想起自己多年前修過的法門，提出來說說 : 攤開修行的教學有千百種方法，這裡面有一種修法要求修學者對自己要 「一個念頭」，「一個念頭」的看著， 事實上能不能這樣修? 來討論一下。
I would like to talk about some of the Practices that I tried many years ago. There are hundreds of methods taught by Buddhists, one of them requires the practitioners to be "mindful of a single thought." Is it possible to be mindful of a single thought?
這個修法是很小看腦的活動力才會有的說法，假設已修練到可以入定了，再出來，腦一樣在大量活動，是無法哪麼簡單說；看著自己的念頭，因為念頭很多，原因是人是活的。
Actually, this method underestimates the power of the brain. If we assume that a practitioner can reach samadhi in his Practice, once the practitioner exits Samadhi, his brain will still function. It is not that easy to look at your own thoughts, because people are alive and constantly produce a lot of thoughts.
佛陀在阿含經有提過一個概念， 那就是『如理思維』[Note]，用現代話說 : 「意思是一件事用合理、 或順著理、 的想法去思考，講的是一種思考能力。」大腦比較能發揮的是一種思維系統，
Buddha had raised a concept of "reasonable thinking"[Note] in Saṃyukta Āgama. Use the modern language, it means that an idea needs to pass the "reasonable" test. This is about the ability to reason, to think. Brain's function is to create a framework for reasoning.
會用看著自己一個念頭來修的，通常是常在練習入定的人，或在山上不太理事的修行者，要修練能入定的腦袋雜念愈少愈好，但是「雜念」不是「理念」，這是一定要分清楚的，雜念是亂七八糟的念頭，理念是一個系列的思考能力，兩個的結構都是念頭組成，卻有著天差地別的作用，應該是導向把雜念引導成思維用的工具，思維愈清楚愈有條理，雜念就愈少。
A practitioner who tends to use the "mindful of a single thought" method to practice is usually someone who is working on Samadhi, or someone who lives in the wilderness and does not have to deal with humanity. Their goal is to enter the state of samadhi, so less distracting thoughts, the better. But we need to be clear of the differences between "distracting thoughts" and "rational thoughts." "Distracting thoughts" are messy thoughts, and "rational thoughts" are reasoning abilities. Both are thoughts, but their usefulness are miles apart. The right method is to lead "distractions" into "reasoning". The more you can reason, the less you will be distracted.
如果用一個念頭來修，會變成像在盯著自己看，看自己下一個又會冒出什麼樣的念頭? 然而大腦是活動的，要叫它少動，一定是強迫性的，但你再怎麼強迫它，它畢竟活著，活著就會動，
If you want to reach the state where you are only mindful of one thought, you will be forced to keep looking at yourself, to see what thoughts are emerging. But brain is a living organ, if you want it to not function, you have to force it. But regardless of how you force your brain, it is still alive. And because it is alive, it will function.
這樣說就間接可以明白，為什麼會發展苦行，其實就是用極端的方法，壓迫自己，希望這樣做可以達到自己想要的境界。 結果是問題一直朝縮衣節食發展，修道的理念，經典的架構、反而不重要了。
From this, you might be able to understand how tapas (asceticism) developed. Tapas uses extreme methods to oppress yourself to reach a particular state of mind. The result is to keep raising the stake to force your brain into submission. Because of this, the theory of Practice and the framework of the Buddhist Texts became unimportant.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
[Note] 如理思維 "yoniso manasikarotha" are normally translated as "Correct Thinking" in both the Chinese and English. But some translation uses 如理思維 instead. "Yoniso" means "From the root, from the source". "Manasikarotha" has the concept of "thoughts and doing." So a proper translation is "Thinking based on the source." It is probably similar to deductive reasoning. You start with an assumption (the source) and deduce if an idea is logical based on known facts and the premise. A simpler way to look at this is to determine if an idea is reasonable or not. So I have chosen to translate this as "Reasoning."
如理思維 "yoniso manasikarotha" 「如理」(yoniso)是「從起源；從根源」的意思，「作意」(manasikaroti)為「意」與「作」的複合詞，可以是「注意」，也可以有「思惟」的意思。普通都翻譯成「正思惟」。
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