Soh

原文:Different Degress of No-Self: Non-Doership, Non-dual, Anatta, Total Exertion and Dealing with Pitfalls


第一段

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「無我有不同層次:無造作者性(non-doership)、不二、無我、全然使力,以及應對可能的陷阱

作者:Soh

另請參閱:

 

Thusness/PasserBy 七階段開悟

靈魂暗夜(Dark Night of the Soul、去人格化(Depersonalization)、離自體驗(Dissociation)以及去真實感(Derealization

 

 

原文:

 

“Different Degrees of No-Self: Non-Doership, Non-dual, Anatta, Total Exertion and Dealing with Pitfalls

Soh

Also see: 

 

Thusness/PasserBy’s Seven Stages of Enlightenment

Dark Night of the Soul, Depersonalization, Dissociation, and Derealization

 

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第二段

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「有人寫道:

Anatta(無我)

問題

 

嗨,各位朋友。

 

我有一個問題。

 

首先,我得簡要說明一些背景。

 

幾年前,我有一次非常深刻的體驗。感覺像是被揭去了一層簾幕,我突然看到我并不存在。體內沒有任何我或意志可以操控這個身體作為有機體。我花了數年時間從這個角度去觀察自己和他人。這成為我每天早上醒來時想到的第一件事,也是在入睡前想到的最后一件事,直到我徹底變得空無。

 

周圍沒有任何人和我看到相同的東西,或者他們會因為我談及此事而生氣。我開始學習科學,希望找到支持或者反駁我想法的證據。結果只確認了這個世界是宿命性的,而且復雜到無法在每個當下被我們所理解。這讓我走得更遠。

 

所以,現在我的生活停滯了,而且內在也沒有人會去在意。只剩下一些微弱的情緒和心智反應,對面前擺在感官之中的刺激有所回應,沒有盼望、抱負或目標。我不付賬單,也不照顧自己。我的意思是,為什么要做這些事呢?

 

最終,三四年前,我接觸到了一些靈性著作,其中提到了佛教的無我學說和輪回意識(samsaric consciousness)。

 

在這種狀況下,一個佛教徒會建議做些什么?我的意思是,如果什么都不改變,我可能會很快死去,或者被關進監獄。我對此都可以接受。只是不想面對肉體痛苦而已。

有什么值得去做的嗎?這就是道路的盡頭嗎?是認識到并不存在的終點嗎?

 

你的確說得對。這種過程非常不平衡且不健康,最終變得令人筋疲力盡,也確實成了一個問題。但同時,它也包含了一些深刻而美麗的體驗,盡管里面交織著恐懼、懷疑,以及對所發生之事的缺乏理解。現在我正處在一個需要指導和修持的方法點上,去以正確或至少更好、更健康的方式進行。所以我想我對糾正和指引是敞開的。再次感謝你。」

 

原文:

 

“Someone wrote:

Anatta

Question

 

Hi friends.

 

I have a question.

 

First, I have to quickly give some back ground.

 

Several years ago, I had a profound experience. It was as if a veil was removed and I suddenly saw that I didn’t exist. There were no Self or free will inside that could control this organism that is the body. I spent years observing myself and others from this perspective. It was the first thing I thought of when I woke up in the morning and the last thing I thought of before falling to sleep, until I was empty.

 

Nobody around me saw the same thing or got mad if I talked about it. I started studying science to find support or evidence against my thoughts. It only confirmed that the world is fatalistic and way to complex to understand in each moment. This took me even further.

 

So, now my life has stopped and there is noone inside to care. Only some faint and weak emotional and mental reactions to whatever stimuli is put in front of my senses. No hopes, ambitions or goals. I don’t pay my bills or take care of myself. I mean, why should “I”?

 

Eventualy, 3-4 years ago, I came over some “spiritual” litterature that mentioned the buddhist doctrine of anatta and samsaric consciousness.

 

What would a buddhist recommend to do in this situation? I mean, I will either end up dead or in prison soon if nothing happens. I’m okay with that. I don’t look forward to physical pain, though.

Is there something worth doing? Is this the end of the “path”? To realise that I don’t exist?

 

You are right. It has been very imbalanced and unhealthy, and thus it became exhausting and eventually a problem. But it has also been profound and beautiful experiences, despite the fear, doubt and lack of understanding for what happened. I am at a point where I need some guidence and practices on how to do this properly and the right way, or at least a better and healthier way. So, I think I am open to corrections and guidence. Thank you again.

 

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第三段

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

——

我(Soh)回復:

 

嗨,

 

u/krodhaKyle Dixon)指引我看了這個帖子……我想我會分享一下我個人的兩分錢看法。

 

自我/大我有不同層次。我可以詳細說明很多,你可以在我的博客和(免費)指南中找到這些闡釋:

[鏈接:https://app.box.com/s/157eqgiosuw6xqvs00ibdkmc0r3mu8jg ]

但在這篇帖子里,我只會做個總結。

 

自我/大我以及無我/大我體驗主要有三個層面或面向,盡管每個層面在見解與體驗上都有不同程度的精細度:

   1.         無我理解為無造作者性(non-doership)”。你不再覺得自己是一個行事者或控制者,一切念頭和行為都只是自然而然地自行發生。你會看到,甚至連你的念頭和情緒都不是從某個行動者而來,你甚至無法知道下一個念頭是什么,它就這么冒出來。當你口渴時,手自然而然地去拿飲料,身體自然而然地把它喝下去。

 

更微細層次的無造作者性(non-doership),我稱之為去個人性(impersonality。去個人性不僅是無造作者的體驗,而是對個人自我這一構造的瓦解,進而帶來一種清理自我的效果,使得感知變得干凈、純粹、不屬于,并伴隨一種體會:所有人、所有事物都在展現著同一個生命力/智力/覺知。這很容易被延伸成一種萬有之源universal source)的觀念(但這只是一種延伸,在之后的階段會被解構),并且人會體驗到自己被這個更偉大的生命與智力賦予生命

 

去個人性會幫助消融自我的感覺,但它會讓人容易執著于一個形而上的本質,或者把它人格化、實體化為某種 宇宙共有的單一覺體(universal consciousness)”。在更深的無我與空性見解里,這種實體化與延伸的傾向會被溶解。

 

另外我也要提到另一種見解或領悟——它與無造作者性(non-doership)”并不相同,而更是對自身光明本質(作為純粹臨在和清明)的領悟。有人體驗到無造作者性(non-doership),并不一定就領悟到自己那存在-覺知-我是(I AMness的本質,這種本質在完全不參與概念/思考的當下依然持續。當念頭平息的那刻,在那個空隙里,會突然無疑地覺知到存在本身的實相,哪怕在沒有念頭時,也有我是/存在/覺知。你會領悟到那就是存在本身的光明核心——覺知、純粹的存在與喜悅。這個領悟常被實體化成我是真我(Atman)”,但我認為這種覺悟十分珍貴且重要,與單純的無造作者相比更往前邁了一步,而在下文對無我的進一步領悟中也會被繼續精煉,尤其是無我的圓滿領悟時。這并不是否定這一份臨在-覺知,而是正確理解它——它本空、無自性,也是不二的(盡管不二并不必然意味著覺知其空性,在此我不多做展開)。如果你有這個領悟,你就不會陷入那么虛無的境地,因為你覺悟到了存在本身十分正面的光明核心。并且在這個領悟之后,你會覺得有一個無限的存在之基Ground of Being)支持著所有的念頭,乃至整個世界。當你跑步經過街道,你不再覺得自己是一個人,在與外面的事物打交道;相反,所有物體、樹木、人群、風景都仿佛從那個存在之基投射出來,又回歸到那里,就像電影投影都是從銀幕顯現又回歸到銀幕。你不再感覺自己是走過什么東西,而是你的身體、心智、以及外在風景和事物都只是在那不動的存在中被投射、被流動而已。

 

關于這個領悟,John Tan 也曾這么寫過:

嗨,H先生,

 

除了你所寫的,我想向你傳達臨在的另一個面向。那就是在寂靜中完整、未經污染地遭遇臨在。

 

所以讀完后,就用整個身心去感受,然后把它放下,不要讓它污染你的思維。😝

 

臨在、覺知、存在、如是都是同義詞。可以有各種定義,但都不是通往它的路。通往它的唯一道路,必須是離言的、直接的。這是唯一的方法。

 

當你參生前本來面目是誰這種公案時,思想會試圖在記憶庫中尋找類似的體驗來得出答案。這就是思維運作的模式——比較、分類和衡量,以獲得理解。

 

然而,當我們真正遭遇這樣的公案時,大腦會在嘗試自我挖掘的過程里走到極限,毫無結果。有時它會精疲力盡,陷入完全的停頓,而在那份寂然中,轟然一聲:砰!

 

我。只有我。

 

生前是這個我,一千年前是這個我,一千年后還是這個我。我就是我。

 

其中沒有任何任意妄想,沒有任何比較。它徹底印證了自身的清明、它自身的存在,純凈、直觀、離言。無需為什么,也沒有任何因為

 

就只有它自己,空無一物地停在那里。

 

同時直覺到內觀與止觀(vipassana and the samantha)的精要,直覺到全然使力(total exertion)與證悟。信息的核心要直接、原初,不被言語污染。

 

希望能幫到你!

——John Tan, 2019”

 

然而,有些人體驗到無造作者性(non-doership),可能還沒覺悟到這個臨在-覺知。因此,自我探尋(self-enquiry我是誰?這類追問)會幫助他們走向那個方向。我是(I AM)”的領悟也很重要,可以成為更深領悟的基礎,就像我在無我與純粹臨在(Anatta and Pure Presence)”里所闡述的那樣。想要證悟我是(I AM)”,最直接的方法就是自我探詢,問自己在出生之前,我是誰?我是誰?。可見此鏈接:當下你的心是什么?,以及《覺醒實相實踐指南》和節選版指南中的自我探尋章節。

 

實際上,直接覺悟自身的光明、純粹覺知或純粹臨在非常重要。如果沒有,那么對無我的理解可能會偏向無造作者,卻無法體驗到一種清澈不二的光明性。從我們覺醒實相體系(AtR)的角度看,這不算是真正見到無我。想深入這一主題,可閱讀《清澈無我,無造作者性(non-doership)——Yin Ling  Albert Hong 的貼心忠告與無我展現 + 何謂體驗之見地?》、《無我與純粹臨在》、《Actual Freedom 與瞬間之光明》、《瞬滅的宇宙亦有其核心》……

 

原文:

 

“——

Me/Soh replied:

 

Hi,

 

u/krodha (Kyle Dixon) directed me to this post… I think I will share my 2 cents.

 

There are different degrees of self/Self. I can elaborate a lot of them – you can find these elaborations on my blog and (free) guide - https://app.box.com/s/157eqgiosuw6xqvs00ibdkmc0r3mu8jg

But in this post I will just summarise them.

 

There are three main degrees or aspects of self/Self and no-self/Self experience, although each of them has different degrees of refinement in terms of insight + experience:

   1.         no-self as ‘non-doership’. You no longer feel like a doer or controller, all thoughts and actions are just happening spontaneously on its own accord. You see that even your thoughts and emotions are not from a doer, you can’t even know what your next moment of thought is, it just happens. When you are thirsty, the hand just grabs the drink on its own accord and the body just gulps down the drink.

 

A more refined level of non-doership is what I call ‘impersonality’. Impersonality is not just an experience of non-doership. It is the dissolving of the construct of ‘personal self’ that led to a purging of ego effect to a state of clean, pure, not-mine sort of “perception shift”, accompanied with a sense that everything and everyone is being expressions of the same aliveness/intelligence/consciousness. This can then be easily extrapolated into a sense of a ‘universal source’ (but this is merely an extrapolation and at a later phase is deconstructed) and one will also experience ‘being lived’ by this greater Life and Intelligence.

 

Impersonality will help dissolve the sense of self but it has the danger of making one attached to a metaphysical essence or to personify, reify and extrapolate a universal consciousness. Deeper insights into anatta and emptiness will dissolve this tendency to reify and extrapolate.

 

Also, I should also mention that there is another insight or realization – and this is not the same as non-doership but rather the realization of one’s luminous essence as Pure Presence and Clarity. Someone who has experienced non-doership does not necessarily realize that one’s very Beingness, Presence-Awareness, that I AMness – that remains even without engaging in concepts/thinking. It is when at a moment where all engagement in thoughts subside, in that gap, there is this sudden realization of doubtless Existence itself, that even without a thought, just I/Existence/Consciousness. And you realize that is the Luminous core of Existence itself. It is consciousness, pure beingness and bliss. This realization is often reified into the Atman but I consider this realization precious and important and a progression from mere non-doership, but on later realizations below will get refined, especially with realization of anatta. Realization of anatta in point 3) sees the nature of this Presence-Awareness, not by denying it but properly comprehending it - its non-inherent, empty and non-dual nature of that Presence-Awareness (also its nondual aspect does not imply realizing its empty nature, but I will not elaborate too much yet). But basically if you have this realization, you will not end up sounding so nihilistic because you have discovered a very positive luminous core of Existence. Also, after this realization, you feel like an infinite Ground of Being underlying all your thoughts and in fact the entire world. When you jog across the streets, no longer do you see yourself as a person relating to objects out there, rather, all objects and trees and people and scenery actually emerge and subside and ‘pass through’ from within that Ground of Being, much like the projections of a movie merely ‘pass through’ the screen. You no longer feel like someone that pass by things, rather your body and mind, the scenery and objects are merely ‘projected from’ and ‘pass by’ within unmoved Beingness.

 

About this realization, John Tan also wrote before,

 

 

“Hi Mr. H,

 

In addition to what you wrote, I hope to convey another dimension of Presence to you. That is Encountering Presence in its first impression, unadulterated and full blown in stillness.

 

So after reading it, just feel it with your entire body-mind and forgot about it. Don’t let it corrupt your mind.😝

 

Presence, Awareness, Beingness, Isness are all synonyms. There can be all sorts of definitions but all these are not the path to it. The path to it must be non-conceptual and direct. This is the only way.

 

When contemplating the koan “before birth who am I”, the thinking mind attempts to seek into it’s memory bank for similar experiences to get an answer. This is how the thinking mind works - compare, categorize and measure in order to understand.

 

However, when we encounter such a koan, the mind reaches its limit when it tries to penetrate its own depth with no answer. There will come a time when the mind exhausts itself and come to a complete standstill and from that stillness comes an earthshaking BAM!

 

I. Just I.

 

Before birth this I, a thousand years ago this I, a thousand later this I. I AM I.

 

It is without any arbitrary thoughts, any comparisons. It fully authenticates it’s own clarity, it’s own existence, ITSELF in clean, pure, direct non-conceptuality. No why, no because.

 

Just ITSELF in stillness nothing else.

 

Intuit the vipassana and the samantha. Intuit the total exertion and realization. The essence of message must be raw and uncontaminated by words.

 

Hope that helps!” - John Tan, 2019”

 

However someone who realize non-doership may not yet realize that Presence-Awareness, so doing self-enquiry (asking Who/What am I?) can help one going into that direction. The I AM realization is also important, and can serve as an important base for further insights, as explained in Anatta and Pure Presence. To realize I AM, the most direct method is Self-Inquiry, asking yourself ‘Before birth, Who am I?’ or just ‘Who am I?’ See: What is your very Mind right now?, and the self-inquiry chapter in The Awakening to Reality Practice Guide and AtR Guide - abridged version.

 

It is actually very important to have the direct realization of one’s radiance, one’s pristine consciousness or pure Presence. Without which, one’s experience of no-self will be skewed to non-doership and one will not experience pellucid non-dual luminosity. That is not considered genuine realization of anatman in AtR. For more reading on this topic, you can read Pellucid No-Self, Non-Doership, Nice Advice and Expression of Anatta from Yin Ling and Albert Hong + What is Experiential Insight?, Anatta and Pure Presence, Actual Freedom and the Immediate Radiance in the Transience, The Transient Universe has a Heart

 

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[在本段的翻譯中,為保證可讀性,對部分長句做了適度分句處理,但未省略任何內容。所用鏈接等保持原文,不做額外注釋。]

 

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第四段

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

2)就無我而言,進一步指向洞穿并化解主客能觀所觀的二分。這與人們平時所感的內在主觀知覺者,去感知外在客觀世界的感覺有關。換句話說,一般人都會深深覺得自己是在眼睛后面地與外部世界互動:一些樹啊、人啊、物體啊,乃至形狀、色彩,看上去就像是離開在外面獨立存在的東西。感覺自己僅僅在身體內部,從一個特定的點去觀察它們——這個點就好像主體,而在外部的那些則是客體。對于正常人而言,他們往往把這種主體客體(能觀所觀)的二分,當作理所當然而不加檢驗。然而這種自我與二元性的感覺,對大多數人來說確實是真實且根深蒂固的,他們從未對其提出質疑。

 

需要了解的是:即便有人體驗過前文所說無造作者性(non-doership)”甚至去個人性,也不一定就能體驗到第2點中所說的不二。也就是說,人完全可能仍然感到自己是一個超然的觀察者,看著一切自發發生,卻并未感受到與所觀無距離。那就有點像在玩第三人稱射擊游戲時,你似乎在遠處看著屏幕里那個角色本能地行動、思考、行為,你只是個脫離干系的旁觀者,有時還會產生輕微解離感,覺得并不直接去控制那個人或其思維——角色就是外在地自動活動罷了。部分人會在無造作者性(non-doership)”下體驗到這種與自身身體心智的疏離感或解離感。

 

因此,無造作者性(non-doership)”并不意味著能觀所觀、主客體對立的瓦解。我們可以把對主體客體二元隔閡的洞穿,視作一種更深層的覺悟。

那么,打破主客二元、感知者與所感知之對立可以是一種體驗層次的現象(可能只是一瞬間的高峰體驗),也可以是一種見地(在悟后穩定保持的不二體驗)。

 

體驗層面上,很多人其實都可能在某些時刻感到物我兩忘的狀態,比如,沉醉在音樂里、凝視落日時,或欣賞美景時,人會突然忘記了自我。在那種瞬間,不再覺得自己是距離日落或音樂存在的主體,而是直接與之融為一體。有些人會說:我與太陽合而為一!我成為了樹!等。這時,不再覺得在這兒看著那邊的風景,而是只感到鮮活、無限鮮亮的色彩自我顯現給自己,毫無距離,就像非常生動、有生命力的光的呈現。

 

邁克爾·杰克遜(Michael Jackson)在描述類似高峰體驗時寫道:

意識通過創造來展現自身。我們所居住的這個世界,就是造物主的舞蹈。舞者們來來去去,轉瞬即逝,但舞蹈本身一直存在。很多次,當我跳舞時,會感覺被某種神圣的東西觸及。在那些瞬間,我感到心靈飛揚,與萬事萬物合而為一。

 

我變成了群星與明月。我變成了情人與被愛者。我變成了勝利者與被征服者。我變成了主宰與被役者。我變成了歌者與歌聲。我不斷跳舞,繼而這成為了永恒的創造之舞。造物者與其創造融合成了一個整體的歡悅。我繼續跳舞……繼續跳舞……繼續跳舞。直到只剩下……這舞蹈。

 

但上述情形更多是一次性的體驗:一種不二的體驗,卻不一定是證悟/見地”——也就是不見得會持續。有人通過極限運動、舞蹈、藥物,或者打坐,來獲得這種非二元的巔峰體驗。可它會轉瞬即逝。只有當意識發生范式轉換,突然領悟到原來實相或覺知從未有過能觀與所觀(主體與客體)的分裂,一直以來覺知都是完整不二的,那時才會穩定地持續不二體驗,或者說不再回到原來那種主客對立。見地透徹后,自然不會再傾向于從體驗中抽離,而是會毫無間隙地向體驗敞開——沒有距離地去聽、看、覺知。

 

然而,這種不二見解本身也可被分成兩類:

a)實質主義/本質主義式的不二

b)非實質主義/非本質主義式的不二

 

后者,我稱之為對無我的真正開悟。

 

先說 a)實質主義式/本質主義式的不二:

此時,一個人也許已經領悟覺知從來沒有與所顯之萬法分離;然而,他們依然認為覺知有某種不變的本體,只是顯現為萬物——也就是說,他們把一切都視為純粹覺知的一種顯現,本質上都歸于那個不可變的覺知基底,就像投影屏幕雖不二于圖像,卻被視作是一個永恒、真正的實質,而萬事萬物是投影或反射,離不開屏幕,卻也不同于屏幕。某些印度教流派能到達這一步。

 

3)無我的層面——我所說的對無我(Anatta的覺悟

對于 b)這類情形,領悟不再是所有形式都不過是覺知的顯化,而是所謂覺知覺性其實也只不過是眼前所有顯現的整個性——除此以外并無獨立于顯現之外的覺知。換句話說,除了那不斷生滅流動的五蘊顯現(色、受、想、行、識)外,并沒有一個分離或隱藏在后的覺知自性。無我并非只是擺脫人格自我的體驗,而更是洞見到從當下到剎那之間,沒有可稱之為/主體/能觀/行者/思考者/觀察者的什么東西——感官的流動當中,一切都原本就沒有二分,不存在所謂的感知者與所感知。關鍵在于,這種無我并非只是一種狀態,而是本來如此的法印(Dharma Seal)”,無論人是否覺悟,它都一直如此。重要的是對這一點的直觀領悟,即它是一切現象的性質,而非只是一種修行階段。

 

為更好闡釋這個法印的要義,我想引用《巴希亞經(Bahiya Sutta)》里的話(可見鏈接:http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/…/ajahn-amaro-on-non… ):

在見時,只是所見,沒有見者;在聞時,只是所聞,沒有聞者”……

如果一個修行人從“I hear sound(我在聽聲音)走向我變成聲音只是聲音,并以為這是一種達到的境地,那就錯了。其實在實相里,當聽見聲音時,一直都只有聲音,從未有過一個聽者存在。并不是我們在某個階段做到了沒有聽者,而是我們終于見到從來沒有聽者。這就是法印——無我的本然特質,無論何時何地,皆然。所以它不只是瞬時的巔峰體驗,而是一種根本性的轉變。我自己在9年前(注:原作者寫帖當時)體悟到無我后,再也沒有感到任何主客體或能動者的分裂,這不是暫時體驗,而是永恒模式的轉變。

你在帖子中所描述的那種狀態,我把它叫作無造作者性(non-doership)”。是的,這種見地非常棒,但往后還有更深、更美好的覺悟,可以從根本上改變人的生命,讓我再三極力推薦。

 

當無我(尤其是成熟后的無我)被體悟后,那種內外一體且充滿喜樂的世界簡直妙不可言。正如我在我(免費)指南里寫的:

 

這是一個無論如何都無法染污其純凈與完美的世界,整個宇宙/整個心,一直以最鮮活的方式被體驗為純凈無暇,毫無自我能觀者在距離處端詳世界——沒有的生命就像一個活生生的天堂,不再受痛苦情緒所擾;每一種顏色、聲音、氣味、味道、觸感、乃至一切微小細節,都像是無邊的、晶瑩透明的覺知本身,閃耀著璀璨的光芒、繽紛多彩、分辨度極高、明亮無比、充滿了奇妙和神圣氣息;周遭的一切景色、聲音、香氣、感受、乃至念頭,都被清晰分明地覺知,就像新生嬰兒第一次看到世界一樣,每一刻都鮮活而嶄新;生活中處處都是安詳、喜悅和無畏,哪怕外在看似混亂、麻煩不斷;所有感官所經驗的一切美好都遠遠超過以往,那種感覺仿佛走進了金碧輝煌的天國,毫無間隙和分隔感地直接感受;這沒有任何中心,也沒有邊界——像無盡夜空般浩瀚,就在當下被實現;山巒與星空不再在遠處,而是近在咫尺,與呼吸一樣貼近,和心跳一樣親密;在日常的行住坐臥中,整個宇宙都與每一個舉動同在,沒有一絲我所可以成立,讓人仿佛化身為整個因緣網絡的一部分,不再于整體之外有任何立足;如此的純凈和無量,在所有感官門開啟時恒常顯現。(如果感官之門被洗凈,則萬事萬物對人來說都會以無限的方式呈現。因為人把自己鎖在狹窄的洞里,只能從洞隙看世界——威廉·布萊克語)

 

僅有無造作者性(non-doership)”還不是無我最終的見地。(Thusness 階段5”中提到:“……第五階段在無我層面就很透徹,我會把它稱為無我在三個層面——沒有主客體的區分、沒有行動者、沒有施為者/主體(agent……”;單獨的無造作者性(non-doership)并不代表真正證悟/見地到無我,雖然從John Tan第一偈(關于無我)的悟入里也能清晰地體會無造作者,但第一偈絕不只是講無造作者,而同時表達無施為者/主體(agent。)

 

就我的估計,當人們說我見到了無我時,95%99%的情況其實是在談去個人性或者無造作者性(non-doership)”,甚至連不二都沒到,更不用說佛教所說真正徹底的無我(法印)了。通常我會讓他們看看以下的自檢:

 

何謂體驗之證悟/見地(experiential insight

(大拇指)

 

Yin Ling

當我們在佛教中說體驗之證悟/見地

意思是……

這會在整體存在層面帶來能量的轉換,深入到骨髓。

 

聲音必須能夠自己聽自己

沒有聽者。

干凈,清晰。

那從頭到尾都有個束縛,被一刀切斷。

然后慢慢在五根門中都如此。

 

那時才能談無我。

 

所以若對你來說,

聲音是否能自己聽自己?

若答案是否定,那就還沒到。繼續努力吧!參究或打坐。

你尚未達到更深的證悟/見地要求,例如無我與空性的見地!

 

Yin Ling

證悟/見地表示……

當這個見地深入骨髓,無需任何一丁點兒刻意,就能讓聲音自己聽自己

就像你現在生活在二元感知里,一點也不費力。

對那些悟到無我的人來說,他們無我地生活同樣不費吹灰之力,無需靠思維來維系。

他們甚至無法回到二元感知,因為那只是一個想象,被連根拔除。

起初你也許要刻意調節一點。

可到某個時刻,就完全不需要……乃至在夢里也會是無我。

這才是體驗上的覺悟

如果達不到這個標準,就不能說是真證悟!

 

Soh

重要的是,那種體驗之見地/證悟會讓你整個人從頭腦到能量都向外敞開,與萬事萬物生生不息地合為一體……不再覺得我在這里對著外面的樹或鳥鳴……而是純粹的無距離,無中間人:

沒有我是觀者,只有樹木在自我搖曳,只有鳥鳴自我鳴響——無從說誰在聽或看……沒有地理上的方位可言……

那時整個人的能量向外輻射到顯現里,沒有任何中心感,就像沒有中心點而無限延展。若沒有這種能量和覺知上的轉變,就算不上無我的真實體驗……”

 

……l

 

原文:

 

“2) no-self in terms of the penetrating and dissolving of the subject/object or perceiver/perceived dichotomy. This relates to the sense of being an internal subjective perceiver perceiving the world of objects in the senses. In other words, normal people feel deeply that they are relating to the world from behind their own eyes, as someone perceiving an ‘outside world’ of trees and people and objects and so on and the shapes and colors and characteristics of those trees/tables/objects are just inherent attributes of observer-independent objects ‘out there’, and they are merely observing them from a vantagepoint ‘within’ their body as an internal perceiver – subject, and object. Perceiver and perceived. And this is so not only in relation to sights but even sounds and other sensory perceptions, for normal people hear sound as if the sound is somewhere ‘out there’ while they are located and hearing the sounds from somewhere ‘in here’, that is to say, inside their own body (exactly where that is, is uncertain, and upon examination some people may say it is the head, some people point to their heart, basically normal people don’t examine things clearly and just take their sense of self and duality for granted). But this sense of self and sense of duality is a very real experience for most people, that they have unquestioningly taken it for granted as their reality.

 

It should be understood and noted that someone who has experienced the non-doership or even impersonality aspect of no-self in 1), may not experience non-duality in 2). In other words, one can still experience everything happening on its own accord, but still feel like a dissociated observer detached from things happening on their own. In a sense, it’s almost like everything the body and mind is doing seems like another person, like you are playing a third person shooter game where you are sort of watching the whole character from a distance behind, except in a dissociated state you aren’t even ‘controlling’ the character people refer to as ‘you’ – rather, you are merely observing this person or body-mind called ‘you’ acting and thinking and behaving in its own way and you are just this aloof and detached observer of this character or body-mind doing its own thing. Some people have experienced this sort of dissociation coupled with a sense of non-doership.

 

Now, this means that the sense of doership dissolving does not mean that the subject and object dichotomy is dissolved. Therefore we can call that sense of subject-object duality, or the gap between perceiver and perceived, as a distinct layer of ‘self’ that can be penetrated in deeper insight.

Now, the dissolution of subject-object/perceiver-perceived dichotomy can happen as an experience, which is transient, short-lived peak experiences, or it can happen as a realization which leads to stabilization of non-dual experience.

 

As an experience, it is quite commonly experienced and described by people, often spontaneously when they just enjoy music, watch a sunset, enjoy a beautiful scenery and so on, where they suddenly become so engaged and engrossed in their sensory experience that they have totally forgotten their ‘self’ – and in the act of forgetting the self they enter into what seems like a different state of consciousness, a very vivid and intensified one where they are no longer ‘seeing’ the sunset from a distance, they are the very sunset itself – they may describe it as ‘I have merged with the sun!’ ‘I have become the trees!’ There is suddenly no longer this sense that ‘I’ am someone ‘in here’ separate from the ‘sun over there’, there is just brilliant and very alive bright orange light displaying itself to itself at no distance at all, a very vivid, brilliant and alive display of colors as clear vivid consciousness.

 

In describing such a peak experience, Michael Jackson wrote,

 

“Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on. On many an occasion when I am dancing, I have felt touched by something sacred. In those moments, I felt my spirit soar and become one with everything that exists.

 

I become the stars and the moon. I become the lover and the beloved. I become the victor and the vanquished. I become the master and the slave. I become the singer and the song. I become the knower and the known. I keep on dancing then it is the eternal dance or creation. The creator and creation merge into one wholeness of joy. I keep on dancing…and dancing…and dancing. Until there is only…the dance.”

 

However, what is described here is still merely an experience. An experience of non-duality, but not the realisation. Such experiences come and go. Some people engage in dangerous sports to enter the zone and glimpse the bliss of non-duality, some people do it through dance, some people through certain drugs, some people do it through meditation.

 

But all these experiences come and go, until a paradigm shift takes place in consciousness where one suddenly realizes that the truth about reality or consciousness is that there never was a subject and object division, that consciousness was in truth never from the beginning ever divided into a perceiver and perceived, consciousness and its display, that they were never separate to begin with. After insights into non-duality, the tendency will no longer be to dissociate from experience but to fully open to experience in an undivided and gapless way – experiencing everything without distance as vivid consciousness.

 

Such a realization can however be divided into two types:

 

a) substantialist/essentialist non-duality

b) non-substantialist/non-essentialist non-duality

 

The latter, I call the realization of anatta, proper.

 

But lets talk about a) substantialist/essentialist non-duality in summary:

 

Such a person may have realized that their consciousness was never divided from manifestations, that all manifestations are none other than consciousness itself. However the karmic (deep conditioning) tendency to conceive of consciousness as an inherently existing, unchanging source and substratum of phenomena, remains — except consciousness is now seen to be undivided from its manifestation, so one subsumes everything to be modulations of Pure Consciousness. One sees that all phenomena are merely Consciousness displaying itself in various forms. Yet one does not equate the forms with consciousness – the forms are like passing light shows displayed on an unchanging screen/mirror, while the projections and reflections pass through inseparably from the base of the mirror without subject/object division, the underlying basis of consciousness remains unchanged. Hinduism can get as far to this point.

   3.         No-Self in terms of what I call realization of Anatta

 

But then there is b), where one realizes that not only is it the case that all forms are merely modulations of consciousness, in actual fact ‘Awareness’ or ‘Consciousness’ is truly and only Everything – in other words, there is no ‘Awareness’ or ‘Consciousness’ besides the very luminous manifestation of the aggregates, whatever is seen, heard, sensed, touched, cognized, smelled…

Anatta is not merely a freeing of personality sort of experience; rather, there is an insight into the complete lack of a self/agent, a doer, a thinker, a watcher, etc, cannot be found apart from the moment to moment flow of manifestation. Non-duality is thoroughly seen to be always already so: here is effortlessness in the non-dual and one realizes that in seeing there is always just scenery (no seer or even seeing besides the colors) and in hearing, always just sounds (never a hearer or even a hearing besides the sounds). A very important point here is that Anatta/No-Self is a Dharma Seal, it is the nature of Reality all the time – and not merely as a state free from personality, ego or the ‘small self’ or a stage to attain. This means that it does not depend on the level of achievement of a practitioner to experience anatta but Reality has always been Anatta and what is important here is the intuitive insight into it as the nature, characteristic, of phenomenon (dharma seal).

 

To illustrate further due to the importance of this seal, I would like to borrow a quote from the Bahiya Sutta (http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/…/ajahn-amaro-on-non…)

 

‘in the seeing, there is just the seen, no seer’, ‘in the hearing, there is just the heard, no hearer’…

If a practitioner were to feel that he has gone beyond the experiences from ‘I hear sound’ to a stage of ‘becoming sound’ or takes that ‘there is just mere sound’, then this experience is again distorted. For in actual case, there is and always is only sound when hearing; never was there a hearer to begin with. Nothing attained for it is always so. This is the main difference between a momentary peak experience (lasting minutes or at most an hour) of non-duality, and a permanent quantum shift of perception that makes that peak experience become a permanent mode of perception.

This is the seal of no-self and can be realized and experienced in all moments; not just a mere concept.

 

In summary, after the realization of anatta of b), and even a), non-dual no longer becomes a passing peak experience that comes and goes, as the entire paradigm of consciousness, knot of perception, mental proliferation – the continuous activity of projecting a ‘self’ or ‘subject/object dichotomy’ is severed at a more fundamental level as the delusional framework through which one perceives the world is undermined. What I can say is that for me personally, for the past 9+ years after realizing anatta, I have not experienced the slightest sense of subject/object duality or agency at all, not even the slightest trace. That is gone for good and is not merely a peak experience here.

What you described in your post is what I called ‘non-doership’. And yes, that’s a wonderful insight but there are still more wonderful insights down the road that is truly life changing in a very positive way, that I cannot highly recommend enough.

 

The world experienced after realization and maturation of anatta, after all sense of self/Self in all its facets are totally dissolved, is truly wonderful. Here is how I described it in my (free) guide:

 

“This is a world where nothing can ever sully and touch that purity and perfection, where the whole of universe/whole of mind is always experienced vividly as that very purity and perfection devoid of any kind of sense of self or perceiver whatsoever that is experiencing the world at a distance from a vantagepoint – life without ‘self’ is a living paradise free of afflictive/painful emotions, where every color, sound, smell, taste, touch and detail of the world stands out as the very boundless field of pristine awareness, sparkling brilliance/radiance, colorful, high-saturation, HD, luminous, heightened intensity and shining wonderment and magicality, where the surrounding sights, sounds, scents, sensations, smells, thoughts are seen and experienced so clearly down to the tiniest details, vividly and naturally, not just in one sense door but all six, where the world is a fairy-tale like wonderland, revealed anew every moment in its fullest depths as if you are a new-born baby experiencing life for the first time, afresh and never seen before, where life is abundant with peace, joy and fearlessness even amidst the apparent chaos and troubles of life, and everything experienced through all the senses far surpasses any beauty previously experienced, as if the universe is like heaven made of glittering gold and jewels, experienced in complete gapless directness without separation, where life and the universe is experienced in its intense lucidity, clarity, aliveness and vivifying presence not only without intermediary and separation but without center and boundaries - infinitude as vast as an endless night sky is actualized every moment, an infinitude that is simply the vast universe appearing as an empty, distanceless, dimensionless and powerful presencing, where the mountains and stars on the horizon stands out no more distant than one’s breath, and shines forth as intimately as one’s heartbeat, where the cosmic scale of infinitude is actualized even in ordinary activities as the entirety of the universe is always participating as every ordinary activity including walking and breathing and one’s very body (without a trace of an ‘I’ or ‘mine’) is as much the universe/dependent origination in action and there is nothing outside of this boundless exertion/universe, where the purity and infinitude of the marvellous world experienced through being cleansed in all doors of perception is constant. (If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is: Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern. - William Blake)”

 

Non-doership is just one of the aspects of anatta, by itself it is not the anatta realization. (Thusness Stage 5: “…Phase 5 is quite thorough in being no one and I would call this anatta in all 3 aspects – no subject/object division, no doer-ship and absence of agent…”) One can experience non-doership during the I AM phase, or for some people even before the I AM realization. Hence non-doership is not equivalent with anatta realization.

Although the aspect of non-doership itself does not indicate the realization of anatta, this does not mean it is not important. Particularly, non-doership becomes clearly experienced when the John Tan’s first stanza of anatta is penetrated and clearly realised. However, the first stanza of anatta is not merely non-doership, as explained in the conversation here. The first stanza of anatta conveys both absence of agent and non-doership, and not just non-doership. Commenting on someone’s breakthrough, John Tan said, “More towards second stanza [of anatta], non-doership is equally important.” and on someone else, “Non-dual but can’t discern clearly the difference between conventionalities and ultimate. Did it talk about natural spontaneity? [In] The 2 stanzas of anatta, the non-doership will lead to natural spontaneity. Currently it is talking about freedom from observer and observed, but the second part of realising appearances are just empty clarity isn’t there. Therefore effortlessness of vivid presence will not be possible without these 2 insights as base.”

 

 

It is my estimate that when someone says they have broken through to no-self, 95% to 99% of the time they are referring to impersonality or non-doership, not even non dual, let alone the true realization of anatman (Buddhism’s no-self dharma seal). For those that claimed insight into no-self, I usually ask them to check their experience against this:

 

“What is experiential insight

 

 👍

 

Yin Ling:

 

When we say experiential insight in Buddhism, 

It means.. 

A literal transformation of energetic orientation of the whole being, down to the marrow. 

 

The sound MUST literally hears themselves. 

No hearer. 

Clean. Clear. 

A bondage from the head here to there cut off overnight. 

Then gradually the rest of the 5 senses. 

 

Then one can talk about Anatta. 

 

So if for you, 

Does sound hear themselves? 

 

If no, not yet. You have to keep going! Inquire and meditate.

You haven’t reach the basic insight requirement for the deeper insights like anatta and emptiness yet!

 

Yin Ling:

 

Yin Ling: “Realisation is when 

 

This insight goes down to the marrow and you don’t need even a minute amount of effort for sound to hear themselves. 

 

It is like how you live with dualistic perception now, very normal, no effort. 

 

Ppl with Anatta realisation live in Anatta effortlessly, without using thinking to orient. It’s their life. 

 

They cannot even go back to dualistic perception because that is an imputation, it js uprooted 

 

At first you might need to purposely orient with some effort. 

 

Then at one point there is no need.. further along, dreams will become Anatta too. 

 

That’s experiential realisation. 

 

There’s no realisation unless this benchmark is achieved!”

 

……

 

“Soh:

what is important is that there is experiential realisation that leads

to an energetic expansion outwards into all the forms, sounds, radiant

universe… such that it is not that you are in here, in the body,

looking outwards at the tree, listening the birds chirping from here

it is just the trees are vividly swaying in and of itself, luminously

without an observer

the trees sees themselves

the sounds hear itself

there is no location from which they are experienced, no vantage point

the energetic expansion outward into vivid manifestation, boundless, yet

it is not an expansion from a center, there is just no center

without such energetic shift it is not really the real experience of no

selfxabir Snoovatar” - https://www.awakeningtoreality.com/2022/12/the-difference-between-experience-of.html

 

Labels: Anatta, Yin Ling |

 

 

 

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簡體中文翻譯:

 

「還有……“聲音自己聽自己,景象自己看自己等等。

 

那只是不二的體驗,一種無心(no mind的狀態。它還不是對無我(anatman)的證悟。

 

更重要的是要見到無我作為一種法印,它穿透了對于實有性(自性見)參照的錯誤認知。」

 

原文:

 

   Also.. “Sound hearing themselves, sights see themselves” etc

 

   Thats just nondual. A state of no mind. This is not yet the realisation of anatman.

 

   Whats more important is the realization of anatta as a dharma seal and which sees through the referents of inherent view

 

 2 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「如我先前所說:

 

“JD 先生,關于你的問題:

 

不,并非那樣。最近我寫信給一個處在我是(I AM)”階段的人,他說:我很難把前景(即眼前的顯現)視為覺知。大概我在腦海里把覺知背景劃等號了。我告訴他,這是因為他對覺知有某些定義阻礙了他。他問我:那我就先不去定義覺知,只去看前景的鮮活生機,這樣就夠了嗎?我回答:不,不僅僅是別去定義覺知,你要深度地去審視它、挑戰它、探究它。我也把一些我先前發給另一位朋友的文字給他,并說:擁有無背景(無心)的體驗,并不等同于看清從來就沒有什么背景主體或觀察者、或一個在所見之外或后面的觀照。后者必須以證悟。所以你得透過直接經驗去分析、觀照。

 

原文:

 

   As I wrote before:

 

   “Mr JD, regarding your question:

 

   Not so. Recently I wrote to someone:

 

   Just yesterday someone at the I AM phase told me, he said “I have a hard time seeing foreground [appearance] as “awareness.” Probably just equating “awareness” and “background” in my mind.” I told him thats because he has some definition of awareness that is blocking him. He told me “So forget definition of awareness and just see the radical aliveness of “foreground.” That is enough, yeah?” I told him “No, not just forget definition of awareness. You need to deeply look into it, challenge it, investigate it”. I also sent him some texts I sent to another person earlier and said “Having an experience without background [as an experience of no mind] is not the same as realizing there never was a background subject or a seer or a seeing besides or behind the seen. The latter must arise as a realization. So you need to analyse in direct experience.

 

 3 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「堪祖仁波切(Khamtrul Rinpoche)在大手印(Mahamudra)著作中論述關于無我的見地/證悟:

 

到了那個階段,觀察者——覺知所觀——寂靜與活動究竟是彼此相異的嗎?還是說它其實就是那寂靜與活動本身?通過以你自身覺知的目光來探究,你會發現,那正在探究自身的,也不離開這寂靜與活動。當你真的見到這一點,你就會體會到一種清明空性,它即是天然光明、自知的覺性。最終,無論我們說的是本性與顯現不想要的事物與對治能觀與所觀正念與念頭寂靜與活動”……都要明白這每一對名詞并不真正有差別;在得到上師的加持后,當你真正確證它們不曾分離時,就抵達了超越能觀與所觀的境地,那才是真正義理的證悟,也是所有分析的最終完成。這被稱為超越概念的知見,離一切戲論,或叫金剛心之見

 

證果位的毗婆舍那(意思是觀察如其本然的實相),就是究竟了悟觀察者與所觀不二之最終定解。

 

原文:

 

   Khamtrul Rinpoche on the realization of anatta in the Mahamudra text:

 

   “At that point, is the observer—awareness—other than the observed—stillness and movement—or is it actually that stillness and movement itself? By investigating with the gaze of your own awareness, you come to understand that that which is investigating itself is also no other than stillness and movement. Once this happens you will experience lucid emptiness as the naturally luminous self-knowing awareness. Ultimately, whether we say nature and radiance, undesirable and antidote, observer and observed, mindfulness and thoughts, stillness and movement, etc., you should know that the terms of each pair are no different from one another; by receiving the blessing of the guru, properly ascertain that they are inseparable. Ultimately, to arrive at the expanse free of observer and observed is the realization of the true meaning and the culmination of all analyses. This is called “the view transcending concepts,” which is free of conceptualization, or “the vajra mind view.”

 

   “Fruition vipashyana is the correct realization of the final conviction of the nonduality of observer and observed.”

 

 4 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「堪祖仁波切上面說的,并不僅僅是某種體驗,而是對這些約定俗成(conventions)與分析的透視,并見到它們的空性。

 

在佛教里,非分析式的止息(如無心狀態或三昧),并不能帶來解脫。只有基于智慧、能穿透并看破對實存(自性見)的錯誤見解的分析式止息才可能解脫。這種般若智慧見到無我、緣起與空性的法印。」

 

原文:

 

   What Khamtrul Rinpoche said above is not just mere experience. It sees through the conventions and analysis and realized the emptiness of these conventions.

 

   In buddhism, non analytical cessations like states of no-mind and samadhi does not liberate. Only analytical cessation based on wisdom that penetrates and sees through the wrong view of inherent existence is able to liberate. The prajna wisdom that realizes the dharma seal of anatta, dependent origination and emptiness.

 

 5 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

——

 

過去很多年前,我經常到芽籠(Geylang)那邊一家禪中心拜訪,它的師父是一位非常有名的韓國禪師,在全球設有許多道場,他本人于 2000 年代初期圓寂。我起初很喜歡讀他的著作,因為他能很簡潔而清晰地表達無心的狀態。我讀過他的不少書,他甚至說過諸如:你的真我沒有外、也沒有內。聲音就是清明心,清明心就是聲音。聲音和聽并不分離,只有聲音而已’……諸如此類。

 

然而,后來我發現他雖然體驗到無心,卻仍停留在一心論的見解,也就是說他并沒有證得無我的見地/證悟,去透穿對實存(自性見)的執取。因此,盡管他有不二的體驗,卻仍未超越對于本來有一個不變的一體實質的認知——這可以稱為將不二建立在一個實體或本質之上。我是在讀了更多細節后才發現,他把法性視作宇宙的共同實質,它像 H₂O 一樣無形,卻可以顯現為雨、雪、霧、蒸汽、江河、海洋、冰雹、冰塊等,萬事萬物不過是這個不變的普遍實質的不同形式。

 

由此可見,他的不二”“無心體驗依然在將某種本體論的、普遍的、唯一且不可分割、恒常不變的來源或基底實體化為獨一無二,而卻能顯現出萬有。這仍是對一個形而上、本質性基底的執取,即使他體驗到不二。

 

我在 2018 年把這事告訴了 John Tan,他回答:對我來說的確如此。那是一種因缺乏正確見地而導致的錯誤體驗。我認為這是禪門常見的問題:無心是一種體驗,但必須見到無我,然后在見地/證悟上再做提升。(這是普遍趨勢,但也有很多禪師見解很清晰、證悟很深。)」

 

原文:

 

   ——

 

   In the past, many years ago, I visited a Zen center in Geylang many times, whose master is a very famous Korean Zen master with many established dharma centers throughout the world, who passed away in the early 2000s. I found his writings quite resonating because he was able to express simply and articulately the state of no-mind. I read many books by him. He even said things like, “your true self has no outside, no inside. Sound is clear mind, clear mind is sound. Sound and hearing are not separate, there is only sound.”, and so on.

 

   However I was dismayed to find out later that he was having the experience of no mind but the view of one mind, meaning that he has not had the realisation of anatman that penetrated the view of inherent existence. As a result, despite his nondual experience, he was still unable to overcome the view of an inherently existing one substance modulating as many, which is the view of substantiated nonduality (nondual based on substance or essence view). I only realised this after reading in more details his views and writings and found an article where he expressed that Dharma-nature is the universal substance which everything in the universe is composed, is an unchanging substance that is formless like h2o but can appear as rain, snow, fog, vapor, river, sea, sleet, and ice, and everything is different forms of the same universal and unchanging substance.

 

   It is clear to me that he experiences nondual and no-mind, but what he said above is still precisely reifying an ontological, universal, one, indivisible and unchanging source and substratum that is the “one without a second” manifesting as many. This is having a view of inherent existence pertaining to a metaphysical source and substratum even though it is nondual with phenomena.

 

   I informed John Tan the above in 2018 and he replied, “To me yes. Mistaken experience due to lack of view. That is Zen’s problem imo. No mind is an experience. Insight of anatta must arise, then refine one’s view.” (This is a general trend but there are many Zen masters with clear view and deep realisations too)

 

 6 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「還有另一位美國禪師的著作我也讀了不少。我發現他寫得挺有意思,能夠描述無心和我所稱的大規模全然使力(Maha total exertion。他寫道:佛陀心就是山河大地、日月星辰。真正的修行與開悟狀態下,冷能殺死你,此時整個宇宙只有冷;熱能殺死你,此時整個宇宙只有熱;香氣殺死你,此時整個宇宙只有香氣;鐘聲殺死你,此時整個宇宙只有——”……’這很能體現無心

 

然而,進一步讀后,我發現他其實還沒有見到無我,所以也沒有超越一心論的知見,只是停留在無心的體驗。他繼續聲稱:心之所緣的對象在無盡流中來來去去,覺知(awareness)的內容升起又消失——覺知則是永恒不變的領域,它容納并見證這些變化不休的內容;盡管他認為覺知與萬法不二,卻堅持覺知是不變的,而萬物在不停變化。簡言之,一切的實相是不二的,所以實相里的所有事物都是那個唯一實相的內在方面或元素。

 

這表明,盡管他確實體驗了不二無心,卻在實存(自性見)的執念上還很強,而在微妙層面依然有二元。體驗與見地并未協調一致。他用一種奧特曼自性恒存的知見,認為唯一且不變的實相與萬物不二。我可以繼續舉更多事例,包括許多佛教或非佛教的教師與修行者,都陷在這個問題里;這情況相當普遍。 

 

原文:

 

   Another American Zen writer, whose books I have enjoyed reading and found to be quite resonating in many ways, because he was able to express the experience of no-mind and what I call Maha total exertion. He wrote that the Buddha mind is mountains, rivers, and the earth, the sun, moon, and stars. And that “In the state of authentic practice and enlightenment, the cold kills you, and there is only cold in the whole universe. The heat kills you, and there is only heat in the whole universe. The fragrance of incense kills you, and there is only the fragrance of incense in the whole universe. The sound of the bell kills you, and there is only “boooong” in the whole universe…” This is a good expression of no mind.

 

   However, later on, upon further reading, I was disappointed to find out that he is still lacking realization into anatman, and hence did not go beyond the view of one mind yet having no mind experience. He continued to assert that “Objects of mind come and go in an endless stream, contents of awareness arise and cease – mind or awareness is the unchanging realm in which objects come and go, the immutable dimension wherein the contents of awareness arise and cease”, and although he sees awareness as unchanging while all phenomena are changing, he insists awareness is nondual with phenomena: “In short, reality is nondual (not-two), thus everything in reality is an intrinsic aspect or element of that one reality.”

 

   It is clear that despite his nondual experience up to no mind, the view of inherent existence is very strong, and subtly dual. The desync between view and experience persists. It is having the atman view of an unchanging and inherently existing one reality yet being nondual with everything. I could go on and on and cite countless other teachers and practitioners, whether Buddhist or non-Buddhist, that are having this problem, because it is very common.

 

 7 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「這就是為何無我不僅僅是無心不二主體客體不分、聽和聲音不分的體驗。許多修行人和老師常常把二者混為一談。無我之覺悟其實意味著真正看穿、切斷對某個實存本源/基底/覺知的執取。它讓人見到只有鮮活明亮的顯現,在那里從不曾有過一個了知者能者,正如風并非由風之主體在吹、閃電也沒有閃光主體在發亮(風與閃電只是依賴性名稱),也不存在什么形而上或本體論的本質以任何形式獨立存在。

 

所以,在從我是 (I AM)’進入不二之后,尤其需要擺脫一體實質之見,繼續邁向對無我(anatman的證悟。這仍只是一個開端。

 

最近幾周,又有更多人在我的博客里見到無我,我也在指導他們深入緣起與空性的見解。不過,只有在對我們自身的空性覺知有更深刻的理解、在無我兩偈中得到徹底印證后,我才會讓他們進一步去探究空性與緣起。因為那是基礎。萬物都無自性,卻又極其分明地顯現,一切之所以顯現,都是清晰光明之綻現。因此,要有更深的洞見,首先必須直接確證自身心性的光明與空性。無我的證悟是關鍵。

 

在第一偈里,背后那個主體、能者、觀察者、造作者被看破,一切都自發生起。在第二偈里,就是所見,我們自己的光明清澈和臨在覺知被直接確證為所有顯現——山河大地、無不如是。

 

兩偈都同等重要。如果少了對所有鮮明顯現都是本身的光明臨在的直接印證,以及對所有轉瞬流動都是覺知本身的強烈洞見,便還稱不上對無我的真實開悟。也可能只是某種思維理解,或者仍傾向于無造作者,未入不二與無我。而即便有人已悟到覺知即所有鮮活顯現,還可能陷入實質性不二中,所以必須深究,破除對實存/有自性而恒常不變之覺知的殘余知見于執取。 

 

原文:

 

   This is why anatta is not just the experience of no-mind, or a nondual experience, or even the realisation of the non-division between subject and object, perceiver and perceived, hearing and sound. Many practitioners and teachers unfortunately mistaken it to be so. It should instead be a realization that sees throughs, cuts through the view of inherent existence of a source/substratum/awareness. It is the realization that only vivid luminous manifestation knows and rolls without ever a knower or an agent, much like there is no wind that is the agent of blowing or lightning that is the agent of flash (both are just dependent designations and mere names, and also there is no ontological or metaphysical essence that exists in any way or form.

 

   So after breakthrough from I AM to nondual, it is crucial to get out of “one substance” view and phase through the realization of anatman. Even this is just a start.

 

   In recent weeks more people realized anatman in my blog and I have been guiding them into deeper insights into dependent origination and emptiness. However, genuine insights of emptiness and dependent origination cannot be understood without deep understanding of our consciousness, our empty clarity. I generally do not confuse people too much on dependent origination and emptiness until they are thoroughly clear about the realization of anatta through the two stanzas, the 2 authentications of anatta, because that is the base. Everything is empty of inherent existence but vividly clear and radiant, everything appears because it is all radiance of clarity. Therefore to have deep insight, the direct authentication of one’s radiance and clarity is crucial. Anatman realization is key.

 

   In the first stanza, the background subject, agent, watcher, doer is seen through, everything is spontaneous arising. In the second stanza, seeing is just the seen, one’s radiance clarity and presence-awareness is directly authenticated as all appearances, as all mountains, rivers, the great earth.

 

   Both stanzas are equally important. Lacking this direct authentication of radiance as all vivid appearance, this powerful taste and insight of all transience as Presence-Awareness, is not what I call an authentic realization of anatman. It can be either an intellectual understanding, or still skewed towards non-doership, not yet nondual and anatta. Yet even if one has the realization of awareness as vivid appearance, it can still fall into substantialist nondual, so one must be careful to deepen insight and see through any remaining views and sense of an inherently existing and unchanging awareness.

 

[在下一條消息中繼續]

 

[續上條消息]

 

 8 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「關于無我的兩層印證,大致就像我先前寫過的那樣:

 

第一偈

有思維,而無思維者;

有聽聞,而無聽聞者;

有看見,而無看見者。

 

第二偈

思維時,僅僅是思維;

聽聞時,僅僅是聲音;

看見時,僅僅是形、色與色彩。

 

這必須被當作法印而見證,不是一種階段性的成就。必須見到無我是一種法印,而非某個修行階段,否則就無法進到不費力的模式。也就是說,無我一直就是一切體驗的根本,本來就沒有。在看時永遠只有所見,在聽時永遠只有所聞,在思維時永遠只有念頭。根本不需要再去努力,也從來沒有一個

 

因此,我認為十分重要的一點,是把無我當作法印的證悟,也就是——在看時只有所見,從來不曾有個看者。這并不是說某個階段里,看者溶解成了所見(這也可能是暫時的體會),而是要有能穿透并照見內在觀者/本體化覺知的般若智慧,見它本為空無。僅僅有無心(no-mind的體驗并不難,也并不罕見;反倒是真正的無我見地/證悟較為稀有。哪怕見到無我之后,也還只是通往成佛之路的另一個起點。很多人只關注無心體驗,卻沒有去分辨其中的差異之所在。真正見到無我的修行者、老師并不多見。大多數擁有不二體驗的人會把在見時只有所見單純理解成無心,而沒有更深地見到:本來就沒有一個獨立于顯現之外、原本存在的自我/覺知/觀者/能感知者,根本上從來就沒有一個看者或哪怕一個的存在,只有當下所見,一直都是如此。」

 

原文:

 

   The two authentications of anatta are like what I wrote earlier, “Stanza 1

 

   There is thinking, no thinker

There is hearing, no hearer

There is seeing, no seer

 

   Stanza 2

 

   In thinking, just thoughts

In hearing, just sounds

In seeing, just forms, shapes and colors.

 

   This must be realized as a dharma seal. Insight that ‘anatta’ is a seal and not a stage must arise to further progress into the ‘effortless’ mode. That is, anatta is the ground of all experiences and has always been so, no I. In seeing, always only seen, in hearing always only sound and in thinking, always only thoughts. No effort required and never was there an ‘I’.

 

   Therefore, I think it is important to stress on anatta as a realisation of dharma seal, which is to say, in seeing just the seen, never has there been a seer. This is not a stage where the sense of a seer dissolve into just the seen, as this can just be a stage without the prajna wisdom that pierces and sees through the construct of an internal reference point of a perceiver/inherently existing perceiving, as fundamentally illusory and empty. Having an experience of no-mind is not very difficult nor uncommon, it is actually much more rare to have the realisation of anatta, even though the realisation of anatta is also just another start along the path to Buddhahood. Many focus on the experience, and there is a lack of clarity to penetrate the differences. It is rare to find practitioners and teachers that truly realized anatta. Most people that has nondual experience take “in the seen just the seen” as simply a state of no mind, rather than the more important realization that sees through the referencepoint of an inherently existing self, perceiver, agent, awareness, perceiving that could exist in and of itself apart from manifestation, seeing that always already, there never was a seer or even a seeing besides the seen, always already so.”

 

 9 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

——

 

現在很晚了,這篇帖子也變得相當冗長,關于你所提及的無造作者性(non-doership),我會在明天另起一篇回應。 

 

原文:

 

   ——

 

   It’s late here and this post is getting way too long and I will address some of your issues regarding non-doership in a separate post tomorrow.

 

 10 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

——

 

發帖者回復道:

 

哦,我的天啊……

我現在找不到言語來表達。我會等我先消化一下,再試著做一個正式的回復。你真的明白我所說的。你對我經歷過的一些感受也能描述出來,或者是我過去對某些東西有過的片段猜測。我非常期待你明天對無造作者性(non-doership)”問題的看法。你無法想象我有多感激這一切。或者……也許你能想象。

我已經讀了兩遍,還會再讀一遍。太令人震撼了。

 

我想我也該去讀你那個指南。我剛才快速翻了下目錄,就已經覺得特別有意思。

 

真是萬分感謝你!

 

原文:

 

            —-

 

            The poster replied:

 

            Oh my world..

 

            I am lost for words right now. I’ll try to reply properly when all this has sunk in a bit. You do actually understand. You describe other experiences I have had as well, or glimpses and even “suspicions”. I very much look forward to read what you have to say about the issues on non-doership. You have no idea how grateful I am for this. Or.. perhaps you do, actually. I have read it twice now, and I will read it again. Wow.

 

            I think I should read your guide as well. I just scrolled through the table of content and it looks very interesting.

 

            Thank you so, so much!

 

            ”

 

 

 1 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「第二天,我寫下了更多內容:」

 

原文:

 

   The next day, I wrote more:

 

 2 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「更多回復:」

 

原文:

 

   More replies:

 

 3 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「在描述了自我/大我的不同層面以及無我/大我的不同面向之后,我想稍微深入探討一下無造作者性(non-doership)”以及無我可能帶來的某些陷阱與誤解。」

 

原文:

 

   After describing the different facets of self/Self and no-self/Self, I’ll dwell a little into the pitfalls and misunderstandings of non-doership and no-self.

 

 4 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「有些人經歷無造作者性(non-doership)”時,會體驗到一定程度的自發性與自由感,但也常常伴隨大量的混亂,只有更深的見解或指引才能幫助理清。」

 

原文:

 

   Someone who goes through non-doership experiences spontaneity and a sense of freedom to a certain degree, yet it often comes with a great deal of confusion that only gets cleared up with deeper insights or pointers.

 

 5 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「其中一個可能的陷阱是,人可能會對無我無為(non-action產生混淆的理解。」

 

原文:

 

   One possible pitfall is that one could end up with a confused understanding of no-self and non-action.

 

 6 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「我在 Facebook 上寫過一段內容,回復給我的一位朋友 Din Robinson,當時 Thusness  2006 年寫給他七階段體驗(最初是六階段):」

 

原文:

 

   I wrote this in Facebook in reply to a friend Din Robinson to whom Thusness wrote his “7 stages of experience” (originally 6) in 2006:

 

 7 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

Din 說:只要你采取任何行動,或者對訓練有任何需求,就等于是維系一個存在于時空中的的幻象——不過這么做也沒什么錯!

 

原文:

 

   Din: “as soon as you take any action or any need for training, then you are perpetuating the myth of a ‘you’ that exists in time and space, not that there’s any wrong with that!”

 

 8 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「我回應道:」

 

原文:

 

   My reply:

 

 9 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「事實并非如此。這種說法荒謬得就像說:

只要你采取任何行動來保持健康,比如去健身房,那么你就在維系一個存在于時空中的的幻象。

 

或者:

只要你采取任何行動通過考試,比如努力學習,那么你就在維系一個存在于時空中的的幻象。

 

或者:

只要你采取任何行動讓自己生存,比如吃飯和睡覺,那么你就在維系一個存在于時空中的的幻象。

 

或者:

只要你采取任何行動去治病,比如去看醫生,那么你就在維系一個存在于時空中的的幻象。

 

原文:

 

   This is not true. This is as ridiculous as saying “as long as you take any action to keep fit, such as going to gym, then you are perpetuating the myth of a ‘you’ that exists in time and space”

 

   or

 

   “as long as you take any action to pass your exams, such as studying hard, then you are perpetuating the myth of a ‘you’ that exists in time and space”

 

   or

 

   “as long as you take any action to survive, such as eating and sleeping, then you are perpetuating the myth of a ‘you’ that exists in time and space”

 

   or

 

   “as long as you take any action to cure your disease, such as seeing the doctor, then you are perpetuating the myth of a ‘you’ that exists in time and space”

 

 10 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「無我(Anatta)并不是要否定思考、行動、挑水或砍柴……這正是真正的無我見地/證悟二元概念式理解之間的關鍵區別。認為行動意圖這一概念暗示或必須有一個行動者,因此若是不行動,就必須連意圖與行動都停止——這恰恰是用二元思維來理解無我……

 

原文:

 

   No-self/Anatta is not about denying thinking, action, carrying water and chopping wood… and this is the key difference between genuine anatta insight from dualistic conceptual understanding. The very notion that “action” and “intention” implies, or necessitates, an “actor”, and therefore for non-action the intentions and actions must also cease, is precisely using dualistic thinking to understanding anatta…

 

 11 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「行動從來不需要一個自我。(事實上,從頭到尾都沒有自我或行為者存在,只有對它的妄認而已。)行動也不需要去維系那個自我的幻象。自我本身并不依賴行動或不行動而存在。的確,那些源于二元式我想要達成那個’”的行動,系于無明所生。但并不是所有行動都基于某種二元觀。如果所有行動都源于二元執取,那么開悟后,一個人就連吃飯都沒法做,恐怕會餓死。」

 

原文:

 

   Action never required a self (in fact there never was a self or a doer apart from action to begin with: only a delusion of one), and action does not need to perpetuate the myth of a self. The myth of a self is not exactly dependent on action or lack thereof. Sure, action that arises out of the dualistic sense of actor/act where there is an “I” trying to modify or achieve “that” is a form of action produced by ignorance. But not all actions necessarily arise out of an underlying sense of duality. If all actions arise out of a sense of duality, then after awakening one will just die as he cannot even feed himself.

 

 12 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「當一個人依循二元式理解方式運作時,就會認為行動隱含著一個執行行動的自我,而不行動就意味著這個自我也隨行動而終結。但對無為(non-action的真正見地/證悟,其實是體悟到:從來沒有一個真正的行動者在背后,因此在行動時只有純粹的行動”——整個存在不過是行動的完整施為,而它一直如此,卻未被認識到。那才是真正的無為”——沒有主體(行動者)在執行一個客體(行為)。」

 

原文:

 

   When one is operating with a dualistic way of understanding, one thinks that action implies a self that is doing an act, and one thinks that non-action implies that the self ends with the action. But genuine insight into non-action is simply the realization that never was there a real actor behind action, so there is always in acting just that action - whole being is only the total exertion of action, and this is always already the case but not realized. That is true non-action - there is no subject (actor) performing an act (object).

 

 13 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「此外,自我這一神話并不依賴于修行或不修行而存在。(不過,正當修行觀照確實對破除這個神話很有幫助!)自我之神話依賴的是無明,只有智慧才能終結那份無明,就像在黑暗房間里點亮燈火,小孩對房里怪物的恐懼自然消失。 

 

原文:

 

   Futhermore: The myth of a self is not dependent on practice and lack thereof. (Oh but, ‘right practice’ and ‘contemplation’ does a lot to deconstruct that myth!) The myth of a self is however dependent on ignorance, and only wisdom ends that ignorance, just like turning on the lights lead to the natural cessation of irrational fear and thinking of monster in the dark room by a child.

 

 14 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「總是只有行動本身,并無一個行動者。無為者并不否定行動,而是否定施為者/主體感(agency。當一個人真正體悟到這一點,就會直接、當下地體驗到全然使力/全然行動(total exertion/total action,在此當中,行動者所行之事被鍛煉到不剩任何分割,就成了一體的整體運動。其中沒有任何被動可言。無為其實就是沒有自我/大我的行動。凡是在沒有自我/大我感的情況下完成的行動,都是無為。一旦沒有了主觀極(行動者),與之相對的客觀極(被行動者)也自動瓦解。然而顯然地,這整體的施為——純粹的行動——還是在進行著。」

 

原文:

 

   There is always only action without a doer. No doer does not deny action, it denies agency, and realization of such leads to the direct, immediate, experience of total exertion/total action where doer/deed is refined till none in one whole movement. There is nothing passive about non-action. Non-action is simply action without self/Self. All actions performed without sense of self/Self is in fact non-action. Without the subjective pole (actor), the objective pole in contrast to the subject (being acted upon) is also automatically negated. Yet clearly, the total exertion - pure action… goes on.

 

 15 

 

簡體中文翻譯:

 

「道元稱之為修证一如(practice-enlightenment。你并不是為了(某個未來、與自己分離的)開悟而去修行。你在落實無我見地的當下修行本身,就是修证一如。坐下來打坐即是修行、即是落實、即是佛性、也即是悟。上廁所也可以是修行/落實,那就是佛性、就是開悟。你光是坐著,聽風聲,看風景,走在街上,挑水砍柴,而不帶任何自我/大我的錯覺——這本身就是修行-落實-,也就是全然使力,在這里,整個存在就只是整個聲音、整個風景、整個行動……這就是不二的修行,也是不二的行動。」

 

原文:

 

   Dogen calls this practice-enlightenment. You do not practice For enlightenment (as some future goal separated from you). Your very practice of actualizing insight of anatta itself is practice-enlightenment. Sitting down is practice is actualization is Buddha-nature is enlightenment. Shitting too can be practice/actualization and that very act is Buddha-nature is enlightenment. Your very practice/actualization/act of just sitting, hearing the wind blowing, sight of scenery, walking on the street, chop wood carry water (without any delusion of self/Self) - that itself is practice-actualization-enlightenment, that is the total exertion where entire being is just entire sound, entire scenery, entire action.. This is non-dual practice and non-dual action.

 

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