I” is always retained, and there will be perceptions of permanence and happiness. So meditating on memories does not serve our purpose. You will grasp them, and this grasping is hard to overcome. Although you may regard them as mind and matter with all your learning and thinking, the notion of “I” persists, because you have already grasped them. You may say to yourself that they are impermanent, but you perceive them as permanent. You may say that they are unsatisfactory, but the perception of happiness keeps on arising. You reflect on not-self, but the self notion remains strong and firm. You argue with yourself, and your meditation has to give way to your preconceived ideas.
为何我们不观照过去或未来的事物？因为它们无法帮助我们了解自然实相并祛除烦恼。你不记得你的过去世，即使今世，你也不记得童年往事。故若是观照过去的事物，你如何能够如实知道事物的特性，作用及显现呢？最近发生的事物可以回忆起来，但你回忆时，你想：“我看，我听，我想，是我在那时看到，是我在现在看。” “我”的观念被保存了，甚至会有永恒和快乐的观念。因此观照回忆对于我们的目的无补于事。你会执着于它们且这执着很难祛除。虽然以你所学和想法将它们当作名与色，但“我”的观念持续，因为你已经在执着它们了。你或许对自己说它们“无常”，但你以“常”认知它们。你或许对自己说它们是“苦”，但“乐”的观念继续浮现。你观照“无我”，但“我”的观念却强且坚稳。你与自己争辩，你的观照不得不臣服于已预先形成的观念。

The future has not yet come, and you cannot be sure what it will be like when it comes. You may meditate on it in advance, but you fail to do so when it arrives. Then craving, wrong view, and defilements arise again. So meditating on future objects with the help of learning and thinking is not the way to know things as they really are. Nor is it the way to remove defilements.
未来还未发生，你无法确知它来时会怎样。你可以对它们预先观照，但当它们来到却没有观照。因此，贪爱、邪见、烦恼又再生起。经由学习和思惟观照未来并非了知事物实相之途径，也非止息烦恼的方法。

Concepts (things of indefinite time) have never existed, will not exist, and do not exist in oneself or in others. They are just imagined by learning and thinking. They seem impressive and intellectual, but are found to be just concepts of names, signs, and shapes. Suppose someone is meditating, “Matter is impermanent, it arises and passes away from moment to moment.” Ask him, “What matter is it? Is it from the past, present, or future? Is it in yourself, or in others? If it is in yourself, is it in your head, your body, your limbs, your eye, or your ear?” One will find that it is none of this, but just a concept — mere imagination. So we do not meditate on concepts.
不确定时间的概念尚未存在，也将不会存在，也不现在存在于己身或他人之中。它们只是由学习和思维产生的想象。它们只是夸饰，看似有学问。但再加省思，它们只是名字、符号和形状的观念。假如某人观照：“物质是无常的；在刹那间升起消逝”，问他：是什么物质？是过去的、现在的还是未来的物质？是自己还是他人的物质？假如在自己，这物质是在头、身体、四肢、眼睛或耳朵？你将发现一样都不是，而只是观念、想象，所以我们修习概念。

【Ta注：此部分中文译文在学习中润色改译】

The Present Phenomenon 当下的现象

The present phenomenon is what occurs at one of the six sense doors right now. It has not yet been defiled. It is like a new cloth or a blank sheet of paper. If you are quick enough to note as soon as it occurs, it will not be defiled. If you fail to note it, it gets defiled. Once it is defiled, it cannot be undefiled. If you fail to note mind and matter as they arise, grasping always intervenes — grasping with sensual desire, with wrong view, with rites and rituals, or with self. What happens when grasping takes place?

“Conditioned by grasping, becoming arises. Conditioned by becoming, birth arises. Conditioned by birth, old age, death, grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair arise. Thus arises this entire mass of suffering.” (M.i.266)

当下的现象是此时此刻正在六根门所出现的东西。它还未受污染，如未弄脏的布或白纸。你若足够快、能在它生起时随即观照，它不会被污染。你无法及时观照它，它就会被污染。一旦受污染，就难以袪除。如果你无法在名色生起时观照，执取总是会介入－－带着感官欲念，不正确见解，仪式或形式，或是自我去执取。执取时，会发生什么呢？

“缘取有有，缘有有生，缘生有老、死、愁、悲、苦、忧、恼。如是一切苦蕴集（生起）。”（《相应部》第二册1页）

Grasping is no small matter. It is the root cause of good and bad deeds. One who grasps, strives to accomplish what he believes are good things. Everyone does what he thinks is good. What makes him think it is good? It is grasping. Others may think it is bad, but to the doer it is good. If he thinks it is not good, he will not do it. There is a noteworthy passage in one of King Asoka’s inscriptions, “One thinks well of one’s work. One never thinks ill of one’s work.” A thief steals because it seems good to him to steal. A robber robs because it seems good to rob. A killer thinks it is good to kill. Ajātasattu thought it was a good thing to kill his own father, King Bimbisāra. Devadatta tried to kill the Buddha, because he thought it was good. One who takes poison to kill himself does so because he thinks it is good. Moths rush to a flame thinking it is a very nice thing. All living beings do what they do because they think it is good to do so. To think it is good is grasping. Once you have really grasped an idea, you do things. What is the outcome? It is good and bad deeds.
执取非小事，它是善行与恶行的根本原因。一个执取的人努力完成他所认为的好事。每个人都做自以为是好的。什么使他认为好的呢？是执取。他人可能认为不好，但做的人认为好。如他认为不好，他就不会去做了。阿育王的墓碑铭中有值得注意的一段，“一个人认为自己所做为好的，不会认为自己所做为恶。”小偷偷盗因为偷盗看起来不错；盗贼抢劫因为抢劫看起来不错；杀人者以杀人为好事。阿阇世王杀死父亲频毗娑罗王，因为他认为这是好的。提婆达多阴谋伤害佛陀，对他来说这是好事。一个人服毒自杀因为他以为这是好事。飞蛾扑火因为它以此为好事。一切众生行其所行，因为他们以其所行为好事。自认为好事就是执取。你一旦真正执取，就去做事情。结果是什么呢？就是世间的善行与恶行。

It is good to refrain from causing suffering to others. It is a good deed to render help to others. It is a good deed to give, or pay respect to those deserving respect. Good deeds bring about mental peace, a long life, and good health in this very life. They will bring good results in future lives, too. Such grasping is good, right grasping. Those who grasp good deeds make good kamma by giving charity and observing the precepts. What are the results? “Conditioned by becoming, birth arises.” After death they are born as human beings or gods. If born as human beings, they enjoy long life, beauty, health, status, many associates, and wealth. You can call them “happy people.” As gods, too, they will have many attendants and live in magnificent palaces. They have been grasped by notions of happiness, and in a worldly sense they can be said to be happy.
避免为他人造成痛苦为善行，帮助他人为善行，布施为善行，向值得致敬者致敬为善行。善行为今世带来安宁、长寿和健康。它也将为来世带来善果。这执着为好的、对的执着。执取善行的人通过布施和持戒制造善业。结果如何？“缘有有生”，死后投生在人或天界。如果投生为人，他们会长寿、漂亮、健康、地位、好的同伴和财富。可称他们为“快乐的人”。如果投生为天人，他也将被大批仆人照顾，并住在富丽堂皇的宫殿里。他们曾经执取快乐的观念，在世俗的意义上，他们可说是快乐的。

However, in the ultimate sense, these happy human beings and gods are not free from suffering. “Conditioned by birth, aging and death arise.” Although born as happy human beings, they will become old. Look at all the happy old people in the world. Once they are over seventy or eighty, everything becomes suffering for them. Grey hair, broken teeth, weak eyesight, defective hearing, poor posture, wrinkled skin, feeble strength — they become good for nothing. In spite of their wealth and good reputations, can such old men and women be happy? They suffer the disabilities of old age. They cannot sleep well, they cannot eat well, they have difficulty sitting down or getting up. Finally, they have to confront death. A rich man, a king, or an emperor has to die one day. Then he has nothing to rely on. Friends and relatives surround him, but he just lies on his bed, closes his eyes, and dies. At death he leaves to begin another existence alone. He must find it really hard to leave behind all his wealth. If he has not done enough good deeds, he will be worried about his destiny.
但从究竟的意义上，这些快乐的人和天人未从苦中解脱。“由生之缘发生老和死。”虽然生为快乐的人，他也会老。看看世间那些“快乐”的老人，一旦过了七十或八十岁，一切都变成苦难。发苍苍、齿牙动摇，视茫茫、耳背、弯腰驼背、鸡皮鹤发，体弱无力－－他们什么都做不了！虽然他们有财富和名誉，这些老人会快乐吗？接下来是老年的病痛。他们无法安睡、无法好好吃，他们坐下和站起都会感吃力。最后他们必须面对死亡。有钱人、国王或有权人，总有一天会死。没有任何可依赖。朋友、亲戚围着他，但他只能躺在床上，闭眼死去。死时他独自离开，去开始另一世。他一定觉得舍弃他所有的财富非常困难。要是他没有做足够的善事，他会为命运担忧。

Great gods, too, have to die like this. A week before they die, five signs appear to them. The flowers they wear begin to fade, their clothing begins to wear out, sweat comes out of their armpits, their bodies begin to look old, and they feel dissatisfied with their lives. When these five signs appear, they immediately realise that their death is imminent, and are greatly alarmed.
伟大的天人也是一样必然会死。在死前一星期，五种衰相出现。他们所戴的不曾凋谢的花开始凋谢、所穿的不曾破旧的衣服现在看来破旧了，汗从腋窝流出，他们永远年轻的身体现在变老，不曾感觉厌烦的天人生活，他们现在感觉厌烦。当五衰相出现，他们即刻意识到死亡即至，惊恐万状。

In the time of the Buddha, Sakka (the king of Tāvatimsa) saw these signs appear. Greatly alarmed, realising that he was soon going to die, he went to the Buddha for advice. The Buddha taught the Dhamma to him and he became a stream-winner. After he died, he was reborn again as the king of Tāvatimsa. He was lucky to meet the Buddha, otherwise it would have been disastrous.
佛陀住世时，帝释天出现此衰相。他非常惊慌将去世，他去请求佛陀帮助。佛陀教导他佛法，他证得预流果位。他死后又投生为新的帝释天。他很幸运有佛陀救渡。否则的话会是一场灾难。

Not only aging and death, but also grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow, and despair come into being dependent on birth. So even a fortunate existence resulting from grasping is dreadful suffering after all. Men, and even gods, have to suffer. If a fortunate existence resulting from good deeds is suffering, is it better not to do them? No, not at all. If we do not do good deeds, we will do bad ones, which can lead us to hell, or to rebirth as an animal or ghost. The suffering of these lower realms is far worse. Human or celestial existence is suffering when compared with the bliss of nibbāna, but compared with the suffering of the lower realms, it is fortunate and happy.
不只老和死，“愁、悲、苦、忧、恼生起”，这些都是苦，“如是一切苦蕴集（生起）。”所以缘于执取而得到的快乐生活终究是大苦，人与天人都要受苦。如果缘于善行的幸运存在是苦，是不是不去做善行更好？不，如不行善，恶行会产生，这会使我们堕入地狱、畜生道、饿鬼道，这些下界苦道更苦。人与天人生活如与涅盘的极乐相比是苦，但如与下界苦道的苦相比还是幸运快乐。

Right grasping gives rise to good deeds, and wrong grasping gives rise to bad deeds. Thinking that it is good to do so, some people kill, steal, rob, and harm others. As a result, they are reborn in the lower realms. To be reborn in hell is like falling into a great fire. Even a powerful god is powerless to escape from hell-fire. In the time of Buddha Kakusandha, there was a powerful Māra god called Dūsī. He was contemptuous of the Buddha and his disciples. One day he caused the death of an Arahant. As a result of this evil deed he was instantly reborn in Avīci hell. Once there, he was at the mercy of the guardians of Avīci. Those people who torture others in this world will meet a similar fate to Dūsī one day. After suffering for a long time in hell, they will be reborn as animals or ghosts.

正确的执取使人行善。同样，不当的执取会使人作恶。有人以作恶为好事，就杀、偷、抢、伤害他人，结果他们往生下界──地狱、畜生界、饿鬼界。投生在地狱犹如掉入大火。既便是伟大的天人也无法从地狱烈火中逃脱。拘留孙佛住世时，有一个叫度使的魔王，他蔑视该佛和僧团。有一天他导致一位阿罗汉的死亡。因此残酷的作为，魔王死后投生在阿鼻地狱。一旦在那里，他只能任凭炼狱守卫的宰割。在此世上欺负他人的人将有一天会遭遇如天人度使的厄运。在地狱受长期的苦后，他们将再生为畜生或饿鬼。

How Grasping Arises

Grasping is terrible, and very important to understand. We must meditate to let go of grasping, to put an end to it. We meditate to avoid grasping with craving or wrong view — that is not to grasp things as permanent, happy, self or ego. Those who fail to meditate, grasp whenever they see, hear, feel, or perceive. Ask yourselves if you grasp or not. The answer will be all too obvious.
执取是可怕的，而且了解它非常重要。我们必须观照，以释放执取并终止它。我们习禅以避免带着贪爱或是不正确见解的执取－－即不将事物执取为永恒，快乐、或“我”。无法观照的人执着于所见、听、感受或所觉察的一切。问问自己是否执取？答案是显而易见。

Let’s begin with seeing. Suppose you see something beautiful. What do you think of it? You are delighted and pleased with it, aren’t you? You won’t say, “I don’t want to see, I don’t want to look at it.” In fact, you are thinking, “What a beautiful thing! How lovely!” Beaming with smiles you are pleased with it. At the same time, you think it is permanent. Whether the object is a human being or an inanimate thing, you think it existed before, exists now, and will go on existing for ever. Although it is not your own, you mentally take possession of it and delight in it. If it is a piece of clothing, you mentally put it on and are pleased. If it is a pair of sandals, you mentally put them on. If it is a human being, you mentally enjoy him or her, and are pleased.
让我们从“看”开始谈起。假如你看到某种漂亮东西，你如何想呢？你对它感到喜悦、满意，不是吗？你不会说“我不要看，我不要看它。”实际上你在想，“多美丽的东西！多可爱啊！”你愉悦于它并笑逐颜开。同时你认为它是永恒的。不管所见的目标是人或无生命的东西，你认为它以前存在，现在存在，并将永远继续存在。虽然不属于你，精神上你占它为己有并感到高兴。若是一块布，你想象穿上它并感到得意。若是一双拖鞋，你想象穿上它们。如果是一个人，你想象享受他或她并感到高兴。

The same thing happens when you hear, smell, taste, or touch. You take pleasure on each occasion. With thoughts, the range of your delight is far wider. You fantasise and take delight in things that are not your own. You long for them, and imagine them to be yours. If they are your own things, needless to say, you keep thinking of them, and enjoy them constantly. We meditate to check such taking delight and grasping.
同样的事也发生在你听、嗅、尝或触的时侯，每每以为快乐。通过想象，你愉悦的范围就更加宽广。你幻想并愉悦于并非你所拥有的。你渴望得到它们，想象它们为你所有。当然更不用说，如果它们为你所有，你不断地想它们并感到满意。我们习禅以检视此等爱着和执取。

You grasp things with wrong views, too. You grasp with personality view. When you see, you think that what you see is a person, an ego. You take the consciousness of seeing to be a person, or an ego. Without a thorough insight knowledge, we grasp at things the moment we see them. If you reflect for a moment, you will see how you have such grasping within you. You think of yourself and others as individuals who have lived the whole life long. In reality there is no such thing. Nothing lives for the whole life long. Only mind and matter arise and vanish in continuous succession. You take this impermanent mind and matter to be a person, and grasp it. We meditate to avoid grasping things with wrong view.
我们也因不正确的见解而执着。你执着于“我见”。当你看时，你以为你见的是一个人、自我。你也把你的眼识当作一个人、自我。若没有充分的谛观智，我们当即执着于所见事物。反省一下，你会明白自己如何执取。你以为自己及他人都是活了整个一生的个体。实际并非如此。没有一样事物活了一生，只有名色一个接一个不断升起。你把无常的名和色当作个人、我，并执着。我们观照，以避免因不正确的见解而执取。

We have to meditate on things just as they occur. Only then will we be able to prevent grasping. Grasping comes from seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking. It comes through six doors. Can we cling to things we cannot see, or hear? Not at all. The Buddha himself asked these questions to Mālukyaputta.

“Now 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?” (S.iv.72)
我们必须按照事物发生的样子如实观照。只有如此才能防止执取。执取由看、听、嗅、尝、触与想生起。它们由六处──六根门产生。我们会执着于看不到听不着的事物吗？不会。佛陀曾问过Mālukyaputta这些问题。

“你以为如何？鬘童子！眼睛现今见不到，以后也见不到的东西──你能对它生起欲念、染心、爱情吗？”
“不会，尊者。”（《相应部》第四册72页）

What are these visible objects you have not seen before? Towns, villages, and countries you have never visited, men and women living there, and other scenes. How can anyone fall in love with someone they have never met? How could they be attached to them? You do not cling to things you have never seen. No defilements arise in respect of such things. So you do not need to meditate on them. However, things that you see are another matter. Defilements can arise if you fail to meditate to prevent them.

The same is true of things heard, smelled, tasted, touched, or thought about.
哪些有形物体你不曾见过？你不曾到过的城市、乡村、国家，住在那里的男女及景物。一个人怎么会爱上未曾见过的人？他们怎么会执着于他们呢？你不会执着于未见过的事物，不会生起污染心，你不需观照它们。但你所见的事物是另一回事，如果你不观照而防止它们产生，污染可能会生起。

所听、嗅、尝、触、想的事物也是如此。