活得高贵 Living Honorably
https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=k05226r66o2&width=500&height=375&auto=0
Living Honorably 活得高贵
Thanissaro Bhikkhu April 24, 2015｜Bodhi Wood 字幕组
As someone once said, one of the mostamazing things about human beings
就像有人说的，人类最奇特的地方是
is that they know they're going to die
人都知道自己会死
and yet they live as if they don't know.
但是他们平时看起来不知道
They try to push that awareness out oftheir minds,
他们尽力把对死亡的认知排除出大脑
because for most people, it's toodepressing thought.
因为，对于大多数人来说，思考死亡令人沮丧
They don't know how to handle it, so theypush it away.
人们不知道如何处理这个问题，
只好置之不理
One of the marks of wisdom is that youdon't push it away.
智慧的一个标志就是不推开这个问题
You try to figure out how to live in thepresence of the possibility of death.
你尽力从死亡的可能性中，思考如何生活
The Canon has two very striking images.
巴利经文里有两个震撼的画面
One is the image that came to the Buddhawhen he was still a young prince, wasn't yet the Buddha actually.
第一个，当佛陀还是王子的时候
那时候他还没有成佛
That probably inspired him to go off intothe wilderness.
死亡的老人启发了他，使他遁入野外出家
He saw life as a dwindling pound.
他看到生命是一潭水，日渐减少
The water's running out and
the fish are just flopping around,struggling with one another,
水快干涸了，鱼儿在挑动，相互挣扎
pushing one another out of the way to getto that last little bit of water.
排挤对方，都想获得最后那点水。
And, of course, they're all going to die.
当然，最后，它们全部会死。
The water's going to run out.
水最终会干涸。
It's like that time I saw spawning salmonin that little stream up in British Columbia a couple of years ago.
就像若干年前，我在英属哥伦比亚看到，
在小溪产卵的三文鱼
The water was only a inch or two deep, andthe salmon were struggling up, up, up, up
河里的水只有一两英寸深，三文鱼不断挣扎
fighting one another for the water,
彼此之间争夺那点水。
trying to get past the seagulls at thebeach who were waiting to poke their eyes out,
首先岸边海鸥等着去啄它们，它们要躲过
then they had to flip themselves over deadsalmon to get to that last little bit of water.
然后它们要弹跳出已死三文鱼的尸体，
获得最后的那点水。
In the meantime, there were bears in thewoods just waiting to scoop them up.
同时，树林里还有熊，准备去捞鱼
It's not a very inspiring sight.
这幅画面并不是那么乐观。
In fact that was the image that gave theBuddha a sense of terror, samvega.
实际上，这种景象使佛陀产生了恐惧，厌离
it could be translated as terror, dismay
samvega可以翻译成：恐惧、惊愕，
wanting to see a way out.
想找一个出路。
That's one image.
这是其中的一个画面。
The other image is the one that comes fromstory with King Pasenadi.
另外一个画面与波斯匿王的故事有关
King Pasenadi comes to see the Buddha inthe middle of the day,
有天中午，波斯匿王去拜访佛陀，
and the Buddha asks him, “Where areyou coming from in the middle of the day?”
佛陀问他：“大中午的，你从哪里来？”
And the king, in a remarkable display offrankness,
波斯匿王，十分坦率，
says, “Oh, I've been withmy ministers engaging in the sorts of things that people who are obsessed withpower,
他说：“哦，我跟我大臣在一起，
沉醉于权力之类的事情，
drunk with their power, do from day to day.”
一天又一天，我们沉迷于权力之中。“
And the Buddha asks him, “Supposesomeone reliable were to come to you from the east, saying that there was anenormous mountain moving in from the east, crushing all living beings in itspath.
佛陀问他：“假设有一个可靠的人从东方来，
告诉你有一座大山正从东方滚滚而来，
摧毁了路上的一切众生，
Another reliable person comes from thesouth and reports that there's a mountain moving in from the south.
另外一个可靠的人从南方来，
他说有一座大山从南方滚滚而来。
Another person comes from the west:
还有一个人从西方来，
There's a mountain moving in from the west,
告诉你有一座大山从西方滚滚而来，
crushing all living beings;
摧毁一切众生；
and another mountain
coming from the north,
还有一座大山从北方滚滚而来，
altogether four mountains moving in.”
这四座大山，同时滚滚而来。
He then says, “Consideringthat human life is so precious and hard to obtain, what would you do?”
佛陀说：“竟然人身是如此珍贵，
你打算怎么办？”
The king replies, “What elsecould I do but calm my mind and practice the Dhamma?”
波斯匿王回答说：“我还能做什么，
不过是让心安静下来，修习佛法。“
And then the Buddha says, “Okay, Iannounce to you that aging, illness, death, and separation are moving in.
然后佛陀说：“好，我现在像你宣布，
老病死别离这四座大山滚滚而来，
What are you going to do?”
你打算怎么办？“
The king says, “What else?Calm my mind and practice the Dhamma.”
波斯匿王回答说：“我还能干什么？
我要让我的心安静下来，修习佛法。“
The second image is by far the morehonorable one.
这第二种景象是更高贵的。
The fact of death is still there, eitherway,
当然，不管如何，终究是死亡，
but in the first one, everybody is stillstruggling for that last little bit that's not going to do them any good.
但是第一种人，彼此倾轧，争夺一点小利，
并不能给他们带来任何好处。
And in the second, people are doing goodthings that they can take with them after they die,
第二种人，他们所做的善行，死后能带走
qualities of mind, behaving honorably inthe face of death.
心的品质，在死亡面前的高贵行为
That's what we want to do as we practice.
这就是我们修行所想要做的。
There's a lot of talk nowadays. You look inthe newspapers and seems like everything in the world is falling apart.
当今世界纷纷攘攘，当你看报纸的时候，
觉得任何事情都很糟糕。
And it is.
真的是如此。
So, what is there to accomplish?
所以，能成就什么？
We train our minds. We're good to oneanother.
我们训练自己的心，善待彼此。
Because that goodness doesn't go away withdeath.
因为善不随死亡而消亡。
As the Buddha said, the beginning of wisdomis when you find someone who's knowledgeable and ask that person, “What, when Ido it, will lead to my long-term welfare and happiness? ”
如同佛陀所说，智慧的开始就是
当你找到一个智者，问他：
这样做，尅导致长远的幸福吗？“
That's the question.
就是这个问题。
That question is, as the Buddha said, anexpression of appropriate attention. He has an interesting analysis ofattention.
这就是佛陀所说的，正确的注意力之表达
佛陀喜欢分析注意力。
He's not talking about bare attention—just sittingthere, watching things arise and pass away,
他说注意力，不是单纯坐在那里，
观察事物的生灭。
as if you're in a drugged state.
就像嗑药的状态。
To pay attention to life means to askquestions.
对生命保持注意力，意味着提问题。
Appropriate attention is when you startasking the right questions.
And this is a good one to begin with:
正确的注意力就是你开始问正确的问题。
首先就要问如下这个问题。
“What, when I do it, will lead to my long-term welfare and happiness?”
做什么可以导致长远的幸福？
“Long- term” here is important.
“长远的”这个词很重要。
That's part of the wisdom. The other partof the wisdom is that happiness depends on your actions.
这个是智慧的组成部分。
另外的部分就是幸福取决于你的行为。
You want long-term rather than short-termhappiness;
你想要长远的幸福，而不是短期的幸福。
and you know it's going to depend on whatyou do, what you say, what you think.
你知道这取决于你的身语意。
From that principle, you can derive a lotof the Buddha's teachings.
从这个原则，你可以推导出佛陀的许多教法。
He talks about three perceptions, or whatare often called the three characteristics.
他教导三个观念，通常我们称为三法印。
Yet the Buddha teaches them as perceptionsfor testing things to decide if something you're focusing on is really worthtaking as a goal or not.
The first test is that if it's notconstant, it's not going to be trustworthy. It's not going to be long term.
第一个检测就是，如果它是无常，
就不值得信赖，不会是长期的。
Is it stressful?
会带来紧迫么？
If it's stressful, it's not going to behappiness.
如果会造成紧迫，也不会导致幸福。
And if it's stressful and not happiness,why would you want to claim it as “mine”?
如果会造成紧迫，不会幸福，
为什么你还声称那是“我的”呢？
That's anatta, not-self.
那是anatta，是“非我”。
But you could also direct this question toother parts of the teachings, such as the four noble truths.
但是你也可以将这个问题
应用到其他方面，例如四圣谛。
If stress and suffering are the problem. Sohow are you going to figure out a way around which we look for the cause?
如果紧迫感和苦是问题，那么，
你如何想出一个办法，找到它们的原因？
The cause for the suffering that's weighingyour mind down is coming from within.
让你的心产生苦迫的原因来自于内心。
That's the really important point.
这是非常重要的一点。
We tend to blame people outside,
situations outside for our suffering.
我们倾向于谴责外在的人或者境遇，
认为它们造成了我们的痛苦，
and they can provide the material withwhich we can make ourselves suffer,
并且认为它们能够，给我们的痛苦提供材料，
the actual putting together of thesuffering and causing it: that comes from something inside the mind itself.
将痛苦聚在一起，造成痛苦，
实际上这来自于心本身。
To see that—to comprehend thatsuffering and to abandon the cause—
看到这点，理解痛苦，舍弃痛苦之因
you've got to develop strength.
你要开发你的力量。
This is why we're meditating, to gain thestrength of the mind that comes from mindfulness, concentration, anddiscernment.
这就是我们要禅修的原因，
念、定、慧让心产生力量。
These are the things that give you thestrength to deal with these problems.
这些给予你力量，应付各种问题。
As long as the mindfulness and
concentration are not yet strong,
如果正念、禅定的力量不够强大，
you need other forms of strength, such asconviction and persistence.
你就需要其他形式的力量，例如信力和精进力
You're convinced that this has got to bethe way out and this has got to be the way to behave.
你确信这就是出离的方法，就要这样做。
And this is the noble way to look forhappiness.
这是追求幸福的高贵方式。
You have to ask yourself: Are you going togo like the king or are you going to go like the fish?
你要问你自己：
你是打算做波斯匿王，还是要做鱼？
If you look inside, you're not fightingwith others over the water.
如果你向内观照，你就不会与人抢夺水。
You're looking inside for the cause of theproblem—and you find that you've got the means for the solution inside aswell,
你从内寻找问题的原因，
你发现可以从内在找到解决方法
so that you don't have to keep on comingback again and again and again to worlds where the water is running out andmountains are moving in.
你这样你就不用一次次到外部世界找原因，
外部世界的水要干涸，四座大山滚滚而来
This path does offer a way out. In themeantime, you're not harming anybody
这给我们提供了一个出离之道，
同时，也不会伤害到别人。
and you're providing yourself with definitewealth, definite strength, definite treasures—
这样你就给自己提供了
绝对的财富、绝对的力量、绝对的宝藏。
as we often say in Thailand—
如同我们在泰国常常说的，
that last beyond death.
这些东西能超越死亡。
In other words, you treat the world aroundyou in full knowledge that it's going to die,
换言之，我们与世界打交道，
并且完全知道它会死亡。
but you treat the quality of your mind assomething that doesn't die.
但是你与你的心打交道，它不会死亡。
That's what gives honor to what we'redoing.
这样赋予我们的行为高贵的意义。
It's what makes this a noble path.
使我们的修行成为高贵的行为。
So pay attention.
所以，要注意。
Ask the right questions of yourself.
提出关于自己的正确问题。
Where is the cause of the suffering here?
什么是造成此时苦迫的原因？
Look for it inside. This is not meant toblame you for the suffering.
向内观照。并不是说要为此责怪自己。
I mean, everybody's doing it.
我的意思是，人人这样做。
And it's not to say that there aren't otherpeople out there who are not misbehaving.
并不是说，其他人的行为没有问题。
They really are, sometimes in horribleways.
其他人的行为的确也有问题。
But the question is, do you have to makeyourself suffer over that?
但问题是，你要因为其他人的行为痛苦么？
You look for the cause inside.
你向内寻求原因。
You develop the strengths inside.
向内开发力量。
The potential is there within all of us. Wecan develop these strengths.
我们所有人的内在都有这种能力。
我们都可以开发出这些量。
When the Buddha talked about the qualitiesthat led to his awakening,
当佛陀谈到导致他觉悟的品质时。
Onewas resolution.
He made up his mind that this was somethinghe really wanted to do.
其中之一就是决心。他立志去修行。
Another was ardency. Another washeedfulness.
还有热情，还有不放逸。
He didn't have a monopoly on thosequalities.
这些品质并非只有他才能拥有。
When he started out, he was pretty muchlike us.
当他开始的时候，他跟我们没有什么不同。
He took his human qualities, though, and hestrengthened them.
他利用人的品质，去强化这些品质。
He found strength by being with goodpeople; getting good advice.
与善人相处，他吸取力量，获取好的建议。
But then he realized that he had to do thework himself.
但是他认识到修行要靠自己。
This is true for all of us.
对于我们而言，也是这样。
We want to be able to depend on the peoplearound us,
我们想依靠我们周围的人，
yet we find we can only depend on them upto a certain extent.
我们发现，我们只能在某种程度上依靠他们。
Beyond that, it's our work.
超越了某个程度，就是我们自己的事情。
But it's good work to do.
但是修行是很不错的事情。
This is one of those paths that
isnoble not only in the end. It's noble all the way through.
修行这条路，不仅终点是很高贵的，
修行这条路的整个过程都是高贵的。
All the qualities the Buddha has youdevelop are good qualities.
佛陀让我们开发的品质，都是很好的品质。
There's nothing sneaky about the path;nothing cut-rate.
修行没有任何卑劣之处
It's a solid, dependable path. It's a safepath.
是坚实、可靠的。是一条安全的道路。
Even though ultimate safety doesn't comeuntil the end.
虽然在到达最终目标之前，没有绝对的安全。
Still, the fact that we're doing thingsthat are not harming ourselves and not harming other people:
但是，实际上，我们的修行不会伤害自己，
也不会伤害到其他人。
There's a safety in that.
这就是修行的安全之处。
So remember, we have the choice as to howwe're going to face the fact of death.
记住，在面临死亡这件事上，我们有所选择。
Are we going to go out like fish? Or are wegoing to go out like kings? Or are we going to go out like the Buddha?
我们要做那些鱼？要做那些国王？
还是要做佛陀那样的人？
The Buddha shows you how to go out like aBuddha—
佛陀告诉我们成佛的方法，
maybe not a full Buddha, but at leastsomeone who has the purity of mind that the Buddha developed, along with thewisdom and the compassion.
可能不能完全像佛陀那样，
但是至少可以拥有佛陀般纯净的心，
还有他那样的智慧和慈悲。
The choice is just laid there before us.
我们的选择就放在我们面前。
So take advantage of your freedom tochoose.
所以，好好利用你的自由选择权吧。
全球免费、免邮恭请
陀罗尼经被、念佛机、佩戴咒轮、金光明沙。
往期精彩回顾