..續本文上一頁age in The Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra, “No ignorance or ending of ignorance, up to and including no old age and death or ending of old age and death” refers to the Twelvefold Conditioned Arising. The Twelvefold Conditioned Arising is the reason that people are in the endless cycle of death and rebirth. The chain of the Twelvefold Conditioned Arising consists of: ignorance is the condition for karmic activity; karmic activity the condition for consciousness; consciousness is the condition for name and form; name and form is the condition for the six entrances (i.e., the six sense-faculties); the six entrances is the condition for contact; contact is the condition for feeling; feeling is the condition for emotional love or craving; emotional love is the condition for grasping; grasping is the condition for becoming; becoming is the condition for birth; birth is the condition for old age and death. 什麼是“無明”？“無明”就是不明白。不明白又是什麼呢？就是俗話所說的糊塗。糊塗就是不懂道理，糊糊塗塗的。因爲糊糊塗塗的時候不明白，就做出糊塗的行爲，就有妄行了。什麼叫“妄行”呢？“妄行”就是不應該做的而去做了。有了妄行，就有一種虛妄的認識，“識”就是一種認識。有了虛妄的認識，就有一種糊塗的“名色”。有糊塗的名色，就有一種糊塗的入；人有六根，所以就有“六入”。有糊塗的入，就有一種糊塗的“觸”。有糊塗的接觸，就想要有一種糊塗的“受”。有了糊塗的享受，就有了糊塗的“愛”。有了糊塗的愛，就有一種糊塗的“取”。有了糊塗的求取，就想有一種糊塗的“有”，有也就是得。有了糊塗的得，就有了“生”。有了來生，就有了“老死”。
What is “ignorance”
“Ignorance” is the lack of understanding. In everyday language it is called “being mixed-up.” It means that you have not understood the truth. Because you are so mixed up and you don”t understand, you engage in confused and erroneous activities. “Erroneous activities” in this context means doing something that you shouldn”t do. The erroneous activity leads to false recognition, or “consciousness.” Consciousness leads to mixed-up “name and form.” Mixed-up name and form leads to mixed-up entrances. Since human beings have six sense-faculties, sense data come into our bodies and minds through these “six entrances.” From mixed-up entrances, mixed-up “contact” arises. Where there is mixed-up contact, one wants mixed-up “feeling of enjoyment.” From such mixed-up feeling comes mixed-up “emotional love” or craving. From mixed-up craving, mixed-up “grasping” arises. Once there is mixed-up grasping, mixed-up “becoming” results. From mixed-up becoming, one then obtains “birth.” From birth comes “old age and death. 這一些個因緣，都是開始于這個“糊塗”。開始是糊塗，所以結果也糊塗；這一生糊糊塗塗的，又有一個來生，來生還是糊塗。十二因緣最初就是個糊塗，所以十二因緣就是個糊塗因緣。糊塗因緣，就是凡夫所不能明白的這種因緣。這十二因緣就是說“我們人怎麼樣受生、怎麼樣死的這個道理”。就因爲不懂這十二因緣法，所以就造成相反的作用，問題也就愈搞愈大，甚至于有了小孩，不把他生下來，就在他一、兩個月，叁、四個月時去墮胎了。
These conditioned causes start with being ignorant or confused. Because people are confused in the beginning, they are confused in the end. They pass through one muddled life to the next, and that next life is also muddled. The Twelvefold Conditioned Arising starts with the mental state of ignorance, and explains the causes of our confusion. Unfortunately, ordinary people can”t understand this principle, when in fact the Twelvefold Conditioned Arising tells us that, “The way we die depends on the way we live.” Unfortunately, because people don”t understand, they do things contrary to this teaching. As a result, their troubles grow bigger and bigger to the point that they become pregnant. Things get even worse when, instead of giving birth, they get an abortion during the first few months of the fetus” life. 人的欲念，食欲或者色欲，是從什麼地方生出來的呢？都是從“無明”生出來的，“無明”就是糊塗的一個別名。無明生出來了，就想要去做去。因爲無明，就有男女的性行爲。這個性行爲就是由糊塗而發生，然後才有這種糊塗的行爲，這就是“無明緣行”。有糊塗的行爲，然後就生出來一種糊塗的認識、糊塗的分別。這種識也就是中陰身，在男女有性行爲的時候，這中陰身離得千裏萬裏，都看得到這個地方有一線很小、很小的光明，它和這個父母有眷屬因緣的，就看得見這個亮光，就到那兒去投胎，這個識就投胎了；所以說“行緣識”。
Where do people”s desires, whether for food or sex, come from
They are all products of ignorance. Ignorance is just another name for being confused. When thoughts arise, a desire to act follows. Because there is ignorance, there is sexual activity. The confused sexual activ…
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