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发表于 2014-5-17 00:09:05
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Part One
ENTERING THE PATH
ENCOUNTERING THE DHARMA
1 Beginning at the Beginning
Hinayana(n. 小乘佛教) is like building a castle on rock. It takes great vision(眼光 洞察力) as well as great discipline(n. 戒律) and practicality. Without this deep-rooted approach, it would be like building a castle on ice: when the ice melted, the castle would go down the drain(n.下水道) .
IN ORDER to(为了) understand the dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, we have to begin at the beginning. We have to work step by step, stitch by stitch(一针一线)—and the way to begin at the beginning is with the hinayana, the “path of individual salvation(n. 救赎).” In Tibetan, the term for hinayana is thekpa chung. Thek means “lifted up,” and pa makes it a noun; so thekpa means “something that is lifted up,” or “vehicle.” Chung means “tiny,” or “small,” so thekpa chung (or in abbreviated form, thekchung) means “small vehicle.” The hinayana is called the smaller vehicle, not because it is simpleminded(adj.头脑简单的) or lacking in vision, but because it is a pragmatic(实际的), deep-rooted approach.
Hinayana is like building a castle on rock. It takes great vision as well as great discipline and practicality. Without this deep-rooted approach, it would be like building a castle on ice: when the ice melted, the castle would go down the drain. There is nothing frivolous(轻率的,不严肃的) in the hinayana approach. Everything is very direct and precise(adj. 精密的). It is the straight-and-narrow path. The hinayana notion(见解) of the absence of frivolity plays an extremely important part in the entire Buddhist path. Therefore, there is a need for reverence(崇敬,虔诚) and respect for the understanding of the hinayana.
Buddhism says that confusion(n.困惑) has to be dispelled(消除想法或感觉) and that there should be realization beyond confusion. It is based on the idea of transcending(超越) the highest ideals of the human mind completely, which is called enlightenment. Once you dissolve(vi.消失,溶解), once your particular(自己独有的) expectations dissolve, that is liberation or enlightenment. Since enlightenment is based on dissolving the ego and its expectations, it has been said that you cannot watch your own burial, and you cannot congratulate yourself on becoming the first buddha of the age or the first buddha of New York.
The hinayana is important for our journey because we have our body, our neuroses (Trungpa Rinpoche employs the psychological term neurosis not in the strictly Freudian sense, but to refer to the common human experience of conflicting emotions, or kleshas(烦恼障). He prefers to present the spiritual path as a journey from neurosis to sanity, rather than using more religious or philosophical terminology.), our state of being(生存状态), our mind, and our habitual patterns(思维定式), and it is necessary to work with those things before we can go further on the path. We should not be too ambitious and reject what is around us. Moreover, the hinayana is important because with the hinayana we begin to see our experience as literal(字面上的) experience. If we put salt on our meal, when we taste the salt, we taste real salt. If we sprain(vt. 扭伤) our ankle, we really feel our sprained ankle. If we have a backache, we experience a real and direct backache.
In studying the dharma, we have to understand what we are doing. When a baker makes bread, he has to know the proper amount of yeast(酵母) and water to use, as well as the right amount of flour. The best baker should also know how the wheat has been cultivated(种植) and manured(施肥). In a similar way, you have to know your mind: the neuroses(矛盾思想), the positive possibilities, the obstacles, and the vicissitudes(n.变迁,兴衰,枯荣). You have to know realities as well as fantasies, hopes, and ideas. You need to know how certain situations produce either painful or wholesome(adj. 有益的) possibilities for you. The teachings of the Buddha are quite realistic and pragmatic(adj. 实际的, 务实的).
According to the hinayana, life is painful, with an occasional(偶尔) speck(一点点,微粒) of pleasure. We are born, we get old, we experience sickness, and, last but not least, we die. We are each waiting to die. I’m afraid that is the bad news. Whether you are young or old doesn’t make much difference—everybody will eventually die. So now is the time to do something with your life. We are not interested in developing eternity(永恒) or immortality(n. 不朽), or in preventing being sick or being born. We are interested in doing something while we are alive, while we are breathing, while we can see the beauty of the snow, the flowers, the blue sky, the sunshine, and the many other things we can imagine.
Life is like a stew(n. 炖, 炖汤): everything is mixed together, which may or may not work. That mixture is what is called “samsara(n. 轮回),” or khorwa in Tibetan. Khor means “spinning around(旋转),” and wa makes it a noun; so khorwa means “spinning around in our life.” Samsara is not necessarily bad, but it makes us dizzy(眩晕). We have no idea whether we are going to the east, south, west, or north. Samsara is like the epitome(典型) of a hallucinatory drug, a super-LSD(麦角酸酰二乙胺; 摇头丸; 非法的强致幻药物)—and here we are, in it. We are in samsara whether we like it or not.
The dharma shows us the possibility of getting out of samsara. So-called enlightenment(启蒙 开悟) is possible. You can do it. You can learn about it and you can do it. Enlightenment is like witnessing(目睹) the brilliant sun for the first time in the morning. It is like seeing the beautiful flowers that grow in the woods, the frolicking(嬉戏的 欢乐的) deer, a bird flying proudly, or fish swimming. Life is not all that grim(严酷的,令人沮丧的). In the morning when you brush your teeth, you can see how shiny they are. Reality has its own gallantry(勇敢), spark, and arrogance(自大 傲慢). You can study life while you are alive. You can study how you can achieve the brilliance(辉煌) of life. However, the desire to be enlightened can be a problem. It is when it is not all that important to you that you will attain(实现 达到) enlightenment.
Dharma is like the atmosphere: you cannot escape it. According to the dharma, delusion(幻觉,错觉) is not regarded as catastrophic(毁灭性的), and bewilderment(迷惑,困惑) is not regarded as terrible. Nonetheless(尽管如此), we are stuck with(无法摆脱) them. The Buddha said that all human beings experience bewilderment. You need to hear that particular bad news, but please don’t be startled(受惊吓), because you can do something about it. However, nobody is going to do it for you. You have to begin by yourself, so maybe you should be startled. You should be shocked when you realize that you have been trapped and imprisoned, because then you might do something about it. You have been too naïve(幼稚). You have enjoyed your samsaric life too much. You should have been shocked a long time ago! I’m sorry that I’m the one to bring you the bad news, although possibly, quite remotely, I might also be bringing the potential of good news. But to begin with, you have to experience that reality begins at home—in fact, in your own basement.
The Frozen Space of Ego
The skandhas present a complete picture of ego(自我). According to Buddhist psychology, the ego is simply a collection of skandhas or heaps(堆积的东西)—but actually there is no such thing as ego. It is a brilliant work of art, a product of the intellect, which says, “Let’s give all this a name. Let’s call it ‘I.’”
WITH ANY kind of spiritual practice, you need to have a basic understanding of where you are starting from, where you are going, and what you are working with. It is necessary to start with what you are and why you are searching. If you do not know that basic ground, there is no point, because your ideas become mere fantasy. Although you may hear about advanced ideas and experiences, your understanding will be based purely on your own expectations and desires. It is a weak aspect of human nature to always want to see and hear something colorful and extraordinary(非同寻常的). But an emphasis on extraordinarily enlightening(使人领悟的,有启发性的) and delightful experiences only feeds your expectations and preconceptions(先入之见,偏见), so your mind is preoccupied with(沉浸在,全神贯注) what will be, rather than what is. That approach is rather destructive(毁灭性的). It is not fair to people to perpetuate(保持, 永久) their weaknesses, their expectations, and their dreams. It is better to begin with the realistic starting point of what they are.
Before we speak of liberation or freedom, we need to discuss the basis of the path, which is confusion. It is important to begin by considering the development of what in the Buddhist tradition is called “ego.” This may sound pejorative(贬义的 批评的 轻蔑的), but we do not have to be ashamed of what we are. Although our background may not be particularly enlightened, peaceful, or intelligent, it is good enough. We can work with it. It is like plowing a furrow(耕地) and planting seeds. So we are not trying to get rid of(去除) the ego, but simply acknowledge it and see it as it is.
OPEN SPACE
In the development of ego, at the beginning there is basic ground, basic consciousness, open space. There is openness, freedom, and spaciousness(宽广) all the time. For example, in everyday life, at the first moment we see an object, there is a sudden recognition without logic or conceptualization. We just perceive(感觉 觉察) openness. But immediately we panic, and we hurry to try to put something into that openness. We try to find a name or a pigeonhole(鸽舍,分类架) so that we can locate and categorize that particular thing according to our own ideas and conceptualizations. As that process continues, the ego becomes more and more solid. However, the idea of ego as a solid ongoing(不间断的 持续发展的) entity is illusory; it is a mistaken belief. Although confused mind would like to view itself as solid, it is only a collection of tendencies and events. This collection is referred to as the five skandhas, or five “heaps”: form, feeling, perception(知觉,感知,洞察力) / impulse, concept / formation, and consciousness.
THE FIVE SKANDHAS
The First Skandha: Form
SOLIDIFYING SPACE In the beginning, there is open space belonging to no one, and within that space is primeval(原始的,初期的) intelligence, or vidya, so there is both intelligence and space. It is like a completely open and spacious(宽阔的,广阔的) room in which you can dance about and not be afraid of knocking anything over. You are this space; you are one with it. But you become confused. Because it is so spacious, you begin to whirl(旋转) and dance about. You become too active in the space.
As you dance, you want to experience the space more and more, to enjoy the dance and the openness. But at that point, space is no longer space, as such. It has become solid space because of your unnecessary urge to contact it. When you try to cling to space, to grasp it, the whole perspective(思维方式,看法) is completely changed. You have solidified space and made it tangible(有形的). That sense of self-consciousness is the birth of duality(二元性). Spaciousness has become solid space, and you have begun to identify yourself with the “I.” You are identified with the duality of “I” and space, rather than being completely one with space. You have become self-conscious, conscious that “you” are dancing in space. This is the birth of the first skandha, the skandha of form.
Having solidified space, you forget what you have done. Suddenly there is a blackout(灯火熄灭,暂时的意识丧失), a gap. Your intelligence suddenly collapses, and you are completely overwhelmed(淹没) by ignorance in a kind of reverse(倒退的,相反的) enlightenment experience. When you wake up, you become fascinated(入迷的) with your own creation, acting as if you had nothing to do with it, as though you yourself were not the creator of all this solidity. You deliberately ignore the openness and intelligence, so the intelligent, sharp(敏锐的,机敏的), precise(精密的), flowing(流动的), and luminous(发光的 明亮的) quality of space becomes static(静态的). There is still primeval intelligence, or vidya, but it has been captured and solidified. Therefore, it has become avidya, or ignorance. That blackout of intelligence is the source of the ego. From that sudden blackout, as you continue to explore, gradually things become more and more solid.
THREE STAGES OF IGNORANCE. The skandha of form has three stages. The first stage, the birth of ignorance, is a kind of chemical reaction in which you come to the conclusion of your own separateness. It is as if there were a desert, simple and basic, but strangely and suddenly one of the grains(谷粒 颗粒) of sand popped up(突然出现) and began to look around.
The second stage is called the ignorance born within. Having noticed that you are separate, you feel that you have always been so. However, that instinct toward self-consciousness is awkward(尴尬,不舒适). You feel unbalanced, so you try to secure your ground and create a shelter for yourself. You take the attitude that you are a confused and separate individual, and that is all there is to it(仅此而已).
The third type of ignorance is self-observing ignorance. As you are watching yourself, you see yourself as an external object, which leads to the notion of “other.” You are beginning to have a relationship with the so-called “external world.” You are beginning to create the world of forms.
The Second Skandha: Feeling
Having managed to transform space into solidness, you would then like to possess it and grasp it. Having solidified the duality of self and other, you try to feel the qualities of that “other” in order to reassure yourself that you exist. You reach out to sense whether that “other” is seductive(诱人的,有魅力的), threatening, or neutral. You think that if you can feel something “out there,” then you must really be here. The mechanism(机制) of feeling you set up is extremely efficient.
The Third Skandha: Perception / Impulse
In the act of perception, having received information about the outside world from the skandha of feeling, you respond to that information in three ways: by drawing in, pushing away, or being indifferent. The skandha of feeling transmits(传输,传播,传导) its information, and you make judgments, you react. Whether you react for or against or indifferently is automatically determined by this bureaucracy(官僚主义) of feeling and perception. If you find the situation threatening, you push it away; if you find it seductive, you draw it to you; if you find it neutral, you are indifferent. So perception / impulse is an automatic impulsive(冲动的) reaction to intuitive feeling.
The Fourth Skandha: Concept / Formation
The automatic reaction of the third skandha is not enough of a defense to protect your ignorance and guarantee your security. In order to protect and deceive(欺骗) yourself properly, you need intellect, the ability to name and categorize things. With intellect, you can label things “good,” “bad,” “beautiful,” “ugly,” and so on.
With each of the skandhas, the structure of ego is gradually becoming heavier and stronger. Up to this point, ego’s development was purely based on action and reaction, but from this point on, the ego is becoming more sophisticated. You begin to experience intellectual speculation(思索,思辨), to confirm and interpret yourself. The nature of intellect is quite logical, and your obvious tendency is to use that logic to create a positive condition for yourself. You use the intellect to confirm your experience, to interpret weakness as strength, to fabricate(伪造) security, and to verify your ignorance. So although primordial(原始的) intelligence is happening all the time, it is being employed by ignorance, by dualistic fixation.
The Fifth Skandha: Consciousness
The last stage of the development of ego is consciousness. Consciousness is an amalgamation of the intuitive intelligence of the skandha of feeling, the energy of the skandha of perception / impulse, and the intellectualization of the skandha of concept / formation. That combination produces thoughts and emotions. So at the level of the fifth skandha, we find emotional upheavals and the uncontrollable and illogical patterns of discursive thought. With the development of discursive thoughts and fantasies, the whole thing is completely secured.
The five skandhas present a complete picture of ego. According to Buddhist psychology, the ego is simply a collection of skandhas, or heaps—but actually there is no such thing as ego. It is a brilliant work of art, a product of the intellect, which says, “Let’s give all this a name. Let’s call it ‘I.’” That “I” is the label that unifies that disorganized and scattered process into one entity. It is very clever. |
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发表于 2014-5-6 10:27:01
