第八辑 把心带回家 Volume 8: Bringing the Mind Home
禅坐如同其他的艺术，在放松和警觉之间，必须维持微妙的平衡。
In meditation, as in all arts, there has to be a delicate balance between relaxation and alertness.
从前有一位比丘名叫作亿耳，跟随佛陀的一位最亲密弟子学习禅修。他无法体会应该抱持什么样的心态，很努力想专注，却感到头痛。因此，他就放松心情，结果睡着了。最后他请求佛陀帮助。
Once a monk called Shrona was studying meditation with one of the Buddha's closest disciples. He had difficulty finding the right frame of mind. He tried very hard to concentrate, and gave himself a headache. Then he relaxed his mind, but so much that he fell asleep. Finally he appealed to Buddha for help.
佛陀知道他在出家之前是一位出名的音乐家，就问他：“你在家时不是擅长拉琴吗？”
亿耳点头说：“是的”。
Knowing that Shrona had been a famous musician before he became a monk, Buddha asked him: "Weren't you a vina player when you were a layperson?"
Shrona nodded.
佛陀：“你如何把琴拉出最好的声音呢？是在弦很紧还是很松的时候呢？”
亿耳：“都不是。必须适度，既不可太紧，也不可太松。”
"How did you get the best sound out of your vina? Was it when the strings were very tight or when they were very loose?"
"Neither. When they had just the right tension, neither too taut nor too slack."
佛陀：“那就对了。你的心既不可太紧，也不可太松。”
佛陀：“警觉，警觉；不过要放松，放松。这是禅坐时重要的技巧。”
"Well, it's exactly the same with your mind, neither too taut nor too slack."
"Alert, alert; yet relax, relax. This is a crucial point for the View in meditation."
警觉很重要，首先是我们身体的姿势，身体的姿势是我们心态的一种外在表现。身体坐得很端直，就容易警觉，但是坐直的同时又要放松。
Being alert is important, starting with the posture of our body, which is an external expression of our mind. Sitting upright makes it easier to be alert. However, while maintaining an upright posture, we also need to be relaxed.
没有放松的话，我们的身体是僵硬的，这个状态不对，就不容易禅修了。身体要保持一个自然的放松，放松又不是松懈、不是歪的。
If we are not relaxed, our body becomes stiff, which is not the right state for meditation. The body should be in a natural state of relaxation, not slack or crooked.
松懈不光是身体的松懈，还有精神上的松懈，精神上的松懈就失去了警觉，这是禅坐时的重要技巧。
There is not only physical slackness, but also mental slackness. If we are mentally slacking off, we lose our alertness which is an important skill in meditation.
维持你的警觉心，但同时又要放松，事实上，要放松到连放松的念头都不执著。
Maintain our alertness, but stay relaxed at the same time, in fact, relax to the extent that we don't even cling to the thought of relaxing.
放松，心里面没有放松的念头，这就是微妙的平衡。
Relax, without even thinking of relaxation. This is the delicate balance.
像我们平常听法也是这样的，听法的时候，一定要坐得端端正正的，眼睛最好是看着视频，很亮，保持警觉，但是又保持放松，你的心要放松。
Just as what we usually do when listening to the Dharma. When listening to the Dharma, be sure to sit upright, with your eyes preferably focused on the video, remaining alert, yet staying relaxed.
我们不警觉的话就听不到法，即使听到了，也是碎片化的、断章取义的。
If we are not alert, we won't be able to hear the teachings clearly. And even if we do hear them, our understanding would be fragmented and taken out of context.
如果不够放松的话，我们就会听不太懂，或者即使听懂了，也很肤浅、理解得不深刻。因为心没有完全放松，就理解不到位。
If we are not relaxed enough, we may have difficulty understanding, or even if we do understand, our understanding would be superficial and shallow. Because without a completely relaxed mind, there won't be a thorough understanding.
这种微妙的平衡，我们先在禅坐中练习，然后在生活中慢慢地去练习做事情。不管是做什么事，要是能够掌握好中道的话，能够练习出这种中道状态的话，慢慢地我们做什么事情都会变得越来越好。
We can first practice this delicate balance in meditation, and then gradually apply it to our daily activities. No matter what we do, if we can master the middle way and cultivate this state of balance, we will gradually do everything in a better way.
既保持专注警觉，心又保持放松、不执著的状态。因为心不执著，心里面没有患得患失的心。
Maintain focused alertness, but be relaxed and free from attachment. Because your mind is free from attachment, and there is no worry about gains and losses.
一患得患失就会紧张、就放松不下来了。所以我们的心还是有执著，就很难放松。警觉不是执著，警觉是专注，做什么事没有杂念。
If there is worry, tension will arise, and you won't be able to relax. Therefore, if there is attachment in our mind, it's difficult to relax. Alertness is not attachment. It is concentration, which means doing everything without distracting thoughts.
易明之光 Mini读书@2023