I have been reading a lot of books and treaties on other methods of Practicing Buddhism recently as a way to challenge myself. In the process, I have found many worthwhile books, and maybe I'll share them with you one day.
我最近在讀很多關於佛學和修行的書來挑戰自己。
在這個過程中，發現了一些有價值的書，或許有天會跟大家分享。
However, regardless of my personal views on these books, there is one theme that is constant in these books, and that is "suffering" [Note].
然而，不管對這些書的看法如何，我發現這些書都有一個同樣的主題， 那就是「苦」。
That is all these book every talk about. Life is suffering, and we all need to get rid of suffering, and the Truth will release us from suffering. Therefore, Truth is all abut suffering and how to get rid of it.
這些書都說，「生活是苦，我們都需要從苦中得到解脫」。「只有真相才能解脫我們的苦，因此，真相就是苦跟如何解脫苦。」
No.
不！不是這樣的！
Maybe if you are born in a war-torn nation of Africa, that we might make the argument that your life is full of sufferings. But you don't. You have all the conveniences that modern technology can offer, and you are well fed.
如果您出生在非洲某一個戰爭頻繁的國家，我們可能同意您的生活是苦的，但您不是。您的生活有現代科技可以提供的便利，您也能衣食無缺。
Some people think that modern materialism is what cause all the mental and psychological problems that are common in people today. No. Things do not cause mental and psychological problems, people cause them. Things are just something that can be easily blamed, since they don't talk back and contradict.
許多人認為，現代科學所提供的便利導致所有人類許多精神和心理方面的問題，其實，不是這樣的。 東西不會造成精神和心理問題，那些問題是人自己造成的。東西很容易受到指責，因為它們不頂嘴、無法反駁。
Suffering is only part of the Truth. What are the other parts? Happiness, joy, anger, sadness, electricity, rain, blue sky, blistering heat, a cup of good tea, a well cooked meal, a beautiful painting, an electrifying musical performances, a tear jerker, an exciting video game, all the good and the bad, beauty and the ugliness, compassion and hate, and more, these are all part of the Truth.
「苦」只是真相的一部分。其他呢 ？幸福、喜、怒、哀、樂、電、雨、藍天、熱風、一杯好茶、一頓美食、一幅美麗的畫、一場感動人心的音樂表演、一部讓人流淚的電影、一個令人興奮的電動遊戲...所有的好與壞、美與醜、同情和仇恨、還有更多更多...這些都是真相的一部分。
In Buddha's time, India is probably not all that far apart from Africa of today. Think about it, the Buddhist Texts said that when Buddha left his father's palace, he saw death, sickness, old age and practitioners of asceticism. How many of us see that when we walk out of our door every morning? Even most old people look young!
在佛陀的時代，印度可能跟今天的非洲很像。想想看，佛經上說，佛陀離開父親的宮殿時，他看到了死亡、疾病、老年和苦行者。有多少人，當我們走出家裡大門時，會看到這些呢？現在一個老人看起來都很年輕！
We don't disagree that there are people who's quality of life is not very good. But these are not most people, right?
不否認在我們住的地方，某些人有非常不好的生活品質，但並不是大部分吧？
In Buddha's time, old age, sickness and death, these sufferings are very common and visible. Release from suffering should be easy for Indian living in that era to accept.
在佛陀的時代的印度， 老病死， 這些苦，是非常普遍和明顯。解脫苦很容易被那時的印度人接受。
Today, suffering is not really that prevalent, releasing from suffering should not be the focus of Buddhist Practices.
今天，苦不是那麼普遍，解脫自己的苦不應該是修行的重點。
Really.
真的。
Focus on understanding yourself, on your weakness, on how to remove your weakness, then you will be on the way to the Truth. There is no need to use suffering as a guide.
了解自己和自己的弱點，知道如何去消除弱點，您就會接近真相。 不必用苦來做指導。
[Note] I am using suffering instead of dukkha, because these books are really talking about suffering. So there is no reason to use a Buddhist word and mince the meaning.
12 則留言:
ang5:謝謝宏元的說法， 你提的基本生活 ，已是多層面問題 ， 含國家政策導向 ，公司經營方向 ，貧富差距的成立 ，已遠非我們討論範圍 ， 我們討論的是各人困境的喘息! 我承認大環境的影響很大。
但論點太大， 也會模糊焦點， 換個觀點 ，各人得以喘息時， 才有能力做其他事。
半寄
ang5 said: "I agree with 'Understand yourself and your own weaknesses. Know how to eliminate these weaknesses and you will be closer to the Truth.'
But in today's Taiwan, suffering is very common, only very few people do not suffer for basic life's necessity.
You probably do not know too many disadvantaged people."
Master Ban Ji responded.
"Thank you for your point of view. The basic life necessity is a complex issue. It involves the policies of a country, management of a company, the growing gap between the rich and the poor. This issue is beyond the scope of our discussion.
What we want to discuss is how an individual can get a rest in his/her own difficulties. I agree that a person's life can be influenced greatly by his/her environment, but this is a big topic and will cloud the issue. I think that by change the point of view, when people can take a break, then they can think about and have the ability to do other things."
To Ang5:
Maybe so. But the point that I was trying to make is that people should not be obsessed about suffering.
也許。但是，我的重點是人不應該痴迷在苦中。
Maybe my article today on "Why Search For the Truth." can help clarify my point.
也許今天的文章『為什麼要探討真相』可以幫助闡明我的觀點。
我認為，佛法是講給「生人」聽的，教導生人修持的，而絕大部分活生生的人最大的困境，就是「死」。沒有修行的人，當死亡困境來臨，沒有喘息的餘地，只有無奈。或許寄予上帝，期盼救贖，或者看望來世，希望重生。殊不知，混沌的業力導向，誰都不知會去何方。生命的無常演進，神通再廣大，終究得死。所以我認為，佛說「無常故苦」，佛是真的在闡明生生死死的生命苦處。因此，生命的解脫，從苦處下手，我認為是必修的課題。所以「無常故苦」，但值得慶幸的是，佛又說「苦故無我」。從無常的苦中看清真相，在無常中得以解脫。
電蚊燈 : 我們尊重你的看法
半寄
電蚊燈 wrote:
"I think that Buddhism is for the living. Its purpose is to teach the living how to live. But the biggest problem most people face is death. A person who had never Practiced have no chance for a relaxing breath when facing death, only frustration. Maybe he will pray to God for salvation. Maybe look forward to the next life for another chance. But no one knows where they would end up due to their Karma. No matter how much supernatural power you have, you will die one day, because life is impermanent.
So I think that when Buddha said 'anicca therefore dukkha', he really wanted us to know the suffering of our lives. So liberation need to start with dukkha, and I think it is a must. So 'anicca therefore dukkha' but fortunately, Buddha also said 'dukkha therefore anatta.'
From impermanent suffering to find the Truth, and from impermanence to find liberation."
Master Ban Ji responded:
"電蚊燈, we respect your point of view."
再補充苦的說法， 每一個人會因為各人的痛苦，挫折， 而跟生命是苦的想法連結， 卻忽略了如果都是苦的一切， 誰也活不下去 !
人在苦難中， 如無法再學習， 再成長， 去談再多的苦也無任何意義!? 真要談生命是苦， 也得看從那個點談起 ，我個人也曾歷經苦難， 也曾認為生命是苦， 後來發覺那都不是被束縛的原因! 反而是自己陷入自我苦的糾纏罷了!，這是我想提的。
半寄
生命最大的苦處，就是「邁向死亡」，貧富貴賤都𣎴可免除。最大的苦，並不表示全部是苦，全部是苦就與「緣起」抵觸。佛陀用生老病死苦來啟發我們去明白諸行無常，讓我們培養諸法無我的積極向上的人生態度，使得在生命的無常中，晦溺恐懼在苦𥚃的眾生得以解脫。這是我認為正視「苦」、體會「苦」，是重要課題的看法。
Master Ban Ji wrote:
"I like to supplement a point about Dukkha. Everyone thinks life is suffering because of their own individual pain, difficulties and frustrations. But people forget that if everything is suffering, then no one can live in this world.
When a person is distressed, if he does not learn and grow, it is pointless to talk about suffering. If you really want to say that life is suffering, you will also need to start from a specific point.
I, personally, had experienced many difficulties in life, and also thought that life is suffering. But later, I found that these sufferings are not the reason of my own imprisonment. But that I fell into the trap of the struggle with myself, thinking that suffering is myself.
This is the point that I like to raise."
電蚊燈 wrote:
生命最大的苦處，就是「邁向死亡」，貧富貴賤都不可免除。最大的苦，並不表示全部是苦，全部是苦就與「緣起」抵觸。佛陀用生老病死苦來啟發我們去明白諸行無常，讓我們培養諸法無我的積極向上的人生態度，使得在生命的無常中，晦溺恐懼在苦裡的眾生得以解脫。這是我認為正視「苦」、體會「苦」，是重要課題的看法。
"Life's biggest suffering is the 'path toward death.' The riches and the poor, celebrities and commoners, none can avoid it. The biggest suffering does not mean all is suffering. All is suffering will conflict with 'dependent origination.' Buddha used the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and death to let us understand that all phenomenons are impermanent, and let us develop a positive attitude that all is anatta, so that humanity that are mired in suffering, mired in life's impermanence can find liberation. This is how I think 'dukkha' and empirically experience dukkha is an important topic."
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