三十七菩提分法 37 things that aids englightenment

《Iddhipāda 》

Iddhipāda is the mental faculty which gives you to strength to succeed, to do whatever you want to do; without this, it is not easy for you to succeed. Whether it is worldly matters or Dhamma, it is the same.  You have to have these four qualities: chanda,viriya.citta,vīmaṃsā.

chanda means, you have to interested and enjoy what you do. If you have to succeed in Dhamma, you have to enjoy. Like the Dhamma, enjoy practicing the Dhamma. 

Because once you enjoy, you will have effort coming naturally. Then you will do the practice.

And then your mind will only think of Dhamma, nothing else. This is called citta, concentrate on practice Dhamma only.

vīmaṃsā is also thinking, but thinking about Dhamma, but not thinking about other things.

Actually citta can mean mindfulness, vīmaṃsā  means wisdom.

So you need these qualities, in order to succeed in what you embark on.

You want to be a professor? you have to enjoy studying , then you will have the effort to study and graduate. The mind will only think about finishing the degree, but not be sidetracked by other things. And your mind will only be thinking about how to achieve or improve your study, your grade , and so forth.

You need these four qualities to succeed on whatever you want to 

If You dont have them, you have to cultivate them.

If you have them, you don't need to.

The reason you come into this room is because you enjoy, you like coming to this room. If you don't like, you will find it difficult, you will find excuses.

First you have to like what you do. You like to practice Dhamma and meditation. So you will find places where they will teach you meditation. When you enjoy these things you do, if you don't enjoy, you will give up sooner or later. If you enjoy , you will find it easy to put in effort. You don't need to fight or push yourself. It will come quite naturally.

And you will only concentrate on the Dhamma, thinking about the Dhamma. How to improve your practice, what are the hindrances which obstruct your practice, this is vīmaṃsā, using investigation to assist your practice, to improve , to push you forward. You are not doing good enough, because you are practicing at home. Maybe you should go to the monastery, this is using the thought to advance the practice, this is vīmaṃsā.

Citta means you only have one thing in mind, that is meditation, you don't want to do anything else. You are not thinking about going to movies or socializing. You only think about meditaiton. 

So if you have these four qualities, it will push you to achieve whatever you want to achieve.

----Ajahn Suchart

《Iddhipāda 神足》

Iddhipāda (神足)是一種心理的能力，賦予你成功的力量，使你能夠做任何想做的事情；沒有這一點，就不容易成功。無論是世俗事務還是法，都是一樣的。你必須具備這四種品質：chanda(欲)、viriya(勤)、citta(心)、vīmaṃsā(觀/考察)。

chanda (欲)意味著你必須對自己所做的事情感興趣並享受它。如果你想在法上成功，你必須享受它。就像修行法那樣，要享受修行。

因為一旦你享受，你的努力會自然而然地出現。然後你會修行。

這樣你的心思只會專注於法，沒有其他。這叫做 citta，專注於修行法。

vīmaṃsā 也是思考，但是思考法，而不是其他事情。

實際上，citta 可以指正念，vīmaṃsā 則意味著智慧。

因此，你需要這些品質，才能在你開始的事情上取得成功。
你想成為教授？你必須享受學習，這樣你才會有努力學習和畢業的動力。心思只會想著完成學位，而不會被其他事情分心。你的心思只會考慮如何達成或改善你的學習、成績等等。

你需要這四種品質來成功於你想要的任何事情。

如果你沒有它們，你必須培養它們。
如果你有它們，就不需要。
你進入這個房間的原因是因為你享受，你喜歡來這個房間。如果你不喜歡，你會覺得困難，會找藉口。

首先，你必須喜歡你所做的事情。你喜歡修行法和冥想。所以你會找到教你冥想的地方。當你享受你所做的事情時，如果你不享受，遲早會放棄。如果你享受，你會發現更容易可以付出努力。你不需要強迫自己，它會自然而然地來。

你只會專注於法，思考法。如何改善你的修行，哪些障礙阻礙你的修行，這就是 vīmaṃsā，利用考察來幫助你的修行，改善，推動你向前。你做得不夠好，因為你在家修行。也許你應該去寺廟，這就是利用思考來促進修行，這就是 vīmaṃsā。

citta 意味著你心中只專注一件事，那就是冥想，你不想做其他任何事情。你不會想到去看電影或社交。你只會想到冥想。

因此，如果你擁有這四種品質，將會推動你達成任何想要達成的目標。

----阿姜蘇查

巴菲特說：‘比賽的勝利者是專心比賽的人，而不是那些一直盯著記分板的人’

一個人之所以能夠成功、獲勝，是因為運用了四神足

他們享受他們做的事情，所以他們想要不斷地做，這是欲神足

因為享受，所以他們非常努力於這件事那裡，這是精進神足

因為享受與努力，他們投入地做事、一心一意，這是心神足

因為一心一意，所以他們把心思都放在如何做好這件事，這是考察神足

任何人能夠獲得很大的成就，都是因為運用了四神足

image cred. to 天下雜誌

Buffett said: "The winners of the game are those who focus on playing, not those who keep staring at the scoreboard."

A person can achieve big success and victory, is always a person who utilize the Four base of spiritual Powers:

1. They enjoy what they do, which drives their desire to keep doing it — this is the Desire base of spiritual power.

2. Because they enjoy it, they put in a lot of effort — this is the Diligence base of spiritual power.

3. Their enjoyment and effort lead them to be fully engaged and focused — this is the mind base of spiritual power.

4. Because they are focused, they keep on thinking how to do it well — this is the Insight base of spiritual Power.

Anyone who achieves great accomplishments all employ these Four Base of Spiritual Powers.

Image credit: 天下雜誌

If we find this humerus,

we can use this as our object of contemplation:

'my body also has this humerus. In the future , my body will decompose like this. It hasn't transcend this state'

we can either contemplate our own body, or others body, or both bodies

we contemplate or be aware of the birth and death of our body.

'here is the body' --we have the mindfulness to our body, for the purpose of the above wisdom.

once we can develop thi kind of wisdom, we become weary of our body, and let go of it.

Eventually, we can be enlightened.(Ref. DN22) 

I find this not only humerus , but meaningful, do you?

如果我們找到這根肱骨，我們可以將其作為禪修的對象：

「我的身體也有這根肱骨。在未來，我的身體將像這樣腐爛。它並未超越這種狀態。」

我們可以觀察自己的身體，或他人的身體，或兩者皆可。

我們思維或覺察到我們身體的生死。

「這就是身體」——我們對自己的身體保持正念，以培育上述的智慧。

一旦我們能夠發展這種智慧，我們就會對自己的身體感到厭倦，並放下它。

最終，我們可以獲得覺悟。(Ref. DN22) 

當我們生病時，什麼都專注不到，心裡很混亂和痛苦，怎麼辦？怎樣修行？

很簡單而已，修習法念住的四聖諦篇吧！

現在身體上的痛苦，知道它；心靈上的痛苦，也知道它。我們知道痛苦為痛苦。痛苦的東西為什麼還抓住？因此我們放下它們，這是知道苦聖諦

然後找出痛苦的原因--那是我們的渴求啊！我們也知道它。

我們覺察到，假如我們內心繼續掙扎，就會繼續在當下痛苦、 未來也要繼續投胎受一切痛苦。

縱使現在沒病痛，假如縱容內心的渴求，未來肯定會痛哭流淚的！

我們因此努力去除內心的渴求。這個被稱為知道苦集聖諦

當我們內心不再掙扎，我們發現心靈上的痛苦立即消除。

苦暫時滅去了。這是苦滅聖諦

我們透過思維和覺察以上的道理，事實上就是在修習八聖道。

了知到這個四聖諦本身就是正見

我們讓心遠離渴求和掙扎，停止繼續呻吟、 停止身體繼續不受控地掙扎，保持平靜。這是正思維、 正語、 正業、 正命

我們努力地去除自己內心的渴愛，讓內心保持平靜、 具有正念。這本身就是在修習正精進、 正念、 正定。

根本不用強力地專注或做些什麼，輕鬆放鬆地去除內心的掙扎和渴求，就能體驗到苦的熄滅。

我們看到痛苦因為渴愛生起而生，痛苦因渴愛的滅除而滅

我們看到它們的生滅

放下對世間一切的執著

噢～這已經是修行了

When we are sick, we can’t focus on anything; our minds are chaotic and in pain. What should we do? How do we practice?

It's quite simple: practice the Mindfulness of Four Noble Truths!

Acknowledge the physical pain; recognize the mental anguish as well. We know pain as pain. Why hold onto what is painful? Therefore, we let go of them. This is understanding the Truth of Suffering.

Then, we identify the cause of suffering—it is our craving! We also recognize it.
We realize that if we continue to struggle internally, we will remain in pain in the present and continue to be reborn into suffering in the future.
Even if we are not in pain now, if we let our cravings breed, we will surely weep and cry in the future!
Thus, we strive to eliminate our inner cravings. This is known as understanding the Truth of the Origin of Suffering.

When we no longer struggle within, we discover that mental pain disappears immediately.
Suffering temporarily ceases. This is the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.

By contemplating and recognizing these principles, we are actually practicing the Noble Eightfold Path.
Understanding these Four Noble Truths itself is right view.
We allow our hearts to be free from craving and struggle, stop the groaning, and cease the uncontrolled physical struggles, maintaining calmness. This is right thought, right speech, right action, and right livelihood.
We diligently work to eliminate our inner cravings, keeping our minds calm and mindful. This itself is practicing right effort, right mindfulness, and right stillness.

There’s no need for intense focus or forced effort; simply relax and let go of the inner struggles and cravings; then we can experience the cessation of suffering.
We see that suffering arises from craving, and suffering ceases with the cessation of craving.
We observe their arising and passing away.
Let go of all attachments to the world.

Oh, this is already practice!