記得我成長的年代，當時流行的思想是形而上學與形而下學，還引發廣泛的爭論，那時看只當有趣，大概年輕只覺得這種問題也須要爭論的那麼仔細 !? 後來出家，才更知道，這個問題困擾很多人，連自己也被攪得頭暈，原因在於不能確認到底是形而上(聖潔的)的思想對? 或是形而下(屬汙濁方面)也是對的? 尤其是僧團的環境，說形而下也是對的，可能有如登天的困難。
When I was growing up, the fashionable philosophical ideas and debates at the time were metaphysics and materialism[Note]. At the time, I thought it was interesting. Maybe it was because I was young, and felt that this topic needed this kind of detailed attention. After I became a bhikkhuni, I found out that this question cause a lot of people a lot of problems. Even I was confused by it. The reason is that no one can say if the "spirit/mind" (The saintly aspect) is correct. Or the "body" (The dirty aspect) is also correct. Especially in the environment of sangha, to say that the idea of materialism is correct is almost impossible.
其實每一個人的心裡頭，應該都是認為形而上的思想才是對的，包含高貴的情操，潔淨的心靈，哪個人不愛! 假使不是被某些事觸動! 我想我會認同形而上的想法才是對的到底 ，把這些轉成白話來說 : 就變成肉體與精神哪個比較高貴、重要，有修過佛法的行者，多少都曾經在肉體與精神上徘徊過，程度深淺不同而已。
In the heart and mind of every one, we like to think that idea of the "spirit/mind" is correct. Who does not want noble sentiments and clean hearts and minds. If I was not touched by a certain encounter, I would probably agree with the idea of the "spirit/mind" as well. To say this in a different way, the debate about the "spirit/mind" and the "body" is a debate to determine which is more important and more noble. Many practitioners of Buddhism should all have lingered over this issue, only differ by degrees.
佛教本身很多教育，傾向身體是暫時借用，所以不能太執著，無庸置疑佛教一定是以精神為上的，肉體能不管它就不要管，原本這樣的說法，不太有問題的，也或許是自己的阻礙較深，那時年輕的自己經常有病痛，病久了! 發覺肉體的影響力很強，人在生病時好的想法會不見了，取而代之的是灰色，消極的世界。
There are many teachings in Buddhism that view the body as a temporary accommodation, and that we should not be too attach to it. The implication of this is that Buddhism is more focused on the spirit/mind, and if we can ignore the body, we should. Originally, I thought this line of reasoning is fine. But perhaps it is because I have more obstacles, I often have many ailments in my youth. After a while, these ailments let me know the influences and effects of a human body. When a person is sick, many positive thoughts will disappear, only to be replaced by a grey and negative world.
半寄 Master Ban Ji
[Note] 形而上學,形而下學: 形而上學's standard translation is metaphysics and there does not seem to be a standard translation for 形而下. These two terms came from I-Ching. 形而上 in this context is referring to the mind or the spirit. 形而下 is referring to the body, and I have translated it as materialism here.
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