[生命本身是囚牢]

Life Itself Is Prison

大家首先要看清的囚牢就是生命本身。

如果你看得出生命是一座囚牢，就可说对自然真理有相当的了解了。然而，大部分人却把生命当成可以玩乐享受的东西，他们浸淫于享受生命，并且迷恋、沉溺其中。正因沈醉于生命，更使得生命本身变成囚牢。

Using metaphors makes it easier for us to understand the matter we're discussing. So we will make use of them here today. The first prison which you must look for and see is life itself. If you look on life as a prison, and see the prison that it is, then we must say that you know the truth of nature quite well. Most people, however, look on life as something enjoyable, as an opportunity to have fun. They are willing to live for the enjoyment of life. They then become infatuated with and engrossed in life, which is what turns it into prison.

若能看到生命是囚牢，必然能够看到生命中的执著。如果从未看到生命中的执著，就不可能了解生命即囚牢，反而会把生命视为天堂而心满意足。生命当中有许多能满足我们、迷惑我们的东西，对这些令人满足、合意、迷恋的事物存有执著，就会造作出一座座的囚牢。对事物喜爱的程度有多深，则因执著生起的囚牢便有多大的束缚力，这是属于正面的执著；而当我们憎恨或厌恶某些事物时，就形成负面的执著。只要是沉迷于事物中，不管是正面或负面的执著，同样都是囚牢。

If we see life as a prison, then we must have seen the upadana in this life. If we haven't seen the upadana in life, we won't see that life is a prison and we'll be content to think that this life is heaven instead. This is because there are so many things in life that satisfy us, that trick us and engross us; however, in anything that we find satisfying, agreeable, attractive, and infatuating there will be upadana as well. That thing becomes a prison. However much we love something, it becomes at least that much a prison because of upadana. This is a positive kind of upadana. As soon as we hate something, or dislike something, that becomes a negative kind of upadana, which is a prison just the same. To be beguiled and misled, either by the positive or by the negative, is a prison both ways. And that prison turns life into dukkha.

此外，每个人都要了解：只要对生命有执著，生命就会变成囚牢；对生命没有执著，生命就不再是囚牢。此时此地，大家可以自己反省：“我对生命是否有执著？我的生命是不是一座囚牢？我是否正住在一座执著的囚牢中？”必须非常详细地观察自己并彻彻底底地检查，生命对你而言是不是一座囚牢？你是否已经有了囚牢？是否正住在囚牢中？否则为什么要到这里来静坐、修习止观呢？就本质来说，修习止观的真正目的就是要摧毁囚牢。至于研习与修持能否成就，或能否摧毁囚牢，那是另一回事，但真正目的就是要摧毁生命的囚牢。

In addition, one will be able to see that when there is upadana in life, then life becomes a prison. And so, when there is no upadana, then life is not a prison at all. You can see this right now, here, whether or not there is upadana in your life? "Is my life a prison or not? Am I living in a prison of upadana, or not?" Each of you must look very carefully into your own hearts and see absolutely clearly whether life is a prison for you or not. Have you got a prison or not? Are you living in a prison or not? Otherwise, why are we coming here to meditate, to cultivate the mind? In essence, the true goal and purpose of mental development is the destruction of our prisons. Whether your studies and practice are successful, whether you can destroy the prison or not, is another question. Nonetheless, our real aim and purpose is to destroy the prison of life.

仔细想想！如果我们无法辨识执著，那么甚至会在不认得囚牢的情况下被捕入牢内，更糟的是，还会对囚牢感到满足和迷恋，就如同满足和沉迷于生命一样。由于满足和沉迷于生命，我们便被禁锢在生命之囚中。那要怎么做才不会使生命成为囚牢呢？这是个必须谨慎而且准确回应的问题。

Consider this carefully. If we don't recognize upadana, we are caught in prison without even recognizing the prison. We are trapped in prison without knowing the prison at all. What's more, we are satisfied and infatuated with that prison, just as we are infatuated and satisfied with life. Because we are infatuated and satisfied in life, we get caught in the prison of life. What are we going to do that it won't be a prison? This is the question that we must answer most carefully and correctly.

要如何生活才不会使生命成为囚牢？这意味著生命原本就不是囚牢，是人们起了执著，才使生命变成囚牢，是我们自己的无明、愚痴和缺乏正见，才使生命有了执著，而让生命演变成一座囚牢。在泰国有句粗鄙且含责难意味的俚语“ Som nam na man ”，意思是“活该”！。生命本来不是囚牢，是我们无明的执著才产生囚牢，这只能说“活该”了！

How are we to live so that life is not a prison? This means that ordinarily, or naturally, life is not a prison, that we only make it into a prison through upadana. Because of our own ignorance, our own stupidity, our own lack of correct understanding, we have upadana in life. Life then becomes a prison for us. In Thai we have a phrase which is both crude and critical, "som nam naa man," which means something like, "it serves you right." Life isn't a prison or any such thing, but through our own stupidity we make upadana with ignorance (avijja) and then there's the prison. What can we say but "som nam naa man, it serves you right."

如果你能成功地修习出入息念，就会相当了解生命，并进一步充分了解执著。如此，在生命中就不会存有一丝执著，日后便不再产生囚牢，现有的囚牢也会瓦解消失。这是非常有价值且具意义的事；但人们是否能接受，却是另一回事，不见得人人都能够了解。请试著来认识这些应该要了解的事实吧！它将激发我们以精力和毅力去摧毁囚牢。

If you are successful in practicing anapanasati-bhavana (mindfulness with breathing mind cultivation), you will understand life well. You will know upadana well and you won't have any upadana in this thing called "life." Then any prison that is happening dissolves and disappears, and new prisons don't occur. This kind of life has the most value, but who gets it or does not get it is another matter. Please try to understand these facts as you ought to. This will motivate you to apply yourselves with energy and patience to be able to destroy the prison.

从另一个角度来看，生命必须随顺自然法则，或者说我们必须遵守自然法则来履行责任。我们必须觅食、运动、休息及松弛身心，必须靠工作维持生计，不去做这些，根本不可能！而被迫使去做，也是一座囚牢。我们得随时遵循自然法则，这样的事实就是一种囚牢。然而要如何打破这座囚牢呢？

One way to look at these facts is to observe that life must carry on according to the law of nature; or that we ourselves must carry on in line with natural law. We must search for food, must exercise, must rest and relax, must work to maintain and support our lives: we must do these and all the other things that you know so well. Not to do them is impossible. We're forced to do them. This is a prison, too. The fact that we must always follow the law of nature is a kind of prison. How are we going to break out of this particular prison?

为什么我们会被禁锢在“必须服从自然法则”的囚牢里？因为我们对自身或对生命产生执取，一旦生起执著，“我”便产生，便开始对生命感到不安、焦虑、害怕和恐惧。如果我们对生命没有任何执著，这些便不会像囚牢一样系缚我们，而我们就可在没有苦恼的情况下，寻找自己的需求，如去谋生、运动或照顾身体。如果生活中的每一件事都能遵行自然法则而不起执著，那么不论做什么都不会感到苦，这便是真理的微妙、奥秘、不可思议之处。

Why have we gotten caught in the prison of having to live subject to the law of nature? This prison comes from our upadana regarding ourselves, or regarding our lives. When there is upadana toward ourselves, then "I," the self is born. This "I" is anxious about, it worries over, it is frightened and afraid of, these natural duties, and so is made miserable by them. These difficulties come from upadana. If we had no upadana regarding "I," then these necessary duties would not be like a prison. We would be able to hunt for our needs, earn a living, and exercise and care for the body, without being miserable, if we didn't have any upadana toward life. This is very subtle; it's a mystery for most people. This is the subtlety of natural truth. How are we going to live so that there's no dukkha connected with the fact that everything in this life must be performed in line with the law of nature?