宗薩欽哲仁波切：究竟的閉關

Ideally the ultimate retreat is to retreat from the past and the future, to always remain in the present. However our mind is so empowered and controlled by habit all the time. One characteristic of habit is not being able to sit still, not being able to remain in the present. This is because being in the present is so scary, so boring and unbearable for our deluded and spoiled mind. Little do we know that actually being in the present is so exciting and the most liberating from all kinds of pain, suffering and anxiety. We sentient beings like to be free from all these things, but we always end up diligently creating more and more causes and conditions to have this pain, suffering and anxiety.



理想上，究竟的閉關是出離過去及未來，一直維持於當下。然而我們的心時時刻刻受習性所制約與操控。 習性的特徵之一是無法安靜坐下，無法維持於當下。此乃因為安住當下是如此可怕、如此無趣，令我們迷妄且被寵壞的心難以忍受。我們鮮少知道，安住當下其實是如此令人振奮，最能［讓我們］從各種痛苦、折磨與焦慮中得到解脫。我們有情眾生想要脫離所有這些，但我們最後總是變成費心製造更多導致痛苦、折磨與焦慮的業因與助緣。



Being in the present is so important in Buddhism. It is the core strategy of Buddhism to do whatever it takes to keep the mind present, to have one’s mind from going astray. Every single method that exists in Buddhism is for that result. It could be from just a simple sitting meditation to the tantric methods of visualisation, ritual and mantra. Even elaborate practices including certain tantric dances, what is now popularly known as lama dancing.



安住當下在佛法中是如此重要。用各種方式讓心安住當下且不至偏離，乃是佛法的核心教理。佛法的各個法門都是為求這個結果。它可以僅是一個簡單禪坐，乃至觀想、儀式及持咒的續部法門。甚至是精心複雜的修持如特定的密續舞蹈，亦即現在一般所稱的喇嘛舞。



With the myriad of methods, one is basically retreating oneself from mundane activities and hopefully from mundane thoughts for as long as possible. Traditionally in Tibet we try to retreat from the everyday for something like one week, three weeks, three months, six months, three years, nine years. Even today there are many people in Tibet who are actually in retreat for a lifetime. However retreat doesn’t have to be three months or three years. What we need is to have the discipline of retreat every day. Such discipline is to retreat from our mundane worldly activities and simply sit on a meditation cushion with oneself.



藉由無數的方法，讓人基本上能出離世俗生活，更好的則是出離世俗思想，時間越長越好。傳統上在西藏，我們試著從每一天出離，比如說一週、三週、三個月、六個月、三年、九年。甚至今日，在西藏仍有許多人實際上是一輩子都在閉關出離。然而閉關出離不必是三個月或三年。我們所需的是日日持守出離的戒律。這類的戒律，是要我們從世俗活動中出離並獨自單純地安坐蒲團上。



The idea is to avoid engaging oneself with things we usually end up engaging in, such as gossiping, chatting, internet browsing or newspaper reading. We have so many Buddhist methods to help us do this, from simply doing nothing which is actually the most difficult, to all the way up to two or three hours of rituals and practices. There is no reason why we can not refer to this as a retreat.



要點是，避免投入於我們通常最後又投入的事物，例如八卦、閒聊、上網或讀報。我們有這麼多的佛法方便可幫助我們，從事實上最困難的什麼都不做，一直到兩、三小時的儀式與修持。我們沒有理由不將其稱為一種閉關。



~~普賢法譯小組成員Dylan初譯/Serena初校 2011.10.01