2-1-1. Developing Awareness is The Path That the Buddha Teaches 培养觉性是佛陀教导的道路

　　2-1-1-1. Things Outside of Buddhism 教外之法门

　　Making merit, being generous, keeping precepts and doing tranquility–meditation are a pair with the world. Whether there is a Buddha or there is no Buddha, these things exist anyway.

　　作功德、布施、持戒及修止禅是对应于世间的，在佛陀出世前及出世后，这些东西都一直存在着。

　　When prince Sidhartha was born, the Brahmins were assiduously looked after, which is making merit and offerings. As for tranquility–meditation, it’s a matter of psychic powers, a matter of ambition. We’ve probably heard about becoming invisible, flying through the air, diving into the earth, reading other people’s minds, multiplying oneself, reciting magical verses to obstruct vision, and hearing by entering absorption. This is not insight.

　　当悉达多太子出生时，当时婆罗门得到一般人完善的护持，那就是所谓的作功德和供养。至于止禅，那是一种精神力量，是一种有所求心。我们可能听说过有人可以隐形不见、在空中飞行、遁入地中、有他心通、应化身、或能念诵不思议的诗偈而让人看不见，乃至入定而发起天耳通…等等，这些都不是观慧。

　　According to the Buddha’s biography, when price Sidhartha ordained, he studied with the hermit Alara and mastered seven absorptions; four form-absorptions and three formless-absorptions. But suffering still existed. That is to say, there was still greed, hatred and delusion. He was not satisfied with this and so studied with the last teacher, the hermit Uddaka, until he mastered the eight absorptions; four form-absorptions and four formless-absorptions. The hermit said: “That’s as much as I know.” But the prince was still not satisfied because there was still greed, hatred and delusion. He wasn’t liberated from suffering yet.

　　根据佛陀的传记，当悉达多太子出家时，他跟随阿逻逻(Alara)仙人修学并且精通了七种禅定——色界四禅及无色界的前三禅。但是他内心还是有苦恼，也就是说——还有贪瞋痴。他并没有就此感到满足，因此又跟随最后一位老师郁陀迦(Uddaka)仙人修学，并且精通了八种禅定——色界四禅及无色界四禅。仙人跟他说：“我知道的就是这些。”但是，太子还是不满意，因为他还是有贪瞋痴，还没有真正解脱苦恼。

　　This shows that tranquility is not able to put an end to suffering. After this, the prince tormented himself, together with the five ascetics who were following him. He fasted until his body was so thin that it was just skin over his bones, and he held his breath. But even after doing all this, greed, hatred, delusion, satisfaction and dissatisfaction still persisted. There were still defilements.

　　这说明了一点——止禅是无法灭除苦恼的。从此以后，太子和5个跟随他的苦行者开始修学折磨自己的苦行。他禁食而瘦得变成皮包骨，乃至练到可以不呼吸。但即使练到这样，还是有贪瞋痴及爱憎分别之心，他内心仍然还有烦恼。