A GLIMPSE OF BUDDHISM
By C.T. Shen
Delivered in a joint meeting of two Catholic High Schools in
Translated in to Chinese by An-su H. Chow
佛學一瞥
沈家楨 講
一九七O年四月十日，沈居士應紐約二所天主教學校之聯合邀請，所作之講演
周胡安素 譯
Dear friends:
According to Webster's
dictionary, religion is "the service and adoration of God as expressed in
forms of worship, in obedience to divine commands, and in the pursuit of a way
of life." There can be quite a few definitions of religion, but if the
above definition is applied, then Buddhism cannot be classified as a religion
because Buddhism does not teach that there is an almighty God who gives
commands and whom man should obey.
諸位朋友：
按照韋伯司特字典（Webster dictionary），「宗教」這個字指的是：「用崇拜的方式，去禮拜和尊敬上帝」，遵從神的命令，以追求生命的途徑”。宗教的定義相當多，但如果採用上面的定義，那麼佛教便不能算是宗教，因為佛法中並沒有一位發號施令，人類必須服從的上帝。
Buddha is
not an almighty God. Buddha was a human being born 2,514 years ago in ancient
northern
佛陀不是一位全能的上帝。佛陀是一個人。二千五百十四年前，他出生在古代的北印度，也就是現在的尼泊爾。他是一位王子，在廿九歲那一年，離開了皇宮，去尋求解救人類脫離痛苦的方法。到了卅五歲上完全開悟了。以後四十五年，直到生命的最後一分種，他向各式各樣的人宣揚教義。從乞丐到國王，不存絲毫的分別心。他所發現的是宇宙的真理和人類生命的真實意義。
Buddha,
far from being an almighty God, is an example of what human beings can achieve.
The image of Buddha that one sees in a Buddhist temple serves as a memorial and
as a reminder that every human being can achieve the same enlightenment that
Buddha achieved. So in Buddhism such statues are not actually worshipped, but
rather are respected as symbols of enlightenment.
所以，佛陀，絕不是一位全能的上帝，他乃是一個楷模，一個每人可以達成的楷模。在寺廟裏見到的佛像是為追懷紀念他，並提醒我們：每一個人都能達到和佛陀同樣的開悟境界。拜佛雖沒有受禁止，但是廟內設置佛像的目的，與其說是供人禮拜，毋寧說是向佛陀致敬的意義。
In the
Diamond Sutra, which is one of the most popular scriptures in
Whoever identifies me by any visible form,
Or seeks after me by an audible sound,
Is walking on a wrong path,
And will not be able to see the Buddha.
在《金剛經》裏，有一句人所共知的經文，佛陀講得極其清楚：
「若以色身見我，以音聲求我，
是人行邪道，不能見如來。」
What did
Buddha discover when he attained enlightenment? To try to answer this question
would be to be like a baby tadpole who can only mimic his mother's words. A
mother frog leaves her young swimming in the pond and goes to the bank to enjoy
the gentle breeze and warm sunshine of the spring day. When she returns to the
pond, her babies crowd around her, yearning to learn of her experience in the
great beyond. But try as she may to explain the exquisite feelings and sights
on land, the young waterbound frogs cannot manage to really understand what her
experience has been. They can repeat her words to themselves and others, but
they will only know the true meaning when they have developed their own legs
and can leap to the bank of the pond themselves. In the same way, Buddha found
that human language is inadequate to describe the state of enlightenment. One
has to find enlightenment by one's own experience.
佛陀開悟以後，發現了什麼呢？要想回答這個問題就像一隻母蛙從池岸上回去以後，不能使水裏的幼蛙體味到柔風和暖日的可愛一樣。但當幼蛙們生出腳來之後，用自己的腳，跳到岸上，感覺到風和日麗的時候，他們才突然間領會到母蛙所說的話。佛陀發現人類的語言文字，不足以形容開悟的境界，一個人必須憑自己的經驗去發覺悟境。
However,
that does not mean that Buddha said nothing. In fact, his teachings are so
enormous and rich that no one has yet been able to summarize and condense them
into one book. Today I am trying to introduce to you only a few concepts which
I hope will provide you with a foundation of further exploration, if you are
interested.
然而這並不是說佛陀什麼話都沒有講，其實他的教言浩瀚、豐富，因此一直到現在還沒有一個人能夠把它節縮寫成為一本書。今天我只是想給諸位介紹一些佛學概念，希望為諸位建立一些基礎，以便諸位作進一步的探討。
Buddha
described to us two very fundamental discoveries. His first discovery is that
the world which man recognizes in daily life is only a very small section of
the whole universe. It is far from complete. Because of this incompleteness,
man obtains a distorted knowledge and is very much misled. The second discovery
is that the human being does possess the ability to discover the complete and
undistorted universe and can therefore liberate himself from all kinds of sufferings,
including death, which are the results of distorted knowledge.
佛陀告訴我們兩項最基本的發現：他的第一個發現，就是人們在日常生活中所瞭解的世界，只是整個宇宙中的極小部份。因為不完整的緣故，人們獲得的是不正確的知識，而被引入了歧途。第二個發現，就是人類都具有瞭解完整和正確的宇宙之能力，只要將這原具的能力發揮出來，他就能解脫諸般痛若，包括那不正確知識的果——死亡。
Before we go
further into such a highly philosophical discussion, may I ask you one
question? Is there anything in this open space just in front of me? If you were
someone who lived a few hundred years ago, you would most likely reply:
"No, it is empty. There is nothing in this space." Today, however,
most of you will have a different view. Some of you will say there is air in
the space. One who has studied chemistry will go a step further by saying that
there are present, oxygen, nitrogen, and possibly H2O in vapor form. A young
girl of seven or eight years will not surprise you if she says: "I know
there are also radio waves because the radio talks when I put it there." A
physicist will say much more, referring to atoms, electrons, cosmic rays, and
many other scientific names which would puzzle even modern man. Now what does
all this mean? It means that this open space is full of things and activities
that the naked eye cannot detect. The human eye cannot see the complete
universe. It sees a very incomplete world and so the information we are getting
is very incomplete.
在我們進入這種高深哲學討論以前，我要請問諸位：這在我前面的空間裏，有沒有什麼東西？如果你生在幾百年以前，你會肯定地答覆：「沒有，那是空的，沒有東西在裏面。」然而現在你們多半會有不同的看法，諸位當中有些人會說，這裏面有空氣。學過化學的人會更進一步說，這裏面有氧氣、氮氣、還有水蒸氣。今天如果一個七八歲的女孩子說：「我知道還有無線電波，因為當我將收音機放在那裏，它會講話。」這句話並不使你驚奇。一位物理學家會說的更多。他會提到原子、電子、宇宙線以及其他使近代人困惑的科學名詞。剛才說的這一切是什麼意思？那就是說空間充滿了事物，但是我們的肉眼卻一點也看不到。人眼不能見到完整宇宙。人眼見到的只是一個很不完整的世界，所以諸位得到的知識也是不完整的。
Let me give you another example. Would you not say that when you look
at me, you are seeing a solid physical body? However, your eye is again giving
you an incomplete picture. Have you ever thought that this body that stands
here is actually a combination of approximately 65% water, more than 10%
minerals, mainly calcium, phosphorous, and iron; about 10% gas, plus
hydrocarbons and other elements? To use a currently popular term, would it not
be more correct to recognize me as a mass of highly polluted water than as a
solid body? But your eyes certainly do not give you that impression.
讓我給諸位再舉一個例子，當你向我注視的時候，你不是會說，你看到一個結實的身體嗎？你的眼睛又在給你一個不完整的印象。你曾否想到過，站在這裏的這個身體大概百分之六十五是水份，百分之十以上是礦物質，主要的成份為鈣、磷和鐵，百分之十左右是各種氣體以及碳水化合物等等原素組合而成的嗎？讓我們用一個現在很時髦的名詞：把我看作「高度的污水」（highly polluted water）豈不比一個結實的身體更為恰當嗎？諸位的眼睛顯然沒有給你們這樣的一個印象。
2,500 years ago, Buddha had tremendous difficulty in convincing people
that their eyes did not give them a complete view of the universe and that they
were misled. Today people are no longer that ignorant. When I delivered a talk
("The Five Eyes") at the
二千五百年前佛陀要想讓那時的人，明瞭他們的眼睛不能看到宇宙的全景，因而對人生有錯誤的見解，是很不容易的。現代的人們可不再像以前那樣愚蠢。去年我在紐約大覺寺講了一次話（講題是「五眼」），我介紹過一張「電磁光譜圖表elec-tromagnetic spectrum」，說明我們的肉眼只能看出宇宙的一小部份所謂「可見光帶visible light」，大家立刻明白了我們人類的視力受到肉眼的限制。
Not only
does our eye not perceive a complete picture, but our other sense organs also
perform very limited functions. I refer you to my sound reception chart which gives you
the range of sound frequencies detectable by various animals, including human
beings, dogs, moths, and porpoises. The frequency of a sound is the number of
cycles per second of a sound wave. The higher the frequency, the higher the
pitch. The first thing which you probably notice is that a dog can hear much
more than can a man. A dog hears sounds of frequencies between 15 and 50,000
cycles per second, but man only hears only those between 20 and 20,000. A dog
can hear many high-pitched sounds that are silent to man. This is one of the reasons
why certain animals have a much better chance of survival in the wild than man
does. It is interesting to note that a moth is able to detect very high
pitches, up to 150,000 cycles per second, which is 7.5 times the highest pitch
man is able to hear. A moth's (or a porpoise's) world of sound must be
fantastic by human standards. Thus, I believe that we can all agree that the
human ear hears only a very small portion of the universe, just as the human
eye sees only a very small part of it.
不但我們的眼睛沒有看到宇宙全景，我們其他的器官所能做的也同樣有限。請看附圖那張動物聽音能力比較表sound reception chart，表上列舉某些動物——包括人類、狗、飛蛾、海豚等在內，所能感覺到的聲音頻率。所謂頻率，就是一個聲浪每秒種的周率，聲音頻率越高，音節就越高。看了這張比較表，你會首先注意到：狗聽到的聲音範圍遠比人所能聽到的廣。狗能聽到自十五到五萬頻率的聲音，但是人類平均只能聽到自二十到兩萬頻率的聲音。那就是說有許多高頻率的聲音狗能聽到，而人則不以。不少動物在荒野中比人類易於生存，這也是原因之一。諸位還可以注意一件有趣的事，空中的飛蛾能覺察到每秒鐘高達十五萬周率的聲音，比人類所能覺察的最高音要大七·五倍之多。倘按照人類的標準來看，飛蛾音樂世界一定要比人類的豐富美滿得多——水中的海豚也同樣了不起。我相信現在我們都同意，人的耳朵所能聽到的聲音，真只是宇宙的一小部份，正如人的眼睛只能見到宇宙的一小部份一樣。
The three
other senses of the human being contribute even less information. As a matter
of fact, man's sense organs of taste and smell are much inferior to those
possessed by most animals. This is why Buddha said that the world man
recognizes in daily life is only a very small section of the whole universe and
is far from complete. Man's information is most likely distorted and he can be
fatally misled.
人的其他三種官能所提供的消息就更少了。事實上，人的味覺和嗅覺遠不如其他動物的官能敏銳，由於這個原因，佛陀說：人在日常生活中所感覺到的世界，只是整個宇宙的一小片段，是極不完整的，所得的報導多半不正確，因此人類便可能走入危險的歧途。
Someone
might ask what is so harmful about incomplete knowledge. Some will say that a
few hundred years ago men did not have the kind of knowledge about the universe
that we have today, yet they survived nevertheless and most probably lived a
happier life than we. This statement could well be true, but before we decide
that it is, let us consider this story.
有人可能問究竟毛病出在什麼地方呢？他會說，幾百年前人類對宇宙的知識沒有我們現在那麼豐富；然而他們不只生存下去；而且生活得或許比我們還要愉快一點。這一句話可能千真萬確，一點不錯。但是在我們斷定這句話是否真實以前，讓我說個故事給諸位聽。
There is a famous tale in
在印度有一個著名的故事：「盲人與象」，我相信你們多半已經聽見過。一位國王喚來一些盲人教他們圍繞著一隻大象摸索，這些盲人不知道像是什麼東西，每一個人只能摸到象的一部份，於是國王說：「這是一頭象，現在你們告訴我像是什麼樣兒。」摸著象的側面身位的盲人說：象很像一座牆。抓著象鼻的那一位害怕得很用顫抖的聲音說：啊！不是，他象一條巨大的蛇。用手指摸索尾巴的說：不正確，我要說象像一條小蛇或者一條繩子。那個矮小的，只能握著象腿的人接著說：陛下，這只象極像一棵樹的軀幹。
Now may I invite your attention to a very important point: If each of
the blind men realized the fact that what each touched was only a part, and not
the whole elephant, and that the part each examined resembled something else,
then all that the blind men said would be correct. What made them wrong was
that each thought he was examining the whole elephant. Thus the findings of
each become wrong, his statements incorrect, and his emotional reactions, such
as fear of a giant snake, inappropriate.
現在我要請諸位注意到一個要點，那就是，假如每一個盲人都知道他所摸到的只是象的一部份，並非象的整體，而他所摸索到的那個部份，的確和某種事物相像。那麼那些盲人所說的話，該都是正確的。他們所犯的錯誤，乃是由於他們每一個人都認為自己考查到的是一頭整個的象。所以個別的發現是錯了，他的意見不正確，而他的情緒反應，例如把象的尾巴當作一條蛇，因而驚駭，是不適當的。
The incomplete and distorted information perceived by our sense organs
can be very dangerous. I can give you many examples, but will mention just a
few. Man cannot avoid the flu because he cannot see the viruses in front of
him, and just goes ahead and assimilates them. Man creates racial problems
because of the slight differences in skin color without knowing that we are all
basically the same (we all are about 65% water and are highly polluted). Man
fights with others because of the conflict of interest between the subject 'I'
and the object 'you,' without knowing that the distinction between 'I' and
'you' is a wrong concept which is the result of distorted and incomplete
information received by our sense organs and misinterpreted by another organ -
the brain.
所以，我們感官所嗅到的歪曲的、片段的和不正確的消息，會引起危險。我可以舉出許多例子，現在只舉兩三個談談：人不能避免感染流行性感冒，因為他看不見在他眼前的病菌，簡直便毫不猶豫地將它呼吸進去。人類發生了種族問題，是由於膚色的細微區別，他們根本不知道大家全是同樣的人，我們大家身體都含有百分之六十五的水份，都是「高度的污水」。人類彼比爭鬥，皆由於這個主體的「我」和客體的「你」之間的利害衝突，不瞭解「我」與「你」的區別一項錯誤觀念。這種錯誤觀念是由於五官所得來的歪曲、片段的感覺，及另一個器官——腦——的誤解，因而產生的結果。
The point
I wish to get across to you is that unless we recognize the fact that we are
fooled by our sense organs and by our chief of staff, the brain, we have no
chance of changing the course of our lives and liberating ourselves from all
human suffering, including the cycle of birth and death. As soon as one
recognizes this fact, a single question naturally comes to one's mind. How can
man discover the complete universe?
我希望大家明瞭的一點就是除非我們知道了人類是被感官及腦所愚弄，我們永遠沒有機會改變生活方式，解脫人生的一切苦惱——包括生死輪回在內。一個人一旦明瞭了上面的道理，接著的問題就是：人如何才能發現整個宇宙？
Buddha,
based upon his own personal experience, provided an answer to this question.
This answer is the second fundamental discovery of Buddha which I said I would
introduce to you. It was realized by Buddha when he reached supreme
enlightenment. Records show that Buddha discovered that every man has the same
basic ability (which in Buddhism is called 'buddha-nature') and is endowed with
the capacity to know the complete and infinite universe just as Buddha
experienced it. Only man's ignorance and tenacious attachment to wrong views
resulting from incomplete and distorted information prevent his basic ability
(buddha-nature) from unfolding fully. However, at enlightenment, ignorance and
tenacious attachment to wrong views disappear, enabling man to discover the
complete universe.
佛陀根據他個人的經驗證悟，對這個問題提供了一個答案。這個答案就是我要介紹的佛陀的第二項基本發現。佛陀在到達最高的悟境時，他發現每一個人都同樣的有本具的能力（在佛學內稱為佛性），並具有同樣的稟賦，可以明白完整及無限宇宙，猶如親自經過一樣；只因為人的無明及對錯誤觀念的執著，（即片段與不正確感覺的結果）阻礙了原具本能——佛性——的充分顯露。那就是說，開悟時無明和錯誤觀念的執著消失了，整個的宇宙自然顯現。
You might
like to ask: What is buddha-nature? Buddha-nature is precisely the very state
of enlightenment which cannot be described or discussed but can only be
realized by one's own experience. We know from Buddha's teaching that every
human being, in fact every sentient being, possesses the same buddha-nature.
Therefore, all sentient beings are the same. Now this point is extremely vital.
Because of this fundamental understanding, Buddha taught that we must not kill.
Because of this fundamental understanding, Buddha's teaching provides a
foundation of optimism, courage, compassion, and love for mankind.
諸位也許要問：什麼叫做佛性？佛性就是開悟的境界，是無法思維理解的，它只能靠個人的經驗覺察出來。從佛陀的言教中，我們知道，每一個人——事實上應當說每一個有情，全具有同樣佛性。因此一切有情皆是一樣，這一點是極其重要的。由於這一項根本的瞭解，佛陀教人戒殺；由於這一項根本的瞭解，佛陀的言教為人類提示了一個樂觀、勇敢、慈悲和友愛的基礎。
Although
buddha-nature is indescribable, Buddha's teaching indicates at least two of its
basic characteristics. One is freedom from attachment, and the other is freedom
from limitation. Today I will only be able to give you some idea about freedom
from limitation. I will say a few words about freedom from limitation in space
and freedom from limitation in time.
雖然佛性不易解釋，佛陀的言教卻啟示我們佛性所有的兩個基本特徵。一種是不執著，另一種是無限。今天我只能談一點關於無限，就是空間與時間的無限：
1. Man's basic ability has no limitation in
space.
Let us examine, for example,
man's ability to hear. One of the farthest sounds man's naked physical ear can
possibly hear is thunder originating in a remote cloud. It could be several
miles away. Today our belief is entirely different. We know from biology that
there is no essential difference between the human ear and a mechanical or
electrical device. So when the telephone was invented, the distance from which
a sound could be heard was greatly increased by replacing, so to speak, the
physical ear with a combination of ear and telephone. When the first Americans
set foot on the surface of the moon, this distance was extended to about a
quarter of a million miles by employing certain electronic devices to extend
man's physical ear. It is apparent to everyone now that there is no limit as to
how far man can hear. It depends upon what kind of instrument he uses. Thus,
man's basic ability, i.e., buddha-nature, has no limitation in space.
１、人的原具能力在空間是無限的。
讓我們用人的聽覺作喻來在研究一下：人的肉耳能聽到的最遠的聲音，是從遠方雲裏發出的雷響，那只是幾哩之外的聲音。數百年前沒有一個人懷疑，人的聽覺能力只限於幾哩之內。現在我們的信念便完全不同了；從研究生物學，我們知道人類的耳朵和機械的及電氣的器具相似；電話發明以後，耳朵加上電話機便取代肉耳，因此聽覺能聽到的聲音距離，就大大地增加了。當美國太空人登陸月球時，會用某種電氣的和電子的器具把人的肉耳的聽覺距離，延長到二十五萬哩之遠。很顯然的，現在人能聽到的空間距離是無限的，要看我們使用的是什麼器具。因此人的原具能力，就是佛性，在空間中是沒有限制的。
2. Man's basic ability has no limitation in
time.
Man has known for a long time
that in dreams we can see and talk with someone who is deceased, but we would
say that this communication is a dream and not real life. Today, however, the
practice of electrical stimulation of the brain reveals the startling fact that
by stimulating certain brain cells with electrical impulses, one not only can
see and hear without one's physical eye or ear, but also can vividly recall
events which occurred in the past. Furthermore, the brain cells can be
activated in parallel so that a number of events can be revealed at the same
time, just as when a number of electric lamps are connected in parallel, all
the lamps light up when the circuit is on. Such technology bring man's
understanding a step closer to what Buddha described, i.e., that the past,
present, and future can be revealed in one instant. The basic ability of human
beings, our buddha-nature, has no limitation in time.
２、人的原具能力在時間上亦是無限的。
很久以前，人早知道我們能在夢中看見已死的人及和他談話，但是我們卻說那只是夢裏的事，並不是在現實的生活裏發生的。現在有一種機器，可以用電流去刺激某種腦細胞，運用這種新設備，產生驚人的事情：那就是，一個人不但可不用肉眼或肉耳能夠看和聽，還能鮮明地憶起以往的事情；更進一步，如同時刺激某些腦細胞，好幾件事情能同時顯現出來，正如同一些並列的電燈，當電流通過時全在同時間發生光亮一樣。這種事實使我們更進一步地體驗到佛陀說過的那些話，就是：過去、現在和未來全能在一刹那顯現出來。因此一個人的原具能力，就是佛性，在時間中也是沒有限制的。
Modern
science has already contributed a great deal of information to support Buddha's
discovery that man's buddha-nature has no limitation and that man does have the
ability to detect a much more complete universe than his five unaided sense
organs and brain can do. Furthermore, modern science is developing more and
more sophisticated theories and devices to enlarge man's contact with, and
understanding of, the universe.
現代科學對支持佛陀的發現，已經有不少的貢獻。佛陀的發現是：人的佛性是無限的，人原有能力所能發現的宇宙要比單憑五官和腦所發現的完備得多。再者，近代科學日新月異，在發展更多的深妙理論及精密器械，以增加對宇宙的接觸和瞭解。
At this
point I wish to say a few words about modern science upon which I have so
heavily relied in explaining Buddha's teaching. Would it be possible that
future developments in the field of modern science could bring human beings
closer to the state of enlightenment? Could science help us to unfold our
buddha-nature or basic ability, a feat which Buddha accomplished through
meditation? My answer is both yes and no.
在這一點上，我願說幾句關於現代科學的話。我感覺到近代科學給我以極大的幫助來說明佛陀的教義，那末近代科學領域裏未來的發展是否可能使人類更接近開悟的境界，以彰顯「佛性」或者啟發佛陀透過禪定所全成的原具能力呢？我的答案是「是」也是「否」。
I would
say yes because scientific knowledge and technological development help man
greatly to understand more about the universe. For example, it is much easier
for me to explain Buddha's discoveries today. I would say no because science is
still an activity within the boundaries set forth by the physical world which
man recognizes. For example, velocity has a limit. Nothing can move faster than
186,000 miles per second, which is the velocity of light or electricity.
Another example is absolute zero. No temperature in the universe can be colder
than minus 459.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Further, there is another limit which I
believe is far more serious than these physical limitations, and that is the
fact that scientific activities still work within the sphere dominated by man's
brain, which always provides the concept of self. The human being is the center
of all scientific activities. Like the theologians who have to work within the
concept of God, the scientists have not gotten rid of the ego. Unless it can
break through such limiting barriers, science will only be able to help us
understand a little of what an enlightened one like Buddha said, but will not
be able to bring us to the state of enlightenment. It is my humble opinion that
even with today's marvelous scientific accomplishments we still have to go
through the practices Buddha taught if we wish to achieve enlightenment.
However, the help of scientific knowledge is analogous to that of the steamboat
by which man can reach the other shore of the vast ocean more easily than by
relying on the sailboat of thousands of years ago.
我所以說“是”，是因為科學知識和技術發展的確頗能幫助人類多明瞭一點宇宙的事。譬如，因為科學的幫助，我們今天解釋佛陀的發現，要感覺到容易得多。我說“否”，因為科學仍然是一種人的物質世界領域以內的活動；舉個例吧！速度有一個限度，那是光或電的速度，那是一秒鐘十八萬六千哩，再沒有其他更快的速度了。另外一個例子是絕對的零。在宇宙中沒有一種溫度能降到華氏負四五九·七度以下。還有一個限度，我相信比一切物質的限度，如我所舉的速度溫度兩例子，更為嚴重。那就是科學的活動仍舊在人腦控制範圍之內。人腦堅持有“自我”的觀念。所以人，這個主人翁乃是一切科學活動發明的中心。這和上帝的觀念是神學家活動的中心一樣。科學家仍然不能丟掉自我觀念。因此除非科學能衝破這個限度的障礙，科學只能幫助我們多明解一些開悟如佛陀的人所說的話，但不能引領我們到悟的境界。依照我淺膚的見解：即使我們有今日的奇妙科學成就，如果我們要悟得正覺，我們仍須照佛陀所教示的方法去切實修行。然而科學知識的輔助就像坐在一隻汽船裏馳往汪洋的彼岸，遠比乘坐幾千年前的帆船要容易得多。
What kinds
of practices did Buddha teach? There are in fact, very many. One of the
fundamental methods taught by Buddha is 'dhyana.' Again there are many
variations within this broad category.
佛陀教了些什麼樣的實驗方法呢？方法很多，而禪（dhyana），乃是佛陀所教的三種基本方法的一種，在禪的廣泛類別中變化也很多。
The
English word 'meditation' is almost an equivalent of dhyana. It refers to the
state of pure concentration of mind, and involves the cultivation of keen
awareness, vigilance, and intuitive observation.
Today I wish to
introduce to you a simple meditation method. This method is called
"counting the breaths."
英文字meditaiton實在並不和dhya-na同義；dhyana是真純心靈集中境界的實踐，是敏銳覺知和直覺觀察的培養。
今天我願意介紹諸位一個簡單的習禪方法。這個方法通常叫做「數息法」。
We breathe
in and out all the time, but we are never mindful of it. When practicing this meditation
method, try to count your breathing. When you breathe you sometimes take a deep
breath, sometimes not. This does not matter at all. Just breathe in and out as
usual without effort or strain. Count only when you breathe in, not when you
breathe out. Each inhalation counts as one. When you finish counting to ten,
repeat the process starting from one. Try doing this continuously for fifteen
minutes every day and gradually extend the time to a longer period as you wish.
你時刻在呼吸，但從來不曾注意到它。現在試試去數呼吸，數吸進的次數，但不必數呼出的次數。當你呼吸時，有的時候你作深呼吸，有時你並不這樣，這並無關係，只要你如平時一樣的吸入與呼出，不必用力。每次吸入時默數一次，當你數完了十，重複從一再數。每天先試試做十五分鐘，然後漸漸延長時間，直到你能做到願意延長多久就多久的程度。
Although
you may practice this in any posture, such as lying down, I recommend that you
sit with your body erect. Don't be stiff or push out your chest. Preferably you
should sit cross-legged, because that is the best posture to achieve physical
and mental equilibrium, but this is not a necessity. Put your hands comfortably
on your lap, overlapped with thumbs touching each other. You should not lean on
a wall or a chair back. You may close your eyes, or you may open them slightly
and gaze without effort at the tip of your nose.
雖然你可以在任何姿勢下習禪，比如躺臥。我卻建議你坐直，不必僵挺也不要挺胸，最好盤膝而坐，因為這是可以使身體與心靈得到平衡的最好的姿勢。兩手相疊舒適地放在膝上，手心向上，兩個大姆指輕輕相抵，背不要靠牆或椅背。你不妨閉著眼睛或半睜半開地、輕鬆地望著鼻尖。
At the
beginning you may find it difficult to count continuously up to ten. Very often
your mind will run away, and you will lose your concentration on counting. Do
not worry about it. Count from one again when you regain your awareness of
counting.
在開始時，你也許發現繼續地數到十，有一點困難，而且你常常會心猿意馬，一下子想起別的事來。但請勿憂慮，當你又想著計數時，再從一數起。
I can
hardly describe the vivid experience you will have on day. For a split second
the counting, the breathing, yourself, and the outside world will all vanish.
Only pure awareness remains. This moment will be a tremendous experience for
you, full of joy and serenity. However, as soon as you regain consciousness of
yourself, you will immediately lose the experience. It will take days for you
to experience it again. But this kind of experience will be repeated again and
again, for longer and longer periods. The clouds will begin to thin and
disperse, as the sunshine penetrates here and there. A good foundation is then
established, and you are prepared for advanced meditation. Enlightenment may
still be far away, but the wind is now with your sail.
我很難描述這一種經驗，但你如認真習禪久了，終有一天你會體驗得到的：當你計算著呼吸時，你的本身及外界一切會在一個短暫的刹那間全然消失，只有純淨的明覺存在。這個片刻充滿了愉快與寧靜，對於你該是一項了不起的經驗。可是如果你忽而想著你是在享受這種樂趣，一有了「你」的自己，你便立刻失去了那種經驗，需要好久才能再度經驗到它。但是這一種經驗會一再重複，並且會逐漸持久。雲霧在開散了，日光透射下來，一個良好的基礎已建立起來了，你已可以修習進一步的禪那了。大覺大悟雖然還離得很遠，順風已吹滿了你的主帆。
I have thus
far introduced to you two of the Buddha's discoveries. First, our sense organs
and brain present us with an incomplete, distorted, and misinterpreted view of
the universe, resulting in human misunderstanding and suffering. Second, a
human being does possess the ability to discover the complete, undistorted, and
true view of the universe. I have also introduced to you a practical method
which one day may lead you to unfold your original ability to realize the
universe completely and truly.
談到這裏，我已經介紹了佛陀的兩項發現。第一，我們的感官和腦傳遞給我們一種對宇宙的歪曲、誤解和不完全的看法，結果使人類遭受痛苦。第二，人類本來具有一種能力可以發現那個完整的、正確的和真實的宇宙，包括自己在內。我還介紹給諸位一種實際習禪方法，這個方法也許可以彰顯你們的原具能力，去正確地認識宇宙。
All this
is fine, you may say to me, but it is so remote from my daily life that it is
hard to comprehend. We are living in this environment no matter how incomplete
and untrue. How could such highly sophisticated knowledge help us?
Dear friends,
you are absolutely right, but I have one remark to make. In my limited
experience, I have found many people who have doubts about the reliability of
human sense organs and who have had some experiences of mystical power. Such
people are like travelers at a crossroad who suddenly realize that they have
found the right direction to take, even with just a little knowledge such as
what I have given you today. You could be one of those persons. So try to spend
a few minutes each day practicing the counting of your breaths. It is good for
your physical health, relaxation, sound sleep, tranquility, and efficiency in
your daily work.
諸位也許會對我說，一切都好，然而這一種玄妙的道理和我的日常生活距離得太遠了，不是我容易理解的。無論這個環境是如何的不完整與不真實，我卻生活在這個環境裏；這樣高深而複雜的知識如何幫助我呢？諸位朋友，你完全對的，但是我要提出一點：根據我的有限經驗，我已經發現了很多的人懷疑感官的可靠性，也有很多的人經驗過一些潛意識的神秘力量，這些人如同在十字路口的行人，他們忽然發覺用我今天貢獻諸位的一點知識，已能找到了一個正確方向。你很可能就是那些行人中的一個。因此試試看，每天用幾分鐘的工夫練習數呼吸，那對諸位身體的健康也是有益的，會使你輕鬆、熟睡、安寧並增加你日常工作的效率。
In addition
to meditation, I would like to give you two further suggestions. These are not
the main engine of the ship, but they could be very important auxiliary
engines. In fact, you are probably practicing them every day, although on a
minor scale in comparison to what I am going to suggest, and you may not be
aware that you are doing so.
除了介紹禪那（dhyana）以外，我想再貢獻諸位兩個建議，它們雖不是一隻船的主要引擎，但卻很可能是重要的附屬機件。事實上，諸位或許每天已經在那兒做了，只是不知道自己在做而已。
The first
suggestion is called 'dana' in Sanskrit, which is usually translated as 'alms'
or 'giving,' but has a much broader meaning. It is very close to the 'great
love' taught by Christ. In Buddhism there are three kinds of giving: 1) giving
of material things; 2) giving of knowledge, that is, imparting proper knowledge
to others to free them from suffering due to ignorance; and 3) giving of
fearlessness, that is, helping others free themselves from fears, of whatever
nature.
第一個建議，在梵文內稱為佈施（dana），佈施一般被譯成「賑濟」或「施捨」。但是佈施有更廣泛的意義，與基督所講的「博愛」很接近。在佛學內佈施有三種。１、財施——就是將錢、食物、衣服及其他物質的東西送給缺乏需要它們的人，使他們離苦。２、法施——就是用正確的知識去教人，使他們解脫苦惱。３、無畏施——就是幫助人解除各種畏懼恐怖。
The key to
giving is not - may I repeat - is not to give to others in expectation of a
reward for yourself. For the enlightened ones, giving is a spontaneous action
arising from compassion and love; and for us ordinary people giving is
self-training aimed at reducing and eliminating our false concept of self which
is the root of human suffering. As Buddha said, attachments cloud the
buddha-nature, and the concept of self is the worst and most deeply rooted
attachment. Egoism, is therefore, the worst hindrance to liberation. Giving is
a sharp sword to kill egoism.
讓我強調一下：佈施的關鍵是要助人，而不盼望報酬。佈施對於開悟的人是一種出於慈悲和博愛的自發行動；而對於普通的人，它是一種極好的個人訓練，「目的在減少並消除人的一切痛苦的根源，也就是『自我』的錯誤概念。」正如佛陀所說的，執著蓋覆佛性，而「自我」的觀念則是最惡劣，最根深蒂固的一種執著。因此「自我」是阻礙解脫的最大障礙，佈施是消除我執的利劍。
It is
interesting to note that everyone has a 'Great Dana' once in his life. When I
say Great Dana, I mean that one has to give up completely everything that one
possesses - all power, even if one is the dictator of the most powerful country
in the world; all money, even if one is a billionaire; all beauty, even if one
is the most beautiful woman in the world; and everything one has, even if one
is the most greedy and stingy of men.
很有趣的是：一個人在一生當中總有一次大佈施（Great Dana）。什麼是「大佈施」呢？我的意思是說，大佈施時一個人必須捨棄他所持有的一切的一切：即使他是世界上最有威權國家的獨裁者，他也得捨割他的一切權威；即使他是億萬富翁，他也得捨棄他的一切財富；即使她是世界上最美的婦人，她也要拋棄容顏；即使他是最貪心，最吝嗇的人，他也要放棄一切的一切。
Now what is
this Great Dana? It happens at the time of one's death. Not a single thing, no
matter how small or how beloved, can we take with us. Unfortunately, very few
of our fellow men realize this fact, and so the Great Dana is usually
compulsory and painful. Doesn't it make sense that such compulsion and pain
could be greatly reduced if one were accustomed to giving during one's
lifetime?
什麼是所謂「大佈施」呢？它發生在一個人臨終的時候，死時沒有人能帶得走任何東西，無論它是一件怎麼輕微或者它是多麼心愛不舍的物品！但不幸的，很少有人知道這個事實，結果大佈施通常使成為一種強迫性、十分痛苦的事。諸位覺得嗎，如果一個人在生時能習慣於佈施，那麼這種大佈施的強迫性與悲痛自然會大大地減少了。
The second
suggestion I have to give you is a hint as to how you can free yourselves from
bondage of any sort. This hint is better conveyed to you through a story so
that you may make your own interpretation. It happened in
我的第二項建議是想用一個故事，來暗示諸位如何解脫各種心理的束縛；諸位可以按照自己的見解去瞭解這個故事的涵義。這一件事發生在約一千年前的中國。為了使諸位多明瞭一點，我必須先描述一下當時的背景。在這個故事發生的時候，中國男女的社交關係是極其嚴格的。諸位也許已經聽到過，那時的少女在婚前是很少外出的。在佛教社會裏這種限制特別厲行。在當時中國有一個佛教宗派，禁止僧人對婦女發笑，僧人不能碰女人的身體或在婦女面前袒胸露腿。如果違反這些戒條便犯了大罪，下面是這個故事：
There are
two monks of middle age, each of whom had had many years of study and training
in a Buddhist monastery belonging to the above-mentioned sect, so they knew
those precepts very well. One day they were traveling on foot. It was late
afternoon when they arrived at a river. There was no bridge or ferry, but the
river was shallow and they believed they would have no difficulty in wading
across it. Suddenly they saw a young lady who was attempting to cross the river
too, but was hesitating to step into the water. She was in trouble. One of the
monks went to her and offered to help by carrying her across the river on his
back. The other monk was very much surprised by what his brother monk had done.
Puzzled and frustrated, he was very unhappy as he followed them to the other
shore of the river. The first monk put down the lady, who thanked him and left.
The two monks continued their journey. While walking, the second monk could not
forget the incident. He wondered how his brother monk could violate the
precepts that they had observed for so many years. What a grave sin he had
committed, and even in another's presence! Could it possibly be that he
violated other important precepts when he was alone?
有兩個中年的僧人，全在上述的那個宗派的佛廟裏修行了多年，所以他們很明瞭上述的戒律。有天他們出外旅行，在黃昏的時候，到達了一個河邊。那兒沒有橋或者渡船，但河水很淺，他們相信涉水走過河是沒有困難的。忽然他們看見一個少婦也想走過那條河，但是猶豫不決，不敢下水，正在十分為難時。其中一個和尚便走到女人的身邊，背起她，步行過河。另一個僧人則對他的同伴所作的事，感覺十分驚訝、困惑、失望。他不高興地跟在兩人的後面，到了對岸。過了河，那個婦女謝了背她的和尚後，便離開了。以後兩個僧人就繼續趕路。往前走的時候，第二個僧人不能忘記那件事，他奇怪他的同伴怎樣會違犯多年他們所遵守的戒律，甚至在別人面前犯下了大罪！那麼當他獨自一個時，他可能違犯了其他更重要的戒律嗎？
It was
about dark now and they found an abandoned temple. They were tired and went
into the temple to lie down. The first monk immediately fell asleep but the
second one could not. First he was frustrated, then he felt pity for his
brother monk for committing such a grave sin. He tried to pray for him to
reduce his sin but he imagined all kinds of things. He tossed fretfully and
could not get to sleep. At about dawn, he heard the snore of sound sleep from
his brother monk, and he became very angry. He mad a noise which woke the first
monk. "What happened to you, my brother? Why aren't you sleeping?"
The second monk answered angrily: "Do you know what you have done? What
are our precepts? How could you hold a girl on your back and wade across the
river? I would not sleep because I was trying my best to pray so as to minimize
your sin, but you simply don't care and have been sleeping soundly." The
first monk replied, "Oh, you are talking about that lady. I dropped her a
long time ago as soon as we crossed the river, but why do you, my brother,
still carry her on your back?"
Thank you very
much.
天快要黑了。那兩個僧人找到一個破廟，他們已很疲倦了，就進廟躺下來休息。第一個和尚立刻入了夢鄉，但是第二個僧人卻不能合眼。首先他感到失望，後來又因為他的同伴犯了重罪而可憐他，替他祈求，希望減輕他的罪過；但是東想西想，急躁地翻來覆去終夜不能入眠 。天快亮了，當他聽到同伴發出甜睡的鼾聲時，他忍不住憤怒，於是他驚動吵醒了第一個和尚：“怎麼了？你沒有睡覺嗎？”第二個僧人忿怒地回答：“你知道你所做的事嗎？什麼是我們的戒律呀？你怎麼可以背著一個婦女走過河？我不能入睡，因為我盡力祈求減輕你的罪，但是你卻毫不在乎，並且睡得極熟。”第一個和尚說：“啊！你是說那個少婦呀，我一過河，就把她摔掉了，但是你為什麼還把她背在你的肩上呢？”
謝謝諸位！
Note:
Mr. C. T. Shen, a
Chinese scholar in the
On
(1) Ordinary people
have understanding of only a very small portion of the universe.Their concepts
are , therefore, incomplete and misleading.
(2) However, everybody is endowed with
buddha-nature and is able to perceive the universe in its entirety if the
buddha-nature is realized.
The lecture was
accompanied by two diagrams which
graphically described the limitation of our physical eyes, as well as our
physical ears, the function of which are in many cases surpassed even by the
animals. In order to prove to ourselves the infinitude of space, we have to
rely on electric and electronic instruments to extend our sphere of hearing. In
order to prove to ourselves the infinitude of time, we have to rely on electric
probes to excite the brain cells and call back visions of the past.
The lecture also
touched upon the problem as to whether scientific development will bring
enlightenment. According to Mr. Sheng, scientists with an ego-attachment will
find enlightenment difficult to come by. But if they will practice dhyana（zen）according to Buddha’s teaching,
such as concentrating on the breaths, it will help them toward understanding
the universe. Finally , he suggested the practice of almsgiving as a mean of
abolishing ego-attachment, and used the parable of a monk carring a young woman
across a river to show how dharma-attachment may also be broken by wisdom.
譯者註：
一九六九年佛誕日在紐約大覺寺講演「五眼」的旅美學者沈家楨居士，因為他以現代科學印證佛學，經慧炬先後印出四萬份，分贈世界各國學者和讀者，獲得了普遍的讚揚！
一九七O年四月十日沈居士又應紐約二所天主教學校之聯合邀請，演講本題 -- 「佛學一瞥」，再以科學新知介紹佛學概念。他指出佛陀兩項基本發現：
一為凡人僅了解宇宙的一小部分，故易誤入歧途；
二為人人本具佛性，一旦證得，即可徹悟宇宙全體。
並附製 兩種圖表，說明人的肉眼視力有限；而肉耳聽力甚至不如其他動物，但借助電氣、電子器具，肉耳聽覺距離延長，從而證明空間無限。又如電流刺激腦細胞，同時顯現過去許多事物，也可證明時間無限。
嗣後討論科學發展可否開悟的問題，科學家如有「我執」則難悟道。依佛法習「禪」--如數息法門，有助於覺悟宇宙真理。最後建議行布施可以除「我執」；又講一個和尚背少婦過河的故事，暗示用智慧可以破「法執」。
【網頁編輯說明】：
1. 原著：佛學一瞥，慧炬出版社（發行人：周宣德，印贈者：美國佛教會）。【民國65年，再版一萬冊】
2. 以上中文文字 95% copy自http://www.lianhua33.com/ks14b.htm
（佛學講述集 沈家楨博士 著 http://www.lianhua33.com/ks14.htm
）（佛學書庫 http://www.lianhua33.com/index.htm），英文文字95% copy自 http://www.baus.org/baus/library/a_glimpse.html （Buddhist Association of the United States http://www.baus.org/
、http://www.baus.org/baus/library/index.html
），特此致謝！