第八辑 把心带回家 Volume 8: Bringing the Mind Home
佛陀教了八万四千法门，以驯服和舒缓负面的情绪。
The Buddha taught 84,000 different ways to tame and pacify the negative emotions.
通俗一点，负面就是情绪，烦恼。
To put it simply, "negative" refers to emotions and afflictions.
在佛教里，有很多的禅坐方法。有三种禅坐方法在现代世界中特别有效，每一个人都可以使用和受益。
In Buddhism, there are countless methods of meditation. Three meditation techniques are particularly effective in the modem world that anyone can practice and benefit from.
这三种方法就是：第一是观呼吸，第二种是使用一种对象，第三种是念咒或念佛号。
They are: "watching" the breath, using an object, and reciting a mantra or a Buddha's name.
1.观呼吸
"Watching" the breath
第一种方法是很古老的，在一切佛教宗派中都常用。那就是轻松而专注地把注意力放在呼吸上。
The first method is very ancient and found in all schools of Buddhism. It is to rest your attention, lightly and mindfully, on the breath.
如果观呼吸都观不来，就数呼吸，数呼吸要简单一点。心太散乱的人、没有修过禅定的人就数呼吸，从一数到十，然后从十再数到一，这样数几次，慢慢就不数了，慢慢就观呼吸。
If watching the breath is difficult for you, you can count the breaths instead, as counting can be simpler. If your mind is too scattered, or you have never practiced meditation, you can count your breaths from one to ten, then from ten to one. By repeating this several times, you will gradually stop counting and begin to watch your breath.
呼吸是我们生命最基本的表现，佛陀说："生命在呼吸之间。"在佛陀的教法中，呼吸是"心的车乘"，
Breath is the most fundamental expression of our life. The Buddha said, "Life exists in between breaths." In the teaching of Buddha, the breath is said to be "the vehicle of the mind."
心坐在呼吸上，当你把呼吸调得很顺时，很快心就会静下来。
The mind rides on the breath. By working skillfully with the breath, you can calm the mind quickly.
因为一呼一吸很均匀的话，妄念和昏沉就会停止，同时也就驯服和训练了我们的心。
If your breathing is even, your mental distractions and drowsiness will stop. Meanwhile you are taming and training the mind.
初学的人或者在世间的居士们，工作很忙碌、杂事很多，要让自己的心静下来，最好的办法就是观呼吸。
For beginners or lay practitioners with many tasks to take care of, the best way to calm the mind is watching the breath.
当我们遇到焦虑的时候，遇到烦恼的时候，如果能够独处几分钟，只要静静地做深呼吸，就能够让心渐渐地轻松下来。
When we are disturbed by anxiety or afflictions, to be alone for a few minutes and just breathe, in and out, deeply and quietly, can gradually relax our mind.
当心渐渐地静下来以后，那个时候心性的正知正念自然就会生起来。这个时候我们就很容易反省自己错在哪里，认真地观察自己的心的错误，知道怎样忏悔，或许，心性还能观察到更微细的烦恼。
Once the mind gradually calms down, introspection and mindfulness will naturally arise. At this point, it becomes easier for us to reflect on where we went wrong, carefully observe the mistakes in our mind, know how to repent, and perhaps even notice more subtle afflictions.
即使是这么简单的练习，都可以给我们带来很大的帮助。因此，当我们在禅坐时，要像平常一样，自然地呼吸。
Even such a simple exercise can help us a great deal. So when you meditate, breathe naturally, just as you always do.
把我们的注意力轻松地放在呼吸上，每次呼气的时候，就是放下和解除一切执著的时候。
Focus your awareness lightly on the out-breath. Each time you breathe out, you are letting go and releasing all your grasping.
想象我们的气融入无所不在的空性中。
Imagine your breath dissolving into the all pervading emptiness.
每一次呼气之后，再吸气之前，我们将发现由于执著的消失，就会有一个自然的间隙。安住在那个间隙中，安住在那个开放的心境中，
Each time you breathe out and before you breathe in again, you will find that there will be a natural gap, as the grasping dissolves. Rest in that gap, in that open state.
当我们自然地吸气的时候，不要把注意力特别地放在吸气上，而要继续把心安住在那个已经打开的间隙上。
And when, naturally, you breathe in, don't focus especially on the in-breath but go on resting your mind in the gap that has opened up.
吸气的时候还可以如理作意：观修多体观、不净观、无常观、无我观、慈悲观，用我们学到的方法来如理作意。
When breathing in, we can also mindfully meditate on plurality, impurity, impermanence, non-self, and compassion, with the methods we have learned.
呼气的时候把作意的那个境界相续下去，就是放松和解除。打比方，我们观无常——万法的无常、心念的无常，观了以后，呼气的时候，内心是一种放松和解除的状态。
When breathing out, we can extend our mindfulness, which is a relaxed and released state. For example, when we meditate on impermanence - the impermanence of all phenomena including our thoughts, and then breathe out, we will feel relaxed and released.
当我们在练习的时候，千万不要在心中做任何的说明、分析和自我闲话。这是观呼吸。
When you are practicing, it's important not to get involved in mental commentary, analysis, or internal gossip. This is "watching" the breath.
不要把我们心中持续不停的评论误以为是正念分明：内心觉得："我正呼吸、我正在吸气、我正在呼气。"
Don't mistake the running commentary in your mind ("Now I am breathing, I'm breathing in, I'm breathing out") for mindfulness.
有分别，这样是不对的，重要的是当下的纯净。
This discrimination is not right. What is important is pure presence.
初学者，把百分之七十五的注意力放在呼吸上就够了，其余的百分之二十五放在如理作意上，作意以后，就会一点一点地进入放松、宁静、开阔的心境中，慢慢就可以把百分之二十五的注意力放在呼吸上就够了，其余百分之七十五是放松、宁静和开阔的心境。
For beginners, it's enough to place 75% of your attention on the breath, and another 25% on mindfulness. After being mindful, you will slowly enter a relaxed, calm, and spacious state. Gradually, you can just place 25% of your attention on the breath, and the rest 75% is left abiding in a relaxed, calm, and spacious state.
当我们对呼吸越来越了了分明的时候，将发现内心越来越清醒，这个时候，就不要再"观"呼吸，让心逐渐与呼吸结合为一，就好像心正在变成呼吸一般。
As we become more mindful of our breathing, we will find that we become more and more present. Rather than "watching" the breath, let yourself gradually identify with it, as if you were becoming it.
慢慢地，呼吸本身，呼吸者和呼吸的动作合而为一；对立和隔离都消失了。
Slowly the breath, the breather, and the breathing become one; duality and separation dissolve.
我们将发现，这个非常简单的正念过程，会过滤我们的思想和情绪。然后，就好像心在脱皮一般，某些东西就被剥掉而自由了。
We will find that this very simple process of mindfulness filters our thoughts and emotions. Then, as if we were shedding an old skin, something is peeled off and freed.
无论是贪爱，还是嗔恨，心火都是往上走的，这样就会感觉心脏这个地方的脉轮会发热，开始躁动，燥热的感觉，心中就上火，头是懵懵的，或者你的头变得沉重起来。
Whether we experience desire or anger, the internal heat rises upward, causing the heart chakra to heat up. We start to feel restless, agitated, lost, or heavy-headed.
当贪爱和嗔恨等烦恼逐渐息灭的时候，檀中穴就变得清凉起来；下丹田是温热的、很舒服的；上身是清凉的；头也是清凉的。这是观呼吸修习禅定的身体的感受。
When afflictions such as desire and anger gradually pacify, the "CV 17" acupoint becomes cool, the lower dantian is warm and comfortable, and the upper body and the head are cool. This is the physical feeling while watching the breath.
练习观呼吸，等心静下来以后，就可以适当地作一些如理作意，这样的话，可以让我们的心进入更好的状态。
After the mind has calmed down, we can practice some mindfulness, which can help our mind enter a better state.
易明之光 Mini读书@2023