..续本文上一页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. 什么是“无明”？“无明”就是不明白。不明白又是什么呢？就是俗话所说的糊涂。糊涂就是不懂道理，糊糊涂涂的。因为糊糊涂涂的时候不明白，就做出糊涂的行为，就有妄行了。什么叫“妄行”呢？“妄行”就是不应该做的而去做了。有了妄行，就有一种虚妄的认识，“识”就是一种认识。有了虚妄的认识，就有一种糊涂的“名色”。有糊涂的名色，就有一种糊涂的入；人有六根，所以就有“六入”。有糊涂的入，就有一种糊涂的“触”。有糊涂的接触，就想要有一种糊涂的“受”。有了糊涂的享受，就有了糊涂的“爱”。有了糊涂的爱，就有一种糊涂的“取”。有了糊涂的求取，就想有一种糊涂的“有”，有也就是得。有了糊涂的得，就有了“生”。有了来生，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. 这一些个因缘，都是开始于这个“糊涂”。开始是糊涂，所以结果也糊涂；这一生糊糊涂涂的，又有一个来生，来生还是糊涂。十二因缘最初就是个糊涂，所以十二因缘就是个糊涂因缘。糊涂因缘，就是凡夫所不能明白的这种因缘。这十二因缘就是说“我们人怎么样受生、怎么样死的这个道理”。就因为不懂这十二因缘法，所以就造成相反的作用，问题也就愈搞愈大，甚至于有了小孩，不把他生下来，就在他一、两个月，三、四个月时去堕胎了。
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，是从什么地方生出来的呢？都是从“无明”生出来的，“无明”就是糊涂的一个别名。无明生出来了，就想要去做去。因为无明，就有男女的性行为。这个性行为就是由糊涂而发生，然后才有这种糊涂的行为，这就是“无明缘行”。有糊涂的行为，然后就生出来一种糊涂的认识、糊涂的分别。这种识也就是中阴身，在男女有性行为的时候，这中阴身离得千里万里，都看得到这个地方有一线很小、很小的光明，它和这个父母有眷属因缘的，就看得见这个亮光，就到那儿去投胎，这个识就投胎了；所以说“行缘识”。
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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