2011年10月6日 星期四

光明面 2 The Light Side 2

Let's not forget that ultimate reason for Buddha's teaching is to reach enlightenment and understand the Truth.

不要忘記:佛陀教導我們的是如何覺悟、如何了解真相。

Everything Buddha had said have only one goal, and that is to get us from here to there. The road from here to there is paved with 4 concepts that we need to empirically understand: Śūnyatā, Nidānas, Anicca (commonly translated as impermanence) and Anattā (commonly translated as not-self).
We have already introduced the concept of Śūnyatā and Nidānas, and we will not attempt to discuss much about Anicca and Anattā.

佛陀只有一個目標,那就是讓我們從此岸走到彼岸。
從此岸到彼岸的路有4個概念我們必須完全體會:「空 」、「因緣 」、「無常 」和「無我」。
我們已經介紹過「空 」跟「因緣 」,但不會在這裡討論「無常」和「無我 」。

With these ideas, we can put the benefits of "detached generosity" in context.
If we can perform these acts in a detached manner, in a way, we are doing it with a perfect empirical understanding of Anicca and Anattā. But of course no body can do this from day one. So the practical advice is to perform acts of generosity continually and consistently. The hope here is that one day, after years of work, you will one day perform these acts with total detachment because these acts have become a force of habit. With this one experience, you might have a little empirical understanding of Anicca and Anattā.

有了這些想法,就能瞭解為什麼「若菩薩不住相布施,其福德不可思量。」
因為能夠完全「不住相布施」,需要從「無常」和「無我」的觀點做起,
但沒有人一生出來就能這樣做。
所以,實際的建議是常常布施。這個建議的希望是有一天,經過許多年的「有住相布施」,
一個人某天會突然做出「不住相布施」,畢竟「布施」已成為一個習性,
因而有了一點點「無常」和「無我」的體會。

This is not unlike the Percepts that Buddhist traditions expect monks and students of Buddhism to keep.

傳統佛教要出家人持戒,是希望從長期的持戒去改變自我。

Our method of self-reflection also applied the same principle.

我們的「自我反省」法門也是利用同樣的道理。

The goal of these methods are all the same, they keep trying to force one self to change from within in an attempt to gain some empirical understanding of Anicca and Anattā.

「布施」、「持戒」跟「自我反省」這三個法門的目的都相同,
都是不斷的嘗試從一個人的內心去改變自己。
再從這個改變去接近「無常」和「無我」的體會。

Once one have a slight empirical understanding of Anicca and Anattā, then it becomes easier to empirically understand Śūnyatā and Nidānas.

只要一個人開始有「無常」和「無我 」的體會,對「空 」跟「因緣」的瞭解就會變成簡單許多。


因此:佛陀說:「若菩薩不住相布施,其福德不可思量。 」

So you have choices in the "Light Side" as well. Which path you choose will probably be depended on your inclinations. However, regardless of the path, once you have some success in one, the work to reach enlightenment will really start. At that point, it is important to continue to work on fully empirically understand the 4 concepts of Śūnyatā, Nidānas, Anicca and Anattā in order to get closer to the Truth.

也就是說,您也可以選擇「光明面」,您大可依據喜好跟個性去選擇適合您的路。
但無論如何,一旦有些成功,了解真相的工作才會真正開始。
重點是要持續努力,充分體會「空 」跟「因緣」、「無常 」和「無我 」才能接近真相。

光明面是名光明 Light Side is called light
一切路因它而明 Because all paths are lit by it
黑暗面是名黑暗 Dark Side is called dark
一切路因它而暗 Because all paths are obscure by it

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