Luang Pu Viriyang Sirindharo

為什麼會出現「禪定退失」的情況？禪定的退失，主要源於以下幾個方面：

**懶惰、拖延、不重視禪修**  

如果我們放任自己，一天、兩天、三天、四天地鬆懈下去，最後就會徹底放棄，不再修行。因此，即便已經把禪修學完了，例如參加課程、完成了禪修教師課程，之後卻停止修行，禪定同樣會退失。  

禪定並不是說一定要證得阿羅漢才不會退失；一旦退失，我們自己馬上就會覺察到——內心的嗔恨、怨恨、報復心開始生起。一旦這些心理現象出現，就表明退失的徵兆已經出現。

**看不到禪定的重要性**  

有些人認為禪定並不重要，不修禪定也沒關係；自己有很多錢，過得比修禪的人快樂得多，所以覺得禪定可有可無。他們不知道的是：即便真的有錢、真的富有，甚至成了大富翁，但若是一個吝嗇的人，捨不得花錢，那也同樣沒有快樂。經典中說過：「有了大量金錢財寶，只是一味想著錢財，什麼都不想，死後就會投生為餓鬼，躺在財寶旁邊守著，卻不知道如何再生善趣。」  

因此，並不是有錢就足以讓每個人都獲得真正的快樂。真正能生起的快樂，必須來自於心的力量，來自於禪定；而禪定又必須從念誦（佛陀、阿羅漢）等修行方法中生起。  

有的人因為懶惰就放棄禪修.....

**與「魔」的對抗**  

退失的道路很多。因為如果一個人尚未修習禪定，其實還不會遇到「魔」；正如前面所說，當還沒有正確的禪定時，魔也不會出現。一旦正確的禪定在我們身上生起，魔就會隨之而來。坐禪時，稍微痛一點、酸一點就放棄；第一次放棄，第二次再放棄，接下來就會不斷放棄，變成久久才修一次。久而久之，即使是再好、再有益的東西，如果不加照顧，也只能被丟棄，就像食物一樣：本來可以吃一個月、一年，但若不照看，一個星期、兩天就腐壞變臭。

**放逸、疏忽大意**  

情況也是如此。當我們認為「不修禪定也沒關係」，或者聽信某些話，說「不用修禪定也可以，自然禪定到這種程度就夠了」，其實是不夠的。就好比我們的身體，如果不照顧、不保養，就會迅速衰敗。吃不吃有益的食物也不管，反而不斷做傷害身體的事，身體自然無法長久維持。古人說過：「我們依靠什麼生活，就必須懂得維護它；若依靠某樣東西卻不懂得保護，就無法依靠它太久，很快就會損壞。」住在房子裡卻不維護，房子就會很快倒塌；不防白蟻，房子也會壞得更快。若懂得照料，就能壞得慢一些，人也能住得久。人也是一樣，不懂得照顧自己，任由身體發胖、疾病叢生，不久也會死亡。同樣地，若要讓禪定成長、提升，懶惰的人、不識珍寶的人，即使得到了好東西，也會隨手丟在路邊；得到了鑽石、黃金卻不懂得珍惜，扔在路旁，很快就會被別人撿走——就是這個道理。當我們已經獲得禪定卻又放逸，尤其是那些禪定尚未達到高層次、尚未證得無色界禪的人，仍然可能放逸、仍然會退失。

於是有這樣一個故事：  

尊者摩訶迦葉，有一位學生叫「摩那」。尊者教導他修行，直到成就無色界禪，甚至能夠飛行。他飛來飛去，有一次遇見一位美麗的女子，心生愛染，禪定便退失，從空中墜落，無法再飛。後來他結婚，但又沒有謀生的技能，只好去偷盜，被人抓住後判處死刑。尊者摩訶迦葉憐憫弟子，前去指點他在臨刑之處如何安住其心，並教他修行的方法。弟子因此重新得到了禪定，掙脫了枷鎖，飛行逃離而去。

關於禪定的退失，有多種類型，可能發生在心所緣的各種境界上，如色、聲、香、味等各種感受。但無論如何，只要我們每天都有修習禪定，禪定就會自動把這些干擾清除掉。這就好比有了污水，如果我們擁有大量的清水，清水自然就能把污水排除出去；但要清除污水，前提是清水必須足夠多。

此外，即便禪定有所退失，我們過去所積累的心的力量，大約有60%會留下來，成為習慣、成為資糧（功德），繼續存在下去。但最好還是不要讓禪定退失，應當持續不斷地修行，因為修禪並不需要投入任何外在成本。因此，我們不應讓心退失到生起嚴重煩惱的程度。只要努力保持規律修行，就好像懂得保養身體一樣，身體就能保持健康，也就能夠完成我們所期望完成的事情。

解決的方法是：我們必須尋找對治之道，要在心中建立慈愛，要經常培育心力與禪定。經過一段時間，心力就會逐漸增強，並能夠摧毀負面的心態，使內心生起寬恕與原諒；心也就不再執著於嗔恨、怨懟與報復之中，這種狀態就稱為「能夠寬恕」。

如果不懂得這樣用心觀照，情況就會變得更糟，心會迷失、沉溺其中，因為禪定已經退失，來不及自我修正。不過，無論如何，那已經積累下來的60%的心力是不會退失的，它將一直幫助我們，直到最終的成就為止。

Luang Pu Viriyang Sirindharo

Judge 翻譯

Why does the situation of "the loss of stillness" occur? The loss of stillness mainly arises from the following aspects:

**Laziness, Procrastination, and Not Valuing Meditation Practice**  

If we indulge ourselves, slacking off for one day, two days, three days, four days, eventually we will completely give up and no longer practice. Therefore, even if we have completed studying meditation—for example, attending courses or finishing a meditation teacher training course—but then stop practicing afterward, stillness will still be lost.  

Stillness does not mean that it only remains permanent once one attains Arahantship; as soon as it is lost, we ourselves will immediately notice it—anger, resentment, and vengeful thoughts begin to arise in the mind. Once these mental phenomena appear, it indicates that the signs of loss have already emerged.

**Failing to See the Importance of Meditative Stillness **  

Some people think that meditative stillness is not important and that it's fine not to practice it; they have a lot of money and live much happier lives than those who meditate, so they feel meditative stillness is optional. What they do not know is: even if one truly has money, is truly wealthy, or even becomes a tycoon, but if one is a stingy person who is unwilling to spend money, there will still be no happiness. The classics state: "Having vast amounts of money and treasures, yet only obsessively thinking about wealth and nothing else, after death one will be reborn as a hungry ghost, lying beside the treasures guarding them, yet not knowing how to be reborn in wholesome realms."  

Therefore, having money is not sufficient to bring true happiness to everyone. The happiness that can truly arise must come from the power of the mind, from meditative stillness; and meditative stillness must arise from practices such as (repeated) recitation (of the Buddha, Arahants, etc.).  

Some people abandon meditation due to laziness...

**Confrontation with "Mara" (Demonic Forces)**  

There are many paths to loss. Because if a person has not yet practiced meditative stillness, they actually will not encounter "Mara"; as mentioned earlier, when correct meditative stillness has not yet arisen, Mara will not appear. Once correct meditative stillnessarises in us, Mara will follow. During sitting meditation, one gives up at the slightest pain or soreness; giving up the first time, then again the second time, and subsequently continuing to give up, turning into practicing only rarely. Over time, even the best and most beneficial things, if not cared for, can only be discarded, just like food: originally it could last a month or a year, but if not looked after, it spoils and stinks in a week or two.

**Indulgence and Negligence**  

The situation is the same. When we think "it's okay not to practice meditative stillness," or believe certain words saying "no need to practice meditative stillness; natural stillness to this degree is enough," it is actually not enough. It is just like our body—if not cared for or maintained, it will rapidly decline. Not caring whether one eats beneficial food or not, and instead constantly doing things that harm the body, the body naturally cannot be sustained for long. The ancients said: "Whatever we rely on for living, we must know how to maintain it; if we rely on something but do not know how to protect it, we cannot rely on it for long—it will soon be damaged." Living in a house without maintaining it, the house will quickly collapse; not preventing termites, the house will deteriorate even faster. If one knows how to care for it, it deteriorates more slowly, and people can live longer. People are the same—if one does not know how to care for oneself, allowing the body to become obese and filled with diseases, death will soon come. Similarly, to allow meditative stillness to grow and improve, lazy people or those who do not recognize treasures—even if they obtain good things—will casually discard them by the roadside; obtaining diamonds or gold yet not cherishing them, throwing them by the road, they will soon be picked up by others—this is the principle. When we have already attained meditative stillness but then become indulgent, especially those whose meditative stillness has not yet reached higher levels or attained the formless realm Jhanas, they can still indulge and still lose it.

Thus, there is this story:  

Venerable Mahākassapa had a student named "Mona" (or "Bhaddiya" in some traditions). The Venerable taught him practice until he achieved formless realm absorption, even able to fly. He flew here and there; one time he encountered a beautiful woman, gave rise to attachment and desire, and his stillness was lost—he fell from the sky, unable to fly anymore. Later he married, but having no skills for livelihood, he resorted to theft, was caught and sentenced to death. Venerable Mahākassapa, pitying his disciple, went to guide him on how to settle his mind at the place of execution and taught him practice methods. The disciple thereby regained meditative stillness, broke free from the shackles, and flew away to escape.

Regarding the loss of meditative stillness, there are many types, possibly occurring in various realms of mental objects, such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and other sensations. But in any case, as long as we practice meditative stillness daily, it will automatically clear away these disturbances. This is just like having dirty water—if we have a large amount of clean water, the clean water will naturally expel the dirty water; but to expel the dirty water, the prerequisite is that the clean water must be sufficient.

Furthermore, even if meditative stillness is somewhat lost, approximately 60% of the mind's power we have accumulated in the past will remain, becoming habit, becoming provisions (merit), and continuing to exist. But it is best not to allow meditative stillness to be lost; we should practice continuously without interruption, because practicing meditation requires no investment of any external costs. Therefore, we should not let the mind regress to the point of giving rise to severe defilements. As long as we strive to maintain regular practice, it is like knowing how to maintain the body—the body can remain healthy, and we can accomplish the things we hope to achieve.

The solution is: We must seek countermeasures, establish loving-kindness in the mind, and frequently cultivate mind power and meditative stillness. After some time, mind power will gradually strengthen and be able to destroy negative mindsets, causing the mind to give rise to forgiveness and pardon; the mind will no longer cling to anger, resentment, and vengeance—this state is called "being able to forgive."

If one does not know how to contemplate the mind in this way, the situation will become worse—the mind will become lost and immersed in it, because meditative stillness has already been lost, with no time for self-correction. However, in any case, the 60% of mind power already accumulated will not be lost; it will continue to help us until final attainment.

**Luang Pu Viriyang Sirindharo**

More about Luang Pu Viriyang:  

https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E6%B3%B0%E5%9C%8B-thailand/luang-pu-viriyang-sirindharo

……當我們在佛教中實踐佛法時， 

結果就會在我們身上產生。我們創造功德，功德就會在我們身上產生； 

我們布施，功德就會在我們身上產生； 

我們持戒，功德就會在我們身上產生； 

我們修習禪定與觀禪，功德就會在我們身上產生。 

而且是真正產生，現象真正發生； 

功德真正產生，各種德行也真正產生。 

當實踐之後，就會產生真實， 

因此成為真理，稱為「諦理」（satya-dhamma）。 

特別是「四聖諦」，這四聖諦 

是所有佛教徒極其渴望的道理， 

因為當有人實踐四聖諦之後， 

他將從一切苦中解脫……

“...When we practice the Dhamma in Buddhism, 

results arise for us. We create merit, and merit arises for us; 

we give alms, and merit arises for us; 

we observe the precepts, and merit arises for us; 

we practice stillness and insight, and merit arises for us. 

And it truly arises—the phenomena truly occur; 

merit truly arises, and various virtues truly arise. 

When we practice, truth arises, 

and thus it becomes truth, called 'sacca-dhamma' (truth of the teaching). 

Especially the Noble Truths—the Four Noble Truths— 

these are what all Buddhists earnestly desire, 

because when a person practices the Noble Truths, 

they will be liberated from all suffering...”

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Dhamma Teaching 

Somdet Phra Ñāṇavajirottama 

(Luang Pu Viriyang Sirintharo) 

Wat Dhammamongkol Thepabunyanantaviharn, Bangkok, Thailand

cred. to Dhamma by Ajahn Golf 阿贊高爾夫法語