北傳佛教唯心論 2-3 Mind-Only Doctrine in Northern Buddhism 2-3

 北傳佛教唯心論 2

 

禪宗有「芥子納須彌」的說法，

 

慢慢想起來，年輕的時候也在這裡打轉過，老實說，精神跟肉體想要說得清楚就很困難，

加上佛法的修行跟心、意識的觀點，這個問題就像亂線一般，難上加難。

 

試論；大腦這麼小可以裝得下這麼多資訊，那是透過學習的結果，

如果沒有學習與吸收大部分的人，腦袋是空空的，

用現今的觀點來看電腦的整個發展，也是一段漫長的路，不可能說空間裡面已經先存在一個電腦，等你塞下記憶吧？

 

人腦可以發展到像佛陀堂弟阿難這麼厲害，可以背誦這麼多資料，

佛法的邏輯指出應該是阿難自己修福慧的結果，

成就他的腦力特別發達，

而不能說他的腦力本來就比別人發達，

 

那到底是「心」在因、緣、果之前？

 

還是因、緣、果與心同在，難分難解！

半寄

 

AI資料提供   1. 質疑的焦點：物質與精神的邊界 當學人（質疑者）提出「大腦（或肉身）包含萬物」時，其實是落入了唯物或五蘊的範疇。 • 質疑者的邏輯： 如果你說「心生則種種法生」，而心就在我這顆腦袋裡，那是不是我這顆腦袋就裝下了整個宇宙？如果是，這不符合物理常識；如果不是，那禪師就是在騙人。 • 禪師的回應（核心思維）： 禪師通常會用「反詰法」或「直接否定」來打破這種空間感的錯覺。   2. 公案中的比喻：芥子納須彌 禪宗處理這類質疑最著名的觀點是「芥子納須彌」   質疑者問：「大腦這麼小，萬法這麼大，小如何包得住大？」 禪師通常會回答：「你讀過萬卷書嗎？」 質疑者：「讀過。」 禪師：「那萬卷書現在在哪裡？」 質疑者：「在腦子裡。」 禪師：「腦子只有拳頭大，萬卷書疊起來比屋頂高，你是怎麼塞進去的？」   透過這個比喻，禪師想點出：「心」沒有空間的量度。 你認為大腦包含萬法是有「空間感」的障礙，但真正的「自性」是不受大小、方圓、內外限制的。   3. 「為心」的雙重含義 在禪宗公案裡，這類討論往往會區分兩種層次的「心」： 1. 肉團心（大腦/意識）： 這是物質的、有生滅的、有大小限制的（即您提到的「大腦」）。 2. 靈覺真心： 這是遍布虛空、包含宇宙的。 如果像質疑者那樣把「萬法」侷限在「物理的大腦」裡，禪師會斥之為「認賊為子」。因為你把一個生理器官當成了本來面目。   4. 禪宗對此的經典結論 在《指月錄》中，針對這類「包含」的辯論，最終往往會導向： 「心不在內，不在外，不在中間。」 這打破了我們對「大腦」作為容器的執著。如果心在大腦裡，那大腦壞了，法界難道就消失了嗎？禪師認為，是「萬法在大腦（根塵）中顯現」，而非大腦「物理性地裝著」萬法。   您的感觸與現代對比 現代神經科學認為意識是大腦產生的；而禪宗公案則認為大腦（色身）是心性中所幻化出的「一粒浮漚」（大海中的一顆小氣泡）。」

Mind-Only Doctrine in Northern Buddhism 2

Zen tradition speaks of “holding Mount Sumeru within a mustard seed.”

 

Looking back, I realize that I struggled with this issue even in my youth. Frankly speaking, clearly explaining the relationship between mind and body is already extremely difficult. OnceBuddhist practice and theories of consciousness are added, the issue becomes even more complex—like a ball of tangled wires.

The brain is physically small, yet it can store an astonishing amount of information. This capacity is clearly the outcome of learning. Without learning and absorption, most people’s minds would remain nearly empty. Even from a modern technological standpoint, the evolution of computers has been a long process. We would not say that a computer already exists in empty space, simply waiting for memory to be loaded.

 

The human brain can be cultivated to the level of Ānanda, the Buddha’s cousin, who could memorize vast amounts of the Dharma. Buddhist reasoning would attribute this not to innate superiority, but to Ānanda’s own cultivation of merit and wisdom, which enabled such remarkable mental development.

 

This leads to a deeper question:

Is the “mind” prior to causes, conditions, and results?

Or do causes, conditions, results, and mind arise together, inseparably intertwined?

 

Master Banji

 

AI Data 1. The Central Question: Matter Versus Mind When a questioner claims that the brain contains all phenomena, the discussion has already shifted into materialism or the framework of the five aggregates. • The questioner’s reasoning: If “all phenomena arise when the mind arises,” and the mind is located in the brain, does that mean the brain contains the universe? If yes, this violates physical logic. If no, then Zen teachings are deceptive. • Zen’s method: Zen masters dismantle this assumption by reversing the question or negating the premise itself, exposing the mistaken sense of spatial containment.   2. Koan Illustration: A Mustard Seed and Mount Sumeru Zen’s most well-known response is the metaphor “A mustard seed contains Mount Sumeru.” When challenged— “How can something so small contain something so vast?” The master counters by pointing to memory and learning, showing that meaning and awareness are not governed by physical volume. This reveals that mind is not measurable in spatial terms, while self-nature transcends size, boundaries, and location.   3. Two Levels of “Mind” Zen discourse distinguishes between: 1. The corporeal mind: the brain-bound, conditioned consciousness. 2. The awakened mind: boundless, non-local, and all-pervasive. Confusing the first for the second is denounced as “recognizing a thief as one’s own child.”   4. Zen’s Final Position Classical Zen texts repeatedly conclude: “The mind is neither within, nor without, nor in between.” Thus, phenomena are manifested through the brain, not contained by it. The Dharma realm does not arise or vanish with the condition of neural tissue.   5. Dialogue with Modern Science While neuroscience claims consciousness emerges from the brain, Zen holds that the brain itself is a conditioned appearance within mind-nature— a fleeting bubble upon the vast ocean of awareness.

 

北傳佛教唯心論3 

 

如果有一位大禪師堅持跟我說：

他認為「心性本淨」，他已經見到他的「本來面目」，

我個人不會認為這是錯的，因為他們修證的三摩地裡面，可以變現出他們要看的內容來。

而這是用強大的禪定力量兑現學說，

 

「心」當然是「不在內，不在外，不在中間。」

而這需要給予完整的說明，去處理有為與無為法，不致於使「心」懸掛在

「不在內，不在外，不在中間。」之外！

 

假如；你是位用功的修行者你在修行的禪定中照見了本來面目，那是不是回頭看看初果的「破身見」，

 

(斷身見使用破字，源於中觀論思想，破字賦予身見更多的解讀空間）

 

或許用禪定的力量，再去破除身見的認知，個人相信此時修行才朝著佛陀的教學前進，

能入定的各種教派太多了，如果肯定自己要修持的是佛法，那就只能抓著佛法，

 

能夠達到「破身見」的目的地時，

有為法與無為法的脈絡自然會條理清楚，

 

複雜與講解不清，而浪費生命的精神與肉體（形而上學）也會迎刃而解，

踏在對的佛法教學上，修證不那麼困難，但不修證也可以得到智慧吧！

 

半寄

 

（昨晚有一個夢境：一個力大無窮的人，不斷在砍樹給我看，砍的樹面積遼闊，卻都是沒有用的樹，

這力大無窮就白白浪費在這些沒有用的事情上，

而那個人卻興致高昂的要展現他的奇蹟。）

 

 

Mind-Only Doctrine in Northern Buddhism 3

 

If a great Zen master tells me with certainty that “mind-nature is originally pure,” and that he has already seen his “original face,” I personally would not say he is wrong. This is because, in the samādhi reached through deep practice, such masters can bring forth and observe whatever they wish to examine. In this way, teachings are proven through the strong meditative power.

 

Indeed, the mind is “neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.”

But this idea needs a full explanation. It must clearly address both conditioned and unconditioned phenomena, so that the mind is not left suspended beyond that statement “neither inside, nor outside, nor in between.” 

 

"Suppose you are a dedicated practitioner who, in the depths of meditative absorption, has glimpsed your Original Nature. From this vantage point, you look back at the 'seeing thru self-view'—the first stage of awakening (Sotapanna). 

 

(The use of the word 'seeing thru ' to describe 'cutting offself-identity view' originates from Madhyamaka thought. The term “seeing thru” gives more room to understand self-view.

 

Using the power of Samadhi, you may be able to further loosen and remove the belief in a fixed self. I believe this is when practice truly follows the Buddha’s teaching. 

 

There are many ways to reach deep meditation, but if you want to follow Buddhism, you must stick to the Buddhist Dharma. Upon achieving the ' seeing thru self-view,' the difference between things that change and the eternal truth becomes easy to see.

 

All the confusing theories that waste our time and energy disappear. 

By following the right path, reaching enlightenment isn't that hard—and even if you haven't reached it yet, you can still gain great wisdom."

 

Master Banji

 

(I had a dream last night. A very strong man kept chopping down trees for me to watch. The forest was huge, 

but the trees were useless. He wasted all his strength on things without value,

 yet he was very excited, eager to display his so-called miracle.)