The Basic Method of Meditation
《正定初階》
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本書錄自作者於一九九七年十二月在西澳大利亞帕斯北部一個爲期九天的禅期中的開示。
October 2005
Contents
Part 1 Sustained attention on the present moment
Part 2 Silent awareness of the present moment
Silent present moment awareness of the breath
Full sustained attention on the breath
Part 3 Full sustained attention on the beautiful breath
Experiencing the beautiful Nimitta
First Jhana
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO ARAHATO SAMMA SAMBUDDHASSA
正定初階7階段：
第一部 1把注意力保持在當下
第二部 2當下的默然覺知 (當下對呼吸的默然覺知)
3持續地注意著呼吸
4完全持續地注意著呼吸
第叁部 5完全持續地注意著美妙的呼吸
6 體驗美妙禅相
7 初禅
PART 1
第一部
“The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind”
此初階禅法的目標是要使心達至美妙的靜默、靜止和清明的狀態
Mditation is the way to achieve letting go. In meditation one lets go of the complex world outside in order to reach the serene world inside. In all types of mysticism, in many traditions, this is known as the path to the pure and powerful mind. The experience of this pure mind, released from the world, is very wonderful and blissful.
禅修是離棄執著、達至放下的方法。在禅修時，我們要放下外面的複雜世界，才能進入內在的甯靜世界。在所有的神秘主義中、在許多的傳統中，這都被認爲是達至心靈清淨、心力強化之道。心靈從世間解放出來，這種清淨心的體驗，是非常精彩和充滿妙樂的。
Often with meditation there will be some hard work at the beginning, but be willing to bear that hard work knowing that it will lead you to experience some very beautiful and meaningful states. They will be well worth the effort! It is a law of nature that without effort one does not make progress. Whether one is a layperson or a monk, without effort one gets nowhere, in meditation or in anything.
禅修通常在開始時是會有點辛苦，但請不要抗拒，要明白你將會因而經驗到一些非常美妙、非常有意義的狀態，這是很值得辛勞的。不努力便不會有進步，這是大自然的法則，不論是在家人或出家人，禅修或做任何事情若不精進努力，便不會有所成就。
Effort alone, though, is not sufficient. The effort needs to be skilful. This means directing your energy just at the right places and sustaining it there until its task is completed. Skilful effort neither hinders nor disturbs you, instead it produces the beautiful peace of deep meditation.
然而，單是努力並不足夠，努力得來必須巧妙。這即是說，要將精力用於恰當之處，並維持至其任務完成爲止。巧妙的精進努力不會障礙你亦不會阻擾你，反而只會把你帶至深層的禅定，體驗很美妙的平靜。
In order to know where your effort should be directed, you must have a clear understanding of the goal of meditation. The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind. If you can understand that goal then the place to apply your effort and the means to achieve the goal become very clear.
想知道精進努力應用於何處，便須徹底明白禅修的目標。此初階禅法的目標便是要使心達至美妙的靜默、靜止和清明的狀態。若你明白此目標，那麼應該投入精進努力之處和達成此目標的方法都會變得很清晰。
The effort is directed to letting go, to developing a mind that inclines to abandoning. One of the many simple but profound statements of the Lord Buddha is that a meditator whose mind inclines to abandoning, easily achieves Samadhi. Such a meditator gains these states of inner bliss almost automatically. What the Lord Buddha is saying is that the major cause for attaining deep meditation, for reaching these powerful states, is the willingness to abandon, to let go and to renounce.
精進努力是用來放下一切、用來發展出一顆趣向離執的心。佛陀說的話深睿但簡單，他曾說：「禅修者擁有一顆趣向離執的心，便很容易成就叁摩地。」這樣的禅修者幾乎是自然地證得這些內在的妙樂狀態。佛陀的意思是，證入深層禅定、達至這等強勁狀態的主要原因，便是有舍棄、放下和出離的意願。
During meditation, we should not develop a mind which accumulates and holds on to things, but instead we develop a mind which is willing to let go of things, to let go of burdens. Outside of meditation we have to carry the burden of our many duties, like so many heavy suitcases, but within the period of meditation so much baggage is unnecessary. So, in meditation, see how much baggage you can unload. Think of these things as burdens, heavy weights pressing up…
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