(４)如果他接下來又問：

　　“如何修習不執著？”

　　4) Now suppose you are then asked,

　　4) “How is this non-grasping and non-clinging to be put into practice

　　”

　　如果有外國人問起：“如何才能修習佛教的精髓——不執著？”我們可以再度引用佛陀的話，不必以自己的觀點回答。佛陀會簡潔又完整地解釋如何修習：眼睛看到可見的對象時，只是看；耳朵聽到聲音時，只是聽；鼻子聞到氣味時，只是聞；舌頭嘗到味道時，只是嘗；身體有所接觸時，只是觸；當心中生起念頭，例如情緒等時，只是清楚知道它。

　　IF YOU MEET a person from another country who asks by what means one may practise the essence of Buddhism, you can once again answer by quoting the Buddha. We don”t have to answer with our own ideas. The Buddha explained how to practise in succinct and complete terms. When seeing a visual object, just see it. When hearing a sound with the ear, just hear it. When smelling an odour with the nose, just smell it. When tasting something by way of the tongue, just taste it. When experiencing a tactile sensation by way of the general skin and body sense, just experience that sensation. And when a mental object, such as some defiling thought, arises in the mind, just know it; know that defiling mental object.

　　我爲不曾聽過的人再說一遍：看只是看，聽只是聽，聞只是聞，嘗只是嘗，觸只是觸，起念只是覺察，這表示不要造作出“自我”。佛陀教導我們：如果這樣修習，“自我”就不會存在，當“自我”不存在，苦也就止息了。

　　Let us go over it again for those of you who have never heard this before. When seeing, just see! If at all possible, in seeing, just see. When listening, just hear; when smelling an odour, just smell the odour; in tasting, just taste; in detecting a tactile sensation by the way of skin and body, just experience that sensation; and on the arising of a mental object in the mind, just be aware of it. This means that these are not to be added to by the arising of the self- idea. The Buddha taught that if one can practise like this, the “self” will cease to exist; and the non-existence of the “self” is the cessation of suffering (dukkha).

　　“看只是看”這句話需要解釋：當所看的對象和眼睛接觸時，只要認清對象，知道應該如何去處理就好了，千萬別讓喜歡和討厭的念頭趁虛而入。如果你生起喜歡的念頭，就會想擁有它；如果生起討厭的念頭，就會厭棄它。如此一來，我們自己就成爲那“喜歡的人”和“討厭的人”，這就是所謂的“自我”，走向“自我”就是走向痛苦和錯誤。所以當看東西時，保持了了分明，要有智慧遠離煩惱，清楚什麼動作是正確、適當的，如果是沒有必要的動作，就保持冷靜，不要去做它。如果想獲得某種成就，就得完全應用了了分明的心念去做，不讓“自我”産生，使用這種方法，你就能得到想要的結果，而且心中沒有苦惱。

　　“Viewing an object by way of the eye, just see it.” This needs explaining. When objects make contact with the eye, observe and identify them; know what action has to be taken with whatever is seen. But don”t permit liking or disliking to arise. If you permit the arising of liking, you will desire; if you permit the arising of disliking, you will want to destroy. Thus it is that there are likers and haters. This is what is called “the self”. To go the way of the self is suffering and deception. If an object is seen, let there be intelligence and awareness. Don”t allow your mental defilements to compel you to grasp and cling. Cultivate enough intelligence to know which line of action is right and appropriate. And if no action is required, ignore the object. If some sort of result is wanted from this thing, then proceed, with full awareness and intelligence, not giving birth to the self-idea. In this way you get the results you wanted and no suffering arises.

　　這是一個最好又簡潔的修行原則：看只是看，聽只是聽，嘗只是嘗，嗅只是嗅，觸只是觸，起念只是覺察。讓一切只停留在這個層次，當下就能産生智慧，可以正確又恰當地處理一切，不會産生愛、恨的“自我”。如果隨著喜歡或討厭的欲望去做，“自我”就會生起，讓心不能自主，也就無法具足智慧了。以上是佛陀爲某比丘所作的開示。

　　This is a very concise principle of practice, and it should be regarded as a most excellent one.The Buddha taught: When seeing, just see. When hearing, just hear. When smelling an odour, just smell it. When tasting, just taste. When experiencing a tactile sensation, just experience it. When sensing a mental object, just sense it. Let things stop right there and insight will function automatically. Take the course that is right and fitting. Don”t give birth to “the liker” or “the hater”, and so to the desire to act in accordance with that liking or disliking, which is the arising of selfhood. Such a mind is turbulent, it is not free, it functions without any insight at all. This is what the Buddha taught.

　　接下來，可能有人會問：“爲什麼我們討論最易證果的修行方法時，沒有提及戒、定、慧、行善、布施等呢？”實際上，這些都是輔行，而不是佛法的核心。行善、布施、持戒、修定和修慧，終究都是爲了使我們成爲“如如不動”的人,而修習“看只是看、聽只是聽”等等，就足以使我們成爲“如如不動”的人——當接觸任何外境時，都不會産生“自我”，能保持平常心，而不被境轉。

　　Why, then, didn”t we mention morality, concentration, insight, merit-making, or alms-giving in connection with the most fruitful practice

　　 These are helpful conditions, but they are not the heart of Dhamma, not the essential matter. We make merit, give alms, observe morality, develop concentration, and gain insight in order to become stable persons. When seeing, just to see; when hearing, just to hear. Achieving this, we become stable people. We have stability, unshakeability, and equilibrium. Although objects of every kind make contact with us in every way and by every sensory route, self does not arise.

　　行善和布施是爲了拔除“自我”，持戒和修定是爲了調禦“自我”，修慧則爲破除“自我”。

　　Merit-making and alms-giving are means for getting rid of self. Observing morality is a process by which we gain mastery over self, as is concentration practice. Acquiring insight serves to destroy self.

　　在此我不想多談，而只討論每天最迫切的事情——眼睛要看、耳朵要聽、鼻子要聞……等等，只要守護六根就是已控製一切，修行圓滿了，這正是修習佛法的核心。如果有外國人問你修行的問題，就這樣回答他。

　　Here we are not speaking of several different matters; we are speaking of one urgent everyday matter. Our eyes see this and that, our ears hear this and that, our nose smells odours, and so on for all six sense channels. We have to stand on guard, keeping a constant watch at the entrances of the six channels. This single practice covers all practices. It is the very essence of Dhamma practice. If you meet a person from another country who asks how to practise, answer in this way.

《如何修習不執著？How is this non-grasping and non-clinging to be put into practice

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