對症下藥「輪迴病」

【中英文連載】

《The Right view》(76)

《THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS — THE PATH OUT OF SAMSARA》

《四諦—脫離生死的出路》

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An analogy used by Maitreya Bodhisattva in theUttaratantra Shastraaptly defines the Four Noble Truths. When treating any illness, doctors need to take four steps: 1. to ascertain the nature of the illness; 2. to eliminate the cause of the illness, since it would be ineffective to treat only the symptoms; 3. to prescribe remedies; 4.to heal. All doctors must go through this four-step process to treat an illness. Not knowing the cause of the illness, the doctor cannot prescribe a cure. Even knowing the cause of the illness but having no suitable medicine or the requisite pharmacological knowledge, or worse, giving the wrong prescription, the doctor will still be rendered ineffective. Nevertheless, everything that is concerned with treating a patient starts with identifying the cause of the illness. The Four Noble Truths also correspond to the four steps of treating an illness. The nature of suffering is what to be ascertained, the origin of suffering to be eliminated; the path leading to the cessation of suffering is what to be practiced (prescription), the cessation of suffering to be attained (cure).

彌勒菩薩在《寶性論》中，用了一個恰如其分的比喻來詮釋四諦：從一個人生病、看病、吃藥，到最後重獲健康，醫生治病的過程一般有四個步驟：一、必須知道病的本質；二、必須要斷除病源，如果不將病源根治，想直接阻止病痛是沒有用的；三、給葯；四、藥到病除。任何醫生給人治病，都必須經歷這四個階段。首先，如果不知病因就無法下藥，知道病因但沒有葯、不懂藥理，或下錯葯也起不到作用，所以這一系列的問題都必須從知道病因入手。同樣，四諦也和治病的四個步驟相對應：「苦諦」是所知，「集諦」是所斷，「道諦」是所修，「滅諦」是所獲。

At the same time, we should also find out what samsara means, what the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, death and, in fact, the world as a whole signify. But all these questions can simply be summed up in the first Noble Truth—the nature of suffering. Once understanding the nature of suffering, we will have a better grasp on how to deal with the cycle of birth，aging，sickness and death，of which the root cause is the origin of suffering. How then can this cause be uprooted? As physical illness needs the right medication to be cured, cyclic existence can only be stopped with practice of the Dharma. To counteract defilements and attachment, one must exert a sharply opposing force in order to be effective. The process of exerting this counteracting force is the path leading to the cessation of suffering. In other words, the purpose of undertaking Dharma practice is to cease the endless cycle of rebirth and death, not unlike what the right medicine is to a patient.

我們首先也必須知道輪迴到底是什麼？人的生老病死以及這個世界究竟是什麼？以上所有的問題都可歸納為兩個字——苦諦。了解苦諦以後，就對如何解決生老病死有了一定的認識，而它們的根源就是集諦，要斷除這個根源，該採取何種方法呢？生理上的病症需要適當的藥物，醫治生老病死則需要修習正法。對治煩惱執著，必須利用某種與它針鋒相對、尖銳對立的東西去將它推翻，不然起不了作用，這就是道諦。其結果就如同對症下藥後病人能重拾健康一樣，我們修行的目的，就是要解決生老病死的問題。

Theravada practitioners aim to free only themselves from samsara, while the bodhisattvas aspire to do that for themselves and all other sentient beings. Frankly, to single-handedly lead all sentient beings to liberation is an extremely difficult task, one that not even the Buddha could have accomplished in a single lifetime. But the infinite power and aspiration of the Buddha have continued to benefit all those who are receptive to his teachings until this day. Even so, he cannot deliver all sentient beings. What matters is not that everyone can be saved but that we all strive toward that worthy end. It was for this purpose that the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths.

小乘修行人只希望解決個人的生老病死，大乘菩薩的發心，是不僅為了解決自己的問題，更要解決所有生命的生老病死。要完全做到這點是極其困難的，單憑個人的力量去度化所有的眾生，即使是佛陀，在一世之中都無法完成。但佛的能力和願力是永無止盡的，他時時刻刻都在度化有緣眾生，即便如此，佛也無法度盡所有眾生。能否度盡不是首要問題，關鍵在於是否在為此而奮鬥。四諦就是為達到這些目的而宣說的。

未完待續

精彩回顧

為何輪迴？如何涅槃？

?四諦--修行常識

不懂因果，行為顛倒

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