一貫道郭明義

點亮生命的光-4(中英對照)

默念真經的階段  英文翻譯 : Lily Zhang 

Stages of recting

    默念真經，一開始會發現自己在默念真經時竟然同時有許多念頭，過去不曾發現察覺自己每天腦袋裡想的是那麼頻繁無時無刻頭腦裡都有好多的人、事、物…像電影上演一樣沒有一刻停歇。煩惱妄念比較少或生活單純的人，則會出現音樂，有些人修持後，為腦海不斷播放的音樂或歌曲所苦惱。

    In the beginning, practitioners may find themselves carrying lot of thoughts when reciting. They were never aware of this before. There were so many people and affairs inside their minds anytime and anyplace, as if a move was going on. For those who have fewer thoughts or simple lives, they may think of music when reciting. They are often bothered by the songs or music in their minds.  

    默念真經從開始入手到最後了手，如果把它譬喻從零分到一百分，會經過五個階段，我們可以了解自己在哪一個階段，不要灰心、放棄繼續向前走，終於會達到一百分。

    If we compare the whole stage of reciting practice to the grades in tests from 0 to 100 points, there will be five stages. We can understand where we are through the following steps.

默念真經可分為的幾個階段：

Five stages of reciting:

１、妄念大作

1、many thoughts appear when reciting.

２、覺識煩動

2、still absent-minded but without specific objects to think of.

３、專心持念

3、concentrate on reciting.

４、念而無念

4、seem to stop reciting when our minds become peaceful and tranquil.

５、無念而念

5、automatically reciting before the disaster comes.

１、妄念大作：

1、many thoughts appear when reciting.

    剛開始持念真經的人，往往會驚訝於自己心中怎麼會出現那麼多的妄念，以往沒有察覺的妄念、自己都不相信存在於自己生命中的妄念、千奇百怪的妄念…。

    For beginners, they are often surprised at their distractive thoughts when reciting. They were not aware of those thoughts before and wouldn’t recognize them. 

    這個階段，往往唸不到幾句真經心就跑掉，察覺到心跑掉，再把真經抓回來念，念了心又跑掉…這樣反反覆覆的在打妄念與默念真經二者間擺盪。

    In the first stage, practitioners are often absent minded. They can be aware of this, and grasp the Five Word Sutra again. However, after a while, their thoughts still keep wandering. So, they are struggling between these two statuses.

    這是所有修持開始的第一個過程，一般不修行的人，不會察覺自己心中有什麼妄想、執著，不認識自己的「心」，簡單的說：自己的心在想什麼都不知道。

    This is the first stage of any practice. Common people usually cannot be aware of their illusory thoughts or attachments. They don’t know about their minds. Simply speaking they even don’t know what they are thinking about.

    開始修行，第一階段就是開始認識我們的心，發現我們的心平時都在想些什麼。有時內容會讓我們困惑，因為自己不知道自己會想這些內容。

    Therefore, the first stage of religious practice is to understand our minds, to discover what we are thinking about. We may be confused by our own thinking because it seems that it comes from nowhere.

   所以雖然這個階段我們察覺自己有那麼多妄念，但是卻是一個很好的開始，一個認識自己的機會，發現自己的心裝了些什麼。

    Though in this stage, we have so many illusory thoughts, it is really good beginning. It’s a good chance to know ourselves and discover what we are thinking about.

    有些人發現自己的心重複的在想一些最近發生的事情，包括別人說的話、自己說話…。有些人則常常想一些陳年舊事，還有人心中的念頭都是別人的可惡可恨…。

    Some people find they keep thinking about recent affairs, including their own and other people’s words. Some people may think about their old times. Still others may think of other people’s wrong doings, etc.

２、覺識煩動：

2、still absent-minded but without specific objects to think of.

    經過第一階段如果沒有放棄，漸漸會進入下一個階段「覺識煩動」，發現自己的心跑掉，但是不知道自己在想些什麼。第一階段心跑掉時很清楚自己在想些什麼，第二階段雖然心還是跑掉，但已沒有具體的想法。

    If we don’t give up and keep reciting, we will enter the next stage gradually. In this period, we will find ourselves absent-minded, but we don’t know what we are thinking about. In the last period, we clearly know what our thoughts are, but in this period, we don’t have specific objects to consider. Therefore, in the first stage, we may still be influenced by our emotions resulting from the thoughts; however, in this stage, our minds may become more peaceful without the bothering of thoughts.

３、專心持念：

3、concentrate on reciting.

    默念真經時，大部分時間都能夠「淨念相繼」，真經不間斷。

    In this stage, we can keep reciting each of the Five Words continuously with pure thoughts.

４、念而無念：

4、seem to stop reciting when our minds become peaceful and tranquil.

    持續上一個階段的專注，進一步的，念真經會念到真經自動消失，妄念也同時消失，處於無念的狀態。就像病好了，藥也自動不吃了。

If we continue the previous concentration, we may, after a period of time, feel the Five Word Sutra seem to disappear. Also, distractive thoughts disappear. Our minds are in the state of no-thought, just like there is no need to take medicine anymore when we get well.   

    默念真經，念到心清靜下來以後，真經也自然消失，當真經消失時，心中也沒有其他的貪、嗔、癡…等惡念生起。如果有念生出，也都是慈悲、智慧之念。慈悲的念頭是關愛眾生，智慧的念頭則是解決問題。

    When we recite the Five Word Sutra and find our minds become peaceful and tranquil, the Sutra will disappear naturally. When the Sutra disappears, there are no other bed thoughts like greed, hatred, and stupidity anymore. If some thoughts come to our mind at this time, they will all be thought of compassion and wisdom to care of sentient beings and solve problems. 

    有些道親養成默念真經的習慣後，常有一種體驗，就是在默念真經時，會突然有些靈感，這些靈感是對平日困擾自己的是徒然有所領悟，或知道如何解決…的靈感。

    Some Tao members may have the experience to get certain inspiration after they have the habit of the reciting. Such an inspiration is usually about the problems that bother them for a long time.

５、無念而念（有程度差別）

5、automatically reciting before the disaster comes.

    沒有刻意去默念真經，卻發現自己在默念。

    This is a stage when we find ourselves automatically reciting the Sutra.

    當疾病、災禍、人事衝突…發生時，真經自然會出現，當這些因素消失時，真經自動消失。但是有些時候，並沒有任何災厄發生，心情也是平靜的，但是卻察覺自己在默念真經。

    When diseases, disasters or conflicts are going to happen, the Five Word Sutra will appear automatically. When these problems disappear, the Sutra disappears too. However, we may also be aware that we start to recite when there is no any disaster or when we feel peaceful.

    這種時候往往是災厄（身或心的災厄）即將發生，而修持功夫已經到達可以「制敵機先」在災禍來臨以前先默念真經消除了即將發生的業障。

    In such a case, it means physical or mental disasters are about to happen, but our practice has helped reduce the bad karma caused by them before disasters come. This can be owed to the merits of reciting the Five Word Sutra.

    這是老子所說的「其未兆易謀」

    This is also what Lao-tzu said, “to be able to be aware and solve what is going to happen.”

   舉例而言，一位道親以前常出車禍或大災難，每次出事以前幾天眼皮都會一直跳，雖然知道大禍臨頭也無法避免。但是這幾年常持真經，眼皮跳的時候以為又即將有災禍，但卻都沒有發生，就是已經到「無念而念」化劫於無形。

    For example, a Tao member used to have a trembling eyelid before the big car accident or disasters. She could not avoid the problem though she knew something was going to happen. Up to now, she has kept reciting the Sutra for years. Sometimes her eyelid trembles again, but nothing happens. Therefore, we can say she has achieved this stage—to be able to solve or prevent disasters in advance.