..续本文上一页etimes thinking what is evil.

　　When we want to make the path transcendent, we have to bring the principles of virtue, concentration, and discernment to bear on our thoughts, words, and deeds, and then focus on cleansing those thoughts, words, and deeds so that they”re in line with the principles of virtue, concentration, and discernment to the point where we attain a purity that is radiant and lasting. Only then can the path become transcendent.

　　The results of each path, whether mundane or transcendent, follow immediately on the practice of the path, just as your shadow follows immediately upon you.

　　To return to the discussion of the mundane path: Although the mundane path is said to have eight factors, this eightfold path — as it”s put into practice by people in general — forks into two: eight right factors and eight wrong, making a sixteen-fold path. This is why regress is possible. What this comes down to is the fact that virtue, concentration, and discernment aren”t in harmony. For example, our virtue may be right and our concentration wrong, or our discernment right and our virtue and concentration wrong. In other words, our words and deeds may be virtuous, but our thoughts — overpowered by the hindrances — may not reach singleness; or the mind may reach stillness, but without being able to let go of its preoccupations with the elements, aggregates, or sense media. Sometimes our discernment and insight may be right, but we haven”t abandoned unvirtuous actions. We know they”re harmful and we”re able to abstain for a while, but we still can”t help reverting to them even though we know better. This is why we say the mundane path has sixteen factors, eight right and eight wrong, sometimes turning this way and sometimes that.

　　If, however, you really decide to train yourself and then watch over mundane right view so as to keep it right without letting the wrong path interfere — so that your virtue, concentration, and discernment are right and in harmony — then this very same mundane path, once it is made constant and consistent, will become transcendent, leading to the stream to nibbana. Once you reach the transcendent level, the path has only eight factors: Your virtue, concentration, and discernment are all entirely right. In this way they transcend the mundane level. The mundane level is inconstant: inconsistent, undependable, dishonest with itself. One moment you do good; the next evil. Then after you”ve regressed, you progress again. If you were to classify people of the mundane level, there are four sorts:

　　1. Some people have done evil in the past, are doing evil in the present, and will continue doing evil in the future.

　　2. Some people have done evil in the past, but are doing good in the present, and aren”t willing to abandon their goodness in the future.

　　3. Some people have done good in the past, are doing good in the present, but will give it up in the future.

　　4. Some people have done only good in the past, are keeping it up in the present in all their actions — i.e., virtue, concentration, and discernment are constantly with them — and they plan to keep on doing good into the future.

　　So there”s nothing constant about people on the mundane level. They”re greedy, they”re rich. They do both good and evil. Two hands aren”t enough for them; they have to carry their goods on a pole over the shoulder, with one load on the front end and another on the back. Sometimes the back load — the past — is good, but the front load — the future — is evil. Sometimes the front and back loads are both evil, but the person in the middle is good. Sometimes all three are good. When we”re loaded up like this, we”re not balanced. One load is heavy and the other one light. Sometimes we tip over backwards, and sometimes fall flat on our face — back and forth like this, from one level of being to the next. This is how it is with virtue, concentration, and discernment on the mundane level. There”s no telling where they”ll lead you next. so once you”ve come to your senses, you should start right in keeping watch over the mundane path so that you can bring mundane virtue, concentration, and discernment into line with the transcendent.

《The Craft of the Heart - The Nine Stages of Liberating Insight》全文阅读结束。