参禅的境界

　　The State of Chan Meditation

　　坐禅，坐到内无身心，外无世界。

　　Sit in meditation until "Inside you have no body and mind, and outside there is no world."

　　坐禅，坐到内无身心，外无世界，远无其物的时候，就能无我相、无人相、无众生相、无寿者相。这就是「过去心不可得，现在心不可得，未来心不可得。」到这种境界，并不是得到真功夫，怎么样了不起了。你或者坐一个钟头，或者坐十个钟头，或者能坐一个月，甚至能坐十个月，这不过是功夫有点相应的现象，得到一点轻安的境界而已。经过轻安境界之后，继续参禅，便到初禅的境界。

　　If you can sit in meditation until your state is such that "inside you have no body and mind," outside you have no world, and afar there are no objects," then you can realize the state of "no trace of self, no trace of others, no trace of living beings, and no trace of life spans." This state is also described as, "Thoughts of the past cannot be obtained, thoughts of the present cannot be obtained, and thoughts of the future cannot be obtained." Even if you reach this level of attainment, it still cannot be considered actual skill; it”s not really very special. Suppose you can sit still for one hour, ten hours, one month, or ten months. That”s only a sign that you have had a bit of response in your work, that you”ve attained a state of "lightness and ease." You must keep up your practice of meditation continuously, past the stage of "lightness and ease," to actually reach the level of the First Dhyana concentration.

　　初禅天名叫「离生喜乐地」，就是离开众生所喜欢的境界。在离生喜乐地打坐时，很快入定，在定中，呼吸停止，不入不出，不来不去。好像乌龟在冬季的时节，把头缩回壳内，外边停止呼吸，可是内部呼吸活动起来，这是冬眠现象。参禅的人，在定中停止呼吸，出定时照常呼吸。各位注意，如果到这种境界的时候，不可以打妄想：「哦！没有呼吸了！」这个妄念一生，马上恢复呼吸，所以不可不慎；否则失去机会，必须再重来。

　　The Heaven of the First Dhyana is known as "the stage of happiness that leaves living beings behind." It means that you have reached a stage of happiness beyond that which living beings enjoy. When you are at this stage in your meditation, you quickly enter samadhi-concentration. In this samadhi, your breathing stops, and you no longer inhale nor exhale; the breath neither comes nor goes. You”re like a turtle hibernating in the winter, with its head drawn back into its shell. The external breathing come to rest, while the internal breathing comes alive; this is a phenomenon experienced by creatures in winter hibernation. When Chan meditators enter samadhi, their breath stops, but as soon as they leave samadhi, their breathing returns to normal. Please attend to this point, everyone! When you reach this stage, you cannot have the false thought, "Oh! I believe my breath has stopped!" As soon as that thought occurs to you, your breath starts right up again, immediately. You can”t be careless, or else you”ll lose your chance and have to start all over again.

　　由初禅天精进修禅定，进入二禅天的境界。二禅天名叫「定生喜乐地」，就是常在定中生出一种快乐，这种快乐无法形容，所谓「禅悦为食，法喜充满」的境界。在定生喜乐地坐禅时，在定中不但呼吸停止，而且脉搏也停止。要注意，停止不是断绝，出定时，又会恢复正常。

　　From the stage of the First Dhyana, if you can make vigorous progress, you enter into the stage of the Second Dhyana Heaven. This stage is known as "the stage of happiness that brings concentration." When one is constantly in this samadhi, it brings along a quality of happiness which is completely unparalleled and indescribable. It”s known as "taking the joy of Chan as your food, and being filled with the bliss of the Dharma." When you meditate at the stage of the Second Dhyana, "the stage of happiness that brings concentration," not only does your breathing stop, but your pulse stops as well. Please note that "stop" does not mean it”s cut off for good,; when you leave this state of concentration, the pulse returns to normal.

　　由二禅天精进修禅定，进入三禅天的境界。三禅天名叫「离喜妙乐地」，就是离开粗的欢喜，尚有细的欢喜，得到微妙的快乐。在离喜妙乐地坐禅时，在定中不但呼吸和脉搏停止，而且心念也停止，真像死人一样。这时念停止了，没有一切妄想。

　　If you continue to vigorously cultivate Chan concentration past the Second Dhyana, then you may enter the stage of the Third Dhyana Heaven. This is known as "the stage of bliss beyond happiness." That is to say, you leave coarse happiness behind and reach a level of subtle bliss that is most wonderful. In this …

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