入定不是睡覺

　　Entering Samadhi Is Not the Same as Sleeping

　　入定，好像活死人，但有知覺。

　　A person in samadhi appears to be dead, but in fact, awareness and feelings still remain.

　　有人問我：「入定和睡覺有什麼不同？」簡而言之，入定的姿勢，仍然端坐，背直如筆，端正不偏，或者呼吸停止，或者脈搏停止，望之，好像活死人，但有知覺。可以坐一天不動，十天不動，甚至一個月不動。睡覺的姿勢，頭歪身斜而不自主，氣出氣入，呼呼有聲，甚至鼻息如雷。不同之處，就在這個地方。

　　Someone has asked, "What is the difference between samadhi and sleep

　　" To put it simply, people who are in samadhi will be sitting in an upright posture with perfectly straight backs, not leaning in any direction. Perhaps their breathing will stop or their pulse will cease, so that they appear to be dead; however, awareness and perception remain. Someone in samadhi can sit for an entire day, for ten days, or even for a month without moving. If a person is asleep, however, his head is usually askew, his body is leaning, and he is not in control of himself. He still breathes, and his breathing may be as noisy as thunder. These are the differences.

　　參禅的過程，好像讀書一樣，由小學、中學、大學，然後進研究所，經過這四個階段，才能獲得博士學位。參禅這個法門，亦複如是，分爲四個步驟，也就是四禅的境界。簡略述之如下：

　　The process of Chan meditation is just like that of studying. One proceeds from elementary school to high school, then to college, and then on to graduate school, passing through four stages before one can earn a Ph.D. Likewise, the Dharma-door of Chan meditation is also pided into steps, the Four Stages of Dhyana-concentration, which are briefly explained below:

　　初禅名「離生喜樂地」。就是離開衆生的關系，得到另外一種快樂。此非凡夫所得的快樂，而是在自性功夫裏邊。到初禅定中，呼吸停止。外邊呼吸停止，內邊呼吸活動起來，好像冬眠一樣的道理。這時，心清如水，明如鏡，照了自性的本體，而知道自己在打坐。

　　The First Dhyana is called the Stage of the Happiness Leaving Birth. It takes you beyond what living beings can experience, into a state of happiness beyond what ordinary living beings know. This happiness is found in the spiritual skill of our inherent nature. When you reach the samadhi of the First Dhyana, your breath ceases. Your outer breathing stops and your inner breathing begins to function, just as if you”d entered a state of winter hibernation. Your mind at this time is as pure as water and as clear as a mirror. You can know your fundamental identity and can be aware that you are sitting and meditating.

　　二禅名「定生喜樂地」。在定中，出生一種無比的快樂，所謂「禅悅爲食，法喜充滿。」得到這種快樂，不知道饑餓，所以可以多日不食不飲，沒有關系。但是不可以執著，如果一執著，前功盡棄，就入了魔境，吾人不可不謹慎。二禅的境界，在定中不但呼吸停止，而且脈搏也停止。出定時，又恢複正常。

　　The Second Dhyana is called the Stage of the Happiness of Producing Samadhi. In a state of concentration, an incomparable happiness comes forth. We refer to it as "taking the bliss of Dhyana as food and being filled with the joy of Dharma." Happiness such as this leaves one unaware of hunger. Thus you can sit for many days without any problem. However, you must not become attached to this state, for as soon as you become attached, all your previous efforts will be wasted and you will enter a demonic state. So you must be extremely careful. At the stage of Second Dhyana, not only does the breath stop, but the pulse stops as well. When one leaves concentration, these processes resume their normal functioning.

　　叁禅名爲「離喜妙樂地」。就是離開二禅之歡喜，得到妙不可言的快樂，覺得一切都是佛法，一切都是快樂。叁禅的境界，在定中呼吸脈搏停止，意念也停止。這時候，不念善、不念惡，不念是、不念非，也就是一念不生。但不要認爲了不起，這僅是一個過程而已，離了生脫死還有十萬八千裏。

　　The Third Dhyana is known as the Stage of the Wonderful Bliss of Leaving Happiness. One reaches a wonderful, inexpressible happiness that leaves behind the happiness found in the Second Dhyana. You feel that absolutely everything is part of the Buddhadharma, and everything is a source of joy. In this stage, not only do the breath and the pulse stop, but the thinking processes also cease. At this point, you no longer think of good or evil, or right or wrong; not even a single thought arises. All the same, you mustn”t feel that such a state is extraordinary. It”s simply one step along the way, and it”s a million miles away from putting an end to birth and death.

　　四禅名爲「舍念清淨地」。在此境界，連快樂的念也沒有了，已把它舍棄，而到達清淨無所作爲的境界，也就是到了無爲而無不爲的地步。到了四禅，乃是參禅功夫所必經之路，沒有什麼不得了，不要誤認是證果。如果這樣想，就和無聞比丘犯同樣的錯誤，而墮地獄。

　　The Fourth Dhyana is known as the Stage of the Purity of Renouncing Thought. At this stage, not even the thought of happiness remains. You”ve already done away with it, and you”ve come to a state of purity in which there”s no further action. This is the stage where "There is nothing to do, yet nothing is left undone." The attainment of the Fourth Dhyana is merely necessary part of the process of developing skill in meditation. There is nothing extraordinary about it. Do not mistakenly think that you have already realized the fruition. If you have that idea, you would be making the same mistake as the Unlearned Bhikshu, and you could fall into hells.

　　四禅的境界，還是凡夫的地位。如果精進向前，證到「五不還天」的境界，才是證得聖人的地位。但此位尚未了生死，非得超出叁界，才能了生脫死。這一點要弄清楚，不可混爲一談。

　　One who reaches the level of the Fourth Dhyana is still considered an ordinary person. If he continues to make vigorous progress and realizes the state of the Five Heavens of No Return, only then has he realized sagehood. Even so, he still hasn”t put an end to birth and death. One must transcend the Triple Realm before one can end birth and death. This point must be made clear: different stages should not be mixed up.

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