The Basic Method of Meditation
《正定初阶》
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本书录自作者於一九九七年十二月在西澳大利亚帕斯北部一个为期九天的禅期中的开示。
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
正定初阶7阶段：
第一部 1把注意力保持在当下
第二部 2当下的默然觉知 (当下对呼吸的默然觉知)
3持续地注意著呼吸
4完全持续地注意著呼吸
第三部 5完全持续地注意著美妙的呼吸
6 体验美妙禅相
7 初禅
PART 1
第一部
“The goal of this meditation is the beautiful silence, stillness and clarity of mind”
此初阶禅法的目标是要使心达至美妙的静默、静止和清明的状态
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.
禅修是离弃执著、达至放下的方法。在禅修时，我们要放下外面的复杂世界，才能进入内在的宁静世界。在所有的神秘主义中、在许多的传统中，这都被认为是达至心灵清净、心力强化之道。心灵从世间解放出来，这种清净心的体验，是非常精彩和充满妙乐的。
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.
禅修通常在开始时是会有点辛苦，但请不要抗拒，要明白你将会因而经验到一些非常美妙、非常有意义的状态，这是很值得辛劳的。不努力便不会有进步，这是大自然的法则，不论是在家人或出家人，禅修或做任何事情若不精进努力，便不会有所成就。
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，单是努力并不足够，努力得来必须巧妙。这即是说，要将精力用於恰当之处，并维持至其任务完成为止。巧妙的精进努力不会障碍你亦不会阻扰你，反而只会把你带至深层的禅定，体验很美妙的平静。
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.
想知道精进努力应用於何处，便须彻底明白禅修的目标。此初阶禅法的目标便是要使心达至美妙的静默、静止和清明的状态。若你明白此目标，那么应该投入精进努力之处和达成此目标的方法都会变得很清晰。
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.
精进努力是用来放下一切、用来发展出一颗趣向离执的心。佛陀说的话深睿但简单，他曾说：「禅修者拥有一颗趣向离执的心，便很容易成就三摩地。」这样的禅修者几乎是自然地证得这些内在的妙乐状态。佛陀的意思是，证入深层禅定、达至这等强劲状态的主要原因，便是有舍弃、放下和出离的意愿。
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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