..续本文上一页iginal meaning. Seuksa goes further than merely accumulating knowledge and professional skills, as we get nowadays. It means to learn things which are truly relevant to life and then thoroughly train oneself in and according to that

　　knowledge. It is a “study” which leads ever more deeply into the heart, as we find when sikkhā is analyzed into the elements sa (by, for, and in oneself) and ikkha(to see)— “to see oneself by oneself,”

　　Nak means “one who does, one who is skilled at or expert in” a particular activity. A nak-seuksa is a “student”, but not by virtue of enrolling in a school, putting on a uniform, or carrying books. A true student must seuksa in all meanings, aspects, and levels of the word until being expert at seuksa. There are no institutions, schedules, or curricula which can contain the genuine student. Being a student is a fundamental duty of all human beings for as long as they breathe.

　　Lak means “principle, standard, post, bulwark, stake.” A lak is something we can grab onto-wisely-for stability and safety. Wise students begin their investigations with fundamentals and make sure to be firmly grounded in them before going further. In fact, the real basics are often enough. Identifying the principles which can stake us to the core of our subject is a start. Careful reflection on them leads to understanding. But only by incorporating them into our lives through practice do they become a trustworthy bulwark.

　　Dhamma * defies translation. It is the core of all spiritual endeavor and all life, even the most mundane. It can mean “thing,” “teachings,” and “the supreme, absolute Truth.” Here, for a practical start, we can emphasize four vital meanings of the word “Dhamma.”

　　“Nature” — all things, including humanity and all we do, and the natures of those things

　　“Law” — the natural law underlying and governing all those things

　　* Buddha-Dhamma means “the Buddha”s Dhamma” or the “Dhamma taught by the Buddha, the Awakened One.”

　　“Duty” — the way of living required of each human being, and all other beings, with every breath and at every opportunity, by the law of nature

　　“Fruit” — the result of duty done correctly according to natural law

　　These are the ground in which students of the truth of life must stake their principles. And it is the reality to which all study should lead.

　　Samrab means “for.” Dhamma Principles are not floating around in some metaphysical or philosophical twilight zone. They have a clear purpose and practical value. They are for the inspiration and enrichment of students. They are for those people who are curious about life, who want to understand what we are doing here and where we should be going, who are sick of selfishness and misery. They are not, however, to be taken as articles of faith to be believed, memorized, and recited for emotional satisfaction within an illusion of security. They are for study, investigation, experiment, as a means to one”s own realization of the truth which is the meaning of human life.

　　This book covers a variety of topics which are generally obscured or ignored, although they make up the essence of what Buddhism has to offer. When issues such as suffering and emptiness are pushed back into a dim, intangible ambiguity by the scholarly discussions which are all too common in modern Buddhism, Ajahn Buddhadāsa strives to help us see them in our own breathing and living. Where the academics, both Eastern and Western, see theories and philosophies, he sees the tools to live life in truth and peace. His vision and teaching are clear and succinct: we hope that our

　　attempts to translate them into English do him and his teachers — the Lord Buddha, Dhamma, life, and suffering — justice.

　　Here are questions which all Dhamma cultivators have asked ourselves at one time o…

《一问一智慧 Buddha-Dhamma For Students: answers to questions a non-Buddhist is likely to ask about the fundamentals of Buddhis》全文未完，请进入下页继续阅读…