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In 2019, Luang por ganha said he was the embodiment of Dhamma
Ajahn Brahm's Biography
Ajahn Brahm's Biography
Ajahn Brahm is the popular Buddhist teacher to a growing international audience of people keen to learn meditation and develop a deeper spiritual understanding. He is also the founding father of an emergent Australian forest tradition of Buddhist monasticism focused on being true to the original roots of the Buddha's Teaching of Dhamma and Vinaya.
Early Life
Early Life
Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera (known to most simply as Ajahn Brahm) was born Peter Betts in London, United Kingdom in August 7, 1951. He came from a working-class background, he went to Latymer Upper School in London and from there won a scholarship to study Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University in the late 1960s. At Cambridge he joined the university’s Buddhist Society and after a few weeks at the age of 18, he saw a monk for the first time. He knew then that was what he wanted to be. After graduating from Cambridge he taught in a high school for one year before travelling to Thailand to become a monk.
Monastic Life
Monastic Life
Ordained as a monk (bhikkhu) by Somdet Buddhajahn at Wat Saket in Bangkok in 1974, Ajahn Brahm travelled to north-east Thailand in January 1975 and became a student of meditation master Ajahn Chah at Wat Pa Pong. In that same year he became a founding sangha member of Wat Pa Nanachat, a monastery established close by to Wat Pa Pong by Ajahn Chah to cater to the increasing number of Westerners that were coming to ordain and train with him. Ajahn Brahm became the vinaya (code of monastic discipline) master at Wat Pah Nanachat from 1975 until his departure in 1983. His vinaya notes are still authoritative for most Western Buddhist monks in the Theravada tradition.
He was invited to Perth by the Buddhist Society of Western Australia (BSWA) in 1983 along with fellow monk, Ajahn Jagaro. Later that year the BSWA purchased rural land in Serpentine south of Perth. Ajahn Brahm became the co-founding monk and deputy abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery in late 1983.
In 1995 Ajahn Brahm became the abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery upon the departure of Ajahn Jagaro. In 2004 Ajahn Brahm was awarded the John Curtin Medal for his vision, leadership and service to the Australian community, by Curtin University, and in 2006 the King of Thailand conferred upon Ajahn Brahm the title “Tan Chao Khun” which is something akin to being appointed a bishop. As a result Bodhinyana Monastery receives a symbolic monk’s robe every year from the King of Thailand, a sign of royal patronage of the monastery.
Ajahn Brahm was also appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his significant service to Buddhism, and to gender equality. Ajahn Brahm was honoured for helping to empower women in Buddhism, including the ordination of the Bhikkhunis in 2009.
Establishing Monasteries and Education Centres
Establishing Monasteries and Education Centres
Ajahn Brahm co-founded (with Ajahn Jagaro) Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine. He literally contributed to the building of this monastery as he built most of the structures with his own hands alongside his fellow monastics. Later he would be instrumental in assisting with the establishment of Dhammaloka Buddhist Centre in Nollamara. During this entire period spanning three decades he has been a lead teacher at this centre, and in the broader community.
Drawing on his experience leading the establishment of Bodhinyana Monastery, Ajahn Brahm helped with both the design and fundraising for Dhammasara Nuns’ Monastery in Gidgegannup. Established in 1997 with a single Australian nun, Dhammasara has grown in both its facilities and the sangha (community) of nuns training there. In October 2009 he assisted in the first bhikkhuni ordination in Australia.
From 2006 he led the fundraising and development of Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre, a world class meditation retreat facility with 60 guest rooms which is in use all year around either by the BSWA or other meditation groups. In 2012 Jhana Grove served 1300 retreatants. Places on Ajahn Brahm’s meditation retreats are typically booked out in a matter of minutes due his popularity as a meditation teacher.
In 2013, began building work on “Hermit’s Hill”, an extension of Bodhinyana Monastery. Bodhinyana is the largest Theravadan Buddhist monastery outside of Asia, and there is a long waiting list of men who wish to ordain at Bodhinyana, but cannot be accepted due to the limited accommodation and facilities. Ajahn Brahm is taking the first step to expand opportunities for monastic ordination and practice by expanding Bodhinyana with the purchase of another 100acres of land which is currently having huts built upon it to accommodate future monks.
text credit to bswa
Meditation Techniques
Meditation Techniques
《 千瓣蓮花的比喻與阿姜布拉姆版本的禪那禪修法 The Thousand Petalled Lotus simile and Ajahn Brahm's version of Jhana meditation》
《 千瓣蓮花的比喻與阿姜布拉姆版本的禪那禪修法 The Thousand Petalled Lotus simile and Ajahn Brahm's version of Jhana meditation》
So a lotus flower is well known in Buddhist circles. It's a symbol of Buddhism and it's used in many, many similes, and the simile which you know I'm going to use today is as how a lotus flower opens up. And a lotus flower is closed up at nighttime. You know, there's always some lotuses somewhere wherever you go in Buddhist monasteries over the world. Even here, you can see there's two lotuses in the bottom and a little uh glass lotus uh on the next layer there.
Lotuses have always got their place of reverence in Buddhism. And one of the reasons is that at night time the lotus is closed up. And if you examine that closed up lotus, these outermost petals have to withstand the weather which can be windy, it can be dusty, it can be really storms. So it has to be a protective layer. The outermost petal is always thick. And if you look closely at it, it's always like corrugated to give it extra strength. And you may have seen that many, many times. And I do remember the first time I saw one of these outermost petals of the lotus with the flowers inside somewhere. You could never imagine that on this coarse rough outermost petal inside of that was these incredibly beautiful, profound, thin, fragrant inner layers of petals. It was just kind of how can something so beautiful be seen, be imagined inside when all you see is the outermost layer of petals.
But you know, you've all lived long enough now that you can see the inside of what's really rough on the outside be something really beautiful. And that's where I pause for some of those first similes.
I did mention about that guy who came on his first retreat, first nine-day retreat and got into a Jhana! how on earth can that happen when you know has hardly got any instructions or experience! and the point is inside each one of you is also those Jhanas are there. It's like the inside, you know, of the lotus. It just needs to open up the lotus and inside are these beautiful states of mind in each one of you. Like you're a human being, right? A lotus. It's always got these beautiful petals inside. And the job of a meditation retreat is to teach you how that lotus flower opens. And even if you haven't meditated much at all before, when you know that Jhana is kind of inside, it's a nice metaphor, a nice way of looking at it. You know it can be done. And my job is to convince you it can be done and point out the obstacles which stop it happening so you can avoid those obstacles.
.......
【The outer most layer-- the body】
Why does the lotus flower open up? Is because the sun rises. And once the sun rises, the light and the warmth of the sun can hit the outermost petals of the lotus. And it's just nature, cause and effect. The lotus doesn't decide to open up. It just opens because that's its causes and conditions. That's its nature. And that's what happens to each one of you. The light, the light stands for mindfulness and the warmth stands for kindness. And you do need both. So if you're aware but not kind, the things don't really open up properly. When there's that kindness, that warmth, I open the door of my heart to no matter what happens, unconditional, aware, and that kindness and awareness opens out those petals. And so what does that mean? Opening up those petals is one of the reasons why when you first sit down and close your eyes or even before you close your eyes, you're always aware of the body before you're aware of the mind, you know, cuz this is basically where you live. If you are going to investigate your mind, even if you are going to read a book, even if you're going to do some experiment, even if you're going to, you know, investigate the world, first of all, you have a body, you've got to make sure you can sit it down and have some peace from the world so you can focus on these deeper understandings of nature. And I remember somebody once described it like this and I thought it was very useful. If you own a car and you're going to some university or you're going to work or you're going to a temple, you must park your car in a safe place. And once you parked your car in a safe place, you must make sure that there's, you know, nothing which is visible through the windows like your purse or wallet or something cuz that will attract somebody to actually break the window and steal your possessions. You have to make sure it's parked in a safe place so no one's going to hit it. You have to make sure that it's locked and the brakes are on......
And that's like the simile I use for the body. So I know that in meditation, this layer of petals called the body is going to disappear. So I got to make sure it's nice and safe. I have mentioned that in passing. Many people feel fear when they're meditating. And of course, you know, there is a reason for that cuz when you're sitting, you're sitting sort of cross-legged. You close your eyes and you don't listen to anything. Your job is to go deep inside. So, it's as if all your security devices are turned off........And if it is safe, then you know once your business is finished, you go back and your car is there, your body is there. So you're parking your car in this hall, parking your body here. You want to make sure that once you come out of your meditation everything is nice and safe. That's one of the reasons why now knowing that people who come in here are all sort of good people meritorious people who don't want to steal, people who don't want to harm or hurt you. That is important for you to know. In all those years which I have been teaching meditation which is a lot, no one has ever been abused or hurt or things stolen about this whole time because people who come on retreat they know the importance of making sure everybody feels safe. So that's one of the first ways you have to be careful if you want to make sure the outermost petals of the lotus can open up. It is mindfulness. It is kindness. But the kindness is also including this gentleness, this goodness and which you know that you're safe.
....
So once the body settles, you don't have any problems or businesses to worry about with your body. Now your body is going to be safe. You can leave it alone. You parked it, locked it up, and it's going to be there for you when you finish the rest of the meditation. The outermost petals of the lotus have opened up.
【The second layer-- time 】
And then the petals inside always start to—I like to mention about things of the mind or your thoughts. So one of the things which I teach and it's valid and which is important. The next thing we have to go inside of like the outermost petals have gone, the body, and then the next layer of petals is usually time. You're worried about what's going to happen next. You're worried about what happened earlier. How and I know that every sort of spiritual teacher talks about you know letting go of the past and future. How do you do that? And how you do that is just again like these layer of petals called time. In order to go inside you just practice awareness and kindness. Especially the kindness I have mentioned this in passing but you go in more detail now.
【The second layer-- past 】
Be kind to your past. How do you do that? Give it more detail. If like you know you're really fed up what someone did to you, how they treated you really badly, how they even abused you. How can you be kind to that? How you be kind to that first of all is you look at how your brain has been working reflecting or remembering this past event. Most people remember those past traumas or painful things happened to you like a prosecutor at a trial. You know it may be you know my teacher at school. He didn't understand me. You know, he's always been sort of cool to other children. He shouldn't be cool. I mean, as a teacher, they don't understand that children are just sensitive and they're just learning. They do make mistakes. Yeah. Okay. So, I made a mistake by blowing up the classroom. I didn't mean it. It was just a mistake. So, how about being kind to your prosecutors? That's how they've been trained. That's how that what's expected of them by the principle. So you can't really sort of be too upset at them.....
So anyway, so you're kind. You see that person who hurt you side of the story and you're kind. Why did that happen? You're kind to yourself if you made a mistake. We do make mistakes. And if you make mistakes, instead of thinking you're a bad person, you think that's just a bad thing I did. Which doesn't make you a bad person....
my stories about the two bad bricks, you know, you just made two bad bricks. It doesn't mean it's a bad wall. It's just two of the bricks are crooked....
Just because you did something wrong when you were really young or years ago, does that make you who you are today? Or have you grown from that, learned from that and become a much better person? That was a car. That's a wonderful teaching. Everybody got that. So they can be much more forgiving and let go of the past. What have you done in the past? Did I ask you what you have done in the past before we let you come on this retreat? I don't care what you've done in the past. It's what you're doing now matters. So when you're kind, forgive your past and other people's past. It's this other big huge amount of problems and work you can let go of. So you can meditate here. You don't see your mind going to the past, you know, now when I go home, how can I sort that one out? What can I do to make sure that person never comes to my house ever again or does this, does that? How can I make sure that no one finds out what I did? All of that stuff can disappear when you're kind to all the people who actually contributed to your past.....And when you can forgive it means you can let go. And when you let go you have freedom. Your petals open up
【The second layer-- future】
You can go inside and of course freedom from the future as well if you're kind to the future. When people worry about the future, they worry about all the things which can go wrong. And you know the my favorite story about that by the great English philosopher W. T. Pooh. Winnie the Pooh walking with little Piglet. Piglet was very small and small people usually get very anxious. And there's a big storm coming and the trees were swaying backwards and forwards and twigs were falling off, branches were falling off, even trees were coming down. And little Piglet got so scared and he couldn't go on any further. He held on to Winnie the Pooh's paw and said, "Poo, poo, poo. I don't think I can go any further. I'm so scared. What would happen if a tree fell when we were underneath it?" That's thinking about the future and adding something negative. And the antidote to that is thinking of the future and thinking something positive. So Winnie the Pooh said, "Yeah, what would happen if a tree fell when we weren't underneath it?" Which is far more likely. That was enough. That positive kindness to the future meant they could walk back home without any problem. When we think of the future, why is it always negative?.....
when you're kind, sometimes the future is not so heavy.
And it's also when you're kind to the present moment. Oh, come on. Look, you're in Jhana Grove. You're on retreat. You got nothing to do. Many of you, if you were at home, you'd have some work to do. The very least, you'd have to clean your house. You have to cook for your husband and your kids. Here, you don't have to do anything. Freedom. I was going to say you have to go to work, but it's Easter Monday today, so you know, even ordinary people don't go to work. Tomorrow I'll remind you if you weren't here, you'd have to get in the car and go to work and get stuck in the traffic and see your boss and all city. So it's wonderful in China. Be kind to this moment. If you're kind to this moment, it's very easy to stay in the moment. The moment becomes beautiful. Whatever you're kind to is very joyful....
Mindfulness and kindness kind of connects you to this moment. So this layer of petals called time opens up naturally. You go into this present moment. You don't do it through willpower. It just happens naturally through kindness and mindfulness. You're here and enjoying this moment. It makes this moment much more beautiful.
【The third layer-- inner chatters】
And the next thing which I always say to do is that this is establishing that mindfulness in this present moment is to be silent. And again, how can you be silent? ...
so when we have that kindness to silence, what do you think grows? Silence becomes kind of natural. So when I sit in here, I don't think what I'm going to meditate on. I just stop thinking. Don't give anything words. Learn how to let things disappear, including descriptions. I've said that so many times that why do you want to keep experiences like taking photographs of them you know or like trying to take notes of what happened just leave them leave them be. So the silence is what remains. Silence is incredibly beautiful. ...
And so whenever you get a little bit of silence in the mind when that layer of petals of like noise, words, descriptions opens up, you see silence. My mind is just so kind to that cuz it respects it. And like you you're aware of it and it stays. You don't have to say anything. You can't say anything. To say something is like really desecrating it. It's really impolite to the beauty of silence. So you start to really value the silence and already you're in a beautiful layer of petals. The deeper you go into the lotus, the more beautiful are the markings on those petals and the more fragrance it is. You haven't done this on purpose. It's just what happens.
【The forth layer-- breath】
And then when you're in that silence, the next thing which happens, you don't need to decide to do this. You're just in this moment aware and warm towards this beautiful thing which you are aware of. It becomes your object of meditation. The layer of petals which is so gorgeous. That's why you don't wander off anywhere. It's just it grabs your attention every time. And then in that silence the next thing which usually you are aware of certainly this is how it happens to me is your breathing but it's not an ordinary breath it's always a really delightful breath very sweet breath a very sort of tasty breath if you like and I used to call it's hard to find names that's why in the old days I used to call it the beautiful breath and you don't need to focus. I got to focus on the breath. I can't miss the breath. It grabs you because how gorgeous these layer petals are. And you just it's natural to be kind and be warm towards what you're aware of. And the mindfulness is so easy. So you have the breath there, this gorgeous breath, no effort required. You're just mindful and kind. That's all. You're opening the door of your heart, which is very easy to open to this beautiful silence. But all these states, all these petals, they don't last. They don't stay there forever. They too open up. And that's where you see this beautiful breath. You don't need to do anything. Please just leave it. Just enjoy ,mindful, warm to it. And then that opens up.
【The fifth layer-- nimitta】
And when the beautiful breath or the delightful breath, the nice and soft, easy, well that opens up. The next thing which you notice, you don't ask for it, you don't want it, you don't not want it. It's this beautiful light, the nimitta that it's inside of the breath. It's a good way of looking at it. Once the breath opens, there's a beautiful light. Wow. But sh don't say wow, please. You say wow. It all closes up again. And you're watching this light and again it's effortless just there and always just kind and aware sometimes that's where one of the reasons I wanted to mention this today sometimes you have like a light and watching the breath as well and you wonder what should I be am I supposed to watch the breath so you see this beautiful light start to come no I can't watch the light I've got to keep with the breath otherwise I'm missing the path No, keep it natural. Let your mind decide what to do. Your mind knows what to do. Sometimes you're watching the beautiful breath and you see the light. The mind gets attracted towards the light , but then when it closes up and then you just go back to the breath.
Fine, keep on going. Whatever's in front of your mind right now is the most important object. And eventually what happens is it opens up and you go inside of the breath and you see this beautiful light. That's the nature of these things. And after a while the light remains and the breath goes way over there somewhere and you can hardly perceive it. It's got this beautiful light which you're watching naturally. We're not finished yet. This is just the beginning.
【The sixth layer-- Jhanas】
You just you keep your awareness and your kindness watching this beautiful light being really kind to it. What do you think happens next? You go into the nimitta. You're always going inside to the next meditation experience. You never go on to the next meditation object. You never:' Okay, here I'm in now. '
Now I've got to go over here to a nimitta and now I've got to go here to something else. You always go inside of it. Just like when you're zooming in is the word I like to use. Just like on Google maps, you zoom in, you get closer to the destination which you're looking at and you go inside of that and inside of that and inside of that. That's the path of meditation. Always going inside. That's why sometimes people call it samatha meditation. I call it inside meditation with a D not a T inside meditation. Always going inside. And as you go into this beautiful nimitta, then the deeper you go into the lotus, the more beautiful it is, the more fragrant, the more profound. And inside is beautiful. You think doesn't get better than this. You're just starting inside of that nimitta. You see the Jhana. It's like right in the center. And that's your you. That's your mind.
See what's happening now. There is no next in these states and as you go deeper inside then you're enjoying yourself leave all those assessments till after when you start coming out and then you can decide you know where and how far how deep you got. So you see these beautiful first Jhana and after a while , out of kindness, out of joy, out of basically mindfulness and kindness; you go inside the first Jhana and inside the first Jhana, that's called the second Jhana ; and after a while you stay there and you go like the coarser parts on the outside fade away and you go deeper inside that and that when you come out afterwards you look ---wow that was amazing what on earth was that-- you find that's the third or a fourth (jhana). You go deeper and deeper in and these become amazing states.
I always like saying the second Jhana as you're going in . Afterwards when you come out afterwards. You notice the most amazing thing which disappeared was your will.
And then you go deeper into that and there's some of these so-called happinesses disappear. You get much more refined. And the fourth, you're just totally content, totally still. And you notice that that is the thing which you were aware of. You say, "What was the object of your meditation?" You only ask that question when you emerge from these meditations. And to come out, you have to go backwards again from the fourth into the third, third into the second, second to the first, first into nimittas, and nimittas quite quickly into breath and stuff where your mind starts to. And body starts to turn on again.
You're going deep into the lotus and you imagine just how beautiful it is. But not just beautiful. How much insight you get by going deep inside yourself and seeing you know what is really essential and what vanishes.
2025 April (8/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KUBmLuKiyY&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=8
蓮花在佛教界廣為人知。它是佛教的象徵，被用於許許多多的比喻中，而我今天要用的比喻，是關於蓮花如何綻放。蓮花在夜晚時是閉合的。你知道，無論你去到世界各地的佛教寺院，總能在某處看到蓮花。即使在這裏，你也可以看到底部有兩朵蓮花，上面一層還有個小小的玻璃蓮花。
蓮花在佛教中總是佔有尊崇的地位。其中一個原因是，夜晚時蓮花是閉合的。如果你仔細觀察那閉合的蓮花，最外層的花瓣必須承受風雨，可能颳風、可能有塵土，甚至可能有暴風雨。所以它必須是一層保護層。最外層的花瓣總是很厚。如果你仔細看，它總是像瓦楞一樣，以增加強度。你可能已經見過很多很多次了。我還記得第一次看到蓮花這些最外層花瓣，裏面包裹著花朵的情景。你永遠無法想像，在這粗糙的最外層花瓣裏面，竟是這些令人難以置信的美麗、深邃、纖薄、芬芳的內層花瓣。這就像，當你只看到最外層的花瓣時，怎麼可能看到或想像出裏面有如此美麗的東西呢？
但你們都知道，你們已經活得夠久了，能夠看到外表粗糙的東西，內在其實非常美麗。這就是我暫時停下的第一個比喻。
我確實提到過那個第一次來參加禪修、第一次參加九天禪修就進入禪那的人！當他幾乎沒有任何指導或經驗時，這怎麼可能發生呢？關鍵是，在你們每個人之內，那些禪那也在那裏。就像蓮花的內部一樣。只需要打開蓮花，裏面就是存在於你們每個人內心的美麗境界。就像你就好比喻為一朵蓮花。它的內部總是有這些美麗的花瓣。禪修營的任務，就是教你那朵蓮花如何綻放。即使你以前根本沒怎麼禪修過，但你知道禪那就在裏面。這是一個很好的隱喻，一個很好的看待方式。你知道這是可以做到的。而我的工作就是說服你這是可以做到的，並指出阻止它發生的障礙，這樣你就能避開那些障礙。
………
【最外層——身體】
蓮花為什麼會綻放？是因為太陽升起。一旦太陽升起，太陽的光和熱就能照射到蓮花最外層的花瓣。這只是自然，是因果。蓮花並未決定要綻放。它只是綻放，因為那是它的因緣。那是它的本性。這也是發生在你們每個人身上的事。光，代表正念；熱，代表仁慈。你確實兩者都需要。所以，如果你有覺知但不仁慈，事情並不會真正妥當地展開。當有了那份仁慈，那份溫暖，我也打開心門，無論發生什麼，無條件地、覺知地，那份仁慈與覺知便會讓那些花瓣展開。那麼這意味著什麼呢？展開那些花瓣，是為什麼當你最初坐下閉上眼睛，甚至在你閉眼之前，你總是先覺知到身體，然後才覺知到心的一個原因，你知道，因為這基本上是你居住的地方。如果你要探究你的心，即使你要讀一本書，即使你要做一些實驗，即使你要，你知道，探索這個世界，首先，你有一個身體，你必須確保你能安坐下來，從世界中獲得一些平靜，這樣你才能專注於這些對本性更深的理解。我記得有人曾經這樣描述，我覺得非常有用。如果你有一輛車，你要去某所大學、去上班或去寺廟，你必須把車停在一個安全的地方。一旦你把車停在安全的地方，你必須確保，你知道，沒有像錢包之類的東西透過車窗可見，因為那會吸引人真的打破車窗偷走你的財物。你必須確保它停在安全的地方，這樣沒人會撞到它。你必須確保它鎖好了，剎車也拉上了……
這就像我用來比喻身體的比喻。所以我知道，在禪修中，這層叫做「身體」的花瓣將會消失。所以我必須確保它舒適安全。我已經順帶提過這一點。許多人在禪修時感到恐懼。當然，你知道，這是有原因的，因為當你坐著，盤著腿，閉上眼睛，什麼也不聽時，你的任務是深入內心。所以，這就好像你所有的安全裝置都關閉了。……如果它是安全的，那麼你知道，一旦你的事情完成，你回去，你的車在那裏，你的身體也在那裏。所以你是在這個大廳裏停車，在這裏停放你的身體。你想確保一旦你從禪修中出來，一切都很美好和安全。這也是為什麼現在我讓你知道來到這裏的人都是善良的、有功德的人，他們不想偷竊，不想傷害你，這對你來說很重要。在我教授禪修的這些年裏（這時間很長），從來沒有人被虐待、傷害或東西被偷過，因為來參加禪修的人都知道確保每個人都感到安全的重要性。所以，如果你想確保蓮花最外層的花瓣能夠綻開，這是首先必須注意的方式之一。那就是正念。是善意。但這仁慈也包括這份溫和、這份善意，並且你知道你是安全的。
……所以，一旦身體安頓下來，你沒有任何問題或事務需要為身體擔心。現在你的身體將會是安全的。你可以不去管它。你已經停放好它，鎖好它，當你完成後續的禪修時，它會在那裏等你。蓮花最外層的花瓣已經綻開了。
【第二層——時間】
然後裏面的花瓣總是展開——我喜歡提到關於心或念頭的事情。所以我教導的事情之一是，它是有效的，也是重要的。接下來我們必須進入的，就像最外層的花瓣（身體）已經消失，然後下一層花瓣通常是時間。你擔心接下來會發生什麼。你擔心之前發生了什麼。我知道每一種靈性導師都會談到放下過去和未來。你怎麼做到呢？你如何做到，也就像是這層叫做「時間」的花瓣。為了向內走，你只需要練習覺知和仁慈。特別是我已經順帶提過的仁慈。但現在你要更詳細地深入。
【第二層——過去】
善待你的過去。你怎麼做？給它更多細節。比如，你知道你真的很厭煩某人對你做的事，他們如何對待你很差，甚至如何虐待你。你怎麼能對此仁慈呢？首先，你如何對此仁慈，是去看你的大腦是如何運作、反映或記憶這個過去事件的。大多數人記住那些過去的創傷或發生在你身上的痛苦事情時，就像審判中的檢察官一樣。你知道，可能是我學校的老師。他不理解我。你知道，他總是對其他孩子有點冷漠。他不應該冷漠。我的意思是，作為老師，他們不理解孩子只是敏感，他們只是在學習。他們確實會犯錯。是的，好吧。所以，我犯了一個錯誤，把教室炸了。我不是故意的。那只是一個錯誤。那麼，對你的「檢察官」仁慈如何？他們就是那樣被訓練的。那是校長對他們的期望。所以你其實不能對他們太生氣……
總之，你是仁慈的。你看到那個傷害你的人的立場，你是慈悲的。為什麼會發生那種事？如果你犯了錯，對自己仁慈。我們確實會犯錯。如果你犯了錯，不要認為你是個壞人，要知道那只是你做的一件壞事，這並不會使你成為一個壞人……
我關於兩塊壞磚的故事，你知道，你只是做了兩塊壞磚。這不意味著它是一堵壞牆。只是有兩塊磚是歪的……僅僅因為你在很小的時候或幾年前做錯了事，那就能定義今天的你嗎？還是你已經從中成長，從中學習，並成為一個更好的人？那是一個精彩的教導。每個人都明白了。所以他們可以更寬容，放下過去。你在過去做了什麼？在讓你來參加這次禪修之前，我問過你過去做了什麼嗎？我不在乎你過去做了什麼。重要的是你現在在做什麼。所以當你仁慈時，原諒你的過去和別人的過去。這是你可以放下的其他一大堆問題和工作。這樣你就可以在這裏禪修了。你不會看到你的心跑到過去，你知道，現在我回家後，我怎麼處理那件事？我能做什麼確保那個人再也不來我家，或者做這做那？我怎麼確保沒有人發現我做了什麼？當你對所有實際參與塑造你過去的人仁慈時，所有那些東西都可以消失……當你能原諒，意味著你能放下。當你放下，你就有了自由。你的花瓣綻開了。
【第二層——未來】
你可以向內走，當然，如果你對未來慈悲，也能從未來中獲得自由。當人們擔心未來時，他們擔心所有可能出錯的事情。你知道我最喜歡的關於這個的故事，來自偉大的英國哲學家 W. T. Pooh（小熊維尼）。小熊維尼和小豬 Piglet 一起走。小豬非常小，而小個子通常很容易焦慮。一場大風暴要來了，樹木前後搖擺，小樹枝掉落，樹枝掉落，甚至樹木倒下。小豬非常害怕，他不能再往前走了。他抓住小熊維尼的爪子說：「噗，噗，噗。我想我不能再往前走了。我好害怕。如果一棵樹在我們在它下面的時候倒下來怎麼辦？」這就是在思考未來，並加上一些負面的東西。而它的解藥是思考未來，並思考一些積極的東西。所以小熊維尼說：「是啊，如果一棵樹在我們不在它下面的時候倒下來怎麼辦？」這可能性大多了。這就夠了。那份對未來的積極仁慈意味著他們可以毫無問題地走回家。當我們想到未來時，為什麼總是負面的呢？……當你慈悲時，有時未來就不那麼沉重了。
而且當你對當下這一刻慈悲時也是如此。哦，拜託。看，你在禪那林（Jhana Grove）。你在參加禪修。你沒事可做。你們很多人，如果在家，會有些工作要做。至少，你得打掃房子。你得為你的丈夫和孩子做飯。在這裏，你什麼都不用做。自由。我本來想說你得去上班，但今天是復活節星期一，所以你知道，即使是普通人也不用上班。明天我會提醒你，如果你不在這裏，你就得開車去上班，堵在路上，見你的老闆和所有城裏的事。所以在中國很棒。對這一刻仁慈。如果你對這一刻仁慈，就很容易停留在當下。這一刻變得美好。無論你對什麼仁慈，都會很快樂……
正念和仁慈將你與這一刻連接起來。所以這層叫做「時間」的花瓣自然地綻開了。你進入這個當下時刻。你不是通過意志力做到的。它只是通過仁慈和正念自然發生。你在這裏，享受這一刻。這讓這一刻更加美好。
【第三層——內在喋喋不休】
接下來我總是說要做的是，在這個當下確立正念，就是要保持沉默。再一次，你怎麼能沉默呢？……所以當我們對沉默懷有那份仁慈時，你認為什麼會增長？沉默變得自然而然。所以當我坐在這裏時，我不去想我要禪修什麼。我只是停止思考。不要給任何東西賦予詞語。學習如何讓事情消失，包括描述。我說過很多次了，為什麼你想保留體驗，就像給它們拍照一樣，或者像試圖記錄發生了什麼，就讓它們去吧，讓它們存在。所以沉默就是剩下的。沉默是難以置信的美麗。……
所以，每當你在心中得到一點點沉默，當那層噪音、詞語、描述的花瓣綻開時，你看到了沉默。我的心對它非常仁慈，因為尊重它。就像你覺知到它，它就停留。你不需要說什麼。你不能說什麼。說點什麼就像是真正褻瀆了它。對沉默之美真的很不禮貌。所以你開始真正珍視沉默，而你已經進入了一層美麗的花瓣中。你越深入蓮花，那些花瓣上的紋理就越美麗，香味也越濃郁。你不是故意這樣做的。它就是發生了。
【第四層——呼吸】
然後，當你在那種沉默中時，接下來發生的事情，你不需要決定去做。你只是在這一刻，對你所覺知的這個美麗事物保持覺知和溫暖。它成為你的禪修對象。那層花瓣是如此絢麗。這就是為什麼你不會遊蕩到任何地方。它每次都吸引你的注意力。然後在那種沉默中，接下來你通常覺知到的（當然這是我發生的方式）是你的呼吸，但這不是普通的呼吸，它總是一種非常愉悅的呼吸，非常甜美的呼吸，一種可以說是很有味道的呼吸，我以前稱它為——很難找到名字——這就是為什麼從前我稱它為「美麗的呼吸」，而你不需要專注。我不需要專注於呼吸。我不會錯過呼吸。它抓住你，因為這層花瓣是如此絢麗。你只是自然而然地對你所覺知的事物仁慈和溫暖。而正念是如此容易。所以你有了呼吸，這美妙的呼吸，無需努力。你只是正念和仁慈。僅此而已。你正在打開你的心門，對這種美麗的沉默，這門很容易打開。但所有這些狀態，所有這些花瓣，它們不會持久。它們不會永遠在那裏。它們也會綻開。就在那裏，你看到了這美麗的呼吸。你不需要做任何事情。請就讓它去吧。只是享受，正念，溫暖對待它。然後它綻開了。
【第五層——禪相】
當美麗的呼吸，或愉悅的呼吸，那美好、柔和、輕鬆的呼吸綻開時，接下來你注意到的事情，你沒有要求它，你不想要它，你也不是不想要它。就是這美麗的光，禪相，它在呼吸的內部。這是一個很好的看待方式。一旦呼吸綻開，就有了美麗的光。哇。但是噓——請不要說哇。你說哇，它又全部閉合了。你看著這光，同樣是毫不費力的，就在那裏，總是只是仁慈和覺知，有時，這就是我今天想提到這一點的原因之一，有時你會有像光一樣的東西，同時也在觀察呼吸，你想知道我應該做什麼，我應該觀察呼吸嗎？所以你看到這美麗的光開始出現，不，我不能看光，我必須保持觀察呼吸，否則我就錯過了（禪修的）道路。不，保持自然。讓你的心決定做什麼。你的心知道該做什麼。有時你觀察著美麗的呼吸，你看到了光。心被光吸引，但當它閉合時，你就回到呼吸。
好，繼續下去。無論此刻什麼出現在你心前的，就是最重要的對象。最終發生的是，它綻開了，你進入呼吸的內部，你看到了這美麗的光。這就是這些事物的本性。過了一會兒，光留存下來，而呼吸遠遠地在那邊某處，你幾乎感知不到它。有了這美麗的光，你自然地觀察著。我們還沒結束。這只是開始。
【第六層——禪那】
你只是保持你的覺知和你的仁慈，觀察這美麗的光，真正對它仁慈。你認為接下來會發生什麼？你進入禪相。你總是不斷向內進入下一個禪修體驗。你從不跳到下一個禪修對象。你從不：「好了，我現在在這裏了。現在我必須去那裏到一個禪相，現在我必須去這裏到別的什麼東西。」你總是進入它的內部。就像「放大」是我喜歡用的詞。就像在谷歌地圖上，你放大，你更接近你正在看的目的地，你進入那裏面，再進入那裏面，再進入那裏面。這就是禪修的道路。總是向內走。這就是為什麼有時人們稱它為「止禪」（samatha meditation）。我稱它為「向內禪修」（inside meditation），用 D 不是 T（譯註：指 insight 與 inside ）。總是向內走。當你進入這美麗的禪相，你越深入蓮花，它就越是美麗，越是芬芳，越是深邃。內部是美麗的。你認為沒有比這更好的了。你才剛剛開始進入那禪相的內部。你看到了禪那。它就在正中心。那就是你。那就是你的心。
看看現在發生了什麼。在這些狀態中沒有「下一個」，當你更深地進入內部，你享受著自己，把所有那些評估留到之後，當你開始出來時，然後你可以決定你知道你到了哪裏，有多深。所以你看到了這美麗的初禪，過了一會兒，出於仁慈，出於喜悅，基本上出於正念和仁慈；你進入初禪的內部，初禪的內部，那就叫做第二禪；過了一會兒你待在那裏，你就像外層較粗糙的部分逐漸消退，你更深地進入那裏面，當你之後出來時，你回看——哇，那太神奇了，那到底是什麼——你發現那是第三或第四禪。你越來越深入地進入，這些狀態變得令人驚嘆。
我總是喜歡說第二禪，當你進入時。之後當你出來時。你注意到消失的最神奇的東西是你的意志。
然後你更深地進入那裏，一些所謂的「樂」消失了。你變得更加精微。到了第四禪，你只是完全滿足，完全寂靜。你注意到，那就是你所覺知的東西。你會說：「你禪修的對象是什麼？」你只有在從這些禪修中出來時才會問那個問題。而要出來，你必須再次向後退，從第四禪到第三禪，第三禪到第二禪，第二禪到初禪，初禪到禪相，而禪相相當快地進入呼吸之類的東西，那時你的心開始……身體也開始再次啟動。
你正深入蓮花，想像一下它有多美。但不止是美。通過深入自己的內心，你獲得了多少洞見，看到了什麼是真正本質的，什麼消失了。
圖片鳴謝 Buddhist Society of Victoria
2025年4月 (8/19) | 9天禪修 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KUBmLuKiyY&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=8
《Stop wanting if you want it 如果你想要，就停止想要》
《Stop wanting if you want it 如果你想要，就停止想要》
If you really want something, stop wanting it. If the little donkey wants to get the carrot or the hamburger, whatever is on the end of that string, he's got to not run after it; it comes to him or her. And this is actually the weird thing about the Dharma that's why many people never achieve anything, because they want it. And sometimes they get very close, just to the last minute.
Many of you have asked me that question in the interviews: how do you stop that? So sometimes you see this beautiful bliss, and you know it's going to be full of great insights, you know you're not supposed to go towards it. Then when it's right in front of you, you can't help yourself and destroy it. You can't say to yourself when it's right in front of you, "I must not grab it, I must not," that's just too gross at that particular time of the meditation.
So what you do, you program your mindfulness at the beginning of the meditation. Those people who get very close to the jhanas or nimittas, these beautiful bliss, you know beforehand you should not reach out towards it or try and grasp it, just like in the simile of the animals coming out by the still forest pool. Be quiet, almost disappear, vanish. You know, your sense of self and doing and attaining things and getting things is replaced by letting go. But how do you actually do that? You brainwash yourself or condition yourself at the beginning of the meditation. You're just sitting down for the first time, nowhere near any jhana. Sit down on your cushion or your chair and you tell yourself, "If I get a nice meditation, if it starts getting peaceful, I will not attach to those beautiful experiences. I will not control them. I will let go." You say that, and after a while that actually gets right inside of you, and that's how you train yourself to behave. You will be a let-goer instead of like an attainer.
You know what I said earlier before: Ajahn Brahm cannot enter jhana. And why? Because "I" disappears first. You disappear, you vanish, you're not there, so you can't do anything. And it happens naturally, automatically; it's the nature of things, the default state.
Consider this: as you go outside, there's enough light outside. Look at one of the bushes or the trees and see if the leaves of that bush are moving. If they are moving, why? It's because of a wind. If there is no wind, hasn't been wind for hours, do those leaves of the bushes move? They're perfectly still, because that's their nature to be still. And Ajahn Chah gave that simile and he said, that's the nature of your mind. It's its nature to be still. You only make it move by wanting something.' So lovely simile. If you really know how to let go, not attain anything, you become perfectly still.
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (11/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
如果你真的想要某樣東西，就停止想要它。如果小驢子想得到胡蘿蔔或漢堡，無論繩子末端綁的是什麼，牠都不能去追；它自然會來到牠身邊。這正是佛法奇妙之處——許多人一事無成，正是因為他們太過渴望。有時他們已非常接近目標，卻在最後一刻功虧一簣。
許多人曾在面談中問我：如何停止這種情況？有時候你會見到那種美妙至福，明知其中蘊含深刻洞見，也清楚不該主動追求。但當它近在眼前時，你總會情不自禁地毀掉它。當它就在眼前時，你無法對自己說「我絕不能抓取，絕不能」，在禪修的當下，這種念頭本身就太過粗重。
解決之道是在禪修開始時就設定正念。那些即將觸及禪那或禪相（nimittas）這類美妙境界的人，要事先知曉不該伸手攫取，就像森林靜池旁動物逐漸現身的譬喻——你要保持安靜，幾近消失，化為烏有。讓那種對自我、作為、獲取與成就的執著，被「放下」取代。具體該怎麼做？要在禪修初始時進行自我洗腦或制約。當你初次坐下，離禪那境界尚遠時，就在坐墊或椅子上告訴自己：「若進入佳境，若開始感受寧靜，我絕不執著於這些美好體驗，絕不試圖控制，全然放手。」反覆自我告誡後，這意念會逐漸內化，由此訓練出「放下者」而非「獲取者」的修行姿態。
正如我先前提過：阿姜·布拉姆無法進入禪那。為何？因為「我」已率先消融。你消失了，你不存在了，自然無從造作。這過程自然發生，自動運轉——是萬物本然，本來狀態。
試想：當你走到戶外，藉著天光觀察灌木或樹木的葉片。若見枝葉搖曳，何故？因風起。若數小時無風，那些葉片可會晃動？它們靜止如畫，因為靜止本是它們的天然狀態。阿姜·查以此譬喻開示：這正是你心的本性——本自寂然。唯因渴求，才擾動了它。多麼美妙的譬喻！若你真諳放下之道，不再追求獲得，便會回歸完全的靜止。
---阿姜·布拉姆
圖片版權歸原始所有者
2024年11月（11/19）| 九日禪修營 | 阿姜·布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
《Your job in meditation 你在禪修中的任務》
《Your job in meditation 你在禪修中的任務》
So what's your job in meditation? Keep your hands off things. Let it happen naturally. Don't disturb it. Let go~ detach~ put down the cup~ Stop doing things—relax~ to the max~
Get the message?
I know that sometimes people think, "I've got to do something." I would do it at the beginning, but then after you've done enough, sit down and shut up and just let it happen. Get out of the way. Your body and mind are much wiser, and it'll happen quite naturally.
那麼，你在禪修中的任務是什麼？別插手干預。讓一切自然發生。不要擾亂它。放下～不要執著～放下茶杯～停止做任何東西—放鬆～到極點~
明白了嗎？
我知道人們有時會想：「我非得做點什麼不可。」初始階段確實需要些許努力，但當準備充足後，只需靜坐止語，任其自然顯現。為其騰出空間。你的身心遠比想像中更有智慧，一切終將水到渠成。
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Zv3XRvG8k&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=5&t=1127s
《Stop doing meditation! 停止在禪修中做任何事！》
《Stop doing meditation! 停止在禪修中做任何事！》
One of the problems with your meditation is you're always doing something when you're meditating.
You're always trying to watch the breath, you're trying to calm the mind down, you're trying to get something. Stop doing things when you're meditating.
Naughty! Stop doing stuff.
If you catch yourself doing anything when you're meditating, stop it. So, you don't do meditation. Meditation is what happens when you stop doing things.
So people say, "How do I do meditation?" Wrong question!
You haven't understood what meditation is. You don't do meditation.
禪修時最大的問題，就是你總在「做」些什麼。
當你禪修時，你總在努力觀呼吸、試圖平息妄念、企圖達成某種境界。停下來吧！在禪修時，別再「做事」了。調皮鬼！快停下這些造作！
如果在禪修中發現自己又在「做」什麼，立即停止。事實上，你並不該「做」禪修——禪修，就在你停止造作的當下自然顯發。
所以當人們問：「我該怎麼『做』禪修？」這問題本身便錯了。你尚未領悟禪修的本質：禪修從來不是一種「作為」。
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 1 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWF_yOLtYEg&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=8
《Steps to breath meditation 呼吸禪修的步驟》
《Steps to breath meditation 呼吸禪修的步驟》
Devotee: Are there any specific suitable objects for sitting meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: With the sitting meditation, I was talking very briefly yesterday, or rather just this morning, about just allowing you to relax first of all. I hope that you know you've had a bit of a relaxing day today, a bit of sleep this afternoon, walking over to Bodhinyana Monastery, which many of you did this afternoon as well, having a look at the place, getting used to the situation here. It's important that you have time to relax first of all. Now that you've relaxed a bit, maybe you need a bit more sleep, but you should have started to settle in here now.
When you're doing the sitting meditation, the first thing you should look at is again your body—to relax it. If your body is stiff and aching, it's very difficult to let it go and get into peaceful meditation. So the first object of your meditation should be your own body, and please make it comfortable. You know, we do have lots and lots and lots of chairs here, so please, if you are stiff, if you are aching, just put aside your pride and go and sit on a chair. The chairs are specially designed; we made these chairs. We did research to make sure they're not too high, not too low, and that some of them have got the armrests so that if people tend to lean to the left and lean to the right in meditation, you don't fall off. If you start leaning forward in meditation, we have seat belts, too(haha). We can tie you on there just so you can be comfortable when you meditate. And also, if you want to, you can lean against the wall—no one is doing that. You get the Australians; they always find a wall to lean against. You can lean against the wall and put your foot out if you really want to. So just be comfortable now with your posture. That should always be the first object of your meditation: your own body. And please be kind to it.
The Buddha was the most compassionate person ever existed; he didn't want you to be achy or even cold. That's why we got air conditioning in here to make it nice and warm. But, you know, there are Indonesians and Hong Kong; we've got to find that balance of temperature just halfway between Hong Kong and Indonesia. So is it warm enough inside? Very good. Is it warm enough outside? Well, you better stay inside; just meditate here all night, hahaha. Now, is it warm enough in your rooms? Please look after your body; look after your health. That's really, really important. And if you want some more blankets, we can always get some more blankets somewhere. So that's the first thing with sitting meditation: get your body comfortable.
Then the next object of meditation when you do sitting meditation is—don't go watching your breathing yet—because too often people go onto something like the breath far too early, and the only way you can keep your awareness on the breath is through force. So relax a little bit more first of all. The next object of meditation should be the present moment, right now. Do you know what the present moment is? Amazing. I've taught meditation in many countries; when I ask people to just be aware of the present moment, they say, "What do you mean? What is the present moment?" So first of all, you've got to get used to what we mean by the present moment: when there's no past—you're not thinking about what's just happened—when there's no future—you're not worrying about what you're going to do next—what's left is called "now." So first of all, become to recognize what we mean by the present moment. What is this present moment? What does "now" really mean? And once you realize that, then you can focus on it, and that becomes the object of your meditation: being present, being now, understanding the feelings in the body which are happening now, understanding sounds—because feelings in the body and sounds especially are happening right in this present moment. No sort of ideas of what might happen in the future, no living in the past; being right here with everything which is happening.
And when you understand what the present moment is, it doesn't matter whether it's a sound or feeling or thought or whatever, as long as you're making sure you're not going off into the past or into the future. Once you have that as your object, what it truly is is you are establishing mindfulness; you're creating awareness. Because if you haven't got strong enough mindfulness and you start watching the breath, you're not ready for it. So you create enough mindfulness first of all by staying in the present moment; then you go looking for your breath. For many monks now, like myself, I never go looking for the breath; I create mindfulness in the present moment, and after a short while, I can be aware of my breath. It happens naturally, and then you can start watching your breathing. But don't go on to it too soon; otherwise, you can't stay with it, and you only have to struggle, and you get disappointed. You know, you're trying to watch the breath, and after a couple of minutes, you're thinking about the football, the World Cup, or you're thinking about the stock market, or you're thinking about your boyfriend or whatever you're thinking about. You don't stay there because you went onto it too fast without preparing yourself. So get the mindfulness up first of all, and then you can start watching your breathing.
Remember, you're here for a long time—six or seven days—so take it slowly; don't rush. If you get enlightened today, what are you going to do for the rest of the days you're here? So drag it out a bit.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 28 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPCcNC8XiaA&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=2
信徒：坐禪有沒有什麼特別適合的業處？
阿姜布拉姆：關於坐禪，我昨天講得很簡短，或者說今天早上才剛談到，首先要讓你們放鬆。我希望你們知道，今天已經過了稍微輕鬆的一天，下午睡了一會兒，也走去菩提雅那寺，你們很多人下午也這樣做了，看看那個地方，熟悉這裡的環境。首先，你們有時間放鬆是很重要的。既然你們已經放鬆了一點，也許還需要多睡一點，但你們現在應該已經開始在這裡安頓下來了。
當你進行坐禪時，你首先要關注的還是你的身體——讓它放鬆。如果你的身體僵硬酸痛，就很難放下一切進入平靜的禪修。所以，你禪修的第一個對象應該是你自己的身體，請讓它舒適。你知道，我們這裡有很多很多很多的椅子，所以請你，如果你覺得僵硬、酸痛，就放下你的自我，去坐在椅子上。這些椅子是特別設計的；我們製作了這些椅子。我們做了研究以確保它們不會太高也不會太低，而且有些有扶手，這樣如果有人在禪修中傾向於向左或向右傾斜，你也不會摔倒。如果你在禪修中開始向前傾斜，我們也有安全帶（哈哈）。我們可以把你們繫在上面，這樣你們禪修時就能舒適。還有，如果你願意的話，你可以靠著牆——沒人這樣做。你看那些澳洲人，他們總是找得到牆來靠。如果你真的想，你可以靠著牆，把腳伸出來。所以，現在就讓你的姿勢舒適吧。這應該永遠是你禪修的第一個對象：你自己的身體。請對它仁慈一點。
佛陀是存在過最慈悲的人；他不希望你疼痛甚至感到寒冷。這就是我們在這裡安裝空調的原因，讓它既舒適又溫暖。但是，你知道，這裡有印尼人和香港人；我們必須找到一個介於香港和印尼之間的溫度平衡點。那麼裡面夠暖和嗎？很好。外面夠暖和嗎？嗯，你們最好待在裡面；整晚就在這裡禪修吧，哈哈哈。那麼，你們的房間夠暖和嗎？請照顧好你的身體；照顧好你的健康。這真的非常非常重要。如果你們還需要更多的毯子，我們總是可以從某處再拿一些來。所以，坐禪的第一件事就是：讓你的身體舒適。
然後，當你進行坐禪時，下一個禪修對象是——先不要急著去觀呼吸——因為太常見的情況是，人們過早地專注於呼吸之類的東西，而唯一能讓你將覺知保持在呼吸上的方法就是靠強迫。所以，首先再放鬆多一點。下一個禪修對象應該是當下，此時此刻。你知道什麼是當下嗎？這很奇妙。我在許多國家教過禪修；當我要求人們只是覺知當下時，他們會說："你是什麼意思？什麼是當下？" 所以，首先你必須習慣我們所說的"當下"是什麼意思：當沒有過去——你不在想剛剛發生的事——當沒有未來——你不在擔心接下來要做什麼——剩下的就叫做"現在"。所以，首先要開始認識我們所說的當下是什麼。這個當下是什麼？"現在"究竟意味著什麼？一旦你明白了這一點，你就可以專注於它，而這就成為你禪修的對象：處於當下，就在此刻，理解身體裡正在發生的感受，理解聲音——因為身體的感受和聲音，特別是，就發生在此刻的當下。沒有對未來可能發生之事的種種想法，不活在過去；就在此地，與正在發生的一切同在。
當你理解了什麼是當下，那麼對象是聲音、感受、念頭還是其他什麼都無所謂，只要你確保自己沒有跑進過去或未來。一旦你以此為對象，其真正的意義就是你正在建立正念；你正在創造覺知。因為如果你的正念不夠強，就開始觀呼吸，那你還沒準備好。所以，你首先要透過安住於當下來培養足夠的正念；然後你再去尋找你的呼吸。對現在很多比丘來說，比如我自己，我從不刻意去尋找呼吸；我在當下培養正念，過了一小會兒，我自然就能覺知到我的呼吸。它是自然發生的，然後你就可以開始觀呼吸了。但不要太快就進行到這一步；否則你無法保持，只會掙扎，然後感到失望。你知道，你試著觀呼吸，幾分鐘後，你就在想足球、世界盃，或者在想股票市場，或者在想你的男朋友或任何你想的事情。你無法保持，因為你準備不足就進行得太快了。所以，首先要提升正念，然後你才可以開始觀呼吸。
記住，你們在這裡的時間很長——六或七天——所以要慢慢來；不要急。如果你今天開悟了，那你在剩下的日子裡要做什麼呢？所以，稍微拖延一點時間吧。
阿姜布拉姆於2014年6月28日在禪那林禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPCcNC8XiaA&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=2
《Walking meditation 經行》
《Walking meditation 經行》
Devotee: Can you explain or demonstrate walking meditation?
Ajahn Brahm :Now, walking meditation is a very easy thing to do. You start at one end of the walking path, you walk to the other end, turn around, and come back again. That's walking meditation; very simple. Unfortunately, people like to complicate things and they always want to do something, so that is why we try and focus our attention when we're doing the walking meditation on the walking.
So we know, for example, which leg is moving. Is it the left leg or the right leg? Just like if you're in the Army—in Hong Kong, do you do national service in the Army? In Indonesia, national service? Do you do in the Army? No? Professional? hahahaa.
Well, in Singapore you do that's right. Did you ever have to do marching? Left, right, left, right? You did that? Amazing. So that's what you do here. So maybe because you've been in the Army before, when they do walking meditation you can just be standing there in the hall and you go left, right, left, right, left, right, just like in the Army. But no, you just know with mindfulness whether your left foot or right foot is moving.
What that serves to do is to bring you back into the present moment, so your mind is not wandering off into where you're going to go or where you've come from. It's present moment awareness, just doing the walking. And as you are calming your mind down more and more with the simple act of walking in a natural pace, then you start to notice more feelings in just one step. It's not just left, right, left, right. You can start to notice the first part of your foot which leaves the floor and the last part of your foot which leaves the floor. Which one leaves first? Is it your heel, the ball, or your toes? Which one leaves first and which one leaves last?
And as you are doing that step, you can notice whether the foot goes vertically up or goes back a bit or forward a bit. How does your foot go up when you start walking? Does it go horizontal or in some parabola, a curve? And when it goes down onto the ground, what part of your foot touches the ground first? What touches it last? And what does it feel like? The sensations on your feet against the carpet or against the wood or whatever else you are doing your walking meditation on—what does it feel like? So what you're doing is you're coming into contact with the movement of your body. And when the left step is finished, then the right step is the same; you notice all these movements of just one step.
Now what happens then is you're focusing on something very simple, very peaceful in the present moment, and you find you can't think very much. All you're doing is feeling just one step at a time. What that is doing also is increasing your mindfulness, your awareness of walking. I don't know if there's anyone who's trained as a dancer here or a classical dancer, because if you're in dancing you have to be able to feel your muscles and which one is moving which one isn't. Or if you're a gymnast, you've got to feel these muscles, feel the movements until you become very, very aware.
And as you become more aware of the feelings in your feet and your lower legs as you are walking—it happens naturally, you don't force this—you tend to walk slower and slower because there's more things happening and you just can't rush it. And so you become very aware of just walking one step after the other, and soon you go into your own little world. It is so amazing how many sensations, how many muscles have to move just in one step, and you are becoming aware of all of those, and that makes you incredibly peaceful.
I remember, I like telling stories, when I was just recently ordained in Thailand almost 40 years ago now, I used to do after the morning chanting one hour of walking meditation outside the main hall. This was in Bangkok, and it would take me half an hour to walk from one end to the other, probably about the same length of this hall, and half an hour to walk back again because you got very, very peaceful. That's what happens.
And I remember this little kid, about four or five months ago he came to visit here while there was a retreat on, and he saw all these people doing walking meditation and they were all walking so slowly and mindfully. He came back and he told me, "Ajahn Brahm, in your retreat center there's not people there, there're zombies!" Because that's what you look like when you're walking very slowly. So be careful, they think there are zombies in this monastery! Have you watched zombie movies? Because that's what it looks like; they go slowly just like when you're doing walking meditation. That's probably where the zombies come from; they're not real zombies, they're just meditating!
But anyhow, so this is natural. And I also remember I was getting so into my walking meditation, just seeing just the right foot lift up and all this incredible number of feelings going on just in one foot lifting up, and then I heard a sound. It was like a sound like a hundred miles away, 'brahmavamso~brahmavamso' and there was this monk who was shouting at me in my ear because I'd forgotten I had an appointment; I had to go to a house blessing and I forgotten all about it. He was trying to get my attention; he was literally only just a few inches from my ear, "brahmavamso~!" he was shouting, but for me, I was so into the stillness of my meditation, it was like it was a long way away. And I thought, "Well, what am I supposed to do?" And very slowly, "Oh yes, I should go to the *adana*." So then I moved my head to actually to look at him. But you know when you're so aware, there's so many amazing movements just in moving your head from one side to the other, it was so fascinating I couldn't go fast. It took me a couple of minutes to move my head, and then I saw him and I said, "What?" You were so still you can't go fast. And that was just a nice little experience.
So what happens when you really get into the walking meditation is you come incredibly peaceful and still. Because you are focusing on the movement of your legs, no past, no future, no thinking about all sorts of other things. Focusing on these bodily sensations makes it natural, and after a while you really get into it. Some people prefer walking meditation to sitting meditation because you don't have to worry about aching legs or a bad back; you're actually doing something. And that is one of the reasons why it's such an important type of meditation.
We've got one, two, three halls for you to do walking meditation, and in all those halls you've got these red carpets. We chose the color red because we want to make sure that walking meditation is really, really important for you. So what happens when people get on a meditation retreat is they do sitting down meditation. When it gets a bit sore or you want to change, you just go into one of the halls and do walking meditation. And after you become peaceful and calm, you've had enough walking meditation, you can come in here and do some more sitting meditation. So you can alternate all morning or all afternoon: walking and sitting, walking and sitting. And it means the stillness, the calm, has a good chance to build up its force and energy. The longer you meditate, the calmer you become.
And sometimes you cannot sit for too long; you get aches here and aches there, but you certainly can do walking meditation. So I really encourage that while you're here, to do as much walking meditation as possible and change from sitting to walking, sitting to walking. And that way the mind gets very peaceful and very still. But please, when you're doing walking meditation, don't go thinking about stuff. Don't work out the meaning of life, don't write your autobiography, or all these plans which you're going to do when you go back to Hong Kong or Indonesia—you might not get back to Hong Kong or Indonesia!
I was trying to find out why it is so cold; it's not usually this cold this time of the year. So I was just thinking, perhaps this is a sign that the Earth, the polar axis is tilted and now the South Pole is in the middle of Serpentine! This is the beginning of the end of the world! (haha) It's certainly very cold, it's like the South Pole. （Ajahn joking only）
But anyway, this is the way: don't go thinking about stuff. You can think about stuff afterwards when you leave here, but while you're here, see how peaceful and calm you can make your mind. And that's by focusing on the feelings in your body as you're walking, and just see how much there is going on in there. And again, when your awareness gets strong because you're calming down, you become more aware of stuff; you can actually see so much more in there, and you're just walking backwards and forwards and you have a very, very happy time.
I know some people have a difficulty doing sitting meditation, but they really get very, very happy and very peaceful with walking meditation. Some people really like the walking meditation. So you can actually try the walking meditation if the sitting meditation doesn't work and see which one you like the most. So that's one of the meditations we do here.
Is that clear enough for you how to do walking meditation? Don't go fast, don't go slow, be natural. Oh, I should mention that when you do walking meditation, you put your gaze maybe two meters in front of you. You don't look to the left, to the right, up or down; two meters in front of you, which means that you can actually see where you're stepping so you feel safe, you can see where you're going to go to next. Please don't close your eyes when you're doing walking meditation, otherwise you'll bang into the wall, and that's not a good sign. When you go home you have all these bruises on your head, they'll think, "What have you been doing? Been to a monastery?" They'll think I've been beating you up! So please keep your eyes open, two meters in front, and when you get to the end there, stop, turn around, and come back again. It's a very nice, peaceful thing to do.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 28 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPCcNC8XiaA&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=2
信徒：您能解釋或示範一下經行嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：經行是一件非常簡單的事情。你從經行道的這一端開始，走到另一端，轉身，再走回來。這就是經行，非常簡單。不幸的是，人們喜歡把事情複雜化，總是想做點什麼，這就是為什麼我們在經行時，試圖將注意力集中在「行走」這個動作上。
這樣我們就能知道，例如，哪條腿在動。是左腿還是右腿？就像你在軍隊裡一樣——在香港，你們需要服兵役嗎？在印尼呢？要服兵役嗎？不用？是職業軍人？哈哈哈。
嗯，在新加坡你們要的，沒錯。你有沒有做過行軍？左、右、左、右？你做過？太棒了。這就是你在這裡要做的。所以也許因為你以前待過軍隊，當他們進行經行時，你可以就站在禪堂裡，然後左、右、左、右、左、右，就像在軍隊裡一樣。但並不是這樣，你只是帶著正念，知道是你的左腳還是右腳在移動。
這樣做的目的是將你帶回當下，這樣你的心就不會飄到你將要去的地方或你來自的地方。這是當下的覺知，只是單純地行走。當你以自然的步伐行走，這個簡單的動作讓你的心越來越平靜時，你就會開始在一步中注意到更多的感覺。不僅僅是左、右、左、右。你可以開始注意到你的腳哪一部分先離開地面，以及哪一部分最後離開地面。哪一部分先離開？是你的腳跟、腳掌，還是腳趾？哪個先離開，哪個最後離開？
當你進行那一步時，你可以注意到腳是垂直向上，還是向後一點，或向前一點。當你開始走路時，你的腳是怎麼抬起的？是水平移動還是沿著某種拋物線、曲線移動？當它向下接觸地面時，你的腳哪一部分先接觸地面？哪一部分最後接觸？感覺如何？你的腳底接觸地毯、木板或無論你在什麼上面經行——那是什麼感覺？所以你正在做的，就是去體驗你身體的移動。當左腳的步驟完成後，右腳的步驟也是一樣；你覺知到僅僅一步中的所有這些動作。
接下來發生的是，你專注於當下非常簡單、非常平靜的某件事，然後你發現你無法想太多。你所做的只是一次只感受一步。這樣做同時也增加了你的正念，你對行走的覺知。我不知道這裡有沒有受過舞蹈訓練的人或古典舞者，因為如果你在跳舞，你必須能夠感受你的肌肉，哪一塊在動，哪一塊沒有。或者如果你是體操運動員，你必須感受這些肌肉，感受這些動作，直到你變得非常、非常覺知。
當你行走時，隨著你對腳和小腿的感覺越來越覺知——這是自然發生的，你無需強迫——你往往會走得越來越慢，因為有更多的事情在發生，你根本快不起來。於是你變得非常覺知於一步一步地行走，很快你就進入了自己的小世界。這真是太奇妙了，一步之中有多少感覺，有多少肌肉必須移動，而你正覺知到所有這些，這讓你感到難以置信的平靜。
我記得，我喜歡講故事，差不多40年前，我剛在泰國出家不久，那時我習慣在早課誦經後，在主殿外面進行一小時的經行。那是在曼谷，從一端走到另一端要花我半個小時，大概和這個禪堂的長度差不多，再走回來又要半小時，因為你會變得非常、非常平靜。就是這樣。
我還記得大概四五個月前，有個小孩來這裡參觀，當時正在舉辦禪修營，他看到所有這些人都在經行，他們都走得非常緩慢且專注。他回來後告訴我：「阿姜布拉姆，你的禪修中心裡沒有人，那裡是殭屍！」因為當你走得很慢時，看起來就是那樣。所以要小心，他們以為這間寺院裡有殭屍！你們看過殭屍電影嗎？因為那看起來就像；他們走得很慢，就像你在經行時一樣。殭屍 可能就是這麼來的；他們不是真正的殭屍，他們只是在禪修！
不過無論如何，這是很自然的。我還記得有一次我非常投入於經行，只是看著右腳抬起，以及僅僅在抬腳這一個動作中發生的無數感覺，然後我聽到一個聲音。那聲音好像來自百里之外，『Brahmavamso~Brahmavamso~』，原來是一位法師在我耳邊大喊，因為我忘了有個約定；我必須去一個家庭祝福，但我完全忘了。他試圖引起我的注意；他真的就在離我耳朵只有幾英寸的地方，「Brahmavamso~！」他大喊著，但對我來說，我深深地沉浸在禪修的寧靜中，那聲音聽起來好像很遙遠。我心想，「嗯，我該怎麼辦？」然後非常緩慢地，「哦，對了，我應該去參與供僧」於是我就移動頭部去看他。但你知道當你如此覺知時，僅僅是將頭從一側轉到另一側，就有那麼多奇妙的動作，太引人入勝了，我快不起來。我花了好幾分鐘才把頭轉過去，然後我看到他，我說：「什麼？」你太靜定了，以致於快不起來。那只是一次不錯的小體驗。
所以，當你真正進入經行時，你會變得無比平靜和安定。因為你專注於腿部的移動，沒有過去，沒有未來，不去想各種其他事情。專注於這些身體的感覺使其變得自然，過一會兒你就真的投入進去了。有些人偏愛經行勝過坐禪，因為你不用擔心腿痠或背痛；你實際上在活動。這也是為什麼它是一種如此重要的禪修類型的原因之一。
我們有一、二、三個禪堂可供你們經行，所有這些禪堂裡都有這些紅地毯。我們選擇紅色是因為我們想確保經行對你們來說是非常、非常重要的。所以，當人們參加禪修營時，他們會先進行坐禪。當覺得有點痠痛或想換個方式時，你就可以走到其中一個禪堂進行經行。當你變得平靜安詳，覺得經行足夠了，你可以再回到這裡進行更多的坐禪。這樣你整個早上或整個下午都可以交替進行：經行和坐禪，經行和坐禪。這意味著寧靜、平靜有很好的機會積聚其力量和能量。你禪修的時間越長，你就變得越平靜。
有時候你無法坐太久；這裡痛那裡痛的，但你肯定可以做經行。所以我真的鼓勵你們在這裡的時候，盡可能多地進行經行，從坐禪轉換到經行，再從經行轉換到坐禪。這樣，心會變得非常平和、非常安定。但是請記住，當你在經行時，不要去想東想西。不要去思考生命的意義，不要撰寫你的自傳，或者盤算你回到香港或印尼後要做的所有計劃——你可能回不了香港或印尼呢！
我之前試圖找出為什麼這麼冷；這個季節通常不會這麼冷。所以我就在想，也許這是一個跡象，表明地球的極軸傾斜了，現在南極就在瑟彭坦（Serpentine）中間了！這是世界末日的開始！（哈哈）確實非常冷，就像南極一樣。（阿贊說笑而已）
但無論如何，方法是這樣的：不要去想東想西。你可以等離開這裡之後再想，但在這裡的時候，看看你能讓自己的心變得多麼平和與寧靜。那就是通過在行走時專注於你身體的感覺，看看裡面有多少事情正在發生。同樣地，當你的覺知因為平靜下來而變強時，你會對事物更加覺知；你實際上能看到裡面更多的東西，而你只是來回地走著，度過一段非常、非常快樂的時光。
我知道有些人覺得坐禪有困難，但他們通過經行真的變得非常、非常快樂和平靜。有些人真的很喜歡經行。所以，如果坐禪對你效果不佳，你其實可以試試經行，看看你最喜歡哪一種。這就是我們在這裡進行的禪修之一。
這樣夠清楚了嗎？關於如何經行。不要快，不要慢，要自然。哦，我應該提到，當你經行時，你的視線大概放在前方兩公尺處。不要左看、右看、上看或下看；就看著前方兩公尺，這意味著你實際上可以看到你腳下踩的地方，這樣你感到安全，也能看到你接下來要去的地方。請不要在經行時閉上眼睛，否則你會撞到牆，這可不是好現象。當你回家時，頭上全是這些淤青，他們會想，「你做了什麼？去了寺院嗎？」他們會以為我打了你們！所以請保持眼睛睜開，看著前方兩公尺，當你走到盡頭時，停下來，轉身，再走回來。這是一件非常美好、平靜的事情。
問答：阿姜布拉姆於靜林禪修中心（Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre），2014年6月28日
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPCcNC8XiaA&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=2
更多關於阿姜布拉姆：
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《Explaining meditation in simple words 以簡單的話解釋禪修》
《Explaining meditation in simple words 以簡單的話解釋禪修》
Devotee: Could you explain meditation in simple words?
Ajahn Brahm: Meditation is letting go. Letting go of trying to improve things, letting go of trying to getting rid of things; letting things be.
If you are doing it properly, you can feel that everything goes very very peaceful
弟子：能否用簡單的話解釋什麼是禪修？
阿姜布拉姆：禪修就是放下。放下想要改善什麼的執著，放下想要去除什麼的掙扎；讓一切如其所是。
如果你做得對，會感受到一切歸於非常的寧靜。
---Ajahn Brahm
17 May 2024
Excerpted from:
<兩種禪修>《Two types of meditation》
<兩種禪修>《Two types of meditation》
《Two types of meditation》
There are two types of meditation
I call these two types of meditation as : second noble truth meditation and third noble truth meditation
what is the second noble truth ? wanting is the cause of suffering.
So if you are meditating, and you are depressed, you are suffering, you are frustrated; you have just been doing second noble truth meditation , you are wanting something.
It is so clear! the Buddha's teaching: Wanting leads to suffering.
So if you are suffering, you must be wanting something
third noble truth, letting go of wanting leads to the bliss of nibanna. Letting go, renouncing, being kind, being gentle.
So if you are having a beautiful meditation; well done! you have done a third noble truth meditation. You let go! you let go striving, struggling; content and peaceful.
That is third noble truth meditation
Check it out! peaceful meditation, what did you do? You are just not wanting anything in the whole world, just to be here.
second noble truth, you really want something, you really have to have it; that causes suffering
---Ajahn Brahm
2019, from <25:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdsgORD4hZM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIqOjNNhR49EW9MJmxtd9XrT&index=10
<兩種禪修>
有兩種類型的禪修
我將這兩種類型的禪修稱為：第二聖諦禪修和第三聖諦禪修。
第二聖諦是什麼？渴望是痛苦的根源。
所以如果你在禪修時感到沮喪、痛苦、挫敗，那麼你只是正在進行第二聖諦的禪修，你在渴求某些東西。
這是非常明顯的！佛陀的教導：渴望會導致痛苦。
因此如果你在痛苦，那麼你一定是在渴望某些東西。
第三聖諦：放下渴望會帶來涅槃的喜樂。
放下、捨棄、善良、柔和。
所以如果你正在進行美好的禪修，那麼做得好！你就是在進行第三聖諦的禪修。你放下了！你放下了奮鬥和掙扎；滿足而平靜。
這就是第三聖諦的禪修。
檢查一下！在平靜的禪修之中，你做了什麼？你只是這世上什麼也不想要，只是在這裡。
第二聖諦，你真的想要某樣東西，你心中真的必須擁有它；這會導致痛苦。
--Ajahn Brahm
2019年，摘自 <25:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdsgORD4hZM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIqOjNNhR49EW9MJmxtd9XrT&index=10
《禪修是什麼？》《what meditation is all about?》
《禪修是什麼？》《what meditation is all about?》
《what meditation is all about?》
Many people have come to this centre for several years, they have changed their lives; but how have they changed their lives?
It made them to be more calm and peaceful than that
This is how meditation is all about
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《禪修是什麼？》
許多人在這個中心已經待了幾年，他們的生活發生了變化；但他們是如何改變自己的生活的？
這使他們變得更加平靜和安詳。
這就是禪修的本質。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
更多關於Ajahn Brahm的資訊:
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《生病時的禪修技巧》《Meditation technique when getting an illness》
《生病時的禪修技巧》《Meditation technique when getting an illness》
《Meditation technique when getting an illness》
Let go of the past , let go of the future
The important thing , is let go of controlling
Allow all the liquid in the body to ooze out if they wanted to (one time Ajahn Brahm has got a cold)
Don’t try to stop them, don’t try to force the mind
But relax and allow it to be sent in the present moment
And after very short time, my mind became peaceful.
I Forgot all about the cold, but just enjoying the quietness within
When meditation, you can turn to the quietness, the peace within. When things start to slow down and the mind stop thinking so much; you become stable still.
And I just enjoy the peace. After meditation which I enjoyed for half an hour, so had my cough and dripping nose, my eyes were clear. I got my energy , and I had given a brilliant talk
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《生病時的禪修技巧》
放下過去，放下未來
重要的是放下控制
允許身體內的液體隨意流出（有一次，Ajahn Brahm感冒了）
不要試圖阻止它們，也不要強迫心
但要放鬆，讓它在活在當下
不久後，我的心變得平靜。
我忘記了感冒，只是享受著內心的安靜
在打坐時，你可以轉向內心的寧靜與平和。
當一切開始放慢，心不再過度思考時，你會變得穩定而靜止。
我享受著這份平靜。在享受了半小時的禪坐後，我的咳嗽和流鼻水都消失了，眼睛也清晰了。我恢復了精力，並且發表了一場精彩的演講。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於Ajahn Brahm的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《打坐非常簡單》《Meditation is very easy》
《打坐非常簡單》《Meditation is very easy》
《Meditation is very easy》
It shows it how easy to meditate, when you know how—letting it be, letting go
Allowing it just to exist
not fighting, not controlling
making peace
Anyhow and again, I just had this theme of meditation a few months ago.
That is my basic theme of meditation—make peace with the moment
Make peace , not war with your mind….
What will happen if you make peace with the mind? The mind make peace with you
This incredible process starts to happen, which you can watch as a process of meditation.
When you stop fighting the mind, when you let go, when you embrace this moment, when you stop trying to control it, when you don’t find fault with it; when you make peace with it, things start to slow down . The mind doesn’t move so much , there is not much business, the mind starts to feel the wonderful sense of inner peace.
You making peace! Of course what you made, is what you end up with
So when you make peace with every moment, after a while, you have peace!
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《打坐非常簡單》
這顯示出當你知道如何打坐時，這是多麼簡單——隨他去，放下它。
允許它僅僅存在，
不去抵抗，不去控制，
創造和平。
不久前，我剛好有這樣的打坐主題。
這是我打坐的基本主題——與當下和平相處。
創造和平，而不是與你的心戰鬥……
如果你與心和平相處會發生什麼？心便會與你和平相處。
這個不可思議的過程開始發生，你可以將其視為打坐的過程。
當你停止與心作戰鬥，當你放下，當你擁抱這一刻，當你停止試圖控制它，當你不再挑剔它；當你與它和平相處時，事情開始放慢。
心將不再那麼活躍，不再有那麼多事，心開始感受到內在的美好寧靜。
你在創造和平！當然，你創造的就是你最終得到的。
所以當你與每一刻和平相處，過一段時間後，你就會擁有平靜！
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於Ajahn Brahm的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《我無法停止思考！》《I cant stop the mind! 》
《我無法停止思考！》《I cant stop the mind! 》
《I cant stop the mind! 》
The biggest problem that most people has when they talk about meditation is they can’t stop the mind thinking.
Of course you cant stop the mind thinking, look at what you have just said!
I- can’t -stop the mind thinking
You should stop trying to stop the mind thinking
And then, you will stop thinking
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《我無法停止思考！》
大多數人在談論打坐時遇到的最大問題就是他們無法停止思考。
當然，你無法停止思考，看看你剛才所說的！
我——無法——停止思考。
你應該停止嘗試去停止思考。
然後，你就會停止思考。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《打坐是為懶惰的人度身訂做的！》《Meditation is tailor made for lazy people! 》
《打坐是為懶惰的人度身訂做的！》《Meditation is tailor made for lazy people! 》
《Meditation is tailor made for lazy people! 》
It is a problem , because we always get it wrong, when we meditate , we want to do the meditation. You’re missing the point !
Meditation is not something you do, its not some sort of craft and hobbies; or some other business we do.
You work so hard for things in the world. Work hard to earn a living, work hard to look after your family, even just getting here doing your social and family responsibilities; its so much hard work.
Why do you use the same method when you come and meditate. It is relaxing time! Letting Go time ! Compassion time! Time of peace !
So, when you actually learn about meditation, just sitting there and doing nothing.
It is very often that I used to tell people, if you are a lazy person, if you are really lazy; then meditation is made for you!
In other words, that is really knowing how to be lazy, really lazy; but people don’t know about laziness.
By laziness they mean doing something else that they should be doing
But laziness is really just allowing this moment to be, embracing it, not doing anything.
Do aside this controller , which causes all the problem in your life and other people’s lives as well. You make peace with that. And after a while it just disappears, it calms down. It’s settled
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《打坐是為懶惰的人度身訂做的！》
這是一個問題，因為我們在打坐時總是搞錯。我們想要“做”打坐。你捉錯重點了！
打坐不是你在‘做’什麼東西，它不是某種工藝或愛好；也不是我們在做的其他事業。
你在這個世界上辛苦工作。努力賺取生計，努力照顧家庭，甚至只是履行社交和家庭責任；這都是非常艱辛的工作。
那麼，為什麼在來打坐時還要用同樣的方法呢？這是放鬆的時候！放下的時候！慈悲的時候！平靜的時候！
所以，當你真正學習打坐時，就是坐在那裡什麼也不做。
我經常告訴人們，如果你是一個懶惰的人，如果你真的懶惰，那麼打坐就是為你量身定做的！
換句話說，這真的是在學會如何懶惰，真正的懶惰；但人們不知道什麼是懶惰。
人們所謂的懶惰，其實是指在應該做的事情上做其他事情。
但懶惰其實就是允許當下的存在，擁抱它，而不做任何事情。
放下這個控制者，這個造成你生活中以及他人生活中所有問題的東西。你要與他和平共處。過一段時間後，它就會消失，心會平靜下來。這就是解決的方式。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《想得太多》《Thinking too much》
《想得太多》《Thinking too much》
《Thinking too much》
Thinking too much, out of control. Have you ever worried so much that you couldn’t sleep at night? Its all too much thinking?
You do not have the ability to calm the mind and make it still.
Whoever it got worried, because you had bad news, maybe a cancer, maybe a death in the family , but just gone bankrupt or whatever. You just can’t calm the mind, you just worry so much. You have so much pain that is , it is more pain from a thinking mind, than from a sick body.
It is the mind which is a cause of suffering inside people, it can also be a cause of peace and happiness. You just need to allow the mind to stop all the thinking business.
All you need to do is to let it go, leave it alone, and the mind will just calm down all by itself in good time.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《想得太多》
想太多，失去控制。
你有沒有過擔心得無法入睡的經歷？是否都是因為思緒太多？
你沒有能力讓心平靜下來，保持靜止。
無論是因為壞消息而擔心，可能是癌症，可能是家人死亡，或者是破產等。你就是無法讓心平靜下來，總是這麼擔心。這種痛苦是來自思考的心，比生病的身體所帶來的痛苦更苦。
正是心造成了人們內心的痛苦，但它也可以成為和平與幸福的源泉。你只需要讓心停止所有的思考。
你需要做的僅僅是放下，隨它去，心便會在適當的時候自動平靜下來。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《年輕的Ajahn Brahm試圖讓心定下來但失敗了》《Young Ajahn Brahm tried to make the mind still but failed》
《年輕的Ajahn Brahm試圖讓心定下來但失敗了》《Young Ajahn Brahm tried to make the mind still but failed》
《Young Ajahn Brahm tried to make the mind still but failed》
The story that I have been telling 6 months ago, I am not sure when I tell this here. But that is a fascinating story, because it showed how stupid I was that I made my mind peaceful. It was a 6 days retreat, when I bind myself in the monastery. You cant get a better monastery than that, it is in northern Thailand… I had a great time.
But after a couple of weeks, after a month, my meditation started to fall apart. I couldn’t stop my mind from thinking. When it started to think, it not just think about Buddhism and about the Dhamma. It started to think about some very unmonkish things. When I started to think about such things, I am like ‘ oh~ it is not appropriate for monks to think about such things.’
But the more I try to stop it, the worse it got.
And after a week or 2, I was going crazy. It wasn’t about romance, it was about weird stuff as well.
I was like, ‘ come on, get out of this~’ And I could not stop it , I got so bad, I thought I was going crazy. And the worst is I did not have any other monks to talk to. Don’t have another person to get advice from. There is a buddha statue there, I used it as a means to do reflections. I went up to that buddha statue, bow three times, and actually sent help , could you send me some inspiration to stop my mind going crazy? And the inspiration comes ‘ I will do a deal, the deal is, for most of the day, please just let me do the meditation to watch the breath; but mind, if you want to think about girls, romance, whatever; do it between 3pm-4pm, I give you one hour.’
That’s my deal. I did that. For one hour a day, I can think whatever I want. But for the rest of the day, you have to behave as a monk.
Its like one of my disciples, some times ago, I ask , ‘do you want to ordain as a monk?’
‘yeah, can I ordain as a monk? but one condition’
‘so whats the condition?’
‘I can have every Saturday evening off’
I said no, you cant do that, it is not a part time job being a monk.
So anyway, I started to try it being part time. 1 hour from 3-4pm, everything goes.
But it didn’t work as I expected.
Because its basically hard, you sit down, watch the breath at the present moment. Straightaway , the mind starts to think about the weirdest things. Come on ! Come back! It goes off again
Come back! It goes off again.
And it was a struggle. But when it got to 3 pm. I went up to my room, I lean my back to the wall, I put my feet up, and said ‘ok~ whatever you want to think about, go for it.’ Whatever things, unmonkish things, weird , strange, romantic, sexual; whatever it is , you can now think that; and that’s the quietest hour in the whole day.
My mind just went so peaceful that it watched the breath. So that is weird and strange.
But that really taught me a lesson. I realized why my mind had gone crazy. Because I tried to control it! That is what it was.
The more I tried to force and control it, the more it rebel. When I let go, you can do whatever you want, then it became peaceful.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《年輕的Ajahn Brahm試圖讓心定下來但失敗了》
這個故事我在六個月前講過，但不確定是否在這裡講過。這是一個引人入勝的故事，因為它顯示了我當時多麼愚蠢，卻想讓我的心靈平靜。
那是一個為期六天的靜修，當時我在一個寺院裡。那是北泰國的一個完美寺院……我度過了美好的時光。
但在幾周後，一個月後，我的禪修開始崩潰。我無法停止我的思緒。一旦開始思考，它不僅僅是思考佛教和佛法，還開始想到一些非常不適合僧侶身份的事情。當我開始思考這些事情時，我心裡想「哦~這些事情不適合僧侶去想啊。」
我越是試圖停止，情況卻越糟。兩周後，我快瘋了。這不僅僅是浪漫情愛的思維，還有一些奇怪的內容。
我想，「快點，（你們這些思想）離開這裡~」但我無法停止，情況越來越糟，我以為我快瘋了。
而最糟的是，我沒有其他僧侶可以交談，也沒有其他人可以尋求建議。
寺院裡有一尊佛像，我用它來進行反思。
我走到那尊佛像前，鞠躬三次，然後實際上發出請求：「能不能給我一些靈感，讓我的心不再瘋狂？」
靈感來了，我想到我可以做一個交易。
交易是這樣的：心啊！大部分時間，請讓我靜坐觀呼吸；但如果你想思考關於女孩、浪漫，或其他任何事，請在下午三點到四點之間進行，我給你一小時。」
這就是我的交易。我這樣做了。每天一小時，我可以隨心所欲地思考。但在其餘的時間內，我必須表現得像個僧侶。
這就像我之前的一位弟子，幾個月前我問過他：「你想出家嗎？」
他回答，「是的，我能出家嗎？但有一個條件。」
我問，「那個條件是什麼？」
他說，「我每個星期六晚上都可以去還俗。」
我說不行，做僧侶不是兼職工作。（笑）
所以我開始嘗試以兼職的方式修行。從下午三點到四點，什麼都可以。
但這並沒有像我預期的那樣運作。
因為基本上這很困難，我坐下來，專注於當下的呼吸。
但立刻，心開始思考一些奇怪的事情。
快點！回來！
又走神了。回來！
又走神了。
這是一場掙扎。但當到下午三點時，我上了我的房間，背靠著牆，翹起腳，然後說：「好吧~你想思考什麼，就隨便去吧。」無論是什麼，無論是與僧侶身份不相符的奇怪、浪漫、性方面的任何思考，隨便你想；但是！這卻是我一天中最安靜的時刻。
我的心變得如此平靜，以至於它開始自動觀呼吸。這確實很奇怪。但這真的教會了我一課。我意識到為什麼我的心變得瘋狂---因為我試圖控制它！這正是問題所在。
我越是試圖強迫和控制，它就越反抗。
當我放手，讓它隨心所欲地去做時，它卻就變得平靜了。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《一位離家出走小女孩的故事》《A Young Girl who runs away from home》
《一位離家出走小女孩的故事》《A Young Girl who runs away from home》
《A Young Girl who runs away from home》
I have told that story to many people. I once told it to a young girl, who was visiting our monastery from Singapore. I gave her an example, that I told her a story of a little girl in Perth, who was only about 6-7 year of age. That she decided to leave home!
She was fed up with her mummy, for telling her to tidy up her room, for washing her hands before she ate, to do this and that.
She said, ‘ I cant withstand that, I am leaving home!’ she was six and seven years old.
Now this is a very smart mother! She said, ‘ ok!’
She helped her child packed her bags. And she went out to the kitchen made her some sandwiches. And sent her off the door, ‘bye bye, have a nice life.’ Hehe
That mother is really smart, I really admire her.
Because what does a 6-7 years old do? She got a suitcase, she got sandwiches, she went down to the end of the street, and by the time she gone around the corner, she got homesick. She came back again.
But the mother was still standing at the door. Because she does know exactly what happened. She came back again
So I told this Singaporean girl. She did the same. When she was 7 years of age, she was so fed up with her mother , and said, ‘right, I am going to leave!’ But I didn’t give her sandwiches, I gave her 20 dollars.
‘ you buy your own lunch’
Of course, she didn’t get to the bottom of the apartment block , she went down by the lift, and went back up again.
That is what happened I do with my mind!
For that 3 oclock or 4 oclock, that is what my mind is about. So I helped it pack its bag, give it 20 dollars , and send it to go; and of course it came right back to me.
Now that is an important part of meditation.
The psychology of meditation is allowing things to be being kind. If you are kind to your mind, your mind will be kind to you.
If you make war with it, you just got collateral damage
You make peace, you find peace.
Allowing things to be , letting it go.
Allowing this moment to exist. Kindness , compassion , peace, freedom
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《一位離家出走小女孩的故事》
我曾經說過這個故事給很多人聽。有一次我告訴一位從新加坡來我們寺院的女孩。我舉了一個例子，講述了一個在珀斯的小女孩的故事，她只有大約六七歲。她決定離家出走！
她對媽媽感到厭煩，因為媽媽總是告訴她要整理房間、吃飯前要洗手，做這做那。她說：「我受不了，我要離家出走！」當時她只有六七歲。
這位母親非常聰明！她說：「好吧！」然後她幫女兒收拾行李，並走到廚房給她做了三明治，最後送她出門，「再見，祝你生活愉快。」呵呵，那位母親真是太聰明了，我真的很佩服她。
因為六七歲的小女孩能做什麼呢？她帶著手提箱，拿著三明治，走到街尾，結果一轉彎就開始想家了。她又回來了。
但母親依然站在門口，因為她知道會發生什麼---孩子回來了。
所以我告訴這位來自新加坡的女孩。
她也做了一樣的事。當她七歲時，她對媽媽感到厭煩，說：「好吧，我要離開！」但我沒有給她三明治，而是給了她20美元。「你自己去買午餐吧。」
當然，她到達公寓樓的底部，坐電梯下去後，又回來了。
這就是我對待自己心的方式！對於那三點或四點，這正是我的心的狀態。
所以我幫它收拾行李，給它20美元，讓它去；結果它又回到了我身邊。
這是一個重要的禪修部分。禪修的心理學在於允許事物存在，保持善意。如果你對自己的心友善，你的心也會對你友善。
如果你與它作對，你只會遭受連帶損害。
你製造和平，便會找到內心的平靜。
允許當下存在。善良、慈悲、和平、自由。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《湖泊與心的比喻》《The metaphor of the lake and the mind》
《湖泊與心的比喻》《The metaphor of the lake and the mind》
《The metaphor of the lake and the mind》
The mind is like a lake with waves on it. Its an archetypal symbol, for the mind or body of water. Its been used for centuries. Not just in Buddhism but other traditions.
Imagine a body of water, with waves on the surface. That’s where your thoughts.
Some people’s mind has got Tsunamis everyday.
They destroy so much of your happiness, friendship and your contentment.
There are huge waves go in there
Meditation is calming those waves down. So there is no storms and no tsunamis, until there is hardly a ripple on your mind.
How do you calm the waves of your mind down? For most of the people, they will put their hand on the crescent and clap them down, try to smooth the surface. That is what people meditate, they try to smooth the mind. They actually made more waves.
So for the body of water, the only way is to take your hands out , stop disturbing it ; and it becomes still all by itself.
It is about patience ! Just be patient in this moment , and after a while , the mind is so still and peaceful
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《湖泊與心的比喻》
心就像一個湖泊，上面有波浪。這是一個典型的象徵，用來代表心或一湖水。
這個比喻已有幾個世紀的歷史了，不僅在佛教中使用，也出現在其他傳統中。
想像一條湖，表面上有波浪。那就是你的思緒。
有些人的心每天都會有海嘯般的波浪。
這些波浪摧毀了你許多的幸福、友誼和滿足感。
那裡有巨大的波浪在翻滾。
禪修就是讓這些波浪平靜下來。這樣就不會有風暴和海嘯了，直到心靈上幾乎沒有波紋。
你如何讓心靈的波浪平靜下來？對於大多數人來說，他們會用手去壓平波浪，試著平滑水面。這就是人們禪修的方式，他們試圖平滑心靈。結果卻是製造了更多的波浪。
所以對於水而言，唯一的方法就是把手拿開，停止干擾；這樣它就會自動變得平靜。
這是關於耐心的！在這一刻保持耐心，過一段時間後，心靈將會變得如此平靜和安詳。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《Ajahn Brahm的第一次禪修經歷》《The First Meditation Experience of Ajahn Brahm》
《Ajahn Brahm的第一次禪修經歷》《The First Meditation Experience of Ajahn Brahm》
《The First Meditation Experience of Ajahn Brahm》
First my mind meditated, it has only been five minutes. I didn’t know what I was doing, and that was good. When you notice your mind what you are doing, you do too much.
What am I supposed to do? I didn’t do anything
And my mind becomes reasonably quite，and that poke me straightaway
The first five minutes of my meditation is peaceful! That is the first time I felt any peace in my life at all!
Its not just peaceful and dulling, it is peaceful and my mind started to become clear.
Peace goes along with clarity. This is one of the reasons for why people , please excuse me, are so stupid in life. They think too much, when they think too much, they see too little. The less you think , the more you see! The clearer everything becomes! That’s why after a very good meditation, its easy to solve problems!
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《Ajahn Brahm的第一次禪修經歷》
第一次我的禪修只有五分鐘。我不知道自己在做什麼，這樣很好。當你意識到你的心在做什麼時，你就發現自己做得太多了。
我應該做什麼？我什麼都沒做。
於是我的心變得相當安靜，這喚醒了我。
我第一次冥想，這五分鐘是平靜的！這是我一生中第一次感受到平靜
這不是平靜卻乏味
而是平靜，並且讓我的心變得清明。
平靜伴隨著清明。這是人們，請原諒我，為什麼在生活中如此愚蠢的原因之一。他們想得太多，當他們想得太多時，他們看到的便會少。
想得越少，看到的就越多！
一切變得越來越清晰！這就是為什麼在一次非常好的禪修之後，解決問題就會變得容易的原因！
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
<<修安般念的貼士>><<tips for anapanasati >>
<<修安般念的貼士>><<tips for anapanasati >>
信徒:現在我在修習安般念， 雖然嘗試了很多， 但依然看不到光或禪相。 請問 Ajahn 有沒有一些貼士?
Ajahn brahm: 你打坐得太辛苦了。 不要試， 只是平靜地和呼吸在一起。
在大念住經裡， 它把念描繪成真的在當下。
不要嘗試捉住呼吸， 只是要 善良和具念。
Student : now I am practising anapansati, although trying hard , but I still cannot see light or nimitta . Could ajahn give me some tips?
Ajahn brahm:. You work too hard. Dont try . Just be peaceful with the breath.
In the mahasatipattana sutta , it describes mindfulness as being really at the present moment.
Don't try to hold on to the breath, but just be kindful
《不一定用上觀呼吸法才能夠進入禪那 breath meditation is not the only way to jhana》
《不一定用上觀呼吸法才能夠進入禪那 breath meditation is not the only way to jhana》
信徒：是否呼吸禪修法為進入禪那的唯一一道閘門？
Ajahn brahm:不
信徒：你是否能夠不經過呼吸禪修法直接進入禪那？
Ajahn brahm:是
有時你只是僥倖成功
有時是你放下得很深
Ok 這是一個沙彌聆聽阿姜查其中一個法談的故事。他只是11-12嵗。所以有時在泰國的寺廟裏，我有這些年輕的沙彌。寺廟成爲了一個社會安全網。所以通常年輕的男士會一直成爲沙彌，直至16-18嵗。他們在寺院取得教育然後去到最近的學校。但當他們到16-17歲，他們就會去到大些的學校然後還俗，那就是他們長大的地方。
所以這個只是11-12歲的沙彌在聆聽阿姜查的法談。他的法談有時是很棒的，但通常都是沉悶的。這位小沙彌想，‘我只是個小沙彌，可能其他比丘可以聽阿姜查的，但爲什麽我要呢？‘ 然後他很負面，開始想：’阿姜查何時會停止？他何時停止？他何時停止？‘ 然後他不斷重複，就如一個咒語。’ 他何時停止？他何時停止？他何時停止？‘然後就在一刹那，他把問題調轉：‘我何時停止呢？’ 然後那位沙彌停止了。他進入了美麗的禪那，一個極樂的狀態。
然後當他開眼，他完美地在一切時間裏覺知，極樂地覺知。那是很早的早上。他在那裏打坐了數小時，他沒有聽到比丘們鞠躬和最後的念誦，然後移他們的東西返回小屋。他甚至忽略了早上的托缽，但他毫不在意那天沒有食物。他剛剛才在此生首次體驗到這個美麗的禪坐。
他沒有用到呼吸禪修法，他只是用了 ‘停止’ ，然後他就停止了
Student :is breath meditation the only gateway to jhanas
Ajahn brahm: no
Student : is it possible that you get into jhana directly without going through the breath meditation
Ajahn brahm: yes
Sometimes you just fluke it
Sometimes you let go so deeply
Ok, this is the story of the novice monk listen to one of our ajahn chah’s talks. He was only about 11 or 12 years of age. So sometimes I have these young novices in monasteries in Thailand . the monasteries become a social safety net. So usually the young men they stay as a novice til about 16 or 17 18. They get an education in the monastery go to the nearest school. And but when they get to 16 or 17, they go to a bigger school and then they just disrobe, its just where they grow up.
So this novice of only 11 or 12 was listening to one of Ajahn chah’s dhamma talks, and his dhamma talks sonetimes they were amazing , but often they were so boring, and this was going on for a long time . And this little novice was poured out of his little head , he said I’m only a small novice maybe the other monks can listen to ajahn chah , but why do I have to ? and then he got so negative , he started to think ‘ when is ajahn chah going to stop? When is he going to stop? When is he going to stop’ and he kept on repeating him this almost like a mantra to himself -- ‘when is he going to stop’, ‘when is he going to stop’, ‘when is he going to stop’ . and then in just a moment, he turned the question around –’when am I going to stop’ and that novice stopped . he entered a beautiful jhana , a blissful state . and when he next opened his eyes, he’s perfectly aware all this time , blissfully aware.
It was the early morning , he had been meditating there for hours, he hadn’t heard all those monks do their bowing the last bit of chanting , and moving all of their stuff and going back to their huts. He had even missed the morning almsround . but he didn’t mind at all going without food that day . he has just got this beautiful meditation for the first time in his life. He didn’t use breath meditation, he just used ‘stop’, and he stopped .
------AJAHN BRAHM
《00:58:09
25-3-2023 Evening Q&A
More about ajahn brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/.../%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C.../ajahn-brahm
《透過放鬆到極點進入禪那的方法》
《透過放鬆到極點進入禪那的方法》
《relax to the max for entering jhana method 》
《relax to the max for entering jhana method 》
(English version below)
信徒：ajahn,在你上一年的禪修營當中，你提到關於放鬆到極致來進入禪那的方法。請問你可否再詳述這個教導？
Ajahn brahm: 我很肯定你記得這個譬如。
杯中的水代表我的心。
現在我要讓我的心完全地寂止
（ajahn brahm 拿起了那個杯子）
它停止移動沒有？
還在移動～但我還不夠具念
現在我會具念了
它停止移動沒有？
所以現在我專注（那杯水震動得更厲害了）
它停了沒有？
那很奇怪，當我專注然後嘗試，他總是移動得更厲害
所以我怎樣讓他靜止？
（ajahn brahm 放下了那杯水）
放鬆～到極點～
它還在動，但越來越來地少。只要你有足夠的耐性，你就可以等到它完全地靜止
我不能把它拿得那麼靜止。但現在我可以靜止數小時。你可以看到我完全不用用力
這就是我們所說的放下了。捨離，停止抓住。別管它，然後它就會自己靜止
你有沒有聽過無我？你不做它，你放下它。那個自我消失，它不曾成為什麼，完全地靜止
假如你不明白這個比喻。阿姜查也有個譬如。你看著外面樹叢上的樹葉。為什麼他們在動？因為風。當風不吹，樹葉還會動。但越少越少越少。你可以保護大樹或樹叢免受風吹，有夠長時間。樹葉就會變得完全寂止。風代表想要些什麼。但如果你在打坐中想要些什麼，你就做了些什麼。假如你停止想要，風就會停止，心就會靜止。但如果你想要些什麼，你就不能嚐到那個靜止。
明白嗎？
當你經歷過，你就會明白
Disciple : ajahn, in your retreat last year, you have mentioned about the technique of relax to the max to enter into jhana. Could you elaborate more on this teaching ?
Ajahn brahm: I am sure you can remember this simile .
The water in the cup represents my mind.
Now I have to get my mind into perfectly still.
(ajahn brahm holds up the cup )
Has it stopped moving yet?
Still moving ~ But I’m not mindful
Now I will be mindful ~
Has it stopped moving yet?
So now I concentrate (the cup of water trembles even more)
Has it stopped moving?
This is strange, when I concentrate and try, it always moves more
So how can I make it to be still?
（ajahn brahm puts down the cup of water）
RELAX~ TO THE MAX~
It’s moving ~ but less, and less , and less. As long as you have enough patience . You wait until it becomes perfectly still.
I couldn’t hold that still, and I can be still for hours. That you see with no effort
That is what we mean by letting go. Renounce, stop grasping . Leave it alone and will get still by itself.
Have you not heard about anatta? You don’t do it, you let go. The self vanishes, never it becomes, perfectly still.
If you don’t understand that simile, Ajahn chah has a simile . You look at the leaves on the bushes outside. Why do they move？ Because of the wind . When the wind stops blowing, the leaves still move. The less , the less ,the less. You can protect the tree or the bushes from the wind ,long enough. The leaves become perfectly still. The wind is wanting something . But if you want something in your meditation, you do something. When you stop wanting , the wind does stop, the mind become still. But if want something, you don’t taste this stillness.
Understand?
Once you experience it ,you will understand
《Way to Jhana 》
《Way to Jhana 》
Student : if I really want to enter jhana, what will be your further advice?
Ajahn brahm: just relax to the max(imum)
‘進入禪那的方法’ 總結—Ajahn brahm
‘進入禪那的方法’ 總結—Ajahn brahm
Summary of ‘the method for jhana’ by Ajahn Brahm
Summary of ‘the method for jhana’ by Ajahn Brahm
（english version below ）
-佛陀說，一個人如果有放棄，捨棄的心，他會很容易獲得禪定，近乎自動地-->獲得深定的根本原因是放棄，捨棄的能力
-建立一個正確的態度：不論它是否符合你的期望，每一次禪坐都在讓你邁向未來的成功（內在的平靜）
-透過以下建立一個穩固的基礎
1. 不要想過去和未來 （例如你的責任，你的家庭，你的記憶，‘這個疼痛何時才會消失？’ ‘我之後應該做什麼？’ ）但只是具念於當下
2. 克服内心的喋喋不休-->透過完全的具念於當下，那麼你就不會有空間在心裡說話
-你會發現留意一樣又一樣東西會是心的負擔-->所以只是追隨一樣東西—你的呼吸就足夠了
-當來到呼吸禪修法的時候，專注點的位置並不相關，不要定位於任何地方，因為我們正要拋棄身體的認知-->只是知道呼吸的出入
-之後，念就會延伸到呼吸的每一刻—呼吸的整個過程。只是嘗試活在當下，包括呼吸與呼吸之間的停頓
-漸漸地，你會傾向於心的一境，寂靜
-呼吸會開始消失，之後就要覺知於這個美麗的經歷。從一刻到另一刻都覺知。當美麗的呼吸消失，保留那個美麗，平靜和快樂
-之後，快樂會生長，然後會變得非常強-->你就會抵達禪那的境界
-進入禪那後，假如你問‘我之後應該怎樣做？’-->這個心語便會粉碎你的禪修。這意味著上述所建立的基礎還不夠強
-ajahn brahm 強調，每個人都有進入禪那的能力。最細微的疑惑就正正是那個障礙
-The buddha says, a person who has the mind of giving up , abandoning ,renouncing , gain samadhi so easily, almost automatically--> the root cause of attaining these deep meditation is the ability to abandon, let go
-Set up the right attitude: for every meditation, no matter if it live up to your expectation or not , it is adding up to your later success (inner peace)
-Build a strong foundation by
1. not thinking about the past and the future (e.g.your responsibility, your family, your memory, ‘when will this pain disappear?’ ‘what should I do next?’) but just be mindful of the present moment
2. overcoming inner chatter be totally mindful of the present moment , then you wont have any space for inner chatter
-you will find that paying attention to one thing and another is a burden to the mind --> follow one object-- the breath --instead
-when it comes to breath meditation, the location of the focus point is irrelevant . don’t locate anywhere, because we are trying to abandon the perception of the body --> just know the breath going in and out
-and then mindfulness will expand to every moment of the breath-- the whole process of breath. Try to be always at the present moment , including the pauses between breaths
-gradually , you will be inclined to the unity of the mind, the silence
-Breath will start to disappear . then be aware of this beautiful epereience , be aware from moment to moment. When the beautiful breath disappears, keep the beauty, peace and joy .
-and then bliss will grow and become very strong -->then you reach jhana state
- after that ,if you ask ‘What should I do next ?’--> that is the chatter which shatter the meditation. This means your foundation as mentioned above is not strong enough
-Ajahn brahm stresses that everyone has the ability to get into jhanas. The slightest doubt is the obstacle
Summarized from
https://youtu.be/87xE6ROki80?si=-Beam4YnGc06Kp3-
<how do our mind get still? 怎樣讓心靜止>
<how do our mind get still? 怎樣讓心靜止>
（Ajahn brahm 舉起了一杯水）這杯水就像我的心，我的工作就是要讓這杯水完全地靜止。
它靜止了嗎？（不）
現在我放我的注意力下去，它停止移動了嗎？
我不在專注，現在我專注…
這就是許多人打坐的情況了，這就是它們怎樣感到沮喪
那是一個很容易打坐的方法，你放下他然後隨它去（Ajahn brahm 放下了杯）
它還在移動，然後越來越少、越來越少。一段時間後，它就完全地靜止
(Ajahn brahm gets a water with his hand ) this water is like my mind , my job is to put this water to perfectly still
Is it still yet ?(no)
Now I put attention, is it stop moving yet ?
I am not concentrating , now I concentrate ..
That is how many people meditate . That is how people get frustrated enough
It is a very easy way to meditate—you put it down and let it go. (ajahn brahm put down the water)
It is still moving , and less and less and less. And over a time , it becomes perfectly still
01:11:54<
23-3-2023
《You don’t need to focus on anything in order to enter jhana進入禪那不一定要專注於任何東西》
《You don’t need to focus on anything in order to enter jhana進入禪那不一定要專注於任何東西》
信徒：是否真的不需要專注任何一樣東西， 但只是放鬆就可以進入禪那？
Ajahn brahm: 是的
信徒：甚至不專注呼吸？
Ajahn brahm: 你不用專注任何一樣東西，你不做任何東西。 任何時候我這樣做，我也會有點保留，因爲那是我們比丘和比丘尼的規則：假如你宣稱如這個深入的禪定，如果你說真話然後你是和在家人説的，你就犯捨墮， 那違反了我們律藏的規則。假如你説謊，那是大罪，你不再是比丘了，那是個嚴肅的事情。 所以有時我們也沮喪。（那些人會問：）你不能解釋事情嗎？
這些日子，有一次當我去斯里蘭卡，我被問到：Ajahn brahm 你說很多關於深入的禪定禪那，你也寫書說關於它們。你能進入禪那嗎？
他使我尷尬
我回答的方式，我也和你們分享，因爲·那也教導你們許多關於深定。我對那位斯里蘭卡比丘：Ajahn brahm 不能進入禪那‘ 他們也知道那不是一個直接的答案
‘你是什麽意思？‘
Ajahn brahm 要先消失。當我消失，自我的感覺和擁有的感覺和所有的控制、造作等想法消失,然後禪那很自然地發生
我不能進入它們.gerald 你不能進入jhana ，但Gerald 先消失，然後它就在那裏。
Freddie 你不能夠進入禪那。當freddie 消失，沒有餘下freddie，那你就找到世界中其中一樣最簡單的東西了
所以有時它就是一點笑話，但内裏也是有許多的真理
所以當你教導別人關於jhana，那就是在教導別人死亡是怎樣的。死亡101（課）
它是不可思議地怡人，它毫不嚇人。現在你知道你仍然在生然後你再回來，你會知道死亡時怎樣的“五種感官消失。所以我一某種權威地說，他們不用害怕死亡。
死亡，是，通常是不怡人的。但當你過了那一點，那是很平靜、美麗的。然後當你知道你在做什麽，那是不可思議地美好的。可以嗎？
Student : is it really no need to focus on anything but just relax and we can enter jhana?
Ajahn brahm: yes
Student: not even on breathing ?
Ajahn brahm;you don’t have to focus on anything, you don’t do anything. Its like whenever I talk like this , I am always a little bit reticent, because its one of our rules as a monk or a nun as well, that if you claim things like this deep meditations; if you are telling the truth and you are telling to lay people, you are offending the pacittaya , its against the Vinaya rules; if you are lying about it, it’s a large offence, you are no longer a monk. It’s a serious thing. So we get frustrated sometimes, cant you explain things?
These days, there is a time when I am visiting sri lanka, I am asked with the question: ajahn brahm you talk so much about deep meditation jhanas, and you write books about them, ajahn brahm, can you enter jhana?
They put me on the spot.
The way I answered , I am sharing with you, because it also teaches you about many parts of the deep meditations. I said to this senior sri lanka monk: ‘ajahn brahm cannot enter jhana. ‘ They knew me that is not a straight answer.
‘what you mean?’
Ajahn brahm has to vanish first, once I disappear, my sense of self and ownership and all the controlling and doing those ideas disappears, then the jhana happens naturally.
I cant enter them. Gerald you cant enter into the jhana, byut Gerald disappears, then it is there for you.
Freddie it is not possible for you to get into jhana, once freddiev vanishes, there is no Freddie left, then you will find one of the easiest things on the world .
That is one of the reason why people do see lights, when they die. A lot of what you take yourself to be , and all of your ownership and possessions which define you, they are all taken away from you. But it is a great opportunity.
So sometimes, it’s a bit of a joke, but theres a lot of truth to it as well.
So when you teach people about jhana, its like teaching people how death is like. Dying 101.
And its incredible pleasant, it doesn’t scare you at all. Now you know you are still alive and you come back again, you know what dying is like : five senses vanishing. That’s why I say with kind of authority, they don’t need to be afraid of death .
Dying yes is often unpleasant. But death itself, when you go past that point, its very peaceful , and very beautiful. And if you know what you are doing, it is incredible nice . ok ?
25-3-2023 retreat (evening)
Benefits of Meditation
Benefits of Meditation
《禪修的好處：幫助解決問題》《The Benefits of meditation: Aids Problem Solving》
《禪修的好處：幫助解決問題》《The Benefits of meditation: Aids Problem Solving》
《The Benefits of meditation: Aids Problem Solving》
The less you think , the more you see! The clearer everything becomes! That’s why after a very good meditation, its easy to solve problems!
For example last meditation retreat, the people came with lots of problems at work! They said , ‘what am I supposed to do? because I have too much unfinished business , too much problems in my company.’
He just meditated , after a while; then leave it just alone. Then what had happened , is that he meditated for 3 or 4 days; then he got all the answers to the problems in his company. It’s a really good one, the things that he has not thought about initially; in the calm in the peace, you can see solutions, because you can see clearly!
So If you want to solve any problems in life, all in business, all in family, all in monastery, whatever else you should be doing; stop thinking about it! Make the mind still and peaceful. And you will get clarity. The mind becomes powerful.
So as you let go, as a way it gets less and less; and that mind becomes still~
You just feel the power building up, this is the inner power of the mind.
To purify the mind from all these distracting thoughts, to allow it to become still.
Its like the simile of the sun in the magnifying glass, being focused. It’s the stillness.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：幫助解決問題》
想得越少，看到的就越多！一切變得越來越清晰！這就是為什麼在一次非常好的禪修之後，解決問題變得容易
例如，在上一次的禪修營中，來的人都帶著很多工作上的問題！他們說：“我應該怎麼做？因為我有太多未完成的事務，公司的問題太多了。”
他只是禪修，過了一會兒，然後把問題放在一邊。
結果他禪修了三到四天，然後就得到了公司問題的所有答案。
這真的很好，起先他不能想出東西，但在平靜中看到了解決方案，因為你能看清楚東西！
因此，如果你想解決生活中的任何問題，不論是在商業、家庭或寺院，無論你應該做什麼；停止思考！讓心靜止和平靜。你將會清晰清明。心將變得強大。
隨著你放下，心變得越來越安靜~
你會感覺到內在的力量在增強。這是內在的心力
淨化心靈，讓它變得靜止，擺脫所有這些分散注意力的思緒
。
這就像放大鏡下的陽光，集中。這就是靜止。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：讓你成為更好相處的人》《The benefit of meditation: make you a better person to be lived with》
《禪修的好處：讓你成為更好相處的人》《The benefit of meditation: make you a better person to be lived with》
《The benefit of meditation: make you a better person to be lived with》
A classic story years ago, a lady came to my courses, when she came, she said, ‘ I just come from work, I am busy, I am so tired .
My children tells me ‘‘mummy, let’s go to meditation retreat’’.
I say, ‘‘oh no, I don’t feel like it’’
The children, ‘‘Mummy, Let’s go to meditation retreat’’
I say, ‘‘no’’
The children, ‘‘Mummy, you actually become a nicer person after you come back from meditation retreat’’’
The kid does realize what meditation did to their mother. It actually makes her less grumpy, more kind, more peaceful, a better person to live with.
So you understand, when you calm the mind down. When you give it energy to knowing, you lessen your negative qualities of the mind. You become more positive , it’s nature that happens. Energy goes into knowing, less into controlling .
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：讓你成為更好相處的人》
有一個多年前的經典故事，一位女士來參加我的禪修營，當她來的時候，她說：“我剛下班，我很忙，我非常疲倦。我的孩子告訴我
‘媽媽，讓我們去靜坐退修’。
我說，‘哦不，我不想去’。
孩子們說，‘媽媽，讓我們去靜坐退修’。
我說，‘不’。
孩子們說，‘媽媽，你回來後會變得更好相處’。”
這孩子意識到了禪修對他們母親的影響。實際上，它使她變得不那麼愛發脾氣，更有善意，更平和，成為一個更好相處的人。
所以你明白，當你讓心靜下來，當你將能量投入到這個覺知時，你減少了心中的負面特質。你變得更正面，這是自然發生的。能量進入這個‘知道’，減少控制。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：讓人健康且長壽》《Benefit of meditation: making one healthy and achieve longevity》
《禪修的好處：讓人健康且長壽》《Benefit of meditation: making one healthy and achieve longevity》
《Benefit of meditation: making one healthy and achieve longevity》
You understand that all those negative emotions which run through people; that’s what make someone sick, not make them living a long life. It’s amazing in my monastery, all the people keep coming to my monastery , has been such a long time now since anybody has died! I told this in the monastery, it is quite remarkable! Because if any of the disciples dies, I have to go to funerals. I know when the people die or they don’t die.
It has been a long while, when is the last funeral that I went to? You see! It actually works! You meditate and come to this joy and long life! That is why some of the monks in California, they check this out , they ask if this is true; and I answer ,’ yes, it is true.’ That if someone is a meditator, a good meditator, or a meditator who comes to retreat ; and tick ‘yes’, you do get a deduction from your health premium. When you have your health insurance, and you meditate, you get a reduction.
The reason is, everybody knows. If you let go of your negativity, you become a healthier person.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：讓人健康且長壽》
你明白，所有那些在人心內流動的負面情緒，正是使人生病的原因，而不是讓他們活得更久。在我的寺院裡，所有來我寺院的人，已經很長一段時間沒有人去世了！我在寺院裡提到這一點，真的很了不起！因為如果有弟子去世，我就必須去參加葬禮。我知道人們何時去世或未去世。
已經有一段時間了，我上一次參加的葬禮是什麼時候？你看！這真的有效！你禪修就能獲得快樂和長壽！這就是為什麼加州的一些僧侶來驗證這一點，詢問這是否真的？
我回答說，‘是的，這是真的。’
如果某人是禪修者，或者是好的靜修者；他們在健康保險上勾選‘是’，你的健康保險賠費就會減少。
原因是，大家都知道。如果你放下你的負面情緒，你會變得更健康。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：讓你變得明亮和快樂》《Benefit of meditation: Make you bright and happy》
《禪修的好處：讓你變得明亮和快樂》《Benefit of meditation: Make you bright and happy》
《Benefit of meditation: Make you bright and happy》
But of course meditation gets much deeper than that; the more you go onto that path, the energy goes more and more to the knowing, until you get incredibly bright and happy . And you become centered. When you become happy, you don’t want to move. All move because of discontent.
Move the body because you are unpleasant.
You move your house because you don’t want to be here, you want to be somewhere else.
When you’re really happy, you become very still. The more still you are, the more happy you become. What happens is that your mind becomes really still, and goes inside itself. It’s the part of meditation.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：讓你變得明亮和快樂》
但當然，禪修的深度遠不止於此；你越是走在這條路上，能量就越多地流向這個‘知道’，直到你變得無比明亮和快樂。你開始變得集中。當你快樂時，你不想移動。一切的移動都是因為不滿足。
因為感覺不愉快而移動身體。
你移動你的房子，因為你不想待在這裡，你想去別的地方。
當你真的快樂時，你會變得非常靜止。你越靜止，越快樂。
發生的事情是你的心變得非常靜止，並走向內在。這就是禪修的一部分。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：讓你的智慧能力非凡》《Benefit of meditation: Make your wisdom extraordinary 》
《禪修的好處：讓你的智慧能力非凡》《Benefit of meditation: Make your wisdom extraordinary 》
《Benefit of meditation: Make your wisdom extraordinary 》
What happens is that your mind becomes really still, and goes inside itself. It’s the part of meditation. The more focused you become, the more powerful you become.
When you start to become powerful, you can start to do things which normal people cant do. And here is where we start to get the insight of Buddhism.
Not only can you think more clearly, much more deeply than ordinary people; you can actually see the solutions of things. Your memory also increases enormously.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：讓你的智慧能力非凡》
當你的心變得非常靜止，並進入內在時，這就是禪修的部分。你越專注，就會變得越強大。
當你開始變得強大時，你能夠做出普通人無法做到的事情。在這裡，我們開始獲得佛教的洞見。不僅能更清晰地思考，還能比普通人更深入地理解；你實際上能看到事物的解決方案。你的記憶也會大幅增強。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：良好的學業成績。例子 1》《Benefit of meditation: Good academic result. Example 1》
《禪修的好處：良好的學業成績。例子 1》《Benefit of meditation: Good academic result. Example 1》
《Benefit of meditation: Good academic result. Example 1》
One lady who was in the retreat recently, who told me that when she is studying in Melbourne University, she would never go to tutorials. She told me, she didn’t need to , she had got the top mark every year.
I ask her ‘how? ’ I knew what she was going to say.
she was a sri lankan, when she was very young, there was a meditation close to where she lives. And he was a good teacher. And she learnt meditation from him
So whenever she went to any classes. She knew how to make her mind so still, that she could listen and remember everything.
When it comes to the time of examinations or writing an assignment, the first thing that came out of her mind, she wrote down, and that was all correct.
She had had a great time in university. And always the top marks. That is called efficiency. Simply because she had learnt to train her mind.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：良好的學業成績。例子 1》
最近參加靜修的一位女士告訴我，當她在墨爾本大學學習時，從不參加輔導課。她說，她根本不需要，因為她每年都能獲得最高分。
我問她：「怎麼做到的？」我知道她會怎麼回答。
她是一位斯里蘭卡人，年輕時就有一位優秀的冥想老師在她家附近。她向他學習了禪修。
所以每當她上課時，她都知道如何讓自己的心靜止，這樣她就能聆聽並記住所有內容。
在考試或寫作業的時候，她腦海中浮現的第一個想法就是她寫下來的東西，並且都是正確的。
她在大學過得非常愉快，總是名列前茅。這就是所謂的效率，因為她學會了如何訓練自己的心。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：良好的學業成績。例子 2》《Benefit of meditation: Good academic result. Example 2》
《禪修的好處：良好的學業成績。例子 2》《Benefit of meditation: Good academic result. Example 2》
《Benefit of meditation: Good academic result. Example 2》
I heard to say some of our monks from England about her daughter exiting university. She was doing med school, she hardly has done any tutorials. Wouldn’t even go to the lectures. But she too always come top every year. I want to find out why, and that’s her meditation. She trained her mind to be still.
When you are still, you are like a sponge which has got no water in it. You could soak up things so easily. How can you ever learn, if your sponge is so full of other stuff? You have to empty the mind out, make it so still and peaceful. Then you could actually absorb anything. Great efficiency, to read, and understand. To attain information.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：良好的學業成績。例子 2》
我聽說英國的一位僧侶提到他女兒剛剛從大學畢業。
她讀醫學的。但她幾乎沒有參加任何補習課，甚至不去上課。
但她每年都能名列前茅。我想了解原因，然後知道這就是她的禪修。
她訓練自己的心靜止。
當你靜止時，就像一個沒有水的海綿。你可以很容易地吸收東西。如果你的海綿裝滿了其他東西，你怎麼能學習呢？你必須清空心靈，使其變得平靜而靜止。這樣你才能真正吸收任何東西。這是極高效率的，能夠閱讀、理解和獲取信息。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：體證輪迴的真相》《Benefit of meditation: realization of the truth of rebirth 》
《禪修的好處：體證輪迴的真相》《Benefit of meditation: realization of the truth of rebirth 》
《Benefit of meditation: realization of the truth of rebirth 》
But more than that, before I come into here, people were talking about what happened for the tsunami victims after they die?
And I said, they would get reborn sooner or later.
And that is part of Buddhism. And they say, ‘why’
It is buddhist business about rebirth, could you really accept that?
With the power of meditation, you could know that it is actually true!
And here is where the power of meditation really starts to bite, when you actually starts to see some truth for yourself.
How do you see that? There are two ways where meditation can prove for yourself that rebirth actually happens.
The most obvious way is actually when you start recording your own previous life. And that’s not so hard to do if you make your mind very still , and start to give it that power. All the energy starts to go into knowing, your memory is enhanced , really enhanced!
All you need to do is ask yourself, ‘what is your earliest memory?’
And memory from the past starts to come up in front of you.
Memories when you are a child, when you are a baby. Memories when you are in your mother’s womb.
And sometimes the memory of the past, and that is your memories.
And the strange thing about that type of experience, the memory which is empowered by very still and peaceful meditation , is that it always come with a sense of absolute certainty. Memories of many different types, but this type is once every time it happens to someone, is always, no doubt at all; that was you , in the past. So that is fascinating ! you can actually do this the other way of proving for yourself that rebirth is a fact. It is just knowing the nature of the mind.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：體證輪迴的真相》
但更重要的是，在我來到這裡之前，人們在討論海嘯受害者死後會發生什麼？我說，他們會遲早都會再生。
這是佛教的一部分。他們問：「為什麼？」
這是有關輪迴的佛教東西，你能接受嗎？
透過禪修的力量，你可以知道這確實是真的！
而這就是禪修的力量真正開始顯現的地方，當你開始親自看到一些真相。
你怎麼能看到這一點？禪修有兩種方式可以證明輪迴實際發生。
最明顯的方法就是當你開始回憶自己的前世。這並不難做到，只要你讓自己的心靜止，並開始賦予它那種力量。所有的能量開始進入那個‘知道’，你的記憶得到了增強，真的得到了增強！
你所需要做的就是問自己：「你最早的記憶是什麼？」來自過去的記憶便會開始浮現於你面前。
幼年時的記憶，嬰兒時的記憶，甚至在母親子宮中的記憶。這些都是你的記憶。
而這種經由非常靜止和平靜的禪修所增強的記憶，帶來的奇特之處在於，它總是伴隨著絕對的確信感。有各種類型的記憶，但這種經驗每次發生在某人身上時，總是毫無疑問的；那就是你，過去的你。所以這真是令人著迷！你其實可以用另一種方式來證明輪迴是一個事實。這就是了解心的本質。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪修的好處：雜項》《Benefits of Meditation: miscellaneous 》
《禪修的好處：雜項》《Benefits of Meditation: miscellaneous 》
《Benefits of Meditation: miscellaneous 》
So traditionally, it has always been the case in Buddhism , who meditated, who purified the mind; for the sake of letting go the negative qualities in our lives. So we have inner happiness in our life, so we don’t go crazy due to too much thinking.
You don’t go crazy with anger, ill will towards other people, which has terrible consequences. People go blow each other up, go rape each other , beat each other; all because they don’t train their minds. Their mind is out of control!
The monsters, you teach the monsters about meditation, then they become so wonderful , so peaceful ,so nice. You can actually calm yourself down, you can actually purify , you can change! You can become more successful. More alert, more wise.
But also, you can understand what is going on in life. What rebirth and kamma is. And eventually understand the nature of existence, who you are!
It is meditation which makes you enlighten. So some people start to meditate, just to solve their problems, or just want to become healthy.
Great! It works! Why not!
But of course it goes deeper than that.
You carry on this meditation business, and you will become so peaceful so happy. So powerful! And that mindfulness, that outpower mindfulness will eventually answer all of your questions. Much more than I can ever do. Much more than books ever do.
Books give you some hints. But you make the mind peaceful and calm. You can find that for yourself. You can know yah what rebirth is. You can know what heaven and hell are.
I talked about that last week.
You know what people have when they die in tsunami? So you could become more at peace with everything in life. You can become more effective, more compassionate , instead of just making too much problems. And making a matter from this world.
You can live more simply, you can have inner happiness, you don’t need to have these crutches for happiness like crystal sets, TVs and alcohols. Movies , and all these kind of stuff. You don’t need all that to be happy . You get your own happiness. You are at peace with yourself. And you start to see deeply onto why.
So meditation has always been the great path. The way your asked questions are answered.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪修的好處：雜項》
傳統上，在佛教中，誰禪修，誰就能淨化心靈； 一直是為了放下我們生活中的負面品質，從而獲得生命中內心的快樂，避免因過度思考而發瘋。
你不會因為憤怒或對他人的惡意而失控，這會帶來可怕的後果。人們互相打擊、強姦、毆打；這一切都是因為他們沒有訓練自己的心靈。心失控了！
那些怪物，當你教他們冥想時，他們會變得如此美好、平靜、友善。你實際上可以讓自己冷靜下來，淨化自己，甚至改變自己！你可以變得更成功、更警覺、更有智慧。
同時，你還能理解生活中發生了什麼。你會理解輪回和業力，最終明白存在的本質，你是誰！
正是禪修使你覺悟。所以有些人開始禪修只是為了解決自己的問題，或者想變得健康。
太好了！這有效！為什麼不呢！
但當然，有比這更深刻的。
如果你持續進行禪修，你會變得如此平靜、快樂、強大！而這種正念，這種強大的正念最終會回答你所有的問題。比我能做到的更多，比書本能做到的更多。
書本給你一些提示。但你讓心靈平靜和安寧。你可以自己去發現這一點。你可以知道什麼是輪回。你可以知道什麼是天堂和地獄。
我上週談過這個。
你知道人們在海嘯中死亡時會發生什麼嗎？所以你可以讓自己與生活中的一切更和諧。
你可以變得更加有效率，更有同情心，而不是僅僅製造太多的問題，讓這個世界變得混亂。
你可以過得更簡單，擁有內心的快樂，不需要那些水晶座、電視、酒精、電影等幸福的支撐物。你不需要這一切來獲得快樂。如果你擁有自己的快樂，與自己和諧相處，然後你會開始深入理解原因。
因此，禪修一直是很大的道路。這就是你提問的問題的答案。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
Dhamma from Ajahn Brahm
Dhamma from Ajahn Brahm
Ajahn Brahm 法談
Ajahn Brahm 法談
《Kindness can sometimes rid off bodily disturbances 仁慈有時能驅散身體上的困擾》
《Kindness can sometimes rid off bodily disturbances 仁慈有時能驅散身體上的困擾》
I've had so many experiences where you have been in pain or an ache or a difficulty and you use that mindfulness and kindness and the things which really shouldn't disappear do disappear--- I mean, illnesses or sicknesses or pains. And I think I did mention one of the first times that happened to me. It was again just in the old days, we used to use the word blow my mind. It is a really bad toothache. No medication, nothing I knew to get rid of this pain which was stopping me sleeping until eventually , I said ,'there was nothing else to do. Let's let go. '
And you've heard those words so many times. I had heard those words hundreds of times. But then you had to do it because you had no choice. And that was magnificent. You know, you just a word or a couple of words. No medications, no sort of massaging something or no sort of exercising this or changing that. Just that thought, let it go and then the pain did go. It's kind of like miraculous!
But then it wasn't a miracle. It was just me being there late at night. And to see that happening ,and this was not imagining things. It showed me just how even with disturbances in the body with that degree of kindness--and I said yesterday that letting go is kindness--that kindness even disturbances and pain can vanish. And then once the body relaxes, it's like it's not any business for you anymore. You don't have to do anything. You just leave it alone.
image cred. to buddhistdoor global
2025 April (8/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KUBmLuKiyY&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=8
我經歷過許多次這樣的時刻：當你處於痛苦、不適或困境中，運用正念與善意，那些理應不會消失的事物竟真的消散了——我指的是疾病、不適或疼痛。我想我確實提過最早經歷這類體驗的其中一次。那也是在早年時期，我們當時常用「震撼我心」這樣的說法。那是一次非常嚴重的牙痛。沒有藥物，也沒有任何我知道的方法能消除這種讓我無法入睡的疼痛，直到最終，我告訴自己：「別無他法了，放下吧。」
你已聽過這些話無數次。我也聽過這些話千百遍。但當時你別無選擇，只能真正去實踐。而那體驗太美妙了。你知道嗎？僅憑一個念頭或幾句話，無需藥物、無須按摩、無須運動或改變什麼。僅僅是那個「放下」的念頭，疼痛便真的消失了。這簡直像奇蹟一樣！
但後來我明白這並非奇蹟。那只是深夜獨處的我，親眼見證了這件事的發生——這絕非幻想。它讓我看到，即使身體出現擾動，憑藉那種程度的善意——正如我昨天所說，放下就是善意——連擾動與疼痛都能消融。一旦身體放鬆，就像它不再是你需要操心的事了。你無需再做什麼，只需任其自然。
2025年4月 (8/19) | 九日禪修 | 阿姜布拉姆
《How long are you going to stay in hell? 你會在地獄待多久？》
《How long are you going to stay in hell? 你會在地獄待多久？》
Devotee: Yesterday you talked about one of the mind-made heavens. But I wonder what is actually hell. Is it just a physical place, or mind-made as well, according to Buddhism?
Ajahn Brahm: Both. In other words, it's physical, and you make it how you feel you want to be punished. And I say this with care because one of the things which I realized is that the gates of hell are always open. You can leave whenever you want. The point is, people who are in the hell realm have got such negative thoughts towards themselves. That's why they feel they can't leave. The cell doors are unlocked. You can walk out. And if you have an act of kindness in the hell realm, then you just can't stay in it. You leave immediately.
The hell realm is kind of like a mind-made realm. As you experience it, you actually make it. And if you can forgive, if you have some compassion, some kindness, then basically, you know, it can't last. It shatters. That's wonderful to know.
So if you get reborn in the heaven realm, what would it be like? Imagine what men thought heaven would be like 2,500 years ago. Imagine 2,000 years ago what they thought heaven would be like. Everyone wore white clothes, and the only music you could hear was harp music. When I first contemplated that, I thought, "What about some rock music?" You know, you've been a good person, you go to some heaven realm, can't we have some Jimi Hendrix or something? And the food up in heaven, all you had was ambrosia. You know, what about the poor Asians? All they can eat is just ambrosia, like Western food. Can't you have some rice and some durian? Would durian be banned in heaven?
And it was once banned in Sydney University a couple of years ago, wasn't it? Because they had to evacuate a whole building in Sydney University because there was a very bad sort of gas coming out from one of the buildings, and they called even the hazmat team. They thought it was like an attack by some terrorists. And the people came in their suits, you know, the hazmat suits and big helmets on them, and they went to find out the source of this terrible gas coming out. They didn't know exactly what it was and how lethal it was, but they found its source in one of the students' lockers. When they forced open the door of the locker, they found out what it was. It was an old piece of durian which was rotting. Well, you know, you saw that story, I hope. I was laughing for days on that. And those big... you remember that story? No? I didn't see it. Oh no, you know, these hazmat suits cost a fortune, and they were prepared, you know, for this terrorist attack. So please be careful if you bring any durian into Jhana Grove. We may have to call the hazmat team and evacuate everybody.
So anyway, that's actually a mind-made realm. You create it. How you feel you need to be rewarded. How you feel you need to be punished for however long. That's one of my jobs: to make you feel you don't need to be punished, and to be kind enough to yourself, not to get indulging in rewards, but in nice rewards.
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
信眾：昨天您談到了由心所造的天堂之一。但我想知道，地獄到底是什麼？根據佛教的說法，它只是一個物理存在的地方，還是也是由心所造的？
阿姜布拉姆：兩者皆是。換句話說，它是物理存在的，而你會依照你覺得自己該受何種懲罰的方式去塑造它。我這麼說是經過深思的，因為我領悟到的一件事是：地獄之門始終是敞開的。你隨時都可以離開。關鍵在於，身處地獄道的人，對自己懷有如此強烈的負面想法。這就是為什麼他們覺得自己無法離開。牢房的門其實沒有上鎖，你可以走出去。而如果你在地獄道中升起一個善念、一個仁慈的舉動，那麼你就無法再待下去了。你會立即離開。
地獄道有點像是心所造的境界。當你經歷它時，實際上就是你在創造它。而如果你能寬恕，如果你能生起一些慈悲、一些善意，那麼基本上，你知道，這境界就無法持續。它會粉碎。能知道這點真是太好了。
那麼，如果你投生到天道，那會是什麼樣子呢？想像一下，2500年前的人們認為天堂是什麼樣子。想像2000年前的人們認為天堂是什麼樣子。每個人都穿著白衣服，你能聽到的唯一音樂就是豎琴聲。當我第一次思考這個問題時，我心想：「那搖滾樂呢？」你知道，你一直做個好人，去了某個天堂，難道我們就不能聽聽吉米·罕醉克斯之類的嗎？還有天堂的食物，只有仙饌蜜酒。你知道，可憐的亞洲人怎麼辦？他們只能吃仙饌蜜酒，像是西方食物。難道不能有些米飯和榴槤嗎？榴槤在天堂會被禁止嗎？
幾年前，雪梨大學就曾經禁止過榴槤，不是嗎？因為他們不得不疏散雪梨大學的整棟大樓，因為其中一棟建築物散發出非常難聞的氣體，他們甚至叫來了危險物質處理小組。他們以為是某種恐怖襲擊。那些人穿著全套防護服，你知道的，就是那種危險物質處理服，戴著大大的頭盔，他們去追查這可怕氣體的來源。他們一開始不知道那是什麼，毒性有多強，但後來在一個學生的置物櫃裡找到了源頭。當他們強行打開櫃門，才發現那是什麼——是一塊正在腐爛的舊榴槤。嗯，你知道的，我希望你聽過那個故事。我為此笑了好幾天。那些穿著厚重裝備的人……你還記得那個故事嗎？不記得？我沒看過？哦，不，你知道，那些危險物質處理服貴得要命，他們可是為應對恐怖襲擊而準備的。所以，如果你帶榴槤來禪修林，請務必小心。我們可能得叫危險物質處理小組來，並疏散所有人。
總之，那實際上就是一個心所造的境界。你創造了它。你覺得自己需要受到怎樣的獎賞。你覺得自己需要受到多長時間的懲罰。我的工作之一，就是讓你們覺得自己不需要被懲罰，並且對自己足夠仁慈，不沉溺於獎賞，而是享受美好的獎賞。
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《Attachment or true love? 執著還是真愛？》
《Attachment or true love? 執著還是真愛？》
Devotee: How to let go of loved ones without denying or suppressing our love for them?
Ajahn Brahm: If you love them, you can let them go. If you're attached to them, you can't. That's the difference between attachment and loving them. The door of your heart should be open to them unconditionally, no matter what they do.
And that's one of the reasons why when my father died—I was only 16—nevertheless, it was so easy to let him go. I never cried at his funeral service, and I've never cried since. Why would you feel you want to cry when something so wonderful happened to you? I knew him for 16 years, and he had such a great influence on me. I never felt sad. Thank you for living so long and being such an important part of my life, and I never forgot any of the things he did. They're just beautiful experiences which I treasure forever. That's why I never cried—because I loved him.
This is one of the other things I love talking about: when a person does get sick, someone you love very, very, very much. One of the things we always encourage you to do is to look at your husband and tell him, "I give you my permission to die." So imagine what it's like. You're dying, and one of the worst things you'd ever want to do is hurt the people you love the most. And sometimes people just keep clinging on simply because they don't want to hurt anybody. So if you give them permission, it's like saying they can leave, and it frees them. That's what loving someone is: giving them freedom unconditionally.
One of the first times that happened, this nurse—her name was Judy—and her husband... what was his name again? It's been such a long time. But he was American, and they had this beautiful whitewater rafting business. You know, they were doing the thing they loved and getting paid for it, and he unfortunately got cancer. I don't know how I managed to do this, but I was going to their house almost every day to do some counseling for them. One thing I noticed was he was getting really weak. He couldn't do very much. He was dying, but he didn't die. He was lingering on. And then when I went to visit him one day, you know, I saw him and he was a wreck. He was in pain. And then I asked his wife, Julie—not Judy—"Have you given your husband permission to die yet?" She never responded. It was a beautiful moment. Instead, she got it straight away. She loved him very much. So, she jumped on the bed and put her arms around him and said—just trying to think of his name; let's say it was Sam—"Sam, you can die. I give you permission. Don't keep clinging on for me. It's obviously so hurtful for you, so painful." The two of them cried, and he died that night with his wife's permission. If she hadn't given him that permission, he'd still be clinging on because that's the last thing you want to do: hurt people. Do you understand that? And we've done that so many times.
That was also done to this monk. He was one of the monks I grew up with in Thailand. I was senior to him, but his name was Kittisaro. I don't know if any of you know his story. But anyway, he got two types of typhoid fever at the same time, and he was very lucky this doctor came up and saw him and said, "Get him to Bangkok now." The only way you could get to Bangkok was on the train, which left that night. So we got in first class, which we'd never done before, and the doctor had arranged for an ambulance to be on the platform at the station in Bangkok—which I'd never seen before.
And I remember talking to the doctor—my Thai was perfect in those days—and the doctor said, "As soon as I took one look at him, he was in shock. We thought he'd never get to the hospital alive." He did, but he was always really sick. And then he was shipped over to the UK. We thought maybe he would do better over there. He was a Rhodes Scholar and he was a champion wrestler before. He had a really lovely sense of human presence. And then one day, they actually put him in the attic of Chithurst Monastery. That's where you put all the mad people—in the attics of these country homes.
He wasn't mad, but the poor fellow was so weak he could, on a good day, walk to the door, and that's as far as he could get before he ran out of energy. And so the abbot of the monastery there went up to him one day, just the two of them in the room, and he said, "On behalf of all of the monks and nuns in this monastery, on behalf of all the people you know and friends, all your family, everybody who knows you, I've come up here to give you permission to die. You don't have to get well." And then this monk burst out crying. Then he started to get better. He's still alive. I think he disrobed and got married, but nevertheless, he's still alive, which kind of shocked me. You give permission. Imagine what it's like to be that sick. You're trying so hard to get better, and you feel like you're letting other people down if you don't recover. This was just saying you don't have to put the extra stress on you. If you want to die, it's fine. That's when you start getting better. Do you understand?
Anyway, and that's actually how you can let go.
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
信眾問：如何放下所愛的人，同時又不否定或壓抑我們對他們的愛？
阿姜布拉姆答：如果你愛他們，你就能放下。如果你執著於他們，你就不能。這就是執著與愛之間的區別。你心靈之門應該無條件地為他們敞開，無論他們做了什麼。
這正是為什麼當我父親去世時——我當時只有十六歲——我卻能輕易地放下他。我從未在他的葬禮上哭泣，此後也未曾為此落淚。當如此美好的事發生在你身上時，你為何會想要哭泣呢？我認識他十六年，他對我產生了巨大的影響。我從未感到悲傷。感謝你活了這麼久，成為我生命中如此重要的一部分，而我從未忘記他所做的任何事。那些都是我永遠珍藏的美好經歷。正因為我愛他，所以我從不哭泣。
這是我喜愛談論的另一個主題：當你深愛、深愛、深愛的人生病時。我們總是鼓勵你去做的一件事，就是看著你的丈夫，告訴他：「我允許你死去。」想像一下那是怎樣的情景：你正在死去，而你最不願意做的事，就是傷害你最愛的人。有時人們緊緊抓住生命不放，只是因為他們不想傷害任何人。所以，如果你給予他們許可，就好像是說他們可以離開，這反而解脫了他們。這就是愛一個人的真諦：無條件地給予他們自由。
第一次發生這樣的事，是一位護士，名叫茱蒂，和她的丈夫……他叫什麼名字來著？實在太久了。但他是美國人，他們經營著一家很棒的泛舟公司。你知道，他們做著自己熱愛的事並以此為生，但他不幸罹患了癌症。我不知道自己是怎麼做到的，但我幾乎每天都去他們家為他們做輔導。我注意到他變得非常虛弱，幾乎什麼也做不了。他正在死去，卻遲遲沒有離世，就這麼拖延著。有一天我去探望他，你知道，我看到他時，他已經不成人形，痛苦不堪。然後我問他的妻子（是茱莉，不是茱蒂）：「你允許你的丈夫去世了嗎？」她沒有回答。那是一個美麗的時刻。相反地，她立刻明白了。她非常愛他。於是，她跳上床，雙臂環抱著他，說——努力回想他的名字，假設是山姆——「山姆，你可以死去了。我允許你。不要再為了我而苦苦支撐。這對你來說顯然太折磨、太痛苦了。」兩人相擁而泣，就在那晚，他在妻子的許可下離世了。如果她沒有給予那個許可，他可能還會繼續掙扎，因為你最不願意做的事就是傷害所愛的人。你明白嗎？而我們已經這樣做了許多次。
同樣的事也發生在這位比丘身上。他是我在泰國一起成長的比丘之一。我比他資深，他的名字是Kittisaro。不知道你們是否聽過他的故事。總之，他同時感染了兩種傷寒，非常幸運的是，有位醫生來看他，並說：「立刻送他去曼谷。」當時唯一能去曼谷的方式就是搭乘當晚的火車。於是我們生平第一次坐進了頭等車廂，醫生還安排了救護車在曼谷火車站的月臺上等候——這是我從未見過的。
我記得和醫生交談——那時我的泰語非常流利——醫生說：「我一看到他就知道他已經休克了。我們以為他撐不到醫院。」他確實撐到了，但病情一直非常嚴重。後來他被送往英國。我們以為在那裡他可能會好轉。他曾經是羅德學者，還是個冠軍摔跤手。他擁有一種非常美好的人格特質。後來有一天，他們把他安置在Chithurst寺院的閣樓裡——那種鄉村大宅的閣樓通常是安置瘋子的地方。
他並不瘋，只是這個可憐的傢伙太虛弱了，狀態好的時候，他只能勉強走到門邊，然後就筋疲力盡了。有一天，寺院的住持來到他房間，只有他們兩人，住持對他說：「我代表這座寺院所有的比丘和比丘尼，代表所有你認識的人、朋友、你的家人、每一個認識你的人，來到這裡，允許你死去。你不必非得康復。」然後這位比丘放聲大哭。之後，他開始好轉。他至今還活著。我想他後來還俗結婚了，但總之他還活著，這讓我有點驚訝。你給予了許可。想像一下病到那種程度是什麼感覺：你拼命想好起來，又覺得如果不能康復，會讓別人失望。這樣的話，只是告訴他不必再承受額外的壓力。如果你想死去，沒關係。而這往往才是好轉的開始。你明白了嗎？
總之，這實際上就是你能夠放下的方式。
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《A monk with heavy lust 一位淫慾深重的比丘》
《A monk with heavy lust 一位淫慾深重的比丘》
You know, one of these monks I really admired, and he was a good man. He had a bit too much lust; but he was a good teacher. And uh, I think I might give away the game by who he was. He had this amazing ability with language, and he was so good at the northeastern language and the Thai language that when one of the popes visited Bangkok, he was selected actually to be the translator for the pope. That's how good his translation skills were. And I remember the Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand saying that when she closed her eyes, this guy was just like a Thai person. His accent and pronunciation were perfect. And he was an American, used to be a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. Some of the talks he gave were brilliant.
But then he had just too much lust. He went to see Ajahn Chah and said, "Look, this is really giving me a hard time. Can you give me any advice?" And Ajahn Chah said, "Yeah, easy. Next time you give a talk, tell all those lay people who've been feeding you what you've been thinking, all those sexual fantasies you've been having." And it was too embarrassing for him, too much for him. It's a bit of a shame because he was a lovely monk.
---Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
你知道嗎？我曾非常景仰其中一位比丘，他是個好人。只是他的淫慾多了些；但他是一位出色的老師。呃，我想我可能會透露他是誰。他有驚人的語言天賦，對泰國東北方言和泰語非常精通，以致於當一位教宗訪問曼谷時，他竟獲選為教宗的翻譯。他的翻譯技巧就是如此出色。我記得泰國詩琳通公主曾說，當她閉上眼睛時，這人聽起來就像個泰國人。他的口音和發音都完美無瑕。他是美國人，曾是在越戰中駕駛直升機的飛行員。他的一些開示非常精彩。
然而，他的慾望實在太強烈了。他去見阿姜查，說：「您看，這真的讓我非常困擾。您能給我一些建議嗎？」阿姜查回答說：「嗯，簡單。下次你給大眾開示時，把你心裡所想的、所有的性幻想，全都告訴那些一直供養你的在家眾。」這對他來說太過尷尬、難以承受了。這實在有點可惜，因為他是一位很好的比丘。
---阿姜布拉姆
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《Do we control our consciousnesses? 我們能控制自己的識嗎？》
《Do we control our consciousnesses? 我們能控制自己的識嗎？》
What do I control? Consciousness. (?)
That's the fifth aggregate. Surely I am the one who can see that little scorpion. That I am the one who can look at you. I'm the one who can hear what you say. But then when you get into meditation, even that starts to disappear too. Get to say just even the first Jhana (Ajahn's definition only) and sight, sound, smell, taste, touch is gone. Finished. Just got knowing left. But even the knowing starts to fade away. So all these things I thought were me. Where was I when they vanished? The only thing you could notice was 'I' vanished too. And that was kind of worrying.
You know, when I was a student, I was not that fussed about Christianity, but in the movies, they'd always say, "This devil would come up to you and say, 'I've come to take over your soul.'" That was my scariest thing. These days if a devil will come up and say I'll pay off all the debts of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia if you give me your soul, I'd say, "Deal." We don't have much debts, but, you know, we'll pay off all the debts and we get our debts disappeared and you'll get nothing. (laughter) What's in here? Remember what Ajahn Chah said? There's nothing!
So anyway, that's what anatta means
---Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
我能控制什麼？識。(？) 那是第五蘊。當然，我是那個能看到那隻小蠍子的人。我是那個能看著你的人。我是那個能聽到你說話的人。但當你進入禪修時，連這個也開始消失。甚至可以說，僅僅是進入初禪（僅依阿姜的定義），影像、聲、香、味、觸就都消失了。結束了。只剩下「知」留下來。但連這「知」也開始逐漸消褪。所有這些我原以為是「我」的東西。當它們消失時，「我」在哪裡？你唯一能察覺到的，就是「我」也消失了。這有點令人擔憂。
你知道，當我還是學生時，我對基督教並不那麼在意，但在電影裡，他們總是說：「魔鬼會來到你面前說：『我來接管你的靈魂。』」那曾經是我最害怕的事。如今，如果一個魔鬼跑來說，只要你把靈魂給我，我就幫西澳佛教協會還清所有債務，我會說：「成交。」我們沒什麼債務，但，你知道，他會還清所有債務，我們的債務消失了，而他什麼也得不到。（笑聲）這裡面有什麼？記得阿姜查說過什麼嗎？什麼也沒有！
所以，總而言之，這就是「無我」的意思。
---阿姜布拉姆
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《Our will is not under our control 我們的意志並不在我們掌控之中》
《Our will is not under our control 我們的意志並不在我們掌控之中》
Your will.
Can you decide what you want to do? Or do I decide it? Do I brainwash you? Okay, I've got time to tell these little stories. I was always surprised, you know, to have proven to me that what I thought was --my will --- it was not under my control. That was kind of one of the freedoms I never wanted to give up—an autonomous being should be able to choose what they want to do.
But then, just in this Society for Psychic Research, we did these amazing experiments. One of those experiments, you know, we hypnotized each other. We hypnotized one of my friends—no, real full hypnosis. And while he was under hypnosis, we gave him, or the hypnotist gave him, this suggestion: that when he touches his right earlobe, this student will stand up and will sing the British national anthem in full voice loudly. And you know, we were like rebels in those days. We didn't sing the British national anthem almost for any reason. We got out of the lecture hall early, and so it was a crazy thing to do.
But then just he took this young student out of hypnosis and then sort of touched his right earlobe, and this student stood up. There were maybe about 60 or 70 of us in this lecture on hypnosis. He stood up and he started singing "God Save the Queen" from beginning to end, and we were laughing our heads off. It was the most ridiculous thing to do. And normally you get embarrassed when people start laughing at you like that. He wasn't embarrassed. He sang it in such a loud voice and he would not stop until he finished it, no matter how much we were laughing and just wetting our pants—some of us. It was a ridiculous thing to do.
And then when he finally finished, I thought that was great entertainment. But then the hypnotist asked, "Why did you do that?" And that was when the goosebumps started to come up. He gave a logical reason. We all knew he was hypnotized into doing that, but he didn't know that. And he had this reason why he sang the British national anthem. That made me worried for him—he's an intelligent man, a student at Cambridge. Why couldn't he see this was ridiculous?
So that taught me that what I thought was my will was not under my control.
----Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
你的意志。
你能決定自己想做什麼嗎？還是由我來決定？我會對你洗腦嗎？好吧，我有時間來講個小故事。我一直很驚訝，你知道嗎？因為我親身體驗到，我原以為屬於「我的意志」——它其實並不在我的掌控之中。那是我從來不想放棄的一種自由——一個自主的生命體，理應能夠選擇自己想要做的事。
但後來，就在這個「超能力研究學會」裡，我們做了一些令人驚奇的實驗。其中一個實驗，你知道的，我們互相催眠。我們催眠了我的一位朋友——不，是真正徹底的催眠。當他處於催眠狀態時，催眠師，給了他一個暗示：當他觸摸自己的右耳垂時，這位學生就會站起來，並大聲地、完整地唱出英國國歌。你知道，我們那時候就像叛逆分子。我們幾乎不因任何理由唱英國國歌。我們提早離開了演講廳，所以這是一件很瘋狂的事。
但後來，就在他將這位年輕學生從催眠狀態中喚醒後，他（催眠師）輕輕觸碰了那位學生的右耳垂，這位學生就站了起來。當時大約有六十到七十人在這場關於催眠的講座中。他站了起來，從頭到尾開始唱〈天佑女王〉，我們都笑翻了。這是最最荒謬不過的事了。通常，當人們那樣嘲笑你時，你會感到尷尬。但他沒有。他用非常洪亮的聲音唱著，而且堅持唱完，無論我們笑得有多厲害，甚至有些人笑得都快尿褲子了。這真是件荒唐的事。
當他終於唱完時，我原以為這只是絕佳的娛樂。但隨後催眠師問道：「你為什麼這麼做？」這時我開始起雞皮疙瘩了。他給出了一個合乎邏輯的理由。我們都知道他是被催眠才這麼做的，但他自己並不知道。而他卻為自己唱英國國歌的行為編造了一個理由。這讓我為他感到擔憂——他是一個聰明人，是劍橋大學的學生。為什麼他看不出這有多荒謬？
所以，這教會了我：我原以為屬於我的意志，並不在我的掌控之中。
----阿姜布拉姆
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《阿姜查「洗腦」了阿姜布拉姆什麼 What Ajahn Chah brainwashed Ajahn Brahm》
《阿姜查「洗腦」了阿姜布拉姆什麼 What Ajahn Chah brainwashed Ajahn Brahm》
信眾：您說阿姜查為您「洗腦」。他將哪些最重要的事情「洗」進了您的腦中？
阿姜布拉姆：喜悅與歡笑。因為當我最初成為佛教徒時——噢，這是我喜歡講的故事之一——我認識許多人，你知道的，是來自劍橋大學佛學會的。當我說，你知道嗎，我真的很想成為一名比丘時，他們看著我，以為我不是認真的。我過去常常在倫敦東辛區的泰國寺院佛陀帕德帕（Buddha Padepa）走動，然後我總是問所有這些比丘——抱歉，不是比丘——是那些曾去過泰國等地的在家眾，有哪間好的寺院可以去？我打算過去出家受戒。沒有人告訴我有關阿姜查（Ajahn Chah）的事，即使其中一位居士非常了解他。後來我問他們，為什麼——為什麼你們不告訴我，不給我更多關於泰國有什麼好去處的資訊？他們說，因為當我們看到你時，你那麼快樂，我們不覺得你是認真的。這就好像你必須生病了才去醫院，如果你很健康，就不該去醫院。好像只有某種「有病」的人才會成為比丘。我那時並沒有太多問題，當時我就已經是位好的禪修者了，而且因為美好的禪修，我那時也總是面帶微笑。
所以他們認為我不是個認真的修行者。其實很有趣的是，甚至有些比丘、教學的比丘，總認為你應該嚴肅。把臉上的笑容抹掉。生命是苦。但阿姜查不是那樣——他常常很快樂、笑口常開，而且你知道嗎，他會講那些愚蠢的故事，像是——去跟你的前女友要一瓶大便。
他常常講這類故事，它們很粗俗，但這些故事只是告訴我，這些比丘擁有美妙的幽默感，而且真的很快樂。事實上，我接受了這一點——或者更確切地說，我不是「接受」，而是被「洗腦」了，我別無選擇，所以我才會對你們講這些傻笑話。我無法做別的事了。所以拜託，如果我講了個非常愚蠢的笑話，請永遠不要責怪我。這不是我的錯。怪阿姜查吧。是他「洗腦」我這麼做的。
而這其中有很大的真實性。而且你也看到了這有何幫助。它意味著你得到一個非常活躍、充滿活力的心。因此，你可以非常輕易地開展這些禪修。
圖片來源：佛教在線全球（Buddhistdoor Global）
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
Devotee: You said that Ajan Chah brainwashed you. What were the most important things he brainwashed into you?
Ajahn Brahm: Joy and laughter. Because when I first was a Buddhist, oh, this is one of those stories I like saying. There was many of the people I knew, you know, from the Cambridge University Buddhist Society. And then when I said I'm, you know, I really want to become a monk, they looked at me and they thought I wasn't being serious. And I used to hang around at Buddha Padepa, the Thai temple in East Sheen in London, and then I used to ask all these monks, all the not monks, sorry, all these lay people who have been over to places like Thailand, what's a good monastery to go to? So I'm going to go over and ordain. No one told me about Ajahn cha even though one of the gentlemen knew Ajahn cha very well. And then later on I asked them why-- why didn't you tell me about and give me more information about what's a nice place to go in Thailand. And they said because when we saw you you were so happy we didn't think you were serious. It's like you have to be sick to go to hospital and if you're healthy, you shouldn't go to hospital. Like only sort of sick men can become monks. I didn't have much problems. I was a good meditator even then and I was smiling even then because of just nice meditation.
And so they thought I wasn't a serious practitioner. It's actually quite funny that even some monks, teaching monks, always thought you should be serious. Wipe that smile off your face. Life is dukkha. But Ajahn Chah wasn't like that---he was so often happy and laughing and you know telling those stupid stories of you know ---just ask your ex-girlfriend for a bottle of poop.
He was often telling stories like that and they were gross but they just told me that these monks had a beautiful sense of humor and were really happy and actually I took that on board . Well I actually not took that on board it was brainwashed into me, no choice and I tell silly jokes to you guys . I can't do anything else. So please, if I tell you a really silly joke. Please never blame me. It's not my fault. Blame Ajahn chah. He's the one who brainwashed me into doing this.
And there's a lot of truth to that. And you see how it helps. It means you got a really energetic mind. And so you can develop these meditations really easy.
image cred. to Buddhistdoor Global
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《Eating through the nimitta 穿透禪相進食》
《Eating through the nimitta 穿透禪相進食》
Devotee: Does everyone experience the different stages of breath meditation in the same way?
Ajahn Brahm: this is a good question. No. And sometimes, you know, you just skip past a couple of stages. How you can explain that is that, you know, if you're doing any carpentry, you go to the shop and get a piece of wood. And these days, you go to these shops, the wood is already sawn so well and it's already been planed and smoothed off. You don't have to do much to it to make sort of a bench or a table. But if you go and cut your own wood, you know, from the forest and then you've got to saw it and plane it and smooth it off, it's much more work. And that's what happens in this meditation. Sometimes you've been meditating for 3 or 4 days and when sort of even you become aware of the breath, the breath is already pretty smooth. You've been practicing it, training it, like planing it, smoothing it out for quite a few days already. So, you're well ahead.
And especially once you start to get into nimittas and you know those nimittas become quite stable, then a lot of times you just come up here, you close your eyes, and there's a nice nimitta in front of you. And this is the weird stuff—I don't mind telling this because it's true—the weird stuff is that sometimes you've had a nimitta in the previous meditation very strong, you even just enter jhāna and come out afterwards. Then it's like when you come out, the mind is so strong, so dominant over the other five senses. You got a big light in front of you almost all the time. And when you have to have your lunch, believe it or not, you got a big nimitta in front of you and you have to, you know, put your spoon of food through the nimitta to eat it. That's how powerful these things become. All that nimitta is the sixth sense, and now it's incredibly powerful. It dominates all the other senses. And then once you finish your lunch, you can sit down and just have a nimitta from the very beginning, so you don't worry about the breath at all. Does that make sense?
(While Ajahn Suchart says a nimitta is not a must in breath meditation)
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
信眾：每個人在呼吸禪修的不同階段，體驗都相同嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：這是個好問題。不。有時，你知道，你甚至會跳過幾個階段。可以這樣解釋：如果你在做木工，你去店裡買一塊木材。現今你去這些店，木材已經鋸切得很好，也已經刨平、磨光了。你不需要做太多工，就能做成凳子或桌子。但如果你去森林裡自己砍木材，你知道，你得自己鋸切、刨平、磨光，那工作量大得多。禪修就是這樣。有時你已經禪修了三、四天，當你開始覺知呼吸時，呼吸已經相當平順。你已經練習、訓練它好幾天了，就像已經刨平、磨光它一樣。所以，你已經超前了。
尤其是當你開始進入禪相，而且那些禪相變得相當穩定時，很多時候你上來這裡，閉上眼睛，就有一個美好的禪相在你面前。這是很奇妙的東西——我不介意說出來，因為這是真的——奇妙的是，有時你在之前的禪修中獲得了一個非常強烈的禪相，你甚至進入禪那，之後出來。然後當你剛出來時，心是如此強而有力，如此主導其他五根。你幾乎總是有一道強光在你面前。當你必須吃午餐時，信不信由你，你面前有一個大禪相，你必須，你知道，把盛滿食物的湯匙穿過禪相來進食。這些東西就是變得如此強大。所有禪相就是第六根（意根），而現在它極其強大。它主宰所有其他感官。然後一旦你吃完午餐，你可以坐下，從一開始就擁有禪相，所以你完全不用擔心呼吸。這說得通嗎？
（雖然Ajahn Suchart 說呼吸禪修中禪相並非必需）
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
《Watch the nimitta or the breath? 觀禪相還是觀呼吸？》
《Watch the nimitta or the breath? 觀禪相還是觀呼吸？》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn, thank you very much for the wonderful explanation of the breath meditation. But when I meditate, usually at the end of body sweeping, a beautiful breath appears. However, after a few seconds, a beautiful light comes up and I don't know how to watch the breath properly.
Ajahn Brahm: Now, this is something which I hope I explained this morning with the simile of the thousand-petal lotus: you just watch whatever is happening right now.
So sometimes this is a common problem for people—if while watching the breath, a beautiful breath comes and then you kind of see a light, and you don't know which one to watch. The answer is: whatever is right in front of you, that's what you watch. And if the meditation has got enough oomph to it, then one of those will dominate. Hopefully, the beautiful light will dominate. And as the beautiful light dominates, the breath will actually recede into the background. That's actually how it works. I let my mind decide.
Sometimes if the light comes up and it's not really strong, then you go back to the beautiful breath. I don't choose. And that's the nice thing about not choosing and not being in control or command of the meditation—because that means questions like that don't even come up. I don't choose anyway. All I do, you know what I do? Just be kindful, mindfulness and the kindness, shining onto this body and mind, and that does the job
Can you imagine how simple that makes it? You don't have to remember all the instructions. Just be mindful, be kind. And that made a lot of sense to me because, you know, in the time of the Buddha, there are all these stories of some meditators who weren't intellectual at all, didn't even have good memories, but they could get into the deepest of meditations. They did keep it simple, and it meant they were patient. That's, I think, one of the problems in our modern age—that people are impatient. "Only got nine days on retreat. huhhh What day is it so far? huhhh I've wasted four days already. huhhhh Five days. huhhh What's going to happen? Oh dear. ''
Oh, forget it. Just relax. Just whatever's in front of you, and then it all happens anyway. If not this time, the next time.
And I mentioned that when I started this retreat: imagine you get a jhāna tonight. What are you going to do for the rest of the retreat? Leave it to the end. So you can actually have a nice sort of struggle, and then the final day, the final evening… yeah, that's really exciting. Do you like excitement in life, or do you want to do it tonight? If you could do it tonight and get a nice jhāna and get enlightened tomorrow, I mean, you might as well go home. Of course, I'm just being silly.
Anyway, ''but that light is not stable enough. I know if I am not stable enough, do you have any advice to be more stable at this stage also? Ajahn, after that, if I start to watch the breath, I can't do that—ended up restless thoughts on sleep. Please advise, Ajahn.''
....
But how to keep it stable? Again, it's just be patient. Its nature is to be stable. It's just, you know, we get excited, or we will try and control it. We're afraid and just want to keep it. We've lost it too many times, and that's why it sort of keeps moving around. Just leave it alone. Just watch. If it comes, it comes. If it goes, it goes. The door of my heart is open to you, beautiful light. If you want to go somewhere else, that's fine.
And I sometimes feel that in those early days, these nimittas were kind of testing me out. Now, sometimes I remember the nimittas were coming up not in the center of my mental vision, but towards one edge. And you know, it was not a visual image; it was like a mental image. And so I was stupid enough—it appears to be over here, so I go up there to look at it, and it would disappear. And then sometimes it'll be over here, and I go over there, and it'll go away. And you realize that the only way to deal with these nimittas is to let it be where it wants to be. And after a little while, it just centers itself. It always does that. When you try to do something, it always does the opposite. So, nimitta, however long you want to stay, fine. And then ... eventually it centers itself, and you have a wonderful time. Patience is important, and please don't get too excited. I don't know how many times… this is not excitement meditation; this is insight meditation.
2025 April (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
信眾：親愛的阿姜，非常感謝您對呼吸禪修的精妙開示。但當我禪修時，通常在身體掃描結束後，會出現美好的呼吸。然而，幾秒鐘後，一道美麗的光又會升起，我就不知道該如何正確地觀察呼吸了。
阿姜布拉姆：這正是我希望今早用千瓣蓮花的比喻來說明的事：你只需觀察當下正在發生的一切。
所以這有時是人們常遇到的問題——如果在觀察呼吸時，美好的呼吸出現了，接著你又看到了光，你不知道該觀察哪一個。答案是：無論什麼正好在你面前，那就是你該觀察的。如果禪修有足夠的「力量」，那麼其中一個就會佔主導地位。希望那美麗的光會佔主導。當美麗的光占主導時，呼吸實際上就會退到背景中。實際運作就是如此。我讓我的心來決定。
有時如果光出現了但並不強烈，那麼你就回到美好的呼吸。我不做選擇。不選擇、不試圖控制或指揮禪修，其美妙之處就在於——這意味著像那樣的問題甚至不會出現。反正我不選擇。我所做的，你知道是什麼嗎？只是保持仁念kindful，正念 mindful 與仁慈kindful，照耀此身心，這樣就能達成目標。
你能想像這讓事情變得多簡單嗎？你不必記住所有指導。只需保持正念，保持仁慈。這對我來說很有道理，因為你知道，在佛陀時代，有許多關於某些禪修者的故事，他們完全沒有學識，甚至記憶力也不好，但卻能進入最深的禪定。他們就是保持簡單，這意味著他們有耐心。我認為，這正是我們現代的一個問題——人們缺乏耐心。「禪修只有九天。呼……今天第幾天了？呼……我已經浪費四天了。呼……五天了。呼……會發生什麼？喔天啊。」唉，別想了。放鬆。無論什麼在你面前，該發生的終究會發生。如果不是這次，就是下次。
我在這次禪修開始時也提過：想像你今晚就達到禪那。那你在禪修剩下的時間要做什麼？留到最後吧。這樣你實際上可以有一段美好的奮鬥過程，然後在最後一天、最後一晚……是的，那真的很令人興奮。你是喜歡生活中的興奮感，還是想今晚就達成？如果你能今晚做到，獲得美好的禪那，明天就開悟，那你乾脆回家算了。當然，我只是在開玩笑。
「但那道光不夠穩定。我知道如果我不夠穩定，您對這個階段如何變得更穩定有什麼建議嗎？阿姜，之後如果我開始觀察呼吸，我做不到——最後只剩下關於睡眠的煩躁念頭。請您開示，阿姜。」
……
但要如何保持穩定？再說一次，就是保持耐心。它的本性是穩定的。只是，你知道，我們會興奮，或者試圖控制它。我們害怕，只想留住它。我們失去它太多次了，所以它才會這樣飄忽不定。別管它。只是觀察。來就來，走就走。我心門為你敞開，美麗的光。如果你想去別處，那也很好。
我有時覺得，在早期階段，這些禪相好像在考驗我。現在，有時我記得禪相出現時，不在我內心視野的中心，而是在邊緣。而且你知道，那並非視覺影像；更像是心理影像。我那時很蠢——它出現在這邊，我就過去看它，然後它就消失了。然後有時它在那邊，我過去那邊，它又走了。你會明白，處理這些禪相的唯一方法，就是讓它待在它想待的地方。過一會兒，它自然會居中。它總是這樣。當你試圖做點什麼時，它總會反著來。所以，禪相，無論你想待多久，都好。然後……最終它會自己居中，你會度過美妙的時光。耐心很重要，請不要太興奮。我不知道說過多少次了……這不是興奮禪修；這是內觀禪修。
2025年4月 (9/19) | 9日禪修 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKyfLYAEME&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=9
**《How can we find enlightened beings 如何尋見聖者 》**
**《How can we find enlightened beings 如何尋見聖者 》**
禪修者：親愛的阿姜，懇請告訴我們：現今何處可以尋見開悟的比丘與比丘尼？
阿姜布拉姆：許多地方都有——但你必須知道該如何辨識。你該如何認出一位開悟的比丘或比丘尼？首先，你得明白開悟的意義，因此必須深入內在修持。你至少需要達到一定的禪那境界，才能辨識出使人覺悟的特質——即「自我」消融的程度。否則，如今許多人——甚至包括僧尼——四處宣稱自己已開悟，實則不然。這也使得此事帶有一定危險性。
禪修者：泰國森林傳承中是否仍有開悟者？是否還有「隆波」？
阿姜布拉姆：那是一句泰語稱呼——這樣的老師還存在嗎？我離開泰國已久，當人們問我該去何處修行，我難以給出確切答案——你必須親自去探尋。但無論如何，倘若有人自稱開悟，還坐在高位或顯赫之處，那通常並非真正的覺者。真正的開悟者大多不會讓你察覺到他們，他們可能就坐在你身旁，而你一無所知。
圖片鳴謝：Buddhistdoor Global
2025年4月（7/19）｜九日禪修營｜阿姜布拉姆
Devotee: Dear Ajahn, kindly please tell: where can we find enlightened monks and nuns these days?
Ajahn Brahm: In many places—but you have to know what to look for. How can you recognize an enlightened monk or an enlightened nun? You have to know what it means first of all, so you go deep inside yourself. You need to reach at least a level of Jhana so you can recognize the qualities that make a person enlightened—how much of "self" has disappeared. Otherwise, these days many people, even monks and nuns, go around saying they're enlightened when they are not. That's why it can be a bit dangerous.
Devotee: Is it true that there are enlightened ones in the Thai forest tradition still? "Luang Pors"?
Ajahn Brahm: It is a Thai word—are there?
It's been such a long time since I've been in Thailand, and people ask me where's a good place to go. I find it difficult to give you an answer—you have to go and find out for yourself. But anyway, if the enlightened ones say they're enlightened and they sit on big chairs or something, they're usually not an enlightened one. Most of them you won't know that they're enlightened. They can be sitting right next to you, and sometimes you don't know.
image cred. to Buddhistdoor Global
2025 April (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
《What does a stream-enterer know? 初果聖者知道些什麼？》
《What does a stream-enterer know? 初果聖者知道些什麼？》
Devotee: Does a person know they are a stream-enterer?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes.
Devotee: Do they know when and where that happened?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes. If you are a stream-enterer and someone asks you where that happened, you should be able to answer them when it occurred. Yes, it is an event—and such a powerful event, of course you understand.
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, Is there a difference between a stream enterer and a stream winner?
Ajahn Brahm: Some of these English translations are a bit loose. But you know, there is someone who is on the path of being a stream winner, and someone who has actually entered the stream—in other words, they are a stream winner.
As a stream winner, the main thing you notice is the absence of self. You realize there is no one there. This is not just a theory; you experience it, and it is something you can never forget. Because there is no soul or self here—it is a stream of consciousness, and that stream has no essential, permanent identity. Therefore, the idea that Nibbana is where everything vanishes and disappears does not threaten you. That is one of the ways you can tell if a person is a stream winner or not. When you speak about Nibbana, the cessation of everything, they understand: there is nothing there to begin with.
There was one occasion when I was still in Thailand as a seven- or eight-year monk. Ajahn Chah, my teacher, was getting sick—he wasn’t healthy—and as monks, we always wanted to look after our teacher. We found out by reading the Vinaya that in the old days, most monasteries had saunas. So we talked together and decided to build a sauna for Ajahn Chah. To be honest, it wasn’t just for him—it meant we could have a sauna too. But more importantly, it meant Ajahn Chah would have to come over to our monastery once a week for his sauna, so we could spend time with him. He would always give a talk, and it worked out beautifully.
I must admit, I didn’t use the sauna much—just looking at your nationalities, it’s understandable. The reason was that the monks from Germany always turned the heat up so high that monks like me couldn’t stand it. I’m from a cold country; I didn’t need the sauna. When they were in there, it got really hot—I couldn’t take it. But anyway, Ajahn Chah would come once a week, have a sauna, and always give a talk.
You might think it must be wonderful living with a great monk like Ajahn Chah—some of you have read his inspiring talks. But please remember, what you read as the teachings of Ajahn Chah is the best material, recorded and compiled in books—like the cream of his teachings. All the boring stuff, you never had to hear. Honestly, I respect Ajahn Chah immensely, but sometimes his talks could go on for three or four hours and be really boring—though it was worth it because every now and then, you would receive some truly profound teachings.
So if ever you get fed up with a monk like me—Ajahn Brahm—asking why I keep repeating the same old stories, whether I can do something new or really inspire you… well, Ajahn Chah couldn’t always do it either, and I can’t outdo my teacher. Sometimes you sit there thinking, “I’ve heard that before.” Yes, yes, yes.
But this particular time I’m talking about, he was really on the spot. Sometimes he would give an amazing talk, and those are the ones that inspire you deeply. That evening, I was so inspired by his talk that after an hour, when he went off to the sauna (other monks were looking after him), I usually would go help—wash a robe or something—but this time, I was so inspired that I went around the back of the hall, sat on the concrete, crossed my legs, and meditated for two hours. The concrete was hard, but the meditation was beautiful because of the inspiration—it was easy to bliss out inside.
When I came out of meditation, I wasn’t sure of the time, but my first thought was that my teacher might still be in the shower, so let me see if I can help him. Because of his teachings, I had entered such beautiful, fantastic states that I felt I wanted to give something back. So I walked by myself to the sauna, but I realized I was too late—I saw Ajahn Chah with his attendant, a Thai man who was his driver, walking toward me. The Thai man was going to drive him back to Wat Pah Pong, Ajahn Chah’s monastery, about six kilometers away. We were about to pass each other.
Now, I’m saying this as honestly as I can: as we came close, Ajahn Chah stopped and looked at me. He had certain powers, and the one he used right in front of me was reading my mind. You could actually feel him inside—it was a weird experience, especially since I had just had a really nice meditation. You could almost feel him checking my mind, and I wasn’t scared at all. I felt honored and happy because, for once, my mind was worth reading—most of the time, it’s full of stupid thoughts, but this time it was nice and peaceful.
It’s hard to explain exactly how it felt—I didn’t have the language then—but I knew he was reading my mind for a couple of minutes. Then he stopped and looked at me. Now, “Ajahn Brahm” is the name I’ve always used in Australia, especially on the books I’ve written. “Ajahn” means teacher, so in front of Ajahn Chah, I’m not a teacher—he is. So he always called me not “Brahm” but “Brahmavaṃso,” which is the correct form.
He looked at me and said, “Brahmavaṃso…” He was kind but firm. In Thai, he asked, “Why?” Just that one word—firm, but such a simple question: “Why?” Later, I realized what he was doing: he was asking a very simple but profound question, basically trying to enlighten me. He saw my mind was ready and pure, and he was trying to do that last little bit to make me see what was really happening.
You know what I replied? “I don’t know.” Even with a good degree from Cambridge University, I was still incredibly stupid. I wasn’t really ashamed, but surprised—all that logical analysis and training I had wasn’t worth a tenth of what Ajahn Chah could do with his mind.
So I was honest: “I don’t know.” What does a monk like Ajahn Chah do next? He just laughed. To him, it was incredibly stupid—all these young people with big educations who couldn’t answer that question. I said, “I don’t know,” and he laughed. He never got angry; when someone did something stupid, he always laughed.
Then he screwed up his face again, now serious. He said, “Brahmavaṃso, I will tell you the answer.” Of course, I was really interested—no, honored. I was about to get an answer to “Why?” from one of the wisest people I’ve ever met. He said, “If anybody asks you that question again, the answer to ‘Why?’ is: there is nothing.”
For those who know a little Thai: “Mai mee arai” means “there is nothing.” Then, with great compassion, he looked at me and asked, “Do you understand?” I said, “Yes.” He looked at me and said, “No, you don’t.” And he walked away.
I felt honored and humiliated all at once. But it was a wonderful teaching because he wasn’t just saying it to enlighten me—he was making sure I would remember the importance of this. The answer to “Why?” is: there is nothing. There is nothing. It was like showing what “anattā” really means, because there really is nothing. When you truly understand that, you don’t mind things disappearing—there’s nothing anyway. So what’s wrong with vanishing into Nibbana? The flame goes out at last. Do you understand? I’m not going to say it.
But that’s why you love a great teacher like that. He doesn’t just try to enlighten you—he gives you teachings that aren’t in the suttas, unless you know those suttas really well. This is another way of describing what the Buddha taught: emptiness—emptiness even of emptiness. Nothing.
2025 April (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
禪修者：一個人會知道自己已證初果嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：會的。
禪修者：他們會知道是在何時、何地發生的嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：會的。如果你已證初果，當有人問你那是何時發生的，你應當能回答。是的，那是一個事件——而且是如此深刻的事件，你自然會明白。
禪修者：親愛的阿姜布拉姆，請問「入流者」和「得流者」有區別嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：有些英文翻譯可能比較鬆散。但你知道，有些人正走在成為「得流者」的路上，而有些人已經真正進入流中——也就是說，他們已經是「得流者」。
作為一位得流者，你最深刻的體會是「無我」。你意識到那裡並沒有任何人存在。這不是理論，而是親身體驗，且是永遠無法忘記的。因為這裡沒有靈魂或自我——只有識流，而這股流並沒有永恆不變的本質。因此，涅槃意味著一切消失、滅盡的觀念並不會威脅到你。這是判斷一個人是否為得流者的方式之一。當你談到涅槃——一切的止息時，他們能理解：本來就一無所有。
有一次，我還是在泰國出家七、八年的比丘時，我的老師阿姜查身體不適——他不甚健康。作為弟子，我們總想照顧老師。我們讀律藏發現，古代寺院大多設有桑拿房。於是我們商量後決定為阿姜查建一間桑拿房。說實話，不單是為他，我們也能用。但更重要的是，這意味著阿姜查每週得來我們寺院一次做桑拿，我們就能和他共處。他每次總會開示，這安排非常美好。
我得承認，我很少用桑拿——看看你們的國籍，就能理解。原因是德國籍的師兄弟總把溫度調得極高，像我這樣的比丘根本受不了。我來自寒冷國家，不需要桑拿。他們在裡面時，溫度高得讓人受不了。但總之，阿姜查每週會來一次，做桑拿，並開示。
你可能會覺得，與阿姜查這樣的大德共住一定很棒——有些人讀過他鼓舞人心的開示。但請記住，你們讀到的阿姜查教法，是精華中的精華，被記錄並編輯成書。至於那些枯燥的部分，你們從未需要聽聞。說實話，我極度尊敬阿姜查，但有時他的開示會持續三、四個小時，而且相當乏味——儘管值得，因為偶爾你會聽到真正深刻的教導。
所以，如果你們對像我——阿姜布拉姆這樣的比丘感到不耐煩，問我為什麼總是重複同樣的故事，能不能講些新的，或是真正啟發你們……其實阿姜查也未必總能做到，而我更無法超越我的老師。有時你坐著聽，心裡想：「這些我聽過了。」是的，是的，是的。
但我要說的這一次，他卻講得極為精彩。有時他會給出令人驚嘆的開示，深深啟發人心。那天晚上，我被他的開示深深觸動，以至於一小時後，當他去桑拿時（其他比丘在照料他），我通常會去幫忙——比如洗袈裟之類的——但這次，我太受啟發了，便繞到大殿後面，坐在水泥地上，盤腿禪修了兩小時。水泥地很硬，但禪修卻因那份啟發而無比美好——內心很容易就沉浸在喜悅中。
禪修結束後，我不太清楚時間，但第一個念頭是：老師可能還在沐浴，讓我看看能不能去幫他。因為他的教導，我進入了如此美妙殊勝的境地，覺得應該回報他些什麼。於是我獨自走向桑拿房，卻發現已經遲了——我看到阿姜查和他的侍者，一位泰國司機，正朝我走來。司機要載他回阿姜查的寺院——巴蓬寺，大約六公里遠。我們即將擦身而過。
現在，我盡可能誠實地說：當我們走近時，阿姜查停下腳步，看著我。他擁有某種能力，而他在我面前運用的正是讀心術。你真的能感覺到他進入你的內心——這是一種奇特的體驗，尤其我剛經歷了一段美好的禪修。你幾乎能感覺他在檢視你的心，而我一點也不害怕。我感到榮幸和歡喜，因為這一次，我的心值得一讀——多數時候，裡面充滿了愚蠢的念頭，但這次卻寧靜而美好。
那種感覺難以確切形容——當時我語言不足以描述——但我知道他在讀我的心，持續了幾分鐘。然後他停下，看著我。「阿姜布拉姆」是我在澳洲常用的名字，尤其在我寫的書上。但「阿姜」意為老師，所以在阿姜查面前，我不是老師——他才是。因此他總稱我「Brahmavaṃso」，而不是「Brahm」，這是正確的稱呼。
他看著我說：「Brahmavaṃso……」語氣溫和而堅定。他用泰語問：「為什麼？」就這一個詞——堅定，卻如此簡單的問題：「為什麼？」後來我明白，他是在問一個極其簡單卻深刻的問題，試圖點醒我。他看出我的心已準備好、清淨，並試著完成最後一步，讓我看到實相。
你知道我怎麼回答嗎？「我不知道。」即使擁有劍橋大學的好學位，我依然愚不可及。我並不感到羞恥，而是驚訝——我所有的邏輯分析和訓練，還不及阿姜查大腦做到的十分之一。
於是我誠實回答：「我不知道。」像阿姜查這樣的比丘接下來會做什麼？他笑了。在他看來，這極其可笑——這些受過高等教育的年輕人，竟回答不了這個問題。我說「我不知道」，他笑了。他從不生氣；當有人做了蠢事，他總是笑。
接著他又皺起臉，變得嚴肅。他說：「Brahmavaṃso，我告訴你答案。」當然，我非常感興趣——不，是榮幸。我將從我見過最有智慧的人之一那裡，得到「為什麼？」的答案。他說：「如果以後有人再問你這個問題，答案就是：什麼都沒有。」
懂點泰語的人知道：「Mai mee arai」意思是「什麼都沒有」。然後，他以極大的慈悲看著我，問：「你明白嗎？」我說：「明白。」他看著我說：「不，你不明白。」說完便離開了。
那一刻，我既感到榮幸，又感到修羞辱。但這是極美妙的教導，因為他不只是為了點醒我而說——更是為了讓我牢記這個重點。「為什麼？」的答案是：什麼都沒有。什麼都沒有。這就像在揭示「無我」的真義，因為確實一無所有。當你真正理解這點，你就不會在意事物的消失——畢竟本來就一無所有。那麼，融入涅槃、化為烏有，又有何問題呢？火焰終究會熄滅。你明白嗎？....
但這正是我們敬愛這樣偉大師長的原因。他不僅試圖點醒你，更給予你經典中未必記載的教導——除非你對經典極其熟悉。這是另一種描述佛陀教導的方式：空——甚至空亦復空。一無所有。
2025年4月（7/19）｜九日禪修營｜阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
《How does nibanna feel like and where is it? 涅槃是什麼感覺？它在哪裡？》
《How does nibanna feel like and where is it? 涅槃是什麼感覺？它在哪裡？》
Devotee: I'm asking a question on behalf of an 8-year-old friend. What or where is Nibbana? What will I do there? Thank you very much.
Devotee: I have already described what Nibbana feels like when you first experience it, well, what enlightenment feels like when you first experience it. It's like you're so content—so content you have no more wishes. You are totally at peace, knowing that you're safe. You don't need anything.
But then, what happens when your five senses disappear because your body is old and no longer sustainable? When you die, what happens then is you vanish. The simile—and this is how the Buddha described it in a sutta (I did change it slightly because he was just talking about a grass fire)—so I'll say: suppose there's an oil lamp. They still use oil lamps in places like Sri Lanka. Well, let's make it even easier for you to understand: a candle. Suppose there's a candle lit, and because of the candle, you can see what's out there. What happens? What is the flame of the candle? That's what we do in Buddhism—we explore things to find out what's really going on.
The flame of a candle is the result of three things: the wick, the wax, and the heat. When those are in plentiful supply, the heat melts the wax, it goes up the wick, and you have a flame. Now, if a wind blows and blows the heat away, or the wick is all burnt out, or there's no more wax left, what happens to the flame? We always say it goes out. But where does it go? If that candle flame has been good and hasn't burnt anybody or set the house on fire, do you think that flame—because it's been a good flame—will get reborn in a heaven realm where all good flames can live happily ever after? If it's been a bad flame and burnt you or set your house on fire, does that go to some hell place full of dangerous flames? That's silly talking like that.
When a flame goes out, it just disappears. It goes out. And there's a word for that in Pali: *nibbana*. Learning Pali was wonderful, actually seeing how it was used in those days. *Nibbana* is the noun; the verb form some of you may know this from the Ratana Sutta. They say when a person is enlightened, it is *nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo*—it nibannas, for sure. Just like the flame of a lamp. I say that because even kids would understand what *nibbana* meant. "Mommy, mommy, the flame is *nibbana-ed*!" "Oh, light it again." Now it's a different flame. But anyway, they knew that the going out of a flame is its extinction. It doesn't go anywhere; it's gone.
So, Nibbana isn't in a place. Nibbana is not a place where people live. Nibbana is like the ending of the sequence of your rebirths. For some people, they find it exceptionally hard to accept that. But that's actually how the suttas, how the Buddha described it. They say you cannot have any arising of any of the sense bases; once Nibbana has happened, those sense bases cannot re-arise in that stream of consciousness anymore. It's ended at last. Your whole series of lives is now terminated.
Sometimes people say, "Isn't that a bit dull?" And I say: sometimes it's like if you look into the sky at night, you can see meteor showers—what they sometimes call a shooting star. What actually is that shooting star? It's a bit of space rock, or sometimes just ice, and eventually it meets the atmosphere. Because it's going really fast, it burns up in this beautiful meteor—and then it stops forever. That's like the arahant. So many times you've been around samsara, round and round and round, and now you meet the Buddha's teachings. That allows you to have the confidence that when you hit that planet's atmosphere, you go out further—but in a nice flash—and *poof*: gone forever.
Sometimes people find that hard to accept. The reason is they always want to *be*—it's called *bhava-taṇhā*, the craving to be. Even if there's suffering, we'd rather be and suffer than not be at all. But after a while, you've had enough of suffering in existence, and you allow letting go to do its max. Sometimes people always try to crave retirement homes for enlightened beings: "You work so hard—can't you go and enjoy it for a bit longer?" And the answer is: when you let go, you let go. Gone, gone, gone forever.
And if you ever feel unsure—"I'm not sure I want to do that"—you get a few jhānas, and you realize that that is what all those enlightened beings do. They go.... You understand? No, I don't think you do, but never mind. That's the truth of the matter.
2025 April (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
信眾：我替一位八歲的朋友提問。涅槃是什麼？它在哪裡？我在那裡會做什麼？非常感謝。
阿姜布拉姆：我已經描述過初次體驗涅槃時的感受，嗯，也就是初次體驗開悟時的感覺。那就像是你感到無比滿足——滿足到你再無所求。你全然安寧，深知自己是安全的。你不再需要任何東西。
但是，接著會發生什麼呢？當你的身體衰老，無法再維持下去時，你的五根就會消失。當你死去時，你會消失。有個比喻——這是佛陀在一部經中描述的（我稍微改動了一下，因為佛陀原話談的是草火）——我這樣說吧：假設有一盞油燈。在斯里蘭卡這些地方，人們仍使用油燈。嗯，讓我說得更簡單易懂些：一根蠟燭。假設有一根點燃的蠟燭，因為這根蠟燭，你能看到周圍的東西。會發生什麼？蠟燭的火焰是什麼？這就是我們在佛教中所做的——我們探究事物，以了解其真實本質。
蠟燭的火焰是三樣東西的結果：燭芯、蠟和熱量。當這些東西充足供應時，熱量融化蠟，蠟油順著燭芯上升，於是就有了火焰。現在，如果一陣風吹來，把熱量吹散，或者燭芯完全燒盡，或者蠟已經用完了，火焰會怎麼樣？我們總是說它「熄滅」了。但它去了哪裡？如果那蠟燭的火焰是「好」的，沒有燒傷任何人，也沒有引起火災，你是否會認為這「好」火焰會轉生到一個所有好火焰都能永遠幸福生活的天界？如果它是個「壞」火焰，燒傷了你，或者燒了你的房子，它是否會去某個充滿危險火焰的地獄？這樣說很可笑。
當火焰熄滅時，它就只是消失了。它「熄滅」了。巴利語中有一個詞來形容這個：*nibbana*（涅槃）。學習巴利語非常美妙，能親見這個詞在當時是如何被使用的。*Nibbana* 是名詞；動詞形式有些人可能從《寶經》（Ratana Sutta）中知道。他們說當一個人開悟時，就是 *nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo* ——它確實「涅槃」了，就像燈的火焰一樣。我這樣說是因為即使是孩子也能明白 *nibbana* 的意思。「媽媽，媽媽，火焰涅槃了！」「哦，再點燃它吧。」現在那是另一簇不同的火焰了。但總之，他們知道火焰的熄滅就是它的「寂滅」。它哪裡也沒去；它就是消失了。
所以，涅槃不在某個地方。涅槃不是一個讓人居住的場所。涅槃就像是你的輪迴序列的終結。對某些人來說，他們發現這極難接受。但這正是佛經、佛陀描述它的方式。經中說，一旦涅槃發生，任何根境（sense bases）都不會再升起；那些根境無法在那個意識流中再次生起。它終於結束了。你整個生命的系列現在終止了。
有時人們會說：「這不是有點乏味嗎？」我會說：有時這就像你在夜晚仰望天空，有時你會看到流星雨——人們有時稱之為「流星」。那顆流星到底是什麼？它可能是一小塊太空岩石，或有時只是一塊冰，最終它遇到了大氣層。因為它速度極快，便在這個美麗的流星中燃燒殆盡——然後它就永遠停止了。這就像阿羅漢。你已經在輪迴中流轉了無數次，一圈又一圈又一圈，現在你遇到了佛陀的教導。這讓你有信心，當你撞擊到行星大氣層時，你會更進一步地「熄滅」——但伴隨著一道美好的閃光——然後「噗」一聲：永遠消失了。
有時人們覺得這難以接受。原因是他們總是想「存在」——這叫做「有愛」（*bhava-taṇhā*），即對存在的渴求。即使有苦，我們寧可存在並受苦，也不願全然不存在。但過了一段時間，你已經受夠了存在中的苦，你就讓「放下」達到其極致。有時人們總是想為開悟者「渴望」一個退休之家：「你如此努力修行——難道不能去享受更久一點嗎？」答案是：當你放下時，你就是放下了。消失了，消失了，永遠消失了。
如果你曾感到不確定——「我不確定我想那樣做」——那麼你進入幾次禪那（jhānas）後，就會意識到，這就是所有那些開悟者所做的事。他們……走了。你明白嗎？不，我想你不明白，但沒關係。事實就是如此。
2025年4月 (7/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
《Unconditional love is letting go 無條件的愛就是放下》
《Unconditional love is letting go 無條件的愛就是放下》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn, you said that kindness is letting go. Can you please say a little bit more about it?
Ajahn Brahm: Sometimes is kindness doing something or is it letting go? What actually is letting go? You know, a lot of times we have these ideas. They're important ideas. They're like teachings of the Buddha. And my goodness, how powerful they can be. So when you say let go, what actually are you doing? For a long time I kind of thought the letting go and kindness were two different things. But actually when I really focused on kindness and kindness being described in the way my father taught me, you know, he's not a monk, just my dad. He said, "No, the door of my heart will always be open to you. No matter what you ever do in your life." The unconditional part of that kindness was where you see that kindness is a letting go, letting things be with your full unconditional approval. And if that's how you practice kindness, it is a letting be, letting go of control, trusting me.
I must have been about 13 years old at the time and a few years later my father would die and basically that was my inheritance from my father. He was a very poor man and that was what I will always remember him for and a few other things obviously but that in particular showing me what love really is. Not wanting anything from me but just saying you know I'm your dad, it doesn't matter how you turn out. I remember my father was a very simple man and eventually I went to a big school all scholarships all the way and when I went to this high school, all the parents had to go to these parent teacher association meetings and we couldn't go, the kids couldn't go we had to stay home. I remember the following day all my friends in the class they started telling me said you know your father almost had a fight and a punchup, you know a serious fight with my teacher and that really made me interested.
Because my teacher at that time, he was in the British army during the Second World War and he got blown up in a tank in Italy. He was lucky to survive with his life. And because he was blown up, he had to have a facial surgery. His scalp had to be turned around and he only had I think four fingers and he had lots of scars on his face and that made him to kids really scary like a monster and no one would ever like to face his wrath in school. Other teachers you can get away with things but not this fellow. He's my form teacher and that my father would dare to have a fight with him when all us kids were scared of him. That was actually kind of phenomenal. And I had to find out why. What went on.
What went on was this is why I love my father. My teacher was also teaching me maths. I think I was about 13 at this time and he said, "Your son is really smart at maths. He'd probably go to Cambridge." And that my father said, "No, he's not going to Cambridge." Because even going to university was taking his son away from him to a world which my father was not used to. If the teacher had said, "Your son is doing really well, he probably become manager of a pub when he leaves," my father would be 'oh yeah yeah, I approved of that. ' You can understand how parents feel. They want to always be with their sons to understand them and be part of their life. And it was actually taking me away from my father's world to a world he didn't understand. And that's why they almost had a fight.
And my father wasn't trying to hold me back. He just always wanted to be with me. Even when I grew up, that's why he said those beautiful things: "No, whatever you do, even if you go to Cambridge and don't buy a pub, you're my son and I'll always love you. The door of my heart will always be open to you." And that really meant so much to me. I don't know your memories of growing up, but that was actually kind of gorgeous. That's why I wanted to share it with you. And that's what letting go is: love. He would let me be in a life which he kind of didn't understand and would actually just take me away from him. But said, "No, no, you do that." Love, real love when it's unconditional is letting go.
I don't know how many of you have had children and if you have had children just how you have to let them go. They go off to other parts of the world and especially if they become monks or nuns. They say if you want to see the world, become a monk. I'm always off somewhere. I've seen so much of the world, really interesting places. So this is why that love is letting go and your kids will go all over the world. Sometimes they do all sorts of interesting things. Sometimes they get into trouble but they're your kid, your son, your daughter. So you always love them. Sometimes you're proud of them, but it doesn't matter if they have been naughty. You just understand sometimes why there may be some problems in their life. They had some difficulties, but you'll always love them. That's the greatest gift you can give to anyone in your family. That's why love is letting things be, not controlling them. Not saying I will love you if you make me proud, but to love them no matter what.
**《無條件的愛就是放下》**
信眾：親愛的阿姜，您說仁慈就是放下。能否請您再多談一點？
阿姜布拉姆：有時候，仁慈是去做些什麼，還是放下？究竟什麼是放下？你知道，很多時候我們擁有這些觀念。它們是重要的觀念，就像是佛陀的教導。天啊，它們的力量可以多麼強大。所以，當你說放下時，你實際上在做什麼？很長一段時間，我總覺得放下和仁慈是兩件不同的事。但實際上，當我真正專注於仁慈，以及仁慈以我父親教導我的方式被描述時——你知道，他不是出家人，就只是我爸爸。他說：「我心門永遠為你敞開。無論你一生中做過什麼。」那份仁慈中無條件的部分，正是你看到仁慈是一種放下，讓事物以其本然存在，並給予你全然而無條件的認可。如果你這樣實踐仁慈，它就是一種任其自然，放下控制，信任。
我那時大概13歲，幾年後我父親就去世了。基本上，那就是我從父親那裡得到的遺產。他是個非常窮的人，而那將是我永遠記得他的原因，當然還有其他一些事，但這一點尤其向我展示了愛的真諦。不是想從我身上得到什麼，而只是說，你知道我是你爸爸，不管你變成什麼樣子都沒關係。我記得我父親是個非常單純的人，後來我靠全額獎學金上了一所大學校。當我上這所高中時，所有家長都必須去參加這些家長教師會會議，我們不能去，孩子們不能去，必須待在家裡。我記得第二天，班上所有朋友開始告訴我，說你爸爸差點和我老師打起來，你知道，一場嚴重的爭執，這真的引起了我的興趣。
因為我當時的老師，他在二戰期間是英國陸軍的一員，在義大利一輛坦克裡被炸了。他能活下來真是幸運。正因為被炸傷，他不得不接受臉部手術。他的頭皮必須翻轉過來，我想他只剩下四根手指，臉上也有很多疤痕，這讓他對孩子們來說非常可怕，像個怪物，沒人想面對他在學校的怒火。其他老師你可能還能矇混過關，但這傢伙不行。他是我的班導師，而我的父親竟敢和他爭吵，當時我們所有孩子都很怕他。這其實有點了不起。我必須找出原因。發生了什麼事。
事情的經過是這樣的，這也正是我愛我父親的原因。我的老師當時也教我數學。我想我那時大概13歲，他說：「你兒子在數學真的很聰明，他可能會去劍橋。」而我父親卻說：「不，他不會去劍橋。」因為即使只是上大學，也會把他的兒子從他身邊帶走，帶到一個我父親不習慣的世界。如果老師說的是：「你兒子表現真的很好，畢業後可能會成為酒吧經理。」我父親就會「哦，是是是，我贊成那樣。」你能理解父母的感受。他們總是想和兒子在一起，理解他們，成為他們生活的一部分。而這實際上正把我從父親的世界，帶到一個他不理解的世界。這就是他們差點打起來的原因。
而我父親並不是試圖阻攔我。他只是總想和我在一起。即使在我長大後，這也是為什麼他說出那些美好的話：「無論你做什麼，即使你去劍橋而不是買間酒吧，你都是我的兒子，我永遠愛你。我心門永遠為你敞開。」這對我意義重大。我不知道你成長的記憶如何，但那真的非常美好。這就是我想和你分享的原因。而這就是放下：愛。他會讓我去過一種他有點不理解、實際上會把我從他身邊帶走的生活。但卻說：「不，不，你就去做吧。」愛，真正的愛，當它是無條件時，就是放下。
我不知道你們有多少人有孩子，如果你有孩子，你就知道必須如何放下他們。他們會去到世界其他角落，特別是如果他們成為比丘或比丘尼。他們說，如果你想看世界，就成為一名比丘。我總是在某個地方。我看過世界這麼多地方，真的很有趣。所以，這就是為什麼愛是放下，而你的孩子會走遍世界。有時他們會做各種有趣的事。有時他們會惹上麻煩，但他們是你的孩子，你的兒子，你的女兒。所以你永遠愛他們。有時你為他們感到驕傲，但即使他們調皮了也沒關係。你只是有時會理解他們生活中可能出現一些問題的原因。他們遇到一些困難，但你永遠會愛他們。這是你能給予家人的最珍貴禮物。這就是為什麼愛是讓事物如其本然，而不是控制它們。不是說「如果你讓我驕傲，我就愛你」，而是無論如何都愛他們。
2025 April (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
《Ghost dog story 鬼犬的故事》
《Ghost dog story 鬼犬的故事》
Now, if you have a dog, do you love your dog? And sometimes people these days treat their dog like a child, like a loved one, like part of their family. And there are so many wonderful stories about dogs, how they help others. And this is a story—it’s a true story. It’s not a joke. I’m not making up jokes today. But this is about a dog that lived in Rolly Stone with its mistress. There were just the two of them in the house, and she used to take the dog on walks in the morning and in the evening. I don’t think she was working, but it was only the two of them in the house. And one day they went for a walk, playing around in the forest—or not the forest, in the woods outside of Rolling Stone. And when she got back to the house, she found she’d lost her ring. And it wasn’t expensive money-wise, but it had this emotional connection to some wonderful moments in her past.
So, she went back immediately with the dog to look for the ring. It was a hopeless thing to do because it was in a forest and there were too many twigs and leaves. They didn’t know exactly where they lost it, but they spent some time there looking for it. And then she gave up. So, they went back to the house. And then later on, you know, she forgot all about the ring, especially when her dog got sick. And eventually the dog passed away, and she was grieving for her dog as you do. And that’s when she told me this story: she was in her house, just her alone, and often she would hear her dog barking. She wasn’t imagining this—this was her dog. And if you’ve lived with a dog for so many years, you know that’s your dog, not somebody else’s dog.
And every time she heard the bark, the dog was in another room. So she almost ran to the room, opened the door, and there was no sign of the dog. But then, after many days, once she was just outside the front door of her house and was inside, she heard her dog barking just outside, just a couple of inches away but with a big door between them. She couldn’t see the dog, but she really, really, really wanted to see the dog. So she opened the door quickly. What do you think? What do you think she saw? Not a dog, but a ring. In the middle of the welcome mat was the ring the dog and her had been looking for. And that’s the last she heard of the barks. The dog had just had one more task to do—to find the ring for her. And how the dog got that ring, you know, from the forest to the welcome mat just outside her door—impossible but true. Those are the beautiful stories which I really admire.
---Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
現在，如果你有一隻狗，你愛你的狗嗎？有時候，現今的人們把他們的狗當作孩子，當作摯愛，當作家人。關於狗兒們如何幫助他人，有著許多美好的故事。而這是一個故事——一個真實的故事。這不是開玩笑。我今天不是在編笑話。但這是關於一隻狗，牠和牠的女主人一起住在羅利石鎮。屋子裡只有她們兩個，她習慣早晚帶狗去散步。我不認為她有在工作，但屋子裡確實只有她們倆。有一天，她們去散步，在森林裡玩耍——或者不是森林，是在羅利石鎮外的樹林裡。當她回到家時，發現她的戒指不見了。那戒指並不昂貴，但對她有著情感上的聯繫，承載著她過去一些美好的時光。
於是，她立刻帶著狗回去尋找戒指。這是一件無望的事，因為那是在森林裡，有太多樹枝和樹葉。她們不確切知道在哪裡弄丟的，但她們還是花了一些時間在那裡尋找。然後她放棄了。所以，她們回到了家。後來，你知道的，她完全忘了戒指的事，尤其是當她的狗生病之後。最終，狗兒過世了，而她正如人們會做的那樣，為她的狗哀悼。
就在那時，她告訴我這個故事：她一個人在家裡，經常會聽到她的狗在吠叫。她不是在幻想——那就是她的狗。如果你和一隻狗共同生活了這麼多年，你就知道那是你的狗，不是別人的狗。而每次她聽到吠叫聲，狗總是在另一個房間。所以她幾乎是跑向那個房間，打開門，卻沒有狗的蹤影。
但後來，過了許多天，有一次她剛好在家的前門外，而她在屋內，她聽到她的狗就在門外吠叫，只有幾英寸遠，但中間隔著一扇大門。她看不見狗，但她真的、真的、真的好想看到那隻狗。於是她迅速打開了門。你猜怎麼了？你認為她看到了什麼？不是狗，而是那枚戒指。在門墊的正中央，就是她和狗一直在尋找的那枚戒指。而那也就是她最後一次聽到吠叫聲。那隻狗只是還有一個任務要完成——為她找到那枚戒指。至於狗是如何把那枚戒指，從森林帶到她門口的門墊上……你知道的，這不可能但卻是真的。這些就是我所真正欽佩的美麗故事。
---阿姜布拉姆
《Monks and politics 僧侶與政治》
《Monks and politics 僧侶與政治》
Devotee: In AN10.69, the Buddha suggests that it is not useful for monastics to engage in politics. Given this premise, could it be cited as a valid reason for monastics not engaging in voting in Australia?
Ajahn Brah: Do our monks vote in Australia? No, we don't. Many years ago when it was just Ajahn Chakro and I, we actually wrote to the Australian Electoral Commission and explained the dilemma we have. Certainly in a country like Thailand, where we were based originally, it was not appropriate for monks to vote. We could not vote. Even Thai monks could not vote, let alone getting involved in any other type of politics. This was because monastics, monks and nuns, were supposed to be leaving the world, not getting involved in the world.
When we came to Australia, we actually wrote to the Australian Electoral Commission to ask what we should do. I remember the response at the time was that they couldn't change the law just for a couple of monks, but they said that if that's what we decided, not to vote, then they weren't going to prosecute us because they could understand there was a kind of valid reason there. So for all these years I've been here—I'm not sure if I get into trouble by letting you know—I have never voted in any of those elections. I've been staying here for over 40 years. They always send this letter to us asking, "What is the reason why you're on the electoral roll, but you haven't voted?" Then I explain that in original Buddhism, for what is it, 2500 years, monastics have never voted or got engaged in any politics. Basically, we can't actually change that now. We can't just go to a polling station and just do what they call in Australia a donkey vote—in other words, not sort of fill it in, but just sign the form, we went there. Because to people looking, it appears like we're getting involved in politics and that's not really appropriate. So for all those years I've been here, I haven't voted in any election.
I must say that when there was a plebiscite—....was that a referendum? That same referendum, yes, a referendum—if it was on a moral issue, we considered that and I told the monks you can make your own decision there. I think in one of those plebiscites I did fill out a form. But other than that, no, we haven't voted for all that time. I haven't voted for all those years. When we get a response, what I ask all the monks to do is we join together. I get all of the "please explain why you didn't vote" letters from the Australian Electoral Commission and we do a sort of a common answer: we don't vote because of these reasons, and that's the last we ever hear of it. So that's what we do, and I haven't gone to jail. We haven't been fined, because there's a reason for that.
If monks get involved in politics sometimes, you know, you can see what happened in Sri Lanka. Some of those monks actually join political parties and they represented others in parliament in Sri Lanka, and that, even in Sri Lanka, just looked really kind of awful. One of the reasons why we don't get involved in politics is that most monks shouldn't even know really what's going on in politics, and sometimes those politics get very, very confused. If I got involved in politics, I'd probably soon get thrown out of parliament. That's one of the reasons why we don't get involved in politics.
But like, I think I don't know if I said this to you, but recently at a Buddhist event in Supreme Court gardens, we were trying to say how can we—it wasn't politics—but how can we promote world peace? Many of the people there did these little prayers for world peace, you know, they're like chants. I was supposed to give the Buddhist response, you know, how can we do something for world peace? There were many politicians there. I saw that when you give a chant or that chant a lot of times, the people—I saw them—they're just watching their iPhones when the monks or priests or something were chanting. Basically, they weren't really connected with them. So what I did, I told this old story which many of you know, but I use these stories and I adapt them.
So when the other religious leaders were doing their chanting for world peace, when it came to my five minutes or two minutes—I was the last one to actually present—I used the opportunity. I saw people getting very bored; they weren't paying attention.
So I said, once upon a time there was this couple walking in the park. And as they were walking in the park, they heard the sound: quack, quack, quack, quack. This was actually not just a joke; this was something quite profound. Many of these politicians came up to thank me for this.
One of the people said, "Oh, that was a duck." The other one said it was a chicken. "No, it's a duck." "No, it's a chicken." And they started having an argument. I said, "This is what happens when world peace is being kind of threatened." Because people always think that being right is more important than being in harmony and at peace. And because of arguing over whether it's a chicken or a duck, they have wars. I thought, what would happen if you realized what you were saying? Just being right is not as important as being in harmony and being at peace.
One of the punchlines of that story, as you know, is that just because it goes quack quack does not mean it's a duck. I've told that story for so many years now. Some people go and do research and they found out there is at least one chicken who was orphaned and was raised by a family of ducks, and that chicken goes quack quack. It's very rare that that happens, but it can happen. Why have an argument and lose that sense of working together over is it a chicken or is it a duck? A lot of times people won't listen to stories like that. They want to say, you know, who's actually right and who's wrong. And that's where we have way too many arguments, you know, in a parliamentary forum.
There's something about that which doesn't sound right to me. You pay these politicians, you know, through the taxes, and they waste so much time. Honestly, just ordinary people: are you proud of politicians? Do you think they're amazing people who do an excellent job? Sometimes there are good politicians, but they're very, very rare, because they feel that being in power is more important than creating a very good society and working together. In any country, it is not just one political party with one particular set of beliefs. We have many people coming together, and our job is to again work together in peace and harmony where everybody can contribute because they really understand and believe this is going to be good for everybody. But that's actually my view, and that's why, you know, we try not to have any problems anyway. That's my view anyway.
So we actually don't vote in elections. We don't get involved, although actually I do get involved, but not in such a direct way. There was the opening of our state parliament a week or two ago. That state parliament—West Australia is quite a powerful state because there's a very strong economy—so they have the local government. I went to the opening of the state government a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't allowed to speak or do anything there, but just being there and trying to be peaceful and create a sense of peace and harmony in just a little ceremony like an opening, I thought that was quite helpful. So that's as far as I go.
2025 April (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
**信眾：** 在《增支部 10.69》中，佛陀說僧侶參與政治並無益處。基於此前提，這是否能作為僧侶在澳洲不參與投票的有效理由？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 我們的僧侶在澳洲投票嗎？不，我們不投。許多年前，當只有阿姜查可和我時，我們實際上寫信給澳洲選舉委員會，解釋了我們遇到的困境。當然，在像泰國這樣的國家——我們最初就是在那裡——僧侶投票是不合適的。我們不能投票。即使是泰國僧侶也不能投票，更不用說參與任何其他類型的政治活動了。這是因為僧侶、比丘和比丘尼，理應是出離世間，而非涉入世間的。
當我們來到澳洲時，我們實際上寫信給澳洲選舉委員會，詢問我們應該怎麼做。我記得當時的回應是，他們不能僅為幾個僧侶改變法律，但他們說，如果那是我們的決定——不投票——那麼他們不會起訴我們，因為他們能理解這其中存在合理的理由。因此，在我在這裡的這些年裡——我不確定讓你們知道會不會惹上麻煩——我從未在任何選舉中投過票。我已經在這裡待了超過40年。他們總是寄信給我們問：「你登記在選舉名冊上，但沒有投票，原因是什麼？」然後我會解釋，在原始的佛教中，大約2500年來，僧侶從未投票或參與任何政治活動。基本上，我們現在不能真的改變這一點。我們不能只是去投票站，然後做他們在澳洲所說的「廢票」——也就是說，不是真的填寫選票，而是只在表格上簽名表示我們去過了。因為在外人看來，那就像我們正在參與政治，而這並不合適。所以，在我在這裡的這些年裡，我沒有在任何選舉中投過票。
我必須說，當有公民投票時——……那是一次公投嗎？就是同一次公投，對，公投——如果是關於道德議題的，我們會考慮，並且我告訴僧侶們，你們可以在那裡自己做決定。我想在其中的某一次公民投票中，我確實填了表格。但除此之外，沒有，我們在那段時間都沒有投票。這些年來我都沒有投票。當我們收到回覆時，我要求所有僧侶做的就是我們一起行動。我收集所有來自澳洲選舉委員會的「請解釋你為何沒有投票」的信件，然後我們給出一個共同的答覆：我們因為這些原因不投票，而這就是我們最後一次聽到這件事。所以我們就是這麼做的，而我沒有進過監獄。我們沒有被罰款，因為這是有原因的。
如果有時僧侶參與政治，你知道，你可以看看斯里蘭卡發生的事。有些僧侶實際上加入了政黨，他們在斯里蘭卡的議會中代表其他人，而那即使在斯里蘭卡，看起來也真的有點糟糕。我們不參與政治的原因之一是，大多數僧侶甚至不應該真正知道政治中發生了什麼事，而有時那些政治會變得非常、非常混亂。如果我參與政治，我可能很快就會被趕出議會。那是我們不參與政治的原因之一。
但是，我想我不確定是否對你們說過，最近在最高法院花園的一個佛教活動中，我們試圖說——那不是政治——但我們如何能促進世界和平？那裡許多人做了這些為世界和平的小祈禱，你知道，就像唱誦一樣。我應該給出佛教的回應，你知道，我們能為世界和平做些什麼？那裡有很多政治家。我看到當你多次進行唱誦時，人們——我看到他們——在僧侶或神職人員唱誦時，他們只是在看他們的手機。基本上，他們並沒有真正與之連結。所以我所做的，就是講了這個你們許多人知道的古老故事，但我使用這些故事並改編它們。
所以，當其他宗教領袖在為世界和平進行唱誦時，輪到我的五分鐘或兩分鐘——我是最後一個實際發言的——我利用了這個機會。我看到人們覺得很無聊；他們沒有專心聽。
所以我說，從前有一對夫婦在公園裡散步。當他們在公園裡散步時，他們聽到了聲音：呱、呱、呱、呱。這實際上不僅僅是個笑話；這是相當深刻的東西。許多政治家後來為此來感謝我。
其中一個人說：「哦，那是鴨子。」另一個人說那是雞。「不，是鴨子。」「不，是雞。」於是他們開始爭論。我說：「這就是世界和平受到威脅的時候了。」因為人們總認為自己是對的，比和諧與和平更重要。而因為爭論是雞還是鴨，他們發動戰爭。我想，如果你們意識到你們在說什麼，會發生什麼事？只是做對的，並不如和諧與和平來得重要。
那個故事的重點之一，如你們所知，就是僅僅因為它發出呱呱聲，並不意味著牠是鴨子。這個故事我已經講了這麼多年。有些人去做了研究，發現至少有一隻雞是孤兒，由一個鴨子家庭撫養長大，而那隻雞會呱呱叫。這種情況非常罕見，但它可能發生。為什麼要為了牠是雞還是鴨而爭論，並失去合作的感覺呢？很多時候人們不願聽這樣的故事。他們想說，你知道，誰是對的，誰是錯的。而這就是我們在議會論壇中有太多爭論的地方。
這裡面有些不對勁，我聽起來覺得不對。你通過稅收支付這些政治家的薪水，而他們浪費了這麼多時間。老實說，只是普通人：你為政治家感到驕傲嗎？你認為他們是做了出色工作的了不起的人嗎？有時有好政治家，但他們非常、非常罕見，因為他們覺得掌握權力比創造一個非常好的社會和共同努力更重要。在任何國家，都不只是一個政黨擁有一套特定的信念。我們有許多人聚集在一起，而我們的任務是再次在和平與和諧中共同努力，每個人都能貢獻，因為他們真正理解並相信這對每個人都有好處。但這實際上是我的觀點，這就是為什麼，你知道，我們盡量不惹麻煩。總之，這是我的觀點。
所以我們實際上不在選舉中投票。我們不參與，雖然實際上我確實參與，但不是以那麼直接的方式。一兩週前，我們的州議會開幕。那個州議會——西澳是一個相當強大的州，因為經濟非常強勁——所以他們有地方政府。幾週前我去了州政府的開幕式。我不被允許在那裡發言或做任何事情，但只是在那裡，試圖保持平和，在像開幕式這樣的小儀式中營造一種和平與和諧的感覺，我認為那相當有幫助。所以，這就是我參與的程度。
2025年4月 (7/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viBo3Mmz3kE&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=7
《Stream-winner can only be reborn 6 times the max. 初果聖者至多僅再輪迴六次》
《Stream-winner can only be reborn 6 times the max. 初果聖者至多僅再輪迴六次》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, do stream winners remember that they are sotāpanna after they get reborn? If not, then how?
Ajahn Brahm: They only can be reborn max seven lifetimes---First of all, do you see the error in that? How many times can a stream winner be reborn? Okay, remember you shouldn’t answer my questions — always trick questions, but you got it right. Six, correct. Because I always count this life, you know, when you become a stream winner and you have that experience as number one, but six more times.
And also, this is one of the things which you learned and confirmed by the Vinaya. These are the rules for monks. If any monk or nun claims to be a stream winner, the senior monks or nuns are supposed to check you out, because if it’s a claim which has been made and it’s a false claim — you know, it’s a false claim, you’re just boasting — then it means you have to disrobe. It’s one of those serious offenses, the pārājika offenses. So a lot of times when somebody has an experience like that as a monastic, you ask them questions to see if it was real or not. That’s the duty of the monastics. And because I studied the Vinaya — that’s not something which anybody taught me, you know, in Thailand — it was actually in the Vinaya texts. Some of the questions they ask you, and this is one of the reasons why I’m repeating it to you now: they ask you, where did you have that experience? When did you have that experience? And they also ask, you know, what was that experience?
And it actually was the most compelling evidence that stream winning — and not just entering the path, but getting the fruit of stream winning — is an experience. You’d be able to tell inquisitive monks like me exactly where it was and when it was. Other things like entering the stream — like, you know, being on the path of stream winning — that can be an experience, and that can be something which just grows on you. And the same: once-returning, non-returning, is an experience, and obviously full enlightenment is an experience.
So this is actually as a monk — you have to be open to being tested. Are you really a stream winner? So I’ll ask you: where did it happen? Why? When?
2025 April (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ODItjJlUxM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=5
學眾：尊敬的阿姜布拉姆尊者，證得須陀洹果的人轉世後，是否還會記得自己是須陀洹聖者？如果不記得，那怎麼可能呢？
阿姜布拉姆：他們最多只會再輪迴七次——首先，你發現這句話的錯誤了嗎？須陀洹果聖者最多會輪迴幾次呢？記得你不該回答我的問題——這總是陷阱題，但你答對了。六次，沒錯。因為我總是將今生——也就是你證得須陀洹果並擁有那次體驗的那一生——算作第一次，但之後還有六次。
而且，這也是你通過研讀戒律（Vinaya）所學習並確認的事情之一。這些是針對僧侶的戒律。如果有任何比丘或比丘尼聲稱自己是須陀洹果聖者，資深的比丘或比丘尼理應進行檢驗。因為如果這聲明是虛假的——你知道，那是虛假的聲明，你只是在吹噓——那就意味著你必須還俗。這是屬於波羅夷（pārājika）類的嚴重犯戒之一。因此，當一位僧侶聲稱擁有這樣的體驗時，很多時候其他僧侶會向他提問，以檢驗其真實性。這是僧團的責任。因為我研讀過戒律——這不是在泰國有人教我的，而是戒律典籍中實際記載的。他們會問你一些問題，這也是我現在向你重述的問題之一：他們會問你，你在哪裡有此體驗？何時有此體驗？他們也會問，那是什麼樣的體驗？
這實際上成為了最有力的證據，證明證得須陀洹果——不僅是進入道途，更是獲得須陀洹果——是一種體驗。你能夠向我這樣好奇的比丘確切說出，它在何處發生、在何時發生。其他階段，例如入流（進入須陀洹果道途），也可以是一種體驗，一種逐漸在你心中成長的過程。同樣地，一來果（斯陀含）、不還果（阿那含）也是體驗，而完全覺悟（阿羅漢）顯然更是一種體驗。
所以，這實際上作為一個標誌——你必須願意接受檢驗。你真的是須陀洹果聖者嗎？那麼我問你：它在哪裡發生？為什麼？何時？
**2025年4月（5/19）| 阿姜布拉姆九日禪修講座**
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ODItjJlUxM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=5
《The hindrance of doubt and past lives 疑蓋與前世》
《The hindrance of doubt and past lives 疑蓋與前世》
When you get into deep meditation, these five hindrances disappear, and one of the ones which disappears—which I think is the most interesting and fascinating of these five hindrances—is doubt. I say that because for years and years and years, I didn’t understand what doubt actually is.
Sometimes you know you have memories, but was that accurate or not? But when you have an experience of a deep meditation, it’s so clear. It leaves a very, very powerful imprint on your mind. You can recall it just so easily, much more easily than ordinary memories, because the hindrance of doubt has been eradicated for many, many hours. And that was a kind of a strange part of these five hindrances which took a long time for me to really get my mind around and understand it.
When those hindrances are disappeared, the only word which I can use—the only English word which is remotely similar but is still not good enough—is like a trauma. If you’ve ever had a deep trauma, you’ve been very close to death, then sometimes you can’t get it out of your mind. It’s so easy to recall. Ordinary memories are not as recallable. But this is what happens also when you have no dangerous experiences, but incredibly pleasant experiences. The pleasure, the power of these deep meditations, are so great that you can just turn your mind to them, and they’re right there back again—not just being right inside them, but actually you can get all the details back so easily.
And that’s a wonderful thing to know, because it means you don’t have to worry: “I better sort of think about this and work it out now because I might forget it later on.” If it really is a deep meditation, you can’t forget. You can recall it so easily, and you know what you recall is so accurate.
Okay, I'll tell this story—that I've got to be very careful, you know, with personal experiences. I have to be careful because it's against our Vinaya rules for monks and nuns as well. But I've told this little anecdote many times, so you know it is just inside the rules. I know all the loopholes. That's why I studied the Vinaya—that's where I learned my pali. Because I know all the loopholes and how far I can go and how I can't go.
So this was one of those early times over here in Bodhinyana Monastery. I had a nice meditation, and as I was coming out afterwards, I had this kind of insight—the insights come from nowhere, and I don't know why I had this idea. It was: "What is my earliest memory?" That anecdote I've said many times. And because my mind was just so clear, when I asked myself, "What is my earliest memory?" straight away I had—as I mentioned—that you can recall it so easily. You don't have to think; you just point your mind to that experience so many years ago, and it's straight back in your head. And first, immediately when I said that, I had this smell in my nose—not a sight, not a physical feeling, but a smell. And the odor was of my baby’s pram when I was only a few weeks old. I hadn't studied medicine or what happens to kids as they grow up and how their brain develops, but it was a smell—immediate recognition. That’s the pram in which I grew up in the first weeks of my life. It's a pretty early memory, qualifies.
And then the interesting thing was—you could, I could explore it now. It's almost like as soon as I recognized, "That's me, my baby's pram," it was like I was back in there again. I remember just like crawling under the covers, feeling them, seeing their colors, and what else was in there. You could do that. Kind of weird, but you remembered everything. My pram—my parents were poor, but it was just, you know, a black and a few light white sheets. But the one thing which I always remember: they had my favorite toy in that pram, which was this light blue—I still don't know if it was porcelain or plastic, probably plastic—little pig. And I still remember the name which my mother used to call it: Porky. The original! But I still remember that. And it had little beans or something inside it, and she would shake it, which delighted me for some reason.
But also that was just sound and sight. But what really I was fascinated with: I knew my pram, and I knew my mother not by how she looked, but by how she smelt. Isn't it like a sort of a dog? The smell is just so prominent. As a baby in those first weeks of life, the smell was the most prominent of the senses. And it was that particular experience which, when I told others what had happened, they were fascinated because I never was taught that before—that smell is just how babies find their way around their sort of environment, their loved ones. But that's what I found out. And people who know more than I know about the development of a brain of a baby said that's totally correct. Early days of your life, your sense of smell is a dominant sense.
So I say that to any mothers who've just got a very young kid: please don't change your perfume. It will confuse everything about your kids' recognition of you. There's lots of other stories, but the main part of that story was I can recall it even now—the memory of it is so long-lasting and clear, and you know you're not imagining this. Imaginations are totally different; this is like a clear memory. That's the same with anybody else who goes deeper into "What's your earliest memory? Earlier, please," and get into past life or between-life memories. You're not making this up.
It's hard to convince people of this who don't even believe it's possible—"I don't believe in rebirth and previous lives." But if you look at that quality of that memory, even the quality of the experience, it's just without any doubt—that hindrance has been suppressed for a while. Well, that means you don't have to think about what's happening; enjoy the experience, which is fascinating. And number two, you know that what you experience you can recall so easily. When you come out of these meditations, then you can ask the questions. Then you can use that mind of analyzing, exploring, because you've gathered the material. Now you can test it. Does that make sense to you? It's a great relief to me to know just how true that is. And so you don't have to go thinking and disturbing the meditation—get some more details.
And also just to let you know—when I've been teaching this for so many years—that sometimes I remember just one gentleman. He said, "Ajahn, please don't teach that anymore to lay people." I said, "Why?" And he said because he got, you know, his early memories when he was a baby, and he said, "Earlier, please," then he got some very unpleasant experiences of him dying. And I apologized to him and said, "I should have figured that one out. When you go 'earlier, please,' what's the most powerful experience you've had in your previous life? Usually your death moments—or actually just before your death moments—because dying is often because of some painful sickness or because of some accident." And if you start recording the painful experiences, that's hard to bear. It really is like you're back in there; it's happening to you; it's real.
So don't be concerned. Just if that ever happens, tell yourself, "Earlier, please." In that state of mind—you just out of meditation, but you still have the power of the mind—you'll be amazed at just how the mind just behaves. You just say, "Earlier, please," and it goes earlier. It doesn't sort of—you don't force it. If you have to force anything, it's not real. Just a quick suggestion, "Earlier, please," and you just go back earlier. So you can still have these amazing experiences, and you can prove for yourself that rebirth actually happened—you have lived before. Sometimes people say, "Show us the proof." This is how you see the proof. So anyway, this is how to deal with this.
----Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ODItjJlUxM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=5
當你進入深度禪定時，這五種障礙（五蓋）便會消失。其中我認為最有趣且最引人入勝的，就是「疑」的消失。我這樣說是因為，在許多年裡，我一直不明白「疑」的真正本質是什麼。
有時候，你明明知道自己有記憶，但那些記憶真的準確嗎？然而，當你經歷一次深度禪修時，那體驗是如此清晰。它會在你的心中留下非常、非常強烈的印記。你可以極其輕易地回憶起它，比回憶普通記憶容易得多——因為「疑」的障礙已經被根除好幾個小時了。這五蓋中的「疑」，曾花了我很長的時間才能真正理解與領會。
當這些障礙消失後，唯一能形容這種狀態的英文詞彙——雖有些類似但仍不足以完全表達——就像「創傷」。如果你曾經歷深刻的創傷，例如瀕臨死亡，有時那記憶便會縈繞不去，異常容易被喚起。普通的記憶並沒有這麼強的再現力。但這同樣也會發生在並非危險、而是極度愉悅的體驗中。深度禪修所帶來的愉悅與力量是如此強大，只要你將心轉向它，它就會立刻完整重現——不僅僅是感受到它，你實際上可以輕鬆地回想起所有細節。
這是一件值得了解的奇妙之事，因為這意味著你不必擔心：「我最好現在好好思考、理清這些，以免之後忘記。」如果那真的是深刻的禪修體驗，你絕不會忘記。你可以如此輕易地憶起，並且知道你所回憶的內容是如此精準。
好的，我來說這個故事——我必須非常小心，你知道的，關於個人體驗的部分。我得謹慎，因為這會違反了我們比丘和比丘尼的戒律。不過這個小故事我已經講過很多次了，所以你知道這還在界線之內。我清楚所有的「漏洞」。這就是為什麼我研讀戒律——我在那裡學到了我的巴利文。因為我了解所有的漏洞，知道可以說到什麼程度，以及什麼不能說。
這是在菩提雅納寺早期發生的一件事。有一次很好的禪修，結束後我正出來時，突然有了一個領悟——這種領悟不知從何而來，我也不知道為什麼會冒出這個念頭。那就是：「我最早的記憶是什麼？」這個故事我講過很多次了。因為當時我的心非常清明，當我問自己「我最早的記憶是什麼？」時，立刻就——就像我提過的——你能非常輕易地憶起。你不需要思考；你只需將心指向那麼多年前的體驗，它就立刻回到你的腦海中。首先，當我這麼一問，我立刻聞到一種氣味——不是景象，不是身體感覺，而是氣味。那個氣味，是我嬰兒時期的嬰兒車的味道，那時我才幾週大。我沒有學過醫學，也不了解孩子成長過程中會發生什麼、大腦如何發育，但那是一種氣味——立刻就能辨認出來。那就是我生命最初幾週所待的嬰兒車。這算是非常早期的記憶，夠格了。
接著有趣的是——你可以，我當時可以進一步探索它。幾乎就在我認出「那就是我，我的嬰兒車」的瞬間，我彷彿又回到了那裡。我記得當時就像在毯子底下爬動，感受它們，看到它們的顏色，以及那裡還有什麼。你可以做到這樣。有點奇怪，但你記起了所有細節。我的嬰兒車——我家境貧窮，它就只是，你知道的，黑色的，鋪了幾條淺白色的毯子。但我一直記得的一件事是：他們在那輛嬰兒車裡放了我最喜歡的玩具，那是一隻淺藍色的——我到現在還不確定是陶瓷還是塑膠，大概是塑膠的——小豬。我仍然記得我母親叫它的名字：Porky。原版的那個！但我還記得那個。它裡面裝了小豆子之類的東西，她會搖晃它，不知道為什麼這讓我非常開心。
但那只是聲音和影像。真正讓我著迷的是：我認得我的嬰兒車，我認得我的母親，不是憑她的樣貌，而是憑她的氣味。這不是很像狗那樣嗎？氣味就是如此突出。作為生命最初幾週的嬰兒，嗅覺是所有感官中最突出的。正是這個特別的體驗，當我告訴別人發生了什麼事時，他們都覺得很神奇，因為我以前從沒被教過——氣味就是嬰兒認識周遭環境、辨認親人的方式。但這是我自己發現的。而那些對嬰兒大腦發展比我了解更多的人說，這完全正確。在你生命的最初階段，你的嗅覺是主導的感官。
所以我要對任何剛有新生兒的母親說：請不要更換你的香水。這會完全混亂你的孩子對你的辨認。還有很多其他故事，但這個故事的主要部分是，我直到現在還能回憶起來——那段記憶是如此持久且清晰，而且你知道你不是在幻想。幻想是完全不同的；這就像清晰的記憶。對於任何更深入探索「你最早的記憶是什麼？再早一點，請說」並進入前世或生與生之間記憶的人來說，情況也是一樣的。你不是在編造。
很難讓那些甚至不相信這可能的人信服——「我不相信輪迴和前世」。但如果你仔細審視那段記憶的品質，甚至那段體驗的品質，它就是毫無疑問——那種懷疑的障礙已經被抑制了一段時間。嗯，這意味著你不需要去思考正在發生什麼；享受這段體驗吧，這非常迷人。第二，你知道你所經歷的，可以如此輕易地回憶起來。當你從這些禪修中出來後，你就可以提問。然後你可以運用那顆分析、探索的心，因為你已經收集了材料。現在你可以驗證它。這對你有意義嗎？對我來說，知道這是多麼真實，是一種極大的安慰。因此，你不必在禪修中不斷思考並打擾它——去獲取更多細節吧。
另外也想讓你知道——在我教授這個方法這麼多年後——我有時會想起一位男士。他說：「尊者，請不要再對在家人教這個了。」我問：「為什麼？」他說因為他觸及了，你知道的，他嬰兒時期的早期記憶，然後他說「再早一點，請說」，接著他經歷了一些他自己死亡的非常不愉快的體驗。我向他道歉並說：「我應該想到這一點的。當你問『再早一點，請說』時，你在前世最強烈的體驗是什麼？通常是你死亡的時刻——或者實際上就在死亡之前——因為死亡常常是由於某種痛苦的疾病或某種意外。」如果你開始記錄那些痛苦的體驗，那會很難承受。那真的就像你回到了當時；它正在發生在你身上；它是真實的。
所以不用擔心。如果這種情況真的發生，只要告訴自己：「再早一點，請說。」在那種心境下——你剛結束禪修，但心仍保有力量——你會驚訝於心識的自然運作。你只要說「再早一點，請說」，它就會往前。並不是——你不需要強迫它。如果你需要強迫任何事，那就不真實了。只是一個快速的建議，「再早一點，請說」，你就會回到更早的時刻。所以你仍然可以擁有這些奇妙的體驗，而且你可以親自證明輪迴確實發生過——你曾經活過。有時人們說：「給我們看證據。」這就是你看到證據的方式。總之，這就是處理這類情況的方法。
——阿姜布拉姆
2025年4月（5/19）| 阿姜布拉姆九日禪修講座
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ODItjJlUxM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=5
《Mindfulness is not about being slow 正念並非緩慢》
《Mindfulness is not about being slow 正念並非緩慢》
Devotee: Have you ever met ____ ( a reknowned Buddhist master）?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes.
Devotee: If you do, do you have any anecdote stories about him?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes, I was on one of these conferences, and I was sitting next to him during the conference. I tried to engage him — just, he wouldn't engage. But also, I saw at that conference we had like these breakout sessions, so he wasn't at this part of the conference. Breakout sessions — different subjects, so you can go to this subject, you can go to that subject, and you have like a leader of these breakout groups who has to report back to the plenum, to everybody, what happened.
And the thing I always remember — I don’t want to be sort of critical, but this actually happened — that one of those breakout sessions was being led by one of his senior disciples. And so when it came to the time and she had to do her report — what they discussed and what they decided — then they said, “Can you please go to the microphone now and report about your findings?” And she replied, “Yes,” very mindfully.
And then she stood up very mindfully and slowly, and walked very slowly to the microphone. And when she got to the microphone, the time for her report was over. Honestly.
And all the other people, out of respect, would try not to laugh, but we couldn’t help ourselves. So, mindful does not mean being slow. If you need to cross a road, please don’t cross a road with a slow mindfulness.
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
**學眾：** 您是否曾見過____（一位著名的佛教導師）？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 是的。
**學眾：** 若有，您是否有關於他的軼事可以分享？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 有的。我曾參加一場研討會，當時就坐在他旁邊。我試著與他交流——但他並未回應。此外，我在那場研討會上觀察到，會議設有分組討論環節，而他那時並未參與此部分。分組討論針對不同主題，與會者可依興趣選擇參加。每組有一位帶領人，負責向全體與會者回報討論內容與決議。
我始終記得一件事——我並非意在批評，但這確實發生了——其中一場分組討論是由他的一位資深弟子帶領的。到了回報時間，她需要總結小組的討論與決議。當時主持人說：「請您現在到麥克風前回報討論結果。」她非常「正念」地回答：「好的。」
接著，她非常「正念」地、緩慢地起身，以極慢的速度走向麥克風。當她終於走到麥克風前時，她的回報時間已經結束了。說真的，當時所有人出於尊重都試著不笑出來，但我們實在忍不住。
所以，**正念並不意味著緩慢**。如果你需要過馬路，請不要用一種「緩慢的正念」來過馬路。
《Fear when about to get into deep meditation 即將進入深度禪定時的恐懼》
《Fear when about to get into deep meditation 即將進入深度禪定時的恐懼》
Devotee: In spite of many years of meditation, I can see fear inside me. Whenever I go inside deeper, I meet these fears in a diverse way. How can I melt this fear?
Ajahn Brahm: This is a good sign because when you have a fear, always realize that's when something you're attached to is about to disappear. You're being challenged. It's like a harder exam each time. Something you're very close to has been taken away from you. Please let it go. There's nothing worth keeping.
Oh, what's that word?.... No dharma is worth keeping. Nothing is worth keeping. ....... It's one of my favorite quotes: nothing is worth holding on to or keeping.
And what that really means, you know, is that as you go inside deeper, many times you come across these challenges. I remember this one monk, you know, when he was about to get into these deep meditations for the first time. It's like you're standing here and just beyond you is a deep, deep bliss. You can almost feel it, almost touch it, but you have to let go a little bit more just to get in there. I remember this monk saying, "No, I don't want to go in. It's too scary."
''It's really nice.''
"No, I can't."
''Well, why not? "
''No."
But you do it anyway. You can't resist. The joys of these deep meditations are so great and there's no danger at all—especially if you get brainwashed by a monk like me who says, "Why not go for it?"
And there's no danger. Actually, there is a danger. I always have to be honest at this point. What's the danger of getting into a deep meditation? What is it? Lose your hair (becoming a monk). You lose your hair. Yes. So, some of the people I can see are getting bald. (laugh)
2025 April (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtBZV_UPrjs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=4
學員：儘管多年修習禪定，我仍能看見內心的恐懼。每當我往內走得更深時，總會以各種方式遭遇這些恐懼。我該如何消融這份恐懼？
阿姜布拉姆：這是個好徵兆，因為當你感到恐懼時，你應始終明白：那代表某個你所執著的事物即將消失。你正受到挑戰。這就像每次面臨更艱難的考試一樣。某個你極為親近的事物正被從你身邊帶走。請放手吧。沒什麼值得緊抓不放。
噢，那個詞怎麼說來著？……沒有哪個法教值得緊抓。沒有任何事物值得緊抓。……這是我最喜歡的格言之一：沒有什麼值得執取或保留。
而這真正的意涵，你知道嗎，就是當你往內走得更深時，往往會多次遇見這些挑戰。我記得有一位僧侶，當他第一次即將進入深度禪定時，那種感覺就像你站在這裡，而就在你前方不遠處，有著極深極深的喜樂。你幾乎能感覺到它、幾乎能觸及它，但你需要再多放下一點，才能進入其中。我記得那位僧侶說：「不，我不想進去。太嚇人了。」
「那裡真的很美妙。」
「不，我做不到。」
「為什麼不呢？」
「不。」
但最終你還是會進去。你無法抗拒。深度禪定所帶來的喜悅是如此巨大，而且根本沒有任何危險——尤其當你被我這樣的僧侶「洗腦」後，我總說：「為何不試試看呢？」
而且沒有危險。其實，確實有個危險。我總得在這時候誠實以告。進入深度禪定的危險是什麼？是什麼呢？你會「掉頭髮」（意指成為僧侶）。你會失去頭髮。是的。所以，我看到有些人已經開始「掉頭髮」了。（笑）
2025年4月（3/19）｜9日禪修營｜阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtBZV_UPrjs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=4
《Find joy in anything 在任何事情做找到樂趣》
《Find joy in anything 在任何事情做找到樂趣》
So, when you see the present moment, please look for the joy in it. Look for it—you can find joy in anything, even when you do something stupid. That's one of the things which I learned from Ajahn Chah. When I made stupid mistakes, he would actually laugh. He never criticized me. He'd just laugh his head off and he'd tell all the Thai people as well. I caused so much happiness with Ajahn Chah. I think that's one of the reasons why he had so many western monks with him—because he enjoyed them. They all went to the top universities, but they were so stupid when it came to real life. So you can actually see happiness in almost anything.
所以，當你注視當下此刻時，請尋找其中的喜悅。尋找它吧——你可以在任何事物中找到喜悅，即便當你做了蠢事時也是如此。這是我從阿姜查尊者那裡學到的事情之一。當我犯下愚蠢的錯誤時，他總是會開懷大笑。他從不批評我，只是盡情地笑，還會把這些事告訴所有泰國人。我為阿姜查尊者帶來了好多歡樂。我想，這正是他身邊有這麼多西方僧侶的原因之一——因為他很享受與他們相處。他們全都畢業於頂尖大學，但面對現實生活時卻顯得如此笨拙。所以，你真的幾乎可以在任何事物中看見快樂。
---Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtBZV_UPrjs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=4
《Our mind does need some satisfaction 我們的心確實需要滿足感》
《Our mind does need some satisfaction 我們的心確實需要滿足感》
One of the problems is you will find if you don't find any pleasure at all then you tend to actually to— the mind actually needs that pleasure, needs some pleasure. If you don't, then like monks who don't get deep meditation, satisfaction in meditation, then they either disrobe or they just go messing around in all sorts of areas where monks really shouldn't go. And I thought, why is that? Because your mind does need some satisfaction, not just if you're a monk or a nun or any person. And that's one of the reasons why you learn how to get your satisfaction as a monk from the meditations, also from some of the dharma, the inspirational part of Buddhism every now and again.
I love this when it happens. One of the monks recently told me of one of the insights he got, you know, totally unexpected, you know, after a nice peaceful meditation, and that kind of made my day. I got inspired by other people's stories of nice deep meditation. That's why if you ever have a nice deep meditation, please come and inspire me. It makes me happy.
其中一個問題是，你會發現如果你完全感受不到任何樂趣，那麼你往往會——事實上，心靈確實需要那種樂趣，需要一些滿足感。如果沒有，就像那些無法在禪修中獲得深度滿足感的僧侶，他們要麼選擇還俗，要麼開始涉足各種僧侶本不該觸及的領域。我曾想，為什麼會這樣呢？因為你的心靈確實需要一些滿足感，無論你是僧侶、尼眾或任何人。這也正是為什麼，作為僧侶，你要學習如何從禪修中獲得滿足，同時也不時從佛法——佛教中那些鼓舞人心的部分——汲取養分。
當這種情況發生時，我總是很欣喜。最近有一位僧侶告訴我他在一次平靜祥和的禪修後獲得的某種領悟，你知道嗎，那完全出乎意料，而這件事讓我一整天都充滿喜悅。我總是從他人深度禪修的分享中得到啟發。所以，如果你曾有過一次美好而深沉的禪修體驗，請來與我分享、激勵我。那會讓我感到快樂。
---Ajahn Brahm
2025 April (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtBZV_UPrjs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=4
《如何於特定時間醒來以及如何將人從深層禪那中喚出？ How to wake up at specific times and get someone out from deep Jhanas?》
《如何於特定時間醒來以及如何將人從深層禪那中喚出？ How to wake up at specific times and get someone out from deep Jhanas?》
弟子：是否可能將某人從禪那中喚出，無論是初禪、二禪、三禪還是第四禪？
阿姜布拉姆：如何將一個人從禪那中喚出？好吧，讓我們來點真實的例子。
去年雨安居開始的時候——如果你們有人還記得——我們實際上給了一些香港弟子機會，讓他們和印尼弟子一起，在雨安居開始時來這裡做一個短期的密集禪修營。我們給了他們這個機會，而在他們精進修行結束時——那其實是雨安居開幕典禮的開始——其中一人，你知道的，當我們在菩提雅納寺舉行典禮時，有一個人沒有出現。是一位女士，她幾乎整晚都坐在佛塔那裡。當他們對她說：「過來吧，我們現在得去吃早餐然後參加典禮了。」她一動也不動。
我告訴過他們如何判斷一個人是死了還是在禪修：就是觸碰身體。如果身體還是溫暖的，那他們就還在禪修中。她身體還是溫暖的。所以他們知道她沒有死。他們沒有叫救護車。他們只是來問我：「我們得去機場搭飛機了。如果她還一直坐在那裡應怎麼辦？我們要怎麼帶她通過海關呢？」所以答案是，你過去和她說話，但不要大喊。想像一下那是什麼感覺。你處在一個非常微細的心靈狀態，而有人對你大吼。他們根本受不了那個。那太粗魯了。
如果禪定不是那麼深，你如何將一個人從中喚出？也許如果是初禪，你可以用盡可能多的善意和溫柔與他們說話。我就是這樣告訴他們的。走到她面前，用盡你可能的所有善意，告訴她阿姜布拉姆請你來菩提雅納寺。他們照做了。大約半小時後，你知道的，她走進了菩提雅納寺的法堂——你知道從這裡走到寺院大約要15分鐘——我只是問她：「你餓嗎？」因為她錯過了早餐。她說：「不，我很好。」然後她就靠著牆，閉上眼睛，繼續禪修了一會兒，不過這次是在菩提雅納寺的大殿裡。
這就是你將一個人從禪那中喚出的方法。你和他們說話，但絕不要強硬。絕不要大吼。要非常、非常和善、平靜地去做，並且給他們一個充分的理由。這樣明白了嗎？但有時候，你進入的禪定是如此之深，以至於即使溫和的言語也無法將你喚出。有一段時間，什麼都無法讓你出來。它必須自己走完它的過程。
我可以講這些故事嗎？真的，這些就是當人們問起「如何應付總是打擾你的丈夫？」或「我該如何對待行為不端的孩子？」時，我喜歡講的故事....總之，這是其中一個故事——還有很多這類美好的故事。其中一位比丘，他是越南籍比丘。你們在雪梨不認識他。這個故事你們聽過很多次了，但它總是啟發我。在精進修行開始時，你知道的，他們應該先禪修半小時，然後聽第一場開示，就像我們在這個寺院進行的九日精進修行一樣。他坐下來進行半小時的禪修，但他整整8天都沒有出來。我總是在經典裡看到，最長是7天。但當它說7天時，意思是大約7天。所以他禪修了8天。沒喝任何東西，沒上廁所，沒吃任何東西，而且完全沒動。就在那裡坐了八天。當然，他們，你知道的，沒有做任何事。他們非常尊重他。所以第一晚大約9點、10點，他們去睡了。早上起來，他沒動過。於是他們做自己的禪修，或者我想他們也念誦了一下。但你知道，他就一直坐在那裡，就像一尊佛像。就這樣過了8天，然後他才從禪修中出來。而他做的第一件事就是道歉。他說：「對不起，你知道，我搞錯了。禪修太深了。我完全失去了時間概念。完全覺知，沉浸在極樂中。時間失去了意義。」
而他道歉，是因為你真正應該做的——如果你們任何人曾經有過如此美妙的禪修體驗——在進入禪修前要做的是：設定時間。告訴自己：「聽著，我必須出來，你知道，請你務必在星期六之前出來——我們什麼時候必須離開和打包？星期六午餐時間。」所以，如果你真的要進入深層禪定，請務必告訴自己這一點，這樣你才能開車回家，而不是給可憐的禪修營負責人帶來很多麻煩。這方法是有效的。
如果你想試試看，這是我的第一位禪修老師教我的，效果非常驚人。如果你今晚要睡覺，告訴自己你想幾點起床，比如說你想在早上5點起床。禪營時間表上實際寫的是幾點？4點30分....所以，你告訴自己，你真的計劃明天早上4點30分起床嗎？告訴自己：「我會在4點25分醒來。我會在4點25分醒來。」我通常會對自己這樣說三次。而且我會慢慢地、清晰地說，用你習慣的語言，並且全神貫注，盡可能正念地對待你說的每一個字。然後你把鬧鐘設在4點30分，但你說你要在4點25分起床。當你把鬧鐘設在4點30分，這會給你一種安全感，你什麼都不用擔心。如果方法沒用，鬧鐘會叫醒你。而當我這樣做時，每次我總會在4點25分，或我設定的任何時間，在4點25分前後一兩分鐘內醒來，這有點令人著迷。你的心，即使在睡眠中，也有自己的小計時器。於是你明白，禪修時也該這麼做。你說你知道我想禪修兩小時左右，然後你坐下。你對自己說，我必須在某個時間醒來——明天4點30分，或4點15分，或任何時間。然後你發現你醒來了，卻完全不知道幾點了。於是你看看某處的時鐘，你會很驚訝。時間就在你設定的時間前後一兩分鐘。所以這也是理解禪修如何運作的一個絕妙方法：設定時間。但實際上，當他們深陷其中時，如果他們處於深層禪定中，你知道的，超過初禪或極深的初禪，那麼就不可能將他們喚出來了。
2025年4月（3月19日）| 9日精進修行 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtBZV_UPrjs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M4Imi4ppID6Rb9NScchKviX&index=3
Devotee: Is it possible to get someone out of a jhana, first, second, third, fourth?
Ajahn Brahm: How you get a person out of jhana? Okay, let's make it sort of real.
There was, at the beginning of the Rains Retreat last year—if any of you remember this—we actually gave some opportunity for some Hong Kong disciples to come here and do a sort of a quick retreat at the beginning of the Rains together with some Indonesians as well. We gave them an opportunity, and at the end of their retreat—and it's actually the beginning of the Rains Retreat ceremony— one of them, you know, when we had a ceremony over in Bodhinyana Monastery, one hadn't turned up. This one lady, she had been sitting on the stupa most of the night. And when they asked her, "Come over. We've got to go for breakfast now and go to the ceremony," she didn't move.
Unfortunately, I've told them that you can tell if a person's dead or they're just meditating: just touch the body. If it's still warm, they're still meditating. She was still warm. So they knew she hadn't died. They didn't call an ambulance. They just came and asked me, "Look, we got to go to airport and get on the aircraft. You know what's going to happen if she's still sitting there?" And she doesn't respond. How are we going to get her through the customs? And so the answer is you go and talk to her, but you don't shout. Imagine what it's like. You were in such a subtle state of mind and you shout at a person. They just can't stand that. It's too harsh.
How you get a person out of a deep meditation if it's not that deep? Maybe first jhana, you talk to them with as much kindness and gentleness as you possibly can. And I told them to do that. Go up to her and tell her that Ajahn Brahm asks you to please come to Bodhinyana Monastery with as much kindness as you possibly can. And that's what they did. And it was about half an hour later, you know, she came walking into the Dhamma hall at Bodhinyana Monastery—and you know it's about 15 minutes walk from here to the monastery—and I just asked her, you know, are you hungry? Because she missed her breakfast. And no, I'm fine. And she just leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and carried on meditating a bit more, but this time over in Bodhinyana Monastery Hall.
That's how you get a person out of a jhana. You talk to them, but never with firmness. Never shout. Do it really, really kindly and calmly and give them a good reason for that. That make sense? But sometimes you get in such deep meditation that even kind words can't get you out. Nothing can get you out for a while. It just has to run its course.
Can I tell these stories? Really, these are the stories which I like to tell when people say about how do you deal with a husband who always just disturbs you? What should I do with my kids who are misbehaving? That's kind of not inspiring. Anyway, this is one of them—there's plenty of these lovely stories. One of these monks, he was a Vietnamese monk. You don't know him in Sydney. You've heard this story many times, but it always inspires me. At the start of the retreat, you know, they're supposed to do a little meditation for half an hour and then the first talk, like a nine-day retreat like we do here in this monastery, you know, he sat down for the half an hour meditation, but he never came out for 8 days. I always saw in the sutras that 7 days was the max. But when it says 7 days, it means roughly 7 days. So he was meditating for 8 days. Never had anything to drink, never went to toilet, never had anything to eat, and didn't move at all. Just sat there for eight days. And of course they, you know, didn't do anything. They respected him so much. And so about 9:00, 10:00 the first night, they went to bed. They got up in the morning. He hadn't moved. And so they did their meditation or I think they did some chanting too. But you know, just sitting there all the time just like a Buddha statue. And after 8 days of that, then he came out of meditation. And the first thing he did was to apologize. Said, "I'm sorry. You know, I made a mistake. The meditation was so deep. I just, you know, just lost all idea of what time is. Perfectly aware, blissing out. The time had no meaning."
And he apologized because what you're really supposed to do—if any of you ever get nice meditations like that—what to do before you enter: you set the time. Tell yourself, "Look, I've got to come out, you know, please, you have to come out here before Saturday when—when is the time we have to to leave and pack up? Saturday lunchtime.." So, please tell yourself that if you're really getting into the meditation, so you get in your car and go home instead of causing a lot of trouble, you know, for a poor retreat manager. And it works.
If you want to try that, this was my first meditation teacher taught me this and it was amazing. It worked so well. If you're going to sleep tonight, don't—what time you want to go to bed, tell yourself, say you want to get up by 5:00 in the morning. What does it actually say in the retreat schedule? 4:30 with Gusto. With Gusto, forget about Gusto. So, you tell yourself, are you really plan to get up by 4:30 tomorrow morning? Tell yourself, "I will wake up at 4:25. I will wake up at 4:25." I usually do this to myself three times. And I do it slowly, clearly in your preferred language, and you pay full attention, as much mindfulness as you can to everything you're saying. And you set your alarm clock for 4:30, but you say you're going to get up at 4:25. And when you set your alarm clock to 4:30, that gives you a sense of you don't have to worry about anything. If it doesn't work, the alarm will wake you up. And then when I did this, every time I would wake up at 4:25 or whatever time I set within one or two minutes either side of 4:25, it was kind of fascinating. Your mind, even when it's asleep, had its own little timer. And so you realize that's what you do with meditation as well. You say that you know I want to meditate for like two hours or something and you sit down. You say to yourself, I've got to wake up at whatever time is--- 4:30 tomorrow, 4:15 or whatever time it is. And you find you wake up and then you haven't got a clue what time it is. So you look at the clock somewhere and you'll be amazed. It's one or two minutes either side of the time. So it's a wonderful way of understanding how meditation works as well: set the time. But when actually they're in it, if they're in a deep meditation, you know, past the first jhana or a deep first jhana, then it's impossible to get them out.
2025 April (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
《少事務 Not busy with duties》
《少事務 Not busy with duties》
禪修者：在《慈經》中，有「少事務」這句話，請問它究竟是什麼意思？
阿姜布拉姆：這問題讓我有些慚愧。其實我有很多事務。換句話說，你不應讓事務優先於禪修與內心的寧靜。如果你能夠放下那些職責——尤其在禪修期間，這正是你參加禪修的原因，不論長短——你必須放下所有事務，才能真正享受禪修；那些因慈悲他人而承擔的事務，也需暫時放下。
我很久以前就學會放下這些職責。當時我每週五晚上前往珀斯，週六或週日回來，回到寺院後會檢查一切是否安好，看看是否有需要處理的事，然後週一又開始工作——週一、週二、週三、週四、週五都在工作，週五下午再出發去珀斯。完全沒有休息。
人們常來到對面的寺院，說：「哇，這真是個美麗寧靜的寺院。」有時我會公開回應，但大多時候只在心裡嘀咕：「什麼意思？這是我工作的地方。這裡有太多事務，太多需要處理的事。」後來我意識到自己錯了。
於是，我開始給自己週一上午放假。在週一上午，我不是主管、不是老師、不是住持——我只是個無名之輩。如果有人問：「阿姜布拉姆，我想請教一些禪修問題。」我會說：「今天我不是老師。今天我不是阿姜布拉姆。我只是個平靜安詳的比丘。」如果有比丘來告訴我：「水管壞了，馬桶淹水了。」我會回答：「週一上午不關我的事。」
可以說，我在週一上午去度假了。說真的，因為身為主管，我從未真正休息過，終於能將自己從職責表中移除。在週一上午，我像訪客一樣看待菩提伽耶寺——一個美麗寧靜的地方。但如果我仍在負責，就無法這樣做。
你去餐廳是為了什麼？是為了享受。如果你在享受，就不會去洗碗、不會去烹飪——你坐下來，放鬆，點餐。作為比丘，尤其是住持，我從未有過這樣的機會——24/7的責任。只有當我停止工作、卸下職責時，才能真正體會到寧靜與美好。
2024年11月（15/19）| 九日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
Devotee: In metta sutta, there is "not busy with duties" , what does it mean exactly?
Ajahn Brahm: that makes me embarrased. You got a lot of duties. In other words, you do not allow duties to take precedence over the meditation and the peace. If you are able to let those duties go, especially when you're on a retreat—this is why you go on retreat, for however long—you have to let go of all the duties to really enjoy it, all the duties which you have out of compassion for others.
I learned to let go of those duties a long time ago. When I was going to Perth every Friday night and returning Saturday or Sunday, I would come back, check that the monastery was okay, see if there was anything I should be doing, and then on Monday we’d start work again—working Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, then heading back to Perth Friday afternoon. There was no rest.
People would come to the monastery across the road and say, "Wow, what a beautiful, peaceful monastery this is." Sometimes I’d say it openly, but most of the time under my breath: "What do you mean? This is where I work. There are so many duties here, so many things to fix up." Then I realized I was doing it wrong.
So I started giving myself Monday mornings off. On Monday morning, I was not the boss, not the teacher, not the abbot—I was a nobody. If someone asked, "Ajahn Brahm, I need to ask some questions about my meditation," I’d say, "I’m not the teacher today. I’m not Ajahn Brahm today. I’m just a nice peaceful monk." If monks came up and said, "The plumbing isn’t working, the toilets are flooding," I’d reply, "Not my job on Monday morning."
I would go on holiday, so to speak, on Monday morning. And honestly, because I’d never really taken time off—being the boss—I could finally take myself off the duty roster. On Monday morning, I saw Bodhinyana Monastery in the same way visitors see it: as a beautiful, peaceful place. But I couldn’t do that if I was in charge.
When you go to a restaurant, why do you go? To enjoy it. And if you’re enjoying it, you don’t do the washing up, you don’t do the cooking—you sit down, relax, and order the food. I never had that opportunity as a monk, especially as an abbot—24/7 responsibility. When I stopped working and took myself off duty, only then could I actually appreciate the stillness and the beauty.
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《How to cope with chronic anxiety 如何面對長期焦慮》
《How to cope with chronic anxiety 如何面對長期焦慮》
Devotee: I have lived with anxiety for 30 years or so. When I meditate, I’m pretty sure the anxiety is appearing as a strong, defined, extreme tension around my jaw, throat, heart region. I feel like this is the key to unlocking my heart, but also a giant obstacle. Can you help me?
Ajahn Brahm: Of course.
Devotee: Should I book for a meeting?
Ajahn Brahm: No, I just listen. I don’t think it’s time for other meetings. But what to do with that type of anxiety? Use the mindfulness to see what makes that anxiety. You see, anxiety is a focus of your meditation—as your meditation object. What makes your anxiety get less? What makes it get more?
So you’ve got your eyes closed, and see if you can just relax your body—that usually makes anxiety much, much looser. Just make peace with the anxiety. Don’t fight it. Don’t think this is a mistake in you. Never think that it’s something you have to fix up. It fixes itself up once you’re kind to it and let it be.
Remember, letting be is different than letting go. When I say letting go, I mean letting go of control—let go of desire—and let whatever’s left be. And then you find these things usually vanish.
禪修者：我受焦慮困擾大約三十年了。當我禪修時，我能清楚感覺到焦慮顯現為一種強烈、明顯、極度的緊繃感，集中在下巴、喉嚨和心臟區域。我覺得這是打開心扉的關鍵，但同時也是一個巨大的障礙。您能幫助我嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：當然可以。
禪修者：我需要預約個別談話嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：不用，我只是聽你說。我認為現在不需要安排其他會談。但對於這種焦慮，該怎麼做呢？用正念去觀察是什麼引發了焦慮。你看，焦慮可以成為你禪修的焦點——作為你的禪修對象。什麼會讓焦慮減輕？什麼會讓它加劇？
所以，你閉上眼睛，試著放鬆身體——這通常會讓焦慮緩和許多。與焦慮和平共處，不要對抗它。不要認為這是你的錯誤，永遠不要覺得這是你必須「修好」的問題。當你善待它、讓它如是存在，它自己會調整過來。
記住，「讓它存在」和「放下」是不同的。我所說的「放下」，是指放下控制——放下渴望——然後讓剩下的一切自然存在。你會發現，這些感受往往就這樣消失了
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《Memeory doesn't need force 記憶無需用力》
《Memeory doesn't need force 記憶無需用力》
Devotee: I have a short attention span, and extreme forgetfulness affects my life and job. I'm afraid that letting thoughts go in meditation is trying to forget even more quickly. No object stays in my mind for long—even less when I let go. Maybe this isn't the right practice for me. What do you think?
Ajahn Brahm： Don’t think, and then your mind becomes far more clear. I do recall when I was even a student—I didn't know what it was, but I did have strong mindfulness. I could focus on what the teacher said, and I thought everyone could do this. And I do remember just a general knowledge quiz in primary school. Someone was asking the questions—I think it was something like, “What is the name for a male duck?”—and I said “drake.” Yeah, and I was the only one among all the kids in the school who knew the answer—not only knew the answer, I remembered the time when the teacher told us that. I can remember that, and that kind of scared me—what’s going on there? It’s because when the teacher was talking, I paid attention.
Memory does not need force; it needs quietness and attentiveness.
禪修者：我的注意力持續時間很短，極度的健忘影響了我的生活與工作。我擔心在禪修中放掉念頭，是否會讓我忘得更快。沒有任何事物能在我心中停留太久——當我放鬆時，甚至更短。也許這不適合我修行。您怎麼看？
阿姜布拉姆：不要思考，然後你的心會變得清晰得多。我記得自己還是學生時——當時並不明白那是什麼，但我確實有很強的正念。我能專注聽老師講課，還以為每個人都能做到。我記得在小學時有一次常識問答，有人提問——大概是像「公鴨叫什麼名字？」這樣的問題——我回答：「drake」。是的，全校只有我一個人知道答案——不僅知道答案，我還記得老師何時告訴過我們這件事。那記憶讓我當時有點害怕——這是怎麼回事？那是因為老師講課時，我全心投入在聽。
記憶不需要用力，它需要寧靜與專注。
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《nimitta which keeps changing colors 持續變色的禪相》
《nimitta which keeps changing colors 持續變色的禪相》
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
more about Ajahn Brahm:
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahmDevotee: I had very bright nimittas in my meditation,
Ajahn Brahm: great
Devotee: but that kept on changing colors. I meditated about 2 hours during that period, and it was always changing. Please advise how to keep it steady and develop further.
Ajahn Brahm: When the nimitta arises, kind of freeze—don't move. When you don't move, the nimitta doesn't move. If you can understand that, or try different techniques or different sorts of skills—you don't actually *do* it, but you know you can't *do* stillness. You just decide early on, at the beginning of the meditation: if this happens, I will try different ways of being still.
And just that instruction there is that when the nimitta comes, what makes that nimitta keep moving? What makes it be still? The mindfulness of that aspect—of this time in meditation—that mindfulness gives you the feedback. You still learn what makes that nimitta more unstable, what makes that nimitta actually kind of freeze.
Trying to explain these things is tough for me, but you know—you know exactly what to do if a nimitta comes up. It's, "Can I let my mind be still? " I don't hold it, I can't do it—you let it happen. You've had the experience before: what works, and the mind remembers it, and the mind acts in that way.
Does that make any sense? If it doesn't make any sense, don't worry—because when those problems happen, all this kind of information comes up again anyway.
禪修者：我在禪修中曾出現非常明亮的禪相（nimitta），
阿姜布拉姆：很好。
禪修者：但它持續變換顏色。那段時間我禪修了大約兩小時，它一直變動。請教導該如何保持穩定並進一步開展？
阿姜布拉姆：當禪相出現時，要像「凝住」——不要動。當你不動，禪相就不會動。如果你能領會這一點，或嘗試不同的技巧、不同的方法——你並不是真的去「做」什麼，而是明白你無法「造作」靜止。你只需在禪修之初就決定好：如果發生這種狀況，我將嘗試以不同的方式保持靜定。
這裡的教導是：當禪相來臨時，是什麼讓禪相持續移動？又是什麼讓它靜止？對此刻禪修中這個面向的正念——這份正念會給你回饋。你仍在學習什麼會使禪相更不穩定，什麼會讓它真正「凝住」。
對我而言，解釋這些並不容易，但你懂的——你完全清楚禪相出現時該怎麼做。問題是：「我能讓心靜止嗎？」不抓取，不造作——你只是讓它發生。你已有過經驗：什麼方法有效，心會記得，並自然地依循而行。
這樣說得通嗎？如果聽不懂也別擔心——因為當這些問題發生時，這類體悟自然會再度浮現。
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《Nimitta and the lotus simile 禪相與蓮花的譬喻》
《Nimitta and the lotus simile 禪相與蓮花的譬喻》
Devotee: When I get calm in meditation for a while, I start seeing lights
Ajahn Brahm: great!
Devotee: as if there was sunlight shining in my eyes
Ajahn Brahm: great!
Devotee: or someone turned on the lights in the dark room
Ajahn Brahm: great!
Devotee: Are they nimittas?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes
Devotee: they shift around a bit and it's hard to focus on them.
Ajahn Brahm: Don't focus on them. Let them become still or let them pull you in.
Devotee: So I just continue to let the mind rest in the breath.
Ajahn Brahm: oh.... And actually, maybe I can be blamed for saying this—blamed because of this—usually when I did that simile of the thousand-petal lotus, this is a stage you can discern in meditation. The beautiful breath has been there for a while, a beautiful layer of petals, and it starts to open up. And inside is like the nimitta, but then you know it's a beautiful nimitta. You can actually almost see the breath like enveloping it, you know, it's opening out, but still what's mostly getting your attention is the nimitta. So that's what's most getting your attention.
Then sometimes ... you haven't waited long enough—and you can still see the breath, still see the nimitta, but the nimitta should be inside the breath. And when that opens up, you don't ignore the breath, you don't let go of the breath; you just go deeper inside, and the breath disappears—like zooming in on a map. You go deeper into the center of it, and that shows you how it works. You don't ever decide to go back to the breath; it just—the breath vanishes in this beautiful nimitta.
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
禪修者：當我禪修平靜一段時間後，開始看見光——
阿姜布拉姆：很好！
禪修者：——彷彿有陽光照進我的雙眼。
阿姜布拉姆：很好！
禪修者：或像有人在暗室中打開了燈。
阿姜布拉姆：很好！
禪修者：這些是禪相（nimitta）嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：是的。
禪修者：它們會微微移動，很難專注在上面。
阿姜布拉姆：不要專注它們。讓它們自然靜止，或讓它們將你引入其中。
禪修者：所以我只是繼續讓心安住於呼吸。
阿姜布拉姆：哦……其實，或許我會因這樣說而被指責——正因如此常被指責——通常當我使用「千瓣蓮花」的譬喻時，這正是禪修中可辨識的階段。美好的呼吸持續了一段時間，如同一層美麗的花瓣開始綻放。而在其中，猶如禪相，但你知道那是美妙的禪相。你幾乎能看見呼吸如同包裹著它，漸漸開展，然而最吸引你注意的仍是禪相。因此，那才是你最關注的。
有時……你等待得還不夠久——你仍能看見呼吸，也能看見禪相，但禪相本應在呼吸之內。當它開展時，你不要忽略呼吸，也不要放開呼吸；你只是更深入內在，呼吸便逐漸消失——如同在地圖上放大。你深入其核心，這便展示了它的運作方式。你無須決定回到呼吸；只是——呼吸在這美妙的禪相中消融了。
2024年11月（15/19）| 九日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《Allow the breath to stop 允許呼吸停止》
《Allow the breath to stop 允許呼吸停止》
Devotee: During some deep meditation I have found my breathing slow so much that it stopped, and it took effort on my part to respirate.
Ajahn Brahm: Now, you took effort and spoiled the progress of the meditation. If the body doesn't want to breathe, fine—it doesn't need breath. Leave your body alone; it knows how to breathe, guaranteed.
In all the years I've been teaching meditation, there's been nobody who died in a meditation retreat—not one casualty.
禪修者：在深度禪修中，我發現自己的呼吸變得非常緩慢，甚至完全停止，而我必須刻意用力才能恢復呼吸。
阿姜布拉姆：正是這份刻意的努力，破壞了禪修的進程。如果身體不想呼吸，那就順其自然——它並不需要呼吸。不要干擾你的身體；它自然知道如何呼吸，這一點我可以保證。
在我教授禪修的所有年歲裡，從未有人在禪修營中死亡——一個也沒有。
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《Breaking habits 打破習慣》
《Breaking habits 打破習慣》
I think I remember reading an Agatha Christie novel once, and she said you can always tell if people are married or are just seeing one another by how they speak to one another. When they are really critical of each other, you can tell that's certain they're married. Is that true? Or is that just bad speech which gets worse and worse and worse? So how do you overcome that?
I told her, for some married couples, why don't you make a resolution? Resolve to only speak kind words to your partner. Brainwash yourself: “When I see him or her next time, I will always say something nice.” And then, when they make that resolution and break the old habit, they say something nice, like “thank you for coming today.” That shocks the partner and the partner says, “What does she mean by that? What is she up to?” But yeah, you break those habits.
我記得我好像讀過一本阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂的小說，她說你總能從人們交談的方式，分辨出他們是已婚或僅僅在交往。當他們對彼此非常挑剔時，你就能斷定他們肯定是夫妻。這是真的嗎？還是那只是越來越糟的惡言相向？那麼該如何克服這種情況呢？
我告訴她，對於一些夫妻，何不立下一個決心？決心只對伴侶說善意的話。催眠自己：「下次見到他或她時，我總要說些好話。」然後，當他們下定決心並打破舊習慣，說些好話，比如「謝謝你今天過來。」這會讓伴侶大吃一驚，對方會想：「她這是什麼意思？她有什麼意圖？」不過，是的，你確實能打破那些習慣。
2024 November (15/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr3HVJVzDv8&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=15
《ADHD patients still can get deep stillness 過度活躍症患者依然能進入深定》
《ADHD patients still can get deep stillness 過度活躍症患者依然能進入深定》
Devotee: I have not been able to settle my mind for 5 days now, even after resting so much. Do you think my ADHD affects my ability to meditate?
Ajahn Brahm: No, you can be much more powerful than the mind. Please excuse me, I'm not a professional psychiatrist or psychologist, but I do know a bit about the mind. These things have more power over you the more you give them power. In other words, if you can just notice, there are times when the ADHD is very strong, and times it hardly exists at all in your life. And so, in the times when the ADHD is just not happening, then you can actually get into some really great, deep meditations. So you still can.
信徒：我已經連續5天無法讓心安定下來，即使休息了很久。您認為我的注意力不足過動症（ADHD）會影響我禪修的能力嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：不會的，你能夠比心念更強大。請見諒，我並非專業的精神科醫師或心理學家，但我對心念確實有些了解。這些事物（如ADHD）你越是賦予它們力量，它們對你的控制力就越強。換句話說，如果你能仔細觀察，你會發現有些時候ADHD的症狀非常強烈，而有些時候它在你的生活中幾乎不存在。因此，在那些ADHD沒有發作的時刻，你實際上是可以進入非常美好、深沉的禪定的。所以，你依然能夠做到。
2024 November (13/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
more about Ajahn Brahm:
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《Don't expose your past life 不要透露你的前世》
《Don't expose your past life 不要透露你的前世》
Devotee: The Buddha has revealed his past life experiences and stories, some 550 of those. Why is it not okay for his disciples to do the same to inspire others?
Ajahn Brahm: The reason why; it's not just to inspire; you become a "freak people." They think, "You know, you've got any sort of psychic powers?" First of all, they doubt it, and next, they want to check up on it. So these days, we usually don't tell about any nuns or monks of great experiences until they're dead and they won't be bothered. And same with past life experiences.
Years ago, many years ago, when I was visiting my mother in London, a Sri Lankan Temple was really close by. You know, there was even Ananda Maitreya and a Dr. S. K. Stisa was there, and they wanted me to give a talk there. So I gave a talk, and one of the talks was titled "No Rebirth," and I gave a lovely talk on rebirth. And then afterwards, they were introducing me to this young boy; he was about 16 or 17 at that time, and he was one of the subjects in Dr. Ian Stevenson's book, *Twenty Cases Suggestive of Rebirth*. I talked to him, and the one thing I always remember he said was, "I wish I'd have never done that, to actually tell people about my previous life. ''
And I said, "Why?" And he said because he was still a schoolboy and he got teased terribly by the other kids in his classes.
You know, I've seen that so many times, that if you're slightly different, you just get teased. I remember even reading a review of, I think, a movie made about A. A. Milne's son. Oh, he actually *was* the son of A. A. Milne, and apparently, you know, that A. A. Milne wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. ... when he (the son) was at school, he had a terrible time at school because they kept calling him Pooh Bear or "Pooh" or something, and he was always teased. It was in those days that people use anything to tease you. So anyway, that's one of the reasons why.
2024 November (13/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
信眾：佛陀曾揭示他的前世經歷和故事，大約有550則。為什麼他的弟子不能做同樣的事來激勵他人呢？
阿姜布拉姆：原因在於，這不僅僅是為了激勵他人；你會變成「怪胎」。人們會想：「你是不是自以為有什麼神通？」首先，他們會懷疑，接著他們會想驗證。所以在這個時代，我們通常不會談論任何比丘尼或比丘的重大修行體驗，直到他們往生後才公開，那時他們才不會受到打擾。關於前世體驗也是如此。
多年前，很多年前，當我在倫敦探望母親時，附近正好有一座斯里蘭卡寺院。當時甚至阿難·彌勒羅和S.K.斯蒂沙博士也在那裡，他們請我去演講。我其中一場講題是「不再重生」，我精彩地闡述了輪迴的教義。之後，他們介紹我認識一個年輕男孩，當時大約16、17歲，他是伊恩·史蒂文森博士《二十個暗示輪迴的案例》書中的研究對象之一。我和他交談時，最讓我印象深刻的是他說：「我真希望從來沒有做過那件事（告訴別人我的前世）。」
我問：「為什麼？」他說因為他當時還是個學生，班上的其他孩子因此拼命取笑他。
你知道嗎，我見過太多這樣的例子，只要你稍微與眾不同，就會被嘲笑。我記得曾讀過一篇影評，講的是關於A.A.米恩兒子的電影。他正是《小熊維尼》故事作者A.A.米恩的兒子。你知道嗎，就因為A.A.米恩寫了小熊維尼的故事，這孩子在校期間飽受困擾——同學們總是大喊「維尼熊」或「pooh」之類的綽號來嘲笑他。在那個年代，人們會用任何理由來取笑人。總之，這就是為什麼最好不要公開談論這些的原因之一。
2024年十一月 (13/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
《Ajahn Brahm's enlightenment story 阿姜布拉姆的開悟故事》
《Ajahn Brahm's enlightenment story 阿姜布拉姆的開悟故事》
Devotee:How can we identify if we become a stream winner?
Ajahn Brahm: with great difficulty. The reason that this is no joke—this is serious—is because sometimes so many of the defilements and hindrances have gone, and then you have to wait for a while to see if they come back again. The simile I use is like a great explosion in the mind metaphor, and so many of the buildings, so many of the defilements, have been destroyed. You don't know exactly how many and how totally until all the dust settles. When the dust settles, then you can check if anything's left.
Okay, sorry, but this is another story, but it's a good one: my six Rains Retreats. This is actually when I became enlightened—oops! Would you like me to continue? Of course, there's a catch to this. So, six Rains Retreat, during the rains, no real duties, meditation was really getting off and really going deep. Then just one evening—I don't think it even was one of the moon nights—one evening I just didn't go to bed because of too much energy, and I was doing walking meditation. Walking meditation is great, and when I was doing walking meditation all these insights were just coming. I wasn't trying to discover things; it was just so clear and so energized that all these things were coming to me, things I'd never seen before. And then the big one came: wow, full Enlightenment.
I thought, "Wow, how wonderful it is that in this locality another enlightened being had arisen." And so I went to sit down in the hall about 2:00 in the morning, just from a walking meditation path, just really blissed out. And then a kind of thought arose, you know, it said, "My body may be weak, so there's no need to attain anything anymore," so I went back to my hut just to lay down for 20 minutes. About, it was before 3:00—3:00 was when the bell went. By 3:00 I was sitting in the hall waiting for the other monks to wake up for the morning meeting. And as I was sitting in the hall, you know sometimes you get tired? I was so straight, so much energy, no sloth and torpor at all. And when they started the chanting—you know, hear the way we chant here—it was really loud. I couldn't stop myself; I had this incredible energy, and then they told me, "Quiet, please!"
And then we went on the alms round afterwards. And when I went on the alms round, you know, all these villagers were just putting a little bit of sticky rice in the bowl; that's all you ever got on the alms round, just a bit of rice. And everyone who put rice in my bowl, I looked to them and gave them a silent blessing: "You don't realize how lucky you are today, giving rice to a new arahant." Then we got back to the monastery. What we usually do is when you get back, that's when the people actually cook some food in the monastery, and that's what goes with the rice. And it was always the same sort of food every day: rotten fish curry. And it was rotten fish; they called it that, you know, the *pla dek*, simply because they kept the fish from the year before and they kind of pickled it. They didn't know how to pickle things; what they did was put a piece of plastic on the bottle and left it to rot, and it stank. But you got used to it after a while, and that's all there was.
Except for that day. That day, there were two pots of curry: one was the rotten fish, which we always had, and the other one—it was actually a pork curry, if I remember correctly. I used to be a vegetarian before as a monk, but there were no vegetables to eat in that part of the world with subsistence farming, and that actually smelled good; that was kind of edible. And so I thought straight away, my assumption: the heavenly beings were celebrating my Enlightenment. I thought that—just how arrogant you can be!
And then after we've given the blessing, we received all the food, and usually the head monk would take his first and then pass it down. I was number two monk at that time, six years as a monk, as a sixth year, and I couldn't believe what he did. The head monk, he was a local man, he grew up in that village, he knew that food, but he never took any of the rotten fish curry. He took this huge three or four ladles of the pork curry, put it all in his bowl—no one could eat that much—and what he did next though was just unforgivable: he took the remainder of the pork curry and poured the whole lot into the rotten fish curry and with the ladle stirred it all up, saying, "It's all the same, it's all the same."
How can you do that? If it was all the same, why do you take yours first? That's actually pretty much describing how I was thinking. And then it kind of hit me: the insight. Enlightened beings don't worry about what they eat; they certainly don't get angry. And I realized, "Oh my goodness, I wasn't enlightened after all." It was very nice when it lasted. And so, that to keep—you know, I don't know if you've experienced that—it's one of the most depressing things you can ever have: think you enlightened, find you not. So anyway, that's my enlightenment story. And that's how you know: afterwards, something comes up to disturb you or upset you, and you realize those hindrances, those defilements, are still there.
2024 November (13/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
信眾：我們要如何知道自己是否已證悟初果（預流果）？
阿姜布拉姆：非常困難。這可不是開玩笑的——是非常嚴肅的——因為有時候，許多煩惱和障礙似乎都消失了，但你必須等待一段時間，觀察它們是否會再次出現。我用的比喻是：就像心靈經歷了一場大爆炸，許多建築、許多煩惱都被摧毀了。在塵埃落定之前，你無法確切知道有多少煩惱被摧毀、摧毀得多徹底。唯有當塵埃落定後，你才能檢查是否還有任何殘留。
好吧，抱歉，但這是另一個故事了，不過是個好故事：關於我第六個雨安居的故事。這其實是我開悟的時候——哎喲！你們想聽我繼續說嗎？當然，這裡有個陷阱。那麼，第六個雨安居期間，在雨季中，沒有什麼實際的職責，禪修真的開始起飛，並且真正深入。然後就在某個傍晚——我甚至不覺得那是月圓之夜——某個傍晚，我只是因為能量太充沛而沒有就寢，我正在行禪。行禪很棒，當我行禪時，所有的洞見就這麼湧現。我並非試圖去發現什麼；只是心境如此清晰、如此充滿能量，以至於所有這些我從未見過的事物都自然浮現。然後，重大的時刻來了：哇，徹底的開悟。
我心想：「哇，多麼美妙啊，在這個地方，另一位覺者誕生了。」於是，我在凌晨兩點左右走到大殿坐下，剛從行禪的小徑回來，完全沉浸在狂喜之中。然後，心裡升起一個念頭，它說：「我的身體可能虛弱了，所以不再需要追求任何成就了。」所以我就回到我的小屋，只想躺下20分鐘。那是在三點之前——三點是打鐘的時間。到了三點，我已經坐在大殿裡，等待其他比丘醒來進行晨會。當我坐在大殿裡時，你知道有時你會感到疲倦嗎？我卻坐得如此挺直，能量如此充沛，完全沒有昏沉和懈怠。當他們開始唱誦時——你知道，就像我們這裡的唱誦方式——聲音非常宏亮。我無法控制自己；我擁有這股驚人的能量，然後他們對我說：「請安靜！」
之後我們去進行托缽。當我托缽時，你知道，所有這些村民都只是放一小團糯米飯到我的缽裡；這就是你托缽時所能得到的全部，只是一點米飯。每個放米飯到我缽裡的人，我都看著他們，並給予他們默默的祝福：「你們不知道今天有多幸運，能供養米飯給一位新阿羅漢。」然後我們回到寺院。我們通常的做法是，回來之後，寺裡的人才會真正煮一些食物，那才是配飯吃的。而且每天總是同樣的食物：爛魚咖哩。那確實是爛魚；他們就是這麼叫的，你知道，就是*Pla Dek*，只因他們把前一年的魚保存下來，有點像是醃漬。他們不懂得如何醃漬東西；他們的做法是在瓶子上蓋一塊塑膠布，然後任其腐爛，而且很臭。但過一陣子你就習慣了，而且只有這個可吃。
除了那天。那天，有兩鍋咖哩：一鍋是我們總是吃的爛魚咖哩，另一鍋——如果我沒記錯，其實是豬肉咖哩。我出家前本是素食者，但在那個以自給農業為主的地方，沒有蔬菜可吃，而那鍋咖哩聞起來其實很香；算是可以入口的。於是我立刻猜想：是天人們在慶祝我開悟了。我竟然這麼想——看看一個人能有多傲慢！
然後，在我們進行完祝禱後，我們領取所有的食物，通常住持會先取他的份，然後再傳下去。我那時是寺裡的二師父，出家第六年，我簡直不敢相信他的行為。住持他是本地人，在那個村子長大，他熟悉那種食物，但他一點爛魚咖哩都沒拿。他舀了滿滿三、四勺的豬肉咖哩，全部放進自己的缽裡——根本沒人能吃那麼多——而他接下來做的事更是不可原諒：他把剩下的豬肉咖哩，整鍋倒進爛魚咖哩裡，然後用勺子全部攪拌在一起，還說：「都一樣，都一樣的。」
你怎麼能這樣做？如果都一樣，為什麼你先拿你自己的？這其實很貼切地描述了我當時的想法。然後，我突然領悟到了：一個開悟的人不會擔心吃什麼；他們肯定不會生氣。我意識到：「哦，我的天啊，我根本還沒有開悟。」那種開悟的感覺持續時，確實很美好。所以，這讓你知道——我不知道你是否有過這種經歷——這可能是你所能經歷最令人沮喪的事情之一：以為自己開悟了，卻發現並沒有。總之，這就是我的開悟故事。而這就是你如何知道的方法：事後，當有些事情出現來干擾你或讓你心煩意亂時，你就會明白那些障礙、那些煩惱，依然存在。
2024年十一月 (13/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
《Jokes and politics 笑話與政治》
《Jokes and politics 笑話與政治》
Devotee: You talk about Trump, and to be fair, you talk about the good or not of the other party too, so we stay the middle way.
Ajahn Brahm: It's because of that joke about Trump—I said it already, you remember, the assassination attempt and he survived because someone said "Donald Duck." (duck something which means avoiding something)
I tell stories and jokes like that simply because, you know, sometimes there is a time to get interested and serious in politics for the good of the nation and for things like climate change and peace in this world. But then sometimes I think people go too far with it, and sometimes they go so far with that they do have this violence, you know, even in a democracy.
So because of that, one of the things I like about telling jokes and funny stories is because when you tell a joke, it doesn't matter whether you're Republican, Democrat, or in between or whatever—everybody laughs. A funny story actually brings people together.
You know, sometimes I think you all know that sometimes I actually meet these people in power, presidents and stuff. We must admit that when you go to these conferences in Buddhist countries, the one person who I thought was really scary was the president of the Cambodian Republic, was it Hun Sen? I don't know why, but as soon as I went up to him, because I was representing Australian Buddhism, I was really scared of him. He looks like a very dangerous person. Other people, not so dangerous.
One of the people I actually liked—you may be upset about me for liking this fellow—was the president, Rajapaksa, the first one. The thing which endeared me to him was that he invited me (I was quite well-known) into his place for breakfast. That's what a lot of people love to do, to offer food to monks. The first thing which endeared him to me was when he offered me baked beans, just like one of you—you know who you are today—you offered me baked beans at the interview time. I would always give you a bit of extra attention if you do things like that. It's bribery, I admit it! It's only a small thing, but anyway.
The other thing which endeared him to me was when he came to see me. I'd already arrived at his place, and he was obviously just out of bed because he was just rubbing his eyes, really tired. The first thing he said when he looked at me was, "I am a failure." He said those words; I'll never forget them. He was a failure. And then he said that he joined politics at that time ,this is what he said—there's lots of other evidence where he misbehaved. But he said, he joined politics to try and find a peaceful, Buddhist solution to the conflict with the Tamils. And he said he failed, and then he took the military option.
But anyhow, sometimes you see deeper into people, you know, when you actually meet them kind of casually, and if you're a monk they kind of have to tell the truth. Because of that, you sometimes see the pressures of being a politician. And my sort of recommendation to any of you who ever think of joining that path is: please keep out of politics. You start off being a good person, but then the politics kind of corrupt you.
2024 November (13/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
信眾：您談到川普，而且公平地說，您也應談論另一政黨的好壞，所以我們保持中道。
布拉姆尊者：這是因為那個關於川普的笑話——我已經說過了，你還記得嗎，那次暗殺未遂，他倖存下來是因為有人說了「唐老鴨 Donald Duck」（英文duck亦有躲避之意）。
我講述這樣的故事和笑話，單純是因為，你知道嗎，有時候確實需要為了國家利益、為了氣候變遷和世界和平這類議題而對政治產生興趣並認真看待。但有時我覺得人們做得太過火了，有時甚至過火到產生暴力，你知道嗎，即使在民主國家也是如此。
正因如此，我喜歡講笑話和有趣故事的原因之一就是：當你講笑話時，無論你是共和黨、民主黨、中間派或任何其他立場——每個人都會笑。一個有趣的故事確實能將人們凝聚在一起。
你知道嗎，有時我覺得你們都知道，我其實會接觸到這些掌權者，像是總統之類的人物。我們必須承認，當你參加佛教國家的這類會議時，其中一位讓我覺得非常可怕的人是柬埔寨共和國的總統，洪森。我不知道為什麼，但當我因為代表澳洲佛教界而上前與他交談時，我真的很怕他。他看起來是個非常危險的人物。其他人就沒那麼可怕了。
其中一位我其實挺喜歡的人——你們可能會因為我喜歡這傢伙而感到不快——就是總統拉賈帕克薩，第一位的那位。他讓我產生好感的原因是，他邀請我（我那時頗有名氣）到他的住所吃早餐。這是許多人樂意做的事，就是供養僧侶。第一件讓我對他產生好感的事，就是他提供我烤豆子，就像你們其中一位——你知道我今天說的是你——你在採訪時也給過我烤豆子。如果你們做這樣的事，我總是會多關注你們一點。我承認，這是賄賂！雖然只是小事，但總之就這樣。
另一件讓我對他產生好感的事，是他來見我的時候。我已經到了他的地方，他顯然剛起床，因為他正揉著眼睛，看起來非常疲倦。他看著我時說的第一句話是：「我是個失敗者。」他說出了那些話；我永遠不會忘記。他是個失敗者。然後他說，他那時從政（這是他說的——雖然有其他很多證據顯示他行為不端）是為了嘗試尋找一個和平的、佛教式的方案來解決與坦米爾人的衝突。他說他失敗了，然後他才採取了軍事選項。
但總之，有時你能更深入地看透一個人，你知道嗎，當你實際上較為隨意地見到他們時，而且如果你是個僧侶，他們某種上不得不說實話。正因如此，你有時能看到從政者承受的壓力。而我給你們當中任何曾考慮踏上那條路的人的建議是：請遠離政治。你開始時是個好人，但政治這種東西會逐漸腐化你。
2024年11月 (13/19) | 9日禪修 | 布拉姆尊者
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq42fCTl5Rs&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=13
《Meditation and psychic power 禪修與神通》
《Meditation and psychic power 禪修與神通》
Devotee: What is the link between meditation practice and the development of psychic abilities, if any?
Ajahn Brahm: Oh my goodness, when your mind becomes very strong, it becomes strong because you're not putting so much energy into watching the body. When the mind becomes very strong, it's fantastic, but you got to be very careful again not to keep telling people about those because people would always ask you questions.
I remember this when we first came to Perth and I was basically the attendant of Ajahn Cagaro. We're sitting together in Magnolia Street Temple and this little boy came up, maybe six or seven years of age, and said, "How many?"
And Ajahn, "How many what?"
"How many inches?"
"How many inches what?"
He said, "Ajahn Cagaro, how many inches can you levitate?" That was a conversation. He wanted Ajahn Cagaro to levitate in front of him.
No way.
What happens if he did? What would happen? Imagine the amount of praise you could get when you are the monk, Ajahn Cagaro , in the Olympic Games high jump? Come on, it's okay to be silly, but how could it work anyway?
When you get into the realm of the mind, the mind has incredible powers; it's so strong. Those powers I already mentioned that lady—she was actually a Thai princess—how she got terrified with seeing this monk with laser eyes, real. I'm not making it up. And that's always a case; you see that in some of the stories in the Pali Canon years ago, that people get terrified that someone has so much energy and power. They don't intend to use it badly.
One of my first experiences when I was at Wat Pah Pong, just a young monk not really understanding much of what was going on, and this monk came down to all the monks. He saw including me, and I was so junior, and bowed to us all, just in line. I thought, "No, look, I'm junior to you, you can't bow to me," but he did anyway. And he bowed to everybody, this monk. And of course I asked what was he doing that for. Then they told me the story that, you know, he had some great meditation and that he said he could hear these conversations a long distance away. You know, what in the suttas and Vinaya they call the divine ear; you can hear what people say long distance away, even like heavenly beings. And if anybody says that, that's a really dangerous thing to say. The monks were obliged to check him out: was this true or not? So they arranged a conversation to be told over in the village, about 6 or 8 km away in the market, and it turned out he could do that. He was right; he could hear people speaking 6 or 8 kilometers away.
And so, once it was proven to be correct, you know what this monk did? He bowed to all the monks in that monastery, including me—I was just so young, just newly ordained—and he disappeared. He went off into the jungles and the forest on the advice of Ajahn Chah--- to avoid, you know, becoming well-known and becoming famous. That's what we had to do. So if aya chanda exhibits a psychic power, then it's natural she will just disappear somewhere; you won't see her again. If *muddo* does a psychic power, she would just, at the first opportunity, go somewhere else so she can't be tracked down.
2024 November (11/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
信眾：禪修練習與神通的發展之間，如果有任何聯繫的話，是什麼呢？
布拉姆尊者：噢，我的天啊，當你的心變得非常強大時，它之所以強大，是因為你沒有把那麼多能量放在看身體上。當心變得非常強大時，那感覺棒極了，但你必須非常小心，不要再一直告訴別人這些事，因為人們總是會問你問題。
我記得我們剛到珀斯的時候，那時我基本上是阿姜查格羅的侍者。我們一起坐在木蘭街寺廟裡，一個小男孩走過來，大概六、七歲，他說：「多少？」阿姜問：「多少什麼？」「多少英寸？」「多少英寸什麼？」他說：「阿姜查格羅，你能飄浮多少英寸？」這就是他想要的對話。他想讓阿姜查格羅在他面前飄浮。那是不可能的。
如果他真的做了，會發生什麼事？後果會怎樣？想像一下，如果你作為阿姜查格羅這位比丘，在奧運會跳高項目中，能獲得多少讚美？拜託，開開玩笑無妨，但這怎可以發生？
當你進入心的領域時，心擁有不可思議的力量；它是如此強大。我已經提過那位女士的力量——她其實是一位泰國公主——她如何因為看到一位眼睛能發出雷射光的比丘而嚇壞了，這是真的。我不是在編故事。這種情況經常發生；你在多年前的巴利經典的一些故事中會看到，人們會因為某人擁有如此巨大的能量和力量而感到恐懼。他們並非意圖不良地使用它。
我早期的一次經歷，當時我在巴蓬寺，還是個年輕比丘，不太了解發生什麼事，有一位比丘來到所有比丘面前。他看到了包括我在內的所有人，我那時資歷很淺，他卻向我們所有人一排地頂禮。我心想：「不，你看，我資歷比你淺，你不能向我頂禮。」但他還是做了。這位比丘向每個人頂禮。當然我問了為什麼他要這樣做。然後他們告訴我那個故事，說他有了很深的禪修，並且他說他能聽到很遠距離外的對話。你知道，就是在經律中他們所稱的「天耳通」；你能聽到遠方的人說話，甚至天眾的話也能聽到。如果有人這麼說，那是一件非常危險的事。僧侶們有義務去查證：這是真的還是假的？所以他們安排了一個對話，在村子裡，大約6到8公里外的市場進行，結果證明他做得到。他是對的；他能聽到6到8公里外的人說話。
於是，一旦被證實是真的，你知道這位比丘做了什麼嗎？他向寺院裡所有的比丘頂禮，包括我——我那時還那麼年輕，剛受戒不久——然後他就消失了。他依照阿姜查的建議，進入了叢林和森林裡，以避免，你知道的，變得有名和聲名大噪。這是我們必須做的事。所以，如果 aya chanda 展現了神通，那麼她自然就會消失到某個地方；你再也見不到她。如果muddo展現了神通，她也會一有機會就跑到別的地方，這樣才不會被追蹤到。
2024年十一月 (11/19) | 九日禪修營 | 布拉姆尊者
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
《Stop wanting if you want it 如果你想要，就停止想要》
《Stop wanting if you want it 如果你想要，就停止想要》
If you really want something, stop wanting it. If the little donkey wants to get the carrot or the hamburger, whatever is on the end of that string, he's got to not run after it; it comes to him or her. And this is actually the weird thing about the Dharma that's why many people never achieve anything, because they want it. And sometimes they get very close, just to the last minute.
Many of you have asked me that question in the interviews: how do you stop that? So sometimes you see this beautiful bliss, and you know it's going to be full of great insights, you know you're not supposed to go towards it. Then when it's right in front of you, you can't help yourself and destroy it. You can't say to yourself when it's right in front of you, "I must not grab it, I must not," that's just too gross at that particular time of the meditation.
So what you do, you program your mindfulness at the beginning of the meditation. Those people who get very close to the jhanas or nimittas, these beautiful bliss, you know beforehand you should not reach out towards it or try and grasp it, just like in the simile of the animals coming out by the still forest pool. Be quiet, almost disappear, vanish. You know, your sense of self and doing and attaining things and getting things is replaced by letting go. But how do you actually do that? You brainwash yourself or condition yourself at the beginning of the meditation. You're just sitting down for the first time, nowhere near any jhana. Sit down on your cushion or your chair and you tell yourself, "If I get a nice meditation, if it starts getting peaceful, I will not attach to those beautiful experiences. I will not control them. I will let go." You say that, and after a while that actually gets right inside of you, and that's how you train yourself to behave. You will be a let-goer instead of like an attainer.
You know what I said earlier before: Ajahn Brahm cannot enter jhana. And why? Because "I" disappears first. You disappear, you vanish, you're not there, so you can't do anything. And it happens naturally, automatically; it's the nature of things, the default state.
Consider this: as you go outside, there's enough light outside. Look at one of the bushes or the trees and see if the leaves of that bush are moving. If they are moving, why? It's because of a wind. If there is no wind, hasn't been wind for hours, do those leaves of the bushes move? They're perfectly still, because that's their nature to be still. And Ajahn Chah gave that simile and he said, that's the nature of your mind. It's its nature to be still. You only make it move by wanting something.' So lovely simile. If you really know how to let go, not attain anything, you become perfectly still.
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (11/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
如果你真的想要某樣東西，就停止想要它。如果小驢子想得到胡蘿蔔或漢堡，無論繩子末端綁的是什麼，牠都不能去追；它自然會來到牠身邊。這正是佛法奇妙之處——許多人一事無成，正是因為他們太過渴望。有時他們已非常接近目標，卻在最後一刻功虧一簣。
許多人曾在面談中問我：如何停止這種情況？有時候你會見到那種美妙至福，明知其中蘊含深刻洞見，也清楚不該主動追求。但當它近在眼前時，你總會情不自禁地毀掉它。當它就在眼前時，你無法對自己說「我絕不能抓取，絕不能」，在禪修的當下，這種念頭本身就太過粗重。
解決之道是在禪修開始時就設定正念。那些即將觸及禪那或禪相（nimittas）這類美妙境界的人，要事先知曉不該伸手攫取，就像森林靜池旁動物逐漸現身的譬喻——你要保持安靜，幾近消失，化為烏有。讓那種對自我、作為、獲取與成就的執著，被「放下」取代。具體該怎麼做？要在禪修初始時進行自我洗腦或制約。當你初次坐下，離禪那境界尚遠時，就在坐墊或椅子上告訴自己：「若進入佳境，若開始感受寧靜，我絕不執著於這些美好體驗，絕不試圖控制，全然放手。」反覆自我告誡後，這意念會逐漸內化，由此訓練出「放下者」而非「獲取者」的修行姿態。
正如我先前提過：阿姜·布拉姆無法進入禪那。為何？因為「我」已率先消融。你消失了，你不存在了，自然無從造作。這過程自然發生，自動運轉——是萬物本然，本來狀態。
試想：當你走到戶外，藉著天光觀察灌木或樹木的葉片。若見枝葉搖曳，何故？因風起。若數小時無風，那些葉片可會晃動？它們靜止如畫，因為靜止本是它們的天然狀態。阿姜·查以此譬喻開示：這正是你心的本性——本自寂然。唯因渴求，才擾動了它。多麼美妙的譬喻！若你真諳放下之道，不再追求獲得，便會回歸完全的靜止。
---阿姜·布拉姆
圖片版權歸原始所有者
2024年11月（11/19）| 九日禪修營 | 阿姜·布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
《A lady who flukes Jhana 偶然進入禪那的女士》
《A lady who flukes Jhana 偶然進入禪那的女士》
Some of the people who get these Jhanas, sometimes it's almost like they fluke it. This one lady, okay, this is the lady in the Penang, because her friends are over in Penang—students over there, disciples, whatever you call them, followers—they told me there was a lady there who'd been to see every type of psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor; no one can solve her problem. She just came to see me, or any monastic, because we're cheap; it's really good value for money.
So anyway, she came to see me and asked what her problem was. She said she had this—it's almost like a psychosis, that's what she said. I said, what was it like, what happened? And then she started just describing what happened to her, and then with a big smile on my face I said, "Lady, that wasn't a psychosis, that was a Jhana." And I said a few other of the things she would have experienced. Yes, yeah, that was what it was, that's what it was like. And she was actually so happy because no one had actually taught her about these things, and no one had understood what was happening. And all the psychiatrists had an interesting one; they'd look in the books, you know, not Buddhist books, but you know, psychology books, and say, "Oh, you know, well, maybe you should take some Valium and it will go away." That's terrible.
But anyway, just by good fortune she came to see me, and then it was—I'm not making it up—it was actually a real one, and because I could add a few more details she hadn't told me, you know, she was absolutely convinced. I checked out the last time I was in Penang now, how is she? And they said that changed her whole life, and she does a lot of meditation now.
But actually, these things kind of happen to you, you're not even trying. Of course, it must be from a past life, but not just a past life. Sometimes people, the other time I found that they're in such great trauma, something really bad's happened to them, that basically they let go—because they can't stand being here—and they let go enough that they just enter these states. They haven't got a clue what they were; they really go for it and they have these deep meditations, not even like sitting down in a meditation posture. It's rare, but I have come across that. So it's done.
--Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (11/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
有些體驗到這些禪那的人，有時幾乎可說是偶然碰上的。這位女士，好吧，就是檳城故事裡的那位女士——因為她在檳城的朋友們（那邊的學生、弟子，隨你怎麼稱呼，追隨者）告訴我，當地有位女士曾遍訪各種心理師、精神科醫師、諮商師，卻無人能解決她的問題。她只是來找我，或任何僧侶，因為我們不用錢，可說是物超所值。
總之，她來見我並詢問她的問題究竟是什麼。她說自己患有——幾乎像是精神病，她是這麼描述的。我問：具體是什麼感覺？發生什麼事？她便開始描述自身的經歷，聽完後我滿臉笑容地說：「女士，那不是精神失常，那是禪那。」我還補充了幾項她必定體驗過的其他現象。沒錯，就是如此，這正是當時的狀況。她聽完欣喜萬分，因為從未有人真正教導她這些知識，也無人理解她經歷的真相。那些精神科醫師的處理方式很有趣——他們翻閱的不是佛教典籍，而是心理學教材，然後說：「呃，或許你該服用些鎮定劑，症狀就會消失。」這實在太糟糕了。
但無論如何，她幸運地來見我，而那次經歷——我並非杜撰——確實是真正的禪定。由於我能說出幾件她未曾提及的細節，她對此深信不疑。後來我重訪檳城時特地探問她的近況，他們說這個領悟徹底改變了她的人生，現在她經常靜坐修禪。
其實這類體驗有時會自然發生，甚至無需刻意追求。當然，這很可能源自前世修行的積累，但不僅於此。我曾發現某些人經歷巨大創傷時，因無法承受現實的痛苦而徹底放下執著——就在這放下的瞬間，他們直接進入了禪那狀態。這些人完全不明白發生了什麼，卻能深入禪定，甚至不需要以打坐姿勢進行。這種情況雖罕見，但我確實遇過實例。事情就是這樣。
--阿姜布拉姆
2024年11月（11/19）｜9日禪修營｜阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J4MLepEUZA&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=11
《Thank God 感謝上帝》
《Thank God 感謝上帝》
Why did the Buddha not just disappear? Out of compassion and kindness for others, actually, it was the person who assisted him. He's called Sahampati—you know that story? After the Buddha became enlightened, Sahampati came up and said, you know, that there are many beings in this world with little dust in their eyes; please teach for the compassion of the many.
You know who Sahampati was? He was one of the other Buddha-friends of the Buddha, a monk under the Kasappa the Buddha, and he became a non-returner. They call him Brahma Sampati—I don't know why they call him that name. The non-returners do live in the, what is it called again, the Suddhāvāsa. Sometimes they call that a Brahma realm, but they're not like a god. I remember sometimes people translate Sahampati as "the god Sampati"—it's a bit of a weak translation. But I loved it because I said if Sampati hadn't come to advise the Buddha, there would be no Buddhism today. So I often say, "Thank God for Buddhism!" —I'm a really cheeky monk, I agree with that. But anyway, that was Sahampati
為何佛陀沒有就此小時？正是出於對眾生的慈悲與善意。事實上，有位關鍵人物勸請了佛陀——你們聽過薩漢波提（Sahampati）的故事嗎？佛陀證悟後，這位梵天來到世尊面前說：「世間仍有許多塵垢較少的眾生，祈請您懷著悲憫心為大眾說法。」
你們知道薩漢波提是誰嗎？他原是佛陀的故友，曾是迦葉佛底下的比丘，後來證得了不還果。人們稱他為梵天薩漢波提。不還果聖者居住在稱為五淨居天的梵天界，雖然稱為梵天，但他們並非一般意義的神祇。我記得有些經典將薩漢波提譯作「上帝薩漢波提」，這種譯法雖不夠精準，但我非常欣賞——因為若當初沒有薩漢波提勸請佛陀，今日就不會有佛法流傳。所以我常說：「感謝上帝薩漢波提！感謝天神護佑佛教！」（眾笑）身為比丘說這種話確實有些俏皮，但我真心認同這個觀點。總之，這就是薩漢波提勸請佛法的因緣。
----Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
《A monk who entered into deep stillness for 8 days 深入禪定八日的比丘》
《A monk who entered into deep stillness for 8 days 深入禪定八日的比丘》
I'll tell this inspiring story. There was a Vietnamese meditation teacher in the south of Vietnam, in a region so close to Cambodia that the people there were all Theravada Buddhists in the lower part, while Mahayana Buddhists were in the middle and upper regions. Anyway, this Theravada monk, a good teacher, traveled to Sydney and led a nine-day retreat, similar to what I do, but he conducted it a little differently.
He began with what was supposed to be a half-hour meditation session followed by an opening talk. Everyone gathered, and since they had been on meditation retreats before and there was a tradition of Buddhism, they didn't need much initial briefing. So, he started meditating, and everyone joined in. They were all there, and the session began at 7:30. When 8:00 came, he didn't ring any bell; he just kept meditating. When 8:30 arrived, he still hadn't come out of meditation—he just carried on.
For eight days, he didn't move. He didn't drink any water, do any chanting, have any breakfast or lunch, or give any talk whatsoever—no instructions, no teachings. He just sat there like a Buddha statue. As it got late at night, the people wanted a talk, but he just sat there, so they went to bed. They got up in the morning, and he was still sitting there, unmoved. Even during the morning, he just sat without giving any talks. They went to breakfast, and he kept sitting there. If anyone needed to use the toilet or anything, life went on around him. This continued for eight days.
When he eventually came out of meditation after eight days—in the Vinaya, they usually say only seven days, but he did eight—as soon as he emerged, he apologized. He said, "I'm sorry. I got into this deep meditation, and now that I've come out, I never gave you any talks or any instructions." The people responded, "No, just looking at you, just seeing that this is possible in today's world—that was enough." They were so inspired and said that the inspiration of seeing someone actually practicing was better than any instructions.
That's why, you know, for all the nuns, you don't always have to teach. Sometimes, just sitting there is inspiring. So, that is possible. But his mistake was that he said, "I should have—'' I know what he should have done. When he started his meditation, he should have said to himself, "I'll come out at 8:00." You make that resolution when you're going to come out, and it works. So, if you start at 7:30, you've got to be more precise: "I've got to come out at 8:00. I've got to come out at 8:00 this evening." (laughter)
And if you don't believe me that this is possible, tonight I said to a couple of people during the interviews, "What time are you going to get up tomorrow morning? Say, 4:00 a.m. or 5:00 a.m. I don't know—say 5:00 a.m. You're going to get up tomorrow morning? Then tell yourself, 'I will get up at five minutes to 5:00.'" You can still say your alarm is for 5:00, but you'll wake up at five minutes to 5:00. Do that a few times, and you have no worries at all—it always works. Then you don't have to worry about alarm clocks; it just happens. You're programming your mind, and your mind is amazing in how it responds to that program.
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
讓我分享這個啟發人心的故事。在越南南部毗鄰柬埔寨的邊境地區，下緬甸聚居區全是南傳佛教徒，而中上游區域則是北傳佛教徒。有位南傳法師——一位出色的禪修導師，前往雪梨主持為期九日的禪修營，形式與我帶領的相似，但他的方式頗為獨特。
原定流程是先進行半小時禪修，再接開示環節。由於學員都有禪修基礎，且熟悉佛教傳統，無需太多前置說明。於是七點三十分準時開始共修，眾人隨他一同靜坐。當時鐘走向八點，他未敲引磬；八點三十分依然穩坐如鐘——他就這樣持續禪修下去。
整整八日之間，他未曾移動分毫。不飲水、不誦經、不用餐、不開示，沒有任何形式的指導，只是如佛龕中的聖像般寂然安坐。夜深時分，當學員期待開示，只見他仍沉浸於禪定之中，眾人只得各自歇息。翌日清晨，他依舊維持原姿。早餐時分，日常作息如常運轉，唯有他始終端坐蒲團。這般情境持續了八個晝夜。
當他終於出定之時——律典通常記載七日為限，他卻持續了八日——甫睜眼便誠懇致歉：「實在抱歉，我意外進入深定，未能為諸位開示指導。」然而學員們紛紛表示：「僅是見證您成就如此境界，知曉當世仍有人能達此境，便已足夠。」眾人深受震撼，異口同聲地說：親見實修者的風範，遠勝千言萬語的教導。
正因如此，各位法師、尼師當知，教化未必總需言語。有時僅僅安住於正念之中，本身便是最有力的啟迪。這故事證明了身心解脫的真實可能。不過事後法師反省道：「我本該....」 我知道他本該做什麼，他本該在入定前決意：『將於八點出定』。」若能如此設定心念，必然奏效。好比七點三十分入坐時，若能明確意念：「今晚八點必當出定」（現場笑聲）。
若諸位存疑，且聽我今日小參時與數位學員的對話：「明晨預定幾時起身？四點或五點？姑且定在五點吧。那麼請對自己立願：『我將在四點五十五分醒來』。」鬧鐘仍可設定五點，但你的心自會提前甦醒。反覆練習數次後，你將發現無須依賴鬧鐘——這便是心念程式的奧妙。當你如實編程，心靈自會精準回應，其運作機制確實不可思議。
---阿姜布拉姆
2024年11月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
《People can feel our loving kindness 人們能感受到我們的慈心》
《People can feel our loving kindness 人們能感受到我們的慈心》
Maybe we could do a loving-kindness, a Metta, loving-kindness meditation towards a participant who is ill and towards others who need it. We always do that when we do the chanting, you know; that's one of the reasons we do the chanting. It's not just to reflect on the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, it's also to actually [generate] all that good energy you have. And your energy should be much sort of stronger than usual, could you be meditating, keeping precepts, and practicing kindness. The more that comes up, the more powerful that is. And so if you think of a person, someone who's sick on this retreat—actually, each one of us is sick in more or less ways—but some people may be extremely sick, and imagine what it feels like for them if they know that everybody is just focusing on them for a few moments and giving them this beautiful loving-kindness. You think they feel it? My goodness, they do.
And to prove it, the last day of this retreat I'm going to do this loving-kindness guided meditation, what I usually do. Towards the end of it, you know, when you just spread loving-kindness to all beings, and I say, "Now, not quite at the end yet," because the—oh, I won't, I won't give this one away—uh, at the just before the end of the loving-kindness meditation, I ask you to think of somebody who's kind of sick, someone you know very well, you know, not even here, but who's very, very ill or scared or having some difficulties. And then I ask you to really just douse them, bathe them with your loving-kindness, and really get into it and do it for about two or three minutes, and I guide you to do this. You know, your father or something: "May he be happy and well, and may those illnesses and sicknesses and troubles he has in his life—maybe don't worry about, you know, if he was responsible for them—that they're there, you know, may he have some peace and happiness and freedom from pain and suffering." I go like that for 2 or 3 minutes, and then I usually look at the clock and I write down the time. And then I carry on with the loving-kindness meditation.
After the meditation is finished, then I tell you what that time was, and I suggest to you that when you go home after the retreat, you contact that person. Just, you know, give them a call on your iPhone or something. And once you give them a call, just talk about anything, and then start to say, "Oh, you know, I was... how are you? And what were you doing, you know, say it was 9:45 on Sunday morning?" And you'll be just dumbfounded. They'll say, "Oh, 9:45? You know, I was thinking about you then." I say that because in those old days when I used to do that regularly, that all of you would actually ring me up on a Sunday afternoon. "Brring, brring, I must get through to you!" "Yeah, what is it? What problem? It's another a problem?" But it worked. My father said he was thinking about me with lots of kindness and love, and then I put the phone—"Yes! I told you it would work!" And then another phone call comes in and says, "It works!" "Yeah, I know," put the phone down. Another phone call. That's why I don't do it that often. It does work, but you know, it's just proving it to you. And these are people aren't even here, maybe in a different continent.
Anyway, please do it. And if you don't do it all together, do it yourself. You know who they are. It may be somebody who's been very kind to you, or even if they haven't been kind to you, just think of them, visualize them if you can, and all of your energy. Don't think you haven't got enough love and kindness in you; the more you give out, the more you have. And so it works.
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
或許我們可以為一位生病的學員，以及其他需要的人進行慈心禪。我們在誦經時總是這樣做，你知道嗎？這正是我們誦經的原因之一。不僅僅是憶念佛法僧，更是為了真正凝聚你們擁有的所有善能量。當你們持續禪修、持戒、實踐慈悲時，這種能量會比平時更加強大。這樣的力量累積越深，就越發強而有力。試想，若是將這份美好的慈心在片刻間專注傳遞給一位正在受苦的學員——其實我們每人都或多或少帶著病痛——那些重病之人若知道此時所有人都正將這份美麗的慈心傾注於他，你認為他們能感受到嗎？天啊，他們確實能感受到。
為證實這點，這次禪修最後一日我將引導慈心禪，如同往常那般。在禪修接近尾聲，當你們正將慈心擴及一切眾生時，我會說：「現在還未結束」——因為，噢，我先不透露這個環節——是這樣的，就在慈心禪即將圓滿前，我會請你們憶起一位正在受苦的人，可能是你非常熟悉的親友，或許他遠在千里之外，正承受重病、恐懼或種種困境。接著請你們全然浸潤他，用慈心徹底沐浴他，我會引導你們全神貫注地持續二至三分鐘。比如對父親這樣觀想：「願他喜樂安康，願他生命中的病痛與煩憂——不必執著這些是否由他造成——願這些苦厄得以平息，願他獲得寧靜喜樂，從痛苦中解脫。」我持續引導兩三分鐘後，會特意記下當下時刻，再繼續完成禪修。
禪修結束後，我會告訴你們那個特定時刻，並建議你們返家後聯繫那個人。只需用手機撥通電話，閒話家常後不經意問起：「對了，週日早上九點四十五分左右，你當時正在做什麼呢？」而對方的反應總令人驚嘆——他們會驚呼：「九點四十五分？那時我正好想起你！」我如此確信，是因為早年我經常進行這樣的實驗，結果週日下午總會接到絡繹不絕的來電。鈴聲響個不停，來電者總是急著要與我通話。雖然接起電話時我常開玩笑說：「又怎麼了？遇到什麼新難題了嗎？」但這方法確實靈驗。我父親就曾坦言，那時刻他正滿懷慈愛地思念著我。掛上電話那刻，我總忍不住歡呼：「看吧！我就說這有效！」接著又一通來電確認：「真的有效！」我只能笑著回應：「我早就知道了。」正因效果太顯著，現在我反而不敢常做這樣的實驗——儘管它確實屢試不爽，而這些對象甚至可能遠在地球另一端。
總之，請你們務必嘗試。即使不集體進行，也可以獨自實踐。你心裡自然明白該將慈心送往何處。對方可能是曾善待你的人，即便不曾施恩於你，也請憶起他們，盡可能清晰地觀想，傾注你全部能量。別擔心自己慈心不足，愈是給予，你擁有的就愈多——這便是慈心運作的奇妙法則。
---阿姜布拉姆
2024年11月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
《We are not responsible provided there is not free will? 如果沒有自由意志，我們就不需負責嗎？》
《We are not responsible provided there is not free will? 如果沒有自由意志，我們就不需負責嗎？》
Devotee: How are we responsible for our actions if everything is due to cause and conditions and we didn't have any free will?
Ajahn Brahm: Indeed, you're not responsible, but the responsibility comes to you anyway in your process. In other words, if you don't clean up after the meal, then tomorrow those dishes are going to be dirty, even if you think, "It's not my fault, I've got no will, I couldn't choose to not clean up the dishes." And when you eat the food the following morning, you're the one who's going to feel sick, even though it's not "me'' being sick, you know, it's only the body feeling the sickness. But you do get results, whether you think there's a will there or not. In other words, you can't escape the consequences of actions.
So you see something needs to be done; it's not "responsible," you do it just out of kindness and compassion, not because you have to, it's your job, your name is on the duty roster. You do it, you know? I don't like duty rosters. That's once, you know, over when I was in Thailand as a young monk, sometimes you had a bit of extra energy and, you know, sometimes by mistake you got up early. So I remember a couple of times I did all the duties on the Wat Pha Nanachat for everybody. It took me an hour, not that long, it's pretty easy to do. And then when the bell went for the afternoon chores, I told everybody, "You can just have a cup of tea now, I've done all the chores for you." I thought I was crazy, but I got so much joy out of that. Why not? Sometimes even in the morning—no, I shouldn't say that—sometimes I got up early because my clock stopped, and so I thought it must be around 3:00 now, and I rang the bell in the morning; it's only 2:00. He didn't like me for that, because once you woke up you can't go back to bed again. Anyway, had fun.
2024 November (9/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
信徒：如果一切都是由因緣條件所決定，我們根本沒有自由意志，那我們又該如何為自己的行為負責呢？
阿姜布拉姆：確實，從本質上來說你無需「負責」，但責任依然會在你的生命進程中顯現。換句話說，如果你飯後不收拾碗盤，明天那些碗盤依然會變得髒污——即使你心想「這不是我的錯，我沒有選擇權，我根本無法決定要不要洗盤子」。而當你隔天早晨吃了那些碗盤盛放的食物，感到不適的終究是你自己，即便你認為「生病的不是我，只是這個身體在感受病痛」。但無論你是否認為存在自由意志，你都必然會承受行為帶來的結果。換言之，你永遠無法逃脫業果的法則。
當你明白有些事情必須被完成時，這並非出於「責任」的強迫，而是源自內在的善意與慈悲。不是因為職責要求，不是因為值日表上寫著你的名字。你知道嗎？我向來不喜歡值日表制度。記得年輕時在泰國修行，有時精力特別充沛，偶爾還會意外早起。有幾次我主動承擔了寺院裡所有值日工作，前後不過一小時，其實並不費事。當下午值勤鐘聲響起時，我對大家說：「各位可以安心喝茶了，所有工作我都已完成。」當下覺得自己簡直瘋了，卻從中感受到無比的喜悅。何樂而不為呢？有時清晨——唉，這話本不該說——有時我的鐘錶停了，誤以為已近凌晨三點而敲響晨鐘，事後才發現當時才兩點。寺裡長老對此頗有微詞，畢竟眾人既醒便難再眠。不過，這些都是趣事了。
2024年11月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
《People taking advantage of us? 人們在利用我們嗎？》
《People taking advantage of us? 人們在利用我們嗎？》
Devotee: If somebody is taking advantage of you, expects you to clean up after them all the time, or pay for everything for them, or be at their back and call all the time, what is the best way to respond?
Ajahn Brahm: I know that one, oh yeah, thank you. Kind of that describes my life, hehehe, but I'm happy to be taken advantage of.
And that's even today I said, "take advantage of me" to somebody for a conference some time later on. That's a job of a monk. Is that a job of a boddhisattva?
You know, sometimes you try and make contacts with people of other Buddhism as well. And I remember just asking one of these nuns, I really liked her, she's a monk, a nun from Fo Kuang Shan. Her name, believe it or not, was Venable Yiha, yeah, at least that's what I remember. And she was really feisty, actually. It was her I remember her at a conference over in Singapore years ago, and the question came up. I was on the panel about the ordination of bhikkhunis, and I said, "Well, you know, at that time it's a little bit difficult because this problem, that problem." And then she got to the microphone again and she said, "You know, Ajahn Brahm, that's so patronizing." And I really appreciated that.
I said, "Actually, you're right." So I always remember her for that. She really pushed me to make sure that I could think again, and of course this is the result now which is wonderful. We've actually ordained bhikkhunis, you know, in Buddhism, in Theravada Buddhism, was very, very groundbreaking. All the arguments were there, but you know, okay. She was this person who basically kicked my ass and made me do it. I'm very thankful for that.
And also I do remember at the very end of that one of the conference, I invited her here for, and then I just sent her off back to United States. And when I sent her off, you know, we just had a little discussion before she left and I asked her, "How many disciples have you got?" She said, "No, I don't have any sort of disciples. I don't lead a monastery and just go around teaching, that's all." And I said, "And you call yourself following the Bodhisattva precept?" We had lovely discussions like that. And she said, "No, no, no, no, no, you're more Bodhisattva-ful than I am." I thought about that: sacrificing my comfort and well-being for others, I think that's pretty fair. In other words, there's no blooming difference between Bodhisattva Mahayana and Theravada. I can't see the difference really. There's only one Buddha. You do as much as you can for others, and that service gives you the energy inside. And if you just expect other people to look after you, then you don't have much energy. It's weird, but I first discovered this—I never look at these questions before and so I'm just answering as I go along—there was many Forest monks in my generation, and I don't know why, but I always like to help whenever I can. That kindness was right inside of me from the early days.
And so when they needed to have their visas done, they went off into the forest of Thailand into the caves, and I did the visas for them. And sometimes they had a lot of perfect opportunities to develop deep meditation. And I know I still have plenty of opportunities, but not as many as they had. I was just making sure the visas were done properly so they had no problem with the government. And when we would meet together and discuss things, "How's your meditation going? What was it like in that cave? What was it like in that quiet monastery?" And I was surprised, I'm being honest with you, my meditation was deeper than theirs were, even though they had far more opportunities for solitude. It took me a long time to reconcile that. You know, is it just you have to do work for others to get deep meditation? It's actually, in a sense, yes. That service is part of the Buddhist practice for Theravada, Mahayana, whoever, because that service—what is it? It's letting go and developing this beautiful sense of metta, kindness, compassion to things. And if you're just trying to get something out of the practice... This is what Ajahn Chah told me so many times: you meditate not to attain things, but to let go of things. He said that so many times. You meditate to let go, not to get. And you know, to get this attainment, that attainment, and I've seen in my life, honestly, so many obstacles and difficulties. When people come to a retreat or they go to a nice quiet place, "Okay, I'm going to really go for it this time. Go for what?" You already started off, "I am going to go for something." You're actually strengthening your sense of self, not weakening it.
So I was surprised that, you know, I would always be helping and trying to do my best to help others, but still, after you've helped others, you sat down and meditate, and your mind was so uplifted. You had energy and joy. You know, some people are saying they find it hard when they meditate to get enough happiness in their mind. I don't really have that problem. And then when you meditate and you get still enough, oh, the mind feels so wonderful, so lovely. That's why I enjoy, I said, teaching a retreat like this; I get a chance to meditate as well. And when I do, you know, just it's gorgeous, having a wonderful time. But I think it's also you need some of that caring as well.
So, should you just sacrifice your whole life to serve others, or should you just be selfish and just practice for yourself?
The answer comes from this little anecdote which I've always been saying when I do marriage blessings now. Honestly, I've been a celibate monk for over 50 years, what do I know about marriages? I should be the last person you ask for marriage advice. But nevertheless, people like my advice because it also teaches you something about your own practice of good relationships with your own mind and body, and with the people around you. And a good example of that is I remember so many times, you see the bride and the groom next to each other and all googly-eyed, they're getting married today, and they trust me. And I said, "Now you're already married, ''
I can't do the marriage ceremony,I just do the blessing. ''Now you're married, you must promise me." Looking at the bride, "So you must never think of yourself from this moment on. Don't think of yourself." And she looks at me, she smiles straight away, "Yes." And now look at the husband, especially if he's an Australian husband, sorry guys, but this is just anecdotal, this is my experience, okay. And I look at him and said, "Same with you. From this moment on, you must never think of yourself as well," to the husband. "So you must not think of yourself, you're a married man now." And he always pauses, eventually he gives in and says, "Okay." Actually, he's much better than that. But then, still looking at the husband, and I said, "What I just said a moment ago, you must not think of yourself, and also you must not think of your wife from this day on." And he kind of says, "Yeah, okay." And then look at the wife, newly married, "From this day on, you must never think of your husband." And I also look at all the guests as well, and they're the ones, you know, "What's this crazy monk doing at our son's, daughter's, brother's or whatever wedding?" And then, of course, you hit them with the punch line, and the punch—that's not a punch line, it's not a joke, it's actually profound. They don't get it at first, but after, "Oh yeah."
"Once you're married, you must never think of yourself, you must never think of your partner, you must only think of 'us'." You've gone quiet now. If you haven't heard that before, that's actually something people don't think about. You know, in a partnership, it's all about "us." That's the same with a monastery. It's not about me, it's not about training all those monks or nuns who happen to be there or lay people, it's always about "us." That's how it becomes successful. In a retreat center, who's it about? Serving me? Serving the nuns? Serving, you know, the people who are cooking and stuff, cleaning up after everybody? You're the servant? It's never about that. It's always about "us." When you do that, you look after for one another, it becomes a very beautiful moment, beautiful retreat center. And when you meditate, who you meditating for? Us. You understand that? You understand how this meditation becomes really successful. And sometimes, why? Sometimes people think this is a Mahayana meditation center. People are kind to one another. Do you think about other people in this retreat? Make sure you care for them. You don't get in their way. You're quiet for them. When that kind of thing happens, I think it's gorgeous.
Sometimes you see somebody sitting here and they really do get into a nice deep meditation and they miss their lunch. But you know, you sit next to them, opposite them in the dining room, you see they're in here having a beautiful time, so you ask the kitchen managers and you put out some extra food for them, even if it's past noon, and you invite them to eat. If you asked my permission, I'd say, "Yes, please eat." You're not doing this from indulgence; you just had a beautiful meditation. I'd never want anyone to feel that because they have a beautiful meditation and deep meditation they're going to be hungry in the afternoon or evening afterward because of it. Little exception to rules. What are rules there for? To torture you or to assist you? If you haven't had a deep meditation, you could have just fallen asleep during the meditation and then you just wake up just after lunchtime, no way. But if you really have had a nice deep meditation, you can see it pretty quickly, put out some food for them and invite them to eat. They got my full permission. Do you understand that? That's just basic kindness. It inspires you, and when it inspires you, that's always great for your meditation afterwards.
'I'll be out there at their back and called all the time,?'
If they ask you to do something and it's a bit too much... Like many people come and ask me, "Can you please come to Sri Lanka next month?" or "Can you please come to United States?" I haven't been to United States for years. And if you invite me there, you know what I say? I can't say no, that'll be disrespectful. I can't say yes, 'cause I'm too busy. So what I say is, "I'll think about it." I've been thinking about many invitations, not all the time, maybe once a week. hahaha.
Well, that's the best you can do. You can't do everything. So anyway, that's what I do.
'Is it to put up some boundaries? 'Yeah, some boundaries. But boundaries should always be moved.
'Or is it to change your attitude towards a situation or something else?' Changing attitudes is great.
'Somebody asked me to pick things up for you,' yeah, I can do that. You know, you at the moment, if you ever go to Bodhinyana Monastery right now, we have a shortage of anagarikas. One of them has gone over to Thailand with conscort to do some traveling around with a couple of other monks, and sometimes the anagarikas aren't there. Maybe we don't have enough people. So if you go into the kitchen right now after lunch, sometimes some of the monks or the novices, they help dry the dishes and wash up and clean up. And I remember I did that years ago, not that many years ago, there were not that many lay people to help out. So when it came to washing up the dishes, even I just went in there, I was a head monk, I went into the kitchen to help clean up. And one of the Thai ladies saw me, she never complained, she never said anything, she just—I had the dishcloth—and she just took it and grabbed it and pulled it away from me. hahhaa
You didn't need to say anything. "Don't you come in here, this is our job." But at least I did that, and I would have been really happy to help out. That's nice, help out wherever you can, if you can.
信眾：如果有人正在利用你，期望你總是幫他們收拾爛攤子，或者為他們支付所有費用，或者隨時對他們唯命是從，最好的回應方式是什麼？
布拉姆尊者：我知道這個問題，哦，是的，謝謝你。這在某種程度上描述了我的生活，呵呵呵，但我很樂意被利用。
甚至就在今天，我還對某人說，請在稍後的某個會議上「利用我」。那是僧侶的工作。那也是菩薩的工作嗎？
你知道，有時你也會試圖與其他佛教傳統的人建立聯繫。我記得有一次問其中一位比丘尼，我真的很喜歡她，她是佛光山的比丘尼。信不信由你，她的名字叫 Venable Yiha，是的，至少我記得是這樣。她其實非常潑辣。幾年前在新加坡的一次會議上，我記得就是她，當時有問題被提出來。我在一個關於比丘尼授戒的小組討論中，我說：「嗯，你知道，在那個時候有點困難，因為有這個問題、那個問題。」然後她再次拿到麥克風說：「你知道嗎，布拉姆尊者，那說法太居高臨下了。」我真的很感激她這麼說。
我說：「其實，你是對的。」所以我一直因為那件事記得她。她真的推動我，確保我能重新思考，當然，現在的结果非常好。我們實際上已經在佛教中，在上座部佛教中，為比丘尼授戒，這是非常、非常開創性的。所有的論點都存在，但你知道，沒關係。她就是那個基本上踢我屁股、讓我去做這件事的人。我對此非常感激。
我還記得在那次會議結束時，我邀請她來這裡，然後送她回美國。當我送她離開時，你知道，我們在她離開前進行了一次小小的討論，我問她：「你有多少弟子？」她說：「沒有，我沒有任何所謂的弟子。我不掌管寺院，只是到處教學，就這樣。」我說：「而你還稱自己遵循菩薩戒？」我們有過許多這樣愉快的討論。她說：「不、不、不、不、不，你比我更有菩薩樣。」我思考了這一點：為他人犧牲我的舒適和福祉，我認為這很公平。換句話說，大乘菩薩與上座部菩薩之間根本沒有什麼該死的區別。我真的看不出區別。只有一位佛陀。你盡可能為他人做事，而那種服務會給你內在的能量。如果你只期望別人來照顧你，那麼你就不會有太多能量。這很奇妙，但我最初發現這一點——我從未事先看過這些問題，所以我只是邊想邊回答——在我這一代有很多森林僧，我不知道為什麼，但我總是喜歡盡我所能提供幫助。那種善意從早期就深植在我內心。
所以當他們需要辦理簽證時，他們去了泰國的森林、進入山洞，而我為他們辦理了簽證。有時候他們有很多絕佳的機會來發展深度的禪修。我知道我仍然有很多機會，但不如他們多。我只是確保簽證辦理妥當，讓他們不會遇到政府的問題。當我們聚在一起討論事情時，「你的禪修進展如何？在那個山洞裡是什麼樣子？在那個安靜的寺院裡是什麼樣子？」老實說，我很驚訝，我的禪修比他們的更深，儘管他們有遠比我更多的獨處機會。我花了很長時間才理解這一點。你知道，難道必須為他人工作才能獲得深度禪修嗎？實際上，從某種意義上說，是的。那種服務是佛教修行的一部分，無論是上座部、大乘，誰都一樣，因為那種服務——它是什麼？它是放下，並培養這種美麗的慈心、善意、對事物的慈悲。如果你只是試圖從修行中得到什麼……這是阿姜查告訴我無數次的話：你禪修不是為了獲得東西，而是為了放下東西。他說過太多次了。你禪修是為了放下，不是為了得到。你知道，為了得到這個成就、那個成就，老實說，我在生活中看到太多障礙和困難。當人們來到禪修營，或去一個安靜的好地方時，「好了，這次我真的要全力以赴了。追求什麼？」你已經開始了，「我要去追求某樣東西。」你實際上是在加強你的自我感，而不是削弱它。
所以我很驚訝，你知道，我總是樂於幫助他人，盡我所能去幫助別人，但即便如此，在你幫助他人之後，你坐下來禪修，你的心會如此提升。你擁有能量和喜樂。你知道，有些人說他們發現禪修時很難在心中獲得足夠的快樂。我幾乎沒有這個問題。然後當你禪修並達到足夠的靜止時，哦，心感覺如此美妙，如此可愛。這就是為什麼我喜歡，我說，教導像這樣的禪修營；我也有機會禪修。當我這樣做時，你知道，這真是太棒了，度過了一段美好的時光。但我認為你也需要一些那樣的關懷。
那麼，你應該犧牲整個生命來服務他人，還是應該只為自己而自私地修行？
答案來自這個我現在主持婚禮祝福時總是會說的小故事。老實說，我作為獨身梵行僧侶已經超過50年了，我對婚姻能了解多少？我應該是你詢問婚姻建議的最後人選。但儘管如此，人們喜歡我的建議，因為它也教會你一些關於與自己的身心、以及與周圍的人建立良好關係的修行。一個很好的例子是，我記得很多次，你看到新娘和新郎彼此站在一起，眼神充滿愛意，他們今天要結婚了，他們信任我。我說：「現在你們已經結婚了，」我無法主持婚姻儀式，我只做祝福。「現在你們結婚了，必須向我保證。」看著新娘，「所以從此刻起，你絕對不能想著自己。不要想自己。」她看著我，立刻微笑著說：「是的。」然後現在看著丈夫，特別是如果他是澳洲丈夫，抱歉各位，但這只是軼事，是我的經驗，好吧。我看著他說：「你也一樣。從此刻起，你也絕對不能想著自己。」對丈夫說。「所以你不能想著自己，你現在是已婚男人了。」他總是會停頓一下，最終讓步並說：「好吧。」實際上，他比那要好得多。但是，仍然看著丈夫，我說：「我剛才說的，你絕不能想著自己，而且從今天起，你也絕不能想著你的妻子。」他有點說：「嗯，好吧。」然後看著新婚的妻子，「從今天起，你絕對不能想著你的丈夫。」我也看著所有的客人，他們是那些人，你知道，「這個瘋狂的和尚在我們兒子、女兒、兄弟或什麼的婚禮上做什麼？」然後，當然，你給他們來了個妙語，而這妙語——這不是笑點，不是玩笑，它實際上很深刻。他們一開始不明白，但之後，「哦，是的。」
「一旦結婚，你絕不能想著自己，你絕不能想著你的伴侶，你必須只想著『我們』。」你們現在安靜了。如果你以前沒聽過，這其實是人們不會想到的事情。你知道，在伴侶關係中，一切都是關於「我們」。寺院也是一樣。不是關於我，不是關於訓練所有碰巧在那裡的僧侶、尼眾或居士，它總是關於「我們」。這樣才能成功。在禪修中心，是為了誰？服務我？服務尼眾？服務，你知道，那些做飯的人等等，清理大家的碗盤？你是僕人？從來不是關於那個。它總是關於「我們」。當你這樣做時，你們彼此照顧，它就變成一個非常美好的時刻，美好的禪修中心。當你禪修時，你為誰禪修？我們。你明白了嗎？你明白這樣的禪修如何變得真正成功。而有時，為什麼？有時人們認為這是個大乘禪修中心。人們彼此友善。在這個禪修營裡，你會考慮其他人嗎？確保你關心他們。你不妨礙他們。你為他們保持安靜。當這種情況發生時，我覺得太美了。
有時你看到有人坐在這裡，他們真的進入了美好深沉的禪定，錯過了午餐。但你知道，你坐在他們旁邊，在餐廳裡面對著他們，你看到他們在這裡度過了美好的時光，所以你請廚房管理員為他們準備一些額外的食物，即使已經過了中午，然後邀請他們吃。如果你問我的許可，我會說：「是的，請吃吧。」你這樣做不是出於放縱；你只是剛有了美好的禪修。我絕不希望任何人因為有了美好深沉的禪修，而在下午或晚上因此感到飢餓。對規則的小例外。規則是為了什麼？為了折磨你還是為了幫助你？如果你沒有深度的禪修，你可能只是在禪修時睡著了，然後在午餐時間剛過醒來，門兒都沒有。但如果你真的有了美好深沉的禪修，你可以很快看出來，為他們準備一些食物並邀請他們吃。他們得到我的完全許可。你明白了嗎？那只是基本的善意。它激勵你，而當它激勵你時，對你之後的禪修總是很有幫助。
『我會隨時對他們唯命是從嗎？』
如果他們要求你做某事，而有點太過分……像是有很多人來問我：「請問你下個月能來斯里蘭卡嗎？」或者「請問你能來美國嗎？」我已經多年沒去美國了。如果你邀請我去那裡，你知道我怎麼說嗎？我不能說不，那會不尊重。我不能說是，因為我太忙了。所以我說的是：「我會考慮一下。」我一直在考慮很多邀請，不是所有時候，也許一週一次。哈哈哈。
嗯，那是你能做的最好的事了。你無法做所有事。所以無論如何，我就是這樣做的。
『是可以設立一些界限嗎？』是的，一些界限。但界限應該總是可以移動的。
『還是可以改變你對某種情況或別的事情的態度？』改變態度是很好的。
『有人叫我幫你撿東西，』 是的，我可以做。你知道，目前，如果你現在去波迪漢那寺院，我們缺少淨人。其中一位護持著僧侶而去了泰國，與其他幾位僧侶一起旅行，有時淨人不在那裡。也許我們沒有足夠的人手。所以如果你現在午餐後去廚房，有時一些僧侶或沙彌，他們會幫忙擦乾盤子、清洗和清理。我記得幾年前我做過這個，沒多少年前，當時沒有那麼多居士幫忙。所以當要清洗碗盤時，連我也就進去了，我當時是住持，我進廚房幫忙清理。一位泰國女士看到我，她從未抱怨，也從未說什麼，她只是——我拿著洗碗布——她就把它拿走，抓住並從我手中拉開。哈哈哈
你不需要說什麼。「你不要進來這裡，這是我們的工作。」但至少我做了，而且我本來會很樂意幫忙的。那很好，盡你所能提供幫助，如果可以的話。
2024年11月 (9/19) | 9日禪修營 | 布拉姆尊者
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSVN0XaQZS0&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=9
《Awakened awareness? 覺醒的覺知？》
《Awakened awareness? 覺醒的覺知？》
Devotee: Some teachers and practitioners speak of “Stillness” or “awakened awareness”
Ajahn Brahm: that’s kind of a repetition of the same word. If you’re awake, you’re aware; if you’re aware, you’re awake. You can’t be sleepily aware or asleep-aware — it’s not really aware anyway.
I don’t know what other teachers do
Devotee: they say that awakened awareness does not depend upon the five khandhas.
Ajahn Brahm: oh boy. I don't know where they get this from , that’s crazy stuff. Awakened awareness is not dependent on the five khandhas? Everything is dependent upon the five khandhas — except when the five khandhas cease and never arise again. As one of the Buddha’s quotes is that, a fully enlightened Arahant knows that once these five khandhas cease --or the six sense bases, including the mind-- cease, no other sense basis will ever arise again in any way whatsoever ever again. Cessation is cessation--full. That’s what the Buddha said.
In the famous Aggi-Vacchagotta sutta--I love this sutta--a wanderer named Vacchagotta asked the Buddha: “When happened when an enlightened person passes away, where do they go?” The Buddha replied ' supposed you see an oil lamp: you see the flame, but what is that flame, it is just the result of the three causes — the wick, the wax , and the heat. When those three come together, you have a candle flame. What if the wax is exhausted, the heat is blown away, or the wick is burnt through, what happens to the flame? '
If it was a good flame, does it go to the heaven realm where all good flames live happily ever after? That’s a crazy idea, isn't it. Or if it was a bad flame that burnt people’s fingers, does it go to some hell realm to be tormented forever? Another silly idea. When it goes out, it ceases, that's all. Nothing gets destroyed — the flame was only the result of those three causes. When the three causes separate and disappear, then the flame disappears.
The thing I love about that was the word used in that sutta for the flame going out. That is in the Ratanna sutta,'Khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ nava natthi sambhavaṃ, virattacittāyatike bhavasmiṃ;Te khīṇabījā avirūḷhichandā, nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo’
What does that nibbāti mean?
The verb which is associated with the noun Nibbāna. The flame Nibbānas. It was a word in common usage. So if you were a little kid in the time of the Buddha, and the wind blew out the lamp or there is not enough oil in the lamp, you say to your mommy, “Mommy Mommy, the flame nibbāna-ed! The flame nibbāna-ed!” It was a common word, the flame is going out! Where does the flame go? there’s no home for enlightened flames.
“that does not dependent on the five khandhas” That does not make any sense , it is against the Buddha's teaching.
“or not dependent on conditionality” Oh my gooodness, if it is not dependent on conditionality , then awareness stops! it nibannas, ceases.
“they say that this awakened awareness is unconditional” My goodness. There’s a Pāli word I should introduce here: gomyang , somebody hears this word before. Go is the pali word for a male cow---a bull.
myang is what comes out of the back end of the bull. which is bullshit. I don't mind calling it that. I'm open to different ways of thinking about things.But that is wrong according to the Buddha's teaching.
'This is a point of confusion for many, because people think only Nibbāna is unconditioned.'
Even Nibbāna, what is Nibbāna? It’s nothing. Things ended — nothing left. So what happens when people think that Nibbāna is unconditioned. So when you become fully enlightened , you go to Nibbāna and live happily ever after in the unconditioned. I always call this fantasy— the wishful thinking for the ultimate retirement home, we can live happily ever after. That Cinderella idea. It is even for some monks and nuns to live happily ever after, with nothing else to do. So you work so hard to get enlightened, and you can stay there forever enjoying bliss-- that is gomyang . You cease without remainder.
Things cease, ended. Everything ends. Another thing is having this discussion with people. That one thing as a physicist , a scientist you should know--- the law of conservation of mass-energy.
You can't destroy things. You can't add to them. In this universe , the mass total energy never changes. It can transfer from mass energy--from this place move to that place. Never be increased , never be decreased. And that is kind of similar human being --- the energy of the mind. Can it disappear, cease without remainder? Of course!
How does that happen? How does this universe begin and cease
Imagine all the energy in the universe :mass , stuff, stars, forces--everything come together, will that be a concentration of energy like the sun and blackhole. What will it be like? There are things in the universe which you can say legitimately is negative energy. I don't mean the emotional stuff. Anything which is in the gravitational field. Even this thing (a bowl) has a negative component. If I place this out of the Earth's gravitational field, I have to use some of its mass energy. Any massive object has a negative component of energy.
And I remember saying this to Professor Blur, our local professor of physics at UWA. You know what he did to me? Professor Blur really respected my understanding of physics, and he nominated me, and now I'm a member of the Australian Institute of Physics. I get all this blurb about, "Please come to our next meeting," or "Please come to our AGM," and stuff. But I remember at one of these seminars over in UWA, we were talking, and I said, "Imagine that all this positive energy and negative energy of the universe—mass energy—if it all came together and all the positive energy in this universe balanced completely the negative energy, so when it all came together it wouldn't explode, it would just go 'poof' and go out. What if the sum total amounted to zero?" I remember him looking at me, turning around, and saying, "You're really up to date, Ajahn Brahm. For a Buddhist monk, especially. You're really up to date. Omega equals one." That's a balance. So, all of this universe, everything in this universe, the mass energy, can actually come from nothing and go back to nothing—including each one of you and your minds. The energy of consciousness: zero sum game. That's physics.
Anyway, that whole idea—when people think nothing can be destroyed, of course nothing gets destroyed; just this process comes to an end, the causes and effects cancel. cessation happens. What does cessation mean? What does emptiness mean?
Okay, I'll use this one; this is Buddhist. This is about Anuruddha. Some of you have heard about the monk Anuruddha, one of the very senior monks in the time of the Buddha, a very great meditator and enlightened being. When he was young, he told a story that he came from a very wealthy family, but because of past karma, he would never hear the word for "there's nothing." If he wanted something, the word *natthi*—that was the word for "there isn't any"—that he wouldn't hear, or he wouldn't actually experience.
So as a kid, he was playing marbles with his friends and he kept on losing every time. He was betting his lunch, and that day the lunch was cakes. He had all these lovely little cakes his mom had made for him. He kept on losing, but because he was wealthy, every time he ran out of cakes, he told his attendant, "Please, can you get me some more cakes from my mom?" The attendant would go to the mom, get some more cakes, and he'd lose them too. He kept on losing and losing and losing until he sent his attendant to his mom's house, and his mom replied, "*Natthi* cakes," meaning, "There are no more cakes; we've run out." So his attendant returned to Anuruddha, but because of this karma from the past, this young man called Anuruddha couldn't hear the word *natthi* anymore. So the heavenly beings had to put into the basket some of their cakes because of that vow; they had to make sure that they helped keep the law of karma. The heavenly beings put some cakes in there, and so when the attendant came back, Ananda said, "You got the cakes?" and the attendant said, "*Natthi* cakes," the word meaning "there aren't any cakes." But then he opened up the basket, and it was the most delicious, fragrant cakes you've ever had in your whole life. He said, "What are you talking about? So, that's what you meant—*natthi* cakes? These *natthi* cakes are so delicious! I've never had cakes like these before. Please tell my mom I'm very upset at her; she's never given me, you know, the one she loves, these beautiful cakes before." So "*natthi* cakes," instead of meaning "no cakes," became something to eat.
To extend that type of story, there was one of my friends who was devoutly Christian, and they came up to me and said, "Ajahn Brahm," because they were a Christian trying to convert me, "you know that nothing is better than God." And I said, "Yes, I agree with you." At first, they kind of thought, "Have I converted him?" But when I explained, they said, "You tricky old Buddhist monk! ''
You make nothing into a thing. And that's actually what many people think the "nibanna" is ,instead of being true to the Buddha's words. Nothing there, gone—there's nothing must be very delicious, and everyone worships it.
2024 November (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv_flIWA5Zo&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=8
信徒：有些老師和修行者常提到「寂靜」（Stillness）或「覺醒的覺知」（awakened awareness）。
阿姜布拉姆（Ajahn Brahm）：這其實是同一個詞的重複。如果你「醒」（awake），你就必然「覺知」（aware）；如果你「覺知」，你就必然是「醒」的。不可能有「昏昏欲睡的覺知」或「睡著的覺知」，那根本就不叫覺知。
我不知道其他老師怎麼教……
信徒：他們說「覺醒的覺知」不依賴五蘊。
阿姜布拉姆：哇，天啊！這是從哪裡冒出來的？這根本是瘋話！
「覺醒的覺知不依賴五蘊」？除了五蘊完全止息且永不再生之外，一切都依賴五蘊！
佛陀說過：完全證阿羅漢果的人清楚知道，一旦這五蘊（或六根，包括心）止息，就再也不會有任何根、任何方式、任何時候重新生起。止息就是徹底止息，這才是佛陀說的。
我最喜歡的經典之一就是《火喩瓦磕戈達經》（Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta）。有一個外道士瓦磕戈達問佛陀：「證悟者死後去哪裡？」
佛陀反問他：「假設你看到一盞油燈，你看到火焰，但火焰是什麼？它只是燈芯、蠟燭、熱度三個因緣和合的結果。三個因緣聚在一起，就有火焰。如果蠟燭燒完了、風把火吹熄了、燈芯也燒斷了，火焰去哪裡了？」
如果這是一盞「好火焰」，它會不會去「好火焰天堂」，永遠快樂地生活？這想法很瘋對吧？
如果這是一盞「壞火焰」燒到人的手指，它會不會下「火焰地獄」永遠受折磨？一樣很蠢。
火熄了，就是熄了，僅此而已。沒有任何東西被「毀滅」，火焰只是那三個因緣的結果。三個因緣分散、消失，火焰也就消失。
這經裡最棒的是用來形容火熄的動詞，正是《寶經》（Ratana Sutta）裡的那句：
「Khīṇaṃ purāṇaṃ nava natthi sambhavaṃ… nibbanti dhīrā yathāyaṃ padīpo」
「nibbanti」這個動詞，就是「Nibbāna」（涅槃）的動詞形式！
意思就是「火焰涅槃了」。
在佛陀時代，這是日常用語。小孩看到燈被風吹熄，或油用完了，就會跑去跟媽媽說：「媽媽！媽媽！火焰涅槃了！火焰涅槃了！」
這是再普通不過的說法：火熄了。
熄了的火焰去哪裡？沒有「證悟火焰專屬天堂」根本不存在。
所以說「覺醒的覺知不依賴五蘊」完全講不通，根本違背佛陀的教法。
「不依賴條件」？天啊！如果不依賴條件，那個覺知就直接「涅槃」了、止息了！
他們還說「覺醒的覺知是無條件性的（unconditional）」。我的天……
這裡我要介紹一個巴利文詞：**gomyang**（有人聽過嗎？）
「go」是巴利文的公牛，「myang」就是公牛後面那坨……對，就是「bullshit」。
我不是在罵人，我只是很直白：這完全錯得離譜，違背佛陀教法。
很多人混淆的地方在於：「只有涅槃才是無為（無條件）的。」
錯！涅槃是什麼？什麼都沒有了！東西結束了，什麼都不剩了。
所以有人幻想：證涅槃之後，就去那個「無為的境界」永遠快樂地住下去。
我把這叫「終極養老院幻想」：修行那麼辛苦，證悟了就可以永遠住進無為天堂，什麼都不用做，永遠快樂……這就是 gomyang！
其實是「無餘依涅槃」：徹底止息，什麼都不剩。
還有，作為一個曾經是物理學物理的人，我常跟大家討論：
質能守恆定律告訴我們：宇宙的總質能永遠不增不減，只能轉換。
但心的能量可以徹底消失、完全止息嗎？當然可以！
怎麼可能？想像宇宙所有正能量（質量、物質、能量）與負能量完全抵消，最後加起來等於零，那就「噗」一聲，什麼都不剩了。
我曾經把這想法跟西澳大學的物理教授 Professor Blur 講，他轉過頭對我說：「阿姜布拉姆，你真的很與時俱進！對一個和尚來說尤其難得。Ω=1（宇宙平坦、總能量為零）。」
所以整個宇宙、包括我們每個人的心、意識能量，本來就是零和遊戲：從「無」生起，最終又回到「無」。
很多人把「無」（natthi）當成一種「東西」來崇拜。
我聽過一個阿努律陀尊者的故事（很可愛的例子）：
阿努律陀出身豪富，因過去業，他這一生從來聽不到「沒有」的意思。
小時候他跟朋友賭彈珠輸到午餐都沒了，一直叫僕人回家拿蛋糕來賭。
最後真的沒蛋糕了，媽媽叫僕人回話：「Natthi（沒有了）！」
但因業力，阿努律陀聽不到「natthi」兩個字
於是天人只好真的放一些天堂蛋糕進籃子裡。
僕人回來說：「Natthi 蛋糕。」
阿努律陀打開一看：哇！好香好香的天堂蛋糕！
他還生氣說：「媽媽怎麼這麼偏心，從來沒給我吃過這麼好吃的『natthi 蛋糕』！」
很多人對涅槃也是這樣：把「什麼都沒有」聽成一種超美味的東西，於是拼命拜、拼命想住進去。
其實佛陀說得很清楚：火熄了，就是熄了。什麼都沒有了，也沒有一個「覺醒的覺知」在那裡永恆快樂地住下去。
圖片來源：Buddhistdoor Global
2024年11月（7/19）｜9天禪修營｜阿姜布拉姆開示
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv_flIWA5Zo&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=8
《Wars between countries 國家之間的戰爭》
《Wars between countries 國家之間的戰爭》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, there is so much conflict these days. What would you say to the world leaders who create this war to help them choose peace? And what can we do spiritually to help the victims of war?thankyou
Ajahn Brahm: I know that once somebody told me that they had a big conference here in Australia, and one of the people at the conference—he was the editor of The Spectator magazine—said that research he'd seen showed that meditation really helps. But he said it in a way which I never expected from the editor of a spectator magazine in London. He said, "What you need to do is to get like spiritual people and, instead of dropping bombs in the war zones, drop these spiritual people in the war zones. And just the fact that they're meditators and good people, that will solve all the problems." And I must say at the time, 'cause I'm a naughty monk, I thought, I can think of a few monks I would like to drop into… just a joke.
But you know, sometimes you feel hopeless. Sometimes you know all these wars keep happening; they get worse and then they get better and then they get worse again. And sometimes, if you know your history, there's always been these wars. It's as if—I don't know if you accept this—but it's as if sometimes some people need wars. And you know that unfortunately, that affects so many other people. And eventually, those people who fight those wars, they eventually learn the stupidity of it. But in the meantime, much is destroyed. As they are destroying things in each other's lives, there is a lot of learning that happens. But what happens with those people who learn? Those people get reborn to higher realms afterwards, which means that then more people come into Samsara, into this realm of existence, and there's more people who would just do stupid things.
The simile which I used to actually explain this is: suppose that you know from, say, Mars or somewhere, some extraterrestrial planet, they did a quick delegation to check out what Earth was like. And they came 20 years ago and they checked one of the schools, like year six, and they looked at what they were learning, how they behaved. And then 10 years later they came back again and they looked at the children in grade six, and they couldn't—they were still studying the same things, still behaving in the same way. Then they come 10 years later today and they check the people in grade six, and they're still doing the same things. It looks like we've always got schools teaching the same things as I learned when I was at school. They think, "My goodness, these kids learn nothing!" Just like they come to Jhana Grove 20 years ago and they see you doing exactly the same things, still just doing the same tricks and the same defilements. And they come 10 years later and still the same defilements; 10 years later, still the same things. They don't realize that those people I taught 20 years ago are mostly gone—at least some of you have gone.
In other words, it's as if we keep—some people keep making the same mistake, but it's not the same people making the same mistake. That's what it appears like. These new people feel that that's a way which needs to be done in this world, but they learn. And don't be too concerned, you know, about things like death and injury which actually happen, 'cause that's only in our body. I'm talking about the spiritual life of a human being. That body, eventually we all die and do stupid things, but hopefully we learn from that so we don't have to keep coming back to this school or to this retreat center in this particular life. We can actually graduate. Eventually we learn, make mistakes, hopefully learn; we do actually get better and then eventually become fully enlightened, seeing the bigger picture.
I couldn't never really understand when you know some of the people you meet, they're your friends. I know this is one thing which can help is that what I like about the current world, you know, despite people who just want to protect their own territory, is that you know we do actually mix up. Look how many people in this room—how many people in this room are indigenous people? You're from all sorts of different lands, and many of those lands we used to fight each other. But these days, we're friends. I kind of like that idea.
You know, Buddhism is a high-minded spiritual path, and we don't care what you look like. We don't care what your gender, specific gender orientation is. We don't care just what your age is and what diseases you have. They just—you're welcome.
I was told somebody today they didn't want to be close to me because they thought they had some sort of disease. I said, "No, Buddhism is all into sharing.haha (joking)" And the point is, we actually learn from all of these experiences so we don't need to do them again. It's almost like in this school called, you know, Planet Earth, that some people have to do these stupid things. And I don't think you can't stop them.
After a while, we always think having a war to end all wars—does that ever happen? Some people want a war. Can you have it somewhere else, please? But anyway, we try our best to be as kind and compassionate as we possibly can. And when you are not in a war zone, please, like, talk to one another. Understand one another. Make friends who are not born in the same country or race as you are, so that gives a huge amount of tolerance to people who are not looking the same as you, you understand them, and you can be kind to them.
Sometimes it's a simple thing which I say: I was happy that my parents were poor because I went to like a school which was multicultural in London. I was born in 1951. This is just the order be Primary School, and there was people from all sorts of different lands. And I said as long as you can play a good soccer match, you're on my team. I didn't kind of concern what color you were, what race you were. And I do remember just one of my mates was Sri Lankan, and another one was from Jamaica—he was really good fun—and other people from, especially many people from Poland. And I didn't care where they came from; as long as they were kind and good, they were my friends, and they remained my friends.
You know, another person who went to the same primary school as I did—I found this out this year—he became an actor called Alan Rickman, otherwise known as Professor Snape. He went to the same school as I did. And so I know, you know, who Professor Snape is. You don't? Oh my goodness. And I do. That's embarrassing. He was in the Harry Potter movies, one of the stars there, and apparently was a very fierce and scary school teacher. And I know that if you're a school teacher like that, you base it on some of your own experiences. And I thought, in this school where I was a member, a primary school, so which teacher had he based his character on? Who was the most fearsome teacher in that school? And I know who that was. That was this teacher called Mr. Jones. He was a disciplinarian there, and everybody was scared of him.
.....… um… where was I going with this? Oh yeah, like violence in the world and wars. Sometimes you can make friends with anybody. You make friends with anybody; … get to know people.
One of those examples which came up, another experience in Cottesloe Beach. Now, this wasn't with sort of any 18-year-old, 17-year-old—I know there, 17-year-old because that's when you finished the school education and do the exams—I was on that beach meditating, but it wasn't the end of exam period, it was earlier. And as I was meditating, I heard this go past my head, and I thought, you know, that was interesting. And then I heard another one, and then somebody shouting out, "Get off our beach, Rajneesh!" There's a couple of school kids, and they thought I was a student of that Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, and he had a very bad reputation in West Australia at that time. And so, and then another stone—they were throwing stones at me, and none had hit yet. I've always got some good karma there. It's like, goodness, they were getting closer; it's only a matter of chance. I knew my probability theory; even if they weren't aiming for me, the aim was so bad that one would hit me. So what do you do when people are throwing stones at you? So you get up, turn around, and walk towards them. Out of compassion, I'm giving them a closer shot. And it's kind of like, that's my character. So anyway, I walked towards him, and it was about—I forget exactly how many—seven, eight, about 13, 14-year-olds. When I walked towards them, they sort of ran away, all except one. One stayed, and I went out to him and said, "Look, you know, I don't care if I'm a Rajneeshee or anything, but actually I'm a Buddhist monk. But you shouldn't throw stones at people sitting on the beach; they're not doing any harm there." And anyway, I said, "I'm a Buddhist monk, you know, we got a very good precepts. I'm going this evening into the prison to teach meditation to people to make them better people." And then he started asking me questions about Buddhism, and then all the other kids came back. It was a great opportunity to teach some Dhamma to these kids. And I said, "Oh, thank you." "We shouldn't have thrown stones at you." And that's how that violence not just ended, but I could actually teach them something. And so that's a beautiful opportunity. That's little things you can do to try and make amends.
What about in the current war between in Ukraine and Russia? And I think you all know, I did announce this some time ago, that many of the talks which I do on a Friday night in those times, in other talks, there's a gentleman over in Prague who asked, "Now can I please translate some of these talks, or dub them, you know, the talks, into Ukrainian?" And I said, "No. So I can send them out for free?" And I said, "No, unless you also dub them into Russian as well. Have to be fair, both sides. I'm not going to judge." And so that's what he's been doing. So and he gives them out for free so people can download them, sort of give them out to their friends. It's a lot of work for him, but so that's how I can get involved anyway, by trying to send these talks out to both sides in the war. A lot of time, people are in wars and they don't really want to be, but basically they get almost compelled into it. So there, little things you can do. It's not much, but at least it's something we can do.
So those are the sorts of things you can do. But for you, please make a lot of friends outside your local groups and cultures. It's why, you know, it's weird—Ajahn Brahm, aren't you busy enough? You know what, why don't you just teach the Buddhists more? No way. If I have an opportunity to, you know, to teach the Jewish community, or the even the Anglican community… Many of you know what I did with the Anglican community years ago. I made a lot of friends with some of the senior Anglican clerics, including one of my best friends; he was the Dean of St. George's Cathedral, a very nice guy. And then that eventually he said, "I've had an idea Ajahn Brahm. Why didn't you come and give the Sunday sermon at the Cathedral one day?" He said, "That's never been done before." These guys know what they're talking about because they're great scholars. "So give the Sunday sermon at the Perth Cathedral, a full Eucharist." It's never been done before for 2,000 years. Really? Yeah, I'm in. So that's what I did. It's really great. So I gave the usual, you know, "two bad bricks" and "open the door of your heart" and all that sort of stuff, but they loved it. And were any of you there for that occasion? I was. But I remember just going into that Cathedral on Sunday and looking—it was a packed house. I mean, really was packed; not enough seats for everybody, they were standing up. And then when I gave the talk, I looked at all the audience; half of them I could remember, half of them from were from the Bodhinyana Temple, and the other half I never knew—they were the Christians. And it was wonderful that we could give all these lovely talks and together, even though totally different basis of religion, but all the people there were all human beings.
But one of the downsides of that—the news, don't know if it's Channel 7 or Channel 9, one of them—they heard about it, they wanted to do an interview with me, you know, live-to-air. Have you ever done a live-to-air interview? Apparently in those days, you had to—you had to wear makeup. And that wasn't so bad, except whether putting on that makeup, Ajahn Brahmali, was with me—he didn't have to put on makeup, just… and he was looking at me you know (make faces
）… And apparently the only person who never put on that makeup was this guy,they said.
I asked him, "Is anyone actually refuse?" He said, "Only one in the whole history of that TV channel in Perth." It was actually an Oasis singer, I think, Noel Gallagher or something. Does that make sense? Anyway, he refused. If I didn't know about that, otherwise I'd be number two. But anyway, that's really good fun because I was doing that, you know, for the sake of harmony. You have different beliefs; we're all human beings. And so can't we actually learn from one another, grow from one another?
And that was one of the reasons why—actually not reasons why, because it's a wrong timeline—whenever we wanted, first we moved into our Nollamara Centre; that was a Christian church before. And they, when we said we'd like to buy it 'cause they weren't using it, and then they said, "Well, who are you?" "Oh, you're the Buddhists." "Oh, that's not a problem." And so then they had to deconsecrate it because it wasn't being used by Christians anymore, but they were very happy to give it to us—or not give it, but sell it to us.
So I kind of think that more of us should be able to make those connections between those who are different than us. Actually go out and do that so that we can understand different people who populate this world. We can have arguments with them, but never to the point of fights or wars or anything. I mean, whoever wants to actually control anybody—that's what we have wars for. "I want to control your country and charge you, you know, all the taxes," or "I don't like you, I want to take over the resources or the access or whatever." People would, you know, give you access if you ask for it nicely; share things with you. Why do you want to own things? I say, owning this huge Bodhinyana property—oh, that's a Buddhist society, not me.
2024 November (7/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv_flIWA5Zo&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=7
**信徒：** 親愛的阿姜布拉姆，現今世上有這麼多的衝突。對於那些製造戰爭的世界領袖，您會說些什麼來幫助他們選擇和平？而我們在靈性上又能做些什麼來幫助戰爭的受害者？謝謝您。
**阿姜布拉姆：** 我知道有一次，有人告訴我，他們在澳洲這裡舉行了一個大型會議，其中一位與會者——他是《旁觀者》雜誌的編輯——說他看過的研究顯示，冥想確實有幫助。但他說的方式，是我從未預期會從一位倫敦《旁觀者》雜誌編輯口中聽到的。他說：「你們需要做的是，找一些靈性人士，與其在戰區投炸彈，不如把這些靈性人士投到戰區。只要他們是禪修者和善人這個事實，就能解決所有問題。」我必須說，當時因為我是個頑皮的僧侶，我心想，我倒是能想到幾個我想把他們投進去…的僧侶…開玩笑而已。
但你知道，有時候你會感到絕望。有時候你知道所有這些戰爭不斷發生；它們惡化，然後好轉，然後又再次惡化。有時候，如果你懂歷史，就會知道戰爭一直存在。就好像——我不知道你是否接受這一點——但有時候，有些人需要戰爭。而你知道不幸的是，這會影響到許許多多其他人。最終，那些參與戰爭的人，他們終會明白這有多愚蠢。但在此期間，很多東西被摧毀了。當他們在摧毀彼此生活中的一切時，確實會發生很多學習。但那些學到教訓的人會怎樣呢？那些人之後會轉生到更高的境界，這意味著隨後會有更多的人...進入這個存在領域，而也會有更多的人只會做蠢事。
我過去常用來解釋這一點的比喻是：假設從火星或某個外星星球來了一個代表團，快速考察地球是什麼樣子。他們20年前來，檢查了一所學校，比如六年級，看看他們在學什麼、行為如何。然後10年後他們再回來，看看六年級的孩子，他們發現——他們還在學同樣的東西，行為模式也一樣。然後他們今天，也就是再過10年後回來，檢查六年級的人，他們還是在做同樣的事情。看起來我們總是有學校在教導我當年在校時學的同樣東西。他們會想：「天啊，這些孩子什麼都沒學會！」就像他們20年前來到禪林（Jhana Grove），看到你們在做著完全相同的事情，依然在玩同樣的把戲，有著同樣的煩惱。他們10年後再來，還是同樣的煩惱；再10年後，還是一樣。他們沒有意識到，我20年前教導的那些人，大部分都已經不在了——至少你們中的一些人已經離開了。
換句話說，就好像有些人不斷犯同樣的錯誤，但並非同一批人在犯同樣的錯誤。表面上看起來是這樣。這些新來的人覺得那是這個世界需要的方式，但他們會學習。不要太擔憂，你知道，關於實際上發生的死亡和傷害這類事情，因為那僅限於我們的身體。我談的是人類的靈性生命。那個身體，我們最終都會死亡，都會做蠢事，但希望我們能從中學習，這樣我們就不必在這一世不斷回到這所學校或這個禪修中心。我們實際上可以畢業。最終我們學習、犯錯、希望學到教訓；我們確實會變得更好，最終完全覺悟，看清更大的格局。
當你遇到的一些人，他們是你的朋友時，我總是不能很理解。我知道有一件事可以幫助，那就是我喜歡當今世界的一點，你知道，儘管有些人只想保護自己的地盤，但你知道我們實際上融合在一起了。看看這個房間裡有多少人——這個房間裡有多少原住民？你們來自各種不同的地方，而許多這些地方我們過去曾互相爭戰。但在今天，我們是朋友。我挺喜歡這個想法。
你知道，佛教是一條高尚的靈性道路，我們不在乎你的外表。我們不在乎你的性別、特定的性別取向。我們不在乎你的年齡、你患有什麼疾病。只是——歡迎你。
今天有人告訴我，他不想靠近我，因為他覺得自己患有某種疾病。我說：「不，佛教講究的是分享。哈哈（開玩笑）」重點是，我們確實從所有這些經驗中學習，所以我們不需要重蹈覆轍。這幾乎就像在這所名叫「地球」的學校裡，有些人就是必須做這些蠢事。而我認為你無法阻止他們。
過了一段時間，我們總是想著要有一場終結所有戰爭的戰爭——這真的發生過嗎？有些人想要戰爭。能不能請你們去別的地方打？但無論如何，我們盡力而為，盡可能地仁慈和慈悲。當你不在戰區時，請互相交談。互相理解。結交那些與你不同國家或種族出身的朋友，這樣能對那些與你樣貌不同的人產生巨大的包容力，你理解他們，並能對他們友善。
有時候這很簡單，就像我常說的：我很興幸我的父母貧窮，因為我去了倫敦一所多元文化的學校。我生於1951年。這是多元文化的小學，那裡有來自各種不同地方的人。我說只要你能踢一場好足球，你就是我隊上的。我根本不在乎你是什麼膚色、什麼種族。我確實記得我的一個夥伴是斯里蘭卡人，另一個來自牙買加——他非常有趣——還有其他人，特別是很多來自波蘭的人。我不在乎他們從哪裡來；只要他們善良、人好，就是我的朋友，而且他們一直是我的朋友。
你知道，另一個和我上同一所小學的人——我今年才發現——他後來成為一名演員，名叫艾倫·瑞克曼，也就是大家熟知的石內卜教授。他和我就讀同一所學校。所以我知道，你知道石內卜教授是誰吧？你們不知道？哦，我的天啊。我知道。這真尷尬。他是《哈利波特》電影裡的明星之一，顯然是個非常嚴厲嚇人的學校老師。我知道，如果你要扮演那樣的老師，你會根據自己的一些經歷來塑造。我心想，在我曾就讀的這所小學裡，他到底是根據哪位老師來塑造這個角色的？那所學校裡最令人害怕的老師是誰？我知道是誰。就是一位名叫瓊斯先生的老師。他是那裡的紀律負責人，每個人都怕他。
……嗯……我剛才說到哪裡了？哦，對了，像是世界上的暴力和戰爭。有時候你可以和任何人交朋友。你和任何人交朋友；……去認識人。
其中一個例子是，在科特斯洛海灘的另一段經歷。這是和什麼18歲、17歲的年輕人——我知道，17歲是因為那是你完成學校教育並參加考試的年紀——我那時在海灘上禪修，但那不是考試期結束的時候，時間更早一些。當我正在禪修時，我聽到有東西從我頭邊飛過，我想，嗯，這可真有意思。然後我又聽到另一個，接著有人大喊：「滾下我們的海灘，羅傑尼希！」有幾個學童，他們以為我是那位巴關·什里·羅傑尼希的門徒，而當時他在西澳洲名聲很壞。然後，又一塊石頭——他們朝我扔石頭，還沒打中我。我的善業總是在那兒。就像，天啊，他們越扔越近；只是遲早的問題。我懂我的機率論；即使他們沒瞄準我，但瞄得那麼差，總會有一塊打中我。那麼，當人們朝你扔石頭時，你該怎麼辦？所以你站起來，轉過身，走向他們。出於慈悲，我給他們一個更近的目標。這就是我的性格。總之，我走向他們，大約是——我忘了確切人數——七、八個，大約13、14歲的青少年。當我走向他們時，他們都跑掉了，除了一個。一個人留了下來，我走到他面前說：「聽著，你知道嗎，我不在乎我是不是羅傑尼希的人或什麼的，但其實我是佛教僧侶。但你們不該對坐在海灘上的人扔石頭；他們又沒在那裡做任何壞事。」總之，我說：「我是佛教僧侶，你知道，我們有很好的戒律。我今晚還要去監獄教人禪修，幫助他們成為更好的人。」然後他開始問我有關佛教的問題，接著所有其他孩子都回來了。這是一個向這些孩子傳授一些佛法的好機會。他們說：「哦，謝謝。我們不該對你扔石頭的。」就這樣，暴力不僅結束了，我還實際教了他們一些東西。所以這是一個美好的機會。這些都是你可以嘗試去做來彌補的小事。
那麼關於當前烏克蘭和俄羅斯之間的戰爭呢？我想你們都知道，我不久前宣布過，我在週五晚上以及其他時間的一些開示，有一位在布拉格的先生詢問：「請問我是否可以翻譯這些開示，或是為它們配音，你知道，就是配成烏克蘭語？」我說：「不行。」「那我可以免費發送出去嗎？」我說：「不行，除非你也把它們也配成俄語。必須公平，雙方都是。我不做評判。」所以他就一直這麼做。他免費提供這些開示，讓人們下載，可以分送給朋友。這對他來說工作量很大，但這就是我參與的方式，試圖將這些開示傳送給戰爭的雙方。很多時候，人們身處戰爭並非自願，但基本上他們幾乎是被迫捲入的。所以，這些是你可以做的小事。雖然不多，但至少是我們能做的事。
所以這些就是你們可以做的事情。但對你們個人而言，請在你們本地群體和文化之外結交很多朋友。這就是為什麼，你知道，這很奇怪——阿姜布拉姆，你還不夠忙嗎？你知道嗎，你為什麼不多教導佛教徒就好了？絕不。如果我有機會，你知道，去教導猶太社群，甚至聖公會社群……你們許多人都知道我多年前與聖公會社群做的事。我和一些資深的聖公會神職人員成了好朋友，包括我最好的一位朋友；他是聖喬治座堂的主任牧師，人非常好。後來他最終說：「阿姜布拉姆，我有個主意。你何不找一天來座堂主持週日講道？」他說：「這是前所未有的事。」這些傢伙知道自己在說什麼，因為他們是偉大的學者。「所以來珀斯座堂主持週日講道，一場完整的聖體聖事。」兩千年來從未有人這樣做過。真的嗎？好啊，我加入。所以我就這麼做了。真的很棒。我講了平常那些，像是「兩塊壞磚頭」和「打開你心門」之類的東西，但他們很喜歡。你們當時有誰在場嗎？我在。但我記得那個週日走進那座座堂，看到——座無虛席。我是說，真的擠滿了人；位子不夠坐，大家都站著。當我開始講話時，我看著所有聽眾；一半的人我認得，他們來自波迪尼亞那寺（Bodhinyana Temple），另一半我從未見過——他們是基督徒。這真是太棒了，我們能夠一起進行這些美好的開示，即使宗教信仰基礎完全不同，但所有在場的人都是人類。
但那件事的一個缺點是——新聞台，不知道是第七頻道還是第九頻道，其中一家——他們聽說了，想採訪我，你知道，現場直播。你們做過現場直播的採訪嗎？顯然在當時，你必須——你必須化妝。那倒沒什麼，只是當時幫我化妝時，阿姜布拉姆利（Ajahn Brahmali）和我在一起——他不用化妝，只是……然後他看著我，你知道（做鬼臉）……。顯然，唯一從未化過那種妝的人就是這傢伙，他們說。我問他：「真的有人拒絕過嗎？」他說：「在珀斯那個電視台的整個歷史上，只有一個。」我想那其實是綠洲合唱團的主唱，諾爾·蓋勒格之類的。這合理嗎？總之，他拒絕了。如果我當時不知道這件事， 我就是第二個了。但不管怎樣，那真的很有趣，因為我那麼做，你知道，是為了和諧。你們有不同的信仰；我們都是人類。難道我們不能真正地向彼此學習，共同成長嗎？
而這也是為什麼——其實不是為什麼，因為時間線不對——無論何時我們想，首先我們搬進了我們的諾拉馬拉中心（Nollamara Centre）；那以前是一座基督教教堂。當我們說想買下它，因為他們不再使用了，他們就問：「嗯，你們是誰？」「哦，你們是佛教徒。」「哦，沒問題。」於是他們必須為它進行除聖儀式，因為它不再由基督徒使用了，但他們非常樂意把它給我們——或者不是給，是賣給我們。
所以我有點認為，我們之中應該有更多人能夠與和我們不同的人建立那些聯繫。實際走出去這麼做，這樣我們才能理解居住在這個世界上的不同人群。我們可以和他們爭論，但絕不要到打架或戰爭或任何類似的地步。我的意思是，任何想要實際控制別人的人——那就是我們有戰爭的原因。「我想控制你的國家，向你徵收，你知道，所有稅收，」或者「我不喜歡你，我想奪取資源或通道或其他什麼。」人們會，你知道，如果你好好要求，會給你通道；與你分享東西。你為什麼想要擁有東西呢？我是說，擁有這龐大的波迪尼亞那寺產——哦，那是佛教社團的，不是我。
2024年11月 (7/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv_flIWA5Zo&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=7
《Guilt and kids 罪惡感與孩子》
《Guilt and kids 罪惡感與孩子》
Devotee: Is rebirth because of karma? Why would there be heaven and hell?
Ajahn Brahm: Because that's where you send yourself; you think you deserve to be there. It's called guilt.
.....
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, in parent and kid relationships, how to differentiate love and care versus attachment? I love my kids so much, my friends say I'm too attached.
Ajahn Brahm: Of course you love your kids; you can't do much about that. You're a mother. You're attached to your kids for the rest of your life; it's very hard to let your kids go. It's something which is so strong in you. But the way to do that is to realize they're not your kids. They come into your life—you don't know where they come from from a previous life, you don't know where they go to afterwards. Know that they're not yours; you just look after them for a while..
So, here's a story about a boy in Australia who was hard up for cash. He spent all his pocket money and didn't know what to do, so he asked his friend at school 'what can I do for money'. His friend said, "This is easy. Go up to your sister a couple of years older and tell her, 'Sister, I know all about it.'" like that.;
So he goes to his big sister at school and says, "Sister, I know all about it." She says, "What do you know?" "I know all about it." She says,''How do you find out？‘’
‘’I have got my friends in school'
"Is 20 dollars enough?"
He says, "Oh, make it 30''
''but don't tell Mum and Dad."
"Okay." Because everyone's got secrets, so this is a nice easy way to make some money.
Then he goes home and sees his mum. He says, "Mum, I know all about it, mom"
"What do you know?"
"Well, you know, just some of your friends, the parents of my friends , we talk things about schools and all about it."
Mum says, "Don't tell your dad. ''
''Well, maybe 50 bucks?"
''okay. don't tell you dad''
"Okay, I won't tell Dad." And so he takes the 50 bucks.
And then in the evening, he goes to his dad: "Daddy, I know all about it."
"You do?"
"Yeah, and I'm gonna tell Mum."
"No, you better not. ''
''It'll cost you a hundred dollars, Dad."
''ehhhh!!'' And he gives a hundred dollars to his son because people have got guilt. .....
So the next day, he's short of money again and thinks, "Who else can I ask?" It just happens that the postman knocks at the door, so he goes to the postman and says, "Postman, I know all about it." The postman looks at him and says, "You do?"
"Yes." And the postman said, "Son....(hug)"
be careful
Okay, anyway, keep your sense of humor.
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
信徒：輪迴是因為業力嗎？為什麼會有天堂和地獄？
阿姜布拉姆：因為那是你自己送自己去的；你認為自己理應待在那裡。這叫做罪惡感。
.....
信徒：親愛的阿姜布拉姆，在親子關係中，該如何區分愛與關懷和執著？我太愛我的孩子了，朋友們都說我過度依戀。
阿姜布拉姆：你當然愛你的孩子，這是無可厚非的。你是母親。你這一生都會對孩子懷有執著，要放手讓孩子離開非常困難。這種情感在你內心是如此強烈。但放手的方法，是體悟到他們並非「你的」孩子。他們只是來到你的生命中——你不知他們從前生何處來，也不知他們後世將往何處去。要明白他們不屬於你，你只是暫時照料他們。
這裡有個關於澳洲男孩的故事，他那時非常缺錢。花光了所有零用錢後不知該怎麼辦，於是在學校問朋友「我能做什麼來賺錢」。他朋友說：「簡單。去找你那個大兩歲的姐姐，跟她說：『姐，我全都知道了。』就像這樣。」
於是他在學校去找姐姐，說：「姐，我全都知道了。」她問：「你知道什麼？」「我全都知道了。」她問：「你怎麼發現的？」「我在學校有朋友。」「20元夠嗎？」他說：「喔，給30元吧。」「但別告訴爸媽。」「好。」因為人人都有秘密，這真是輕鬆賺錢的好方法。
後來他回家見到媽媽，說：「媽，我全都知道了。」「你知道什麼？」「這個嘛，就是妳的一些朋友，我同學的父母，我們聊學校那些事，我全都知道了。」媽媽說：「別告訴你爸。」「那...50元如何？」「好。」「別告訴你爸。」「好，我不會告訴爸。」於是他拿到了50元。
晚上他去找爸爸：「爸，我全都知道了。」「是嗎？」「對啊，而且我要去告訴媽。」「不，你最好別說。」「這要花你100元喔，爸。」「呃！！」於是爸爸給了兒子100元，因為人們心中有罪惡感.....
隔天他又缺錢了，心想：「還能找誰呢？」剛好郵差來敲門，他便對郵差說：「郵差先生，我全都知道了。」郵差看著他：「是嗎？」「是啊。」郵差說：「兒子....（擁抱）」
最好小心點
好了，總之，保持你的幽默感。
2018年阿姜布拉姆 BIF & EF 禪修營問答 2018-07-16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《You can hiss! 你可以發出嘶嘶聲！》
《You can hiss! 你可以發出嘶嘶聲！》
You see how counterproductive it is to get angry when someone annoys you? It's much better just to be kind to them, and then they change. I know that some people say, "Oh, Ajahn Brahm, you don't live in the real world. You live with all these wonderful monks and nuns and lay people who come to Jhana Grove; this is like the cream of the crop of all the people who live in this world. The real world is very hard."
And so, the story behind this is: once there was this snake, and this snake was very aggressive, malicious, and mean. He would bite people just for fun—his fun, of course, not the other people's. So the people were really scared of this bad snake, so much so that they really understood where he was and told their kids never to go close to that area.
But anyway, like many beings, a snake, you know, grew old in years, and he started to wonder—you know, snakes, they're living beings—what happens to them when they die? Where do snakes go? He hadn't got any idea at all, but he had heard that close by to where he lived, there was this holy snake who lived on top of this mountain, and he was known to sit on high rocks. And so he decided just to go and check out this holy snake.
Now, he was a very proud, bad snake, so he wore some sunglasses, a hat, and a raincoat so no one could recognize him. And when he arrived, he couldn't believe it: there were all these people, just like you, sitting on chairs and on cushions, and they were listening to this holy snake. And as he was listening in the back—you know, he didn't want to be recognized....he got really interested. What this holy snake was saying started to make sense. First of all, it made sense; then the bad snake got inspired; and then eventually, the bad snake got totally converted.
And at that point, the bad snake took off the glasses and the hat and the raincoat and slithered to the front, and he was so apologetic to the—uh—the holy snake. "I always said terrible things about you my whole life, and now I realize that you know, you are real and kind and wise. And please, please, holy snake, can you forgive me for all the bad things I've done in my life? And can I ask you to give me the five precepts?"
So the first time, people were, you know, inspired by seeing this really bad snake, who killed many people, now become a five-preceptor—he wouldn't kill anymore, steal, give an adultery, lie, take alcohol, or anything like that. And on the way out, the bad snake, now converted, put a donation in the box on the way out—coins, of course. The reason why people donate coins is you can actually hear it.
And then the bad snake, now converted, went to live by his usual hole, and he would never harm anybody from this day on, he thought. And soon, people got to know this bad snake is not dangerous anymore. And so they would sometimes walk right past him by mistake, and even though they saw this big, green priest badge, you know, on the snake's shoulder—what does he have, the amnesty badge as well?—it was on there; he's a really good snake. But no one realized that, and so they'd always actually be careful.
And eventually, the kids started seeing him, and they weren't afraid anymore. But, you know, there's some kids always naughty, and some of those kids started abusing that snake. They thought he was—they said to him, "You're not a real snake, are you? Just a slimy creep. You're just an overgrown worm; you're not a real snake." And that really hurt the snake, 'cause the snake was proud; he said, "Look, I can bite you so quickly." "No, you can't." And they started throwing things at him, and that poor snake got really bruised and hurt. And then they actually took sticks and started hitting him on the back with the sticks, and the poor snake had to take it. He had no form of defense. He said, "These five precepts—they might be okay in a monastery; in the real world, they don't work."
So he crawled up to where the holy snake lived—he crawled up there—and the holy snake saw him coming, all bruised and bandaged with Band-Aids all over him. And the holy snake said, "What happened to you?" The bad snake said, " it is your fault" "What do you mean, my fault?" said the holy snake. "Well, you told me to keep the five precepts. Look what happens to you if you keep the five precepts in today's world! People are really bad and mean; you've got to be bad and mean with them; otherwise, you can't protect yourself," said the bad snake.
And the holy snake said, "Oh, you stupid snake! You dumb snake! I told you not to bite anybody, but I never told you not to hiss!"
And that was the moral of the story. You know, that was actually told by the Buddha; I added quite a lot to it, but the main one was told by the Buddha. So as a snake, you can always hiss, and that will send the kids running a long way away, but just don't bite. So it's to say, to protect yourself, you can always hiss, but never bite.
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Zv3XRvG8k&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=5&t=1127s
你看到了嗎？當有人惹你生氣時，發怒是多麼適得其反。更好的方式是以仁慈對待他們，然後他們就會改變。我知道有些人會說：「哦，阿姜布拉姆，你不住在現實世界裡。你身邊都是來到禪林（Jhana Grove）這些優秀的僧侶、尼眾和居士；他們就像是這世界上所有人群中的菁英。現實世界是非常艱難的。」
有個故事：從前有一條蛇，這條蛇非常具有攻擊性、心懷惡意且脾氣暴躁。他會咬人，僅僅是為了好玩——當然是他的樂趣，而不是其他人的。所以人們非常害怕這條壞蛇，以至於他們很清楚牠在哪裡，並告誡自己的孩子永遠不要靠近那個區域。
但無論如何，就像許多眾生一樣，一條蛇，你知道的，隨著歲月增長而變老，他開始想知道——蛇也是眾生——當他們死後會發生什麼事？蛇會去哪裡？他完全沒有任何頭緒，但他聽說在他居住的地方附近，有一條聖蛇住在這座山的山頂，而且大家都知道他會盤踞在高高的岩石上。於是他決定去會會這條聖蛇。
他是一條非常驕傲的壞蛇，所以他戴了太陽眼鏡、帽子和雨衣，這樣就沒人能認出他。當他到達時，他簡直不敢相信：那裡有好多好多人，就像你們一樣，坐在椅子上和墊子上，正在聆聽這條聖蛇開示。當他在後面聽的時候——你知道，他不想被認出來……他變得非常感興趣---這條聖蛇所說的開始變得有道理。首先，它很有道理；然後這條壞蛇受到了啟發；最終，這條壞蛇完全被轉化了。
就在那時，這條壞蛇摘下了眼鏡、帽子和雨衣，滑行到前面，他非常懊悔地對聖蛇說：「我一輩子都說了您很多壞話，現在我明白了，您是真實、仁慈且具有智慧的。求求您，聖蛇，您能原諒我一生中所做的所有壞事嗎？我可以請求您傳授我五戒嗎？」
這是人們第一次，你知道的，親眼看到這條曾經殺過許多人的壞蛇，現在成為了一位持五戒者——他不再殺生、偷盜、邪淫、妄語、飲酒或做任何類似的事了。離開的時候，這條已經轉化的壞蛇，在出口處捐了一些錢到箱子裡——當然是硬幣。人們捐硬幣的原因是你可以實際聽到聲音。
然後，這條已經轉化的壞蛇回到他原來住的洞穴附近生活，他心想，從今以後他再也不會傷害任何人了。很快地，人們知道了這條壞蛇不再危險。所以他們有時會不小心直接從他旁邊走過，即使他們看到這條蛇的肩膀上有一個巨大的、綠色的……像是祭司的徽章？他難道還有特赦徽章嗎？——它就戴在那裡；他是一條真正的好蛇了。但沒有人意識到這一點，所以他們實際上還是很小心。
最終，孩子們開始看到他，他們不再害怕了。但是，你知道，總有些孩子很調皮，其中一些孩子開始欺負那條蛇。他們認為他是——他們對他說：「你不是一條真正的蛇，對吧？只是個黏糊糊的討厭鬼。你只是條超大的蠕蟲；你不是真正的蛇。」這真的傷了蛇的心，因為這條蛇很驕傲；他說：「瞧，我可以很快地咬你。」「不，你才不能。」他們開始朝他扔東西，那條可憐的蛇被打得鼻青臉腫、傷痕累累。然後他們居然拿起棍子，開始用棍子打他的背，這條可憐的蛇只能忍受。他沒有任何防衛的方式。他說：「這五戒——在寺院裡可能還行；在現實世界裡，它們根本沒用！」
於是他爬到了聖蛇住的地方——他爬了上去——聖蛇看到他過來，全身都是瘀傷和繃帶，貼滿了OK繃。聖蛇說：「你怎麼了？」這條（前）壞蛇說：「這是你的錯！」「你說是我的錯，是什麼意思？」聖蛇說。「嗯，你告訴我要持守五戒。看看在當今世界持五戒會發生什麼事！人們真的很壞、很刻薄；你必須對他們又壞又刻薄；否則你無法保護自己。」這條（前）壞蛇說。
聖蛇說：「哦，你這條笨蛇！你這條蠢蛇！我告訴你不要咬任何人，但我從來沒有告訴你不能發出嘶嘶聲啊！」
這就是這個故事的寓意。你知道嗎，這個故事其實是佛陀說的；我添加了相當多的內容，但主要的故事是佛陀講的。所以作為一條蛇，你總是可以發出嘶嘶聲，這就足以讓那些孩子跑得遠遠的，但就是不要咬人。這也就是說，為了保護自己，你總是可以發出警告（嘶嘶聲），但永遠不要真正傷害（咬）別人。
---阿姜布拉姆
2024年11月 (5/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1Zv3XRvG8k&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=5&t=1127s
《subconsciousness 潛意識》
《subconsciousness 潛意識》
The subconsciousness, what does that mean? The whole idea of a subconscious is a very Western idea. Like, what's underneath consciousness? How you be aware enough to know what's underneath and see the whole of consciousness? But what you do have, people... look at that word 'subconscious'... what is really underneath consciousness? It's not things you can't be aware of.
I think somebody mentioned today that it's like the anusaya, these underlying tendencies. You know, always when consciousness is happening, your tendencies—inclinations from things you've done before—that's like a karmic force on your consciousness. So a lot of times, you always think in similar ways; you get afraid of the same things. When something happens, it goes 'bang'—what does it do to you? It's just your inclination, you know, which manifests in you.
There's nothing in the consciousness process which you can't be aware of, so it's not really a subconsciousness.
---Ajahn Brahm
2024 November (5/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
潛意識，這是什麼意思呢？「潛意識」這個概念其實是非常西方的思想。好比說，意識底層之下究竟有什麼？你能否具備足夠的覺知，去洞悉意識底層的真相，並看清識的全貌？但人們所謂的「潛意識」... 仔細推敲這個詞... 識底層真正存在的究竟是什麼？那並非你無法覺察的事物。
記得今日有人提及，這其實更接近「隨眠」（anusaya）的概念——那些潛藏的習性。要知道，當心識活動生起時，你的習性、過往行為積累的傾向，就如同業力般影響著你的意識。因此多數時候，你總會陷入相似的思維模式，對相同事物產生恐懼。當某件事突然「砰」地發生時，你會如何反應？那不過是你內在習性的顯現。
在心識運作的過程中，根本不存在任何無法被覺察的內容，因此所謂的「潛意識」其實並不存在。
--- 阿姜布拉姆
2024年11月 (5/19) | 九日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
《Don't judge too quickly 不要過早評判》
《Don't judge too quickly 不要過早評判》
Devotee:How can I stop being affected by other people?
Ajahn Brahm:Oh my goodness, you're just one. How many people in the world now? How many billion is it? It's not 3 billion, 4 billion... six, seven, eight... 8 billion. So you're one against 8 billion.
So in other words, affected by other people... do you know who those other people are and what they do, why they do it? Sometimes you can't judge others. This is one way which I got out of getting angry or upset about what other people do. Basically, I don't know why they did it, and I realize to get angry and upset, it's like you have a trial inside your mind. Okay, that person, say Kim Jong-un, you put him in the dock. He did this, he did that, he did something else. Do you know if that's true or not? Know why that was done? Or is that just reporting? Sometimes it's good that you don't know whether those reports are true or false. I say it's good you don't know, because that stops you judging too quickly. And because you don't judge too quickly...
Every time I had a trial of somebody—now this is just a metaphor—of someone I didn't like, someone I thought hurt me, I started reviewing the evidence. And the first thing I noticed was only the prosecutor part of my brain did any work. And after the prosecutor made the case, the defense never had a chance to speak. And the judge, which is the same person as the prosecutor, banged on the desk... "Guilty!" I was both a prosecutor and the judge, and the defense never had a chance.
That is similar, and I thought that was really unfair when you get upset or bothered by somebody else. So instead, I started thinking, now at least I should try and find some mitigating circumstances. Even like when it was like a monk had done something wrong or bad, you know, I start to think, "Well, why did they do that?" Is the only way I can get them off the hook? I found that with the way the Buddha taught the training rules for monks and nuns, we always are never the prosecutor, just nearly always the defense. I can get any of the monks or nuns off the hook, I will do that. Any loophole. That's the kindness you have.
So if you had a hard time staying with your wife or your husband, please see if you can find a loophole so you're not too quick to get angry and upset at them. Is that how I've practiced over all these years? I have ever told you just terrible things you do? Very kind, and I'd always defend each one of you. Yeah. Because basically, that no man or nun is perfect, no Buddhist is perfect. But at least you can be kind and forgiving. You do that to others, and you can do it to yourself. Yourself is the hardest one to forgive. But when you have a kind mind, it's kind of easy. And then you're meditating, it's so easy. You got no burdens to carry from the past, no fears about the future.
2024 November (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIY0cV20yM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=3
**信徒：** 我該如何停止受到他人的影響？
**布拉姆尊者：** 哦，我的天啊，你只是一個人。現在世界上有多少人？有多少十億？不是30億、40億……六、七、八……是80億。所以你是以一對80億。
換句話說，受到他人的影響……你知道那些別人是誰嗎？他們做了什麼？他們為什麼那樣做？有時候你無法評判他人。這是我擺脫因他人行為而生氣或煩惱的一個方法。基本上，我並不知道他們為什麼那樣做，而我意識到，要生氣和煩惱，就像在你的內心進行一場審判。好，那個人，比如說金正恩，你把他放在被告席上。他做了這個，他做了那個，他還做了別的事。你知道那些是不是真的嗎？知道為什麼那樣做嗎？或者那只是報導？有時候，你不知道那些報導是真是假反而是好的。我說你不知道是好的，因為這能阻止你過早評判。而因為你不會過早評判……
每次我對某人進行「審判」——這只是個比喻——對某個我不喜歡的人、我認為傷害了我的人，我開始審視證據。我注意到的第一件事是，只有我大腦中扮演「檢察官」的部分在運作。在檢察官提出控訴後，「辯護律師」從來沒有機會發言。而「法官」——和檢察官是同一個人——敲下了法槌……「有罪！」我既是檢察官，又是法官，而辯護律師從來沒有機會。
這情況很相似，我認為當你因別人而感到心煩或困擾時，那樣做真的很不公平。所以，我反而開始想，現在我至少應該嘗試找出一些「減刑情節」。即使是像有僧侶做了錯事或壞事，你知道嗎，我會開始想：「嗯，他們為什麼那樣做？」這是我能為他們開脫的唯一方法嗎？我發現，依照佛陀教導僧侶和尼師戒律的方式，我們幾乎從來不當檢察官，幾乎總是當辯護律師。只要能讓任何一位僧侶或尼師脫罪，我都會去做。任何漏洞。這是你所擁有的慈悲。
所以，如果你和你的妻子或丈夫相處有困難，請試著看看是否能找到一個「漏洞」，這樣你才不會太快對他們生氣和煩惱。這就是我這些年來的修行方式。我有告訴過你們，你們做了什麼糟糕的事嗎？我非常仁慈，我總是會為你們每一個人辯護。是的。因為基本上，沒有男人或尼師是完美的，沒有佛教徒是完美的。但至少你可以仁慈和寬容。你這樣對待別人，你也可以這樣對待自己。你自己是最難原諒的。但當你有一顆仁慈的心時，這就變得有點容易了。然後當你禪修時，就如此輕鬆。你沒有過去的負擔要背負，沒有對未來的恐懼。
圖片來源：Buddhistdoor global
2024年11月 (3/19) | 布拉姆尊者 9日禪修
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIY0cV20yM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=3
《Keep quiet 保持沉默》
《Keep quiet 保持沉默》
**Devotee:** Can a layperson become a Stream-enterer?
Ajahn Brahm Yes.
Devotee:How common is it to become a Stream-enterer among monastics?
Ajahn Brahm: You want the statistics?
One of the reasons we don't say those statistics is because of this: There was one of the nuns a long time ago, Chi Kwang Sunim, and she once said that her teacher advised: if ever you become enlightened—any stage of enlightenment—keep it quiet. If you spread it around, then you have to spend the rest of your life proving it to others.
And that's actually what happens. So, if anyone does become a Stream-winner or anything above, be careful—don't tell anyone. You can tell a teacher, but they will keep it quiet.
How many of you here are Stream-enterers? （Laugh）
**信眾：** 在家人能證得入流果（初果）嗎？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 可以。
**信眾：** 那麼，在僧團中，證得入流果是常見的嗎？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 你想要統計數據？
我們不公開這類統計數據的原因之一，是這樣的：很久以前，有一位比丘尼，智光法師，她曾說過她的老師告誡她：無論你證得了任何階段的悟境，都要保持沉默。如果你到處宣揚，那麼你將不得不花費餘生向他人證明它。
而事實也正是如此。所以，如果有人真的成為了入流果聖者，或證得了更高的果位，務必小心——不要告訴任何人。你可以告訴你的老師，但他們也會為你保密。
那麼，在座的各位，有多少人是入流果聖者呢？（笑）
2024 November (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIY0cV20yM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=3
《Having an issue with somebody? 與某人有過節嗎？》
《Having an issue with somebody? 與某人有過節嗎？》
Devotee: My mind has an inclination to go to or think about a person I have an issue with; for example, the relationship is not good. I tend to just distract myself. For example, when I pick it up, I think of something I'm grateful for so it goes away. Any other suggestions?
Ajahn Brahm: You know that quite a lot of times, when we have these issues, the relationship cannot be repaired. You know, many relationships are like that. Welcome to life. Welcome to samsara. So instead of trying to blame the person or blame yourself, it's just like cause and effect. People come together for some reason, whatever, you know? We get hurt, disappointed, but please, just understand that's the nature of this world. And that person, you know, is not an enlightened being. You're not an enlightened being. You have defilements; they have defilements. They're not perfect; you're not perfect. So how on Earth can you expect the relationship to be perfect?
That's one of the stories you'll hear this many times about the trees in the forest. While you're here, you can't just be sitting here on the walking meditation path, or sleeping, or eating. There are times when it's nice to go for a walk to exercise, and if you go for a walk in the forest, one of the nice things to do is actually have no directions. Just go for a walk on one of the paths and see where it leads—in other words, not have a goal. And then you notice things you never expect.
One of those things is the fact there is no perfect tree in this monastery, or in Jhana Grove, or anywhere. Every tree is bent and crooked. I told you that the first time. So if they're bent and crooked, how can you have a good relationship with them? Are you going to try and figure out who is responsible for poisoning the air? Is there not enough water? Are you going to try and find out how you can fix that tree up?
Sometimes, then you realize, "This tree, that's the way this tree is." And you see its beauty. It survived. To me, it's just all the crooked trees and the bent ones are the ones I respect. They're just like me. Look at the shape of me, you know? One of my nicknames they gave me over in Indonesia was *Ajahn Donut*. They gave me that there, and I said, "Why you call me an *Ajahn Donut*?" Well, first of all, you're round. Number two, you're sweet; I don't get angry at you. And number three, you're holy. That became a donut. You don't get offended; I can't. Quite like that. That's why I tell you.
And so that's why even Ajahn Cha, sometimes people... I remember this person came up and said, "You can't be enlightened, you know, you just eat betel nut." He said, "Well, this is just how I grew up." People always hate betel. I don't eat betel, but I drink tea. What do I drink it with? The other way around, only one a day. Oh, that's craving. But honestly, this happened at one Rains Retreat quite a few years ago now. People were saying, "Oh, Ajahn Brahm, why should we listen to you? You're addicted to tea." So I said, "Okay," so I gave it up for three months. And the first day, they realized when I make a promise or vow like that, I keep it. Then they came up to me—a couple of the monks, they were English monks—and they said, "Ajahn Brahm, please drink tea." I said, "Why? I made a vow not to for three months." They said, "Yes, but don't you realize we have to listen to your talks? And if they haven't got any *oomph* in them, it bores us to death." And they said they were with another English monk who decided not to drink tea for three months, and he was a pain in the, you know, the backside. I said, "It was a terrible experience." "I don't know, please drink tea." And that made me even more resolute: "No, I'm not going to drink tea for three months." It didn't make any difference, honestly. I had a big boost of energy.
So, the relationship is not good. Don't think about the relationship with that person. Please think about the relationship with yourself. Because when you can actually separate, put distance—you know, physical distance—between you and that person, but you know, it's weird: wherever I go in the world, I wake up in the morning and there I am again. I can get away from all the people in the Buddhist Society committee. I can get away from all the other monks and all the nuns. I can get away, but I can't get away from myself. Wake up in the morning, I go into some meditation, come out afterwards, here I am again. Hi~ That's the most important relationship you ever have in the world: that with this thing you call yourself.
That's why I also mention your own mind. If you're a friend to your mind, you don't have to be perfect; you're good enough. And when you are a friend to your own mind, what that means is you can hang out together, yeah? You know your weaknesses and your faults, but then you don't hide them. It's just you with your mind, so you can have a very peaceful time. And when you have a peaceful time, there's something else that comes up which is far more powerful than fixing things up. All those things you find are on the surface, and they don't really matter that much. But just that relationship of being kind, accepting, at peace... Make peace. Be kind. Be gentle. And then you have a very happy time.
So just think about that person and just say, "Well, there's nothing I can do." Don't do anything. It's fine if they're with you because you haven't thought about them for a long time, because there's nothing you can do. Then, when you see them, sometimes you can see different aspects of them—not that bad, you know?
One of the most notorious persons I've ever met in my life was this murderer who was a bit crazy, too: Ronnie Kray. You know, the Kray twins in East London? They were notorious, really violent. And he was a bit crazy, this Ronnie Kray. I think they made a movie about him—making a movie about a notorious gangster—but anyway, they did. But I remember meeting him once. It was over in, what's that prison for the criminally insane? Broadmoor. That's right, Broadmoor in the UK. He was drugged to the eyeballs, so he was not dangerous—least, that's what I thought. But anyway, just after talking to him just a little bit, and then in the end, you know, "Can I shake your hand?" So he shook my hand, and he said, "If I ever get a few quid, I'll send it over to your monastery." He wanted to be generous; he wanted to do *dana*.
And he was like a notorious... I don't know who the worst person you've ever met is, and don't say your husband or your wife; they're not that bad. It's just that sometimes people get just a bit confused; they don't know how to be kind and forgiving. So anyway, that's how you can get freedom from that thought. In the meantime, if there's nothing to do, do nothing. When there is something to do, be kind. I hope that answers that. It's always a really good question.
2024 November (3/19) | 9 day Retreat | Ajahn Brahm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIY0cV20yM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=3
信眾：我的心總是傾向於去關注或想著一個我有過節的人；比如說，彼此的關係不好。我通常只是讓自己分心。例如，當我意識到又想起他時，我就去想一些我感激的事物，這樣念頭就消失了。還有其他建議嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：你知道，很多時候，當我們遇到這類問題時，那段關係是無法修復的。你知道嗎，很多關係就是這樣。這就是人生。歡迎來到輪迴。所以，與其試圖責怪那個人或責怪自己，不如視之為因果。人們因某種緣故相聚，無論是什麼緣故，你懂嗎？我們會受傷、失望，但請你明白，這就是這個世界的本質。那個人，你知道的，他並非覺者。你也不是覺者。你有煩惱習氣；他們也有煩惱習氣。他們不完美；你也不完美。那麼，你怎麼能期望這段關係是完美的呢？
這就像我常講的關於森林裡樹木的故事。你在這裡的時候，不能只是坐在經行道上、睡覺或吃飯。有時候去散散步、活動一下是很好的，如果你去森林裡散步，其中一件美妙的事就是沒有既定方向。就選一條小徑隨意走走，看看它通向何方——換句話說，不設定目標。然後你會注意到一些你從未預料到的事物。
其中之一就是，在這間寺院、在禪林、或在任何地方，都沒有一棵完美的樹。每棵樹都是彎曲歪斜的。我第一次就告訴過你們了。既然它們都是彎曲歪斜的，你怎麼能與它們建立良好的關係呢？難道你要試圖找出是誰污染了空氣？還是水分不足？你要想辦法把那棵樹修好嗎？
有時候，你會意識到：「這棵樹，它就是這個樣子。」然後你看到了它的美。它存活下來了。對我而言，所有彎曲歪斜的樹正是我所尊敬的。它們就像我一樣。看看我的體型，你知道嗎？我在印尼時，他們給我起的一個綽號是「阿姜甜甜圈」。他們在那裡這樣叫我，我問：「你們為什麼叫我『阿姜甜甜圈』？」嗯，首先，你是圓的。第二，你很甜；我不會對你生氣。第三，你是神聖的（Holy）。就這樣成了甜甜圈。你不會覺得被冒犯吧？我不會。我還挺喜歡的。所以我才告訴你們。
這也是為什麼，即使是阿姜查，有時候人們...我記得有個人走過來說：「你不可能開悟的，你知道嗎，你只會吃檳榔!」他說：「嗯，這只是我成長的習慣。」人們總是討厭檳榔。我不吃檳榔，但我喝茶。我用什麼配茶？反過來啦，一天只喝一次。哦，那是貪愛。但說真的，這是好幾年前一次雨安居發生的事。那時有人說：「哦，阿姜布拉姆，我們為什麼要聽你的？你對茶上癮了。」所以我就說：「好吧。」然後我戒了三個月。第一天，他們就意識到當我許下這樣的承諾或誓言時，我一定會遵守。然後有幾個比丘——他們是英國比丘——來找我說：「阿姜布拉姆，請你喝茶吧。」我問：「為什麼？我發了誓三個月不喝。」他們說：「是啊，但你難道不明白我們得聽你開示嗎？如果你的開示沒有了那股『勁兒』，會把我們無聊死的。」他們還說，之前有另一位英國比丘決定三個月不喝茶，結果他變得讓人很...你知道，很討厭。我說：「那真是個可怕的經驗。」「我不知道，請你喝茶吧。」這反而讓我更加堅決：「不，我三個月絕不喝茶。」說真的，這對我沒有任何影響。我反而精力充沛了不少。
所以，關係不好。別再想著你與那個人的關係了。請想想你與自己的關係。因為當你實際上可以分開，與那人拉開距離——你知道，身體上的距離——但是，你知道嗎，很奇妙：無論我走到世界何處，早上醒來，我總還是會面對自己。我可以遠離佛教協會委員會的所有人。我可以遠離所有其他比丘和比丘尼。我可以逃開，但我無法逃開自己。早上醒來，我靜坐一會兒，出來之後，看，還是我自己。嗨～這是你世界上最重要的一段關係：與你稱之為「自己」的這個東西的關係。
這也是為什麼我也提到你自己的心。如果你成為你心的朋友，你不需要完美；你已經夠好了。而當你成為你自己心的朋友時，那意味著你們可以和睦相處，對吧？你清楚自己的弱點和缺點，但你不會隱藏它們。就只是你與你的心在一起，所以你可以有一段非常平靜的時光。當你內心平靜時，會有一些遠比修補關係更強大的東西出現。所有那些你在表面發現的問題，其實並沒有那麼重要。僅僅是那種友善、接納、平靜的關係...內心要平靜。要仁慈。要溫和。然後你就會有一段非常快樂的時光。
所以，就想想那個人，然後對自己說：「嗯，我也無能為力。」什麼都不必做。即使他們在你身邊也沒關係，因為你已經很久沒想起他們了，反正你也無能為力。然後，當你見到他們時，有時你會看到他們不同的面向——其實也沒那麼糟，你知道嗎？
我這輩子遇過最惡名昭彰的人之一，是個也有點瘋瘋的殺人犯：朗尼·克雷。你知道倫敦東區的克雷雙胞胎嗎？他們惡名昭彰，非常暴力。這個朗尼·克雷是有點瘋狂。我想他們還拍過關於他的電影——拍一個惡名昭彰的黑幫分子——反正他們拍了。但我記得有一次見到他。那是在...那所專關精神病犯的監獄叫什麼來著？布羅德莫。對，英國的布羅德莫監獄。他那時被藥物控制得死死的，所以沒有危險性——至少我是這麼想的。總之，跟他聊了一小會兒之後，最後，你知道，我問：「我能跟你握個手嗎？」於是他握了我的手，他說：「如果我有朝一日有了幾個錢，我會捐給你的寺院。」他想行布施；他想修習「達那」。
他可是個惡名昭彰的...我不知道你遇過最壞的人是誰，但別說是你的丈夫或妻子；他們沒那麼壞。只是有時候人們有點困惑；他們不知道如何仁慈和寬恕。總之，這就是你從那種思緒中獲得自由的方法。同時，如果無事可做，就什麼也別做。當有事可做時，保持仁慈。希望這能回答你的問題。這總是個非常好的問題。
2024年11月 (3/19) | 9日禪修營 | 阿姜布拉姆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFIY0cV20yM&list=PLf9HOK_Rf1M7Vk1fcy0AhvSTg3Y1Ai67E&index=3
《Trespassers will be converted 擅入者將被轉化》
《Trespassers will be converted 擅入者將被轉化》
You've seen that sign on the outside of the gate, "Trespassers will be converted." You know where that came from? Of course, it came from me many years ago. It's not here; it's an old sign we had in our monastery years ago. We had people coming into the monastery, didn't know who they were, sometimes they were looking for something to steal, and you know, we had to have some sort of privacy. And just usually you say, "Trespassers will be prosecuted," but you know, people don't take any notice of that. So people would still come in, just looking for something, bothering us. So I decided, "Trespassers will be prosecuted" doesn't work. But you put "Trespassers will be converted" – that scares people! And that's what keeps them out. So, "Any trespassers will be converted." And people, they think twice about coming in because Australians, especially, you know, they know they won't get prosecuted, but being converted? ohuuuu, that's what they don't want to do.
So in psychology, it's easy to sort of, you know, work on things.
你們看過大門外那個牌子吧：「擅入者將被轉化」。你們知道這標語是怎麼來的嗎？當然，是很多年前由我創的。那時這裡沒有掛；那是多年前我們寺院裡掛的一個舊牌子。那時常有人跑進寺院來，我們根本不認識他們，有時這些人根本是來偷東西的，而且你知道，我們也需要某種程度的隱私。通常大家只會寫「擅入者將依法究辦」，但你知道，根本沒人在乎。所以人們還是會進來，東張西望找東西，打擾我們。於是我就想，「依法究辦」這招沒用。但如果你換成「擅入者將被轉化」——這可就嚇到人了！而這正是阻擋他們進來的關鍵。所以，「任何擅入者都將被轉化」。而人們，尤其是澳洲人，你知道嗎，他們會再三考慮要不要進來，因為他們知道自己不會被法辦，但是被「轉化」？哦嗚～～那才是他們真正不想發生的事。
所以說，在心理學上，你知道，要操弄這類事情其實挺容易的。
--Ajahn Brahm
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《How to share Dhamma teachings to others? 如何將佛法分享給他人？》
《How to share Dhamma teachings to others? 如何將佛法分享給他人？》
《How to share Dhamma teachings to others? 如何將佛法分享給他人？》
Devotee: Would you give us a guide how to share all the teachings you have given us during this Retreat to our family members like parents, brothers and sisters, or even friends that never ever learn about Buddhism?
Ajahn Brahm: When you go home to your friends and relations, tell them you are not allowed to share these teachings. Then they'll say, "Why not?" You say, "Because they're secret." "But why?" "Well, I said, you know, we shouldn't really, we shouldn't really share them." "Why not?"
Now they're getting interested. And you eventually give in and tell them all you've learned. You get all, "Oh well, if you really, really... I shouldn't do this, I shouldn't do this. If you really want to, you know, here's a copy of the secret teachings talks."
But if you go there and say, "Hey, listen to this, this teacher in Australia said this," people won't listen to you. That is not it. You've got to be sneaky. Tell them it's illegal, it's wrong. You know, if you do give them copies of the talks, which are recorded, aren't they? Give them to them in a brown paper bag and put an 'R' on it, R-rated, or X, or something. It's always the case: when things are forbidden, when you say, "You can't look at it, you can't read it," then they get interested. So you do it that way. So this is a secret teaching. These are very high. You can also say, "These are too high teachings for you, you know. This is for really, really highly intelligent people." "I'm intelligent! No, no, no, no. Well, give me a chance."
It is so easy to know human nature, just to get around people. I think I told this in the interviews. There was one Malaysian woman, a really good Buddhist, but she was married to an Australian guy, Caucasian. He just was not interested in religion; religion had a bad name. So she said, "Well, this is not like ordinary religion, you know. this monk tells you jokes, doesn't ask you to do anything, teaches you meditation, very nice and peaceful and wonderful. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." And he said, "No, I'm not going to go to that religious place. You can go, but not me. I'm not interested."
And so she came to ask me, "How can I get my husband interested? I know that he would love this." And that was very simple. I just told her, "Buy one of my books, take it home, and as soon as you go home, tell your husband, 'Keep your hands off this, this is mine. You're not allowed to read it.'" And that's all she did. And if you know Australian men, if their wife says don't do it, they have to. It's almost tradition. She was out shopping one day, and he thought, "What do you mean I can't look at this? I can look at whatever book I want." So he started reading it and he didn't put it down till he finished the last story. And now he comes every week, you know. It works. It's so easy to actually fool people and get them to do what you want to do.
Many people know Rachel Green over in the Armadale group; we go there every Tuesday. You know, she's a businesswoman, a very good girl. And I wanted her to be the president of our Buddhist Society once. You ask her this story, you know it's true; she agrees it actually happened this way. So I went up to her and said, "Look, we need a president because we change our president every couple of years. That's why they have the old saying, 'Politicians are like nappies; they need to be changed regularly.'" They're not politicians, but it's nice to get many people to actually experience, you know, the Buddhist Society here and how it works. So many people know, you know, about being on a committee. And just, we don't have people over there all the time, except me. That's why they call me not the spiritual director, the spiritual dictator. That's what they call me: the Kim Jong-un of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia.
But anyway, so I asked her, "Can you please, you know, can you be our president next year?" And she said, "No, I'm just too busy. I've got this business and it's so much work. I just haven't got the time." So I knew that I wasn't going to get my way that way. So I just said, "Oh, actually, you know, yeah, you're actually right. And it's... I'm supposed to be compassionate, I shouldn't have even asked you because no way, it would be a great burden on you. You do so much work already. So no, actually, please forget what I've just said.'' In fact, I'm going to go further:'' I'm going to ban you from being president this year, because I know that you're such a kind girl you probably think about it afterwards. But no, I absolutely forbid you from being president for this year, okay?"
She fell into the trap so easily. She went home, "What do you mean, banning me? Forbidding me? He can't do that! This is a free country! Just because he's a monk doesn't mean I have to follow him!" And she was our president for the next two years. And she laughs when I tell her that. "Yes, you got me. I admit it. ''
Never tried it out with a monk. We know about psychology so much. I know tricks which you don't even know exist. Heheheeee~
So this is great when you're marketing all these tricks. And so one of the nice tricks: make it forbidden, and they want to come.
So don't just go out telling
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
信眾：您能否指導我們，如何將您在這次禪修期間所教授的全部佛法，分享給我們的家人，如父母、兄弟姊妹，甚至是从未聽聞過佛法的朋友？
阿姜布拉姆：當你回家見到你的朋友和親戚時，告訴他們你不被允許分享這些教法。他們會問：「為什麼不行？」你就說：「因為這些是秘密法教。」「但為什麼是秘密呢？」「嗯，我是說，你知道，我們真的不應該，我們真的不應該分享它們。」「為什麼不應該？」
現在他們開始感興趣了。然後你最終「勉強」讓步，告訴他們你所學到的一切。你會表現得很猶豫：「哦，好吧，如果你真的、真的很想…我不該這樣做的，我不該這樣做的。如果你真的想要，你知道，這裡有一份秘密教法的講述錄音。」
但如果你直接跑去跟他們說：「嘿，聽聽這個，這位澳洲的老師這麼說…」人們不會聽你的。那樣行不通。你必須要巧妙一點。告訴他們這是「違法的」、「不對的」。你知道嗎，如果你真的要給他們講法的錄音副本（這些都有錄下來，不是嗎？），把它們放在牛皮紙袋裡交給他們，上面標註『R』級（限制級），或『X』級，或類似的東西。情況總是如此：當事物被禁止，當你說「你不能看這個，你不能讀這個」時，他們反而會產生興趣。所以你就用這種方法。所以這是一種秘密法教。這些法教非常高深。你也可以說：「這些法教對你來說太高深了，你知道嗎。這是給真正、真正高智慧的人聽的。」「我很聰明啊！」「不、不、不、不。嗯，讓我考慮一下。」
要了解人性、巧妙地與人周旋真是太容易了。我想我在訪談中說過這個例子。有一位馬來西亞女士，是位很好的佛教徒，但她嫁給了一位澳洲男士，白種人。他對宗教就是不感興趣；宗教名聲不好。所以她說：「嗯，這跟一般的宗教不一樣，你知道嗎。這位法師會講笑話，不會要求你做什麼，教你禪修，非常美好、平靜又奇妙。我相信你會喜歡的。」但他說：「不，我不會去那種宗教場所。你可以去，但我不去。我沒興趣。」
於是她就來問我：「我該如何引起我先生的興趣？我知道他一定會喜歡的。」這非常簡單。我只是告訴她：「買一本我的書帶回家，一進家門就告訴你先生：『不准碰這個，這是我的。你不准讀它。』」她就照做了。如果你了解澳洲男人，如果他們的妻子說不准做某件事，他們就非做不可。這幾乎是傳統。有一天她出去購物，他心想：「你說我不能看這是什麼意思？我想看什麼書都可以。」於是他開始讀那本書，一口氣讀到最後一個故事才放下。現在他每週都來（道場），你知道嗎。這方法有效。要實際「哄騙」人們，讓他們做你希望他們做的事，真是太容易了。
很多人認識阿馬代爾共修組的瑞秋·格林；我們每週二去那裡。你知道，她是個女商人，一個非常好的女孩。有一次，我想請她擔任我們佛教會的會長。你可以問她這個故事，你知道這是真的；她自己也同意事情就是這樣發生的。於是，我走到她面前說：「聽著，我們需要一位會長，因為我們每幾年就會更換會長。所以有句老話說：『政客就像尿布，需要定期更換。』」他們不是政客，但讓更多人實際來體驗、了解這裡的佛教會及其運作是很好的。所以很多人都知道擔任委員會成員是怎麼回事。而且，我們那邊並不是總是有很多人，除了我。所以他們不稱我為靈性導師，而叫我靈性獨裁者。他們就是這樣叫我的：西澳佛教會的金正恩。
總之，我問她：「請問，你明年能擔任我們的會長嗎？」她說：「不行，我太忙了。我有自己的事業，工作非常多。我就是沒時間。」我知道那樣說是行不通了。所以我就說：「哦，其實，你知道嗎，嗯，你說得對。而且…我理應要有慈悲心，我根本不該問你的，因為這對你來說絕對是個沉重的負擔。你已經做了這麼多工作了。所以不，真的，請忘掉我剛才說的話。事實上，我要更進一步：我要禁止你今年擔任會長，因為我知道你是這麼善良的女孩，事後很可能會考慮。但是不，我絕對禁止你在今年擔任會長，好嗎？」
她輕易就掉進了陷阱。她回家後心想：「禁止我是什麼意思？不准我當？他不能這樣做！這是個自由的國家！只因為他是法師，不代表我必須聽他的！」於是，她在接下來的兩年成了我們的會長。我後來跟她提起這件事時，她笑了。「是的，你抓到我了。我承認。從沒試過跟法師鬥智。」
我們太了解心理學了。我知道一些你甚至不知道其存在的技巧。呵呵呵~
所以當你在推廣運用這些技巧時，這真是太棒了。其中一個好技巧就是：讓事情變成被禁止的，他們就會想來。
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月3日在禪悅林禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《I don't care 我不在乎》
《I don't care 我不在乎》
You let go of that sense of self, your sense of ownership, even your sense of personal responsibility. You're all just too damn responsible—that's why you can't simply enjoy this meditation retreat. I'm not saying to be lazy; I'm suggesting trying a little bit of irresponsibility from time to time, especially while you're here. Give up all your responsibilities and enjoy. When you were a kid, you could have fun and play. Why? Because you had no responsibilities at all. Now you find yourself so damn serious. Why? Because you're carrying all these responsibilities—but you don't need to.
So, I'm not saying be irresponsible for the rest of your life, but for the next day you're here, be totally irresponsible like a kid again and have fun. That's a bit of letting go. And if you can't do that, why not investigate what you're doing? Let go of something inside—the control freak, the doer, the sense of "me" having to do all this stuff, the sense of having to achieve something, having to get something, having to prove yourself to others or prove yourself to yourself, trying to live up to other people's expectations.
I gave that up a long time ago. I don't know what you expect of a monk, but I don't care—I don't give a damn what you expect. This is what you're going to care hahaha. I don't care what other people think of you. For a long time, I thought, "Great! If people don't like me and think I'm really stupid or gross or something, that is excellent—I can be a hermit for the rest of my life." And if they like what I teach, okay, that's good too—I suppose, hahaha. I can actually help others.
That's what meditation really is—it's letting things go.
---Ajahn Brahm
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
你要放下那種自我感、擁有感，甚至個人責任感。你們就是太過該死的負責——所以才無法單純享受這場禪修。我不是在提倡懶惰，而是建議偶爾嘗試一點點「不負責任」，尤其在這裡的時候。拋開所有責任，盡情享受。當你還是孩子時，你能開心玩耍。為什麼？因為那時你毫無責任。現在你發現自己如此嚴肅。為什麼？因為你背負著所有這些責任——但你根本不需要。
所以，我不是要你一輩子不負責任，但在接下來駐留的日子裡，請徹底像孩子般不負責任，盡情玩樂。這正是某種程度的放下。如果你做不到，何不檢視自己正在做什麼？放下內在的某些東西——那個控制狂、那個造作者、那個覺得「我必須完成所有事」的執念、那種必須成就什麼的壓力、必須獲取什麼的渴望、必須向他人或向自己證明價值的掙扎，以及活在他人的期待中的疲憊。
我早已放下這些了。我不知道你們對僧侶有何期待，但我不在乎——我根本不管你們期待什麼。這就是你們在乎的（笑）。我才不在乎別人怎麼看。很長一段時間，我甚至想：「太棒了！如果人們不喜歡我，覺得我愚蠢或糟糕什麼的，那太好了——我正好能餘生隱居。」如果他們喜歡我的教導，嗯，那也不錯——（笑）至少我真能幫助他人。
禪修的本質正是如此——學會放下。
---阿姜布拉姆
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月3日在禪修 Grove 禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《A wife who wants to divorse 一位想離婚的妻子》
《A wife who wants to divorse 一位想離婚的妻子》
I always remember this other story about a marriage counselor in Singapore. She said this story, she was a brilliant brilliant counselor. There was this woman in Singapore who was sure her husband was having an affair—he was always coming home late and never interested in her at all. So she went to see the marriage counselor and said, "I want to get rid of my husband. I want to divorce him." The counselor, being very smart, replied, "Well look, does he love you right now?" The woman said, "No, probably not." The counselor continued, "So if you divorce him, he’ll be really happy. Is that what you want?" The woman exclaimed, "No, no! I don’t want him to be happy—that’s the last thing I want!" The counselor then suggested, "Well, try this: he fell in love with you once. Go get a nice hairstyle, get some sexy clothes, put some makeup and scnet on—make yourself a bit more attractive. And then see if you can make him fall in love with you again. Once he has fallen in love with you , then divorce him!" The woman said, "Yeah! I’m going to do that—what a good plan!"
So, she went and got a fashionable hairstyle, started wearing sexy clothes again, and then started to wear makeup and such. The marriage counselor checked in with her every week. One week, the woman reported, "It's actually working! He’s actually coming home earlier now and has become more affectionate toward me." The counselor said, "Great! Is he in love with you?" The woman replied, "Not yet."
the counselor' keep on going.'
She continued dressing well, buying new outfits every week, styling her hair, and fashionable stuff . After several weeks, she stopped coming to the counselor. So the counselor called her and asked, "What’s going on? I haven’t seen you for two or three weeks." The woman said, "Oh nonono, it’s okay." The counselor asked, "How is he? Is he coming home early?" She replied, "Yes, he’s coming home really early now." "Is he affectionate?" "Yes, he’s so affectionate to me now." "Has he fallen in love with you?" "Yes, he has." The counselor said, "Great! Now’s the time to divorce him." But the woman exclaimed, "Oh no, he’s so nice now!"
And the counselor replied, "Mission accomplished. That was the plan from the very beginning. Have a wonderful life together." That was what the counselor wanted to, wanted to hurt him through falling in love with you first and divorse him. And she knew that once it happened , she would have her husband back and have a wonderful life. So sometimes, if someone is having an affair, just why ? why can’t they have an affair with you? That’s what wives are there for—men are supposed to have affairs with their wives, or the other way around. So sometimes, wives and husbands have to take a look at themselves. How you are dressing ? Are you becoming really sloppy with your dress, your hair, and everything else? A lot of times, you are . look in the mirror and ask, " Crucked It
! Who would go out with you?"
So you know, I am a monk, I’m a man—I know how do youattract men or how do you attract girls. Girls like gifts and stuff like that.
---Ajahn Brahm
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 2 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=10
我總是記得另一個關於新加坡婚姻諮商師的故事。她說了這個故事，她是一位非常非常出色的諮商師。新加坡有一位女士，她確信丈夫有外遇——他總是很晚回家，對她完全沒興趣。於是，她去找婚姻諮商師說：「我想擺脫我丈夫，我想離婚。」這位很聰明的諮商師回答：「嗯，妳看看，他現在還愛妳嗎？」女士說：「不，大概不愛了。」諮商師繼續說：「所以，如果你們離婚了，他會很開心。那是妳想要的嗎？」女士驚呼：「不，不！我不想讓他開心——那是我最不想要的事！」諮商師於是建議：「那麼，試試這個：他曾經愛上過妳。去弄個漂亮的髮型，買些性感的衣服，化點妝、噴點香水——讓自己更有吸引力些。然後看看能不能讓他再次愛上妳。等他再次愛上妳之後，那時再跟他離婚！」女士說：「對！我就這麼辦——這計劃太棒了！」
於是，她去弄了時尚的髮型，開始重新穿起性感的衣服，也開始化妝等等。婚姻諮商師每週都會跟進她的情況。有一週，女士回報說：「真的有效！他現在真的比較早回家了，對我也更有感情了。」諮商師說：「太好了！他愛上妳了嗎？」女士回答：「還沒有。」諮商師說：「繼續保持。」
她持續穿著得體，每週買新衣服，打理頭髮，打扮時尚。幾週後，她不再來找諮商師了。於是諮商師打電話給她問：「怎麼了？我兩三週沒見到妳了。」女士說：「哦，沒沒沒，沒事了。」諮商師問：「他怎麼樣？他早回家了嗎？」她回答：「是的，他現在都很早回家。」「他對妳有深情嗎？」「是的，他現在對我非常好。」「他愛上妳了嗎？」「是的，他愛上了。」諮商師說：「太好了！現在是離婚的時候了。」但女士驚呼：「哦不！他現在這麼好！」
諮商師回答：「任務達成。這從一開始就是計劃。祝你們生活美滿。」這正是諮商師想要的結果——妻子本想透過讓丈夫先愛上她再離婚來傷害他，但她知道，一旦這件事發生，這位女士就會重新贏回丈夫，並擁有美好的生活。所以有時候，如果某人有了外遇，為什麼他們不能把這段「外遇」的熱情放在你身上呢？這就是妻子存在的意義——男人本該與自己的妻子保有激情，反之亦然。因此，有時夫妻都該好好審視自己：你的穿著如何？你是否在衣著、髮型和各方面變得邋遢了？很多時候確實如此。照照鏡子，問問自己：「天啊！誰會想跟你約會？」
你知道，我是個僧侶，也是個男人——我知道如何吸引男性，也知道如何吸引女性。女孩子喜歡禮物之類的東西。
--- 阿姜布拉姆
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月2日在禪修 Grove 禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=10
《Merits of meditation 禪修的功德》
《Merits of meditation 禪修的功德》
Devotee: Could you kindly explain the Merit that arose from meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: Merit or Good Karma, as one person said, is a step closer to Enlightenment. That's Merit. A step in the opposite direction, away from Enlightenment, is Bad Karma. It's a very beautiful description of what's Good Karma and Bad Karma, Merit and demerit. So when you meditate, you get closer to Enlightenment; of course you do. And how can we call it Merit? It means you're happier, more peaceful, more healthy, and it's not just for you.
Sometimes people think, "Oh, you're meditating, that's not helping other people," but of course, you know it is. Your meditation will make you Kinder, more sensitive; please excuse me, less of a pain for all the people who have to put up with you. You're Kinder, you're more gentle, more peaceful, and a much more wonderful person to be around. That is your gift to others. And it's also when other people see that you are more peaceful, they get more interested in Buddhism too. You know, there're many, many people who come to this Center not because I've converted them, but because their wife, their husband, their kids have come to this Temple and they've seen the effect it has had on them, and they said, "This is what I want too."
There's one Sri Lankan man I always remember—this story. He was an engineer in the department of minerals and energy, and he had a boss from Hell who would always be so angry at him and always, you know, whenever he worked extra hard, would never say thank you and would always find fault in the smallest of things, just a total control freak. This engineer just wanted to go to some other department or change his job, and it was just so difficult to find another placement. But he said that his boss changed in about two or three months. He changed from a boss from hell to this really reasonable human being who would thank him when he did some good work and would not be so critical, be more understanding.
The change was so sudden that this Sri Lankan engineer took his boss aside and said, "Please excuse me, but you were such a difficult person to work with before; now you've changed. Why? What's happened?" And this boss said, "I found this wonderful Buddhist temple Naramara with these wonderful monks and nuns, and I've been learning meditation from them." At which point this Sri Lankan man blurted out, "That's my Temple!" But he hardly ever went there except for Wesak; he was what we call a Wesak Buddhist. But he was so stunned that this Western boss had changed so quickly, he realized the temple which he would only go to once a year had something really important to offer, and he started coming regularly. That's actually what got him into the temple—seeing the results of meditation on other people.
That is the merits you're going to make by meditating: becoming a peaceful, kind, compassionate, wise being. That's the merits you're going to be spreading in Hong Kong and also in Indonesia, you meet many, many people in your day, in your life, and you can change their attitudes not by what you say, but by who you are. And those merits will change other people's lives in a huge way. That's the Merit you get for meditation, which is vast
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
信徒：能否請您慈悲開示，禪修所產生的功德？
阿姜布拉姆：功德或善業，正如有人所說，是邁向覺悟的一步。這就是功德。而朝著相反方向、遠離覺悟的一步，則是惡業。這是對善業與惡業、功德與過失非常美妙的詮釋。當你禪修時，你確實更接近覺悟。我們為何稱之為功德呢？這意味著你更快樂、更平和、更健康，而且這不僅僅是為了你自己。
有時人們會想：「哦，你在禪修，那並沒有幫助到其他人。」但你知道，事實當然並非如此。你的禪修會讓你更仁慈、更敏銳；請原諒我這麼說，你會讓那些必須與你相處的人覺得沒那麼頭痛。你更仁慈、更溫和、更平和，成為一個更令人樂於親近的人。這是你給予他人的禮物。而且，當其他人看到你如此平和時，他們也會對佛教產生興趣。你知道嗎，有許多人來到這個中心，並非因為我度化了他們，而是因為他們的妻子、丈夫或孩子來到這個寺院，他們親眼見證了佛法對家人產生的影響，於是說：「這也是我想要的。」
我總是記得一位斯里蘭卡男士的故事。他是在礦產能源部工作的工程師，他有一個來自地獄的上司，總是對他大發雷霆，而且你知道嗎，即使他格外努力地工作，那位上司也從不表示感謝，還總是吹毛求疵，是個徹頭徹尾的控制狂。這位工程師只想調到其他部門或換工作，但當時要找到另一個職位非常困難。但他說，他的上司在兩三個月內改變了。從一個地獄般的老闆，變成了一個真正通情達理的人，會在他做好工作時表示感謝，不再那麼苛刻，變得更加體諒。
這個轉變如此突然，以至於這位斯里蘭卡工程師忍不住把上司拉到一邊問：「請原諒我的冒昧，您以前是個非常難相處的人，現在您改變了。為什麼？發生了什麼事？」這位上司說：「我找到了一個很棒的佛教寺院Naramara，那裡有很棒的比丘和比丘尼，我一直在跟他們學習禪修。」聽到這裡，這位斯里蘭卡男士脫口而出：「那是我的寺院！」但他除了衛塞節之外，幾乎從不去那裡；他是我們所謂的「衛塞節佛教徒」。但他非常震驚於這位西方上司如此迅速的改變，他意識到那個他一年只去一次的寺院，確實能提供非常重要的東西，於是他開始定期前往。事實上，正是看到禪修在他人身上產生的效果，才真正讓他走進了寺院。
這就是你通過禪修所將積累的功德：成為一個平和、仁慈、慈悲、有智慧的生命。這也就是你將在香港、在印尼所傳播的功德。在你日常的生活中，你會遇到許許多多的人，你可以改變他們的態度，不是透過你的言語，而是透過你的為人。這些功德將以巨大的方式改變他人的生命。這就是你從禪修中獲得的功德，非常巨大
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月3日在禪修 Grove 禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《A story of a girl who experience domestic abuse 一個經歷家庭暴力的女孩的故事》
《A story of a girl who experience domestic abuse 一個經歷家庭暴力的女孩的故事》
Devotee: how to be compassionate to people, like people who talk too much or leave messes everywhere, and how to appreciate the goodness in them.
Ajahn Brahm:This is a story of someone who was snoring in the meditation hall. There are always people who snore in the meditation hall, and don't think it's not you because we can't hear our own snoring, but other people can.
This was in our city center in Narooma one day. This girl, when I was giving a talk, she lay down, fell fast asleep, and started snoring really loudly. People woke her up, and when they did, I told the people not to wake her up off because I knew that girl. She had talked to me beforehand; she was going through some very severe domestic abuse from her husband—not just shouting but hitting her. She was so terrified of being in the house. Please don't think, "Oh, you go to the police." Sometimes when you're in that situation, you can't think straight; you're so confused. It's easy for us to say, "Well, just get out of the house, get some friends, call the police—it's against the law." But if you're right in the middle of that situation as a wife, you just don't know what to do.
So she came to our temple, and when she came, she felt safe. It was a kind place, and for the first time in many weeks, she felt so safe that she decided to lie down. She fell fast asleep because she hadn't slept for days on end. When people woke her and said, "What did you do that for? '' That poor girl needed sleep so much, and you just brought it for her. So when you realize why a person does that—why they went to sleep in the middle of the hall and started snoring—when you realize where it comes from, you think, "Oh, please, go to sleep again. I'll get you a pillow. Do you want a blanket? I'll tuck you in," even while I'm giving the talk. Because you understand where it's coming from, you have compassion.
So if someone bangs a door, you don't know why they do it. Maybe there's a reason you don't understand, just like that woman who was under severe domestic abuse. She had a safe place, and she fell asleep. So next time, please let that happen. You don't know why people do things; they have their reasons. So please let them do it. If they make a noise the best they can possibly do, you don't know where they come from. The very fact that they can come on this retreat—they've had the courage to actually come and do some meditation—is wonderful. Please don't scare them off. That's the best they can do, and what they're doing may not be as good as you can do, but it's the best they can do. So, wonderful. Well done.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
信徒：如何對人們懷有慈悲心，像是那些話太多或到處留下混亂的人，並且如何欣賞他們內在的良善。
布拉姆尊者：這是一個關於有人在禪堂打鼾的故事。禪堂裡總有人打鼾，別以為不是你，因為我們聽不見自己的鼾聲，但別人聽得見。
有一天，在我們納魯馬的市中心，我正在開示時，這個女孩躺下來，很快睡著了，並開始大聲打鼾。人們叫醒了她，當他們這麼做時，我告訴大家把她叫醒，因為我認識這個女孩。她之前和我談過；她正遭受丈夫嚴重的家庭暴力——不僅是吼叫，還有毆打。她非常害怕待在家裡。請別想：「哦，你去報警啊。」有時候當你處在那種情境中，你無法清晰思考；你太困惑了。我們很容易說：「嗯，離開房子就好，找些朋友，打電話報警——這是違法的。」但如果你作為妻子正深陷其中，你根本不知道該怎麼辦。
所以她來到我們的寺院，當她來的時候，她感到安全。這是個友善的地方，多少個星期以來第一次，她感到如此安全，以至於決定躺下。她很快就睡著了，因為她已經連續好幾天沒睡了。當人們叫醒她時，我說：「你們為什麼要這樣做？那可憐的女孩太需要睡眠了，你們卻打斷了她。」所以，當你明白一個人為什麼那樣做——為什麼他們在禪堂中間睡著並開始打鼾——當你明白背後的原因時，你會想：「哦，請再睡一會兒吧。我給你拿個枕頭。需要毯子嗎？我幫你蓋好，」即使我正在開示。因為你理解背後的緣由，你便有了悲心。
所以，如果有人砰地關門，你不知道他們為什麼這樣做。也許有你不理解的原因，就像那個遭受嚴重家庭暴力的女子一樣。她找到了一個安全的地方，然後睡著了。所以下次，請讓這種情況發生吧。你不知道人們為什麼做某些事；他們有自己的理由。所以請允許他們去做。如果他們發出了力所能及範圍內最大的噪音，你並不知道他們從何而來。他們能來參加這個禪修——他們有勇氣真正來這裡並進行一些禪修——這本身就很棒了。請別嚇跑他們。這是他們目前能做到的最好程度，他們所做的可能不如你做得好，但這已經是他們盡力而為的結果了。所以，很棒。做得很好。
問答環節，布拉姆尊者於靜謐林禪修中心，2014年7月3日
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《Domestic Abuse 家庭暴力》
《Domestic Abuse 家庭暴力》
Devotee: About the woman that has abuses, yes. I have a friend that has an abusive husband, and like you said, they are very confused and don't know what to do. What is the best way we, as a friend, to support her?
Ajahn Brahm: If it's very abusive like that, you need to sometimes get her away to a refuge, because it can kill hersometimes ; it can cause huge psychological and physical damage to her. That's why in many countries it's illegal; the guy goes to jail if he treats a wife like that. So you have to be very careful there to protect her physical well-being. And of course, the other thing is you need a counselor.
There is also another thing which I've noticed: sometimes the husband, the guy, doesn't think he's being abusive at all; he can't see it. So one great thing to be able to do today is get out your smartphone and video him when he's being abusive or violent. Then, when he's settled down, play it to him. It's like a mindfulness technique because when we're really angry we just don't know what we're doing. It may be that he's drunk; take a video of the person when they're drunk and when they're sober, play it to them. That's a huge wakeup call. They say, "Is that what I'm like?"
I remember the first time, as a trainee school teacher, we all had to present a lesson and it was videoed. It was the first time I saw what I look like on the TV screen, just a private video, and that shocked me. You know, where you're standing now you're looking through your eyes, but you can't see what I can see, I see your face. To actually see yourself on TV for the first time... The reason they did that was because if you have any small idiosyncrasy, like a twitch, and you're in front of high school kids, after five minutes all the kids will be doing it in front of you. So you have to get that out of your system before the kids tease you with it.
So if you can video him, or get the wife to video him when he's drunk or abusive, and play it back to him... sometimes we don't realize how bad we are, and when he sees that, sometimes that can be the wakeup call, the thing which is needed to get him so embarrassed and upset about himself, saying "I don't want to be this person I've seen on the video; I didn't realize that's what I look like." That's a very good technique if you can manage that. But other than that, you need counselors.
Again, she has bruises on her body; she didn't fall down the stairs, she didn't walk into a door, that was her husband. And you know, it does kill people. And if it doesn't kill them, it has such huge psychological damage for the rest of their life; they do get into very, very bad states. And again, that's the job of countries to actually advertise so the women realize it is a problem and the men realize they're a problem as well.
And it's not just men; it's women as well. I have a little article which I was showing around to the monks, a research I think was done in Europe, and they showed that nagging wives actually kill the husbands. It's true, it's there; I'll get it out and read it tomorrow for you. It's recent research. They say something like 350 deaths out of 100,000 are caused by nagging wives; it actually does lessen the husband's lifespan. But the opposite doesn't, apparently; the husband nags of the wife, you're immune to it apparently, but not the men. So you know, you actually kill them.
So you know, there's domestic abuse on both sides, so be kind to each other. But if you do see that, you've got to stop it pretty quickly, and obviously the best thing is to stop it before it gets so ingrained; early prevention is the best. But you know, if not, then you have to convince her that this is a problem, that he can't carry on like this. And videos are pretty good. If she's got some bruises, take photos of them, show it to her again and again and again: "This is what you look like. You know that's not from a door, that's from your husband."
Otherwise, you see the terrible things which happen in India; they kill the girls, they pour acid over them and all sorts of incredibly bad things. And that's, you know, that's when it goes really, really too far; that is unacceptable.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
信徒：關於那位遭受虐待的女士，是的。我有一位朋友，她的丈夫有虐待行為，就像您說的，她感到非常困惑，不知道該怎麼辦。我們作為朋友，支持她的最佳方式是什麼？
布拉姆尊者：如果虐待情況那麼嚴重，你有時需要讓她離開，去庇護所，因為這可能會害死她；這會對她造成巨大的心理和身體傷害。這就是為什麼在許多國家這是非法的；如果一個男人那樣對待妻子，他會進監獄。所以你必須非常小心，保護她的身體安全。當然，另一件事是你需要尋求輔導師的幫助。
我還注意到另一件事：有時候，丈夫，那個男人，根本不認為自己有虐待行為；他看不到。所以現在有一個很好的方法，就是拿出你的智慧型手機，在他施虐或暴力相向時錄下來。然後，等他平靜下來，播放給他看。這就像一種正念技巧，因為當我們非常憤怒時，我們根本不知道自己在做什麼。可能他喝醉了；在一個人醉酒時錄下他，等他清醒時播放給他看。這是一個巨大的當頭棒喝。他們會說：「我那時候是那個樣子嗎？」
我記得我第一次，作為實習學校老師，我們都必須進行教學演示，並且被錄影。那是我第一次在電視螢幕上看到自己的樣子，只是一個私人錄影，那讓我震驚。你知道，你現在站著，是透過自己的眼睛看東西，但你看不到我能看到的（你的臉）。第一次在電視上看到自己……他們這樣做的原因是，如果你有任何小習慣，比如抽搐，而你站在高中生面前，五分鐘後所有孩子都會在你面前模仿那個動作。所以你必須在孩子們用它來取笑你之前，改掉那個習慣。
所以，如果你能錄下他，或者讓妻子在他醉酒或施虐時錄下來，然後播放給他看……有時候我們不知道自己有多糟糕，當他看到時，有時那會成為一個警醒，讓他感到非常尷尬和自責，說「我不想成為我在影片中看到的那個人；我沒意識到我當時是那個樣子。」如果你能做到，這是一個非常好的技巧。但除此之外，你需要輔導師。
再說一次，她身上有瘀傷；她不是從樓梯上摔下來，也不是撞到門，那是她丈夫造成的。你知道，這真的會害死人。即使沒有致死，也會對他們的餘生造成巨大的心理傷害；他們確實會陷入非常、非常糟糕的狀態。再次強調，這是國家的責任，要實際進行宣導，讓女性意識到這是個問題，也讓男性意識到他們自己也是問題所在。
而且不只是男性；女性也有問題。我有一篇小文章，我之前拿給僧眾們看過，我想是在歐洲做的一項研究，結果顯示嘮叨的妻子實際上會害死丈夫。這是真的，有這回事；我明天找出來讀給你們聽。是最近的研究。他們說每十萬人中大約有350例死亡是由嘮叨的妻子引起的；這實際上會縮短丈夫的壽命。但反過來顯然不會；丈夫對妻子嘮叨，女性顯然對此免疫，但男性則不然。所以你知道，你真的會害死他們。
所以你知道，家庭暴力是雙方面的，所以要彼此善待。但如果你確實看到這種情況，你必須盡快制止，顯然最好的方法是在它變得根深蒂固之前就阻止它；早期預防是最好的。但你知道，如果不行，那麼你必須說服她這是一個問題，他不能繼續這樣下去。錄影是一個很好的方法。如果她身上有瘀傷，拍下照片，一次又一次地給她看：「這就是你現在的樣子。你知道那不是撞到門造成的，那是你丈夫造成的。」
否則，你會看到印度發生的可怕事情；他們殺害女孩，朝她們潑酸以及各種極其惡劣的事情。而那，你知道，那就是事情發展到真正、真正太過分的地步；那是不可接受的。
問答環節，布拉姆尊者於靜默叢林禪修中心，2014年7月3日
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《sheer fun 純然的樂趣》
《sheer fun 純然的樂趣》
Devotee: I used to do some Buddhist practice like chanting mantras sutras daily no matter whether I really want to do that day I try to do is a habit to keep up the momentum sometimes I feel like I push myself too much to keep the habit but I don't feel good if I give up. what should I do?
Ajahn Brahm: How many times do you eat a day? Is that a habit? Do you have to force yourself to eat? Not at all, because you like it. The best habits are what we like to do. So if you like meditating or you like chanting, you don't have to force yourself. It's something you can't wait to be able to do. It's like meditating; I've meditated for such a long time, I love meditating. It's not a question of "I have to meditate now, I suppose I have to, I'm a monk, I'm supposed to meditate, I teach other people to meditate, oh God here we go again."
I love meditation!
So sometimes I see the meditation cushion: yes, meditation, woohoo! marvelous, yes, give me more! I like meditating like you like eating; I can't get enough of it. So that is how we do a lot of Buddhist practice—not because we have to. Don't Force It. Do it because you like to. Being compassionate, you have to force yourself to be compassionate? No. You've seen me running to try and open a door for you; I do that because it's fun. I enjoy opening a door for someone. I say, "You first," and you say, "No, no, you're a monk, you go first," and I said, "No, I'm going to stay here until you go in." That's fun! You have lots of joy that way.
And so sometimes when you realize that giving is fun, you just can't wait to give some more and to do something and be kind, be generous, whatever it is. It's just so fun being kind. I wasn't here for lunchtime, but did you get your cake Della? It's your birthday, yeah? Isn't it nice just giving something to someone? It's her birthday, so I wish all the blessings of everything which I ever have for you because it's your birthday today, and also for everybody else who has a birthday this year. May you all be happy and well, may you all have a cake today. So doesn't that give you a lot of fun? And it gives everyone else fun as well.
So do you have to force yourself to do this? "uhh....It's someone's birthday, I suppose I better get a cake." Instead, you change attitude and life becomes so much joy and fun. You do good acts of kindness, generosity, compassion, helping one another for the sheer fun of it. For those of you who've gone over to Bodhinyana Monastery for lunch just for some variety, all those people who go there, they don't get paid. They don't get told to come. They got up really early in the morning on Wednesday; one of those girls, she's in her 70s now I think, got up at 3:00 in the morning, actually she said 2:00, to cook because she was excited. She just loves to do it, and she's been doing that for over 30 years every Wednesday unless she's very, very sick or overseas on holiday. And you ask all these people who come to offer food to the monks, I used to do this just for fun, I said, "What you do this for?" and they said, "Because we like to, we enjoy it, we have fun." That is what generosity is all about.
Not because you have to, not because you're trying to make good karma so you get a nice rebirth in your next life, but sheer fun right now! So that means it's not a habit anymore; you're understanding why to do these things, whether it's meditating or chanting sadhu sadhu sadhu, for the sheer fun of it. And then it's no longer a habit; you just can't wait to do it. That's the trick: the sheer fun and joy of doing good things. It's a reward in itself.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 3 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
**信眾：** 我過去每天都會做一些佛教修持，例如誦經、持咒，無論我那天是否真的想做，我都試著把它當成一種習慣來保持動力。有時我覺得自己為了維持這個習慣而逼自己太甚，但如果我放棄，我又感覺不好。我該怎麼辦？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 你一天吃幾次飯？那算是一種習慣嗎？你需要強迫自己去吃飯嗎？完全不用，因為你喜歡吃飯。最好的習慣就是我們喜歡做的事。所以，如果你喜歡禪修，或者你喜歡誦經，你根本不需要強迫自己。那是你迫不及待想去做的事。就像禪修一樣；我禪修這麼久了，我熱愛禪修。這不是「我現在必須禪修了，我想我必須禪修，我是個僧侶，我理應禪修，我教別人禪修，哦天啊又來了」的問題。
我熱愛禪修！
所以有時候我看到禪坐墊：是的，禪修，嗚呼！太棒了，是的，給我更多！我喜歡禪修，就像你喜歡吃飯一樣；我樂此不疲。這就是我們進行很多佛教修持的方式——不是因為我們必須做。不要強迫。因為你喜歡而去做。要慈悲，你需要強迫自己變得慈悲嗎？不。你見過我跑著去試著幫你開門；我這樣做是因為這很有趣。我很享受為別人開門。我說：「您先請」，而你說：「不，不，您是法師，您先請」，然後我說：「不，我會待在這裡直到您進去。」這很好玩！這樣做你會得到很多快樂。
所以，當你意識到給予是件樂事時，你就會迫不及待地想要給予更多，去做些什麼，變得善良、慷慨，無論是什麼。只是變得善良本身就其樂無窮。我午餐時間不在這裡，但Della你拿到你的蛋糕了嗎？今天是你的生日，對吧？只是送點東西給別人，不是很美好嗎？今天是她的生日，因此我將我所擁有的一切祝福都迴向給你，因為今天是你的生日，也迴向給今年所有其他過生日的人。願你們所有人都快樂安康，願你們所有人今天都有一塊蛋糕。這樣做不是帶給你很多樂趣嗎？同時也帶給其他人樂趣。
所以，你需要強迫自己做這些事嗎？「呃……今天是某人的生日，我想我最好去弄個蛋糕。」相反地，你轉變態度，生活就會變得充滿喜悅和樂趣。你行善、布施、慈悲、互助，都是為了其中**純然的樂趣**。你們當中那些曾去菩提雅那寺（Bodhinyana Monastery）吃午餐換換口味的人，所有去那裡幫忙的人，他們是沒有報酬的。也沒有人要求他們來。他們在星期三一大清早就起床；其中一位女士，我想她現在七十多歲了，凌晨三點就起床，實際上她說是兩點，就起來烹煮，因為她很興奮。她就是喜歡做這件事，而且她每週三都這樣做，已經超過三十年了，除非她病得很重或在國外度假。你問所有這些來供養僧眾食物的人，我過去常問他們為什麼這樣做，我問：「你們為什麼要做這個？」他們說：「因為我們喜歡，我們很享受，我們覺得很有趣。」這就是布施的真正意義。
不是因為你必須做，不是因為你想積累善業以求來世有個好歸宿，而是為了此時此刻**純然的樂趣**！這意味著它不再是一個習慣；你理解了做這些事的理由，無論是禪修還是誦念"sadhu sadhu sadhu"（善哉），都是為了其中**純然的樂趣**。然後它就不再是一個習慣；你會迫不及待地想要去做。這就是訣竅：行善之事所帶來的**純然樂趣**與喜悅。這本身就是一種回報。
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月3日在禪悅林禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCv6bzGGgEM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
更多關於阿姜布拉姆：
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
more about Ajahn Brahm:
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《About time and the universe 關於時間與宇宙》
《About time and the universe 關於時間與宇宙》
Sometimes people ask, "Where did it all this world , universe begin?" I’ve been touching on this during these talks, bringing in a bit of physics, because it’s a common question—though not exactly the one people think they’re asking. What they often mean is, "Where did the universe begin?" That’s the kind of thing Christians, for example, might ask, suggesting that you need something like God—a supernatural principle—to start everything off. So, do Buddhists believe in God? Of couese ,the problem with a "first cause" is: what caused the first cause? It just kicks the can down the road, as the usual metaphor which is often used these days, but it doesn’t really answer the problem. So how can we think about a beginning of things?
The answer comes from something I learned in Einstein’s general theory of relativity—don’t worry, it’s very simple. The universe we live in, with all these galaxies, is vast; you’ve probably read enough books or seen documentaries to grasp its immense scale. It spans about 14 billion light-years from edge to edge. But you have probably imaged as I did as a child, where the universe ends? If you reach the end of the universe , how can it actually be? Is there a brick wall with a sign saying "End of Universe, you can't get anyway further " or maybe a razor-wire fences like I see in Singapore, 'military area, you can't get anyway further' ? Or is it just a chasm of emptiness afterwards? Does the universe have an edge to it? The answer is —it has no edge to it, but it’s not infinite. It’s a finite volume with no beginning, no end, and no edges at all. How can that possible?
I remember a simple explanation: imagine a soccer ball with a little ant crawling on it. The ant can go round and round forever without ever finding a beginning or an end to the soccer ball, yet the ball has a finite area—it doesn’t go on forever , it is not infinite, but it has no edges to it. That’s how the universe was described to me in Cambridge: The universe is like the soccer ball, curves on itself-- go round and round-- so it’s a finite volume in the universe which we live. We know how big it is, but it gets no beginning ,no end, no edges to it. That is very common for people with some science to understand that .
So now ,let's extend this idea somewhere else: time.
Time is limited; it only has a finite duration. But it has no beginning and no end—no edge to time, just like the universe. And there you find the answer to the god question: you don't need a God because not even time has a beginning. Just like the soccer ball, you can walk and walk and walk forever. Like the universe, it is a finite volume but has no edges, no beginning, and no end. It's simple. So now you know the meaning of the universe.
---Ajahn Brahm
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 2 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
有時人們會問：「這整個世界、宇宙，究竟是從哪裡開始的？」我在這些開示中偶爾會談到這個問題，並引入一些物理學的概念，因為這是個常見的疑問——雖然不完全是人們自以為在問的那個問題。他們真正想問的往往是：「宇宙從何開始？」例如，基督徒可能會這樣問，並暗示你需要一個像上帝這樣的存在——一個超自然的法則——來啟動這一切。那麼，佛教徒相信上帝嗎？當然，「第一因」這個說法的問題在於：那什麼又是「第一因」的成因呢？就如把罐頭踢落道路，就像現今常用的那個比喻一樣，但實際上並沒有真正解決問題。那麼，我們該如何思考「萬物的起源」呢？
答案來自於我在愛因斯坦的廣義相對論中學到的一點——請放心，這非常簡單。我們所居住的這個宇宙，包含著所有這些星系，是無比浩瀚的；你可能已經讀過足夠的書籍或看過紀錄片，對其龐大規模有所了解。它從一端到另一端橫跨約140億光年。但你可能也曾像我小時候那樣想像過：宇宙的盡頭在哪裡？如果你抵達了宇宙的邊緣，那會是怎樣的情景？那裡會有一道磚牆，上面寫著「宇宙盡頭，此路不通」嗎？或者像我在新加坡看到的那種鐵絲網圍欄，標示著「軍事重地，禁止前行」？還是之後就只是一片虛無的深淵？宇宙有邊界嗎？答案是——它沒有邊界，但它也並非無限。它是一個有限的大小，沒有起點，沒有終點，完全沒有任何邊界。這怎麼可能呢？
我記得一個簡單的解釋：想像一個足球，上面有一隻小螞蟻在爬行。這隻螞蟻可以繞來繞去，永遠找不到足球的起點或終點，然而這個足球的表面積是有限的——它並非無限延伸，但它沒有邊界。在劍橋時，有人就是這樣向我描述宇宙的：宇宙就像那個足球，它自身彎曲，循環往復——所以我們居住的宇宙是一個有限的大小。我們知道它有多大，但它沒有起點，沒有終點，沒有邊界。對於具備一些科學知識的人來說，理解這一點是很平常的。
那麼現在，讓我們將這個概念延伸到另一個領域：時間。
時間是有限的；它只有有限的持續長度。但它沒有開始，也沒有結束——時間沒有邊界，就像宇宙一樣。而在這裡，你找到了那個「神的問題」的答案：你不需要上帝，因為連時間都沒有起點。就像那個足球，你可以一直走、一直走、一直走下去。就像宇宙一樣，它是有限的大小，但沒有邊界，沒有開始，也沒有結束。就是這麼簡單。所以現在你明白宇宙的意義了。
--- 阿姜布拉姆
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月2日在禪修林禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《The simile of a bus 巴士之喻》
《The simile of a bus 巴士之喻》
In my books, in one of my inventions, I say life is like a journey. Now, that's an old simile—life is like a journey. But your life, your journey, sometimes goes through some very painful, difficult times.
It's just like you're on a bus and the bus goes through some very ugly territory. And what do you do when life is difficult? You want to get out and solve the problem as quickly as possible to get out of that suffering. So when the bus is driving through some very, very difficult, ugly territory—what I call the nuclear waste dumps of life, the toxic areas, the gas works, the old industrial areas which are not very scenic at all—you tell your bus driver to accelerate, put your foot down on the pedal, and get out of here as quickly as possible.
But what happens mostly in your life when you're suffering? The suffering tends to last longer than it should. Your bus driver of your journey tends to slow down, even stop, when it's ugly, bad territory.
And then later on in the journey of your life, you have happy times, beautiful, wonderful times, like this retreat, and you tell the bus driver to slow down. "I want to enjoy this, I want to linger as long as possible." And what does your bus driver do? He accelerates. The happy times don't last as long as they should. And you think it's because my bus driver is stupid: My will needs to be trained to be more wise so I can get rid of the painful moments of my life so they don't last so long. And when I'm happy, you can stay in that happiness longer and longer. All you need to do is to train your bus driver—your will.
And that's what many people do. They come to do mindfulness courses, they go to churches or temples; they're trying to lessen their suffering and increase their happiness by training their will to be smart, to make better decisions. And they never achieve anything until one day they find out, "Well, if I'm going to teach this bus driver, the will, to make smart decisions instead of all the stupid decisions you've made in your life, you've got to find that bus driver first of all. Find its seat. Find where the bus driver actually sits in your consciousness, in your mind." And that's what you do in meditation.
Until you finally find the bus driver's seat, and that's where you get the greatest insight—a shocking insight. The bus driver's seat is empty. There's no one there. You're on automatic. And what happens next when you realize the bus driver's seat is empty—non-self, no will there, no person, just driving your bus, you know, no one there? The result of that is you go back to your seat and you stop complaining. There's no one to complain to. You make a right decision, a wrong decision—not my fault, nothing to do with me, no one there. So you enjoy the journey of life with no greed, no negativity. The defilements are gone. Happiness, suffering—oh, it's all part of the journey. And you don't complain to the bus driver anymore. That's what happens. That's finding out *anatta* (non-self).
And when you realize that there's no one in control of this, oh—freedom at last! That's why one of Ajahn Chah's famous little stories—it comes from a statue which is in a monastery in the south of Thailand. I don't know actually where this monk got the statue from, but it's a statue of a monk holding his arm up in ecstasy, a newly enlightened monk. The statue has the caption underneath: "Joy, at last, to know there's no happiness in the world." Yes, I love that one. "Joy, at last, to know there's no happiness in the world." So I don't have to keep searching for it, and there's nothing wrong with me that I'm not happy. I can be free at last, not trying to get rid of unhappiness and go and search for happiness. Joy, at last, to know there's no happiness in the world. If you understand that, you understand the Four Noble Truths.
So it is very true that you are not in control of your body and mind. So who is in control? Who has been brainwashing you for the last four or five days? So this is actually how you get enlightened: you need to be brainwashed by somebody else. I've got to get into your head and I've got to say, "Let go," because you can't let go. If you let go, you're doing something. If I tell you to let go, you can. And when I tell you to let go, you get very peaceful—surprisingly, not all of you, not all at once, but many of you get just a little moment sitting here, not doing anything. Peace at last. Why do you do that? It's because I have suggested it. Where did I get it from? Ajahn Chah. He brainwashed me. Who brainwashed Ajahn Chah? Ajahn Mun. Who brainwashed Ajahn Mun? You go all the way back to the Buddha. Who brainwashed the Buddha? That was Kassapa the Buddha. Who brainwashed the Kasappa Buddha? Probably the previous Buddha. It goes back and back and back and back and back and back and back without end.
---Ajahn Brahm
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 2 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
在我的書中，其中一個著作裡，我將生命比作一段旅程。這雖是個古老的比喻——生命如旅。但你的生命、你的旅程，有時會經歷非常痛苦艱難的時期。
這就像你乘坐一輛巴士，巴士駛過一片非常醜陋的地域。當生活陷入困境時，你會怎麼做？你總想趕緊下車，盡快解決問題，好脫離那種苦。所以，當巴士行經那些非常、非常艱難、醜陋的地域——我稱之為生命的核廢料場、有毒區域、煤氣廠、毫無風景可言的舊工業區——你會告訴你的巴士司機：加速，踩緊油門，盡快離開這裡。
但當你受苦時，生活中大多發生什麼情況？痛苦往往持續得比應有的時間更長。你旅程的巴士司機在經過醜陋、糟糕的地域時，反而傾向於減速，甚至停下來。
然後，在你生命的後段旅程中，你遇到了快樂的時光，美好、美妙的時光，就像這次禪修一樣，你告訴巴士司機：慢下來。「我想享受這一切，我想盡可能地停留久一點。」而你的巴士司機做了什麼？他加速了。快樂的時光並沒有持續應有的長度。你會想，這是因為我的巴士司機太愚蠢了：我的意志需要被訓練得更明智，這樣我才能擺脫生命中的痛苦時刻，讓它們不再持續那麼久；而當我快樂時，我才能停留在那份幸福中越來越久。你認為你需要做的，就是訓練你的巴士司機——你的意志。
這也是許多人正在做的事。他們來參加正念課程，他們去教堂或寺廟；他們試圖通過訓練自己的意志變得更聰明、做出更好的決定，來減少痛苦、增加快樂。但他們一直未能達成目標，直到有一天他們發現：「嗯，如果我要教導這個巴士司機，也就是意志，讓它做出明智的決定，而不是你一生中所有那些愚蠢的決定，你首先必須找到那個巴士司機。找到他的座位。找到巴士司機在你意識中、在你心裡實際坐著的位置。」而這就是你在禪修中所做的事。
直到你終於找到了巴士司機的座位，就在那裡，你得到了最偉大的洞見——一個令人震驚的洞見。巴士司機的座位是空的。那裡沒有人。你處在自動駕駛狀態。當你意識到巴士司機的座位是空的——無我、沒有意志存在、沒有人，只是巴士自己在行駛，你知道嗎，那裡空無一人？接下來會發生什麼？結果是你回到自己的座位上，停止了抱怨。因為沒有對象可以抱怨。你做了一個正確的決定，一個錯誤的決定——都不是我的錯，與我無關，那裡沒人。於是，你享受著生命的旅程，沒有貪婪，沒有負面情緒。煩惱消失了。快樂、痛苦——哦，這都只是旅程的一部分。你不再向巴士司機抱怨了。這就是發生的情況。這就是發現了「無我」。
當你意識到並沒有人在控制這一切時，哦——終於自由了！這就是為什麼阿姜查有一個著名的小故事——它源自泰國南部一所寺院裡的一尊雕像。我不太確定這位法師是從哪裡得到這尊雕像的，那是一個僧人的雕像，他舉起手臂，狂喜的姿態，一個剛開悟的僧人。雕像下方的標題寫著：「終於欣喜地知曉，世間本無快樂。」是的，我非常喜歡這個。「終於欣喜地知曉，世間本無快樂。」因此，我不必再不斷追尋它，我也不必因為自己不快樂而覺得自己有什麼問題。我終於可以自由了，不再試圖擺脫不快樂，然後去追尋快樂。終於欣喜地知曉，世間本無快樂。如果你理解了這一點，你就理解了四聖諦。
所以，你無法控制自己的身心，這是千真萬確的。那麼，是誰在控制呢？過去四五天以來，是誰一直在「洗腦」你呢？事實上，這就是你開悟的方式：你需要被別人「洗腦」。我必須進入你的腦海，我必須告訴你：「放下」，因為你自己無法「放下」。如果你「放下」，那還是你在「做」什麼。如果我告訴你放下，你才能放下。而當我告訴你放下時，你會變得非常平靜——出乎意料地，不是你們所有人，也不是一下子全都如此，但你們許多人就在這裡坐著，什麼也不做，獲得了哪怕只是片刻的平靜。終於平靜了。你為什麼會這樣？那是因為我提出了這個建議。我從哪裡學來的？阿姜查。他「洗腦」了我。誰「洗腦」了阿姜查？阿姜曼。誰「洗腦」了阿姜曼？你可以一路追溯到佛陀。誰「洗腦」了佛陀？那是迦葉佛。誰「洗腦」了迦葉佛？大概是更早的佛陀。就這樣不斷地追溯、追溯、追溯、追溯、追溯、追溯、追溯，永無止境。
--- 阿姜布拉姆
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月2日在禪修林禪修中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《How can mindfulness be established 正念是如何培養的？》
《How can mindfulness be established 正念是如何培養的？》
Mindfulness is not something you do to establish; it's just what happens when you relax and become still. It's one of the things which you will know. It doesn't matter how good you think you are at meditation, and it doesn't matter just whether you think you've done a lot of meditation or a small amount. On this retreat, you will begin to notice that as the retreat comes to its end, you are much more relaxed, more awake, food tastes more delicious, and you can enjoy the nature much more.
Where you really do get a shock is when you leave this place. You don't realize how much you slowed down because we've all slowed down together, but when you come out, it's just really a shock to how busy life is outside of this retreat center. You have calmed down and you have woken up; you have become much more mindful, but sometimes you don't recognize it. But eventually, you realize that by relaxing, resting, going slowly, not talking so much, not doing so much, your mindfulness increases. The more you do, the weaker is your mindfulness. The slower, the more still, the stronger the mindfulness. And that's how mindfulness gets established: through stillness, through relaxation, not by doing things.
Kindness makes you mindful, and mindful makes you kind. That's why we always say it's not mindfulness, it's "kindfulness." Don't just be aware; be kind. If you don't know what I mean, I told this story because I know that some of you have done Vipassana retreats before. And there was a story of this very, very rich woman in Jakarta who came to one of the temples for a talk one evening. Before she left her mansion, she told the guard at the gates of her mansion 'to be careful because there have been many burglaries in the neighborhood, and I didn't want her mansion to be burgled while she was out at the temple listening to a talk. So I want you to be mindful tonight, be very mindful."
She goes off to her talk in the vihara, and when she returns home a couple of hours later, she finds her house has been burgled and lots of things are missing. And she goes to the guard and says, "You stupid guard! I told you to be mindful! I've been burgled! What happened?!" And the guard said, "Madam, I was mindful all the time. I was mindful of the thieves going in the house. I noted 'burglar going in, burglar going in, burglar going in.'
I saw them coming out with your jewelry, and I noted 'jewelry going out, jewelry going out, jewelry going out.'
I saw them going in with the truck—'truck going in, truck going in, truck going in.'
I saw them carrying your safe away in the back of the truck, and I was mindful. I noted 'safe going away, safe going away, safe going away.'
I was mindful all the time, Madam. Is that good enough?"
Mindfulness is not good enough. You have to be kind as well—kind to your employer! Go and ring the police, stop the thieves, do something! Don't just be mindful and just watch the burglars go in and the burglars go out. That is not enough, which is always why I say "kindfulness" is what we need. Be aware, yes, but be kind enough to do your duties and to create positive things in the world, not just be aware and let everything fall apart.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 2 July 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=10
正念不是透過「做」什麼來培養的；它只是當你放鬆並靜止下來時自然發生的狀態。這是你會自然知曉的事情之一。無論你認為自己的禪修程度多好，或者你覺得自己禪修經驗豐富還是初學，這些都不重要。在這個禪修營中，你會開始注意到，當課程接近尾聲時，你變得更加放鬆、更清醒，食物嚐起來更美味，你也能更深刻地享受大自然。
真正令你震驚的是當你離開這個地方的時候。你不會察覺到自己放慢了多少，因為我們是一起同步放緩的。但當你踏出這裡，才會驚覺外界的生活竟如此繁忙。你已經平靜下來，已經覺醒，你變得更加具有正念，但有時你自己並未察覺。直到最終你會明白：透過放鬆、休息、緩步而行、少言寡行，你的正念自然增長。做得越多，正念越弱；越緩慢、越平靜，正念就越強大。正念就是這樣建立的——透過靜止，透過放鬆，而非刻意造作。
善心使你正念分明，正念分明使你心生善良。因此我們常說：這不是正念，而是「善念（Kindfulness）」。不要只是覺知，更要懷抱善良。若你不明白我的意思，讓我分享這個故事——我知道你們有些人參加過觀禪禪修營。雅加達有位非常富有的女士，某晚前往一間寺院聽法。離開豪宅前，她囑咐守衛：「最近附近發生多起竊案，我不希望在寺院聽法時房子遭竊。今晚你必須保持正念，要非常具有正念！」
她前往寺院的精舍聽法，兩小時後返家時，發現房屋遭竊，大量財物不翼而飛。她衝向守衛怒斥：「你這愚蠢的守衛！我吩咐你要保持正念！現在我家被盜了！怎麼回事？」守衛回答：「夫人，我始終保持正念。我清楚覺知竊賊進入屋內：『竊賊進入，竊賊進入，竊賊進入』；看見他們帶著您的珠寶出來：『珠寶出來，珠寶出來，珠寶出來』；看著他們開卡車進來：『卡車進來，卡車進來，卡車進來』；目睹他們把保險箱抬上卡車後斗時，我也正念分明地記錄：『保險箱搬走，保險箱搬走，保險箱搬走』。夫人，我始終保持正念，這樣足夠了嗎？」
僅有正念並不夠。你必須同時具備善良——對雇主的善良！你該做的是報警、阻止竊賊、採取行動！不要只是正念旁觀竊賊進出。這正是我始終強調「善念」的原因。保持覺知很好，但更要懷抱慈悲去履行責任、為世界創造美好，而非冷眼旁觀一切分崩離析。
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月2日在禪修林冥想中心的問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=10
《Keep the mess out of your mind 別把髒亂帶進心裡》
《Keep the mess out of your mind 別把髒亂帶進心裡》
Devotee: Please share more about empathy and respect not only for human beings but also for other beings, because this afternoon I found one roll of the toilet paper mess in The Secret Garden. So, somebody was actually using the secret garden as a toilet.
Ajahn Brahm: So that must have been the kangaroos. No, kangaroos have to go to the toilet, so maybe they've been hanging around the monks long enough they started to use the toilet paper as well. They've got to do something to wipe their backside, who knows?
Devotee: So, this afternoon I found one roll of the toilet paper mess in the secret garden.
Ajahn Brahm: There's a little Buddha statue with a nice little garden somewhere in these grounds; we call it a secret garden because it's a bit hard to find, but if you walk around long enough you'll find it, and you try to keep it nice and clean. I don't know why somebody did that, but if they did, they had to do that for some reason or another. I don't know why, but give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they had diarrhea and had to do an emergency—who knows why they did that? Maybe they did that because there was a Zen master teaching you a lesson. I don't know what the lessons are because I don't understand Zen Masters, but it may be a koan for you.
But whatever it is, you know, why do you allow the mess to make a mess in your mind and in your heart? Leave the mess out there in the world; don't pick it up and put it in your heart. People do that—this is a problem. It's not the opposite of empathy when we get angry or disgusted; somebody does something really dirty, mean, nasty, and we allow that to come right into our heart and we keep it. It's like putting the dirty toilet paper inside here; it's not the right place for it.
So if that was me, I'd take that toilet paper, take it away, take it to the toilet and flush it. And I thank the person for giving me the opportunity of making such wonderful good karma, that I could now clean that garden up. Thank you for giving me that opportunity, and that's how I would deal with it. Never get angry at other people. But if someone gets angry at you, they're giving you an opportunity to just see how far your practice has gone, to see whether you can practice compassion even though they're being mean and nasty to you. They are your teacher.
Because when I was in Thailand and had all these mosquitoes biting, I was very angry at the mosquito until Ajahn Chah told me, "Call those Ajahn Mosquito; they are your teachers. They are teaching you to deal with irritation." Because life is irritating. You get a husband, it's irritating. You get a wife, they're irritating. Parents are irritating. Kids are really irritating. Everybody is irritating—that's their nature. And they teach you how to be peaceful even when things are irritating you. It's a lesson you have to learn.
So whatever happens in this life which is irritating, which is bad, it's only toilet paper. No, they're not shoving it in your mouth, so it's not that bad. So see if you can just, you know, pick it up, take it away, and give them the benefit of the doubt. Say, "Thank you, teacher. I don't know why you did that, but it was a wonderful thing."
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 1 July 2014
信眾：請多談談對眾生的慈悲與尊重。今天下午我在祕密花園發現一捲用過的衛生紙，竟然有人把那裡當成廁所。
阿姜布拉姆：那肯定是袋鼠幹的好事。不對，袋鼠也需要如廁，說不定牠們跟僧眾相處久了，也學會使用衛生紙了？總得找東西清理自己嘛，誰知道呢？
信眾：所以下午我在祕密花園發現了那捲衛生紙......
阿姜布拉姆：這座園區某處有尊小佛像與精緻小花園，我們稱作「祕密花園」正是因其隱蔽難尋，但只要耐心尋找終能發現。我們始終努力保持其潔淨，雖不知當事人為何如此行事，但或許真有不得已的苦衷？與其妄下判斷，不如善意推想——可能是突發腹瀉的應急之舉？又或是禪師給你的啟示？我參不透禪機，但或許這正是給你的公案。
關鍵在於：為何要讓外在的髒亂染污你的心？讓汙穢留在它該在的地方，別撿起來珍藏心底。世人常犯此錯——當他人做出汙穢不堪的言行，我們若任其侵入心田久久不忘，這絕非慈悲的反面，而是將髒衛生紙塞進心窩，那裡絕非其歸宿。
若換作是我，會撿起衛生紙沖入馬桶，並衷心感謝對方賜予積累功德的良機，讓我得以重整花園。這便是我處世之道：永遠不對人生氣。當有人對你動怒，這正是檢視修行境界的契機，考驗你能否在惡意環伺中實踐慈悲——他們都是你的老師。
昔日在泰國修行時，我曾因蚊群叮咬憤懣不已，阿姜查卻開示道：「該尊稱牠們為『蚊子老師』，這些老師正在教你面對煩惱。」生命本就充滿惱人之事：丈夫令你煩心、妻子讓你苦惱、父母使你焦躁、孩子更叫人抓狂——眾生本然如此，而他們都在教導你：如何在紛擾中保持內心澄澈。
此生所有的煩惱災厄，不過是衛生紙罷了。既然沒人強塞你口中，便不算太糟。試著撿起它、處理它、懷著善意理解它，然後說：「感恩老師，雖不知您為何如此安排，但這真是美妙的教導。」
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月1日在禪修園的問答開示
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0SP6BEfmM&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=11
《Learn to sleep well 學會睡個好覺》
《Learn to sleep well 學會睡個好覺》
Devotee: How to avoid drowsiness during meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: please, a cup of coffee or a cup of tea is okay sometimes. But obviously, the key is to make sure you sleep well at night. Again, you know there's a lot of insomnia in our current world, and a lot of times, people cure insomnia through mindfulness practice. So when you go to bed tonight, don't just go to sleep and start thinking about things; practice the first stages of meditation: present moment awareness.
How can you do that now? How many of you sleep in bed with your shoes on or slippers on? Do any of you do that? You take your slippers off before you get into bed. So, as you take your slippers off before you go into bed, let the left slipper represent your past. Think that that's your past; you take the slipper off and put it under your bed. And as you take off the right slipper, just imagine your right slipper is your future, and you take that off and put it under your bed. You never take the past and future into bed with you. That's a dirty habit, like taking your shoes into bed.
Which means, if you identify the left shoe with the past and the right shoe with the future, just do that little imagination. It means when you go into bed, you're not carrying all the stuff which happened to you so far today and all the worries, anxieties, and fears of the future. You don't take that into bed with you either. This means that the cause of so much insomnia—worry about the future, lingering being hurt about the past—doesn't go into bed with you, so you can really relax and have a very beautiful, deep sleep. Just simple things like that help you relax enough to get a good night's sleep.
You know, there are not that many people who sleep well, which is one of the reasons why, in the current world where so much is asked of you—you have to work hard, get up early, get to work on time, with so much you have to do every day—so you really need to learn how to sleep well. So, in the few hours you do have in bed, you make the best use of them. And if you can sleep well, just imagine how much energy you will have in life and how much health you will have. There are so many sicknesses that come from tightness: cancers, cardiac problems, and just so much other stuff. Grumpiness, not knowing how to have a good relationship with anybody because you're just… so much stuff comes from just a simple thing like not learning how to sleep well.
So here, just that simple exercise—let go of the past, let go of the future. You go in there and just have nothing to worry about at all, and you can have a very good night's sleep. It also means you don't have all these dreams which activate your brain; you know, you can sleep deeply and peacefully. And the other thing to do is just to practice that letting go, making peace, being kind, being gentle as you go to sleep. Make peace with yourself, be kind to your body, really relax it, be kind to your mind and be very gentle. And that's what you take into sleep with you: making peace, kindness, gentleness. If you have any dreams, you have these beautiful, soft, kind dreams; you wake up feeling so refreshed.
And that's the sort of thing you can do. And if you can do things like that, you don't get even sleepy during the meditation. If you do, it's just because you've been working extra hard, so just accept that. But the sleepiness gets reduced enormously, and your happiness and health increases. So try that. Learn how to sleep on this retreat: sleep deeply, sleep well, sleep softly, peacefully, kind, gently. Like in the second factor of the Eightfold Path, it doesn't just lead to Nibbana; it leads to deep, peaceful sleep.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 1 July 2014
信徒提問：如何避免禪修時昏沉嗜睡？
阿姜布拉姆：偶爾喝杯咖啡或茶也無妨。但顯然，關鍵在於確保夜間睡眠品質。要知道當今世界失眠問題普遍，而許多人正是透過正念練習來治癒失眠。今晚就寢時，不要躺下就開始胡思亂想，請實踐禪修的初階要領：保持覺知當下。
具體該怎麼做？你們有多少人穿著鞋子或拖鞋睡覺？有誰這樣嗎？你們上床前都會脫掉拖鞋吧？當你脫鞋準備就寢時，不妨將左拖鞋視為你的過去，想像把「過去」脫下塞進床底；右拖鞋則代表未來，同樣將「未來」脫下置於床下。永遠別帶著過去與未來上床，這就像穿著鞋履臥榻般糟糕。
透過這個簡單的意象練習——左鞋代表過去，右鞋象徵未來——意味著當你躺下時，不再背負今日種種與未來憂懼。導致失眠的主因（對未來的焦慮、過往創傷的糾結）便不會隨你入眠，如此你才能真正放鬆，享受深沉美好的睡眠。正是這些簡單方法能助你充分鬆弛，獲得優質睡眠。
當今社會鮮少有人能安睡，這正是因為我們被過度要求：必須努力工作、早起準時上班、每日應接不暇的事務......因此你實在需要學習如何睡好覺。在有限的臥床時間裡最大化利用，若能安睡，試想人生將獲得多少活力與健康？太多疾病源於緊繃狀態：癌症、心臟問題，還有各種其他症狀。暴躁易怒、人際關係失和......諸多困擾竟都源自「未能學會好好睡覺」這般簡單的原因。
所以請實踐這個簡單練習：放下過去，放下未來。躺下時無牽無掛，自然能享有安眠。這同時意味著不再受紛亂夢境干擾大腦，你將能深沉寧靜地安寢。另一要點是練習「放下」：入睡時締造和平、懷抱善良、保持柔軟。對自己善良，善待身體令其徹底放鬆，溫柔善良地對待心念。帶著這份寧靜、善良與溫柔入眠，即便做夢也將是美好輕柔的夢境，醒來時必感煥然一新。
若能實踐這些方法，禪修時便不易昏沉。若仍感睏倦，不過是過度操勞所致，坦然接受即可。但睡意將大幅消減，幸福感和健康狀態則會提升。請務必嘗試：在此禪修期間學習睡眠之道——睡得深沉、睡得香甜、睡得輕柔、睡得安詳、帶著善良與溫軟。正如八正道第二支所示，這不僅通向涅槃，更引領我們邁向深沉寧靜的睡眠。
阿姜布拉姆於2014年7月1日在禪修園的問答開示
《Get nimittas from mental image 從心中影像取得禪相》
《Get nimittas from mental image 從心中影像取得禪相》
Devotee: At the beginning of meditation, even when I close my eyes, I see pictures of things ,like looking around the meditation hall or gazing on the light from outside, sometimes is a picture of a Buddha statue looking kindly at me, just like seeing scenes of places I've been that I find peaceful or happy. Then after a time, I can achieve total blackout. Is it better to have blackouts or imagine something positive in the mind? Is it better to have certain pictures or stay in the present reality, just the place I'm in meditation? Or does it matter at all?
Devotee: Not really. It just means you have an active mind, so just calm it down a little bit. But one trick if you have a visual mind like that—you can see the Buddha statue, you can see scenery—when you see scenery like that in your mind you got your eyes closed, it's a mental object. Try and look for the most beautiful part of that scenery. Deliberately go for the beautiful part, and that beautiful part would expand. Then go for the most beautiful and simple part of *that* beautiful part. Always go for the beautiful and simple, and then the mind will go in and in and in, and after a little while you get nimittas coming out.
I would do that, you know, when if I had a visual image. I remember once I had a visual image of green fields and trees, and I noticed it was a sunny day in my vision. I noticed at the tip of one of the leaves there was a dew drop which sparkled in the Sun, and that's all I needed. My mind was well enough trained; it went straight to that dew drop which sparkled, and because it sparkled, a huge nimitta came out almost immediately. That's actually how you deal with the visual stuff: find the most beautiful something sparkling. Another time there was like a river, and in a river there's always something which is sparkling in the river. That's what I went to straight away—the sparkle—and that just, this nice little nimitta comes out very quickly. So you're trying to go for the most beautiful, the most simple. If you have a visual mind like that, that's much better. So don't go for complicated stuff; go for the beauty.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
**信徒：** 在禪修的初期，甚至當我閉上眼睛時，也會看到一些圖像，例如環顧禪堂或凝視從外面透進來的光線，有時是一尊佛像慈祥地看著我的畫面，就像看到一些我去過的、讓我感到平靜或快樂的地方的場景。過了一段時間後，我能夠達到完全一片漆黑的狀態。是達到一片漆黑比較好，還是在心中想像一些畫面比較好？是擁有特定的圖像比較好，還是僅僅安住於當下的現實，即我正在禪修的地方比較好？或者這根本無關緊要？
**阿姜布拉姆：** 不太重要。這只是意味著你有一個活躍的心，所以只要讓它平靜一點就好。但是，如果你有那樣視覺化的心——你可以看到佛像，你可以看到景色——這裡有一個技巧：當你閉著眼睛，在心中看到那樣的景色時，它是一個心的對象。試著去尋找那景色中最美麗的部分。刻意地專注於那美麗的部分，而那個美麗的部分會擴展開來。然後，再專注於*那個*美麗部分之中，最美麗、最簡單的部分。永遠專注於美麗而簡單的部分，然後心就會不斷地向內、向內、再向內，過一會兒，禪相（nimittas）就會出現。
你知道，如果我有視覺影像，我就會這麼做。我記得有一次，我有一個關於綠色田野和樹木的視覺影像，我注意到在我的視野裡是個晴天。我注意到其中一片葉子的尖端有一滴露珠，在陽光下閃閃發光，而這就是我所需要的一切。我的心已經訓練得足夠好；它直接專注於那顆閃閃發光的露珠，正因為它閃閃發光，一個巨大的禪相幾乎立刻就出現了。這實際上就是你處理視覺東西的方法：找到最美麗的、閃閃發光的東西。另一次，有一條像河一樣的影像，在河裡總是有某些東西在閃閃發光。那就是我立刻專注的目標——那閃光——然後，一個美好的小禪相就很快地出現了。所以，你要試著去專注於最美麗、最簡單的部分。如果你有那樣視覺化的心，那其實更好。所以不要追求複雜的東西；要追求那個美。
問答：阿姜布拉姆於靜居林禪修中心，2014年6月30日
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
《How to calm angry people down? 如何讓生氣的人平靜下來？》
《How to calm angry people down? 如何讓生氣的人平靜下來？》
Devotee: And you were talking about not saying harsh things to other people. What if someone is doing something that is disturbing others? Should one say something to them, perhaps they don't realize, or to the person in charge?
Ajahn Brahm:Well, if they are murdering somebody, okay, you can actually tell them, "Please, can you stop? Or please, can you wait until the end of the retreat before you murder somebody, but not today, please." (joke) But a lot of the time, if you start to say something harsh to them, they don't actually see what they're doing. All they see is your harsh words. That's why anger never really fulfills a goal. You get angry at someone, you want to sort of tell them, teach them a lesson, but they don't hear what you're saying. All they hear is your anger.
So if you want to stop somebody doing something, don't be harsh. You talk to them very softly. See.... that.. is ...not.. the.. right.. way.. to.. speak. Try a little bit more kindness." And then people might listen.
You know, I've been teaching a few people this. It's such a simple technique. If someone is really angry and harsh, number one, they will speak very fast, and also the pitch of their voice will go up. "Don't do this! You're doing it wrong! I don't want you to do this ever again!" Now you can see my pitch went up and I was speaking very fast. That's what happens when you're angry.
So if someone is angry at you, you do the opposite. You lower your tone and speak slowly. "That... was not... a very good thing... to do..." That calms everybody down. And it's such an easy way of getting a situation where everybody gets excited, and calming them down, making them peaceful, to diffuse a situation. So try that: slow and lower the pitch, and it calms people down.
So, you know, you may go home and your wife is nagging—see, it's always high-pitched, very fast—and the husband says, "Yes, darling... I.. understand... what you must be going through..." He just goes very calm and quiet afterwards. Maybe. Anyway, I haven't got a wife, so I don't know, but it's a very good theory.
So if somebody else is saying something harsh, don't join in. There are two people having a problem there.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
信眾：您剛才談到不要對別人說嚴厲的話。如果有人做了打擾他人的事呢？應該告訴那個人嗎？也許他們沒意識到，或者應該告訴負責人？
阿姜布拉姆：這個嘛，如果他們正在謀殺某人，好吧，你確實可以告訴他們：「請問，你可以停下來嗎？或者請你等到禪修結束後再殺人，但今天請不要，拜託。」（開玩笑）但很多時候，如果你開始對他們說些嚴厲的話，他們其實看不到自己做了什麼。他們只看到你的嚴厲言詞。這就是為什麼憤怒永遠無法真正達成目的。你對某人生氣，想告誡他們、給他們一個教訓，但他們聽不見你在說什麼。他們只聽到你的憤怒。
所以，如果你想阻止某人做某件事，不要嚴厲。你要非常輕柔地對他們說。「看...這...不是...正確的...說話...方式。試著...多一點...仁慈。」這樣人們或許會聽進去。
你知道嗎，我一直在教一些人這個方法。這是一個非常簡單的技巧。如果有人真的生氣且態度惡劣，第一，他們會說話非常快，而且聲音的音調會升高。「不准這樣做！你做錯了！我不准你再這樣做！」現在你們可以看到我的音調升高了，而且我說得很快。這就是你生氣時會發生的情況。
所以，如果有人對你生氣，你要做相反的事。你要降低音調並慢慢說話。「那...不是...一件...很好的...事情...」這能讓每個人都冷靜下來。這是一個非常簡單的方法，能在大家情緒激動時讓他們平靜下來，使他們平和，從而化解局面。所以試試看：放慢速度並降低音調，這能讓人平靜下來。
所以，你知道，你可能回家後，你的妻子在嘮叨——看，總是音調很高、語速很快——而丈夫說：「是的，親愛的...我...明白...你一定...很不好受...」之後他就變得非常平靜和安靜。也許吧。反正我沒有妻子，所以我不知道，但這是個很好的理論。
所以，如果別人正在說些嚴厲的話，不要加入。那是有兩個人在那裡有問題。
問答 by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
《Self-improvement 自我改善》
《Self-improvement 自我改善》
And self-improvement—aren't you good enough already? You know, sometimes I remember people say they complained about their boss being stupid. If you got a stupid boss, be very grateful to him or her, because if he wasn't that stupid, he wouldn't have employed you. hahahahaa. Okay, that's a bit of a joke, but never mind.
That's like the story I was told by a Singapore marriage counselor years ago about this couple who got married. It's a true story she told me; it was actually about her father. Her father took her new husband aside—they had just been married—and the father wanted to give his son-in-law some advice. He said to his son-in-law, "You probably love my daughter and think she's amazing. ''
''Oh yes, she's so wonderful, everything about her is beautiful, even the way she picks her nose is so charming." Because when you're in love, everything about your lover is just amazing and charming. And the father-in-law said, "Yeah, that's what it's like when you just get married. But after two years or maybe three years, you will start to see the faults and defects in my daughter. And when you start to see the faults and defects in my daughter, I want you to remember this, son-in-law: if she never had those faults and defects to begin with, she'd have married someone much better than you. So you've got faults and defects as well."
So that is self-improvement—what are you trying to improve? You get smarter? You can only do that for a few years. When you get to my age, you keep forgetting things more and more, just like that story of the lady. She was one of these businesswomen, and she sacrificed relationships; she never got married because that gets in the way of business. Just before her 60th birthday, she realized she missed out on something in life: having kids. Because, you know, women, they sometimes have this maternal instinct; they want to have a child. But she was rich enough from her success in business, so she went to one of these fertility clinics and got a sperm donor. And you wouldn't believe the amazing advances of medical science now. They injected and, getting one of her eggs out, fertilized it with a donated sperm, put it back in her womb, and she became pregnant at 60 years of age. It was a miracle birth, you know, because she could afford the very, very best doctors, and she gave birth to this healthy child—amazing.
When she was released from the hospital, all her friends and relations came around to see the child. When they came into her house, she gave them a cup of tea, and they said, "Can we see your child?" She said, "No, have another cup of tea." And after the second cup of tea, they said, "Come on, can we see the boy now?" She said, "No, no, have another cup of tea." And after three cups of tea, they said, "When can we see the miracle baby?" She said, "I'm sorry, I can't show you the baby until it starts crying." "Why?" "Because I've forgotten where I put it," said the 60-year-old. That's a problem when you're 60, you forget everything, even where you put your baby. So if you're going to have a child, please do it before you get dementia.
So anyway, what's this got to do with the question? Everyone rates performance, improves service for customers, and always needs to do better. I don't do that, not in my business. Are you going to rate my performance for this retreat? I don't care. I tell all these bad jokes, and I do that to try and get rid of you. I want you to think, "This is really terrible jokes, very boring," so I try to do that on purpose so that you can all go away and leave me alone, so I can just meditate in my cave nice and peacefully. So my aim is to get rid of you, and I'm not very successful—more people keep coming. So my performance, I don't rate it at all. You like it, don't like it, let it go. And I'm not going to rate your performance on this retreat, either. You are not going to get report cards, because if I gave you report cards, what grade would you get? Hands up if you think you deserve an F.
You don't get rated here, because that's all to do with self. Isn't it wonderful when you don't compare and you don't rate? Somebody asked me this question years ago, and it made me actually get into a very nice little way of looking at meditation. They asked me about a quote from this physicist, philosopher, and engineer from 150 years ago in the UK called Lord Kelvin. Lord Kelvin was one of the first—I think he was the first founding president of the Royal Society in London, the most prestigious society of top scientists in the world. Lord Kelvin was the scientist—for those of you who remember your high school physics, the Kelvin scale of temperature from absolute zero was him. He was also a philosopher at the beginning of the technological revolution, and he made this quote: "The only way we can control nature is to learn how to measure nature accurately first of all."
So the beginnings of what we call technology is learning how to have accurate measurements of time, of distance, of weight. And once you have those accurate measurements, all of the technology of aircraft, cars, and even computers all came from accurate measurements; you had to get that down first of all. So a lot of science began with measuring things. And they asked me what I thought about that, and I actually turned it around. It's very true: the only way you can control nature, or even control people, is by measuring them accurately first of all. That's why you get graded and weighed. But if you stop measuring, you lose control. You have to let things be; you can't do anything. So imagine if you stop measuring yourself, then you can't control yourself. You let things be, and you're free. Remember the Sixth Patriarch: "The path is easy when you stop preferences. ' I say, when you stop measuring stuff. So stop measuring stuff. Stop measuring yourself: good meditation, bad meditation.
All meditation-y ou open the door of your heart; you're kind to it. Sloth and torpor, restlessness, Jhanas—stop measuring. When you don't measure, you can't do anything; then you're at peace.
So that's why there's no self-improvement. If you have self-improvement, you just get a bigger self, a different self; it's still a self. When there's no self-improvement, no measuring, no comparing, no judging, it means you disappear. You just are. You're peaceful. Nowhere to go, nothing to achieve, no one to become. Just being free at last. That's why Ajahn chah used to say we meditate not to attain things—that's just more self-improvement—we meditate to let go of things, to disappear, to vanish. Poof~
Have you read that book, *There's No Ajahn Chah*? What does that book mean? "There's no Ajahn chah." It meant there is no real Ajahn Chah; you're not measuring.
So try that in your meditation. Sit here: no measuring, no good, no bad, no past, no future, no me, no mine, no them, no noise, no good, no bad. Just meditation, that's all. Just peaceful, just being here. Try that. When you try that, you find it so easy to be peaceful. But when you're trying self-improvement, there's no end to it; you never find peace, you're never good enough, you never finish. The only way you can finish is: to hell with the self. Somebody else's problem, not mine.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
那麼自我改善——你難道還不夠好嗎？你知道嗎，有時候我記得人們抱怨他們的老闆很蠢。如果你有一個愚蠢的老闆，要非常感激他或她，因為如果他不是那麼愚蠢，他就不會僱用你。哈哈哈。好吧，這有點開玩笑，但沒關係。
這就像幾年前一位新加坡婚姻顧問告訴我的故事，關於一對結婚的夫婦。她告訴我這是一個真實的故事；其實是關於她父親的。她的父親把她的新婚丈夫拉到一邊——他們剛結婚——父親想給他的女婿一些建議。他對女婿說：「你可能愛我的女兒，並認為她很棒。」「哦，是的，她太棒了，她的一切都很美好，就連她挖鼻孔的樣子都那麼迷人。」因為當你戀愛時，你愛人的一切就是那麼驚人和迷人。而岳父說：「是啊，剛結婚時就是這樣。但兩年或三年後，你就會開始看到我女兒的缺點和缺陷。當你開始看到我女兒的缺點和缺陷時，我要你記住這一點，女婿：如果她從一開始就沒有那些缺點和缺陷，她早就嫁給比你優秀得多的人了。所以你也有缺點和缺陷。」
所以這就是自我改善——你想改善什麼？變得更聰明？你只能這樣做幾年。當你到了我這個年紀，你會越來越健忘，就像那位女士的故事一樣。她是那種女商人，犧牲了感情；她從未結婚，因為那會妨礙事業。就在她60歲生日前，她意識到自己錯過了生活中的某些東西：生孩子。因為，你知道，女人，她們有時有這種母性本能；她們想要一個孩子。但她在事業上非常成功，足夠富有，所以她去了一家生育診所，找了一個精子捐贈者。你簡直無法相信現在醫學科學的驚人進步。他們進行注射，取出她的一顆卵子，用捐贈的精子受精，把它放回她的子宮，她在60歲時懷孕了。這是一個奇蹟般的生產，你知道，因為她負擔得起最好最好的醫生，她生下了一個健康的孩子——太神奇了。
當她出院時，所有的朋友和親戚都來看孩子。當他們進到她家時，她給了他們一杯茶，他們說：「我們能看看你的孩子嗎？」她說：「不行，再喝一杯茶吧。」第二杯茶後，他們說：「拜託，我們現在能看看男孩了嗎？」她說：「不，不，再喝一杯茶吧。」三杯茶之後，他們說：「我們什麼時候能看到這個奇蹟寶寶？」她說：「對不起，我要等到寶寶開始哭才能給你們看。」「為什麼？」「因為我忘了把他放在哪裡了，」這位60歲的女士說。這就是當你60歲時的問題，你什麼都忘了，甚至忘了你把寶寶放在哪裡。所以，如果你打算要孩子，請在患上失智症之前做。
總之，這和問題有什麼關係？每個人都評量績效，改善客戶服務，並且總是需要做得更好。我不這麼做，在我的事業中不這樣。你要為這次禪修評量我的表現嗎？我不在乎。我講所有这些糟糕的笑話，我這樣做是試圖擺脫你們。我想讓你們覺得「這真是糟糕的笑話，非常無聊」，所以我故意這樣做，讓你們都可以離開，讓我一個人靜靜，這樣我就可以在我的洞穴裡美好而平靜地禪修。所以我的目標是擺脫你們，而我不太成功——越來越多的人來。所以我的表現，我一點也不評量。你喜歡也好，不喜歡也罷，隨它去。我也不會評量你在這次禪修中的表現。你不會拿到成績單，因為如果我給你成績單，你會得到什麼成績？如果你認為自己應該得個F，請舉手。
你在這裡不被評量，因為那都與自我有關。當你不比較、不評量時，不是很美好嗎？幾年前有人問我這個問題，這實際上讓我找到了一種看待禪修的很棒的小方法。他們問我關於150年前英國一位名叫克耳文勳爵的物理學家、哲學家和工程師的一句引文。克耳文勳爵是最早的——我想他是倫敦皇家學會的第一任創始主席，那是世界上最負盛名的頂尖科學家學會。克耳文勳爵就是那位科學家——對於那些記得高中物理的人來說，從絕對零度開始的克氏溫標就是他提出的。他也是技術革命初期的一位哲學家，他說過這樣一句話：「我們要控制自然，唯一的方法就是首先學會如何精確地測量自然。」
所以，我們所謂的技術的開端，就是學習如何對時間、距離、重量進行精確測量。一旦你有了這些精確的測量，所有飛機、汽車甚至電腦的技術都來自精確的測量；你必須首先搞定這個。所以很多科學都是從測量事物開始的。他們問我對此有何看法，我實際上把它反過來說。這非常正確：你能控制自然，甚至控制人的唯一方法，就是首先精確地測量他們。這就是為什麼你被評分和稱重。但如果你停止測量，你就會失去控制。你必須讓事物順其自然；你什麼也做不了。所以想像一下，如果你停止測量自己，那麼你就無法控制自己。你讓事物順其自然，你就自由了。記得六祖惠能說過：「當你不測量時，道路就平坦了。」我說，當你停止測量東西時。所以停止測量東西。停止測量自己：好的禪修、壞的禪修。
所有禪修——你打開心門；你對它友善。昏沉睡眠、掉舉不安、禪那——停止測量。當你不測量時，你什麼也做不了；然後你就平靜了。
所以這就是為什麼沒有自我改善。如果你進行自我改善，你只會得到一個更大的自我，一個不同的自我；它仍然是一個自我。當沒有自我改善，沒有測量，沒有比較，沒有評判時，就意味著你消失了。你只是存在。你是平靜的。無處可去，無事可成，無人可成為。終於只是自由地存在。這就是為什麼阿姜查過去常說，我們禪修不是為了獲得什麼——那只是更多的自我改善——我們禪修是為了放下事物，為了消失。噗~
你讀過那本書嗎？*《沒有阿姜查》*？那本書是什麼意思？「沒有阿姜查。」它的意思是沒有真正的阿姜查；你不在測量。
所以，在你的禪修中試試看。坐在這裡：不測量，不好，不壞，無過去，無未來，無我，無我所，無他，無噪音，無善，無惡。只是禪修，如此而已。只是平靜，只是在這裡。試試看。當你嘗試那樣做時，你會發現保持平靜是如此容易。但當你試圖自我改善時，那是沒有盡頭的；你永遠找不到平靜，你永遠不夠好，你永遠無法完成。你能完成的唯一方法是：去他的自我。那是別人的問題，不是我的。
問答 by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
更多關於 Ajahn Brahm：
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
《我想升職 I want to get a promotion》
《我想升職 I want to get a promotion》
弟子問： 在現代商業環境中，每個人都必須考核績效、提升客戶服務、不斷追求進步，該如何運用「無我」與「無自我進步」的觀念呢？
布拉姆長老答： 這在商業領域確實極具挑戰。是否存在其他實現價值的方式？想想你們多少人曾在晉升競爭中忍受辦公室政治。若能以智慧理解「無我」的真諦，就會明白升職並不會讓你成為更好的人——反而可能讓你更顯愚痴。你當下的壓力還不夠多嗎？升職意味著更重的責任，雖然薪資可能提升，但金錢何曾真正足夠？永遠都不夠。
升職最終只會帶來更多壓力，卻依然無法解決經濟困境。對我而言，寧願保持雖不豐足卻無壓力的生活——說實在的，我在道場根本毫無積蓄，但內心自在。那麼為何人們仍渴望升職？只因「自我」作祟，讓你誤以為頭銜能定義自我：「我是經理、我是總監、我是老闆。」但你真的不該渴望成為老闆，那意味著必須承受無數苦難。當第二把交椅反而更明智。我常比喻：車隊中領頭的卡車總要承受滿擋風鏡的蟲屍，後隨車輛卻能一塵不染。身為領袖或老闆，你注定要面對所有難題。永遠當第二或第三順位才是最智慧的選擇。
因此實踐之道就是：不爭當老闆。你既已承受足夠壓力，何苦提早耗盡生命？享受生活，讓老闆去承擔所有難題吧。
──布拉姆長老於靜默森林禪修中心問答（2014年6月30日）
Devotee: How to apply the concept of no-self and no self-improvement in the context of modern business where everyone must rate performance, improve customer service, and constantly strive to do better?
Ajahn Brahm: This is particularly challenging in the business world. Are there alternative ways to achieve meaningful outcomes? Consider how many of you endure office politics amidst intense competition for promotions. If you wisely understand the principle of no-self, you'll realize that receiving a promotion doesn't make you a better person—it might actually make you more foolish. Don't you already have enough stress? With a promotion comes more responsibilities, and while you might receive higher pay, is it ever truly sufficient? It never is.
A promotion ultimately brings more stress without having enough money. For me, I had rather have money I have got—which is not much , essentially means nothing—but just with no stress. So why do you want the promotions? that's because self, you believes that a promotion makes you a better person: "I am the manager, I am the director, I am the boss." You don't want to be a boss. If you want to be a boss, that is a lot of suffering. So it's far better to be number two. I often say, the boss, the person in the front truck of a convoy; they got all the bugs on the windshield, the one getting behind get nothing behind. So if you are the boss, you are the leader, you are in big trouble. It is always better to be number 2 or number 3, that is the best.
So, that's one way, you don't want to be a boss. You already have enough stress already; don't wanna sort of die young? Enjoy your life, and let the boss handle all the problems.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
《A monk who cannot learn gets enlightened 學不會的僧人開悟了》
《A monk who cannot learn gets enlightened 學不會的僧人開悟了》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, about 10 years ago the first time I learned meditation, I realized it's more easy to concentrate and get a nimitta. But after I learned more and read more, I feel it is more difficult to be mindful.
Ajahn Brahm: Yeah, you got your mind too complicated, you know? We just read so much, we study so much, we do so little. That's a problem with us. Or, we practice a lot and read little, listen more, talk little. If you can do things like that, you become very wise.
The trouble is it's so easy to study. We can study this theory, that theory, and this theory and that theory, but actually practicing is very simple to do. That's why one of my favorite monks of all time, he was this young man in Thailand. When he went to school, he went to grade one—they only had four grades in the villages—he went to grade one and after one year in grade one, his teacher failed him. I don't know how you can fail grade one, but he managed to do it. So the teacher had to keep him back to repeat grade one for a second time. Second year, with the best will in the world, couldn't pass him, had to repeat grade one for the third time. Man, that is really Guinness Book of Records stupidity. After the three years in grade one, he was hopeless; there's no way he could continue school, and so they had to let him go back to his home. He couldn't carry on in school, failed grade one three times.
The family thought, what can we do with this guy? You know, these are farmers; he wouldn't know one end of a water buffalo from another, so stupid. So what do you do with a boy like that? You send him to a monastery and ordain him as a novice. So he ordained as a novice monk in the local monastery, and the Abbot was really, really kind, spent a lot of time trying to teach him how to do the chanting, you know, "Namo tassa..." the simple one. "Namo... what was that second word? Tassa... what was the first word again?" You know, he just couldn't remember anything. After one year, the Abbot was just so frustrated, couldn't teach this little novice anything. So the last resort, where the dumbest of the most stupid go, is to the forest monastery where I come from. So they sent him to the forest monastery, and the Abbot gave him a simple meditation, and his mind was so simple and clear, you know, he almost got jhāna straight away. He was so peaceful, so still; he had a very simple mind. He couldn't learn anything, but my goodness, he could meditate. Then he became a great teacher, a great arahant in Thailand.
And they said that the only way he could ever do chanting—because you know that's part of our job as monks, you know, chant for this, chant for that—was that he could actually, because he had great meditation, he could recall his past lives. Where he did learn the chanting, he had access to the past life, and he got the chanting from the past life; this life he couldn't learn anything. That's how he actually managed to get by as a monk. So if you've got a kid who's stupid at school, send him to me; he could be the next enlightened being of Hong Kong or Indonesia. He's got great potential.
But the trouble with us, you know, we're so smart using our brain, we don't know how to use our emotions and how to be peaceful and still. We just learn one thing at school, not the other things. That's one of the difficulties to be had. So when you started meditation, it was very easy; you didn't know anything. And that's sometimes called "beginner's mind." You don't really know what you're doing, so you're not controlling, you're not anticipating anything, you're just seeing what's there, and it's so simple, so peaceful, and that you can do it.
That's why, in all these interviews I've given so far, when I give advice—it's not just one person, about three or four of you said—it sounds so easy, Ajahn Brahm.
It *is* easy; you make it difficult!
So just follow the instructions from this morning: just be kind, be mindful, and be patient, and it happens. And you find out how simple it is when you stop thinking about things. That's the trouble: you are addicted to thinking. Think, think, think, think, think. And when you try and stop thinking, you think about stopping thinking, rather than actually stopping thinking. You don't actually ever do it.
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 30 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSj8XLtMcs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=6
信眾：親愛的阿姜布拉姆，大約十年前我第一次學習禪修時，發現更容易專注並獲得禪相。但在我學習更多、閱讀更多之後，反而覺得保持正念更困難了。
阿姜布拉姆：是的，你的頭腦變得太複雜了，懂嗎？我們就是讀太多、研究太多，但實踐得太少。這是我們的問題。或者說，我們應該多實踐、少閱讀，多傾聽、少說話。如果你能做到這些，就會變得非常有智慧。
問題在於學習太容易了。我們可以研究這個理論、那個理論，還有這個那個學說，但實際修行其實非常簡單。這就是為什麼在我最喜歡的僧人當中，有一位泰國的年輕人。他上小學一年級時——在鄉下學校只有四個年級——讀完一年級後，老師讓他不及格。我不知道怎麼可能連小一都當掉，但他居然做到了。老師只好讓他留級重讀小一。第二年，儘管老師盡了最大努力，還是沒辦法讓他升級，只能第三度重讀小一。天啊，這簡直是金氏世界紀錄級的愚笨。在一年級待了三年後，他根本毫無希望，完全無法繼續學業，只好讓他回家。他沒法繼續上學，小一就重讀了三次。
家人想：這孩子該怎麼辦？你知道嗎，他們是農家，他連水牛的頭尾都分不清楚，就是這麼蠢。那這種孩子該怎麼安排？就送他去寺院出家為沙彌。於是他在當地寺院成為沙彌，住持非常慈悲，花了很多時間想教他唱誦，就像簡單的「Namo tassa...」這種。「Namo...第二個字是什麼？Tassa...第一個字又是什麼？」他根本什麼都記不住。一年後，住持實在束手無策，完全教不會這個小沙彌。最後的辦法，就是讓最笨的人去我出身的那種森林道場。於是他們送他去森林道場，住持傳授他簡單的禪修方法，而他的心念如此單純清澈，幾乎當下就證入禪那。他如此平和、如此寂靜；他有顆非常簡單的心。他什麼都學不會，但老天爺，他真會禪修！後來他成為泰國偉大的老師，一位大阿羅漢。
據說他後來之所以能完成唱誦——畢竟這是比丘的職責之一，要為各種場合唱誦——完全是因為透過深定的力量，能憶起前世。他是在過去世學會唱誦的，透過追溯前世記憶，才取得這些唱誦內容；今生他根本學不會任何新事物。這就是他作為比丘的生存之道。所以如果你家有在學校表現愚笨的孩子，送來給我吧；他說不定會成為香港或印尼的下一位覺者。他潛力無窮啊！
但我們的問題在於，太擅長用腦思考，卻不懂得如何運用情感、如何保持平靜與安定。我們在學校只學了其中一面，卻忽略了其他面向。這正是我們面臨的困境。所以你初學禪修時覺得很簡單，因為那時你一無所知。這就是所謂的「初學者之心」——你不太清楚自己在做什麼，所以不會試圖控制、不會預期什麼，只是如實觀照當下。如此單純，如此平和，你自然能做到。
這就是為什麼，至今所有我主持的問答中，當我給予建議時——不只一個人，大概有三四位都說——聽起來好簡單啊，阿姜布拉姆。
它本來就簡單；是你們自己把它複雜化了！
只要遵循今早的指導：保持善良、保持正念、保持耐心，一切自然水到渠成。當你停止胡思亂想，就會發現一切如此單純。問題就在於：你們對思考上癮。想啊、想啊、想個不停。當你試圖停止思考時，你只是在「想著要停止思考」，而非真正停下念頭。你從未真正實踐過。
《Are you an arahant? Ajahn Brahm 您是阿羅漢嗎？阿姜布拉姆》
《Are you an arahant? Ajahn Brahm 您是阿羅漢嗎？阿姜布拉姆》
Devotee: difference of practice between a common-wordling and a saint?
Ajahn Brahm: Ok, so we are saying here about the stages of enlightenment, but are these stages you attain, or are these stages of you disappearing?
I just came back from Sri Lanka. I'm very popular, very famous in Sri Lanka, so much so it's even better than Indonesia and Hong Kong. So when I get to the airport in Colombo, you don't go through customs or immigration. There's a fellow from foreign affairs waiting for you: "Ajahn Brahmavamso, please come this way." And they take me to the VIP lounge. I go into the VIP lounge and they give me a nice cup of tea, and as I'm drinking my tea, someone comes: "Your passport, sir." Then they take my passport and I carry on drinking my tea, and before I drop my tea: "Here's your passport, stamped, sir. Have a wonderful stay." Then you go out of the VIP lounge into your car—no customs, no immigration. That is the only way to travel, until you get back to Australia: "What did you go to Sri Lanka for, sir? How long? Let's have a look in your bags.haha" So I'm not a VIP in Australia; I don't get into the lounge. But anyway, it's nice when you have it.
But when I was in Sri Lanka, they asked me a question, and it was coming from a monk, so I had to answer it. He said, "Ajahn Brahmavamso, are you an arahant?" And there was a TV camera right in front of me. So I gave the answer: "If you can tell me what part is an arahant? You know, the five khandhas in Buddhism? Is the body that which is the arahant? Is it the feeling that is the arahant? Is it perception which is the arahant? Is it the will which is an arahant? Is it one of my consciousnesses which is an arahant? If you can tell me which one is Ajahn Brahmavamso, then I can tell you whether Ajahn Brahm is an arahant or not." I've got a lot of smart answers like that to get out of answering tough questions. But that is actually what happens!
You're not trying to attain anything, because who can attain anything? There's no one there. You meditate to let go, to disappear. So the more you disappear, the easier it is to meditate.
Do you ever get upset if you make a mistake? Do you ever get embarrassed if you make a fool of yourself? I don't. There's no one to make a fool of. There's no one here. It's not me; I didn't do it. It's that Ajahn Brahmavamso ,he did it, not me. I take no responsibility. And whenever I make a mistake I always like sharing it with others—all the great mistakes which I've made in my life. And it's fun; it makes people laugh.
Here we go, some of my mistakes. What's one of the mistakes? Oh yeah, when I did a funeral service. This was over in Subiaco. I remember this. It was a Sri Lankan disciple, and one of their parents died. I never knew the parents, but you know, he would come to the temple. He said, "Ajahn Brahm, can you please, you know, do the funeral service for me? One of my parents died." You know these Sri Lankans got very, very long names. So long, actually I heard this this, you know, because many people in Hong Kong like horse racing, they even give these long names to their horses in Sri Lanka. And it's not just, you know, Red Rum or Arkle or something; it's like Kumarasinghe Suppiah or something, and it's such long names, you know. In Hong Kong, you know when they call the race and they get to the finishing line, it's "It's my—X@#$%$" and this poor commentator couldn't get the Sri Lankan names out quick enough and he could have a heart attack and died. The names were too long. But sometimes they have funny names, you know, in Australia, because one horse, he was named, you know, 'Hoof', you know, for the from the, uh, the foot, and 'Hearted', you know, like, you know, being kind-hearted or good-hearted. And so that was his name: Hoof Hearted. And of course, that sounded, okay, so they were according the race and it's "Who farted?" And they realized they—it was—they shouldn't have given a name like this to a horse. If you don't understand that in Indonesian, you have a hard time explaining that afterwards, Hannaka, when you translate that into Bahasa, you know, "Who farted?" Okay, I think you probably understand that later on. So anyway, how did I get on to this from the question? But anyway, just—oh, in Sri Lanka. Oh yeah, that's why because, uh, I was just over there.
And so when you realize, so being—the stages of attainment are really stages of disappearance. The less you are, the more attained it is, which is one of the reasons why people could say, you know, "Are you this? Are you that?" I said, "What do you mean? There's nobody in here to be any of these things." You are disappearing, and because you're disappearing, it's of course so easier to meditate. You have less things, less of the past.
Oh yeah, I was actually—reason I said this was the—my mistake. So at the funeral service, you know, these are serious things, funeral services. Everybody is very somber, wearing black; wearing brown. And then I go up there and, you know, I greet everybody, said, "Thank you for coming today. We're here to do the funeral service, you know, for the mother of my disciple over here," whose name I didn't remember. And I said, "And we've come here, we're doing a Buddhist ceremony." And before I could get any further, this woman at the front stood up, this old Sri Lanka woman, and she looked at me and she shouted at me, "It's not me who is dead, it's my husband!" I got the wrong one. You know, it's a 50/50 chance, and I got the wrong one. So after that, you couldn't be serious anymore. Everyone burst out laughing because you do make mistakes sometimes. I get the wrong person and says, "My husband's dead, not me."
And anyway, other times I really got into trouble once. These Thai people, you know, some of these Australians, you know, they're 60 and they marry these young Thai girls, you know, it's only 20 or 22, and they're 60. And so I was doing a marriage for these in Naramara temple one day, and so I saw this young girl came in, a young Thai girl, with this old Australian, and I said, "Oh, are you the father of the groom?" That was the wrong thing to say. He said, "No! I am the groom!" he said to me. So you make mistakes like that, but it's fun when you share with other people; they laugh as well. So whenever you make a mistake, please tell everybody. It adds to the happiness of the world instead of being embarrassed. Please share your mistakes.
You know that Handuka has brought these, um, what's a nice way of calling them, these little sprays you use to wash your bottom? You know, in Asia, you know, the most toilets, you know, you get them out and you can press a button to clean your— When I first saw one of those in Thailand, I thought this is how you clean your teeth. Well, I was a Westerner, you know. *Kwai-Lo* , that was a pulley-, *Kwai-Lo* in Hong Kong; devil man, I don't know these things. So I thought that's very nice, clean your teeth. It's very high pressure, so you don't have to use a brush. But anyhow, so you make mistakes like that, so you laugh at them instead of feeling embarrassed about them. That's a sign that your ego is disappearing, and the more your ego disappears, the closer you are to enlightenment.
So that's one way you can tell a person's enlightened: whether they are conceited, whether they're embarrassed when they make a mistake, or whether they can laugh when mistakes are made. That's one of the nice things I always remember with my teacher, Ajahn Chah: when anyone ever made a mistake, he wouldn't get angry; he would just laugh. And stupid monks like me, we cause so much happiness to our master. That's probably why he liked having stupid Westerners around; we made him laugh so much with how stupid we were. Because we were supposed to be very refined, we were supposed to be highly educated, and he couldn't believe how stupid we were sometimes. Little things, like the time when I asked for some soap, and the word for soap is *sabu*, and I went up to him and asked for some *sappo*. It's very close together: *sabu*, *sappo*. It didn't make any difference to me, but *sappo* meant pineapple. And I always remember this: he asked, "What do you want a pineapple for?" I said, "To wash." He didn't let me forget that for weeks. He was telling all the visitors, "Oh, you know, in England they wash with pineapples. Very strange culture."
But that's the way: when you make a mistake, laugh at it. Don't get conceited or think that you've made some big terrible mistake. That's a sign you're on the path. You don't judge yourself or worry what other people think of you. You just, you know, if they do see something funny, you make them laugh, tell about it. So that's a sign. That's how a person who is seeing the Dhamma just—the how they think and how they act. They're not trying to attain things.
Look, all your life you've worked really hard at school and university, you know, and work, trying to attain this and attain that. Has it ever got you any happiness? So instead, here, just disappear. Here, nothing to attain. As I said this morning, you've arrived; you're here; you've got enough. So enjoy. You got nothing else to attain. Not trying for jhanas, not trying for enlightenment, just not trying at all—letting go of all trying, just being. That's meditation. And that's how people should practice. That's how arahants practice; they're not trying to get somewhere. They've been there and done that. Just being here, letting go, opening the door of your heart to this moment as it is, not criticizing it. This is good enough. In fact, this is as good as it gets. No work you need to do, no people you need to teach at university, no jobs to be done. Isn't this wonderful? Total relaxation, total freedom. No one is judging you. Brilliant. So anyway, that's what you do here.
信眾：凡夫與聖者的修行差別是什麼？
阿姜布拉姆：好的，我們這裡談的是關於覺悟的階段，但這些階段是你「達成」的，還是你「消失」的階段呢？
我剛從斯里蘭卡回來。我在斯里蘭卡非常受歡迎，非常有名，甚至比在印尼和香港還要好。所以當我抵達可倫坡機場時，我不需要通過海關或移民檢查。會有一位外交部的人員等著你，說：「阿姜布拉瑪萬索，請這邊走。」然後他們帶我到貴賓室。我進入貴賓室，他們給我一杯好茶，正當我喝著茶時，有人過來說：「先生，您的護照。」然後他們拿走了我的護照，我繼續喝茶，還沒等我喝完茶：「先生，這是您蓋好章的護照。祝您旅途愉快。」然後你就走出貴賓室，坐上你的車——沒有海關，沒有移民檢查。這才是旅行該有的方式，直到你回到澳洲：「先生，您去斯里蘭卡做什麼？多久？讓我們檢查一下您的行李。哈哈」所以我在澳洲不是貴賓；我進不了貴賓室。但無論如何，能享受的時候還是挺好的。
但在斯里蘭卡時，他們問了我一個問題，而且是來自一位比丘，所以我必須回答。他說：「阿姜布拉瑪萬索，您是阿羅漢嗎？」而且當時有台電視攝影機正對著我。所以我給出了這樣的回答：「如果你能告訴我，哪個部分是阿羅漢？你知道，佛教裡的五蘊嗎？身體是阿羅漢嗎？感受是阿羅漢嗎？想蘊是阿羅漢嗎？行蘊是阿羅漢嗎？我的某個識是阿羅漢嗎？如果你能告訴我哪一個是阿姜布拉瑪萬索，那麼我就能告訴你阿姜布拉姆是不是阿羅漢。」我有很多像這樣聰明機智的答案，來避開難答的問題。但這實際上就是事實！
你並不是試圖去達成任何東西，因為誰能達成任何東西呢？那裡根本沒有一個「誰」。你禪修是為了放下，為了消失。所以你消失得越多，禪修就越容易。
你犯錯時會心煩嗎？你出糗時會尷尬嗎？我不會。因為沒有「誰」可以出糗。這裡根本沒有「我」。不是我；我沒做。是那個阿姜布拉瑪萬索做的，不是我。我概不負責。而且每當我犯錯，我總喜歡和別人分享——我一生中所有嚴重的錯誤。這很有趣；能讓人發笑。
來說說我的一些錯吧。有什麼錯呢？哦，對了，有一次我主持喪禮服務。那是在蘇比亞科。我記得。是一位斯里蘭卡弟子，他的父母其中一位過世了。我從不認識他的父母，但他會來寺院。他說：「阿姜布拉姆，能否請您為我主持喪禮？我的一位父母去世了。」你知道這些斯里蘭卡人的名字非常非常長。長到實際上我聽說，因為很多香港人喜歡賽馬，他們甚至在斯里蘭卡給馬取這種長名字。不只是像「紅色朗姆」或「阿凱爾」之類的；而是像「庫瑪拉辛格·蘇皮亞」之類的，名字非常長。在香港，你知道當他們播報賽馬，馬匹到達終點線時，播報員會說「是我的——＠＃＄％︿」然後這可憐的播報員沒辦法那麼快念出斯里蘭卡名字，他可能心臟病發作死掉了。名字太長了。但有時在澳洲會有搞笑的名字，因為有一匹馬，牠的名字是『Hoof』，你知道，就是腳蹄的 hoof，和『Hearted』，就像好心腸或善良的那個 hearted。所以牠的名字叫：Hoof Hearted。當然，聽起來就像……好吧，所以他們在播報比賽時就變成「Who farted 誰放屁了？」然後他們意識到——他們——實在不該給馬取這樣的名字。如果你不懂印尼語，你事後很難解釋，Hannaka，當你把它翻譯成 Bahasa（印尼語）時，你知道，「誰放屁了？」好吧，我想你後來大概明白了。總之，我怎麼從問題講到這裡來了？但不管怎樣，只是——哦，在斯里蘭卡。哦對了，那是因為，呃，我剛去過那裡。
所以當你明白，所謂的「證果階段」其實是「消失的階段」。你越少（執著於有個）「你」，就越接近覺悟，這也是為什麼當人們問：「你是這個嗎？你是那個嗎？」我會說：「你什麼意思？這裡面根本沒有一個『人』是這些東西。」你正在消失，而因為你正在消失，禪修當然就容易多了。你擁有的東西更少，過去的牽絆也更少。
哦，對了，我剛才提到這個的原因是——我的錯誤。在那場喪禮上，你知道，這是嚴肅的場合，喪禮。每個人都很凝重，穿著黑色衣服；我穿著棕色僧袍。然後我走上前，問候大家，說：「謝謝你們今天前來。我們聚集在此，是為了為我這位弟子的母親舉行喪禮。」其實我沒記住他的名字。我接著說：「我們來到這裡，舉行佛教儀式。」還沒等我繼續說下去，前排一位老婦人，一位斯里蘭卡老婦人站了起來，她看著我，對我喊道：「不是我死了，是我丈夫！」我搞錯對象了。你知道，這有50%的機率，而我搞錯了。所以在那之後，你沒辦法再嚴肅下去了。每個人都爆笑出來，因為你有時確實會犯錯。我搞錯了人，她說：「是我丈夫死了，不是我！」
還有一次，其他時候，我真的惹上麻煩。這些泰國人，你知道，有些澳洲人，他們60歲了，娶了這些年輕的泰國女孩，你知道，女孩才20或22歲，而他們60歲了。有一天我在Naramara寺為這樣一對主持婚禮，我看到這個年輕女孩，一個年輕的泰國女孩，和這個年長的澳洲人一起進來，我說：「哦，您是新娘的父親嗎？」這話說錯了。他對我說：「不！我就是新郎！」所以你就會犯這樣的錯誤，但當你和別人分享時，這很有趣；他們也會笑。所以每當你犯錯，請告訴大家。這能為世界增添快樂，而不是感到尷尬。請分享你的錯誤。
你知道Handuka帶來了這些，呃，該怎麼文雅地稱呼它們，這些用來清洗臀部的小噴頭？你知道，在亞洲，大多數廁所，你把它拿出來，按個按鈕就能清洗你的——當我第一次在泰國看到時，我以為那是用來刷牙的。嗯，我是西方人，你知道。*鬼佬*，那是個——，*鬼佬*在香港是「鬼佬」；魔鬼傢伙，我不懂這些東西。所以我以為那很好，用來刷牙。水壓很高，所以你不需要用牙刷。但總之，你就會犯這樣的錯誤，所以你笑對它們，而不是為它們感到尷尬。這是一個跡象，表明你的自我正在消失，而你的自我消失得越多，你就越接近覺悟。
所以，這是一種判斷一個人是否覺悟的方式：他們是否有我慢，犯錯時是否尷尬，或者他們能否在犯錯時一笑置之。這是我總是記得我的老師阿姜查的一件美好的事：當任何人犯了錯，他從不生氣；他只會笑。而像我這樣愚蠢的比丘，我們給我們的師父帶來了很多歡樂。這可能就是他喜歡有愚蠢的西方人在身邊的原因；我們的愚蠢讓他笑個不停。因為我們本應舉止優雅，我們本應受過高等教育，他有時簡直無法相信我們有多蠢。一些小事，比如有一次我要一些肥皂，肥皂的泰文是 *sabu*，我走到他面前問他要一些 *sappo*。發音很接近：*sabu*, *sappo*。對我來說沒什麼區別，但 *sappo* 意思是鳳梨。我總是記得這個：他問：「你要鳳梨做什麼？」我說：「用來洗。」他好幾個星期都沒讓我忘記這件事。他告訴所有訪客：「哦，你知道嗎，在英國他們用鳳梨洗澡。非常奇怪的文化。」
但就是這樣：當你犯錯時，笑對它。不要有我慢或認為自己犯了什麼天大的錯誤。這是你走在正道上的跡象。你不評判自己，也不擔心別人怎麼看你。你只是，你知道，如果他們覺得有什麼好笑的，你就讓他們笑，講出來。所以這就是一個跡象。這就是一個見法之人的思維和行為方式。他們不再試圖達成什麼。
看，你一生都在學校和大學裡非常努力，你知道，還有工作，試圖達成這個、達成那個。這曾經帶給你任何快樂嗎？所以，相反地，在這裡，只需消失。在這裡，無物可證。正如我今天早上說的，你已經到了；你就在這裡；你已經足夠了。所以，享受吧。你沒有別的東西需要去達成了。不追求禪那，不追求覺悟，根本什麼都不追求——放下所有的追求，只是在這裡。這就是禪修。這才是人們應該的修行方式。這就是阿羅漢的修行方式；他們不是試圖到達某處。他們已經去過也做過了。只是在此處，放下，為當下此刻敞開你的心門，不評判它。這已經夠好了。事實上，這已經是好到極致了。沒有你需要做的工作，沒有你需要在大學教導的人，沒有需要完成的任務。這難道不美妙嗎？完全的放鬆，徹底的自由。沒有人在評判你。太棒了。所以，總之，這就是你在這裡該做的。
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 28 June 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPCcNC8XiaA&list=PL-E16hq8cBIob1V6i3lWl-PLQm8VVezzK&index=2
《We see what we want to see 我們只看見自己想看的》
《We see what we want to see 我們只看見自己想看的》
Devotee: The mind creates our world and drives rebirth. And why the Buddha doesn't talk more about that sexuality is more of our inversion of personality.
Ajahn Brahm: Yeah, this mind is the most powerful thing in the whole world —it does drive things, we made our world. Even the extreme example that is someone like a Donald Trump, who said, "nono, I never said that' 'that was the biggest inauguration in the whole world," or "I'm the most popular," or "I have the most wonderful meeting with Kim Jong-un." Sometimes there are a lot of delusion—seeing things that aren’t actually there, simply because we wish to see things. How much does our mind create-- see what you want to see. You don't see what you don't want see.
There was a story from my mate --Professor Bernard Carr, a close disciple of Stephen Hawking, who also into psychic phenomena. This experiment, "the flowerpot experiment," one of his friend, a top physicist in London avertise that he had discovered the secret of levitation. And he was going to lavitate a flower port at Imperial College of London, in front of everybody in a voluntary condition. So he got all the cameras, infrared sensors, and everything that is funny they can see it . And a lot of his top friends--lecturers , professors, sitting in the lecture theatre to watch this demonstration. It is because he was a well-known physicist that he can actually get all the people to watch this. He came in carrying a flower pot, no string, and he put it in the lecture table. He then asked everyone to create the right atmosphere , he asked all the professors and lectureres to chant "ohm~ohm~ohm~" . And all they chanted it, the flowerpot rose —it levitated , it rose!
They videorecorded it, photographed it. And afterward, they asked the people in the audience,'what do you think about that?'
the trained observational experimenters replied, "What are you talking about? The flowerpot never moved above the table . It stayed on the table." But he had a photograph--'fake! I watched with my own eyes, it didn't move! ' That's what they reported. Top traiend observers .
So they tell what realy happened.
What really happened was, that after they started the chanting, they turned on the switch -- a huge electromagnet under the table that they can't see. And you must all know, although you may not be a scientist , when you turn on a very strong current , they will have hmming sound. They have to 'om om om ' to mask the fact that now a big current is going through somewhere .The point is, it is not about levitation—it was about perception. Because these people have made their reputation as experimenters, try to be objective observers. But having a flowerpot rise in the air is so contradictory that they don't think it is possible. They didn't even see it, they didn't even register it in their conscious awareness . We block things out before we are even aware of
This is the whole point of experiement . Something is just impossible within our worldview, we may not see it. That is Bernard Carr , a great experiement. That is how the mind creates the world, and that is how we see what we want to see, much more than we have expected
信眾：心創造我們的世界並驅動輪迴。為什麼佛陀沒有更多談論關於性慾是我們認知顛倒的這個部分。
阿姜布拉姆：是的，心是這世上最強大的力量——它確實主導一切，我們創造了自己的世界。就連唐納德·川普這樣的極端例子也是如此，他會說：「不不，我從沒說過那是有史以來最盛大的就職典禮」，或「我是最受歡迎的」，或「我與金正恩進行了最精彩的會晤」。有時候其中存在大量妄想——看見根本不存在的事物，只因為我們希望如此。我們的心究竟能創造多少——你只看見自己想看的，對不願看見的則視而不見。
我朋友伯納德·卡爾教授的故事正是例證——他是史蒂芬·霍金的親傳弟子，同時研究超自然現象。這個「花盆實驗」中，他在倫敦的頂尖物理學家朋友宣稱發現了懸浮的秘密，並要在帝國理工學院的嚴謹實驗條件下當眾使花盆懸浮。他架設所有攝影機、紅外線感測器，任何異常都會被記錄。眾多頂尖學者——講師、教授坐在演講廳觀看示範，正因他是知名物理學家才能吸引這麼多人前來。
他捧著無吊線的花盆進場，放在講台上，要求眾人共同營造「正確氛圍」，請所有教授講師齊聲誦念「嗡—」。當眾人開始誦念，花盆竟緩緩升起——懸浮空中！整個過程都被錄影拍照。事後詢問觀眾感想時，這些受過專業訓練的觀察者竟回答：「你在說什麼？花盆根本沒離開過桌面！」即便出示照片仍堅持：「偽造的！我親眼看著它，根本沒動過！」這就是頂尖觀察者們的集體回覆。
真相後來才被揭露：原來在誦念聲響起時，他們啟動了講桌下的巨型電磁鐵。非科學家也該知道，強電流通過時會產生嗡鳴聲，而「嗡—」的誦念正是為了掩蓋電流聲。關鍵在於：這實驗本質與懸浮無關，而是關於「認知」。這些以客觀觀察立身的學者，因花盆懸浮完全悖離其認知框架，竟直接否認眼前現象——他們的意識根本拒絕記錄這段事實。人類在感知前就已過濾資訊。
這實驗徹底印證：當事物超出我們認知的可能範圍時，我們甚至無法「看見」它。伯納德·卡爾的偉大實驗，正揭示了心如何創造世界，以及我們選擇性認知的幅度遠超想像。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《Why Ajahn Brahm became a monk? 阿姜布拉姆為何成為僧侶？》
《Why Ajahn Brahm became a monk? 阿姜布拉姆為何成為僧侶？》
Devotee: what motivates you to be a monk?
Ajahn Brahm: Jokes apart, what motivates me.... seriously at Cambridge, you have colleges. you have professors, so you socialized with them. And I was just so disappointed because these were people who were brilliant in their field but stupid in life. They were having problems with their marriage, they were having problems with anxiety and ego.
I remember a couple of my supervisors—they said,
'in the next room they think they had discovered a new subatomic particle; what do they know? they stupid man discovering a subatomic particle? 'there are so much pride and arrogance! To me, there was something missing. There was so much intelligence, but
And then you saw someone like Ajahn Chah, four years of school—that's all, my goodness—and he was the wisest person I ever saw. Sometimes you wondered, with all the great talents people have, are they really putting them to good use? And so I fell into monastic life, and I loved it. I think I've been a pretty successful and influential monk, very fortunate to have found my spot.
It just happened; sometimes it just happens, you don't plan anything.
I did do a little bit of planning because I was the number two monk here, and that was a perfect position. I always say the front car in a convoy—it gets all the bugs on the windscreen. If you're tailgating, you slipstream; it's much easier. So the front guy who gets all the bugs on his windscreen, and I was just enjoying myself. And then he went and fell in love and disrobe That was not my plan, but what can you do?
So then I just started, and I made a resolution about teaching. Can I teach? One of the disciples from the Singapore Buddhist group, Aunty Mansfield, she sometimes stayed here, she went into the library. She found the earliest talk by Ajahn Brahm, an old cassette tape, and she wanted to find it, so long ago 'did Ajahn Brahm really gave inspiring talk?'. She listened to it and came back to see me and said, "You know, I found this talk from when you first came to Perth. It was terrible! People walk out!"
You learn, so if you become a great teacher, great. If you don't become a great teacher, great—you can have a peaceful life. So either way, you're not demanding that you're going to be a good or bad teacher; you just see what happens. It's a wonderful, easygoing life. There's always a place for you, no matter if you're a good teacher, a bad teacher, whatever happens.
Sometimes there are great monks who just sit there, and they're so peaceful. Just a nice little smile makes other people stay. It's the same with the nuns. I'd never know how many nuns you have talked to, but when you saw them, they were inspiring. They didn't need to speak; they are just who they were. There are many, many things we can do.
So, one of the reasons why I became a monk... you don't really realize why you're becoming a monk, but then once you get into it, yes, it feels really good. And the nice thing about being a Buddhist monk or Buddhist nun in this tradition is you can leave anytime, and there's no shame on you. No one says, "Bad man, bad man, you didn't make it." It's always like, "Well done! You made it for a whole week—congratulations!" It's a hard things to do; two weeks--'it is wonderful.' It's that sort of positive attitude, no criticizing, no struggling, no forcing issue. That was a very beautiful thing which we learned.
So that was a little things about not to become a monk, but stayed as a monk.
信眾：是什麼因緣促使您出家？
阿姜布拉姆：說正經的，當初在劍橋的經歷影響了我...那裡有學院制，你能接觸到許多教授，和他們交流。但我深感失望，因為這些人在專業領域才華洋溢，生活中卻愚昧無知。他們飽受婚姻問題困擾，被焦慮與自我束縛。
我至今清晰記得幾位導師當年嗤之以鼻的言論：「隔壁實驗室那群人，竟自以為發現了新的次原子粒子——他們能懂什麼？就憑那幾個庸才也配談科研突破？」字裡行間浸透著何等傲慢。那時我便察覺，這些精英學者身上缺失了某種更珍貴的東西——縱使才智超群，卻未能將智慧用於真正有價值的領域。
後來我遇見阿姜查尊者，他僅受過四年正規教育，天啊，卻是我見過最具智慧的人。這讓我反思：人們擁有的卓越天賦，當真被妥善運用了嗎？於是因緣際會，我踏入僧侶生涯，並真心熱愛這樣的生活。我想我算是相當成功且具有影響力的法師，很幸運找到自己的歸宿。
許多事就這樣自然發生，無需刻意規劃。不過我確實有過些許盤算：當初擔任寺內二當家是最理想的位置。我常比喻這就像車隊中第二輛車，前車擋風玻璃會沾滿蟲屍，後車只需順著氣流前進就輕鬆許多。正當我享受這樣的位置時，領頭的法師卻還俗談戀愛去了，這完全出乎我意料，但又能如何呢？
後來我發心開始教學。新加坡佛教團體的信眾曼斯菲爾德阿姨時常來寺小住，有次她在圖書館找到我初到珀斯時講法的老錄音帶，好奇「阿姜布拉姆當年說法有啟發性嗎？」便拿去聆聽。事後她來找我說：「發現您初來時的開示錄音，實在不行，還有聽眾中途離席！」
這就是學習過程。若能成為優秀教師自然好，若不成也無妨，依然能過著安詳的生活。不必執著非要成為怎樣的教師，只要順其自然便好。這種隨遇而安的生活態度非常美好，無論表現如何，總有屬於你的位置。
有些高僧僅是靜坐就散發安詳氣場，連開口都不必，微微一笑就足以讓人留下。比丘尼們也是如此，無需言語，她們的存在本身即是啟發。修行之道有萬千法門。
關於出家因緣...其實當下未必清楚自己為何出家，但真正踏入後，自然體會到其中的美好。在這個傳承中，僧尼隨時可以還俗，不會有人責難說是「壞蛋」，反而會祝福「隨喜您堅持一週的修行」。兩週的修行更是難能可貴。這種不批判、不強求、自在包容的態度，正是我們學到最珍貴的智慧。
這便是我不僅出家，更能安住於僧團的小故事。
《It is our happiness and unhappiness 這是我們的快樂與不快樂》
《It is our happiness and unhappiness 這是我們的快樂與不快樂》
Devotee: We just want to be happy, but to what degree should it not be egotistic?
Ajahn Brahm: you can't be happy when everyone else is miserable. So your happiness , my happiness-- all work together.
If I see you are really miserable and upset, and I get miserable too...
it's the old elephant story. I think I mentioned that to you before. If an elephant was with all the bad guys outside the elephant store, and they would just say bad things , talk bad things, plan bad things; the elephant became bad. It just got the vibes from these bad people. And then they arrested the thieves and placed the elephant with really nice people—good people, the monks and the nuns. They talked Dhamma, they meditated, they chanted, and the nice energy of the Sangha, the good people, and the elephant become a good elephant again.
So, if you are miserable, you make other people miserable. If you are happy, you make other people happy.
There was this lady who came to one of my meditation classes, and she told me afterwards that she had just finished work on a Tuesday evening and her kid said, "Mummy, I think you should go to meditation tonight." She said, "No, I'm just too tired." And this six-year-old kid said, " Mummy, you should go to meditation tonight."
'No, I am just too tired, I just wanna rest'
'MUMMY, GO TO MEDITATION TONIGHT!'
"Why, darling?"
"Because you are a much nicer Mummy when you come back from meditation."
So if you're miserable, you make other people miserable. If you are happy and peaceful, you make other people happy and peaceful.
This is called empathy; it's called *mudita*--You know, when you can pick up on other people's happiness. That's compassion-- when you pick up on other people's sadness. So, we do have empathy together.
That's one of the reasons why, when there is one less miserable person in Hong Kong or one less troubled person in Indonesia when you go back, it's a great blessing for everybody. So you can be happy and peaceful—it's a wonderful thing. So it's not just about your happiness, it's about *our* happiness. Our problem, our solution, our happiness—we join together.
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-21 3.QA
信眾：我們只是想要快樂，但怎樣才不會變得自私呢？
阿姜布拉姆：當其他人都痛苦時，你不可能快樂。所以，你的快樂、我的快樂——這一切都是共同作用的。
如果我看到你非常痛苦和沮喪，而我也因此變得沮喪……這就是那個古老的大象故事。我想我之前跟你提過。如果一頭大象跟所有壞人待在大象舍外，那些壞人盡說壞話、談論壞事、策劃壞事；那頭大象也會變壞。牠就是從這些壞人身上感染了那種氛圍。後來，他們逮捕了那些小偷，並把大象安置在真正善良的人身邊——那些好人、比丘和比丘尼。他們談論佛法、他們禪修、他們誦經，僧團和這些好人的美好能量，讓大象又變回一頭好大象。
所以，如果你痛苦，你會讓別人也痛苦。如果你快樂，你會讓別人也快樂。
有位女士來參加我的一次禪修課，事後她告訴我，那是一個週二晚上，她剛下班，她的孩子說：「媽咪，我覺得你今晚應該去禪修。」她說：「不行，我太累了。」這個六歲的孩子說：「媽咪，你今晚應該去禪修。」
『不，我太累了，我只想休息。』
『媽咪，去禪修啦！今晚就去！』
「為什麼呢，親愛的？」
「因為你禪修回來後，會是一個好得多、溫柔得多的媽咪。」
所以，如果你痛苦，你會讓別人也痛苦。如果你快樂且平靜，你會讓別人也快樂且平靜。
這叫做同理心；也叫做 *mudita*（喜無量心）——你知道，就是當你能感受到別人的快樂時。而能感受到別人的悲傷，那就是 compassion（悲無量心）。所以，我們確實是共同擁有著同理心。
這也正是為什麼，當香港少了一個痛苦的人，或者當你回去後，印尼少了一個煩惱的人，這對所有人來說都是一個巨大的祝福。所以，你能夠快樂和平靜——這是一件美好的事。因此，這不僅僅是關於你個人的快樂，而是關於*我們*的快樂。我們的問題，我們的解決之道，我們的快樂——我們是緊密相連的。
---阿姜布拉姆
《A monk who does nothing 一位什麼都不做的僧人》
《A monk who does nothing 一位什麼都不做的僧人》
There was a monk. One afternoon, one of his chief supporters called and said, "I'm glad I got through to you. I need you to come to my house to do some ceremony, some chanting " The monk replied, "I'm sorry sir, I'm busy today." The man asked, "So what are you doing?" The monk said, "Well, I'm doing nothing today. That's important for monks do nothing; instead of just go rushing around like everybody else. This is my doing nothing day today.."
Oh, here was someone who practices what they preaches.
He teaches people to relax to the max. And that venerable relax to the max today. Well done! Congratulations, sadhu sadhu sadhu.
The man called again the next day and got through to the same monk. "Ask you again! Great! Now, today I really need you to come and do this ceremony at my house," he said. The monk replied, "I'm sorry, I'm busy." "So what are you doing today?" the man asked.
"The same thing we said yesterday," the monk explained. "Today I'm doing nothing."
The man said, "That's what you said yesterday!"
"Yes," said the monk, "I'm not finished yet."
heheheheeee
So he gave that priority. He was getting all these other requests, but he gave relaxing to the max no. 1 on his list of things to do. And so, when people ask you what you're doing and you say, "I'm doing nothing," that's a trouble these days. They say, "Oh, great, can you help me?"
They don't give any importance to doing nothing. They think if you're doing nothing, you can be free to help somebody else
Which is important.
'You help me'
no you help me do nothing first
從前有一位僧人。一天下午，他的一位主要護法打電話來說：「很高興聯絡上您！我需要您來我家主持一場儀式，誦誦經...」僧人回答：「抱歉，先生，我今天很忙。」對方問道：「那您正在做什麼呢？」僧人說：「這個嘛，我今天正在『什麼都不做』。這對僧人很重要——我們什麼都不做；而不是像其他人那樣奔波勞碌。今天就是我的『什麼都不做日』。」
啊，這可是一位言行合一、實踐教導的人啊。
他教導人們要徹底放鬆。而這位尊敬的僧人今天確實徹底放鬆了。做得好！恭喜，善哉善哉善哉。
隔天，那位居士又打電話來，聯絡上了同一位僧人。「又來麻煩您了！太好了！今天我真的需要您來我家主持這場儀式」，他說。僧人回答：「抱歉，我很忙。」「那您今天在做什麼呢？」居士問道。
「和昨天說的一樣，」僧人解釋道：「今天我正在『什麼都不做』。」
居士說：「您昨天也是這麼說的！」
「沒錯，」僧人道：「我還沒做完呢。」
呵呵呵呵呵...
所以他將「什麼都不做」列為優先事項。儘管接到各種請求，他仍將「徹底放鬆」排在待辦事項的第一位。如今當人們問你在做什麼，若你回答「我正在什麼都不做」，反而會帶來麻煩。他們會說：「太好了！那你能幫我個忙嗎？」
他們完全不重視「什麼都不做」的價值。他們認為如果你正閒著，就能騰出空來幫助別人。
雖然幫助他人確實重要，
但與其說「你來幫我」，
不如請你先幫助我「什麼都不做」吧。
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-18 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
《A swedish professor and Ajahn Chah 一位瑞典教授與阿姜查》
《A swedish professor and Ajahn Chah 一位瑞典教授與阿姜查》
A Swedish professor came to see Ajahn Chah about fourteen years ago, commissioned by the Swedish government with a diplomatic passport. He was looked after by the local governor, who brought him to the monastery with an interpreter. The professor explained he was a philosophy professor researching meditation for the Swedish government, which was considered very advanced at the time. His method was to ask the same four questions to every guru, swami, and teacher in India and the Himalayas to systematically compare their answers about meditation. He asked Ajahn Chah to answer: What is meditation? Why do you meditate? How do you meditate? And what do you get out of meditation?
Ajahn Chah asked for a paper and pencil, thought for a while, and wrote down his answers. The translator, after laughing and composing himself, relayed the answers: To the first question, "What is meditation?" the answer was, "What is eating?"
To the second, "Why do you meditate?" the answer was, "Why do you eat?"
To the third, "How do you meditate?" the answer was, "How do you eat?"
And to the fourth, "What do you get out of meditation?" the answer was, "What do you get out of eating?"
The professor was angry, feeling the answers were a joke and unsuitable for his formal research, but Ajahn Chah was very stubborn.
And these are brilliant answers.
Meditation,being mindful, being peaceful , letting go , being still.
why? Did anyone teach you what is eating? they teach you how to eat? They teach you why you eat?
there are something that when we learn about it, it becomes very complicated . You just do it, it is actually quite simple.
Just sit here and be relaxed to the max~ Sometimes I think I am being something like a fraud. 'just relax~ to the max~'
Don't you know how to do that? that is the most simple thing in the world. Just do nothing. That is what we suppose to do, meditators. Relax~ to the max~
Do nothing.
---Ajahn Brahm
大約十四年前，一位瑞典教授來見阿姜查。他受瑞典政府委派，持外交護照前來，由當地的省長負責接待，並帶著翻譯將他帶到寺院。教授解釋說，他是一位哲學教授，正在為瑞典政府研究禪修，這在當時被認為是非常前沿的研究。他的方法是向印度和喜馬拉雅地區的每一位上師、斯瓦米和老師提出相同的四個問題，系統性地比較他們關於禪修的回答。他請阿姜查回答：什麼是禪修？你為什麼要禪修？你如何禪修？以及你從禪修中得到了什麼？
阿姜查要了一張紙和一支筆，思考了一會兒，寫下了他的答案。翻譯笑了出來並平復情緒後，轉達了這些答案：對於第一個問題「什麼是禪修？」，答案是：「什麼是吃飯？」
對於第二個問題「你為什麼要禪修？」，答案是：「你為什麼要吃飯？」
對於第三個問題「你如何禪修？」，答案是：「你如何吃飯？」
而對於第四個問題「你從禪修中得到了什麼？」，答案是：「你從吃飯中得到了什麼？」
教授非常生氣，覺得這些答案是個玩笑，不適合他正式的研究，但阿姜查非常固執。
而這些答案其實非常精妙。
禪修，就是保持正念、保持平靜、放下、保持靜止。
為什麼？有人教過你什麼是吃飯嗎？他們教過你怎麼吃飯嗎？他們教過你為什麼要吃飯嗎？
有些事情，當我們去研究它時，會變得很複雜。你只管去做，它其實相當簡單。
就坐在這裡，放鬆到極致～有時候我覺得自己好像個騙子。「只要放鬆～到極點～」
你難道不知道怎麼做嗎？那是世界上最簡單的事了。什麼都不做。那就是我們禪修者該做的事。放鬆～到極致～
什麼都不做。
---阿姜布拉姆
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-18 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
《Arahants won't get sick? 阿羅漢不會生病嗎？ 》
《Arahants won't get sick? 阿羅漢不會生病嗎？ 》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm , do arahants have supernatural power. Can they be separated from painful illness?
Ajahn Brahm: He still had painful illness. But you know the two parts of pain, the two parts of suffering: the mental part and the physical part. you've got the physical part, but it's not ours. "I don't want this! Why me? How long's it going to last?" You have pain, but sometimes it doesn't show.
信眾：親愛的阿姜布拉姆，阿羅漢是否擁有神通？他們能否免於痛苦的疾病？
阿姜布拉姆：他們仍然會罹患痛苦的疾病。但要知道，痛苦有兩個層面，苦受包含兩個部分：心理的部分和身體的部分。你依然會經歷身體上的痛苦，但內心不再將其視為「我的」痛苦。不再有「我不要這樣！為什麼是我？這要持續多久？」這類念頭。身體的疼痛依然存在，但有時甚至不會顯現出來。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-19 3.QA
《Will meditation make you unable to distinguish what is real or not? 禪修會讓你無法分辨真實嗎？》
《Will meditation make you unable to distinguish what is real or not? 禪修會讓你無法分辨真實嗎？》
Devotee : Does meditation make people go into the subconscious and confuse people about what is real or not?
Ajahn Brahm: No, because meditation makes life more real. The subconscious becomes conscious ; the hindrances which bends perception (disappears)... it gives you clarity.
That simile is... if there's a lake and a wind is blowing, that lake has ripples on the surface or waves on the surface. Whenever the lake is disturbed with ripples or waves caused by the wind, you cannot get an accurate reflection of the moon and the stars and heavens above.
But now, sometimes if you go into the mountains and it's a very still, windless night, that lake is like a mirror. They have a perfect reflection, especially of the full moon. I think it was in Japanese art they always say the best way to view, even paint or photograph a full moon, is where it's reflected in a still forest lake. Yeah.
信眾：禪修會讓人進入潛意識，並混淆人們對真實的認知嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：不會，因為禪修讓生命更加真實。潛意識變為清明意識；扭曲認知的諸蓋（消失了）… 它帶給你澄澈。
這個比喻是：如果有一個湖，風正吹拂著，湖面就會泛起漣漪或波浪。每當湖面因風而起漣漪或波浪時，你就無法清晰地倒映出天上的月亮、星辰與蒼穹。
但有時候，如果你進入山區，在一個非常寧靜、無風的夜晚，那個湖就像一面鏡子。它能產生完美的倒影，尤其是滿月。我記得在日本藝術中，他們總是說，觀賞、甚至繪畫或拍攝滿月的最佳方式，就是當它倒映在一個平靜的森林湖泊中時。是的。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-19 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJLMHwKncho&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=18
《一位富有律師的笑話 Joke of a wealthy lawyer》**
《一位富有律師的笑話 Joke of a wealthy lawyer》**
什麼是邪見？就是那些會在禪林或別處製造更多問題的見解。
例如，認為當你死時能夠帶走任何錢財的這種想法，就是一種邪見。
有一位律師，一位非常富有的律師，他什麼都帶不走——嗯，幾乎沒有什麼能幫得了他——所以他快要死了。他躺在病床上，想著這些錢財，知道自己無法帶走。他心想，某處一定存在著法律漏洞。畢竟，律師最擅長的就是尋找漏洞。
在生命的最後幾天裡，他思考著：「我該怎麼做？」突然靈光一閃，他有了一個頓悟的時刻，就像燈泡亮起一樣：「我能找到方法把錢帶走！」於是，他告訴妻子：「拿兩個手提箱去銀行。」他簽好了所有的支票和文件。「去銀行把這兩個手提箱裝滿鈔票。最大面額的鈔票是什麼？英鎊，對吧？全部要一百英鎊面額的鈔票，低於這個面額的不要。總之，把這兩個手提箱塞得越滿越好。然後，關於我的後事…我現在躺在房間的病床上，這是我臨終的地方，再過幾天就要死了。這個房間的正上方是閣樓，我要你把那兩個手提箱，仔細地放在我床鋪正上方的兩側，這樣當我死後往上走的時候，就能順手抓住它們。這就是我的計劃。照做！」
妻子別無選擇，因為這是他的遺願，也算是遺囑的一部分。於是，她去了銀行，在每個手提箱裡裝了大概幾百萬，然後小心翼翼地把它們放在他床鋪的正上方。當天晚上，律師就過世了。當然，大家忙著處理遺體和開立死亡證明。等到適當的時機，妻子走進閣樓，發現那兩個手提箱還原封不動地在那裡。她自言自語地說：「愚蠢的男人。他應該把手提箱放在床鋪*下方*的房間才對。那才是他會去的地方。」這只是個笑話。
--- 阿姜布拉姆
What are these false views? They are views which create more problems in the Jhana Grove and in other places.
False views, such as the idea that you'll be able to take any money with you when you die.
There's a lawyer, a really wealthy lawyer, and nothing—well, not nothing could help him—so he's about to die. So he thought on his bed, thinking about these money, you can't take it with you. There must be a loophole somewhere. because that's what lawyers are great at doing, finding loopholes.
And he thought on his last few days, "How can I do this?" And he got the brainwave, you know, the eureka moment, the lightbulb: "I can find a way to take it with me!" So he told his wife, "Go to the bank with two suitcases." He signed all the checks and orders and stuff. "Go to the bank and fill these two suitcases with banknotes. What's the biggest currency?Pounds, okay? Pallets of 100-pound notes, nothing less. So, get as many as you can fit into those two suitcases. And then I want you to, about my death... I'm on my deathbed in my room; this is where I'm gonna die in only a couple of days. Right above this room is the attic, and I want you to put those two suitcases, position them carefully on either side of my bed, so when I die, I can grab them as I go up. That's my plan. Do it!"
So the wife had no choice; it was his last will and testament. So she went to the bank and filled, you know, a couple of million in each suitcase, and positioned them carefully just above his bed. And then that night, he died. And of course, they were busy just with getting the body and certifying he was dead. And then, when it was an appropriate moment, she went up into the attic, and those two suitcases were still there. And she thought to herself and said, "Stupid man. He should have put those suitcases in the room *below* the bed. That's the way he's gonna go." just a joke.
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-19 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJLMHwKncho&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=18
《People who have no spikes 沒有尖刺的人》
《People who have no spikes 沒有尖刺的人》
There are other people who are fully enlightened, and as he's seeing, Ajahn Chah is one of them—amazing. One of the other ones, and now I thought I might say, I only say about these monks when they're dead, when they were alive, you know that sometimes people just go and bother them and tease them to say what special things because they're supposed to be enlightened. They just basically harass someone who's really nice. We kept trying to keep it quiet until you die; when you're dead, it doesn't really matter.
But there was this monk I mentioned him once already, Ajahn Tate. Now, just like every one of you, you had all these questions, feelings of deep questions, and Ajahn Tate would give great answers, but they didn't really satisfy me. I remember going to visit this monk, Ajahn Tate, over in the northeast of Thailand. I had all these questions, really wanted to ask him, and he was famous by this time. I had to wait for a while, you know, in line and queue to get my turn for the interview. It's like, you know, sometimes you put your name down for an interview. And when I went into the room to see him, my mind went still, didn't have any question. All those questions came a long way, yet the answer was already there. Oh, God. Such a powerful, edible, loving-kindness of peace coming from this monk.
And it was one of those times: no more questions. I said, I don't want to move from here. You're gonna drag me away with chains and elephants to pull me out of here; I'm gonna die right here. You felt so... The main thing which I felt was that I was so accepted. I didn't need to be perfect. Yeah, okay, as you were.
I've mentioned that, but that's the first time you really felt it. You don't need a powerful change. It would have got all of these idiosyncrasies. But what people really want is to be accepted, to be at peace with yourself. So when you are at peace with yourself and accepted... Oh, more one thing: no more to get rid of things... that wonderful sense of acceptance.
And that was where I got this simile of the people with spikes. Amazing. The first night, maybe I don't know if I mentioned it somewhere: people have got spikes coming out of them. Most people's are invisible spikes, okay? The spikes are very sharp, and most people have got the average-sized spikes. Though, you know, if you pass them by, you don't get too close; don't get into their personal space. If you get too close, you get scratched. There are some people who've got small spikes, and they know they're quite not that sharp. Well, those are the people—your friends or people you feel comfortable with. You get close to them, have a cup of coffee with them, just mess around and talk nonsense and make photographs, but don't get too close, or you will get scratched.
There are some people who've got no spikes at all. You can get as close as you like, metaphorically. If you feel so safe, they're not gonna hurt you or criticize you or put you down or make your life miserable or hurt you well. Very, even just... God, you just sit there and you just feel so empty. The people with no spikes—those are what I call the... oh, yeah. You move, you've done terrible things—what's that? Doesn't matter; we all make mistakes. And you feel so accepting. A wonderful thing to have.
I always remember that. And all the questions I might have asked, I'd have probably forgotten the answers by now; it's such a long time ago. But just being in the presence, being... all those questions hopefully vanish. I didn't need the questions; I didn't need any thoughts because I just had this beautiful peace and acceptance.
世上還有其他完全覺悟的人，正如他所見，阿姜查就是其中之一——這真是太奇妙了。還有其他幾位，而我現在想說的是，我只有在這些比丘過世後才會談論他們。當他們在世時，你知道，有時候人們會去打扰他們、戲弄他們，要求他們展現什麼神通，只因為他們被認為是開悟者。這根本就是在騷擾一個真正善良的人。我們一直試圖保持低調，直到你離世；當你死了，這些就真的不重要了。
但有一位我曾經提過的比丘，阿姜泰。就像你們每個人一樣，你心中有所有這些問題，那些深層的疑問，而阿姜泰會給出很棒的回答，但那些回答並未真正滿足我。我記得去泰國東北部拜訪這位阿姜泰比丘。我當時心中有滿腹疑問，真的很想問他，而那時他已經很有名了。我必須等上一段時間，你知道，排隊等候我的請益時段。就像有時候你登記面談一樣。當我走進房間見他時，我的心卻靜止了，沒有任何問題。所有那些千里迢迢帶來的問題，答案卻早已在那裡。噢，天啊。從這位比丘身上散發出的，是一種如此強大、幾乎可以感受得到的、充滿慈愛的平靜。
那正是那樣的一個時刻：不再有問題。我說，我不想從這裡離開。就算你們用鐵鍊拖、用大象拉，要把我從這裡弄出去，我寧願死在這裡。你感受到如此強烈的… 我感受到最重要的一點是，我被完全地接納了。我不需要變得完美。是的，好吧，就是這樣。
我提過這個，但那是你第一次真正感受到它。你不需要什麼巨大的改變。它本可以解決所有這些特立獨行的問題。但人們真正渴望的，是被接納，是與自己和平共處。所以當你與自己和平相處並且被接納時… 噢，還有一件事：噢，這個嘛，不用再擺脫任何東西… 那種美妙的接納感。
而這就是我想到「身上有尖刺的人」這個比喻的由來。太奇妙了。頭一晚，也許我不記得有沒有在哪裡提過：人們身上都長著尖刺。大多數人的是看不見的尖刺，好嗎？這些刺非常銳利，大多數人擁有中等大小的刺。所以，你知道，如果你從他們身邊經過，不要靠得太近；不要進入他們的個人空間。如果你靠得太近，就會被刮傷。有一些人長著小刺，他們知道自己不那麼尖銳。嗯，那些人就是你的朋友，或是讓你感到自在的人。你可以靠近他們，和他們喝杯咖啡，閒聊胡鬧、拍拍照，但還是別靠得太近，否則你還是會被刮傷。
還有一些人，身上根本沒有尖刺。你可以隨意地靠近他們，這是比喻的說法。你感到如此安全，他們不會傷害你、批評你、貶低你，也不會讓你的生活悲慘或傷害你。甚至，僅僅是… 天啊，你只是坐在那裡，就感到如此空靈。那些沒有尖刺的人——這就是我所稱的… 噢，是的。你感動了，你做過糟糕的事——那又怎樣？沒關係；我們都會犯錯。而你感受到如此完全的接納。這真是美妙的感受。
我一直記得那一刻。所有我當時可能想問的問題，答案我現在大概早忘了；那已經是太久以前的事了。但僅僅是待在那個場域裡，存在著… 所有那些問題都消失了。我不再需要那些問題；我不再需要任何念頭，因為我僅僅擁有這美麗的平靜與接納。
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-18 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
《Call your girlfriend to send you a ...請你的女朋友寄給你一份...》
《Call your girlfriend to send you a ...請你的女朋友寄給你一份...》
You know, there are so many of those stories, but this is where you started to realize this monk （Ajahn Chah） was just special because he would know—he would read minds. You had to be very careful what you were thinking when you were around this monk.
On this particular occasion, I was in the backseat of a car. Next to me was an American monk, a former helicopter pilot from the Vietnam War, a real tough guy. And there was this little novice, Gary, you know, from California, from Los Angeles. In the front passenger seat was Ajahn Chah, and the driver was taking us into town for some reason—I can't remember what.
But on the journey, Ajahn Chah looked around at this young novice, Gary, and said to him, "You're thinking of your girlfriend back in L.A." And this poor monk, now being embarrassed like that, caught out—his face! He was busted. He *was* thinking of his old girlfriend in Los Angeles, and Ajahn Chah just saw it.
And in the most compassionate way, he smiled and said through an interpreter, "You know, that's so painful, I think we can help you so you don't feel so lonely, all the way on the other side of the world, missing your girlfriend. Next time you write to her, ask her to send you something personal, so whenever you miss her, you can take it out to remind you of your love back in Los Angeles."
And Ajahn Chah said this with such a serious face that even I and the interpreter thought, "Is this allowable? Are they breaking the Vinaya, the rules?" But he was like, "Oh yeah, you know, we can do that out of kindness. Come on, you know, get into the modern world."
And the novice was thinking about what he should ask for, you know, something romantic—like a piece of her skirt with her perfume on it, or a lock of her hair, and they're discussing it. And Ajahn Chah said, "Oh no, not none of that. Something a bit more personal."
Whoa!
And then, when Ajahn Chah finished speaking, it took the poor interpreter about five minutes to get himself together—he was crying and laughing. And Ajahn Chah said, "I told you, when you write to your girlfriend in L.A., ask her to send a little bottle, about this big, of her shit! So whenever you miss your girlfriend, you can take a sip of that."
'That's my girlfriend back in LA '
What is the case? When you love someone, you love everything about her, my darling. haha. That is Ajahn Chah. He views things in a uniqute way. But this is true, when you fall in love, you love everything about him or her. Really, *everything*. Oh... not quite everything.
----Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-18 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
你知道，這類的故事實在太多了，但正是從這些事情中，你開始意識到這位比丘（阿姜查）非常特別，因為他會知道——他能夠讀心。在你靠近這位比丘時，你必須非常小心你心裡在想什麼。
有一次，我坐在一輛車的後座。我旁邊是一位美國比丘，他是越戰時的前直升機飛行員，一個真正的硬漢。還有一位小沙彌，蓋瑞，你知道，從加州洛杉磯來的。前座的乘客座坐著阿姜查，司機正載我們進城，為了什麼事我記不得了。
但在路上，阿姜查轉頭看著這位年輕的沙彌蓋瑞，對他說：「你正在想你洛杉磯的女朋友。」這位可憐的比丘，當場被逮個正著，非常尷尬——他的表情！他被抓包了。他*確實*正在想他在洛杉磯的前女友，而阿姜查就這麼看出來了。
然後，他以最慈悲的方式，透過翻譯微笑著說：「你知道，那太痛苦了，我想我們可以幫你，讓你不會感到這麼孤單，在世界的另一端思念你的女朋友。下次你寫信給她時，請她寄給你一些個人的物品，這樣每當你想念她時，就可以拿出來，提醒你你在洛杉磯的愛人。」
阿姜查說這話時臉色非常嚴肅，連我和翻譯都在想：「這樣可以嗎？他們是不是在違犯戒律？」但他卻說：「哦，可以的，你知道，我們可以出於善意這麼做。拜託，你也知道，要跟上現代世界啊。」
這位沙彌開始思考他應該要什麼，你知道，一些浪漫的東西——比如她的一片裙子，上面有她的香水味，或者一綹她的頭髮，他們正在討論。阿姜查說：「哦不，那些都不行。要更個人一點的東西。」
哇！
然後，當阿姜查說完話，可憐的翻譯花了大概五分鐘才平復下來——他又哭又笑。阿姜查說：「我告訴你，當你寫信給你洛杉磯的女朋友時，請她寄一小瓶，大概這麼大，她的『大便』！這樣每當你想念你的女朋友時，你就可以『嗅一嗅』。」
『那是我在洛杉磯的女朋友』
實際情況是什麼？當你愛一個人，你就會愛她的一切，親愛的。哈哈。這就是阿姜查。他以獨特的方式看待事物。但這倒是真的，當你墜入愛河時，你會愛他或她的一切。真的，*一切*。哦……倒也不是真的所有一切。
---- 阿姜布拉姆
2018年阿姜布拉姆與 BIF & EF 在 Jhana Grove 的禪修營 2018-07-18 3.問答
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
**《Monks, psychic power, money and lust比丘、神通、金錢與貪欲》**
**《Monks, psychic power, money and lust比丘、神通、金錢與貪欲》**
關於處理金錢；當然，有些比丘確實這麼做，尤其是在現在的泰國。當比丘處理金錢時，會產生很多醜聞，因為這誘惑實在太大了。
很久以前，我認識一位比丘，他是阿姜曼的弟子，龍普汶。這位龍普汶住在泰國北部的成高山洞穴，我想是在成高府，位於清邁以北。有一天，一位空軍官員，不是英國皇家空軍，是泰國空軍的官員，正在駕駛他的噴射機進行某種訓練任務，他看到一位比丘坐在雲上，這太奇怪了，當時飛機可能飛得相當快。你知道，他看到了他，當他從遠處高速飛過時，他記下了座標，這不是他的想像，因為他是訓練有素的飛行員。
當他降落後，他報告了這件事，然後他們查對了座標，發現在那片山區和叢林中，確實有禪修的比丘，說：「哦，是的，那邊山洞裡有一位比丘住在那裡。」當然，消息一傳開，這位比丘就出名了；因為他出名了，所有人都想來拜訪他。因為人們來訪，他們就需要一位秘書或侍者，而這位侍者會收受小費。很多人想拜見這位比丘，所以你知道，如果你想見他，就在這裡放幾塊錢，那裡放幾塊錢，這就成了他們能夠見到這位比丘或方丈的方式。但當然，對比丘而言，所有這些小費，基本上就是賄賂，源源不斷地進來，卻沒有任何支出。你不用繳稅，不用付水費，不用付食物錢，不用付衣服錢，所有的錢只進不出。錢就這麼進了他的銀行帳戶。龍普汶最終去世了，而龍普汶一去世，這位比丘，那位侍者，就還俗了。他一還俗，銀行裡就有大約一千五百萬美金。他變得非常富有，不是印尼盾，是美金。大約五到十年的時間，所有的錢只進不出。這就是問題所在，有時會發生這種事，但問題不在方丈本人，龍普汶是清白的。
關於神通的故事是這樣的：如果有人真的獲得了神通，例如能在空中飛行，這很罕見但確實會發生。如果他們有了神通，有個著名的故事：一位在叢林中的比丘，他能夠在空中飛行，他只是在早晨飛行，他是一位樸素的比丘，並非為了炫耀，就在叢林某處。當然，村民們看見了他，消息就傳開了。我的意思是，如果村子裡有位比丘會飛，你當然會想去見他。不像現在可以拍照，那時候沒有照片，是的，你能親眼目睹這發生，真是太神奇了。然後整個村子都知道了他的事，消息傳到了城市，傳到了國王那裡。國王說他一直想見見會飛的比丘。於是，他派了一位大臣到叢林中去邀請這位比丘來皇宮，國王會照顧他。比丘說：『我只是個快樂、樸素、住在森林裡的比丘，我不想要宮廷生活。』大臣回去報告說比丘不願意來。於是國王派了半支軍隊進入森林，我想，你知道，這等於提出了一個他無法拒絕的條件。於是，比丘不得不前往城市。國王很體貼，在皇宮園區內，建造了一片小森林，裡面有一間簡陋的小屋。
這並非太誇張，因為有一次我在泰國時，有一位我認識的法師曾來訪珀斯，當他知道我在城裡時，他邀請我到皇宮園區共進午餐；那就是泰國國王拉瑪九世。他晚年想退休過出家生活，所以實際上他在自己的園區裡建造了一片漂亮的小森林，甚至進口了森林雞，還有一間漂亮的小屋，就像你在泰國東北會看到的那樣。他本想在那裡退休，但未能如願。但他所做的，是邀請森林比丘到那裡去。當你進入那裡時，必須通過安檢才能進入皇宮園區，但當你真正走進那間小屋時，感覺就像身在泰國東北一樣，環顧四周，你可以看到竹子和其他樹木，而這卻在曼谷市中心。
總之，故事中的這位比丘被邀請入住，好吧，情況沒那麼糟，在他的小屋裡，在那片森林中，與其說是在城市，不如說還是在森林裡，與真正的叢林差別不大。當時的情況是，他們能夠供給他任何他想吃的食物，而且當國王有點累了或想要些建議時，當他禪修時，他總能有一位比丘，你知道，就在他宮殿旁邊的森林裡，他可以隨時去拜訪他。
起初一切都很順利，但有一天，當然，這位比丘總會在清晨進行他的鍛鍊，在空中繞行皇宮幾圈。那天早上，來供養食物的不是國王或他的僕人，而是國王的女兒之一，一位非常漂亮的公主。當時比丘正在飛行，當他正要降落時，他瞥了一眼這位美麗的公主，就在那一剎那，他正念失守，生起了一絲對公主的貪欲，他不得不迫降，因為這些神通力量是極其敏感的。只要有一點點瞋怒、一絲驕傲或貪欲，你就會失去能力。所以他墜落在地上，幸運的是傷勢不重。那時他意識到，城市裡的誘惑太多了。於是之後，他收拾好他的行李（不是行李，只是缽和他的袋子之類的東西），然後步行返回森林，花了他兩三年的時間才重新恢復他的神通能力。他再也沒有回到城市。神通就是如此敏感。這也正是為什麼處理金錢、結婚、過在家生活，你知道，有時候那裡的誘惑太多了。就像要求一個正在戒酒的酒鬼實際上去住在酒吧裡一樣。你知道，這不是最好的地方。所以，你知道，一個清淨的地方不應該有那些東西。
所以，比丘不處理金錢，他們不沾染引起貪欲的事物，顯然他們也不過在家生活。實際上，這也是為什麼我會讓你們進我的洞穴看看，你們現在可以看看我的房間、辦公室，你們可以看到我是如何生活的，這樣你們就知道我沒有什麼需要隱藏的。希望這能啟發你們。在我與我的師父阿姜查共同生活的九年中，最啟發我的時刻之一——雖然還沒人問過——但他是否開悟了？你怎麼能知道呢？就在某一次，有許多小跡象，在那個時刻真的打動了我，讓我認定：好吧，這個人是一位完全覺悟的阿羅漢。那是在他非常有名的時候，從國王、將軍們那裡收到非常非常多的禮物，各種東西。我不知道該怎麼說，阿姜查他有時真的有些出格。我不確定早上是否告訴過你們，我為蛇做灑水祝福的那件事，阿姜查所做的，比那更進一步，更像是在挑戰極限。
因為你知道泰國的將軍權力有多大，有一天，一位陸軍少將來見阿姜查，帶著他全副武裝的保鏢，場面隆重，正式拜訪阿姜查，這位大將軍。然後他請求阿姜查給他祝福，灑聖水祝福，但當時沒有水，將軍說：『我真的很想要一個祝福。』阿姜查說：『過來，彎下腰。』於是那個人，那位將軍，彎下了腰，他的頭就在這裡，阿姜查走上前『噗噗噗噗噗』，他把口水全吐在了將軍的頭髮裡。當時我在那裡，心想『啊～ 阿姜查這次你太過分了，這可是位將軍啊。』然後阿姜查用手把口水抹勻。這在泰國傳統中是非常不恰當的。而這位將軍抬起頭時，卻說：『哦～ 太感謝您了，這真是太棒了，這是最好的祝福。』待在阿姜查身邊真是很棒。他是如此不按牌理出牌，你永遠不知道他接下來會做什麼，這正是他有趣的地方。
總之，通常會有很棒的沙彌隨侍在他身邊，但那次我正好在，他對我說：『你能不能去我的房間，幫我拿一本書還是什麼東西。』於是我親自去了他的房間，那是我唯一一次進入他的私人住所，我想看看我的師父到底是怎麼生活的。我打開門，我至今仍能清晰地看見，那個房間是空的，這是他居住的地方。他只有一張草蓆、一個木枕、一件掛在繩上的袈裟。什麼都沒有，空空如也。我想只有那本我幫他拿下來的小書。房間真的空無一物，我想打掃起來可能一分鐘就夠了。即使是你們，只來這裡七天或九天，你們房間裡的物品數量，大概是阿姜查所有物品的一百倍，而他一直住在那裡。但那真是令人驚嘆，我親眼看到這是一位一無所有的比丘。這比任何精彩的開示、激勵人心的話語、或者長時間的禪修，都更有說服力。這實際上就是他擁有的——空無一物！
About handling money; some of them do that , of course over especially in Thailand right now. There's a lot of scandals because for monks when they handle money; there's just too much of a temptation.
There was this one monk I knew a long time ago, one of the Ajahn Mun's disciples, Luang Pu Waen. and this Luang Pu Waen he lived up in was it not chenggao caves up in the north of Thailand, I think it is Chenggao province, but it was north of Chiang Mai, and that's one day an RAF officer , not RAF, the Thai Air Force officer was on some sort of training exercise in his jet and he saw a monk sitting on a cloud, and he's weird, he was going probably quite fast. And so you know he looked at him and as he was speeding past from a distance, and he took down the coordinates, he wasn't imagining it you know because he's a well trained pilot.
And so when he sort of landed he reported , then he checked out the coordinates and aware in that part of the mountains and the jungles that monk was any sort of meditating monks, saying oh yeah there is a monk in the cave there was this monk who are living out there. And of course once that got out , the monk became famous; because he became famous, all these people will come to visit. And because they come to visit, so they needed a secretary or the attendant, so this attendant, they would pay tips. Many people wanted to visit this monk, so you know if you wanted to visit him you know just put a few dollars here, a few bar there, and that's a way that you know they could get access to this monk or the head monk. But of course for monk you've got all these tips and basically bribes coming in, nothing going out. You don't pay tax, you don't pay water rates, you don't pay for food, you don't pay for clothes, all the money was coming in and nothing was going out. It just went into his bank account and Luang Pu Waen eventually died, and as soon Luang Pu Waen died ; this monk, the attendant monk disrobed. As soon as he disrobed, he was with about 15 million U.S. in the bank. And he was very rich, not rupiah, it's USD. For about five or ten years, all the money was going in, nothing was going out. That's a problem there which sometimes happened, but not the monk. The head monk was fine.
Because the story is with psychic powers, if anyone does get psychic powers like flying through the air, it's rare but does happen. If they do, there was this great story of a monk in the jungle and he will be able to fly through the air, he just goes in the morning, he was a simple monk, not showing off and now up in the jungle somewhere. And of course villagers saw him, and when the villager saw him the word got around. I mean if there was a monk in the village who could fly, of course you would like to go and see him. No, these days you take photograph of him, but there's no photograph those days are yeah it's amazing you actually can see it happening. And then the village has got to know about him, the word got to the city and to the king. He said I always wanted to see a monk who could fly. So he sent one of his ministers up to the jungle to invite the monk who come to the palace and the king would look after him. And he said, ' I was just happy simple monk living in the forest, I don't want a palace life.' So the minister went back and said the monk doesn't want to come though. So the king sends half the army up into the forest and I think, you know, make him an offer like this he couldn't refuse. Then other words the monk had to go for the city. And the King was sensitive enough, in the palace ground, he built a little forest with a simple hut in it.
And this is not too far-fetched because now once when I was visiting Thailand, there was a monk I knew who come to visit Perth and when he knew I was in town he invited me to come and have lunch with him in the palace grounds ; that eventhe king of Thailand well Rama the 9th. When he wanted to retire and live a monastic life at the end of his life, but you know, so he actually built in his grounds a nice little forest, even actually imported forest chickens in and a nice little hut just like you would see in the northeast of Thailand. He wanted to actually retire there but never worked out. But what he did do, he would invite forest monks to get there.
when you go in there. You have to go through security to get into the palace grounds, but when you actually go into the hut it was just like that being in the northeast of Thailand, look around you can see bamboo and other trees there and inside the middle of Bangkok.
But anyway, this story the monk was invited in and so ok, but it was not that bad, there's in his hut , in the forest, there was not that different of being in town being in the forest from a real jungle. And he was thing was that they would be able to give him whatever food he wanted, and also when the king was a little bit sort of tired or wanted some advice, so when is the meditate, you could always have a little monk you know in the forest next to his palace, he could just go and visit him.
Now things were going very well, but one day they, and of course the monk would always go on for his exercise a couple of laps in the early morning, and he was having in a couple of circuits of the palace in the air. And that morning, instead of the king or one of his servants being in the food this morning, it was one of the King's daughters or princess who is extremely good-looking. And so there was a monk flying around, and as he was coming into land he took one glance at this beautiful princess, and it was just one moment's lapse of mindfulness and the arising of a little bit of lust and of his princess, and he had to crash-land because those powers are incredibly sensitive. We've got a bit of anger or a tiny little bit of pride or lust, you lose your ability. So he can crashing down on the ground, fortunate not too badly injured. That is when he realized that there's too many temptations in the city. So afterwards he packed up his bags or not bags , just bowls and his bag whatever was, and then he walked back here to walk back all the way to the forest, took him two or three years before he got his ability back again. He would never go to the city again. That was how sensitive it was. And that's why handling money, getting married, living a householders life, you know sometimes there are too many temptations there. like asking a recovering alcoholic to actually live in a pub. You know, it's not the best place. So you know, a nice place weren't around that stuff.
So the monks don't handle money and they don't get into a lustful staff, and obviously they don't hold a householders life. And actually when you see and that's why I'd let you go in to see my cave, you can look in my room now the office, so you see how I live, and so you know there's nothing there I need to hide. And so it's hopefully it's inspires you. And one of the most inspiring times living with Ajahn Chah , my teacher for nine years, and people often ask you --hasn't been in this question box yet--but was he enlightened, how would you know anyway? And just the one time there're many other little indications at the one time which really just moved me at the stage which I say, okay this man is a fully enlightened arahant. And that was when he was very famous, getting lots and lots of gifts from no kings and and generals in the army, lots of stuff. I don't know just, he was really some outrageous sometimes Ajahn Chah.. I don't are I told you this morning about when I did holy water blessing of a snake what Aajhn Chah did, was much more pushing his luck much further than that.
Because you know the generals in Thailand how powerful they are, one day this Major General came up to see a tent our respectful with all of his bodyguard with guns all over the place, now a formal visit to see Ajahn Chah, this big general. And then he ask Ajahn Chah for a blessing, holy water blessing, don't have any water, ' I really want a blessing'
Ajahn Chah said, 'come here, bend over.' And so the man bent over, the general, and his head was here, bend over an edge and Ajahn Chah went up 'pupupupupupu' he put spit all in the general's hair. And I was there and I 'ahhh you've gone too far this time Ajahn Chah, this is a general. '
And then Ajahn Chah took his hand and rubbed it in. That was not appropriate in Thai tradition. And this general when he puts his head up, ' oh~ thank you so much, that is so wonderful, that's the best' Ajahn Chah was great to be around. It was so unconventional and just you didn't know what he was gonna do next, that's what made it interesting.
But anyway, that usually would have just wonderful novice who had attend on him and then, but I was around and he asked me that 'can you go up to my room and just get I think there's a book or something. ' And so I went out to his room in person, it is the only time I had been up to his private quarters, and I find out how my teacher really lives. I opened the door, I could still see it now, this room was empty, where he lived.
He had one of those straw mats, a wooden pillow, one robe on the line . nothing, nothing there. I think there is this little book which I brought up out down for him. It was really empty, I think they're cleaning would have taken one minute. Even you who have come you know just for seven day or nine days here, the amount of stuff you have got in your room, it's about hundred times where Ajahn Chah had, and he lived there. But that was really amazing, it was actually saw that this was a monk who doesn't have any possesions. that was impressive that spoke much more than ,you know, giving our amazing talks and this inspiring people and meditating for hours. This was actually what he owned--nothing!
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-18 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
**《不同的佛教傳承 Different Buddhist traditions》**
**《不同的佛教傳承 Different Buddhist traditions》**
**《不同的佛教傳承 Different Buddhist traditions》**
佛教有各種不同的傳承，但我們確實能和睦相處，因為實際發生的情況是：很久以前，佛教最初就是佛教，後來傳播到了許多不同的地方。而每個地方對於佛教是什麽，都產生了一些稍微不同的理解：比如你所穿的僧袍、或許你所吃的食物，以及你所進行的唱誦。你知道，佛教也傳播到了南方，進入南印度、斯里蘭卡，並遠至東亞地區：泰國、緬甸、寮國和柬埔寨。還有越南。越南，南部受柬埔寨影響，北部則受中國影響。然後又從中國傳到韓國和日本。而它們原本都是同一類型的佛教；人們實際上會從一地旅行到另一地，那些偉大的朝聖者，像法顯，還有另一位，不是說「猴子」，《西遊記》是關於這些旅行者的電影，那不是「三藏」。這些是像旅行者一樣，他們會駐足在彼此的寺院裡，常常體驗到一種美妙，你待在那裡，並沒有所謂的大乘、上座部、小乘之類的區分。所以他們實際上就是一起交流，一起活動。
直到13世紀，伊斯蘭勢力入侵印度，這才真正分裂了核心。於是，北方是藏傳佛教和漢傳佛教，包括越南、韓國和日本；而南方則是泰國、斯里蘭卡的上座部佛教。就這樣分裂了，他們基本上失去了彼此的聯繫。但他們都擁有這些經典，或者說，上座部形式的經典是「經藏」，大乘形式的則是「阿含經」。如今很棒的是，很容易就能找到好的翻譯，從中文譯成英文，或從梵文、巴利文再譯回來，而它們如此相似，真是令人驚嘆。同樣的經典，只是語言不同，但你能看出它們是完全一樣的。這意味著我們確實有一個共同的核心。是的，我們後來各自添加了一些東西，但核心是共通的。正因為我們有共同的核心，所以我們才能在所有的傳統中來去自如，並感到自己是受歡迎的。我尤其去過韓國很多次，韓國的法師也來過這裡幾次參加雨安居，我在韓國真的交到了一些好朋友，都一樣，沒有區別。
但當人們問我，特別是在家人，有什麼不同時，我會說，嗯，你看，你看到一位藏傳法師，一位上座部法師，一位，他們說的，來自韓國的禪師，有什麼區別呢？這只是像不同的蛋糕。這個是牛奶巧克力冰淇淋，抱歉，是牛奶巧克力糖霜。而禪師們的是香草糖霜，有點灰灰的。但不是，那只是糖霜，蛋糕本身是相同的蛋糕，糖霜下面的蛋糕是相同的。
如果有人前幾天說過，他們稱之為大乘、小乘；所有車輛若違規停放，都會被拖吊，費用自理。換句話說，只是這些名相而已。所以無論如何，我們都相處得非常融洽，大乘佛教、上座部佛教、金剛乘佛教之間的關係，比天主教與基督教等其他教派之間的關係要親近得多。
--- 阿姜布拉姆
So there're all kinds of Buddhism, but we do really get on because all that really happened, you got sort of Buddhism is anywhere Buddhism a long time ago, and then Buddhism went to many different lands. And every little land had a little different attitude to know what Buddhism was: the robes you wore, or maybe the food you ate, and the chanting which you did. And you know, they were also, and they, the Buddhism know, went to the south into southern India and to Sri Lanka and over to East Asia's: Thailand and Burma and Laos and and Cambodia. Cambodia and also Vietnam. Vietnam, said the Vietnam, the south that was Cambodian influence, the north was the Chinese influence. And then you went over from China to Korea and to Japan. And it was all the same type of Buddhism; people would actually travel from one place to another, those great pilgrims, a Faustian and was the other one that don't say monkey, monkey was the the movie about these travelers, not tipitaka. But no, these were like travelers and they went, they would stay in each other's monasteries and they are often trying a wonderful, you stay around it was no like Mahayana theravada, hiniyana, whatever yana it was. So they all actually just hang out together, move together.
There was only in the 13th century when the the Islamic invasion of India it actually split the heart. So up the north was the Tibetans and Chinese without the Vietnamese , the the Koreans and the Japanese; until the South was a the Thais and their Sri Lankans, so it actually split and they lost contact with one another basically. But they all had these sutras, or that's the sutras is the Theravada form, the agamas is the Mahayana form. And it's great these days because it's so easy to get good translations, from the Chinese into English or back into the Sanskrit or the Pali, and it's amazing just how similar they are. Same sutras, just in a different language, but you can see it's exactly the same. And that no means we do have a common core. Yeah, we add things our afterwards, but the core is common. And because we have a common core, that's why we can come backwards and forth between all the traditions and feel that you know we're welcome. No, I've got many times to over to Korea especially, and the Korean monks have come and spent rains retreat here a few times, got a really some good friends over in Korea, and all the same, no difference.
But when people are asking me, especially the lay people, what is the difference, I say, well look, you see a Tibetan monk, you can see a Theravada monk, you can see a, they say, a Zen monk from Korea, what's the difference? It's just by the different cakes. This is milk chocolate ice cream, milk chocolate icing, sorry. And the Zen monks has vanilla icings,, a real bit greyish. But no, that's you big into the cake is, it's the same cake, through the icing it's the same cake.
And if somebody once said the other day, they call it a big vehicle, small vehicles;all vehicles will be towed away at the owner's expense. In other words, just those things. So anyway, we all get on together very well, so much closer between Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism, Vijrayana Buddhism ; much closer than the Catholic Christianity, for example.
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-18 3.QA
《占星預言的故事 Story of holoscope》
《占星預言的故事 Story of holoscope》
信眾：高等靈體會透過媒介向人類提供建議嗎？
布拉姆長老：是的，有時你確實能透過媒介獲得深層指引。但若他們自稱高等存在，務必明白其境界未必如你想像中崇高——你永遠無從確知他們究竟多「高等」。有些時候，這些靈體甚至會給予媒介有害的指引。
切勿相信貧困的占卜師——若連自身命運都無法預測，他們又如何能準確解讀你的運勢？就拿我自身的經歷來說：下個月即將是我的生日，人們常困惑「該送僧侶什麼禮物？」是應供養無所不缺的僧侶嗎？不——正是要供養一無所有的僧侶。真正的一無所有。
幾位善信曾真誠詢問：「這位法師對我們如此慈悲，該如何表達心意？該送什麼才具深意？」一位馬來西亞的善信，是位心思縝密、誠懇聰慧的人，特地為我向珀斯最負盛名的占星師訂製個人星盤解析。他並非從報章雜誌摘取泛泛之論，而是支付高額費用聘請專業占星師，詳細詢問我的確切生辰八字，我也如實相告。他投入可觀金額，精心製作了我的命盤。
那已是數年前的事了。我生日當天，他滿懷自豪地前來說道：「我為此花費不少，若您不介意，我想為您宣讀未來十二個月的星象預測。」這位善信非比尋常，他投入大量心血完成此事，整個流程極盡嚴謹，不僅耗費巨資，更融合專業占星術與數小時的深入研究。
他朗聲宣讀：「布拉姆法師，生於1951年8月7日，約傍晚五時三十分……今年將是您邂逅美好姻緣的佳期。」
就在那一刻，我對占星術殘存的信念徹底終結。而結果顯而易見——預測完全落空，未有一絲應驗。我至今仍是僧侶。
Devotee: Will higher beings give advice to human beings through a medium?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes, sometimes you can receive profound guidance through a medium. However, if they are truly higher beings, it’s important to recognize that their level may not be as high as one assumes—you never know how high they really are. Sometimes, they even offer bad advice to mediums.
Never trust a poor medium—if they can’t even foresee their own fortune and are wealthy, they can't tell you also either. Take, for example, my own experience: my birthday is coming up soon next month, and people often wonder, “What can you give a monk?” A monk who has everything? No—a monk who has nothing. Absolutely nothing.
So, some thoughtful individuals have asked, “How can we do something for this monk who has been so kind to us? How can we give him something meaningful?” One Malaysian man, a very sharp and sincere person, decided to get me a personalized horoscope reading from one of Perth’s most renowned mediums. He didn’t just pick a generic forecast from the newspapers—he paid for a professional service. He asked for my exact date and time of birth, and I provided what I knew. He invested a significant amount of money to have my horoscope carefully prepared.
That was a few years ago. On my birthday, he approached me proudly and said, “I’ve spent quite a sum on this—if you don’t mind, I’d like to read your horoscope for the coming twelve months.” This wasn’t just any ordinary person—he had put serious effort into it. The whole process was meticulously done, very elaborate and expensive, involving highly professional astrological analysis and hours of research.
He began, “For Ajahn Brahm born on the 7th of August, 1951, around 5:30 in the afternoon… This year will be a wonderful year for--- romance.”
That was the moment any belief I had in horoscopes came to a definite end. And clearly, it didn’t turn out as predicted—not in the slightest. I am still a monk
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
《New stream of consciousnesses enter into the same body 新的識流同一個身體》
《New stream of consciousnesses enter into the same body 新的識流同一個身體》
There are some rare cases where it is almost as if a person is about to give birth, and then the baby somehow dies or departs—sometimes the mother may also pass—but the physical body remains viable. Then a new stream of consciousness can enter it. Such occurrences are very rare.
在某些極罕見的情形中，會出現類似臨盆之際，胎兒卻因故死亡或離去——有時母親也可能亡故——但肉身仍保持生命跡象的狀況。此時會有新的識流進入該軀體。這類現象極為稀少。
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
<How to come out from deep depression 如何走出深度憂鬱>
<How to come out from deep depression 如何走出深度憂鬱>
Devotee: How does someone who has experienced deep depression approach meditation, and what should they do when they feel scared of their own mind? Suggestions, please—with oodles of Metta.
Ajahn Brahm: Exactly—give it with oodles of Metta. Give yBathe your mind in boundless loving-kindness. Understand this: others have walked this path too, and there is reassurance in that. Eventually, I hope I can help “brainwash” you into realizing there is truly nothing to fear. So if you feel even a little scared of your mind, just be kind to it. Relax into low, gentle energies.
After a while, what surfaces will surface—thoughts, emotions, memories—they come up, come up, come up, again and again. And in that process, deep depressions begin to dissolve. So if you carry deep depression and you begin to meditate, be positive, be safe, and trust this: no matter how deep the depression feels, it does not last. It always passes.
Yes, make sure you hang in there. Then, slowly, you rise up. And once you come out of that depression—and people do come out—always remember afterward why, and remember: this, too, shall pass.
I’ve seen people go through truly terrible things in their lives. Sometimes you wonder how they could possibly survive it—but they do. Days pass, weeks pass, and afterward, they find happiness again. Depression does not last forever.
信眾：經歷深度憂鬱的人該如何修習禪修？當他們對自己的心感到恐懼時，該怎麼做？懇請建議——願以滿滿的慈心相贈。
布拉姆長老：正是如此——以豐沛的慈心回應。將無量的慈愛傾注於你的心。這裡蘊含著確切的慰藉。最終，我希望能洗你腦，真正明白無事可畏。所以，即使對自心稍有恐懼，只需善良以待。放鬆，（現在）低能量，不久後能量將自然升起、湧現、擴展……而深層憂鬱終將消散。
若你正處於深度憂鬱中，請持續禪修，保持積極與安心，並牢記：無論憂鬱多深沉，它必會過去。
是的，請務必堅持下去。然後，你將逐漸升起。一旦走出憂鬱——人們確實能做到——請永遠記得這個過程，並銘記：這一切，也終將過去。
我見過許多人經歷生命中極其艱難的時刻。有時你不禁懷疑他們如何能走過來——但他們確實做到了。數日、數週過去，之後他們終將重拾喜悅。憂鬱從非永恆。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8bo4pEMhv0&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=15
《Ghosts can be helpful 鬼魂也能對我們有幫助》
《Ghosts can be helpful 鬼魂也能對我們有幫助》
Ghosts can be very helpful. There was a ghost—this is why some of you know Bianca, who usually looks after the retreats when I do those retreats here—and her partner, a fellow called Lon, was a builder working as a laborer on a building site in Mount Lawley, years ago, to the northeast of Perth, very close in a suburb. They were renovating an old house. Because he was a laborer, all the rest of the builders had left to go away for the weekend, and he was on the building site by himself, cleaning up. As he was walking past the side of the house, he heard a sound and a voice saying, "Put you hands under here~." Very spooky, no one around. He thought he must be imagining it, but then he heard it again: "Put your hand under here," clear as day.
So what did he do? He put his hand under the house where the ghost told him—this is not a joke, this is true, exactly what happened—and he felt underneath. There was a tin box, like an old tin container with a lid on it. He pulled it out from underneath the house, and it had thousands of dollars of cash inside. It was money the previous owner had hidden there because he didn't want to declare it to the tax office. This fellow, Lon, was a very good-hearted person, and the ghost decided, "You should have the money." So he took the money, and that's where he got the deposit for his first house in Perth—because he wasn't afraid of ghosts. The ghosts were good to him.
Well, in many old places in Hong Kong, there are many such places in Indonesia too, and as many people don't like paying taxes and hide their money under the house, so just the next time that happens—if you're going past a spooky part of Hong Kong and you hear a sound saying, "Put your hand underneath there"—and of course, you know, because you've got the instructions from here, 10% has to go to Jumbo Temple. Come on, business! (laugh)
鬼魂其實可以很有幫助。有些朋友認識的碧安卡——她常在我舉辦禪修營時負責照料事務——她的伴侶朗恩就是因鬼魂而受益的人。多年前，朗恩在珀斯東北部洛利山一處建築工地擔任勞工，當時他正在整修一棟老房子。由於他是基層工人，週末其他工人都離開後，只剩他獨自在工地清理。當他經過房屋側邊時，突然聽見細語聲反覆說著：「把手伸到下面～把手伸到下面～」四周空無一人，氣氛詭異。他以為是幻覺，但那聲音再次清晰響起：「把手伸到下面來。」
你猜他怎麼做？他真照著鬼魂指示將手探進屋底——這不是玩笑，是千真萬確的經歷——他在黑暗中摸索，發現一個帶蓋的舊鐵盒。他把盒子拖出來，裡面竟裝著數千元現金！原來是前屋主為逃稅藏匿的款項。朗恩是個善良的人，鬼魂因此決定：「這筆錢該屬於你。」他運用這筆意外之財支付了在珀斯首間房子的頭期款——正因他不畏懼鬼魂，鬼魂反而成全了他。
其實香港許多老宅、印尼也有類似情況，畢竟不少人為避稅把現金藏匿屋底。下次當你經過香港某處陰森角落，若聽見「把手伸到下面」的指引，不妨照做吧！當然，既然從這裡獲得指示，別忘了將百分之十捐給禪修林——這可是佣金喔！生意之道嘛！（笑聲）
《A monk who recover from epilepsy by mindfulness and meditation 一位透過正念與禪修克服癲癇的僧人》
《A monk who recover from epilepsy by mindfulness and meditation 一位透過正念與禪修克服癲癇的僧人》
This other monk,he was a very good friend of mine. He was in the US Marines during the Vietnam War; he actually volunteered to get tougher. He was really a bad guy, he said he used to go out in gangs in New York with motorbike chains—he called it "playing for keeps." He volunteered to join the Marines and go to the war to get tougher, to become more of a hoodlum.
So he joined the Marines and said in a firefight somewhere—he was a radio operator—he told me one of his friends got hit in the foot. They called it a "million-dollar wound," meaning he'd be cashiered out of the army with a pension, would not really need to do much, and he would walk with a hobble, but he would be able to do anything else in life as a veteran. And this fellow was just laughing, "You lucky whatever..." and because he was laughing at his friend who just got wounded, he lost his mindfulness and he got shot in the back of the head by the Vietcong. A bullet just caved because he wasn't paying attention, as he was laughing.
He was evacuated by helicopter, and even the medics in the ER, who were really tough, just told him that they had to take a lot of his brain out, and he wasn't going to be able to see anymore, he was going to be blind. So he told me that under the bandages he said, "As soon as I can, I'm gonna commit suicide," and he would have done it; he was fearless, tough as anything. Well, apparently when they took the bandages off he could see. He didn't know why, but now he had his full vision. He was on a pension—a thousand dollars of wealth a long time ago—so he could do whatever he wanted, didn't need to work, and enjoyed his life. He eventually became a monk because sometimes he didn't know what to do, and he became a good person, a really nice monk, a very good friend.
The trouble was, though, that he had epileptic fits because of the injury to his brain. He told me that they come out of the blue and he'd just be incapacitated; people had to make sure he didn't bite his tongue or whatever. Anyway, he used his mindfulness and meditation; he started becoming aware of how those fits progressed. He was really listening to them, understanding his body, and he started to catch them earlier and earlier and earlier. He could actually trace the progression of a fit, start to see the signs—whatever they were—and see them build up and build up, and then he'd have a full-blown fit. But by catching them earlier and earlier and earlier, he soon managed to get them so early he knew a fit was coming, and he could actually take another course of action to avoid it. He'd usually just go into his room and get really relaxed with some meditation, and the fits never came again. That's how he avoided them, just with mindfulness, understanding his own body, and seeing them earlier and earlier and earlier until they just didn't come.
Unfortunately, later on in his life, because of those injuries, they said there was so much damage to the brain that it could happen—and it did happen; he got a brain tumor and that's what he died from. But what he was saying beforehand about the way you catch it earlier, you listen to your body, understand your body, and what was a fit—catch it so early it's like he had a fork in the road: "If I carry on this, it's gonna be an epileptic fit, but I can catch it so early and go another route to avoid it altogether." That's fascinating—understanding, learning your body. And some of it's intuitive; you can understand it really does need some salt, it needs some water, it needs to rest, whatever it needs—exercise. And this is knowing how to stop worrying; your heart is this weak, so just relax it.
這位僧人曾是我的摯友。越戰期間他服役於美國海軍陸戰隊，當初是自願入伍以求磨練心志。他曾是個不折不扣的壞小子，自述在紐約混幫派時常帶著機車鏈條鬥毆——他稱之為「玩真的」。為了變得更強悍、更蠻橫，他主動加入海軍陸戰隊投身戰場。
在部隊擔任通訊兵時，有次遭遇槍戰，他同袍的腳部中彈——這種傷被稱作「百萬黃金傷」，意味著傷者能領撫恤金退伍，雖會跛腳但終生無虞。當時他笑著調侃：「你這傢伙真走運...」正因分心嘲笑受傷的戰友，他被越共從後腦射中。那顆子彈原本不會致命，卻因他大笑時喪失正念而穿透顱骨。
他被直升機後送急救，連見慣生死的前線軍醫都直言不諱：為清除腦部損傷必須切除大塊腦組織，他將永久失明。纏著繃帶時他曾對我說：「等我能動了就要自我了斷。」以他無所畏懼的剛烈性格，確實做得出來。但拆繃帶後奇蹟般重見光明，連他自己都無法解釋。靠著當年堪稱優渥的千元月退俸，他過著隨心所欲的生活，最後因不知道該做什麼選擇出家，成為慈悲為懷的修行者，也是我珍重的良師益友。
然而腦傷遺留的癲癇始終困擾著他。他說發作總是猝不及防，瞬間喪失行動力，需旁人防止他咬舌自傷。直到他開始運用正念與禪修，逐漸洞察癲癇發作的徵兆週期。透過深刻覺察身體訊號，他愈來愈早預見發作前兆，甚至能完整追蹤病情演化軌跡——從細微跡象累積至全面爆發。當他能在發作初期就察覺時，便轉入禪室以禪修深度放鬆，從此再未經歷癲癇發作。正是憑藉對身心的精微覺知，將預警時間不斷提前，終至徹底化解發作循環。
遺憾的是，多年後當年腦傷引發的後遺症依然奪走他的生命——醫師曾警告嚴重腦組織損傷可能導致腦瘤，最終一語成讖。但他留下的體悟發人深省：就像站在命運的岔路口，若能及早讀懂身體警訊，就能在癲癇降臨前轉向避開。這份對身體的覺察智慧何等深刻！有些感知是直覺性的——你懂得身體需要鹽分、水分、休息或運動。正如明白如何安撫焦慮：當感知心臟脆弱時，只需溫柔地放下執念。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2OxqIB8oQU&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=12
《A rebirth story of a wealthy businesswoman 一位女企業家的轉世故事》
《A rebirth story of a wealthy businesswoman 一位女企業家的轉世故事》
Devotee: How do we choose our Parents and how we create those conditions when we are reborn? thank you
Ajahn Brahm: you know that. Sometimes we are attracted, you know, to our own family members from the past. There was a lot of these little stories. This one fellow over in Sydney told me that he had an auntie, and they aren't—he never got married. The auntie was a businesswoman, quite very successful, very wealthy, but hated two things in life. The two things she hated was number one, religion. He thought all religious people should get a proper job, work hard like we do, "Oh, what is donations, I don't like that." And the other people she didn't like donated to was the tax office; she hated paying tax. Those two things: giving to religion and giving to the tax office. So she'd do anything to get out of paying tax.
Well, anyway, she was successful, lived in a mansion, but eventually, like everybody else, died. And so, of all of her children, the one who was the religious one, who's a Buddhist, was her nephew. And so when they allocated, you know, the whole wealth, the nephew only got a very small share of the inheritance; everyone else got lots more. And it was because they are her auntie, or his auntie, knew that he was a Buddhist, and so giving him money, he'll probably just give it to the Buddhist temple, and "I hate that," so he got very little. But he did get a few stuff, and especially the crockery.
And after her auntie died, the wealthy auntie, a few months later, his wife got pregnant. And of course, when the baby was born, everyone came to see the baby. "Oh, doesn't it look like your auntie who passed away?" And of course, they did have some features which looked very similar. But when the baby started to talk, that's when things got interesting, as he told me. He was coming into his lounge room there with a cup of coffee, and the little kid went ballistic, "Daddy, that's my cup! Daddy, give me my cup!" And every time they went down the motorway, "Daddy, I want to go to my house! I want to go to my house!" The most funny thing was that there was a big advertisement and a big billboard, and it was something to do with tax, and she, a three-year-old, said "Daddy, what does tax mean?" "Oh darling, whenever you get any money, any pocket money, you have to give a portion to the government." "I'm not giving any of my pocket money to the government!" said the little two- or three-year-old so fiercely. The character from the past that had continued on to this life; she remembered stuff, and also the character of hating paying tax, and the kid hated paying anything out of his pocket money
Characters go from life to life. So anyway, they choose that children and the children choose their parents because sometimes you still got some attraction there. Now, that's somebody you love very much, you'd love to be close to your mother or your father or grandparents who passed; they want to be close to you. They can imagine this love is an attraction of the familiar. Sometimes we go back to those places, and this is where we would get reborn, often. But sometimes it's only if there's a, if there's a room available, basically. You can't maybe get that close, but you can get close enough.
信徒問：我們如何選擇父母？又是如何創造出投生的條件？謝謝。
阿姜布拉姆：你知道嗎？有時候我們會被過去的家人吸引。這類小故事很多。雪梨有個人告訴我，他有位姑媽（他終身未婚）。這位姑媽是位非常成功富有的女企業家，但她生平痛恨兩件事：第一是宗教。她認為所有宗教人士都該找份正經工作，像我們一樣認真工作，「什麼捐獻？我討厭那種事」。第二是稅務局——她痛恨繳稅。就因為這兩件事（捐獻宗教和繳稅），她竭盡所能逃漏稅。
總之，她事業成功、住在豪宅，但最終仍如世人般離世。在所有子侄輩中，唯獨她的姪子是佛教徒。分配遺產時，這位姪子只分到極少部分，其他人都獲得豐厚遺產。因為姑媽深知身為佛教徒的姪子拿到錢後，肯定會捐給寺院——這正是她最厭惡的，所以姪子所得甚微，僅分得些雜物，特別是些杯盤器皿。
姑媽去世數月後，姪子的妻子懷孕了。嬰兒出生時，親友來探望都驚呼：「這孩子長得好像過世的姑媽！」確實容貌極為相似。但當孩子開始說話時，精采的才真正開始——姪子描述，當他端著咖啡走進客廳時，年幼的孩子竟激動大喊：「把杯子還我！那是我的杯子！」每次開車經過高速公路，孩子就吵著：「我要回我家！我要回我的房子！」最有趣的是，有次看見巨型廣告看板涉及稅務，這個三歲孩子竟問：「爸爸，什麼是稅？」當解釋「獲得零用錢要分一部分給政府」時，這孩子激烈反抗：「我絕對不把零用錢交給政府！」這些鮮明的性格特質——包括對稅務的憎惡——都從過去世延續到了今生。
習氣會帶到來世。事實上，是孩子在選擇父母或相反，因為彼此間存在著吸引力。當你深愛著逝去的母親、父親或祖父母時，自然想親近他們。這種熟悉的吸引力就像磁鐵。我們往往會回到曾經眷戀的地方投生，雖然不見得能完全如願，但總能來到足夠親近的處所。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2OxqIB8oQU&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=12
《Reincarnation of King Asoka 阿育王轉世》
《Reincarnation of King Asoka 阿育王轉世》
There was one person whom I never met, but he was in Thailand as a monk when I was a monk, a little bit senior to me. Apparently, there was lots of confirming information that he was a famous person in a previous life—a very famous Buddhist. I don't say this lightly, as there were some really good arguments for this: it was Emperor Asoka. The fellow just died a few years ago; he was Ajahn Lee, a disciple of the forest monk Ajahn Mun, who built a monastery called Asoka Temple in Chaiya, south of Thailand.
I don't mind saying these things now because he's dead. A lot of his disciples have read that he was the so-called Asoka in a previous life, and he might say, "Well, yeah." He was a very powerful monk and also one of the weirdest things—and this is in the Ubon Dhamma Museum, attested to by many people—he was giving a talk in Ubon, in Ajahn Chah's backyard but not in Ajahn Chah's monastery. He was giving a talk in one of the big temples, and from the roof, a medallion fell down from nowhere, a medallion with an image of Emperor Asoka on it. They checked it with other forms over in India, and it was how that came to Thailand; it fell from a roof right in front of him. It's now in this museum. That was really spooky and freaky. He was a very famous person in Buddhist history, and it does seem to be, as many people taught me, that they all really say that that was Asoka.
有一位我從未見過的人，當我在泰國出家時，他已是僧侶，資歷比我稍長一些。顯然有諸多確鑿訊息表明，他的前世是一位著名人物——一位極負盛名的佛教徒。我並非隨口說說，因為確實存在相當有力的論據支持此說：他正是阿育王。這位僧人幾年前剛圓寂；他是森林僧阿姜曼的弟子——阿姜李，曾在泰國南部的差亞府修建了一座名為「阿育王寺」的寺院。
我現在提及這些並無顧忌，因為他已過世。他的許多弟子都讀過關於他前世是阿育王，而他本人或許會淡然回應：「嗯，是吧。」他不僅是位極具影響力的比丘，更曾發生最玄奇之事——此事陳列於烏汶佛法博物館，並經多人見證：當時他正在烏汶弘法，地點雖在阿姜查道場的範圍內，卻非其本寺，而是在一座大寺院裡說法。突然間，一枚繪有阿育王肖像的圓牌從天而降，墜落在他面前。人們後來與印度留存的形制比對，確認這正是該聖物流傳至泰國的緣起。如今這枚圓牌收藏於博物館中，整件事確實詭譎離奇。他在佛教史上聲名顯赫，而誠如許多前輩告知我的，所有跡象都指向同一個結論——那個人就是阿育王。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2OxqIB8oQU&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=12
《Reincarnation story of Roy Hudd 羅伊·哈德的轉世故事》
《Reincarnation story of Roy Hudd 羅伊·哈德的轉世故事》
There were some times you did remember your past life. Wise be careful, don't tell too many people about it, because there was this one case of I know this gentleman. He was a TV personality when I was a young man in England, Roy Hudd. And he used to work, I think they were contracted to the ITV, not the BBC, and anyway that he was really quite popular, well they would call like a household name, thought of in the 60s maybe early 70s, but he never made it big, but people would recognize him--funny man.
But one evening he was performing at a theater in London and he recorded—he wrote this article about what happened—that there was a new one-way system through London and he got just totally lost. He couldn't find his way, his usual route back home, and getting lost you know in a part of London he didn't usually go to, going in this street, that street. He turned a corner in one of the streets and he had his electrifying experience, the goosebumps, all the hairs on the back of his head, as you can remember this street from his previous life. Everything just flooded back.
Because the streets in London, the architecture looks pretty much the same; they're not really allowed to change the facade of the building. They can just renovate inside and modernize, turn it into flats, but the outside is pretty much as it was, and so you can remember the street. And in London, if a famous person lived there, a reasonably well-known person, they put a little blue circle. A "Sir Alexander Fleming just discovered penicillin here," I remember that it's just outside Paddington Station, or "this was King Charles the second's mistress lived here," that's it just outside Russell Square. And they have all these signs of who lived where. "This is where Winston Churchill lived," they have all these blue signs because it's fascinating, people know the history and they can go touring around. And he had one of the signs outside his house, and I don't know why I knew this person, but as soon as I read the stories I know that fellow's name---It was a man, it was a music hall entertainer in the Edwardian times, 1910, 1920, around that time, maybe I got a bit wrong, just the turn of the 19th century, that's 1905 or something, and it was probably the most famous music hall entertainer ever, a gentleman called Dan Leno. And it was really popular, and this guy Roy Hudd said, "That was me."
And he knew everything about this gentleman. He knocked on the house on the door and of course the occupants opened, "Oh, Roy Hudd, what are you doing here?" because they saw him on the TV, they knew him. He said, "I used to live here, I was Dan Leno." And they were just, "No, really?" surprised, but you know, because he was a person they knew from the TV, they invited him inside and he took them on a tour around their house, where it was before and how it was before the renovations, and it was absolutely accurate. He had all this information about this guy, Dan Leno, as he was him before. And he wrote an article and I've ever read in that article, but I never knew afterwards what happened to this Roy Hudd. The head of that ITV was a very devout Catholic, and as soon as he saw the article in the newspaper, Roy Hudd got the sack. They'd, "No, I don't believe in reincarnation, it can't happen." So he got—he lost his career. But he did write a number of books on the life of Dan Leno; he became the authority on him. And the reason why, because he could fill in many gaps, because he was him before. But he lost his career because of that.
You can actually look him up in the Wikipedia or something, Roy Hudd, very easy to type in, it's only seven letters, and you can see all of the stuff which he wrote on Dan Leno, 'cause he was that he know before. But fascinating. So sometimes he was an entertainer in his previous life, he was an entertainer in this birth. I think he might be still alive, he may have died, I'm not sure, but whatever, and he wasn't quite up to the same degree of popularity as in his life as Dan Leno. Fascinating, the character carries on. And all he needed was just some trigger, getting lost, going, "My goodness, I remember this street," all the memories flooding back. That's an amazing story, and also shows you don't get anything out of this. In fact, you know, and sometimes you lose status in your career, but nevertheless, you know, it's a truth. Understand why things are happening so.
有些時候你會憶起自己的前世。明智點要小心，別告訴太多人，因為有這麼一個案例——我認識這位先生。他是我年輕時在英國的一位電視名人，羅伊·哈德。他以前工作，我想是受僱於ITV，不是BBC，總之他當時相當受歡迎，可以說是家喻戶曉的名字，在60年代或許70年代初很有名，但他從未大紅大紫，不過人們都認得他——他是個風趣的人。
但有一天晚上，他在倫敦的一家劇院表演後，記錄下來——他寫了一篇文章講述發生的事——當時倫敦啟用了一套新的單行道系統，他完全迷路了。他找不到路，找不到平時回家的路線，在倫敦一個他通常不會去的地區迷了路，轉進了這條街、那條街。他在其中一條街轉了個彎，然後有了那段觸電般的經歷，起雞皮疙瘩，後頸的汗毛直豎，因為他記起了這條街是他前世的記憶。一切瞬間湧上心頭。
因為倫敦的街道，建築外觀看起來幾乎一樣；他們不太被允許改變建築物的外觀。他們只能在內部進行裝修和現代化，改成公寓，但外觀幾乎保持原樣，所以你能認得那條街。而且在倫敦，如果有名人住過那裡，稍微有點名氣的人，他們會掛一個藍色圓形標牌。比如「亞歷山大·弗萊明爵士在此發現盤尼西林」，我記得那個就在帕丁頓車站外面，或者「這裡曾住著國王查理二世的情婦」，那個就在羅素廣場外面。他們有各種標誌說明誰住在哪裡。「這裡是溫斯頓·邱吉爾的住所」，他們有所有這些藍色標牌，因為這很有趣，人們了解歷史，可以四處參觀。而他的房子外面就有這樣一個標誌，我不知道為什麼我會知道這個人，但一讀到這些故事，我就知道那傢伙的名字——他是一位男性，是愛德華時代（大約1910、1920年代，可能我記錯了一點，大概是19世紀末20世紀初，1905年左右）的音樂廳藝人，而且可能是有史以來最著名的音樂廳藝人，一位名叫丹·利諾的紳士。他當時非常受歡迎，而這位羅伊·哈德說：「那就是我。」
他對這位紳士的一切瞭若指掌。他敲了那棟房子的門，當然住戶開了門，「哦，羅伊·哈德，你在這裡做什麼？」因為他們在電視上看過他，認識他。他說：「我以前住在這裡，我就是丹·利諾。」他們只是「不會吧，真的嗎？」很驚訝，但你知道，因為他是他們從電視上認識的人，他們邀請他進屋，他帶著他們在他們的房子裡參觀了一圈，告訴他們哪裡以前是什麼樣子，裝修前是什麼樣子，而且完全準確。他擁有所有關於這傢伙，丹·利諾的資訊，因為他以前就是他。他寫了一篇文章，我也讀過那篇文章，但我後來一直不知道這位羅伊·哈德怎麼了。當時ITV的負責人是位非常虔誠的天主教徒，他一在報紙上看到這篇文章，羅伊·哈德就被解雇了。他們覺得，「不，我不相信輪迴，那不可能發生。」所以他失去了他的事業。但他確實寫了幾本關於丹·利諾生平的書；他成了研究丹·利諾的權威。而原因在於，他能填補許多空白，因為他以前就是他。但他也因此失去了事業。
你其實可以在維基百科之類的地方查到他，羅伊·哈德，很容易輸入，只有七個字母，你可以看到所有他寫的關於丹·利諾的東西，因為他以前就是他。但這很迷人。所以有時他前世是個藝人，這輩子也是個藝人。我想他可能還活著，也可能去世了，我不確定，但無論如何，他的名氣沒有達到像他作為丹·利諾時那樣的程度。很迷人，角色延續了下去。而他需要的只是一個觸發點，迷路了，然後想著「我的天，我記得這條街」，所有的記憶瞬間湧回。這是一個了不起的故事，同時也顯示你從中得不到任何好處。事實上，你知道，有時你還會在事業上失去地位，但儘管如此，你知道，這是事實。要理解事情為何如此發生。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-17 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2OxqIB8oQU&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=12
more about Ajahn Brahm:
《On Vegetarian 關於素食》
《On Vegetarian 關於素食》
Devotee: dear Ajahn Brahmh. On vegetarian. Isn't killing a seed makes us guilty?
Ajahn Brahm : No, it doesn't. The Buddha wasn't a vegetarian anyway.
Just last night, for instance, we saw a cockroach in the microwave. It was in the glass inside the microwave. So, does anyone have anything crunchy for breakfast or lunch this morning? Are you sure you know what that was in your porridge? It could have been a cockroach. Cockroach on toast? You had porridge this morning, and maybe that wasn't a raisin or something. Perhaps you thought it was a date, but maybe it was the cockroach.
So, they're kidding.
But don't call killing a sin—that's a Christian thing.
Killing animals is against our precepts, but because of the nature of our life, sometimes people do eat meat, and I eat meat as well. The reason I do that is because I tried being a vegetarian as a young man. When I became a monk, they had to eat so much gross stuff. The non-vegetarian food I ate as a young monk was things like crickets, ants, red ants, ants eggs, buffalo afterbirth—a placenta—and what else? Frogs, lizards, rats.
I never had this, but one of my monk friends was once given a bat's head, boiled. Oh, and he had frog soup very often. By frog soup, it literally was: you opened up the saucepan and it was just boiling water—no salt, no soy sauce, no garlic, no chilli, nothing. Just boiled water with all the frogs. You could take as many as you liked; it was boiled frog with your sticky rice, no salt, nothing. You'd put a big spoonful in your mouth, and it went crunch. That's no exaggeration because that's all we had. It was a very poor part of the world. There was no vegetarian food there at that time of year, the hot season. That's all there was; you had to just eat what they ate—no vegetables, nothing, don't even need fruit. But anyway, so if you can be vegetarian, that's wonderful. But if you can't, you can't.
信徒：親愛的阿姜布拉姆大師。關於素食，殺害一顆種子難道不會使我們犯罪嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：不會。佛陀本身也不是素食者。
舉例來說，就在昨晚，我們在微波爐裡看到一隻蟑螂。牠就在微波爐的玻璃轉盤上。所以，今天早上有誰的早餐或午餐吃了什麼脆脆的東西嗎？你確定你知道你粥裡的那個東西是什麼嗎？那有可能是一隻蟑螂。蟑螂吐司？你今天早上吃了粥，也許那東西不是葡萄乾之類的。也許你以為那是顆棗子，但說不定那就是那隻蟑螂。
所以，在開玩笑而已。
但別把殺生稱為一種「罪」——那是基督教的觀念。
殺害動物是違反我們的戒律的，但由於生活的現實，有時人們確實會吃肉，而我也吃肉。我這麼做的原因是因為我年輕時曾嘗試過素食。當我成為比丘時，他們必須吃很多令人不適的東西。我年輕時作為比丘所吃的非素食食物，包括蟋蟀、螞蟻、紅螞蟻、蟻卵、水牛的胎盤——還有什麼呢？青蛙、蜥蜴、老鼠。
我沒吃過這個，但我的一位比丘朋友有一次被分到一顆煮過的蝙蝠頭。哦，他還經常喝青蛙湯。所謂的青蛙湯，字面上就是：你打開鍋蓋，裡面就只是沸水——沒有鹽、沒有醬油、沒有大蒜、沒有辣椒，什麼都沒有。就只有沸水和裡面所有的青蛙。你想吃多少都可以；就是水煮青蛙配糯米飯，沒有鹽，什麼調味都沒有。你舀一大匙放進嘴裡，然後會聽到「嘎吱」一聲。這毫不誇張，因為那就是我們所有的食物。那是世界上一個非常貧窮的地區。在那個季節，也就是熱季，那裡沒有任何蔬菜食物。只有這些東西；你只能吃他們吃的——沒有蔬菜，什麼都沒有，連水果都談不上。但總之，如果你能夠吃素，那很好。但如果你不能，那也無可奈何。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-15 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYKPnkoXuc&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=6
《About discipline **關於紀律**》
《About discipline **關於紀律**》
Devotee: What is your opinion about discipline? Do you agree we need discipline? If yes, in what way do we need it? If not, why?
Ajahn Brahm： My experience with discipline in school and work is that all I ever learned from it was making sure I wasn't caught next time. No one told me *why* I was doing something wrong. For instance, talking in class, my thought was, "Well, the teacher talks a lot in class, why can't I?" But you don't need to run a country, an office, or a family on fear, because what discipline often is, is punishment. People ar capial punishment, hanging is a deterrant
Even a hundred years ago in the UK, where they had public executions and people would actually see criminals being hanged. But it never stopped anybody. People who were going to kill or steal were either totally out of their mind—not thinking about the consequences—and they all thought they simply weren't going to get caught.
Why do people smuggle drugs? they thought chance of getting caugh--no
Why do people drink and drive? It's because they think, "I'm not going to get caught."
The discipline, punishment just makes people more clever and sneaky in getting away from control freak. Consider Singapore, which has the death penalty or floggings for smuggling drugs. Yet, people who have been there tell me there are plenty of drugs available. How do they come in when the punishments are so extreme? The reason is that people don't understand *why* they shouldn't take those drugs or how dangerous they are.
A lot of the time, instead of the stick of punishment, real discipline comes from encouragement, understanding, and having it made very clear why we shouldn't do bad things. If that is made very clear, that is the best discipline, encouraging.
Here on this retreat, there are no morning bells, yet more people come in the morning to meditate and stay longer in the evening. They do this not because they fear being scolded or punished for coming in late. This is a different philosophy, you meditate because you see the value in meditating.
You are here because you know the value of being calm and kind. That is much more important than trying to run a meditation center or a company through fear.
So, discipline is about getting the right intention to ensure people do the right thing, but punishment just makes people more sneaky. They still commit many different crimes, they learn how to get away with it. Unfortunately, they never realize why those laws exist in the first place.
Think about speeding: do you speed when you drive your car? why? You do because you know where all the speed traps are, or you have an app that tells you where the speed cameras are. The point becomes not about safety, but about escaping being caught by police.
There's a joke that illustrates this perfectly: Two Germans are driving a big truck down the autobahn. The passenger sees a sign that says, "Low Bridge: Only 4 Meters High," and passengers says, "We better find another route because our truck is 4.2 meters high." The driver replies, "Don't worry, there's no police around here." It's crazy—they're going to hit the bridge, but all they think about is whether there's police, so it doesn't matter.
The whole point of the sign is not about getting caught; it's there to protect everybody.
信徒：您對紀律有什麼看法？您是否認同我們需要紀律？如果認同，我們需要以何種方式實踐？如果不認同，為什麼？
阿姜布拉姆：我在學校和工作場合中對紀律的體驗是，我從中學到的一切，就是確保自己下次不會被逮到。從來沒有人告訴我*為什麼*我做錯了。舉例來說，當我在課堂上說話時，我的想法是：「老師在課堂上說那麼多話，為什麼我不行？」但治理一個國家、管理一間辦公室或一個家庭，不能建立在恐懼之上，因為紀律常常就等於是懲罰。人們只是害怕這次會被抓到，無論那是什麼懲罰都一樣。甚至那些說死刑、絞刑具有威嚇力的人……
即使在一百年前的英國，當時有公開處決，人們真的會看到罪犯被吊死。但那從未阻止過任何人。那些想要殺人或偷竊的人，要不是完全失去了理智——根本沒考慮後果——就是他們都單純地認為自己絕對不會被抓到。
為什麼人們要走私毒品？因為他們以為被抓到的機會很小。
為什麼人們要酒駕？就是因為他們想：「我不會被抓到的。」
這種紀律、懲罰，只會讓人們在逃避控制狂時變得更聰明、更狡猾。以新加坡為例，他們對走私毒品處以死刑或鞭刑。然而，去過那裡的人告訴我，市面上還是有很多毒品。在刑罰如此嚴厲的情況下，這些毒品是怎麼流入的？原因在於人們不了解*為什麼*他們不應該碰那些毒品，或者它們有多危險。
很多時候，真正的紀律並非來自懲罰的大棒，而是來自鼓勵、理解，以及非常清楚地讓人明白我們為什麼不應該做壞事。如果把這一點闡述得非常清楚，那就是最好的紀律，是充滿鼓勵的。
在這個禪修營裡，沒有早晨的鐘聲，然而更多人會在早上來禪修，晚上也會待得更久。他們這麼做，不是因為害怕遲到會被責罵或處罰。這是一種不同的哲學，你禪修是因為你看到了禪修的價值。
你在這裡，是因為你知道保持平靜和善良的價值。這遠比試圖用恐懼來經營一個禪修中心或一間公司重要得多。
所以，紀律是為了引導出正確的動機，以確保人們做正確的事，但懲罰只會讓人變得更狡猾。他們仍然會犯下許多不同的罪行，並學會如何逃脫制裁。不幸的是，他們永遠不會明白那些法律最初為何存在。
想想超速駕駛：你開車時會超速嗎？為什麼？你會，因為你知道所有測速照相的位置，或者你有應用程式會告訴你測速相機在哪裡。這樣做的目的不再是為了安全，而是為了逃避警察的取締。
有個笑話完美地說明了這一點：兩個德國人開著一輛大卡車行駛在高速公路上。乘客看到一個路標寫著：「橋樑低矮：僅高4公尺。」乘客說：「我們最好找別的路，因為我們的卡車高4.2公尺。」司機回答：「別擔心，這附近沒有警察。」這太瘋狂了——他們就要撞上橋了，但他們滿腦子只想著有沒有警察，所以覺得沒關係。這個標誌的整個意義根本與是否被抓無關；它是為了保護每一個人。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-15 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYKPnkoXuc&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=6
《如何面對憤怒的人 cope with angry people》
《如何面對憤怒的人 cope with angry people》
弟子：憤怒是一種好的溝通方式嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：不完全是。它只能暫時起作用，但人們只會聽到你的憤怒，卻聽不見背後的原因。他們或許會大聲咆哮，人們可能暫時消散，但你並未真正解決問題。這只是治標不治本的方法，所以並非有效的溝通模式。問題依然存在，而相互憤怒根本無助於觸及問題核心。
換句話說，你不需要對人發怒咆哮，因為人們只會感受到憤怒然後轉身離開。試想若你採取不同的做法：當有人對你發怒時，你只是靜靜凝視他們，報以微笑。若你遵循舊有模式，在憤怒的人群當中根本無法引人注目。但若你選擇以溫和慈悲的方式回應，誠懇地說：「這並非理想的說話方式」，這份帶著善意的真誠將蘊含非凡力量。
我曾目睹無數憤怒者試圖驅逐我在印度的祖先——英國殖民者。直到那個身著破衣的素食小個子甘地，平靜地說出：「你們請主動離開印度」。而英國殖民政府確實離開了。面對憤怒與抗爭尚能頑抗的強大帝國，卻在柔軟與慈悲的力量前不知所措。這正是他們應當離開的道德理據。
憤怒只會滋生更多暴力。
有句譯文雖不精準，但大意是：「復仇者追至暴君榻前，斬落暴君首級，自己卻成為新任暴君」。歷史上多少革命推翻獨裁者後，繼任者又成為下一個暴君？憤怒終究只是暫時的解決方案，絕非良策。
Devotee : is anger a good mode of communication?
Ajahn Brahm: Not really. It works only just temporarily, but then people hear your anger; they don't hear the reason for it. They could shout it, and it may go away for a little while, but you haven't really solved it. It's just a band-aid solution, so it's not a valid mode of communication. There's a problem there, and getting angry at one another doesn't really get to the part of what the point is here.
So, in other words, you don't need to get angry and shout at a person because people just hear the anger and they walk away. Imagine you do something different. Someone is getting angry at you, and you just look at them and you smile. Because if you do the same old thing, it doesn't stand out from all the other angry people in this world. But if you do something different, something even kind and soft—you just say, "That's not a very wonderful, nice way of speaking"—you say it now, honestly, with kindness. That has power to it.
Many angry people—I remember many angry people tried to get my ancestors out of India, the British Raj. And then this little fellow, clothed in rags, a vegetarian, Mahatma Gandhi, just went up and said, "You're going to just walk out of India." And the British Raj did. And the most powerful empires, they would have been able to resist anger and fighting, but they were totally confused by another way: a way of softness and kindness. There are clear moral reason why they should leave.
Anger just makes more violence.
There was—it's not the correct translation, somebody corrected the translation—but it goes something like: "A vengeance to the tyrant fled, and caught the tyrant in his bed, and slew the wicked tyrant's head, and became a tyrant in his stead." How many times has there been revolutions throwing out dictators and tyrants, and the next person who goes in becomes the next one? Anger is only a temporary solution, not a very good solution at all.
image cred to original owner
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-15 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYKPnkoXuc&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=6
《Am I progressing in my meditation? 我在禪修中有進步嗎？》
《Am I progressing in my meditation? 我在禪修中有進步嗎？》
Devotee: How do I tell whether I'm making progress in my meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: If you have to answer a question like that—if you have to write a question like that—it means you're not making progress. So when this question makes no sense to you, great, you're making progress.
Sometimes we can't know whether we're making progress, but the people we live with, they find out. That's what is really amazing. You go home and you think, oh, it's just been an ordinary retreat, and the person you live with, or they meet you, say, "Wow, you look so peaceful, you're so happy, why?" Or your GP, they take your blood pressure, and it's gone down. "What have you been doing?" So other people can see it much better than you can.
Just like this lady from Sydney who came here—I should have kept the email—she came here for a nine-day retreat and she said she had to beg her boss to take the time off, you know, really crawl and grovel because they're so busy. But as soon as she went back after a nine-day retreat, she sent me this email. She said the first thing my boss said when I got into the office and he saw me was, "I don't know what drug they're giving you in that Jhana Grove, I don't care if it's illegal, just make sure you bring me back some next time!" Because she was a totally much better person, and the boss saw that straight away. You made progress. Well done.
信徒：我要如何判斷自己在禪修中是否有進步？
阿姜布拉姆：如果你需要回答這樣的問題——如果你還會寫下這樣的問題——那意味著你並沒有在進步。所以當這個問題對你而言變得毫無意義時，恭喜你，你正在進步。
有時候我們無法自知是否進步，但與我們同住的人會察覺。這正是奇妙之處。你回家後心想這不過是次普通的禪修，但同住的親友見到你就說：「你看起來如此祥和，如此快樂，是怎麼回事？」甚至你的家庭醫生量測你的血壓後發現數值下降了，也會問：「你最近做了什麼？」所以旁人遠比你自己更能看清你的變化。
就像那位從悉尼來此的女士（我真該保留那封郵件）——她參加了為期九天的禪修，說自己當初不得不苦苦哀求老闆准假，甚至卑躬屈膝地懇求，因為公司業務繁忙。但就在她結束禪修返回後，立即給我發了郵件。她說剛進辦公室見到老闆時，老闆脫口而出：「我不知道他們在禪修林給你吃了什麼靈藥，就算不合法也無所謂，下次務必帶些回來給我！」因為她整個人煥然一新，而老闆一眼就看出了這種變化。這就是進步的證明，做得很好。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-15 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYKPnkoXuc&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=6
《Attached to sufferings 執著於苦》
《Attached to sufferings 執著於苦》
Devotee: Ajahn, why is the attachment to feelings sometimes more difficult to let go than other attachments?
Ajahn Brahm: The attachment of feelings comes in different types, like emotional feelings. Sometimes people actually like having these emotions.
There was this one lady at Bodhinyana Monastery yesterday who told me that when she was young, her mother, who was Chinese-Thai, would go to a Chinese movie in Bangkok every single week. And every week she would come back with her eyes red from crying so much. In those days, the Chinese movies always had the same plot—boy meets girl, or sometimes girl meets boy—usually with the imperial army or something getting in the way. They would get so close to a happy life, but at the very end, something would happen and one of them would die. It was always a sad ending. So every week, her mother would cry her eyes out.
I asked, "Why did she do that? Why go to the movie to have some suffering?" The lady replied, "Because she liked to cry." As a guy, I can't understand that—going to suffer on purpose. So sometimes, even with unpleasant feelings, a lot of people like them. They go to movies that are scary, like vampire movies or alien movies. Why do you go there? Because you like to be excited. Sometimes people go on these adventure world rides, the "death drop." I saw one once while waiting for a plane in Jakarta—and I saw that cage that bangs right down. It's scary. What do you do that for? That's what they would do with prisoners to get information out of them, and you pay good money to go and do that. So sometimes we're afraid of peace; we're afraid of comfort. A lot of the time, we actually seek the thrills. We seek to scare ourselves, to go on the edge. It gives us an adrenaline rush, a little bit of happiness, but we have to pay for that afterwards. We like to be stimulated with fear. That's one of the reasons why even politicians can control you by fear. "If you don't vote for me, something terrible will happen," they say, and people buy into that. So please, why are we attached to fear?
This is just one example of people being attached to suffering. Many years ago, I gave a talk at a grief and loss conference. The attendees were people who had tragically lost their children or their wives under extraordinary circumstances. Here in Perth some years ago, there was the Claremont serial killer who killed about five or six young ladies. Some of the bodies were found, others weren't. At this conference, there was a mother of one of the victims. I gave what I thought were wonderful ways of letting go of grief and moving on. Afterwards, this woman came up to me—I had obviously made an impression on her. She came almost nose-to-nose, really angry, and said, "Ajahn Brahm, what right have you to take away my grief?" That really struck me. I had obviously given her a path; she could see that if she followed my advice, she could move beyond the grief. But she never wanted to, because she was so attached to it. That grief made her a celebrity. It got her invitations to conferences; it made her special as the mother of one of these terrible victims of a terrible crime. That is why she did not want to give it up—she didn't want to lose the special treatment she was getting for being a celebrity grief sufferer. Sometimes we get attached to our suffering. Sometimes there is a way out, but we'd rather suffer because we get some benefits from it.
信眾：阿姜，為什麼對感受的執著有時比其他執著更難放下？
阿姜布拉姆：對感受的執著有不同類型，比如情緒感受。有時候人們其實很喜歡擁有這些情緒。
昨天在菩提園寺有位女士告訴我，她年輕時，她的中泰混血母親每週都會去曼谷看中國電影。每次回來眼睛總是哭得通紅。那個年代的中國電影總是一樣的套路——男孩遇上女孩，有時是女孩遇上男孩——通常會有皇室軍隊之類的阻礙。他們明明即將迎來幸福生活，卻總在最後關頭發生變故，其中一人死去。永遠都是悲劇收場。所以每週她的母親都會哭成淚人。
我問：「她為什麼要這樣？為何要特地去看電影找罪受？」那位女士回答：「因為她喜歡哭。」作為男性，我實在無法理解——竟故意去受苦。可見有時候，即便是痛苦的感受，很多人依然樂在其中。他們去看恐怖電影，像是吸血鬼或外星人題材。為何要去？因為你們喜歡刺激感。有些人會去玩「自由落體」這類雲霄飛車。我在雅加達候機時曾看過——那個急速墜落的籠子實在嚇人。何必如此？那是審訊囚犯逼供的手段，而你們卻花大錢去體驗。所以有時候，我們其實害怕平靜，害怕安逸。很多時候，我們反而追求驚險刺激。我們渴望嚇唬自己，遊走危險邊緣。這會帶來腎上腺素飆升的快感，些許快樂，但事後總要付出代價。我們沉迷於恐懼帶來的刺激。這正是政客能透過恐懼操控民眾的原因——他們宣稱「若不投給我，厄運必將降臨」，而人們竟也買帳。請大家想想：我們為何會執著於恐懼？
這只是人們執著於苦的其中一例。多年前我曾在一場悲傷療癒講座演講，與會者都是經歷喪子喪偶等重大創傷的人。伯斯數年前發生過「克萊蒙特連環殺人案」，五、六名年輕女性遇害，部分遺體至今未尋獲。講座中有位受害者母親，我分享了自認為能走出悲傷的妙方。會後她徑直走向我——顯然我的話觸動了她——幾乎鼻尖相貼地怒問：「阿姜布拉姆，你憑什麼奪走我的悲傷？」這話令我震撼。我確實指明了出路，她也明白遵循建議便能超脫悲傷，但她根本不願放下。因為這份悲傷使她成為焦點——獲得講座邀約，作為慘案受害者家屬備受關注。正因如此，她不願放棄「知名悲傷者」身份帶來的特殊待遇。
有時候，我們就是會執著於自己的痛苦。明明有解脫之道，我們卻寧可受苦——只因能從中獲取某種利益。
Excerpted from 2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-15 3.QA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYKPnkoXuc&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=6
《People can change 人是會改變的》
《People can change 人是會改變的》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, It occurred to me that part of care, kindness, and letting go towards another person is to recollect there is no fixity about them—to not hold the mental image you have of them as a fixed, unchanging identity.
Ajahn Brahm: Excellent because sometimes people have their good days and their off days, sometimes it is real then.
Devotee: and recognizing this seems to weaken any wanting and tendency to control. Is this a way to respect another person's being in accordance with the conditions and not controlling them?
Ajahn Brahm: Yes, exactly. Give people a break— I don't mean by "giving them a break" to break their neck; that’s not giving them a break. In other words, just see that maybe you misunderstood what they said, or maybe they were having an off day, or maybe they are simply going through their own difficult times at this moment.
So that means people do change. Sometimes those people whom you think are very nasty can do wonderful, amazing things. Give them the opportunity to change. If they do change, respect it
信眾：尊敬的阿姜布拉姆，我體悟到對他人的關懷、慈悲與放下，部分在於憶念他們並非固定不變——不應將自己心中對他人的形象，執為恆常不變的個體。
阿姜布拉姆：說得真好。因為人有時狀態佳，有時狀態差，這都是真實存在的。
信眾：而意識到這點，似乎就能減弱任何想要控制的慾望與傾向。這是否正是尊重他人隨順因緣的本然狀態，而非掌控他們的方式呢？
阿姜布拉姆：正是如此。要給人空間 (a break)——當然不是指「折斷他們的脖子」(break their neck) 那種空間，那根本不是空間。我的意思是，要明白或許你誤解了他們的話，或許他們正逢低潮期，又或許他們當下正在經歷某些艱難時刻。
這意味著人確實會改變。有些你認為品行惡劣的人，也可能做出美好驚人之舉。請給予他們改變的機會。若他們真的改變了，請尊重這樣的轉變。
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-15 3.QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVYKPnkoXuc&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=6
《Channeling spirits 通靈》
《Channeling spirits 通靈》
Devotee: My good friend, who is spiritually much more advanced than me, has insights that I lack. She told me about some wise teachers, and I replied, "I don't dare to listen to YouTube casually." Since I'm not wise enough to differentiate whether these teachings are beneficial or not. Would you kindly share your views on these spiritual teachings and give me guidance? Regarding all these people who claim to be channeling to you—are they real or not?"
Ajahn Brahm: So most of the time, not.
This person, he had this channeling spirit, he recognized possibly it is his grandfather.
His grandfather's voice told him, "Go to the casino! Go to the casino!" He looked around—no one was in the room—and he wasn't imagining it because he heard it again clearly. Recognizing his grandfather's voice, he thought perhaps his grandfather was trying to help him, so he went to the casino.
And when he went in, the voice said, "Go to the roulette table! Go to the roulette table!" He went to the table, and the voice instructed, "Put ten dollars on number 16! Put ten dollars on number 16!" No one else heard it ,only him. He put ten dollars on number 16. The croupier threw the ball, the wheel spun round and round, and it landed on number 16! And he could hear the spirit excitedly saying, "Yeah! Yes!"—no one else heard it. Then the spirit said, "Put all the money on number 12! " He put all his money on number 12. The croupier threw the ball again, the wheel spun, and it stopped on number 12. The spirit cheered again, "Yeah! Yeah! Woohoo!"
And the spirit said, "Now put everything on number six." That is a lot of money , everybody is crowding around him now, if he won this , this will be quite a lot of money. The spirit said, "Number six! number six! Yes!" So he put on number six. The croupier threw the ball, the wheel spun round and round—almost eternally—and the ball landed on number six, and then it jumped on number 11.
The spirit he was channeling said, "Oh shit!"
The lesson from this story is: even if you believe you are channeling a spirit, you don't know whether he has got it right . So be very careful if something doesn't make any sense, then just don't do it. Use your own intelligence when channeling spirits, and don't do what they tell you
信徒：我有一位靈性修為比我高深許多的好友，她具有我所沒有的洞察力。她向我提及某些智慧導師，我回答說：「我不敢隨便聽信YouTube上的內容。」因為我智慧不足，無法分辨這些教導是否有益。能否請您分享對這些靈性教導的看法並給予指導？關於那些聲稱能與你通靈的人——他們是真的嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：大多數時候，都不是。
有個人，他經歷了通靈感應，他認為那可能是他祖父的鬼魂。他祖父的聲音告訴他：「去賭場！去賭場！」他環顧四周——房間裡沒有人——而且這不是幻覺，因為他再次清楚地聽到了。認出祖父的聲音後，他想或許祖父是想幫助他，於是就去了賭場。
當他走進去時，那個聲音說：「去輪盤賭桌！去輪盤賭桌！」他走到賭桌旁，聲音指示道：「押十元在16號！押十元在16號！」只有他聽得見，別人都沒聽到。他押了十元在16號。莊家扔出小球，輪盤轉啊轉，最後真的停在了16號！他聽到靈體興奮地說：「太好了！沒錯！」——其他人都沒聽見。接著靈體說：「把所有錢押在12號！」他把所有錢都押在12號。莊家再次扔出小球，輪盤轉動，停在了12號。靈體再次歡呼：「太好了！太好了！嗚呼！」
然後靈體說：「現在全部押在6號。」這可是筆大數目，所有人都圍了過來，要是他贏了，這將是一筆巨款。靈體說：「6號！6號！沒錯！」於是他押在了6號。莊家扔出小球，輪盤轉啊轉——彷彿永無止境——小球先落在6號，接著彈跳起來，最終停在了11號。
那個與他通靈的靈體只說了一句：「該死！」
這個故事的教訓是：即使你相信自己正在通靈，也無從判斷對方是否正確。所以要非常謹慎，如果某事毫無道理，就不要去做。通靈時要運用自己的智慧，不要盲目聽從他們的指示。
excerpted from 《2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA》 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《Chemistry of love 愛的化學》
《Chemistry of love 愛的化學》
Devotee: Why does love make us suffer? Why is it that when we meet and fall in love with someone, the feeling is so strong?
Ajahn Brahm: Sometimes it is because of karma that brings the feeling to arise and grow together. But you know, sometimes you fall in love with someone and they don't fall in love with you, and that happens very often.
The actual process of love is sometimes something very powerful and kammic from the past, but it's not very romantic. It's actually part of the science of love and falling in love. I'm talking about the love where you really want to get together, the chemistry of love. You don't love the person; you love the way they make you feel. You actually feel high in their presence, and it is a chemical thing. The smells, the facial features—it gets hormones coming out of your body. A lot of times, that love is nice, but it's not very romantic to say that you actually love the way they make you feel in their presence through chemical reactions and pheromones. It gets into your nose, into your body, and it gives you a high, like any sort of chemical-induced pleasure.
After a while, you get a tolerance for it. She doesn't or he doesn't turn you on to the same intensity that they used to. It's the same person; they haven't changed their character, but you don't get so excited in their presence. Apparently, it takes about two years on average—except if you have a kid. If you have a baby, the three of you—man, wife, and child—create more hormonal, chemical-induced reactions that keep you together.
It's very cold to say, but it is a fact. If a boy meets a girl and they don't have a kid, within a couple of years it's as if nature just wants you to separate so you can find someone else to have a kid with. It's the selfish gene which wants you to procreate. If the two of you come together and you don't have a baby, then the love force pulls you apart because you have to look for somebody else to regenerate your genetic line. It's a very interesting concept, and there's a lot to that.
So, you fall madly in love, but it wears out after a while unless there's something else going on. That "something else" is taking that love to a better level, a deeper level—not just "I love the way you make me feel," not a sexual love, but more like a kindred spirit love. It's where you know that you have the same sort of ideas, the same sort of joys, where you're these amazing best friends. If you find someone like that, a best friend where the two of you are matched—you like doing the same things, not exactly the same, but you enjoy the same type of pursuits and have the same interests—that is one of the best ways of loving.
I mention this: when you choose a partner for life, you go out together, you test each other out, and you get to know one another to see if this is the person for you before you commit to marriage. But if you have a kid, a child that comes out of your womb into your life, you love them unconditionally forever. You don't choose your children, and you will always love them. You choose your husband or wife, spending a lot of time trying to choose them, but do you love them forever? What's the difference there between a child and a partner? A child can sometimes be a pain in the neck, but they're your kid and you'll always love them. With a partner, it's a totally different type of love.
So, the love of a child—if you can get your partner to be just so close to you that it becomes that level of unconditional love, that is very wonderful. When a relationship gets to that level, it's "whatever you do in your life, darling, the door of my heart will always be open to you, my friend, my partner." It's not so much romance anymore; it's not just the way you make me feel, but something much deeper than that, the same as many people have towards their children. So there are different types of love.
So, why does love also make us suffer? One of the other reasons is that when you first fall in love, you are under that third component of existence, perception—the mirage. You don't see what's there; you see what you want to see in your partner. I don't know how many of you have kids who say, "Oh mommy, I've met this incredible guy! He's so wonderful and he likes me too! I'm so lucky!" And then you look at that guy and think, "Him? What are you seeing in him?" Because when you fall in love, all you can ever see is the most wonderful qualities in the person; they're just beautiful and wonderful.
It's one of the reasons why you always go for romance in a candlelit dinner, a walk by the river under the moonlight, or in a dark nightclub. I often notice: why are the places you've fallen in love always dark? It's obvious because you can't really see what you're falling in love with. What's actually happening is that your fantasies and dreams take over. In the bright sunlight, middle of the day, that guy was just so ordinary, but in the moonlight, it's like Bruce Willis—so tough, so sexy. The same with the girl. There's so much truth in that.
There's this one lady who said this actually happened to her: when she got married, her father took her new husband aside and said, "Son-in-law, you probably think my daughter is so beautiful and amazing. 'Oh yeah, she's the most wonderful person in all of Singapore! Now that she married me, I'm just the luckiest man! Not a single flaw in the whole world! She's just gorgeous, wonderful in every which way! She's so kind and gentle and lovely, and even the way she picks her nose is so cute!'" (I made that one up, but that's the idea.) The father-in-law told the son-in-law, "Son, you know that's what it's like when you first fall in love. Your partner is the most amazing, perfect person in the whole world. But in one or two years' time, you will start to notice the faults and defects in my daughter. I know that; I'm a dad, I know those faults and defects. But son-in-law, always keep this in mind: when you start to notice her defects, please remember, if she never had those faults to begin with; now she would have married somebody much better than you.
Of course she's defective; that's why you're a match!
That's why love makes suffering, because at the beginning it's a bit of a delusion.
One interesting thing these days is that people actually live together for a while and really get to know one another so they don't have any illusions anymore, or at least fewer illusions, about who they are going to marry. In other words, they test it out to see if they're really compatible.
信徒：為什麼愛會讓我們受苦？為什麼當我們遇見並愛上某人時，那種感覺如此強烈？
阿姜布拉姆：有時是因為業力讓這種感覺產生並共同生長。但你知道，有時你愛上了某人，他們卻沒有愛上你，這種情況經常發生。
愛的實際過程有時是來自過去某種非常強大且業的東西，但它並不浪漫。它其實是愛與墜入愛河科學的一部分。我指的是那種你真的想在一起的爱，那種愛的化學反應。你愛的不是那個人；你愛的是他們帶給你的感覺。你在他們身邊確實會感到興奮，這是一種化學反應。氣味、面部特徵—這些都會讓你體內的荷爾蒙發生變化。很多時候，那種愛是美好的，但說你其實是愛上他們在場時透過化學反應和費洛蒙帶給你的感覺，這就不太浪漫了。它進入你的鼻子，進入你的身體，讓你飄飄然，就像任何化學物質引起的愉悅感一樣。
過了一段時間，你會對它產生耐受性。她或他不再像以前那樣能激起你同等強度的感覺。是同一個人；他們的性格沒變，但你在他們身邊不再那麼興奮了。顯然，平均大約需要兩年時間—除非你們有了孩子。如果你有了寶寶，你們三個人—男人、妻子和孩子—會產生更多荷爾蒙的、化學誘導的反應，把你們綁在一起。
這樣說很冷酷，但這是事實。如果一個男孩遇到一個女孩，他們沒有孩子，那麼在幾年內，就好像大自然只想讓你們分開，好讓你們能找到別人生孩子。是那個自私的基因想要你繁殖後代。如果你們兩個在一起卻沒有孩子，那麼愛的力量會把你們分開，因為你必須尋找別人來延續你的基因血脈。這是個非常有趣的概念，其中大有深意。
所以，你會瘋狂地墜入愛河，但過一段時間就會消退，除非還有其他東西在起作用。那個「其他東西」就是將愛提升到一個更好的層次、更深的層次—不僅僅是「我愛你帶給我的感覺」，不是性愛，而是更像一種心靈伴侶的愛。在那種關係中，你知道你們有相似的想法、相似的喜悅，你們是彼此最好的朋友。如果你找到這樣一個人，一個與你相匹配的摯友—你們喜歡做同樣的事情，不盡相同，但享受同類型的活動，有共同的興趣—那是最美好的愛的方式之一。
我提到這一點：當你選擇人生伴侶時，你們一起出去，互相測試，在承諾婚姻之前互相了解，看看對方是否適合你。但如果你有了孩子，一個從你子宮來到你生命中的孩子，你會永遠無條件地愛他們。你無法選擇你的孩子，而且你永遠會愛他們。你選擇你的丈夫或妻子，花很多時間試圖選擇他們，但你能永遠愛他們嗎？孩子和伴侶之間的區別在哪裡？孩子有時可能是個麻煩，但他們是你的孩子，你永遠會愛他們。對伴侶，則是完全不同類型的愛。
所以，對孩子的愛—如果你能讓你的伴侶與你親近到產生那種無條件的愛的程度，那將非常美好。當一段關係達到那種程度時，就是「無論你一生做了什麼，親愛的，我心門將永遠為你敞開，我的朋友，我的伴侶。」這不再那麼多是浪漫了；不只是你帶給我的感覺，而是比那更深層的東西，就像許多人對自己孩子的那種感情。所以，愛有不同的類型。
那麼，為什麼愛也會讓我們受苦呢？另一個原因是，當你初次墜入愛河時，你處於存在的第三個構成部分底下—想蘊（認知），也就是幻覺的影響之下。你看不到真實的存在；你看到的是你想在伴侶身上看到的。我不知道你們有多少人有孩子會說：「哦，媽咪，我遇到了一個超棒的男人！他太好了，他也喜歡我！我太幸運了！」然後你看著那個男人，心想：「他？你看上他哪一點？」因為當你墜入愛河時，你所能看到的永遠是那個人最美好的品質；他們就是美麗又出色。
這也是為什麼你總是在燭光晚餐、月光下河邊散步，或在黑暗的夜總會裡尋求浪漫。我常注意到：為什麼人們墜入愛河的地方總是黑暗的？原因很明顯，因為你無法真正看清你愛上的是什麼。實際發生的是，你的幻想和夢想佔據了主導。在明亮的陽光下，大白天，那個男人是如此普通，但在月光下，他就像布魯斯·威利—那麼強悍，那麼性感。對女孩也是一樣。這裡面有太多真實性了。
有位女士說她確實遇到了這樣的事：她結婚時，她的父親把她的新婚丈夫拉到一邊說：「女婿，你可能覺得我女兒非常美麗和了不起。『哦，是啊，她是整個新加坡最棒的人！現在她嫁給我了，我就是最幸運的男人！全世界找不出一個缺點！她太美了，各方面都完美！她那麼善良、溫柔、可愛，連挖鼻子的樣子都那麼可愛！』」（我編了挖鼻子那部分，但意思是這樣。）岳父告訴女婿：「兒子，你知道初墜愛河時就是這樣。你的伴侶是全世界最驚豔、最完美的人。但一兩年後，你就會開始注意到我女兒的缺點和缺陷。我知道會這樣；我是她爸爸，我知道那些缺點和缺陷。但是女婿，請永遠記住這一點：當你開始注意到她的缺陷時，請記住，如果她當初完全沒有這些缺點，她早就嫁給比你好得多的人了。她當然有缺陷，所以你們才相配啊！」
這就是為什麼愛會帶來痛苦，因為一開始它有點像是妄想。
如今有一個有趣的現象是，人們實際上會同居一段時間，真正地互相了解，這樣他們對於要嫁娶的對象就不再抱有幻想，或者至少幻想減少了。換句話說，他們會測試一下，看看彼此是否真的合適。
excerpted from 《2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA》 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《Where do unborn babies go? 未出生的寶寶去哪裡了？》
《Where do unborn babies go? 未出生的寶寶去哪裡了？》
Devotee : Dear Ajahn Brahm, Where do unborn babies go? What can we do for them?
Ajahn Brahm: Sometimes they come back again, yes, that lovely little story. There was, some of you know these people, so be careful. There was this Thai couple, and she got pregnant. Everything was going well; she was looking forward to her first child, really taking good care. Now, only about three or four or five days beforehand, they had an ultrasound and everything was perfect. They were getting very excited for the birth, but when she delivered, it was stillborn. Just in the last few hours before birth, the baby had twisted and cut off its blood supply in the umbilical cord. It was stillborn, and they were obviously disappointed and sad. But I had the honor of doing the funeral for them, for the baby, not for them (haha). I can't rush myself.
and so I did the funeral for this little baby. It was a fully formed kid, so they actually dressed it up; it was just like a ordinary baby, and they called it Charlie.
In the funeral parlor, I still remember that was in Wanaroo Road, just south of the Reid Highway, the Bowano Day funeral place. They actually held the coffin up, an open coffin, and they held it just while they were leaning backwards a little bit so they could get the family photograph there with me. So at least Charlie could get in the photograph, but there's only just a bit of bad fortune, that's all.
So a few months later, she became pregnant again. And only afterwards, oh, is that Charlie back again? Because often that happens; they don't make it the first time into your womb, into your life, and the next time they have another go.
They didn't tell me at first, but they told me afterwards, before the birth happened, that when no one was looking, they took a pen, a ballpoint pen, and they drew a line on the baby's heel, a birthmark, a line, so if it came back again they could recognize it. And sure as anything, when they gave birth to a healthy kid this time ; they gave her lots of ultrasounds just to make sure that they didn't mess up this time; they gave birth to a girl called Annie with a birthmark on her heel exactly where they put it. It was Charlie come back again, but interestingly, as a girl. And because, you know, I knew all the stories, I didn't try and tell too many people, but you always watched it. And when it came to the temple in Nalamara, it would actually run around and beat up the girls and play with the boys. You know, it's like it was a tomboy, and I knew why it was a tomboy—because it was a boy before; it was Charlie before, now it was Annie. For the first few years, and then after a few years, then you just identify with being a girl. That's amazing; you can see those things happening in real life, and it's got the birthmark on its heel.
So where do the babies go if they die young like that? They have another go. It's just the same as if you, you know, you're going back, you know, after this retreat you're going back to, say, Jakarta on Air Asia, and you find that they've overbooked. They've overbooked, so they call it—you get bumped off the flight; they can't accommodate all of you. So they ask, you know, does anybody just, you know, give up their seats? So you can't actually get on the aircraft. But what happens? The next flight out, you get priority and you also get an upgrade. So Charlie—I know the men don't like me saying this—it was a boy before, but, you know, didn't quite get into this life, so it had another go and it got an upgrade to a girl. You go, "Yeah, yeah, well, yeah, we've got the upgrade." That's really wonderful to see, and you actually see it in there. So that's sometimes unborn babies go; sometimes they get another try. It's like they've almost got enough karma to come into life; they don't quite make it.
信徒：親愛的阿姜布拉姆，未出生的寶寶去哪裡了？我們能為他們做些什麼？
阿姜布拉姆：有時候他們會再回來，是的，那個可愛的小故事。有對泰國夫婦——在座有些人認識他們，所以說話得小心點——這位太太懷孕了。一切都很順利，她非常期待第一個孩子，也悉心照料著。就在預產期前三、四、五天的時候，他們做了超音波檢查，一切完美。他們對分娩感到非常興奮，但孩子出生時卻是死產。原來在出生前幾小時，寶寶在子宮內扭動，導致臍帶纏繞切斷了血液供應。孩子成了死產，他們顯然非常失望和悲傷。但我很榮幸能為他們——是為寶寶舉行葬禮，不是為他們（笑）——我不能太倉促，於是為這個小寶寶主持了葬禮。那是個發育完全的嬰兒，他們甚至幫他穿上衣服，就像普通的寶寶一樣，他們給他取名叫查理。
在殯儀館裡——我至今還記得是在瓦納魯路，就在里德高速公路南邊的博瓦諾日殯儀館——他們特地將打開的棺材稍稍向後傾斜，只為了能讓我一起入鏡拍家族合照。這樣至少查理能出現在照片裡，雖然終究帶著些許遺憾。
幾個月後，這位太太又懷孕了。事後他們才恍然大悟：難道是查理回來了嗎？這種情況其實很常見——這些生命第一次沒能順利進入子宮、來到人世，下次就會再嘗試一次。
他們起初沒告訴我，直到分娩前才分享這個故事：原來他們趁沒人注意時，用原子筆在寶寶腳跟畫了條線，作為胎記。這樣如果孩子再回來，他們就能認出來。果然，這次他們順利生下健康的孩子（期間做了無數次超音波檢查確保萬無一失），是個女嬰名叫安妮，而她的腳跟上正好有著當初畫線的胎記——查理真的回來了，不過有趣的是，這次成了女孩。因為我知道整個故事，雖然沒告訴多少人，但總是特別觀察。這孩子來納拉馬拉寺廟時，總會跑來跑去，和男孩們玩耍還會欺負小女孩。怎麼說呢，就像個男孩子氣的女孩，而我明白原因——因為她前世是男孩，是查理，現在則是安妮。最初幾年她還保留著男孩習氣，但過幾年就逐漸認同自己女孩的身份了。這真的很奇妙，你能在現實生活中見證這樣的轉變，而且她腳跟確實帶著那個胎記。
所以夭折的嬰兒去哪裡了？他們會再次嘗試。就像你參加完禪修要搭亞洲航空回雅加達，卻發現航班超賣了。由於機位不足，航空公司會請自願者放棄座位，於是你可能被迫改搭下一班。但結果呢？不僅能優先登機，還會被升等艙位。查理也是如此——我知道男士們可能不愛聽——他前世是男孩，這次沒能順利降生，重新嘗試後竟從男孩「升等」成了女孩。你們可能會笑說：「沒錯沒錯，我們獲得升等了！」這真是美好的見證，而且就真實發生在眼前。這就是未出生寶寶的歸宿——有時他們會獲得再次嘗試的機會。就像累積了足夠業力來到人間，只是差臨門一腳。
excerpted from 《2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA》 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《Will give up will? 意志放下意志？》
《Will give up will? 意志放下意志？》
Devotee: Dear Ajahn Brahm, you studied theoretical physics—what made you give it up? What made you give up? Was it free will, or did it happen automatically? In our case, do we have to let go of our will one day, or will it happen automatically for us too?
Ajahn Brahm: The will can't give up the will. Who's giving up the will? You're going to decide to give up the will, and that's more will. Oh, it gets very complicated.
So after a while, what one does is just leave the will alone. Don't worry about it; don't even get involved in it. Little by little, your will becomes softer. You become less of a control freak.
When you have a strong will, you become a control freak. Many people they start off trying to control maybe their siblings in the family. Later on, they go and get married and try to control their spouse. Then they start a company and control that company; and then they become a politician and start controlling their constituents. Then they become a prime minister and try to control that, and then they go to control the world. And then they die and want to challenge God, to be the controller of the universe, the master or mistress of the universe.
What are you doing that for? Controlling causes so much frustration. You can't even control your own body, let alone other people.
We have this delusion that if I can control others, then I can have some peace and happiness. Remember the Buddha under the Bodhi tree before he became enlightened? Mara came up and said , 'stop being enlightened and instead become what they call the wheel-turning monarch. You had got all the great qualities, you can be this emperor, this beneficial ruler who would create peace and harmony in the world, who could get rid of poverty , you can do so much for this world.
And the Buddha said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've been there, done that."
How many people go into life thinking they're going to do something good? Sometimes people do, but then you go in there and sometimes it's so hard to do good stuff. People get in the way; they misunderstand your intentions. You try to make compromises, and then people misunderstand you, and in the end, most politicians get so frustrated and depressed. They're trying to do something, but there are too many compromises.
That's why there is the old saying by Lord Acton: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
But what do you expect with Donald Trump for, or a God? Corrupt! Absolute power corrupts!
That's one of the reasons why, if you want to actually use your willpower, after a while , you just get people out of the way because you think you're doing something good, you think .
Even Mr. Hitler's "Final Solution"—he really thought it was the right thing to do. Roosevelt, or rather Truman, I think it was Truman who dropped the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, thought that was needed to end the war. So many people do some terrible, terrible things thinking that's the kindest thing to do. It's very dangerous when you have power and wanting.
So one of the reasons is that the will looks like it can be your friend, and it turns against you. That's why there is another way, which is letting go, being calm, being peaceful. Until you can learn how to sit here and have nothing move, not a will happening for a few moments. For a few moments, you're not moved at all; you're still and peaceful. And that is a wonderful thing to actually experience: stillness, real peace. There's nothing to make you move until it comes up again and makes you move.
You can look upon the will—I sometimes call it the winds of wanting. They blow you around, thinking that it's going to get you somewhere, but you just go round and round and round. And those winds of wanting—firstly, your mind is like that wonderful lake, and the winds whip up the waves on the surface. You have ripples and disturbances on the lake because of the wind. And because the lake is all disturbed, you can never see an accurate reflection in the water of the moon and stars; it's distorted. The light is bent because there's too much agitation on the surface. But imagine that the waves are perfectly still, with no wind blowing. Then that lake appears like glass, and you see a perfect reflection, like a mirror, of the moon and the stars and nature all around. Only through stillness do you see things as they truly are. And the way to stillness is just stopping wanting for a little while.
Everything you wanted, you find you get when you stop wanting it. There's one of those saying which could have said by the Buddha, one of the saying that the lovely ways of explaining the Four Noble Truths, that is : when you want something more, you can't enjoy what you already have. You can't appreciate this moment when you want something more; you can't have any happiness or peace.
When you appreciate this moment... Have you ever had those great moments in your life? You could be anywhere—in an airport waiting for your aircraft to take off, or just sitting down having a cup of tea outside the kitchen. It could be just sitting down watching the sun go down. In those moments, you don't want to be any other place in the whole world, with any other people, at any other time. You are just right in this moment with the people you're with. Those moments of perfect contentment don't last, but in those moments, if a genie came up and said ,'you've got three wishes, what would you want?' You'd say, "Genie, nick off! Get out of here, I don't want any wishes. I'm happy right now; don't spoil it."
You have those moments of contentment, just happy to be here. In those moments, you don't need to be where your football team has won, or you've just fallen in love, or just got a raise in salary. Those times of contentment—you don't need much. You're sitting here having a wonderful lunch, no rush, you haven't got to go to work afterwards. You're sitting down there enjoying a beautiful lunch, just watching the crowds go by. Moments of contentment and moments of freedom from wanting. You notice your will has stopped for a little while. You are just being here. Those are great moments of insight, what they call a taste of freedom. And it does happen automatically after a while. The reason it was not that automatic, the reason your will stops from time to time, is because I brainwash you. And after a while, it just happens. It's good, unexpected.
信徒：親愛的布拉姆尊者，您學過理論物理——是什麼讓您放棄了它？是什麼讓您放棄了呢？是出於自由意志，還是它自動發生的？在我們的情況下，我們有一天也必須放下意志嗎？還是它也會自動發生在我們身上？
布拉姆尊者：意志無法放棄意志。是誰在放棄意志呢？你打算決定放棄意志，而那本身就是更多的意志。哦，這變得非常複雜。
所以過了一段時間，一個人會做的就只是不去管意志。別擔心它；甚至別捲入其中。漸漸地，你的意志會變得柔和。你變得不再那麼控制狂。
當你擁有強大的意志時，你就會變成一個控制狂。很多人一開始可能是試圖控制家中的兄弟姐妹。後來，他們結婚了，試圖控制他們的配偶。然後他們創辦了一家公司，控制那家公司；接著他們成為政治家，開始控制他們的選民。然後他們成為首相，試圖控制那個位置，接著他們想去控制世界。然後他們死了，還想挑戰上帝，成為宇宙的控制者，宇宙的主宰者。
你這樣做是為了什麼？控制會帶來如此多的挫折。你連自己的身體都無法控制，更不用說其他人了。
我們有一種錯覺，認為如果我能控制別人，那麼我就能得到一些平靜和快樂。記得佛陀在菩提樹下即將成道之前嗎？魔羅出現並說：『別追求覺悟了，不如成為他們所說的轉輪聖王。你擁有所有偉大的品質，你可以成為這位皇帝，這位有益的統治者，他將在世界上創造和平與和諧，他能消除貧窮，你可以為這個世界做很多事。』
而佛陀說：「是啊，是啊，是啊，我早就經歷過，也做過了。」
有多少人抱著要做些好事的想法投入生活？有時候人們是這樣，但當你投入其中，有時會發現要做好事非常困難。人們會阻礙你；他們誤解你的意圖。你試圖妥協，然後人們誤解你，到最後，大多數政治家變得如此沮喪和消沉。他們試圖做些事情，但有太多的妥協。
這就是為什麼有阿克頓爵士的那句老話：「權力傾向於腐化，絕對的權力絕對地腐化。」
但對於唐納·川普，或者對於神，你又能期待什麼呢？腐化！絕對的權力絕對地腐化！
這就是為什麼，如果你真的想運用你的意志力，過了一段時間，你只會把人們排除在外，因為你認為自己在做正確的事，你認為。
即使是希特勒先生的「最終解決方案」——他也真的認為那是正確的事。羅斯福，或者應該說是杜魯門，我想是杜魯門在長崎和廣島投下了原子彈，認為那是結束戰爭所必需的。這麼多的人做出一些非常、非常可怕的事情，卻認為那是最仁慈的做法。當你擁有權力和渴望時，這是非常危險的。
所以，其中一個原因就是，意志看起來像是你的朋友，但它卻會反過來對抗你。這就是為什麼有另一條路，那就是放下，保持平靜，保持安寧。直到你能學會如何坐在這裡，讓一切靜止不動，片刻之間沒有任何意志活動。在那些片刻裡，你完全不為所動；你是靜止且平和的。而那確實是件美妙的事，可以去體驗：靜止，真正的平靜。沒有任何東西能讓你動搖，直到它再次升起並使你行動。
你可以把意志看作——我有時稱之為「渴望之風」。它們把你吹來吹去，以為會帶你到某個地方，但你只是不停地繞圈子。而那些渴望之風——首先，你的心就像那片美妙的湖泊，風在湖面上掀起了波浪。因為風的緣故，湖面上有了漣漪和擾動。因為湖面完全被擾亂了，你永遠無法在水面上看到月亮和星星的精確倒影；它是扭曲的。光線因為表面的過度擾動而彎曲。但想像一下，波浪完全靜止，沒有風吹拂。那麼那片湖就會像玻璃一樣，你會看到月亮、星星和周圍大自然完美無瑕的倒影，如同鏡子一般。只有透過靜止，你才能看清事物的真實樣貌。而達到靜止的方法，就是暫時停止渴望。
你會發現，當你停止渴望時，你便得到了一切你所渴望的。有一種說法，可能是佛陀所說，是解釋四聖諦的諸多美妙方式之一，那就是：當你渴望更多時，你就無法享受你已經擁有的。當你渴望更多時，你無法欣賞此時此刻；你無法擁有任何快樂或平靜。
當你欣賞此時此刻……你生命中曾有過那些美好的時刻嗎？你可能在任何地方——在機場等待你的飛機起飛，或者只是坐在廚房外喝杯茶。也可能只是坐著觀看日落。在那些時刻，你不想待在世界上任何其他地方，不想與任何其他人在一起，也不想在任何其他時間。你就在此時此刻，與你身邊的人在一起。那些完美滿足的時刻不會持續，但在那些時刻，如果有一個精靈出現說：『你有三個願望，你想要什麼？』你會說：「精靈，滾開！離開這裡，我什麼願望都不要。我現在很幸福；別來破壞它。」
你擁有那些心滿意足的時刻，僅僅因為身在此處就感到快樂。在那些時刻，你不需要你的足球隊贏了比賽，或者你剛剛墜入愛河，或者剛剛加薪。那些滿足的時刻——你不需要太多。你坐在這裡享用美味的午餐，不急不忙，飯後也無需趕去工作。你坐在那裡享受一頓美好的午餐，只是看著人群來來往往。那是滿足的時刻，也是從渴望中解脫的時刻。你注意到你的意志暫時停止了。你僅僅是「存在」於當下。那些是產生深刻洞見的偉大時刻，他們稱之為「自由的滋味」。而過了一段時間，這確實會自動發生。
起初它並非那麼自動，你的意志之所以不時停止，是因為我對你進行了「洗腦」。而過了一段時間，它就這樣自然而然地發生了。這很好，出乎意料。
excerpted from 《2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA》 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《noble wanting? 高尚的想要？》
《noble wanting? 高尚的想要？》
Devotee: We should let go of wanting, but how about wantings that are positive, like wanting to help people?
Ajahn Brahm: Are there noble wantings? I don't like that question. (Ajahn throw the paper away, joking, and get it back) You'd like "nice" wantings—wantings that are... are they really positive? Many people they want things and they think they're doing a good job.
There's one gentleman, and he just wants to make America great again.
Wantings that are positive; noble wantings?
Yeah , sometimes, if it's wanting which comes from loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—the four Brahma Viharas—those are noble wantings. Because imagine you're fully enlightened; you've got no more wanting left. What are you gonna do? What's there left to be done? So what drives the enlightened being is wanting , compassion, loving-kindness, and sympathetic joy. Otherwise, there's no point. Which is why if you become fully enlightened and there's nothing much to do anymore, especially if you're a lay person, that's it in seven days, you can't sustain life; there's no point. There's nothing to drive it along anymore. That's interesting. When I first heard that, I said it doesn't make sense.
So what keeps your life going, what drives it, it's wanting—If you are wanting something useful, wonderful! by Loving kindness. But it's so often people have loving-kindness without any wisdom. They think they're helping people, but are they? That is one of the reasons...
There was one of these stories I read in a nature magazine so many years ago. It was about a child who was profoundly deaf and couldn't hear anything. The parents would take him to the doctor once a year or once every six months to check that he was okay, but he was profoundly deaf. What happened when he was about seven or eight years of age?
His GP, you know, looked in one of the medical magazines and saw there was a procedure which might fit the child. It had a 10% chance of working; one in ten kids, it wouldn't do anything at all, but maybe, who knows? It wasn't an expensive procedure, and it wasn't all that invasive—a bit of anesthetic. Another day when they run out of anesthetics, it is even cheaper. kee, that is just a joke , they don't do that.
So the parents talked it over with the GP and thought, "Why not? Nothing to lose. One in ten chance he might get his hearing back." That child was one of those ten percent. After the operation, he got his hearing back—actually, not back, he got it for the first time. And as soon as he could hear, he got so angry at his parents. "Why didn't you ask me? You just assumed that hearing was good, but for me, it's just noise. I needed sign language or whatever; it's just noise. I never wanted to hear. Having my hands and my eyes was enough for me and feeling; I didn't need that extra sense to worry about now."
It was a true story, and it really shocked me. Why didn't they ask the kid first of all whether he wanted to hear? It's assumed that someone who is profoundly deaf is somehow disadvantaged. It wasn't. That child was very happy how he was, and he got upset and angry that people had made assumptions and never even asked him whether he wanted to hear.
That's one of the trouble with wanting to help people. Are you really helping people? Are you wise enough to know what people really want or what they really need? or are you just making their life more complicated?
信徒：我們應該放下「想要」，但如果是那些正向的「想要」呢？像是想要幫助人們。
阿姜布拉姆：存在著「高尚的想要」嗎？我不喜歡這個問題。（阿姜開玩笑地把紙扔掉，又撿了回來） 你指的是那些「好的」想要——那些『想要』…它們真的都是正向的嗎？很多人他們想要一些東西，並且他們認為自己是在做好事。
有一位紳士，他只是想要讓美國再次偉大。（譯註：指特定政治人物及其口號）
那些正向的想要；高尚的想要？
是的，有時候，如果那個「想要」是源自慈、悲、喜、捨——這四梵住——那麼那些就是高尚的想要。因為想像一下，如果你完全覺悟了；你不再有任何「想要」了。你要做什麼？還有什麼事需要去做呢？所以，驅動覺悟者的，是「想要」、悲、慈和喜。否則，就沒有意義了。這就是為什麼如果你完全覺悟了，尤其是如果你是位在家人，沒有太多事可做了，那就這樣了，七天內，你無法維持生命；沒有意義了。再也沒有任何東西驅動它前進了。這很有趣。當我第一次聽到這個說法時，我說這不合理。
那麼，是什麼讓你的生命持續運轉，是什麼在驅動它？是「想要」——如果你是在想要一些有用的、美好的事物！透過慈愛。但人們常常是只有慈愛而沒有任何智慧。他們以為自己在幫助人，但真的是嗎？這就是原因之一……
很多年前，我在一本自然雜誌上讀到過這樣一個故事。是關於一個重度失聰、什麼都聽不見的孩子。父母每年或每六個月會帶他去看一次醫生，檢查他是否還好，但他就是重度失聰。在他大約七、八歲的時候發生了什麼事？
他的家庭醫生，你知道的，在一本醫學雜誌上看到有一種手術可能適合這個孩子。它有百分之十的成功機會；十個孩子中有一個會成功，對其他九個孩子則完全沒用，但也許，誰知道呢？這不是個昂貴的手術，侵入性也不那麼大——用一點麻醉藥。改天要是他們用完麻醉藥，甚至更便宜。嘻嘻，那只是開玩笑的，他們不會那樣做的。
總之，父母和家庭醫生討論後，心想：「為何不試試？沒什麼損失。有十分之一的機會他或許能恢復聽覺。」那個孩子就是那十分之一。手術後，他得到了聽覺——實際上，不是恢復，是他第一次擁有聽覺。而他一旦能聽到，就對父母非常生氣。「你們為什麼不先問我？你們只是假設聽覺是好的，但對我來說，那只是噪音。我需要手語或其他東西；那只是噪音。我從來就不想聽見。對我來說，有我的雙手和眼睛以及感覺就足夠了；我不需要那個多出來的感官來讓我現在煩惱。」
這是一個真實的故事，它真的震驚了我。為什麼他們不先問問孩子本人是否想聽見？人們總假設重度失聰的人在某種程度上是處於劣勢的。但並非如此。那個孩子對他自己原本的樣子非常快樂，他對人們擅自做出假定、甚至從未問過他是否想聽見而感到心煩和憤怒。
這就是「想要幫助人們」的麻煩之一。你真的在幫助人們嗎？你有足夠的智慧去知道人們真正想要什麼，或者他們真正需要什麼嗎？還是你只是在讓他们的生活變得更複雜？
excerpted from 《2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-16 3.QA》 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1YLBxdnCkI&list=PL-E16hq8cBIonUhAIo1J_vjR7vD0Avtva&index=9
《How do enlightened people view people 覺悟者如何看待世人？》
《How do enlightened people view people 覺悟者如何看待世人？》
Devotee: How can the beautiful enlightenment people cope with not so beautiful people?
Ajahn Brahm: I'm not quite sure what you mean there. But if one is enlightened, if one has deep meditation, you see even little people who are struggling to survive doing their very best. You see, there's something like cute and lovable in that. There may be people misbehaving and doing cruel and nasty things, but you hope that they will learn from that and grow from that, become better as a result of that. Even like animals, you know, in the jungle, they can be so kind and so organized.
I say that because one story which came to my mind when I was my sixth rains retreat was spent in a monastery way up in the north of Thailand close to the Burmese border and this was such a perfect monastery. It was quiet and I was the only monk there for the whole three month rains retreat. When I asked the villagers why, they said to most monks it's too quiet for them. I couldn't believe that. But I was happy with that answer because it meant I could enjoy all by myself. It was a beautiful peaceful monastery, but when I was actually there having a wonderful time that I remember just leaving some water out for the birds, just a little bowl of water for them. It was a dry season still just before the rains retreat started. And I left the water out for them and I used to watch in the afternoon through a little knot hole in the wooden plank which made up my hut. And as I looked there, I saw all these different species of birds queuing up in a line waiting to bathe.
And I couldn't believe that birds of different species, big ones, small ones, different colors, all were very well organized. They were in a line. And they wait for the one at the front to drink and bathe, and then the next one would go in. But of course there were some birds who came in and went into the water first. They jumped the queue. And then what happened? All the other birds who were standing in line got out of line and they beat up or pecked that bird until it flew away. And once that queue jumper flown away, then they all go back in line exactly as they were before. I can't believe there were Thai birds. The Thai people I knew would never do that haha. Which showed me that these animals were wise and caring too. It's amazing how animals even in the forests can be very wise and caring and look after one another.
The kindness and compassion was there. So sometimes it's more like in the cities that you find people don't care for each other enough. Sometimes it's maybe because we've lost that sense of community. Even in the forest, different species of birds will look after one another. It gave me like hope. Human beings, no matter where you're from once we get to know each other and trust one another more, I think the caring would come as a result of that. Nothing to fear and everything to gain. I've seen beautiful people of different species big, small, female, male, whatever, looking after one another. It was a beautiful example.
信徒：美麗的開悟者如何與不那麼美麗的人相處？
阿姜布拉姆：我不太明白你的意思。但若一個人已然開悟，若一個人深入禪定，你會看見即便是掙扎求存的小人物，也在竭盡全力。你會發現，這其中自有其可愛之處。或許有人行為失當，做出殘酷惡劣之事，但你會期望他們能從中學習成長，從而變得更好。就像叢林中的動物，牠們也能如此友善且有組織。
我這麼說是因為想起第六個雨安居時的故事。那時我在泰國北部靠近緬甸邊境的寺院修行，那是個完美的道場。寂靜無聲，整個三個月的雨安居期間只有我一位比丘。詢問村民緣由時，他們說對多數僧侶而言這裡太過安靜。我難以置信，卻為這個答案欣喜——這意味著我能獨享這方淨土。
那是座寧靜祥和的美妙寺院，當我正享受這段時光時，記得曾為鳥兒準備清水，就在旱季將盡、雨安居未始之時放了碗水在外頭。午後我常透過木屋牆板的節孔窺看，竟見各種鳥類排成一列等候沐浴。
我驚嘆於這些不同種類的鳥兒——大的小的、羽色各異——竟如此井然有序。它們列隊等待，讓前排的鳥兒先飲水梳洗，然後才輪到下一位。當然偶爾會有插隊者搶先跳入水中。你猜怎麼著？所有排隊的鳥兒立即離隊，群起啄擊那隻不守規矩的鳥，直到牠飛離。待插隊者離開，它們又恢復原來的隊列。真難相信這是泰國的鳥兒，我認識的泰國人可從不會這樣做呢（笑）。
這讓我看見動物也充滿智慧與關懷。多麼奇妙啊！即使森林裡的生靈也懂得相互照應。這份善意與慈悲始終存在。有時反倒是城市裡的人們，失去了這種社群意識。即使在森林裡，不同種類的鳥兒依然彼此守護。
這給我希望：人類不論來自何方，只要相互了解、建立信任，關懷自然隨之而生。無須恐懼，唯有收穫。我目睹過各種美麗生靈——無論體型大小、雌雄性別——都在彼此守護。這真是絕美的示現。
2023-03-25 Ajahn Brahm 4-Day Retreat - Evening Q&A
《When we stop controlling in marriage 當我們在婚姻中停止掌控》
《When we stop controlling in marriage 當我們在婚姻中停止掌控》
those of you have had a marriage and you made it last-- congratulations that's a wonderful thing you've done! you managed to get on with each other.
Well you know it's not that easy, there's no living with another person different desires, different ways of doing things , and you know sometimes that ---somebody said something quite wise the other day that when you do fall in love you think you can sort of Partners got a few new quirks in there and thinking I'll get rid of that; I was a pretty good person.
And after a while after 20-30 years of marriage you realize you're not gonna change him, you not gonna change her; and then when you stop trying to change one another, instead , caring for one another; then you have this beautiful friendship and acceptance, partnership-- almost like kalyanamitta they say-- really really good friends who've been with one another for such a long time, you know each other; and you know you're at peace with one another.
Not a sexual thing or the romantic thing but just your best friend --that's really good when it happens!
你們之中那些擁有婚姻並使其持久的人——恭喜你們，這是一件非常美好的事！你們成功地與彼此和睦相處。
嗯，你知道這並不容易，與另一個人共同生活充滿了不同的渴望、不同的處事方式。有時，正如前幾天有人說了一句相當有智慧的話：當你墜入愛河時，你總以為自己能夠「處理」——伴侶有些新出現的小癖好，而你心裡想著「我以後會把那個改掉」；畢竟自己算是個不錯的人。
然而，經過一段時間，經過二、三十年的婚姻，你終於明白你無法改變他，也無法改變她。而當你停止試圖改變彼此，轉而真心關懷對方時，你們便會擁有這份美好的友誼與接納，成為真正的夥伴——幾乎就像佛教所說的「善友」（kalyanamitta），也就是那些相伴漫長歲月、真正親密的好友：你們深刻理解彼此，在相處中感到平靜。
這無關性慾或浪漫，單純是成為彼此最好的朋友——當這樣的境界來臨時，真的無比美好！
---Ajahn Brahm
2018 Ajahn Brahm’s Jhana Grove Retreat with BIF & EF 2018-07-14 3.QA
《Is eveything planned? 一切都是被安排好的嗎？》
《Is eveything planned? 一切都是被安排好的嗎？》
Devotee: If there's no free will and everything is a result of cause and effect, does that mean that our life is already planned and we can't change the outcome anyway?
Ajahn Brahm: Yeah, my god, just give up. That is what you doing haha. But it is planned that you would ask that question. It is planned that you won't follow the answer, and it is planned that you will do stuff anyway--- is that true?
Now what happens is the plans are always changing—you don't know how it's going to work out. Are there any scientists and matheticians here know the chaos theory, which says that with something like the weather, it's just cause and effect, it is just science, just a bunch of atoms, oxygen and nitrogen , carbon dioxide whizzing around in the atmosphere according to Newton's laws of motion--pressure, velocity and heat.
You should be able to predict the weather? it is cause and effect?
So in theory, you can predict the weather, but it's such on an edge ; you probably have heard about that choas theory.
That a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere in nature , for example Hong Kong, and it causes a typhoon in Sydney. So this butterfly causes the chaos; so that is actually true, the chaos theory.
Yes, it is cause and effect; but it is balanced so fine that no one can do the compilation and no one knows what is gonna happen. The weather is so uncertain.
One or two days, you may give some predictions; but more than that, the slightest variation gives such a huge difference.
So in theory you can predict it; but you can't.
It's not planned , you are part of it ; and you can mess up those plans, and that's what makes life interesting. It's not really planned, but it's not *not* planned either; it's in between.
In the meantime, you think you're not doing anything, but you are, because you're conditioned, brainwashed. Not that brainwashing, but rather than just tweak it this way, tweak it that way.
In the end, you can feel what it likes when you don't plan things, you're peaceful, you don't complain, when your brain has nothing to do—no plans, no past, no problems to fix up, nothing wrong. Imagine what that should be like, no more plans, nothing to do, to go . Everything perfect. Do you like that ? No you wouldn't
Amazingly, some people's lives are going so well, no plans , no worries. Do you know what they do? they go listen to Korean soap operas or dramas, create something to worry about. Their family is ok, nothing to worry about their family. They go worry something else to worry about.
I know this thing in Bodhinyana monastery, somtimes everything is going nice and peaceful. And somebody makes some drama. We are attached to dramas.
It is not the drama in our family, our monastery , your hospital; but if you cannot find any dramas, you find it on TV—anything to have a drama. Because people like dramas; something to do, something to aspire, something to work out , something that make you feel you count, you alive, you worry , therefore we are. If you don't worry ,you disappear
信徒：如果沒有自由意志，一切只是因果關係，那是否意味著我們的生命早已被注定，無論如何都無法改變結果？
阿姜布拉姆：是啊，我的天，那就直接放棄吧。反正你現在正是這麼做的，哈哈。但「你會提出這個問題」是註定的，「你不會遵從答案」是註定的，而「你依然會照常行動」也是註定的——真是如此嗎？
事實上，所謂的「計劃」始終在不斷變化——你永遠無法預知事情將如何發展。在座的各位有科學家或數學家嗎？你們都知道混沌理論吧？這個理論指出，就像天氣一樣，一切只是因果作用，純粹的科學現象：不過是氧氣、氮氣、二氧化碳等原子在大氣中依據牛頓運動定律——包括壓力、速度與熱能——不斷流轉。
照理說，既然純屬因果，我們應該能預測天氣？理論上確實可以預測，但整個系統處於極度敏感的臨界點；各位應該聽過混沌理論中那個經典比喻：一隻蝴蝶在香港拍動翅膀，卻引發了雪梨的颱風。這隻蝴蝶確實引發了混沌，而這正是混沌理論的精髓所在。
沒錯，萬物皆屬因果，但整個系統處於如此精妙的平衡，以致無人能完成全面運算，也無人能預知未來。天氣充滿不確定性，或許一兩天內的預測尚可準確，但超過這個時限，最微小的變動都會引發巨大差異。所以理論上可預測，實務上卻不可能。
這並非全盤注定，因為你也是系統的一部分，你能打亂既有的安排，而這正是生命的趣味所在。它並非完全被計劃，但也非毫無計劃，而是介於兩者之間。
此時你以為自己毫無作為，但其實你始終行動著，因為你是條件組合的，被洗腦的。別誤會，不是那種洗腦，而是指我們不是往這邊調整，就是往那邊調整。
當你終於停止計劃，你會體會到真正的平靜：不再抱怨，大腦沒有在做什麼——沒有計劃、沒有過去、沒有待解難題、一切圓滿無缺。試想那是何等境界：無須計劃、無事奔波、無處趕赴，萬物完美和諧。但你會喜歡這種狀態嗎？不，你不會的。
奇妙的是，有些人生活順遂，無憂無慮。知道他們怎麼做嗎？他們反而去追韓劇，自己製造煩惱。明明家庭和睦，偏要另尋牽掛。我在菩提雅納寺院就常見到這種現象：當一切祥和寧靜時，總有人要掀起波瀾。我們對戲劇性衝突如此執著——若在家庭、寺院、職場找不到戲碼，就轉向電視尋求，非要有點波瀾不可。因為人們渴望戲劇：需要有事操心、有所期盼、有難題待解，這些讓我們感覺自己存在、自己活著。正如「我憂故我在」，若停止憂慮，彷彿我們就消失了。
<The nature of nibanna 涅槃的性質>
<The nature of nibanna 涅槃的性質>
Devotee: is the nature of nibanna permanent, happiness, self and beauty?
Ajahn Brahm: no! nibanna is not nicca , is not anicca; is not dukkha , is not sukha; is not anatta, is not atta. It is nothing
So no labels stick to it. How can you write anicca, dukkha or sukha on the air? there is nothing to write on
信徒：涅槃的本質是常、樂、我、淨嗎？
阿姜布拉姆：不是！涅槃既非常住（nicca），也非無常（anicca）；既非苦（dukkha），也非樂（sukha）；既非無我（anatta），也非我（atta）。它什麼都不是。
因此，沒有任何標籤能附著於它。你如何能在虛空中寫下「無常」、「苦」或「樂」呢？那裡根本空無一物可供書寫。
image cred. to wisdom publication
Excerpted from <1:17:19 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkWMzhcimHs&t=3475s
《Ajahn Brahm on politics 阿姜布拉姆談政治》
《Ajahn Brahm on politics 阿姜布拉姆談政治》
Interviewer: it is said that Buddhism has to go into the bedrooms of the people
Ajahn Brahm : Yeah!
Interviewer: so what else should we do?
Ajahn Brahm: As one person said in an interview, he was asking what Buddhism is doing about global warming, inequality, poverty, and the exploitation of gays or other minority communities. They say that Buddhism should also become more involved in those issues
Not in an aggressive way, but in a compassionate way; it's part of our duty to care for the society in which we live. As one Buddhist politician in Australia told me, Buddhism has an enormous amount to offer to the political process, but most politicians think that Buddhists are far too passive to worry about. Though we are inoffensive, we are therefore considered ineffectual and can be ignored.
That's a great shame because what Buddhism can offer in things like conflict resolution, forgiveness, and the way that wisdom and compassion is used in our world is enormous. So I think it's up to us not just to teach the people who come to our temples, but to take the message not just into the bedrooms, but into the boardrooms, into the parliament buildings, into the cabinet rooms, into the places where decisions are made which affect the lives of all the people in our world.
We have a beautiful message of peace and forgiveness. We've been doing this for 25 centuries—living peaceful lives, learning how to forgive, having strategies to solve the hatred within people, to take down the boundaries and barriers between people.
We've done it for 25 centuries so successfully, and now we really should share our great resources with the people whose decisions can create wars or peace, prosperity or poverty on our planet. It is up to you to do this, it is something which we should do, and once we do that, we'll get the greater respect of the people in the countries in which we live.
訪問者：有人說佛教必須進入人們的臥室
阿姜布拉姆：是的！
訪問者：那麼我們還應該做些什麼？
阿姜布拉姆：正如有人在訪談中所說，他問佛教正在為全球暖化、不平等、貧困，以及對同性戀者或其他少數群體的剝削做些什麼。他們說佛教也應該更積極地參與這些議題.
不是以激進的方式，而是以慈悲的方式；關懷我們所處的社會是我們的責任之一。一位澳洲的佛教政治人物曾告訴我，佛教能為政治進程提供非常多的貢獻，但大多數政治人物認為佛教徒過於被動而不需重視。儘管我們與世無爭，卻因此被視為軟弱無力而可以被忽略。
這實在非常可惜，因為佛教在衝突解決、寬恕之道，以及將智慧與慈悲應用於世間等方面能提供的貢獻是巨大的。所以我認為，我們不僅要教導來到寺廟的人，更應該將這訊息不僅帶進臥室，還要帶進董事會、議會大廈、內閣會議室，帶進所有影響世人生活的決策之地。
我們擁有關於和平與寬恕的美好訊息。二十五世紀來我們始終如此實踐——過著和平的生活，學習寬恕之道，掌握消除人們內心仇恨、打破人與人之間隔閡與障礙的方法論。
我們已成功實踐了二十五個世紀，現在確實應該將這些寶貴資源分享給那些能決定地球上的戰爭與和平、繁榮與貧困的決策者。實踐這個使命是你們的責任，也是我們應該做的事。當我們開始行動，我們終將贏得所在國家人民更深刻的尊重。
from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArAsFMr6FlE
image cred. to Buddhist door Global
<Loser 輸家>
<Loser 輸家>
So your ego is totally changeable. You can be a fool, you can be a genius. Which would you rather be? A winner or a loser? I put my hand up a long time ago ---to be a loser.
Losing is much more fun. It is. When you lose things, you're free of them.
When you're a winner, you have to go and compete next week and do the same again, or even do better. It's the same with, I shouldn't say this, but I keep on saying it, same when you do exams. You have to keep on doing exams until you eventually fail.
I should have learned that years ago. So fail early, then you can have a nice easy life. Keep on passing, you've got to go to another university, do another interview, do another exam, do another test.
It goes on and on. How many, how many degrees can you get? Heaps of them. It doesn't finish.
So, be a loser. And when you lose things, kind of you're free, less responsibility. Isn't that the case? Be a monk.
Lose everything. Is that a good lifestyle?
所以自我是完全可變的。你可以當個傻瓜，也可以成為天才。你選擇哪種？要當贏家還是輸家？我很久以前就舉手選擇了——當個輸家。
輸家有趣多了。確實如此。當你失去東西時，你就從中解脫了。
當贏家呢？下週你得繼續比賽，重複同樣的事，甚至要做得更好。這就像——我不該這麼說，但總忍不住——就像考試一樣。你得不斷應考，直到最終失敗為止。
我多年前就該明白這道理。所以早點失敗，你就能過上輕鬆自在的生活。若一直成功，就得不斷進大學、面試、考試、測驗。
沒完沒了。你能拿多少個學位？再多也沒用。這條路沒有盡頭。
所以，當個輸家吧。當你失去東西時，某種程度上就自由了，責任也少了。難道不是嗎？
像僧侶那樣，失去一切。這生活方式不好嗎？
---Ajahn Brahm
17 May 2024
Excerpted from:
<如何放下自我感 How to get rid of ego>
<如何放下自我感 How to get rid of ego>
[John Howard]
I have had an interesting life so far, this lifetime, because you've met many sort of prime ministers and presidents.
That's, you know, being a senior Buddhist monk and going to conferences and stuff. And seeing some of the presidents which I've met, you know, just on these big conferences overseas, some of them I say are really scary. You know, you wouldn't like to meet them alone.
Because they've got so much power, and you can actually feel their character. I don't think they have any restraints at all. They think they're, basically, they own everything.
And is it just your personal, well, this, even one of the people I met here, I've met a few of the prime ministers of Australia, but I remember meeting John Howard, when he was a prime minister, at this big function over in Sydney and Melbourne. And I remember just with Ajahn Sujato, we were just walking down the wrong direction, and there was John Howard and his wife, just waiting to meet everybody. And straight away you felt he had some kindness there, but my first impression was that he owned Australia.
Please excuse me, it's not politics, it's just a person. I may have changed his ways now, but that sense of self and ego got very, very strong. And you can understand how it works, you know, that he's the senior minister, he's successful, and everybody else underneath him will always try and say nice things about him, so they can get preferences in being selected to be the next cabinet minister.
In Australia they call it brown nosing. Good, you know what that means. But what happens then is you can get so easily believing that you are so good, you're so wonderful.
And I know that, I have to be really careful of that, because I'm a senior monk, and you get, you know, medals and stuff. I'll never wear those medals, which I've got. I don't want to, you want to hide them.
[Ajahn Chah]
I remember even Ajahn Chah had got so many awards from people for his service in Thailand. But he would always call himself just Ajahn Chah. Never Chow Koon or anything like that.
It was wonderful to be able to see that, he just wanted to be that ordinary monk who saw the danger in when people praise you. Even right now, giving a talk to you. And it's seen on the internet by so many people.
[aren’t you afraid?]
I was asked a nice question in Indonesia. They were asking some very good questions, and one was Ajahn Brahm, you're very well known, aren't you afraid of what in Buddhism they call lābhasakkārasiloko, which is gains honour and fame? And I said, yes, I remember the time once when I gave this big talk in Singapore. It was the first time when so many people came to actually hear just one monk give a talk.
And no support, not chanting, just give a talk to people one evening. And I knew many of these people, it was a weekday talk, about two or three thousand people. Imagine that, that you're asked to give a talk to so many people, and they probably haven't eaten their dinner that evening yet.
They've taken time after a busy day to come and listen to you. They're going to probably go to bed late that night. And they're very, very busy lifestyles in Singapore.
And I thought, my goodness, why so many people come to listen to me? And straight away you saw the red flags of fear come up. This is really dangerous. If I give a terrible talk, then I feel I've let down the Dhamma which I love, which has meant so much to me. I'm misrepresenting the teachings I heard from Ajahn Chah. I can't let them down, I have to try my best or do something to inspire them. But if I really inspire them, that's even more dangerous.
Because then I might get too proud and arrogant and get a big ego. You know what I thought when I was just, I remember this very clearly, I was walking up the stage and looking around, seeing all these people looking at you. They're just waiting to be inspired by you, or hearing something they've never heard before.
[Not us doing]
And as soon as I saw that, I figured out it's not me giving the talk, my choice of words, my choice of topics, I looked at those and I knew where they came from. Most of those came from my own teachers, especially Ajahn Chah and a few other monks and nuns who inspired me. Even what I'm saying now.
Honestly, this talk is not by Ajahn Brahm. Not at all. This talk is how I've been trained, how I've been taught to meditate, how I've been inspired even by the Buddha by reading his talks.
And they inspire you. And that means that this is not Ajahn Brahm at all. And that was such a wonderful insight to have, because it could take away my ego.
It's not me, it's Buddhism. I'm being true to Buddhism. True to meditation, true to my teachers.
I haven't said that even true to my own father who inspired me much with stories like, you know, Opening the Door of Your Heart story. All of those things which meant so much to me from others, I didn't just steal them from them. They gave me and they sort of brewed me up to be the monk I am.
It's not me. And that was a wonderful lesson because what that meant I realised that when you are up front and teaching other people even if it's really popular, you don't have to be afraid. It's a beautiful service you give but you avoid the danger of pride and ego by always saying this is not me.
And always being open. This is the other thing which I love about our tradition and for you too. Always open to ask questions if not online, if not in front of the microphone even like personally afterwards.
【約翰·霍華德的啟示】
這輩子因緣際會見過不少總理和總統——作為資深比丘，參加國際會議時總能遇到些大人物。有些領袖氣場確實令人畏懼，你絕對不會想和他們獨處。他們手握大權，渾身散發著毫無節制的自我膨脹，彷彿整個國家都是他們的私有物。
記得有次在雪梨的活動場合，我和Ajahn Sujato尊者不小心走錯方向，迎面撞見時任總理約翰·霍華德與夫人正在接待群眾。雖然能感受到他的親和力，但第一印象仍是「他彷彿擁有整個澳大利亞」。這無關政治立場，純粹是人性觀察——當一個人長期處於權力頂端，身邊圍繞著阿諛奉承的幕僚（澳洲人稱之為「擦鞋文化」），因為他們覺得憑此可以被選作另一位內閣大臣
【自我警惕的重要性】
我深知必須時刻警惕這種狀態。作為資深僧侶，難免會獲得獎章榮譽，但我從不佩戴那些勳章——寧可將它們藏起來。記得阿姜查尊者生前受過無數泰國政府表彰，卻始終只願被稱作「阿姜查」，拒絕任何尊貴頭銜。他始終保持平凡比丘的本色，深知名譽背後的危險。
【名聲的考驗】
在印尼時有人問我：「阿姜布拉姆，您現在頗具名聲，難道不擔心陷入佛法所說的『利養恭敬』陷阱嗎？」這問題讓我想起首次在新加坡演講的經歷：那是平日夜晚，竟有兩三千人餓著肚子、犧牲休息時間前來聽法。當我步上講台時，內心瞬間警鈴大作——若講得不好，豈不辜負佛法與聽眾？我在錯誤演繹阿姜查的教導。 我不能讓他們失望， 我一定要盡我所能啟發他們。
而若講得太精彩，就更危險。 這可能會滋生傲慢和自我。
【破除「我執」的智慧】
就在那個瞬間我突然明白：其實根本不是「我」在說法。我所選的用詞、談論的主題，追根溯源幾乎都來自我的老師們——特別是阿姜查尊者，還有許多啟發過我的僧尼同道。就連此刻對你們說的這些話也是如此。
老實說，這場開示根本不是阿姜布拉姆的個人創作。這些內容凝聚了我所受的禪修訓練、歷代師長的教導，甚至佛陀經典給予的啟發。真正的感染力來自佛法本身，而不是我這個人。能看清這一點實在太珍貴了，因為它瞬間瓦解了我的自我執著。
這不是「我」的成就，而是佛法的傳承。我只是忠實地傳遞禪修精髓，忠於我的師長們——其實還該包括我的父親，他那些《開啟心門》的故事早已融入我的生命。所有這些珍貴的養分，與其說是我偷取而來，不如說是它們醞釀我成為今天的僧侶。
「無我」的體悟是最美妙的教導。當你站在人前弘法，即使受到歡迎也不必畏懼。只要時刻提醒自己「這不是我的功勞」，就能在奉獻的同時避開驕傲的陷阱。而保持開放更是關鍵——這也是我們禪修傳統最可貴的精神：無論透過網路、麥克風，或是會後私下交流，永遠為別人的問題敞開大門。
---Ajahn Brahm
17 May 2024
Excerpted from:
《你的想法是條件組合的 Your thoughts are conditioned》
《你的想法是條件組合的 Your thoughts are conditioned》
And it's fascinating to see that. If you want to understand what this ego is, what this sense of self is, is it something real, or is it made up? It is made up by you. Your conditioning.
【conditioned by who you respect】
Your built-up picture of who you think you are. And just how you need to have some idea of who you are in order to perform in this world. In order, are you a doctor? Are you a good doctor? Who tells you? Me.
Look at me. Repeat after me. You think I'm joking, but sometimes those words get in there, and you think about them.
Somebody you respect has said that, so you actually start thinking like that. And that's what I do to monks. I am a teacher.
My job is always to encourage them, never to criticise them. I know someone was asking me earlier, they said they heard some talks, translated talks of Ajahn Chah, criticising sort of monks. Have you ever heard me criticising monks? Honestly? If I did, if I was criticising monks or monks' behaviour or nuns' behaviour, that would actually suppress them.
That would actually just stop their growth. I can't do that. One of the reasons is because what the heck are you criticising? What is a monk? What is a nun? What is a human being? What is a doctor? Of course you can't criticise, I keep going back to this story, but it's a powerful one, the one about the trees in the forest.
Please use this yourself. Just been through Indonesia, there's many beautiful forests in Indonesia, but wherever I go in the world, never ever have I seen a perfect tree. What is perfect? Whatever image you have of perfect.
【Perception of beauty conditioned by media and people】
You know sometimes, OK, I was male when I was, before I was a monk, I'm a male now I suppose, but sometimes, you know, you see in magazines, pictures of these women I thought were drop-dead gorgeous when I was about 18. I remember one of them, like Twiggy, any of you old enough remember Twiggy? She was this western model. She was so thin.
And I look at her now, and think, crikey, if I'd have seen her, I would have never asked her to go out with me. Nothing wrong about that, but I was actually conditioned by all of that media and photos and people who were saying how beautiful she is. But in reality, look at her many years back, and they weren't that beautiful.
Even when you go and see portraits of people in museums, really very beautiful people, at least they were at that time. You look at them, and most of those women about 100 years ago were fat. And they were drop-dead gorgeous.
So any women who are fat these days, you're just born in the wrong century, that's all. So why do we consider these things to be attractive? The only reason we consider these things to be attractive is because we're told that they're attractive. We're conditioned to believe that.
[story of cigarettes]
And it's amazing just how much that conditioning works on us. One of the times when I really sort of got caught into being conditioned like that, I probably told the story two weeks ago, but I'm hoping that many people here are getting older and older, forgetting what I said last time I gave a talk here, and that was that story of St. Bruno tobacco. I usually tell this on retreats.
Absolutely true story. I'd never smoked cigarettes when I was young, but when you went to university, you saw that all of these great professors, really intelligent people, would smoke a pipe. You know, just like Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, all these people are really respected, they're really geniuses.
They would put a pipe in their mouth and put some tobacco in it and light it. So I thought it was, you know, the appropriate accessory, you know, to the clothes which I wore. And especially at that time, because you were a student, I don't know if you've seen pictures of me when I was that young, I had this big bushy hair, big curly hair out here somewhere, and where it finished, that's where my beard started and continued around.
It was like, called the doughnut look. You can just see my face peering out in the middle. And honestly, it was very helpful if you were growing up in a city like London or Cambridge, it was really cold there.
You never needed a hat. You had a hair which was around you, keeping you warm. But that with a pipe, then I saw on the TV that any person who put this St Bruno tobacco in a pipe and lit it, when walking down the street, all these incredibly beautiful women would be entranced by the aroma of St Bruno tobacco.
So much so, that any advertisement, I still remember, this drop-dead gorgeous blonde was in a shop serving customers, and when she smelled St Bruno tobacco, she jumped over the counter and followed this man, waiting to do his every desire, because she was enchanted with the aroma of St Bruno tobacco. And then passing a green grocer, that's where another beautiful brunette left her counter and followed this man. And then somebody else was following him.
And after about one or two minutes, had all the most amazing, beautiful women in the world were following this guy. I mean, that was misogynistic, sexist, and so many things were wrong with it, but I bought some. I did.
I was embarrassed about that. But nevertheless, I did it. And I think, as I said, if you heard the story before, the only thing which followed me was a dog.
I deserved that, I was stupid. But then I often remember that, I thanked that I actually did that, because it just showed me, why did I do that? It was illogical, irrational, but I did that, because I'd seen that advertisement so many times, I'd been conditioned. So a lot of the things which you do, even your clothes, how you look, why do you look like this? I decided, when again, I was a student, to be rebellious, to think for myself.
【A story of festival】
And so I remember just this one time, I was going to one of these, I'm talking about my generation, to this rock festival in the Isle of Wight, going to see all these rock bands. And, of course, you couldn't wear a suit to such a festival, so I got some green velvet trousers. It's my green velvet trousers story.
And I thought, that's really being rebellious, and being idiosyncratic. Not many people had green velvet trousers in those days. So when I went there, I was so surprised.
Thousands of other people had green velvet trousers as well. And I thought, my goodness. So these days, I don't wear green velvet trousers, I wear brown robes and a bald head.
And I stay with so many other people with brown robes and bald heads. Am I being idiosyncratic, being unique? Why am I doing this? So sometimes you ask yourself, why you do what you do? Why you wear what you wear? Why you like what you like? Why you eat what you eat? Where do all those choices come from? And do you measure yourself by those? That's the worst thing.
【Conditioned by people’s expectation】
When people measure themselves by how many degrees they've got. They put them on the walls of their office. Or they have to do that, because that's what people expect. But are you an expert on these things? That's one of the reasons why I gave up academic pursuits when I was young.
Because, you know, you're a genius when you're young. It doesn't matter just how much experience you have. You usually lose that innovative tendencies.
All the great discoveries, Nobel Prizes were made by young people. When you get to, when you get to our age, why can't we see new things? Do different things? See deeper into what we're actually acting on? There's something with our mind. We get bound by those conditions.
We get imprisoned by them. We can't think outside of them. And that's where we get this idea of an ego from.
We think we're clever. We think we're smart. But are we?
看清這一點非常有趣。若想了解所謂的「自我」或「我執」究竟是真實存在還是人造產物？答案很明確：它是你親手塑造的，來自你過往的條件制約。
【你敬重的人決定了你的制約】
你對自我的認知，其實是長期累積的框架。為了在社會中立足，你必須對自己的身份有所定義——比如你是否是醫生？是否稱職？誰來判定？我來告訴你。
看著我，跟著我說。你以為我在開玩笑，但這些話語往往會潛入內心，讓你反覆思量。當你敬重的人如此斷言，你就會逐漸信以為真。這正是我引導僧眾的方式：作為老師，我的職責永遠是鼓勵而非批評。
早先有人問我，是否聽過阿姜查批評僧眾的開示？
但你們可曾聽過我批評僧眾？坦白說，若我真這麼做，只會壓抑他們的成長。我絕不能如此。原因很簡單：你究竟在批評什麼？僧侶、尼師、醫生、人類的本質是什麼？這讓我想起森林樹木的比喻——雖然常提及，但確實發人深省。
請試著實踐這個方法。我曾走訪印尼，見過無數美麗森林，但走遍世界，從未見過所謂「完美的樹」。完美是什麼？不過是你內心預設的影像。
【媒體與他人制約你對美的認知】
舉例來說，我出家前也是普通男性。18歲時，總覺得雜誌上的女性美得驚為天人。記得其中一位叫Twiggy的西方模特？現在回想，當時若真見到本人，恐怕根本不會想邀她約會。這並非她不好，而是我的審美早已被媒體與社會評價施加條件。如今再看當年被推崇的美人，其實未必符合現代標準。
就連博物館裡的古典肖像，那些被譽為絕世佳人的女性，若以今日標準看，百年前大多數美女其實體態豐腴——在她們的時代，那才是驚艷眾生的美。所以體型豐滿的女性們，你們只是生錯了世紀罷了。我們為何認為某些特質吸引人？唯一原因就是社會反覆告訴我們「這很吸引人」——我們早已被條件所制約了。
【香煙廣告的制約故事】
這種制約力量驚人。我親身經歷過：年輕時從不吸煙，但上大學後發現許多崇敬的學者——如愛因斯坦、波爾等天才都抽煙斗，便覺得這是智慧形象的配件。尤其當時我頂著一頭爆炸捲髮，鬍鬚連著鬢角，活像個甜甜圈人形看板。倫敦的寒冬裡，這頭亂髮倒省了戴帽子。
後來電視廣告更誇張：只要點燃St Bruno煙草，街上所有美女都會被香氣吸引，甚至跳過櫃台追隨抽煙者。儘管這廣告充滿性別歧視，我竟真的買了煙草嘗試——結果唯一跟著我的只有一條狗。這蠢事卻讓我醒悟：為何會做這種不合理的事？只因反覆接收的廣告以條件制約了我。
【音樂節的故事】
許多行為亦然，包括衣著打扮。我曾為了展現叛逆，特意穿綠色天鵝絨長褲參加懷特島音樂節，以為自己獨樹一幟。結果到場發現數千人都穿同款褲子。如今我穿棕色僧袍、剃光頭，卻和無數僧眾一樣——這真的算獨特嗎？我們為何選擇某種形象？為何喜歡某些事物？這些選擇從何而來？
【被他人期待制約】
最糟的是用這些標籤衡量自己的價值。比如把學位證書掛滿牆壁，只因符合社會期待。但你真的是這方面的專家嗎？這正是我年輕時放棄學術追求的原因：真正突破性的發現多由年輕人完成，隨著年紀增長，我們反而被條件制約、束縛，難以創新。
心智一旦被條件框架禁錮，就無法跳脫思考——而「自我」的幻象正是由此而生。我們自以為聰明，但果真如此嗎？
---Ajahn Brahm
17 May 2024
Excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5V1tsQHSkk
<一個心理引導的技巧 A psychological trick>
<一個心理引導的技巧 A psychological trick>
I shouldn't really say this, but even our committee, sometimes I know I've been on that committee all my life, just about, longest serving committee member because I'm the spiritual dictator.
I'm sorry, no, spiritual director. There was actually one of our members once said, Ajahn Brahm, you're not the spiritual director of the Buddhist Society of Western Australia, you're the spiritual dictator. But not up front dictator.
You do it sort of right under the table with suggestions and with psychology. You know one way to do that, no I shouldn't say this, I've given all the tricks away. You think you know all my tricks, but I keep a few secret just to make sure.
But just even that little thing, I'm quite surprised how easy it is to do. And that lady, Rachel Green, haven't seen her for a while, but she did such a good service and I got a lot of gratitude for her. She was, when it came to the committee, she was such an amazingly organised woman, so generous with her time, and so when I asked her to be a committee member, why not be the president? Do you remember Rachel? And when I asked her to be the president, of course like many of you, you say, no we're too busy, we can't do it.
That's not how to get people to help you. Over here when I ask, can any of you join our committee to be the events manager or, what's the other one? Membership.……
But anyhow, with this lady, you know, I said during the beginning of the meditation, I said to her, look you are too busy, I'm sorry I should not have asked you. I backtracked. And I said it's not right that I ask you these things.
And I remember her response, I mean she was really negative. What do you mean that, you know, you can't ask me to be the president? I can be the president if I want to. I said, no, no, you can't.
I forbid you. You're working too hard. Out of kindness, I ban you from being the president.
And then she went to bed that night, and she kept thinking about it all night. She was just like fighting the ideas to prove a point. She filled out the form, and she became our president.
That's how Dennis became a president many years ago, wasn't it? But you didn't recognise it, did you? That's why Leha became a really great ops manager. Did you realise why you took that position? Did you think it was your free choice? That's what people think, because they don't see just how the mind works. We work on conditioning.
有件事本不該明說——就連我們委員會內部，有時也難免運用些方法。我作為精神導師（有人曾開玩笑說我該叫「精神獨裁者」），幾乎一輩子都在這個委員會服務，可說是資歷最久的成員。
那位朋友當時當面對我說：「阿姜布拉姆，你根本不是西澳佛教協會的精神導師，你是精神獨裁者！」當然，我並非明目張膽地獨裁，而是透過建議和心理引導潛移默化。具體怎麼做？本不該透露太多——雖然我常分享各種技巧，但總得留幾手秘密法寶。
但說實話，連我自己都驚訝這方法如此見效。記得瑞秋·格林嗎？許久未見了，她為協會付出良多，我至今心懷感激。她是位極有組織力的女性，總慷慨奉獻時間。當初我邀請她加入委員會時，直接提議：「何不直接擔任會長？」你們還記得瑞秋的反應嗎？果然和多數人一樣，她立刻推辭：「太忙了，實在無法勝任。」
若直接請求幫忙，往往會得到這種回應。就像現在我若問在場各位，有誰願意擔任活動經理或會員部負責人，結果可想而知……
但對瑞秋，我轉換了策略。某次禪修開始前，我特意對她說：「你確實太忙了，我不該提出這個請求。」主動收回邀約後，我強調：「勉強你承擔這些確實不合適。」
沒想到她反應激烈：「什麼叫我不適合當會長？只要我願意，當然能勝任！」我繼續以退為進：「不，你真的不能接。我禁止你擔任這個職位——你已經過度勞累了，出於善意，我不能讓你接手。」
那晚她輾轉難眠，整夜都在反駁這個想法。為了證明自己，她最終主動填寫申請表成為了我們的會長。
多年前丹尼斯就是這樣當上會長的，不是嗎？只是你當時沒察覺罷了。莉哈之所以成為出色的運營經理，同樣如此。你以為當初是出於自由意志選擇接手？人們總以為自己的決定完全自主，卻沒看清心理運作的規律——我們始終受著條件制約的影響。
---Ajahn Brahm
17 May 2024
Excerpted from:
<Do it after lunch 吃飽飯再試>
<Do it after lunch 吃飽飯再試>
One of those comments about willpower was of this research which was done at Stanford University in the United States and they just noticed that when a prisoner goes to seek parole from this group of magistrates or whoever they are, they noticed, they did the research, just simple statistics. You are 60% more likely to get parole no matter what you've done if the magistrate sees him after a good lunch.
And people say, no, that can't be right. But it is right.
So if you want to ask your boss for a raise, just (let them) have a good lunch first. They're out of control. It's just cause and effect.
That's all it is. If you want to ask your husband for some new clothes, get him a nice lunch first of all and then ask him. I've been telling the monks at Bodhinyana Monastery this for years.
If you want to go on a retreat, just make sure I have a good lunch first of all and then ask me afterwards. You're far more likely to say yes.
關於意志力的討論中，有一項研究數據來自美國史丹佛大學。研究人員通過簡單的統計發現：當囚犯向審判委員會申請假釋時，無論犯過何種罪行，若法官在用完一頓舒心的午餐後審理案件，囚犯獲得假釋的機率會提高六成。
有人質疑這結論不可靠，但數據確實如此。
所以若想向老闆爭取加薪，務必先讓對方享用一頓滿意的午餐——人的決策狀態本就不受控，這只是因果規律。
道理就這麼簡單。若想讓丈夫同意添購新衣，不妨先為他準備一頓美味餐點再提出請求。我在菩提禪園對僧眾們強調這個方法多年：若想申請禪修假期，記得先讓我享用一頓好飯再開口，成功的機率必然大增。
---Ajahn Brahm
17 May 2024
Excerpted from:
《White lie 善意的謊言》
《White lie 善意的謊言》
Q: Dear Bante, we all know that false truth or lying can cause bad karmas. But if it is for a greater purpose as if to prevent someone from a heartbreak, grief or despair, will these karmas still be recovered or be received like compensated?
Ajahn Brahm: A lot of times, you know, you still have to get that karma. We think that but because , said the Buddha—karma is concerned with your intentions. It's more like why you do things rather than what you do.
So if the karma is really for good intention, you want to do this, you know, to save many people's lives; or you know, to make the world a happy place, then that's good karma there is from good intentions. Then a lot of times, people deceive themselves. They feel, 'Yes, the world needs to do this, the world needs a Mr. Trump.' So they've deceived themselves into thinking they're acting out of good intentions when they're not—so so dangerous.
But one thing with false truth or lie, it means that you lose your credibility in future. And if you do lie, people don't trust you anymore.
問：尊敬的尊者，我們都知道說謊會造作惡業。但若是為了更大的目的，比如為了避免某人遭受心碎、悲傷或絕望，這樣的業報是否仍會產生？或者能夠被彌補？
阿姜布拉姆：很多時候，你知道的，你依然得承受那個業果。我們以為可以避免，但佛陀說過——業力與你的意圖有關。重點在於你「為何」而做，而非你「做了什麼」。
所以，如果行為背後真的是善意的動機，比如你想拯救許多人的生命，或是為了讓世界更美好，那麼這樣的善業就來自善念。但很多時候，人們會自我欺騙。他們覺得：「是的，世界需要這樣做，世界需要一位川普先生。」於是他們自欺，以為自己出於善意行事，實則不然——這非常危險。
但關於虛假或謊言，有一點很明確：你會因此失去未來的可信度。一旦說謊，人們便不再信任你。
《底下有洞的垃圾桶 Dustbin with hole on the bottom》
《底下有洞的垃圾桶 Dustbin with hole on the bottom》
When Ajahn Chah told me, "Look, soon you'll become an ajahn. You have to teach people - you don't just teach people meditation, you teach people how to overcome their problems." And he said, "You have to be like a dustbin - you receive people's complaints, their sadness and depression and difficulties."
But then he added this extra piece to it which I was very grateful for: "Be a dustbin with a hole in the bottom. So when someone comes up to you, even in interviews, you know you don't always ask questions about meditation. I don't try to stop you because I know it's impossible. So you throw a bit of rubbish in my dustbin, but I've got others to talk to afterwards."
He said, "Always be a dustbin with a hole in the bottom, so people can put all their complaints in, all their rubbish in, and it goes right through and out the other end. Then when I walk away, I don't keep anything. That's an important tool for counseling, or being a friend, or being kind."
阿姜查曾經告訴我：「聽著，很快你就會成為一位阿姜（導師）。你不只要教人禪修，更要教他們如何解決問題。」他說：「你要像個垃圾桶 - 接納人們的抱怨、悲傷、憂鬱和各種困難。」
但他接著補充了一個讓我非常感恩的建議：「要做個底部有洞的垃圾桶。當有人來找你，即使在禪修問答時，你知道不必總是談論禪修。我不會阻止你傾訴，因為那是不可能的。你可以把一些『垃圾』倒進我的垃圾桶，反正我之後還要接待其他人。」
他說：「永遠要做個底部有洞的垃圾桶，讓人們把所有抱怨、所有『垃圾』都倒進去，讓它們直接穿過，從另一端流出去。這樣當我離開時，什麼也不會留下。這是心理輔導、為人友伴或保持善良的重要法門。」
---Ajahn Brahm
excerpted from:
<How to deal with selfish mean people 如何面對自私又刻薄的人>
<How to deal with selfish mean people 如何面對自私又刻薄的人>
Q: Hello Ajahn Brahm. Please share your insights on how to deal with selfish mean people. Sometimes being kind is so hard to do with these people. Thank you for the wisdom.
Ajahn Brahm: Selfish mean people—if somebody is really, really selfish and mean, a lot of the time, it's because they never experience much kindness and compassion. They think they need to act that way to defend themselves. So sometimes, if we can give them kindness and react to them in a more kind way, then you're not feeding their selfishness and meanness.
Again, just like the anger-eating monster simile—if you're kind to the monsters, then the monsters just kind of disappear. They get soft. And the selfish people, when you react to them with softness rather than more selfishness ("Get out of my way!"), a lot of times, they too soften up. It's wonderful to see that.
Like that story I told you about the prison officer and the prisoner—when he tried to be kind to him over many days, many months, it worked.
提問：
阿贊布拉姆尊者您好，請教您該如何與自私又刻薄的人相處？有時候對這樣的人保持善意真的很困難。感謝您的智慧開示。
阿贊布拉尊者：
那些自私又刻薄的人啊——如果一個人表現得極度自私、充滿惡意，多半是因為他們從未真正感受過多少善意與慈悲。他們以為必須這樣武裝自己才能生存。所以有時候，如果我們能用更多的善意回應他們，其實就是在停止餵養他們的惡劣習性。
就像那個「憤怒食人魔」的比喻——如果你對怪物溫柔，怪物反而會漸漸消失。牠們的尖刺會軟化。自私的人也是同樣道理，當你以柔軟心對待（而不是用「滾開！」這種更自私的態度回應），很多時候他們也會跟著柔和下來。這種轉變總是很美妙。
就像我常說的那個故事：監獄管理員日復一日、月復一月地用善意對待囚犯，最後真的改變了他。
excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7O7w6U-27c
《The mind made body after death 死後的意生身》
《The mind made body after death 死後的意生身》
**Question:**
Any Nikaya sutra mention about the dying process? Since you talked about near-death experiences today, which are like the Jhana experience. Thank you.
**Ajahn Brahm:**
A lot of the time, you don’t have to train to die—it’s going to happen anyway. But when you do Jhana meditations, you understand how it works. Your five senses stop—that’s called death. Getting to that point can be painful or distressing, but afterwards, it’s always really pleasant.
Once the five senses stop, the mind—so addicted to sensory input—starts to create a mind-made body for most people. This mind-made body is fascinating because how you are cremated and what you’re wearing when you’re cremated often determines how your mind-made body appears.
There was one case—this has to be the last story (though actually, there are many more, but I’ll save those for later). One of my disciples introduced me to his friend, a builder from Kalgoorlie, who hardly ever came to Perth. He developed cancer, so his friend brought him to me for a blessing and advice on how to die. Eventually, he passed away.
Later, the disciple who introduced us told me about a strange experience. In the middle of the night in Perth, he was woken up by what felt like his wife elbowing him. He told her to stop, only to realize she was fast asleep—she hadn’t touched him. When he turned around, he saw his deceased friend—the ghost. And don’t ever be afraid of ghosts; they’re actually quite interesting!
His friend was wearing a suit and a polka-dot bow tie—something he had never worn in his life. Kalgoorlie is a very hot city, and this man was a builder who never dressed formally. The disciple tried to wake his wife to see the ghost, but by the time he turned back, it had vanished.
Later, he came to tell me about it, not just because he saw a ghost (which happens), but because of what the ghost was wearing—a suit and a polka-dot bow tie, which he had never seen his friend wear. I told him, *"That’s really fascinating. In a day or two, call his widow to check on her, and casually ask what he was buried in."*
When he did, she replied, *"Oh, I put him in a suit I bought him years ago—he refused to wear it in life, but now that he’s dead, he had no choice! And yes, I also put a bow tie on him—a polka-dot one—which he also never wore."*
That’s why he had to come and tell me—because often, how you’re dressed in the coffin is how your mind-made body appears when you manifest as a ghost.
But don’t worry too much about death. The best thing to do is let go, make peace, and just relax to the max. You can never go wrong with relaxing to the max—and you don’t have to worry about sloth and torpor when you’re dead!
**提問：**
尼柯耶經典中有提到死亡的過程嗎？因為你今天談到的瀕死經驗，聽起來很像禪那的體驗。謝謝。
**阿姜布拉姆：**
其實很多時候，你根本不需要特別練習怎麼死——反正它遲早會發生。但當你修習禪那時，你會更理解死亡的運作方式。當你的五感停止時，那就是死亡。到達那個狀態的過程或許會痛苦或不安，但之後總是無比平靜愉悅的。
當五感停止後，由於心長期依賴感官，大多數人會開始創造出一個「意生身」。這個意生身很有趣，因為它往往會反映你被埋葬時的穿著打扮。
有個真實案例（這應該是最後一個故事了，雖然其實還有很多，但以後再說吧）。我的一位弟子介紹我認識他在卡爾古利的朋友，他是個建築工人，很少來珀斯。後來他得了癌症，所以朋友帶他來見我，希望我能給予祝福，並指導他如何面對死亡。最終，他去世了。
後來，那位介紹我們認識的弟子跟我分享了一個奇特的經歷：某天半夜在珀斯，他突然感覺被妻子用手肘推醒，叫她別這樣，卻發現妻子根本熟睡著，根本沒碰他。當他轉身時，竟看到那位剛過世的朋友——鬼魂現身了。（別怕鬼魂，他們其實很有趣！）
這位亡友穿著一套西裝，還打著波點領結——這輩子從沒見他這樣穿過。卡爾古利是個炎熱的城市，而他身為建築工人，從不穿正裝。弟子想叫醒妻子一起看，但一轉頭，鬼魂就消失了。
後來他來告訴我這件事，重點不是見鬼（這不算稀奇），而是亡友的穿著——西裝加波點領結，完全不符合他生前的習慣。我對他說：**「這太有意思了。過一兩天，你打電話問候他的遺孀，順便問她亡夫下葬時穿什麼。」**
當他照做時，對方回答：**「哦，我讓他穿了一套多年前買給他的西裝——他生前不肯穿，現在死了，總算由不得他了！對了，我還給他打了領結——波點的——他生前也從來不戴。」**
這就是為什麼他必須來告訴我——因為亡者在棺材裡的穿著，往往會成為意生身顯現時的樣貌。
不過，別太擔心死亡。最好的態度就是放下、平靜，放鬆到極點。放鬆到極點永遠不會錯——反正死了也不用擔心昏沉掉舉啦！
excercpted from:
《Does Jhana disspears with age?禪那會隨著年齡消失嗎？》
《Does Jhana disspears with age?禪那會隨著年齡消失嗎？》
Q:Dear Ajahn Brahm, my friend lost her Jhanna, and I heard sometimes Jhanna can disappear because of old age.
Ajahn Brahm.:
.....
now I admit it: yeah, I am old.
But Jhanna doesn’t have to disappear. Jhanna’s got nothing to do with the body—it’s the mind. How old was the Buddha when he passed away? Eighty. Did he lose his Jhanna? No way. It doesn’t depend upon the body; it depends upon the mind.
Q:So what should we do then?
Ajahn Brahm: It doesn’t just happen. If we cannot achieve sotāpanna in this life, can it be saved for the next life? The Jhanas—can they?
Why do you think this six- or seven-year-old boy could sit under a rose apple tree, having no training at all in this life, and go into the first Jhana very quickly? Why? Because he had trained in his previous life under Kassapa. This is actually how it works—it’s not transferred like some inheritance where you go to the bank and cash it out to get a Jhana. It’s just that the tendency remains with you, and sometimes you do remember.
提問：
尊者阿姜布拉姆，我的朋友失去了她的禪定能力，我聽說有時候禪定會因為年老而消失。
阿姜布拉姆：
......
好吧，我現在承認了：對啦，我是老了。
但禪那不一定要消失。禪那跟身體根本無關——它是心的境界。佛陀入滅時幾歲？八十歲。他有失去禪那嗎？不！ 禪那不取決於身體，而是取決於心。
提問：
那我們該怎麼做呢？
阿姜布拉姆：
這不會憑空發生的。
如果我們今生無法證得初果，初果能留到來世嗎？禪那——也可以嗎？
你們想想，為什麼那個六七歲的小男孩，明明今生完全沒受過訓練，卻能坐在玫瑰蘋果樹下，很快進入初禪？為什麼？因為他前世曾在迦葉佛座下修行過。實際運作就是這樣——這不像某種遺產，你去銀行就能領出一份禪定。這只是那種習氣一直跟著你，有時候你確實會想起來。
2025-7-11：
《二戒 Two precepts》
《二戒 Two precepts》
You know, a lot of people lose their memory, and so that's why sometimes I don’t teach them the five precepts. I teach them the two precepts. Those are the precepts which I keep. I'm a two-preceptor. What are those two precepts? Never doing anything which hurts or harms another living being, and never doing anything intentionally which hurts or harms oneself. Those become the two precepts.
And you know, a lot of times people feel, "Oh, five precepts is so complicated." For example, you can't take drugs—but what if those drugs are actually prescribed by a doctor? Is that wrong? Or what if I don’t take those drugs, I’ll die—so what should you do? All those things make it very complicated. But if you just keep it very simple—don’t do anything which harms another being, and don’t do anything which harms yourself—it’s pretty easy to understand. Makes sense?
你知道嗎，很多人會忘記事情，所以有時候我不教他們「五戒」，而是教他們「二戒」。這是我自己所持守的戒律。我是持「二戒」的人。這兩條戒是什麼呢？第一，永遠不做傷害其他眾生的事；第二，永遠不故意做傷害自己的事。這就是「二戒」。
你知道嗎，很多人覺得「五戒」太複雜了。比如說，不能吸毒——但如果那些藥是醫生開的呢？這樣算錯嗎？或者如果我不吃那些藥就會死，那我該怎麼辦？這些事情讓戒律變得很複雜。但如果簡單一點——不要做傷害其他眾生的事，也不要傷害自己——這樣就很容易理解了，對吧？
---Ajahn Brahm
excerpted from '2025-07-13 Ajahn Brahm 9-Day Retreat - Morning Q&A' :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Or5gllQLgU
**佛教對生命起源的看法** **Buddhism’s View on the Origin of Living Beings**
**佛教對生命起源的看法** **Buddhism’s View on the Origin of Living Beings**
**Buddhism’s View on the Origin of Living Beings**
Devotee: Dear Ajahn , what is Buddhism’s view on the origin of humans and other living beings. If there is no God, how do we explain their existence?
Ajahn Brahm: We’re not talking about the origin of things like stuff.
I know when it comes to the origin of material things
with science.
Instead of origin, what about dissolution when things end?
Something I’ve always recognized, is a basic law of science and life: things can't be created or destroyed. Matter can convert into energy sometimes, or energy converted into matter; but the total sum of mass and energy in the universe can never increase or decrease.
So what happens in the end of the universe?
I remember doing a conference or talk about religion and science. Different people expressed their ideas on the origin and end of the universe.
What if all matter, all stuff, every beings, and every star system in the cosmos all came together like the idea of the black hole? What would happen to it? The energy will be so immense that it will explode? Or what happens if the total sum of the mass and energy in the universe balanced? it is the zero sum game
I remeber that I have mentioned that to the local head of science here in Western Australia. He turned round to me and was gobsmacked. He said, *"You’re so up to date! Ajahn Brahm! ' Omega equals 1."*
That’s a scientific term referring to the value of mass and energy. The mass of energy came together , totally balanced out in the whole universe —all the people, all the things, all the energy.
There is something called negative energy, not talking about emotional stuff, but real energy.
Imagine something which is heavy, like this bottle of a couple of Kg.
If I want to take this bottle out of Earth’s gravitational field, it gonna takes some energy to achive that, meaning the bottle has a much less than 2 Kg if I take it out of the gravitatinal field, it has to lose some energy as a "negative energy" component.If we take it away from anything, and then it will balance out to zero.
Nothing created or destroyed—that's how things can come back from nothing, and return to nothingness. That’s modern physics.
They dont need to be created by a thing , by a being.
Do you understand? you don't . I don't think so.
So of course that can happen. And if there was, you know , a creator being; they always have a question, what was there before the creator being? who created the creator? That question cannot be answered, that's the reason why, as a scientist, I love the idea of Buddhism . Nothing is created like a will act by something else, it happens because it can happen. That is what happens in science.
There are many theoretical physicist like me.
Even Steven Hawking revised his early theories on black holes, realizing black holes aren’t completely black—they decay when it's not supposed to happen in the first place. But because they can, it means they will.
.......
image cred. to Bodhinyana International Foundation
14:44< :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Ocf5obooY
**佛教對生命起源的看法**
弟子：尊敬的阿姜布拉姆長老，佛教如何看待人類和其他生命的起源？如果沒有造物主，我們該如何解釋生命的存在？
阿姜布拉姆：我們（佛教）談的不是起源。
談到物質世界的來源，我知道科學的解釋
與其探討起源，不如思考「滅盡」——當一切終結時會發生什麼？科學和生命的基本法則告訴我們：沒有東西被創造和毀滅。物質可以轉化為能量，能量也能形成物質，但宇宙中質能總和永遠不增不減。
那麼宇宙的終局會如何？
我曾在一場宗教與科學的對談中，聽過各種關於宇宙起源與終結的理論。試想：如果所有物質、生命、星系都聚合在一起就像在黑洞那樣，會發生什麼？能量會巨大得劇烈爆炸？還是物質和能量完全抵消？ 那其實是「零和遊戲」！
當我把這個想法告訴西澳洲的科學權威時，他瞪大眼睛驚嘆：「長老您太先進了！Ω=1啊！」（註：Ω=1是宇宙學中描述物質和能量平衡的參數）
這意味著，若將宇宙中所有物質、能量，包括「負能量」---不是情緒那種，而是物理學概念--加總，結果會歸零。
就像這瓶兩公斤的水，若要將它拋出地球重力場，就必須拿走一些能量，換句話說，如果我將這瓶水帶出地球重力場，它將會少過兩公斤。它要失去一些能量作為「負能量」。萬物皆存在於某種力場中，因此都具有這種負向成分。若將它抽離，終極平衡就是零。
沒有東西被創造和摧毀，這就是怎樣無中生有，然後復歸於無——這正是現代物理學的結論，根本不需要造物主。
（此時聽眾一臉茫然）
阿姜布拉姆：明白嗎？（笑）不懂對吧？
那當然能發生。假設真有造物主，那麼「誰創造了造物主」？這個問題永遠無解。所以我作為科學家特別欣賞佛教觀點：沒有東西由某個意志所創造， 它們發生因為它們能發生
就連霍金晚年也修正理論，發現黑洞並非完全「黑」——它們會蒸發衰變，因為「可能發生的事終將發生」。
image cred. to BBodhinyana International Foundation
▶ 14:44片段：
《戒律讓禪修更加有力》《Precepts make meditation much stronger》
《戒律讓禪修更加有力》《Precepts make meditation much stronger》
《Precepts make meditation much stronger》
"You know, many times people ask, ‘Can you give me some advice? My meditation isn’t working.’
Sometimes, just simple advice: How are you keeping your precepts? Keep them a bit more thoroughly—don’t bend the rules. If you keep your precepts really well, you’ll find your meditation grows much stronger.
If you doubt me on that , I chant at every ordination ceremony...(pali phrase) ...‘When your meditation is empowered and supported by virtue, it is of great benefit and great power.’* something that many people lose sight of. When you have a foundation in virtue, your meditation becomes much much stronger
《戒律讓禪修更加有力》
「你知道嗎？常常有人問：『可以給我一些建議嗎？我的禪修一直沒有效果。』
有時候，答案很簡單：你的戒律持守得如何？試著更嚴格地持戒——不要委曲戒律。如果你能認真持守戒律，就會發現禪修變得更加有力。
如果你懷疑這一點，我在每次授戒儀式上都會誦唸這段....(巴利文)...『當禪修以戒德為根基時，將產生巨大的利益與力量。』但很多人忽略了這一點。當你以戒律為基礎時，禪修就會變得更加強大。」
--- Ajahn Brahm
2024-07-09 Ajahn Brahm 9-Day Retreat Morning Talk
Extracred from BIF <8:40:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwZmK2Jl8og&t=2723s
《蟑螂之家》《Cockroach house》
《蟑螂之家》《Cockroach house》
《蟑螂之家》
訪問者：如果你的房子被很多蟑螂所淹沒，你會怎麼做？
阿贊·布拉姆：我跟很多人說過這個。首先，為什麼會有這麼多蟑螂？因為有太多東西可以吃和喝。所以請保持清潔；清理表面。
第二，確保一開始就沒有蟑螂進來。我聽說很多蟑螂是從紙板包裝中出來的；他們把它帶到廚房，然後再也不把它們拿出來。所以確保保持清潔。了解蟑螂的習性，過一段時間後，確保所有紙板都被清理出去，這樣你就不會再有問題了。
cred. to 溫暖人間
《Cockroach house》
Interviewer: what will you do if your house is flooded with many cockroaches?
Ajahn Brahm: I have said it with many people. First of all, why there are many cockroaches? Because there are so many things to eat and to drink. So please be cleaner; clean the surfaces.
Number two, make sure that there are no cockroaches come here in the first place. I was told that it was so true that many cockroaches come off with cardboard packages; they take it to the kitchen, and don’t take them out of kitchen again. So make sure you keep it clean. Know how cockroaches work , after a while, make sure that all cardboards are out, and you will not have problems anymore.
《醫生與禽流感》《Doctors and Avian Flus》
《醫生與禽流感》《Doctors and Avian Flus》
《醫生與禽流感》
訪問者：一些醫療專業人士在遇到流感或類似情況時，會主張殺死動物，我們該如何阻止他們？
阿贊·布拉姆：有時我們可能無法阻止他們。但你不必支持他們。
訪問者：有時如果我們是政策制定者，我們該如何應對？
阿贊·布拉姆：首先，如果有替代方案就用替代方案吧；如今有很多替代方案；它們可能在金錢上更昂貴，但一條生命的價值又是多少呢？
《Doctors and Avian Flus》
Interviewer: some medical professionals, when they encounter flus or something like that, they will advocate to kill animals, how can we stop them?
Ajahn Brahm: sometimes we may not be able to stop them. But you don’t have to support them
Interviewer: sometimes if we were the policy maker; how can I cope with that?
Ajahn Brahm: first of all, if there are alternatives; these days there are alternatives ; they maybe more expensive in terms of money, but how expensive is a life?
《如何應付日常生活中的政治？》《How to deal with politics?》
《如何應付日常生活中的政治？》《How to deal with politics?》
《如何應付日常生活中的政治？》
訪問者：我可以問一下我們該如何在工作場所和佛教團體中應對政治嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：你應該盡量避免政治。這就是我們所稱的政治，這不是道德，這是因為人們想要獲得和保護權力---權力比做好事更重要。所以請不要與政治有任何關聯。
對政治家友善是好的；友善，但不要捲入政治；更好的方式是進入道德。要善良。
一個好的例子是，如果你支持一支足球隊；你不會說這支球隊應該贏，或者另一支隊必須輸；你讓他們公平競爭。
訪問者：所以即使我們是國家領導人，也不應該在其他國家之間玩政治，而是要幫助每個人？
阿贊·布拉姆：我們不想要權力，我們想要繁榮與和平。
《How to deal with politics?》
Interviewer: May I ask how do we deal with politics in workplace and Buddhist groups?
Ajahn Brahm: you try to avoid politics, that’s what we call politics. It is not ethics, it is that people want to gain and preserve power; power is more important than doing good. So please don’t have anything to do with politics
Interviewer: It is good to be kind to a politician; be kind , but don’t get into politics; the one way and the better way , is to go into ethics. Be kind
Good example is, if you support a football team; you don’t say this team should win, or the other team must lose ; you let them play a fair game.
Interviewer: So even if we are the national leaders, we should not play politics over other countries , but to help everyone
Ajahn Brahm: We don’t want power, but we want prosperity and peace
《聖者做生意的方式》《Noble Disciple’s way of doing business》
《聖者做生意的方式》《Noble Disciple’s way of doing business》
《聖者做生意的方式》
訪問者：我認識一位我相信是初果聖者的人，他是幾家公司的老闆。他們做生意的方式是什麼？因為賺錢就是從別人那裡獲利。
阿贊·布拉姆：是的，但大多數時候，你用這筆錢做什麼？你在成為初果聖者之前是一位成功的商人。成了之後你繼續做這個生意來幫助他人，這並不算壞。
甚至有關於戈提卡拉的故事，他是一位三果聖者，是上一尊佛迦葉佛的弟子。
他因為父母的緣故而沒有出家，而繼續是一名陶工。
他有責任照顧他們，因為沒有人能夠頂替他。正因如此，他繼續成為一名陶工。但他的生意很奇怪，他從不為賺錢而賣陶器，他只是把陶器留在工作台上。任何想要一件的人，可以留下些米或豆子，請隨意留下。這是以物易物，但又不是完全的以物易物。
這是你需要給出多少才能得到這個陶器；我捐給你，你再捐回給我。這就是成為三果聖者的人了。他這樣做只是因為他的父母是盲人。
訪問者：那麼初果聖者或二果聖者的做生意方式呢？
阿贊·布拉姆：也是沒有貪心。如果你負擔不起，就下週再支付米或錢。這與普通人的做生意方式完全不同；有著大量的信任，超乎尋常的信任。信任他們的顧客，如果今天不能付款，那就明天付款！
訪問者：所以他們賺錢的方式不是賺取，而是奉獻。
阿贊·布拉姆：對，奉獻，就像如果你的父母是貧窮的盲人；而你是他們的兒子，你有責任照顧他們，這就是你的做法！
cred. to 溫暖人間
《Noble Disciple’s way of doing business》
Interviewer: I know someone who I believe to be a stream-winner , who is bosses of several companies doing business. What is the way of an ariya doing business? Because making money is earning money from others.
Ajahn Brahm: yes, but most of the time, is what you use that money for?
You were a good businessman before you become a stream-winner
You carry on doing that business to help others, that’s not so bad
Even the story of Ghaṭīkāra , a non-returner, the disciple of the previous buddha, Kassapa Buddha. And he said how he became a potter, he wouldn’t become a monk because of his parents. He had the duties to look after them, because no one does that. Because of that, he continues to become a craft. But his business is strange, he would never sell pottery for money, he would leave the pottery to the bench. Anyone wants one piece , anyone wants to leave some rice of beans , please leave them. It is bartery, but not bartery.
This is how much you have to give to get one of these pot; I donate to you, you donate it back to me. That is being a non-returner. He only did that because his parents are blind
Interviewer:How about the way of sotapanna or sakadagami of doing businesses?
Ajahn Brahm: It is also without greed. If you can’t afford it, pay the rice or money next week. Totally different from the way an ordinary people do business; with a lot of trust, uncommon amount of trust. Trust to their customers, if they cant pay today, then pay tomorrow!
Interviewer: so their way of earning money is not earning , but just dedicating
Ajahn Brahm: yea, dedicating, just a way like if your parents who are poor who are blind; and you are his son, you have a duty to look after them, that is how you do it!
《購買彩票》《Buying lottery》
《購買彩票》《Buying lottery》
《購買彩票》
訪問者：那麼，請問您對購買彩票有什麼看法？
阿贊·布拉姆：這是一種瘋狂的方式，因為所有類型的賭博都會讓你蒙受損失。但有時這有點奇怪，有些人可能會去世，然後你夢到他們；他們會說：“請買這個號碼。”而這有時是真的。
所以如果發生這種情況，要確保你自己不從中獲得任何個人利益；用它來還債是可以的；最好的方法是把這筆錢用於一些慈善項目，而不是個人的私利。如果你用於個人私利，那麼你可能會變得執著，著迷於購買彩票。
眾所周知，贏得彩票的人總是在下週再買另一張票；無論他們贏了多少也好。
訪問者：想要越來越多。
阿贊·布拉姆：是的。
訪問者：那麼，所有的初果聖者和其他聖者都不會購買這些彩票嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：三果和阿羅漢肯定不會。初果聖者中，很多人不會，但有些人會。他們絕對不會為自己這樣做，而是為了比自己更大的事情而做。
cred. to 溫暖人間
《Buying lottery》
Interviewer: So what is your views on buying lottery tickets?
Ajahn Brahm: is a crazy way, because all types of gambling will always make you lose. But sometimes it is kind of weird, somebody might die, and then you have a dream about them; and they say, ‘please buy this number.’
And often that is true.
So if that happens, make sure you don’t take any personal advantage from it; use it to pay off debt is fine; the best thing is to use the money for some charities, not personal. If you use it for personal gain, then you will probably get attached , obsessed with buying lottery tickets.
It is quite well-known that people who wins always buy another tickets next week; doesn’t matter how much they have won
Interviewer: wanting more and more
Ajahn Brahm: yes
Interviewer: is it true that all sotapanna or ariya they will not buy these lottery tickets?
Ajahn Brahm: Non-returners and arahants certainly wont. Stream-winners, a lot will not , but some would. They will never do it for themselves, they will do it for bigger than themselves
image cred. to 灼見名家
《國家領導人如何應對罪案？》"How Should National Leaders Respond to Crime?"
《國家領導人如何應對罪案？》"How Should National Leaders Respond to Crime?"
《國家領導人如何應對罪案？》
訪問者：佛教不贊成暴力，如果您是總統，有人強姦或偷竊；你會怎麼做？
阿贊·布拉姆：原諒。.....
我記得有一個人被指控偷了一個麵包。法官問他：‘你為什麼要這樣做？’
他回答：‘我的孩子們在餓死。’
你知道，當我讀到這句話時，基於這個理由，你會怎麼做？或者你有一位母親或孩子真的非常餓。應該是社會受到譴責，而不是他。
他的生活非常艱難，他其實不是壞人，是個好人，他只是在履行自己的責任，愛他的孩子。這對我來說很重要。這應該受到懲罰嗎？你因為真的非常餓而偷了一個麵包。這是錯的，但懲罰是（輕笑）……我們能否在未來給你提供麵包呢；這就是佛教徒的反應。這也是我的錯，讓你陷入如此貧困。當有些人非常富有時，你卻不得不偷竊以求生存。
訪問者：如果我們是總統，某人強姦了另一個人，我們應該怎麼做？
阿贊·布拉姆：找出原因。一個例子是，有位男士在年輕時強姦了幾名女性；他被關在監獄裡多年。他是我們去探望的囚犯之一，他不是本地人，名字叫卡爾。當時正值我的禪修營，禪營的廚師因為癌症而無法履行職責。我問卡爾：‘你想來靜修營煮飯嗎？作為以工作理由暫時出獄？’
所以他來到了禪那林靜修中心；每天為60到70人做飯。他是一位了不起的廚師，會做各種菜餚，包括中餐。他真是太棒了！
我沒有告訴任何人他是誰，在靜修結束時；他們想感謝他做得這麼好。但他不在那裡。他們問：‘卡爾在哪裡？我們想謝謝他，他真好，做得很好。’
我確保他們坐下後，我說：‘我讓卡爾為我們做飯的原因，是因為平時當值的廚師得了癌症。卡爾今天不在這裡，他必須回監獄。’
‘他做了什麼？’
‘他因強姦被定罪！’
‘阿贊·布拉姆，你竟然讓一個強姦犯來為我們做飯？’
我說：‘那是他人生中很多年前的事。
只是因為他放下了兩個不好的磚頭；為什麼你要把一個曾經的吸毒者定義？當他當時只是年輕人。這完全不合理，也不合邏輯。我想用這個作為開示，很多年前的事情並不定義他的當下。某人是恐怖分子，你希望他改變嗎？給他改變的機會嗎？信任他們嗎？卡爾做得很好。’
這是幾年前的事。現在他獲釋了，還自願在我們的寺院閱讀一些有關防火的讀物，他勤奮工作，工資卻很少。為什麼？因為他喜歡來這裡。我們信任他。他說這是他生命中重要的事之一——改變。因為你強姦，並不意味著你就是強姦犯。這是可以改變的。所以這是一個美好的教導，告訴你如果有人做了壞事，確保他們得到療癒。為什麼我說療癒？表示你可以信任他們！
訪問者：那你認為監獄是可以存在的嗎？監獄形式的懲罰。
不應該有懲罰，而是康復。
我們能做什麼來確保這個人意識到自己造成的傷害，並且不再這樣做?
犯罪更像是一種疾病，監獄是用來療癒的；永遠不應該懲罰。如果受到懲罰，他們會變得更糟。
訪問者：如果他們強姦了某人，他們沉迷於性。那麼他們如何療癒？
阿贊·布拉姆：他們對你做了什麼？你對那個人做了什麼？想像一下他們的感受---確保他理解原因。
訪問者：所以讓他們想到其他人。
阿贊·布拉姆：對，想到其他人以及你所造成的後果。你讓自己變得如此難以找到工作，難以找到真正的伴侶。
訪問者：如果他們不聽呢？
阿贊·布拉姆：他們最終會聽的。我也從一位囚犯那裡得知，他說：‘這監獄裡的每個囚犯都後悔自己所做的事。通常他們不承認，不承認感到內疚。’ 那麼問題就解決了，他們確實感到內疚。所以他們希望自己從未這樣做過。他們會避免讓自己再次陷入犯罪的情境。
"How Should National Leaders Respond to Crime?":
disciple: Buddhism does not support violence. If you were the president and someone committed rape or theft, what would you do?
Ajahn Brahm: Forgive. ....
I remember a man who was accused of stealing a loaf of bread. The judge asked him, "Why did you do that?" He replied, "My children are starving." You know, when I read that, based on that reason, what would you do? Or if you had a mother or child who was truly very hungry. Society should be condemned, not him.
His life was very hard; he was not a bad person but a good person who was just fulfilling his responsibility and loving his children. That’s important to me. Should he be punished for stealing a loaf of bread because he was really very hungry? That is wrong, but the punishment is (laugh)… can we provide you with bread in the future? That’s the Buddhist response. It’s also my fault that you are in such poverty. When some people are very wealthy, you have to steal to survive.
disicple: If we were the president and someone raped another person, what should we do?
Ajahn Brahm: Find out the reason. For example, there was a man who raped several women when he was young; he was in prison for many years. He was one of the prisoners we visited, not from the local area, named Carl. At that time, I had a meditation retreat, and the cook could not fulfill his duties due to cancer. I asked Carl, "Would you like to come to the retreat to cook? As a temporary release for work?"
So he came to the meditation center; he cooked for 60 to 70 people every day. He was an amazing chef and could prepare various dishes, including Chinese food. He was fantastic!
I didn’t tell anyone who he was, and at the end of the retreat, they wanted to thank him for doing such a good job. But he wasn’t there. They asked, "Where is Carl? We want to thank him; he’s so nice and did so well."
After making sure they were seated, I said, "The reason I had Carl cook for us is that the regular chef had cancer. Carl is not here today; he has to return to prison."
"What did he do?"
"He was convicted of rape"
"Ajahn Brahm, you let a rapist cook for us?"
I said, "That was many years ago in his life. Why would you define a young drug addict by two bad bricks? That’s completely unreasonable and illogical. I want to use this as a teaching: something that happened many years ago does not define your identity in prison. If someone is a terrorist, do you want them to change? Give them a chance to change? Trust them? Carl did very well."
This was a few years ago. Now he’s released and even volunteers at our temple reading some literature about fire safety. He works hard but earns very little. Why? Because he enjoys coming here. We trust him. He said this is one of the important things in his life—change. Just because you committed rape does not mean you are a rapist. That can change. So this is a beautiful teaching, telling you that if someone does something bad, make sure they receive healing. Why do I say healing? It means you can trust them!
disciple: So do you think prisons should exist? Punishment in the form of prison.
Ajahn Brahm:There shouldn’t be punishment; there should be rehabilitation. What can we do to ensure this person realizes the harm they have caused and doesn’t do it again? Crime is more like a disease; prisons are meant for healing; they should never be for punishment. If punished, they will get worse.
disciple: If they raped someone, they are addicted to sex. How do they heal?
Ajahn Brahm: What did they do to you? What did you do to that person? Imagine their feelings—make sure he understands the reasons.
disciple: So make them think of others.
Ajahn Brahm: Yes, think of others and the consequences of what you’ve caused. You make it so difficult for yourself to find a job, to find a real partner.
disciple: What if they don’t listen?
Ajahn Brahm: They will eventually listen. I also learned from a prisoner who said, "Every prisoner in here regrets what they did. Usually, they don’t admit it, don’t acknowledge feeling guilty." So the problem is resolved; they do feel guilty. They wish they had never done it. They will avoid putting themselves in situations where they might commit crime again.
《如何處理叛逆的僧侶？》《How to deal with rebellious monks?》
《如何處理叛逆的僧侶？》《How to deal with rebellious monks?》
《如何處理叛逆的僧侶？》
訪問者：如果有一位非常叛逆的僧侶，您已經多次告訴他不要這樣做，但他仍然這樣做；您會怎麼處理他？
阿贊·布拉姆：讓在家人和支持者知道。僧侶必須依賴在家群體的支持。如果在家群體不支持你，你就無法以僧侶的身份生存了。這就是為什麼當僧侶在任何地方行為不端時，你需要讓在家人知道的原因。
但你必須確保你有正確的事實。
《How to deal with rebellious monks?》
Interviewer: If there is a monk who is very rebellious, you have told him not to do it for many times, but he still do it; what will you do to him?
Ajahn Brahm: let the lay people, the supporters know. The monk has to depend on the support of the lay community. If the lay community doesn’t support you , you cant survive as a monk. And that is the reason when a monk misbehaves anywhere , you let the lay people know.
But you have to make sure that you have the facts right
《外道與禪那》《outsiders and Jhanas》
《外道與禪那》《outsiders and Jhanas》
《外道與禪那》
訪問者：我記得在《本生經》中，佛陀在過去的生世中作為菩薩時，也修習過禪那。正確的禪那也可以由外道修習，這是真的嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：當佛陀開悟時，他說就像是在叢林中發現了一條被樹木覆蓋的老路。他清理了這條路。
他記起了八正道的組合。因此他在過去的生世中已經修習過，但那時並不廣為人知。有些人可能能做到，或者僥倖成功。
《outsiders and Jhanas》
Interviewer: I remember that in the Jataka Tales, the buddha in his past lives as bodhisattva, he also practices Jhanas. Correct Jhanas can also be practiced by outsiders, is that true?
Ajahn Brahm: When the buddha get enlightened. He says as if he has discovered the old path in the jungle filled with woods. He cleared it.
Remember the combinations of the eightfold path. So he has previously be done in previous lives , but at that time it is not well known. Some people may be able to do it , or fluke it.
《為什麼佛陀的訓練以禪定為結尾？》《Why the training from the Buddha ends in stillness?》
《為什麼佛陀的訓練以禪定為結尾？》《Why the training from the Buddha ends in stillness?》
《為什麼佛陀的訓練以禪定為結尾？》
信徒：我記得在《經藏》中，佛陀為如何訓練僧侶制定了路線圖。佛陀會指導僧侶首先持守戒律等等，然後最終獲得禪那。為什麼佛陀不把智慧作為最後一步來教導？
阿贊·布拉姆：就像成為物理學家一樣。真正的智慧是你在沒有數據的情況下無法看見的，因此在禪修中，你會到達一些你從未去過的地方--這是神話。所以你會獲得更深的數據和經驗，因此你實際上是在發展你的智慧。
信徒：我可以這樣理解嗎？佛陀每天都在講法，他們已經吸收了智慧。因此當他們得到禪那時，他們的心已經指向那個方向了？
阿贊·布拉姆：還不行，沒有。這是通過經驗來實現的。究竟怎麼能讓任何人理解‘苦’？讓我舉個比喻，這不是佛陀的比喻，但我相信他一定會同意。無論魚有多聰明，它永遠無法‘理解’水。它只‘知道’水。
蝌蚪就像魚。有一天，蝌蚪長出了腿和手，變成了青蛙，青蛙能夠跳出水面。一旦青蛙跳出水面，它就明白了水是什麼，水又不是什麼。
這就像當你深入禪修時，那種經驗與我們所經歷的完全不同。當你擁有禪那時，你可以發展智慧。
信徒：一些外道也有禪那，但為什麼他們無法得到開悟？
阿贊·布拉姆：他們有嗎？
信徒：他們沒有嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：是的，他們沒有，他們沒有禪那，這就是重點。他們沒有提到禪那。他們提到這些無色界狀態。我們假設他們也獲得了禪那，但實際上並沒有。這樣的情況已經持續了幾個世紀，教導變得混亂。因為佛陀說，「這些經驗不會導致開悟。」佛陀不會自相矛盾的，所以那些是假的。
如今禪那已經非常有名。有時候人們從那裡出來然後說：「這是禪那，對吧？」
他們想要達到禪那，所以他們對禪那的要求有些誇大。
初禪的一個要求是你不會能夠思考。
你不能給事物命名。
我記得在《質多相應》中，尼甘陀那陀布達，他是當時耆那教的領袖之一；看到質多成為了悉達多·喬達摩的弟子之一後，便問他：「你說，你可以停止所有的思考，這可能嗎？」
於是質多回答：「我完全不相信這是可能的！」
他是佛陀的弟子。然後尼甘陀那陀布達說：「你看！甚至他的一位資深弟子也說這是不可能的。你不能停止思考！」
然後質多回答：「我不相信，因為我經常這樣做。」
所以尼甘陀那陀布達說：「這些狡猾的人」
他掉進陷阱了。
我喜歡這句話，因為即使是耆那教的領袖也不知道禪那是什麼。
信徒：在你看來，他們的無色界狀態是什麼？
阿贊·布拉姆：停止思考。
信徒：我的意思是那些外道。
阿贊·布拉姆：任何你能在不思考的情況下保持靜止的時間，不論長短，你實際上並不是通過禪那達到那個階段。
那些無色界定只是當你達到第四禪時才會發生的，你在那裡待的時間越長，越多的事物消失，實際上是心開始關機了。
但你必須先經歷四禪。因此，那只是沒有禪那的修行。
《Why the training from the Buddha ends in stillness?》
Devotee: I remember in the Tipitaka , the buddha has an lay out for how he trains the monk. The buddha will instruct the monks to first keep the precepts etc. and then finally gain Jhana. Why doesn’t the buddha teach about wisdom as the final step?
Ajahn Brahm : just like being a physicist. Real wisdom is something that you cant see without the data , so in meditation, you will go to places which you have never been before, the myths. So you have deeper data and experiences, so you actually are developing your wisdom.
Devotee: can I comprehend this way? The buddha is preaching the Dhamma every day, and they have absorbed the wisdom already. So when they have got jhanas, their mind is already directed to that?
Ajahn Brahm: not yet, no. It is done by experiences. How on earth can any person understand dukkha, let me give a simile , its not the buddha’s simile, but I am sure he will definitely agree with it. No matter how smart the fish is, they will never understand the water. He only knows the water.
The tadpole is similar to a fish. One day the tadpole grows the legs and arms ; becomes a frog, and the frog can jump out of the water. Once the frog jumps out of the water, and now he understands what the water is, and what water is not.
It is like when you go deep into a deep meditation, the experience is so dissimilar to all we experience. When you have Jhanas, you can develop wisdom.
Devotee: some outsiders they also have jhanas, but why cant they get enlightened
Ajahn Brahm: do they?
Devotee: they do not?
Ajahn Brahm: yes they do not, they don’t have jhanas, that is the point. They didn’t mention Jhanas. They mention these arupas states. And we assume that they also get Jhanas, but they do not. It has go on for many centuries , and the teaching has got confused. Because what the buddha says, ‘ these experiences do not lead to enlightenment.’ The buddha won’t contradict himself, they are fake ones.
Jhanas now are so well-known. Sometimes people come out of it and say,’ this is jhana , isn’t it?’
They want to achieve that, so they kind of exaggerate the requirements.
One requirement of the first Jhana is that you can’t think
You cant give things name.
I remember in the Citta-samyutta. Nigaṇṭhanāṭaputta , one of the leaders of his age ; see that Citta becomes one of the Sadattha Gotama’s disciples. Then asks him, ‘you say, you can stop all thinking, is that possible?’
So citta reply, ‘I don’t believe that is possible at all!’ He is one of the buddha’s disciples. And then Nigaṇṭhanāṭaputta says,’ you see! Even one of his senior disciples say it is not possible. You can’t stop thinking! ‘
And then Citta replies, ‘ I don’t believe it , because I do it very often.’
So Nigaṇṭhanāṭaputta said,’ these devious ‘ he had fallen into the trap.
I like that saying, because even the leader of the Jains didn’t know what Jhanas were.
Devotee: in your opinion, what are their arupa states are?
Ajahn Brahm: stop thinking
Devotee: I mean that of the outsiders
Ajahn Brahm: anything you can be still long enough without thinking, you don’t actually go to that stage through the jhanas. Those arupas are just what happened when you have gone to the fourth Jhanas, you stay there long enough , the more things vanished, what happens is the mind is turning off.
But you have to go through the four Jhanas first. So that is only a practice without Jhanas
《阿贊·布拉姆訓練他人的方式》《The way Ajahn Brahm trains others》
《阿贊·布拉姆訓練他人的方式》《The way Ajahn Brahm trains others》
《阿贊·布拉姆訓練他人的方式》
信徒：您是如何將一個普通人訓練成阿羅漢的？
阿贊·布拉姆：我們會非常清楚，讓他們走八正道！
信徒：我可以問一下您是如何訓練您寺廟中的僧侶的嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：其中一件重要的事情是，你要堅守自己的戒律，努力保持它們。如果你違反了戒律，要立刻告訴別人你做錯了什麼。
我們有戒律的原因是因為人們會違反它們。你並不是故意的，而是受到誘惑。因此你會努力變得更好。
當你越來越看到戒律的價值時，保持戒律會變得更加容易。然後，因為你的良好戒律，你就沒有任何負擔，禪修也變得輕鬆得多。
《The way Ajahn Brahm trains others》
Devotee: What is your way of training a common worlding to an arahant?
Ajahn Brahm: we will make it very clear, we walk the eightfold path!
Devotee: May I ask how would train the monks in your temple?
Ajahn Brahm：one of the thing which is important, is you determined on your precept, you try to keep them. If you break a precept, you tell the other person straightaway for what you have done.
The reason why we have precepts is because the people will break that. You don’t do that on purpose , but you are tempted. So you will try to be better .
while you see the value of the precepts more more and more, and it makes you much easier to keep. And then afterwards, because of your good precepts, you don’t have any baggage, and you become so much easier to meditate
《佛陀拋棄他的家庭？》《Buddha abandon his family?》
《佛陀拋棄他的家庭？》《Buddha abandon his family?》
《佛陀拋棄他的家庭？》
信徒：人們會批評佛陀為什麼拋棄了他的孩子和妻子。我們該怎麼回答他們？
阿贊·布拉姆：看看結果。結果是驚人的。如果他沒有這樣做，我們就不會有佛陀。
信徒：所以是用最終的結果來說服他們，對嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：對。
信徒：如果我們不聽父母的話去出家，這樣是在幫助自己…
阿贊·布拉姆：成為阿羅漢，幫助他人。你的父母會因為你沒有聽從他們的建議而非常高興。
《Buddha abandon his family?》
Devotee: People will judge the buddha for why he abandon his child and wife. How can we answer them?
Ajahn Brahm: Look what happened. The outcome is amazing. If he had not done that, there will not be buddha for us
Devotee: So to convince them with the ultimate outcome right？
Ajahn Brahm： Yeah.
Devotee: if we do not listen to our parents and go to become a monk, we are helping ourselves to
Ajahn Brahm：Become an arahant, help others
And your parents will be very very happy for you, thanks for not following their advice.
《佛教與愛》《Buddhist Love》
《佛教與愛》《Buddhist Love》
《佛教與愛》
訪問者：世俗的愛，通常是煩惱的表現嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：並不總是。愛有不同的類型。首先是感官之愛，我們體內的化學之愛。
然後更深層的是信任之愛。父母之間的那種愛；那些相伴了很長時間的老年人。他們彼此相處得很好，那不是感官之愛。那是兩個人彼此關心的愛。
訪問者：那“四無量心”的愛呢？慈、慈、喜……
阿贊·布拉姆：那是最好的。
訪問者：但如果是這樣，那就不算婚姻了？那是比丘和比丘尼，對吧？
阿贊·布拉姆：是的，這是最好的。但並不是每個人都會成為比丘或比丘尼，有時他們需要自己去發掘真理。
訪問者：對於這些聖潔的人來說，他們還能繼續維持婚姻嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：可以，但他們不再有感官的婚姻了。他們經歷了那一個的階段，然後彼此善待對方。
我曾經非常快樂。
在我成為僧侶之前，我和女友之間沒有強烈的關係。
甚至，呃，請不要介意，與她們同床共枕；幾乎就像已婚男女一樣。就像每個人都經歷過的那樣。
所以我從未開始思考這些事情，因為我不知道。
我知道伴侶能帶來的快樂和問題；所以我決定成為一名僧侶。
cred. to 溫暖人間
《Buddhist Love》
Interviewer: love in mundane way, is usually a manifestation of defilements?
Ajahn Brahm : not always. There are different types of love. First is the sensual love. The chemical love within our body.
Then later on they are something deeper, the love of trust. The kind of love between your own father and mother; the older people who have been together for such a long time. They get alone with each other so well, that is not sensual love . That is the love of two people care for each other.
Interviewer: The love of the 'four immeasurable minds.'? Loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy…..
Ajahn Brahm : that is the best
Interviewer: but if that is the way, then it is not marriage already? It is a monk and nun , right?
Ajahn Brahm : yes the best. But not everyone would become a monk or a nun, sometimes they are going to find out the truth themselves
Interviewer: is it possible for these holy people, both of them, to keep the marriage anymore?
Ajahn Brahm: yes, but they don’t get the sensual marriage anymore, they go through the stage of their life, they just be kind to one another
I was very happy.
Before I became a monk, I had no strong relationship with girlfriends
And even, nah please don’t get offended, sleeping with them; almost like a men and women who are married. Having gone through that like everybody was.
So I never start think about these things, because I didn’t know. I knew the amount of happiness that the partner will give you, the problems that would give you; So I decided to become a monk.
《人們傾向於選擇持守五戒的人做伴侶》
《人們傾向於選擇持守五戒的人做伴侶》
《People tends to select those with five precepts as partners》
《People tends to select those with five precepts as partners》
《人們傾向於選擇持守五戒的人做伴侶》
幾年前我在馬來西亞時，舉辦了一個青少年研討會。為了讓這些15至25歲的年輕人更感興趣，我們將他們分成男生和女生兩組。
如果你是女孩，你會被什麼樣的男孩吸引？她們就寫下來。然後女孩們在寫，而男孩則變得安靜，他們對答案很感興趣。男孩們總是在尋找合適的女友，但該怎麼做呢？
女孩們的回應讓我感到驚訝：「我們總是喜歡那些值得信賴的男孩，他們總是及時出現，善良，不會暴力；他們是我們可以信任的人；而且還很乾淨。」
我問她們，男孩需要看起來好嗎？需要穿時尚的衣服嗎？她們說：「不！我們只需要一個好的伴侶，能讓我們快樂的人！容易交談，值得信賴。」
男孩們真的很感興趣，他們不需要穿昂貴的衣服，買大摩托車或其他東西。那是女孩們的回答。
然後我轉向男孩們，所有女孩都在專心聆聽。
他們基本上說了同樣的話：「我想要一個不需要太漂亮、吸引人的女孩；但她們是我們可以信任的人，能讓我們感到平靜、放鬆的人，而且她們要誠實和善良。」
最後，他們其實說的都是同樣的話。
所以你們真正想要的，是一個能持守五戒的人。他們說：「對！」
這使得五戒變得更加重要，讓你對異性更具吸引力。
《People tends to select those with five precepts as partners》
When I was in Malaysia some years ago, I had a youth group , a seminar. To make it interesting for these young people between 15-25 , what are they interested in ?
We split it into two groups, the men and the women.
If you are a girl, what type of boy you are attracted to? They write it in a piece of papers. So the girls are writing, and the boys become quiet, they are interesting to find the answers. They have always been looking to find a nice girl friend, but how do you do that?
And what the girls say is fascinating. We always love the boys who are trustworthy, who always turn up in time, they are kind , they are not going to be violent ; they are people we can trust ; and also clean.
I ask them, do boys need to look good? Looking fashionable, wearing fashionable clothes? They said, ‘no! we just need someone who is a good companion, who always keeps us happy! Be easy to talk with , trustworthy .’
Boys are really interested, they do not need to wear expensive clothes , buy a big motorcycle or anything. That is for the girls.
Then I turn to and ask the boys. All the girls are listening attentively. They basically say the same thing: I want a girl who doesn’t need to be that pretty , attractive ; but is people we can trust, we can be at peace with , relax with , honest and kind.
At the end they are actually saying the same thing.
So what you really want, is someone who keeps the five precepts. They say,’ yeah!’
So that makes five precepts more important, make you attractive to opposite genders.
《恐怖分子》《Terrorist》
《恐怖分子》《Terrorist》
訪問者：那恐怖主義呢？一些極端的宗教人士會想要對您發動。如果您是一個國家的總理，您會怎麼做？
阿贊·布拉姆：我永遠不會稱他們為恐怖分子。因為如果你稱他們為恐怖分子，你就預見會有暴力。
（我會問他們：）「你為什麼會這樣做？為什麼你要冒著自己的生命和許多他人的生命？」
這是我和一位印尼的恐怖分子討論的原因之一。我們談論了宗教的事情。我記得我和他們其中一個人交談時，我說：「你不是恐怖分子，你只是有強烈動機想要解決這個世界的問題。你不是恐怖分子。」
為什麼人們稱他們為恐怖分子？如果是這樣，那麼人們也會稱喬治·華盛頓為恐怖分子，他是他國的統治者。因為即使是美國總統也做過錯事。每個人都會犯錯，我們在戰爭中永遠找不到和平。
什麼是恐怖分子？恐怖分子是對別人所做的事情感到不滿的人，而你的情感是正確的，只是你的解決方案錯了。
我喜歡講這個故事的原因之一是，當我在泰國的時候，正值越南戰爭結束後。我在泰國的頭陀行中。我想要去的地方是一個叢林地帶，人們稱之為「粉紅區」。因為泰國有一場叛亂；他們對政府感到不滿。他們想推翻政府，創造他們認為的最佳統治方式。他們都是受過高等教育的年輕男女。當我進入叢林時，他們已經殺過士兵，甚至殺過僧侶了。我必須非常小心，保持遠離那個區域，否則我也會被殺。
我總是和那個區域的士兵聯繫，確保那是安全的。他們總是告訴我：「不要去那裡，那些粉紅區由恐怖分子控制。」
他們知道自己是誰
（我問政府軍：）「你們的政府為什麼不採取行動？」
「我們正好在他們的地盤使用所謂的非暴力策略。我們不會去殺人。因為每殺一個士兵，就會有兩個他們的朋友出現而加入，恐怖分子會越來越多。與其如此，我們選擇非暴力，第二是大赦。這些是我們的兄弟姐妹，我們不想送士兵和他們戰鬥，我們會直接給他們大赦---放下武器，回到學校和家中，那一切都會被原諒。」
為什麼？在這場叛亂中，很多年前在泰國，他們非常非常貧窮；有時我只吃一頓飯，比如只吃煮熟了的青蛙和米飯，到處都很貧困。所以泰國政府在當時受到泰國國王的激勵，投入大量資源到那些貧困地區——修建道路、銀行、醫療設施；因此他們以良好的方式發展……所以那裡的人自此從未感到被忽視。基地中的一位士兵說：「我們都知道恐怖分子在哪裡，令他們驚訝的是我們沒有逮捕他們或威脅他們。」……所以政府做對了事情，讓這些地區繁榮起來。因此，這些恐怖分子一個接一個地投降，得到了大赦。
最終，叛亂的領袖們，即那些組織這一切、對國家構成威脅的人；他們並沒有被關進監獄；沒有被折磨或殺死，政府反而給了他們高位
泰國的官員擁有驚人的技能，他們真的在為國家做一些事情。
「來和我們一起工作吧！」，而不是與我們作對。
我記得我在一次公開講座中舉例，我在悉尼辦講座時，有一位泰國領事站起來說：「你提到的完全是真的！那兩位叛亂分子正在與泰國政府的高級部長合作。他們所有的想法和投入都是在改善事情，我們都承認這一點。而他們正在和我們一起工作。」
你覺得這是一個美妙的故事嗎？
訪問者：是的，太美妙了。
阿贊·布拉姆：這就是我們的處理方式。難得一個佛教國家在做佛教的事情，難得的一次。
訪問者：我在《獨覺佛本生故事》中讀過類似情節。有位辟支佛在覺悟前也曾做過類似的事——當人們要殺他時，他反而布施錢糧送他們離開。但後來那些人竟利用他的慈悲，知道國王不會追究，反而企圖篡奪整個國家。這種情況該如何應對？
阿姜布拉姆：上座部佛教也有相似典故。我改編過一個關於洞穴禪修僧團的故事：這個僧團共有七位比丘——
1.首座和尚
2.他的親兄弟
3.他的至交好友
4.與他性格相剋的冤家，兩人始終無法化解矛盾
5.一位垂垂老矣的長老
6.重病纏身的比丘，沒人知道會是老和尚還是病僧先圓寂
7.最末是「沒用比丘」，從不誦經，禪修總打瞌睡
某日盜匪集團發現這個絕佳藏身處，想霸占洞穴囤積贓物。他們威脅僧眾：「若留你們活口，官府必然追查過來。不如現在就殺了你們！」
首座和尚（實修極好的尊者）平靜回應：「我們保證不向官府舉報，請另尋他處吧。」
盜匪頭子便說：「不如當眾殺一個示眾，其他人就會乖乖聽話！要是誰敢通風報信，追到天涯海角也要滅口！」
接著竟讓首座選擇犧牲誰來換取其他人活命。
（此時阿姜布拉姆暫停敘事，反問訪談者）
「若你是首座，會選誰赴死？」
訪談者遲疑道：「或許...我自己？」
阿姜布拉姆立刻喝止：「大錯特錯！這豈非違背『自他平等』的慈悲心？」
訪談者改口：「不選任何人」
阿姜布拉姆：「沒有人？但你們都會死！ 的確正是如此！當年那位首座說：『我對兄弟的愛，與對至交、冤家、將逝的老僧、病患，乃至一無是處的同修，完全平等無別。而最重要的——我對自己的愛，也與對眾生的愛毫無二致。因此，我無法選擇！』」
盜匪們聽罷大為震撼，商議後宣布：「這些聖者太令人敬仰，我們下不了手！」最後半數盜賊出家為僧，餘者返鄉改過向善。
（阿姜布拉姆總結）
看吧！當出家人良好地作為，啟發他人——你根本無法被殺啊！
cred. to 溫暖人間
《Terrorist》
Interviewer: How about for terrorism? Some extreme religious people they will want to fight you. If you were a prime minister of a country, what will you do?
Ajahn Brahm : I will never call them terrorist. Because if you call them terrorists, you expect violence.
Why are you doing this ? Why do you risk your own life and the lives of many others?
It’s one of the reason I had a discussion with a terrorist in the Indonesia. We are talking about religious things. I remember one of the people I was taking to, I said, ‘you are not terrorist, you are highly motivated with your ideas for solutions with this world. You are not a terrorist ‘
Why do people call them terrorist? If that was the case, then people will also call George Washington the terrorist, the ruler of his country. Because even the president of the United States has done wrong things as well. Everybody makes mistakes, we never find any peace in wars
What is a terrorist? Terrorist is someone who has bad feelings of what has been done, and your sentiment is correct , just you have got a wrong solution.
There is one reason I love telling this story. When I was in Thailand, just after the Vietnam War. When I am going on TuDhong in Thailand , where I wanted. And that place is in the Jungle, which they call it Pink Area. Because there is an uprising of Thai in Thailand; they are upset of their Government. They were looking to overthrow the government and create what they think is the best way to rule Thailand. They were all highly educated young men and women. When I had come into the jungle, they had already killed soldiers, and they even killed monks. I had to be very careful, that I kept out of that area, otherwise I would have been killed as well.
I always checked in with the soldiers in the base of that area which is safe. They always told me,’ Don’t go over there, the pink areas controlled by the terrorists’
They know what they are,
（and I ask the government side,）‘why doesn’t your government do anything? ‘
‘We use what we call the non-violence strategy on exactly where they were. We will not go into to kill. Because every soldier we kill, there will be 2 more of their friends show up , and the terrorists will go more and more and more. Instead of that, we have non-violence , number 2 amnesty . These are our brothers and sisters, we do not want to give them soldiers, we give them amnesty straightaway. Give up your weapons and go back to your college and your home, then everything will be forgiven.’
Why? In this surgency, one of the reason was many years ago in Thailand, they were very very very poor ; sometimes I have to eat the only meal of the day like a boiled frog and rice , its poverty prevails. So the government of Thailand gets motivated by the king of Thailand at that time, to put in a lot of resources into those poor areas ---building roads, banks, medical facilities; so they are developing in good ways... . So they never felt neglected. So backbone of one of the soldiers said,’ we all know where the terrorists are, and they got surprised that we didn’t arrest them or threaten them.’ … So the government is doing the right thing , giving prosperity in these regions. So one by one, these terrorists give themselves up , give them amnesty. Eventually, the leaders of the rebellions, who organized everything, and were the threat to the nations; they were not put in prisons; not tortured and killed. They (the government ) gives them top jobs , and the Thai bureaucracy has got amazing skills, they really try to do something for the country. Come and work with us, instead of working against us
I remember giving that examples in one of my public talks, I was giving a talk in Sydney. Where a Thai Consulate stood up and said, ‘what you have mentioned is totally true! Two of those insurgent are working with senior ministers, in the Thai Government. All of their ideas and commitments in improving things , we recognize that, and they are working with us , with ministers.’
Do you think that it is a wonderful story?
Interviewer: yea, wonderful
Ajahn Brahm: that is how we deal. For once the buddhist country does buddhist thing, for once.
Interviewer: I have read similar stories in the paccekabuddha legendary. One paccekabuddha, before he enlightened, he did the similar thing. But when people want to kill them, he gives them money and food ; then send them back. But it turns out that people utilize his kindness, they know the king will not kill them, so they want to take over the whole country. How should we deal with that?
Ajahn Brahm: There is a similar story in the Theravada. And I adapted that story of these monks meditating in the cave. And the monks in the cave were
1. The head monk
2. His brother
3. His best friend
4. The next one is his enemy , they just have a personality conflict that they cannot solve
5. The next monk is a very old monk
6. Monk number six is very ill .no one will know who will die first, the old monk or the sick monk
7. The last monk is a useless monk , he doesn’t chant, he always fall asleep when he was meditating
And the gang of robbers came that cave, they realize that this is a wonderful place. They gather there and hide out, they could store their goods there, so the people cannot find them. So they want to take over the cave.
If they leave the monks here, the police will know where they are, so they said to the monks, ‘ I will have to kill you.’ . And the good monk is a very good practitioner, he said, ‘ we will not let the police know where you are, we just be peaceful, you can go find another cave.’
And the leader of the robbers said, ‘ no, if just kill one of you in front of everybody else , there will just show you that we are very serious; so you will just do what we say. And if anyone of you tell the police where we are , we will find you and we will kill you too!’
So the thief tells the head monk, ‘ we give you the choice of who to sacrifice. So everyone else could go free.’
And now I would pause for a while, and if you are the head monk , who would be going to die, so that everyone else will go for free?
Interview: myself
Ajahn Brahm: Absolutely wrong! Why do you want to sacrifice yourself? Aren’t you suppose to love yourself the same you love all other beings?
Interview: no one.
Ajahn Brahm: No one?! But everyone else will be going to die, and you say no one!
It is actually the right answer . The head monk said ,’ I cannot choose, because my love to my brother is the exactly the same, no more or less, to my best friends ; no more, no less to my enemy ; and I love the old monk, he is going to die soon anyway; and I love the very sick monk as well , no more or less than everyone else ; and the useless monk who has not done any good kamma to anyone , I still love him. And most of all, I love myself, no more, no less than anyone else. That’s why I can’t choose !’
And the leader of the thieves and the other thieves say, ‘woah, so inspiring!’
They had a discussion and said, ‘we cannot kill any of these monks , they are too holy and too inspiring.’
And half of them become monks too. And the other halves return to their villages and have good lives.
So it’s a wonderful ending. I could understand how it works!
It monks really behaving properly, inspires others; you cannot be killed!
《關於戰爭》《About War》
《關於戰爭》《About War》
《關於戰爭》
訪問者：阿贊，您會閱讀全球新聞或瀏覽 Facebook 嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：有時會，但非常簡短，我沒有 Facebook，也不使用 WhatsApp。看新聞都是很快的。
新聞幾乎都是一樣的。
訪問者：啊，那麼您知道哪個國家在和哪個國家打仗嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：沒錯，是的。這場戰鬥的根本原因只是一種愚蠢。
訪問者：如果您是被攻擊國家的總統，您會怎麼做？
阿贊·布拉姆：我會辭職，成為一名僧侶（笑）。
訪問者：幾年前，一個強國打算通過派遣精英軍隊來殺死一個小國的總統來奪取該國。如果您處於那種情況中，您會讓您周圍的人去殺死那位精英殺手嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：不會。因為我從來沒有看到暴力能夠被更多的暴力所停止。如果您派遣精銳部隊，他們也一樣。那麼您就會從您的國家派遣更多的戰爭精英；很快就會變成全面戰爭。
這是威廉·布雷克詩中的一句話：「向暴君的床報仇，在床上抓住暴君，斬掉邪惡暴君的頭；卻成為他的替代者—一位暴君。」
這一直都是如此。人們想要停止戰爭卻製造更多戰爭。人們想要報仇卻造成更多問題。
訪問者：所以如果對方國家想要佔有您的國家，您就讓他佔有嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：是的~ 進來，給他一杯茶。人們認為這是理想主義，這樣做行不通。但我們還有哪些替代方案？
我們認為保護國家，其實只會造成更多的屠殺，讓更多人受苦。
cred. to 溫暖人間
《About War》
Interviewer: Will Ajahn read global news or browse facebook?
Ajahn Brahm: Sometimes, but very briefly, I don’t have facebook, I don’t do whatsapp. Very quick news.
Very alike, the news are always the same.
Interviewer: aha, so you know which country is fighting with which country?
Ajahn Brahm: That’s right, yes. What the fight all about, is just stupidity.
Interviewer: so if you are the president of the country being fight, what will you do?
Ajahn Brahm: What I will do is resign, and become a monk (laugh)
Interviewer: so a few years ago, a strong country was going to snatch a smaller country by sending elite miliary troops to kill the president of that country. What will you do if you are in that scenario? Will you allow the people around you to kill the elite killer?
Ajahn Brahm: no. Because I never see that violence can be stopped by more violence. They are more of the same. If you send war elites, then you send more war elite from your country; it soon becomes an all-out war.
It’s one of the saying from William Blake’s poems, ‘ Vengeance to the tyrant bed, and caught the tyrant in his bed, and slew the wicked tyrant’s head; to become a tyrant in his stead.’
It has always been the case. People want to stop war make more war. People want to make vengeance make more problems .
Interviewer: So if the other country wants to get your country, you just let him take it?
Ajahn Brahm: yea~ come in, give him a cup of tea. People think that it is idealistic , it doesn’t work . What alternatives we have?
What we think is protecting the country , is more slaughter , more people suffer
Relaxation of the mind is called calm, stillness, samadhi
心的放鬆被稱為平靜，靜止，和禪定
----Ajahn Brahm
image and words excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtWRT7CBHB8&list=PL-E16hq8cBIokojqHU7q7ZWWYU0W0W8nc&index=3
〈阿羅漢的無餘般涅槃〉<parinibanna of an arahant>
〈阿羅漢的無餘般涅槃〉<parinibanna of an arahant>
<parinibanna of an arahant>
You've seen through the stupidity of existence—craving promising you happiness but delivering you suffering.
The attachments promising you security but just giving you more and more problems.
You find letting go, giving up, abandoning—not just what's out there, but abandoning what's in here—not just abandoning the objects of craving, but abandoning the one who does the craving—the doer.
Not just abandoning the objects of attachment, but abandoning the thing which picks it up in the first place—the illusion of self.
So all of that just disappears—and then you know.
You know it because you know cause and effect—seen very clearly.
Why rebirth happens? Because you want this body—you want some sort of body—that's why you get reborn again.
Or you want some sort of mind—get reborn in the rūpaloka or arūpaloka.
This is the stupidity—the avijjā.
Once that is seen through—you know that that which causes rebirth has gone—that attachment, that craving—completely.
The source of it is completely gone—there's no way it can arise again.
Once you've seen it, it can't come back again—if you've truly seen it.
Things have ceased—the fire has gone out—you can't kindle it again.
Once that fire has gone out—it's obvious.
Insight comes—khema, santi—birth has been destroyed—future birth.
And you just become—like it says in the Therāgāthā—just like a workman waiting for their wages.
You know that this five khandhas still going on—according to kamma. But soon it will end.
When it ends, there'll be no more—keep going just for the sake of the teaching, keeping going for the sake of having other people offer alms and get that great merit of giving to an arahant.
Keeping going just out of compassion for the world—and the greatest compassionate act a person can do is to be an arahant and to continue for a while for the great compassion for the world.
And then—at the end of that lifespan—and the arahant completed their duties—when the karmic forces means that this particular group of five khandhas is worn out—that nirodha just ceases and doesn't arise again.
Vedanā—gone—nirodha—just goes out like a candle flame—never to arise anymore.
Saññā—perception—always interpreting this, judging that—it's gone—never to arise again.
And saṅkhāra—all of these constructs of the mind—thoughts, ideas, views—it just—one last saṅkhāra disappears—not knowledge—that now it's gone—never to arise again.
The consciousness—those are all aspects of consciousness—the consciousness itself—just the magician's trick—rose from emptiness, goes to emptiness—never to arise again.
The flame—one more flicker—the last moment of consciousness before the arahant parinibbāna—and then—gone.
All gone—all parinibbāna—the end of the affliction.
Five khandhas—the Buddha said—the dukkha, there has ended.
That's what we call parinibbāna—complete ending of things.
So often in the world, people do not understand what Nibbana is because they still have a sense of self.
Nibbana and anattā have to go together—you can't understand one without the other.
You can't understand Nibbana without anattā—you cannot understand anattā without Nibbana.
That's why the first experience of Nibbana is for the stream-winner—when they see anattā, they see both together—same aspect of the one Dhamma of cessation.
Seeing that—seeing that first experience of the Dhamma of the Buddha—and now it's real—happens once one understands anattā.
One understands why Nibbana is a complete ending of all things—there's never anything there anyway—just a process which is now finished.
It's time—kamma turns itself off—that's it.
This is what parinibbāna means—Nibbana all around—the arahant—cause of rebirth is completely gone.
Five khandhas continuing; then parinibbāna—the five khandhas completely disappeared.
Sometimes I talk like this—sometimes people will understand this, sometimes they'll half understand it, sometimes they think this is completely gobbledygook and they don't want to believe it.
Doesn't matter—it's in your minds now. One day, it will be seen.
And when it be seen, it'll be the most beautiful thing in the world.
Those people who understand this—the most wonderful thing about arahants is—they're happy.
Those people who commit suicide in the world—who hang themselves, shoot themselves, jump off a bridge—that's a different type of suicide, as it were, to the arahant.
The arahant is just smiling as they disappear—the same way the simile of the Cheshire Cat.
Just before the Cheshire Cat's head in the sky in Alice in Wonderland completely disappeared—the smile was the last thing left—then it completely disappeared.
Let's see—arahant—everything disappearing.
First of all, the body disappearing—rather, the head disappearing—no ears, no cheeks, no eyes, no nose, no whiskers—just leaving the smile.
Five senses disappearing—the body disappearing—just leaving the mind—the smile.
And the mind—the last thing which disappears.
You went to parinibbāna, as it were, with a huge smile on your face—with a brilliant mind in fourth jhāna—gone.
So that's what Nibbana means.
So hopefully, each one of you will see that, will be that, and will completely end this cycle of suffering—and on the way, inspire so many other beings.
This is the way out of the prison.
Get out of prison—and you'll widen the tunnel as you go—so other beings can also go through.
----Ajahn Brahm
image cred. to the island
Excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
〈阿羅漢的無餘般涅槃〉
你已徹底看透存在的愚蠢——渴愛總是許諾快樂，帶來的卻只有痛苦。
執著總是保證安全，帶來的卻只是無盡問題。
你發現放下、捨棄、拋離——不僅拋棄外在一切，更捨棄內在執取——不僅捨棄渴愛的對象，更捨棄那個渴愛者——造作者。
不僅捨棄執著的客體，更要捨棄最初撿起執著的那個東西——自我的幻覺。
當這一切全都消融——你便真正知曉。
你之所以知道，是因為已徹見因果。
為何會有再生？因為你貪戀這個身體——渴望某種形體——所以才會再度受生。
或者你想要某種心——因而投生色界或無色界。
這就是愚痴——無明（avijjā）。
一旦看破這點——你就知道導致再生的根源已斷——那些執著、那些渴愛——徹底滅盡。
其源頭已完全枯竭——再也無法生起。
真正徹見真理後，它們便無法捲土重來——如果你已如實徹見。
東西已止息——火焰已滅——無法再次點燃。
當火焰徹底熄滅——一切昭然若揭。
智慧生起——安穩（khema）、寂靜（santi）——未來生已斷盡。
你便如《長老偈》所言——如同等待薪資的工人。
明知這五蘊仍隨業力運轉——但終將止息。
當其滅盡，便不再續流——僅為弘法而住世，為讓眾生有機會供養阿羅漢積累功德。
僅出於對世間的慈悲而住世——而一個人能行的最大慈悲，就是證得阿羅漢後，因為悲憫而再存活一陣子。
直到——壽命終盡——阿羅漢圓滿其使命——當業力意味著這組五蘊已然耗盡——滅盡（nirodha）便不再生起。
受（vedanā）——滅盡——如燭火般永熄。
想（saññā）——總是分別這、判斷那——永滅不起。
行（saṅkhāra）——所有心所造作——念頭、觀念、見解——最後一個行蘊消失——並不是知識——就此永滅。
識（viññāṇa）——這一切意識的面向——識的本身——不過是魔術師的把戲——從空中生，歸於空——永不再現。
火焰最後一次閃動——阿羅漢般涅槃前的最後一識——隨即——寂滅。
一切滅盡——無餘涅槃（parinibbāna）——折磨的終結。
佛陀說五蘊——苦，於此滅盡。
這就是我們所稱的般涅槃——諸法的徹底止息。
世人常不理解涅槃真義，只因他們仍有自我感。
涅槃與無我必須並觀——無法只理解其一。
不悟無我，則不解涅槃——不證涅槃，則不徹無我。
這就是為何初證涅槃的須陀洹——當他們見無我時，兩者同時徹見——同屬滅諦。
親見此法——初嘗佛陀教法真味——此刻方為真實——唯有悟無我時才能體證。
方能明白為何涅槃是一切法的終結——本來無一物——只是過程的完結。
時間已到——業力自熄——如是而已。
這就是般涅槃的真義——圓滿涅槃的阿羅漢——輪迴之因已徹底斷盡。
五蘊相續；而後般涅槃——五蘊徹底消散。
有時我這樣開示——有人能懂，有人半懂，有人覺得完全是胡言亂語而不願相信。
無妨——種子已植入心田。終有一日，會親見實相。
而當親見時，那將是世間最美妙的事。
那些明白的人——阿羅漢最殊勝之處在於——他們無比安樂。
世間那些自殺者——上吊、舉槍自盡、跳橋——可說與阿羅漢的「自殺」截然不同。
阿羅漢在消融時始終微笑——就像《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》裡柴郡貓的比喻。
柴郡貓的頭消失前——最後留下的是笑容——然後才完全消失。
且看——阿羅漢——一切逐漸消融。
首先身體消融——更確切說頭部消融——雙耳、面頰、眼睛、鼻子、鬍鬚逐一消失——只留下微笑。
五根消融——色身消融——僅存心意——那抹微笑。
而心——是最後消融的部分。
可以說，阿羅漢是帶著燦笑般涅槃——在第四禪的澄明心境中——寂滅。
這就是涅槃的真義。
願你們每個人都能親證此境，成為覺者，徹底終結這苦的輪迴——並在道上啟發無量眾生。
這條出離牢獄之路。
當你越獄時——沿途會拓寬隧道——讓其他眾生也能通過。
——阿姜布拉姆
節錄自：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
〈反正沒人會記得我們〉<No one will remember us anyway>
〈反正沒人會記得我們〉<No one will remember us anyway>
<No one will remember us anyway>
All your very best thoughts will not be remembered. No one else will remember them. You won't remember them. Even if someone writes a book about your thoughts, sooner or later it'll all disappear.
I was really interested reading one of the English newspapers—that the British Library (I always remember that because they would put every book which was ever published in Britain on their shelves—every book)—and now they're just a little bit of a scandal.
They found out that they've got so many books that they've been clearing the shelves and throwing them away—so they haven't got every book. Some books have been disappearing, and no one's got a copy of them.
All that hard work of their authors—now it's completely gone, disappeared. Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā—all the great works will one day just be swept off the shelves of the Library of Congress in the US or the British Library or the French Library—whatever.
All those great works will completely disappear—be wiped off the face. No one will remember them at all.
No one will remember you and all what you did and all what you're responsible for—all your great works.
100 years? 200 years? No one won't remember you at all.
Even if you become famous—even if you become an arahant—how many arahants between the time of, you know, like Venerable Ānanda and recently through that 2,500 years—how many arahants do you remember? Names that you know?
Most of them are completely disappeared—don't even know they existed. And those are great beings.
As for you—you've got no hope of being remembered at all.
All your great works and your great thoughts and your great ideas—completely vanished.
Isn't that a wonderful thought?
Yathābhūta-ñāṇa—seeing things as they truly are—through samādhi, will lead to nibbidā.
As we kept on chanting in the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta—when you see that all the six senses are on fire, and the six sense consciousnesses including mind is on fire, and everything perceived by these things, everything felt by these things is on fire—you get nibbindati—you're not interested anymore—because you're not interested—comes viraga—dispassion.
Comes nirodha—fading away.
The intensity of experience starts to fade—where before, the experience would be very intense with sex, fine food, exciting music—intensity starts to get less and less and less.
And you just want to be quiet—you just want to be simple. You don't want so much sensory impingement.
It's as if you're turning down the amplitude of the world—you get softer and softer. The world doesn't come into your mind so much—it begins to fade away.
All of your wishes and dreams and desires—fading away one by one—until there's very few left.
Food? Going here? Going there? Even wanting to be healthy? It's all fading away—all those dreams and plans and desires—completely gone.
Isn't that wonderful?
When all your dreams and plans and desires completely gone—you've got nothing to do—then you're free.
How busy you are—even in a monastery—how much business each one of you has—filling up your day.
When will there be an end of all that bussiness?
Only when there's an end of desire—end of craving, end of attachment.
When it starts to fade away more and more and more—until there's absolutely nothing to do—just sit there, disappear—just bliss.
Viraga leads to nirodha—fading away starts to experience cessation more and more.
When the world fades away, nimittas arise. Five senses fading away—a nimitta arises for a while, and then the world comes back again.
----Ajahn Brahm
Excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
〈反正沒人會記得我們〉
你所有最精妙的思想都不會被記住。別人不會記得，你自己也不會記得。就算有人把你的思想寫成書，遲早也會完全消失。
我曾饒有興味地讀到英國報紙的報導——大英圖書館，我總記得他們宣稱要收藏英國出版的每一本書——每一本——如今卻陷入醜聞。
他們發現藏書實在太多，於是開始清理書架丟棄書籍——所以他們並沒有收藏所有書籍。有些書就這樣消失了，世上再無副本。
作者們所有的心血——如今徹底湮沒無蹤。諸行無常（Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā）——所有偉大著作終有一天會從美國國會圖書館、大英圖書館或法國國家圖書館的書架上消失——無一例外。
那些偉大作品都將徹底湮滅——從地表抹去。再無人記得。
再無人記得你，記得你的所作所為與一切責任——你所有的豐功偉業。
一百年？兩百年？根本不會有人記得你。
即使你聲名顯赫——即使你證得阿羅漢——從阿難尊者到近代這兩千五百年間，你知道多少位阿羅漢的名字？記得幾位？
他們大多已完全湮沒——甚至無人知曉其存在。而這些都是偉大的人。
至於你——根本毫無被記住的可能。
你所有的豐功偉業、深刻思想、偉大理念——都將徹底湮滅。
這念頭不美妙嗎？
如實知見（Yathābhūta-ñāṇa）——透過禪定如實觀照——終將導向厭離（nibbidā）。
正如我們在《無我相經》中不斷誦唸的——當你見六根燃燒，六識包括心在燃燒，所有由此感知、感受的一切都在燃燒時——你會生起厭離（nibbindati）——不再感興趣——因不感興趣而生離欲（viraga）——離貪。
繼而滅盡（nirodha）——逐漸淡去。
體驗的強度開始消退——過去對性愛、美食、激昂音樂的強烈感受——逐漸減弱再減弱。
你只想要安靜——只想要簡單。不再需要那麼多感官刺激。
彷彿調低了世界的音量——一切愈發柔和。世間種種不再強烈闖入你心——開始逐漸淡去。
你所有的心願、夢想與渴望——逐一淡去——直到所剩無幾。
美食？旅行？甚至健康長壽？全都逐漸淡去——所有那些夢想、計畫與渴望——完全消失。
這不美妙嗎？
當所有夢想、計畫與渴望完全消失——你無事可做——便得自由。
看看你多忙碌——即使在寺院裡——每個人都有那麼多事務——填滿每一天。
這些事務何時方休？
唯有當渴望止息——渴愛止息，執著止息。
當它們逐漸淡去、淡去、再淡去——直到徹底無事可做——只是靜坐，消融——唯有極樂。
離欲導向滅盡——淡去的體驗逐漸趨向完全止息。
當世界淡去，禪相（nimittas）生起。五感淡去——禪相短暫顯現，而後世界再度回歸。
——阿姜布拉姆
節錄自：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
〈涅槃＝精神自殺？〉<nibanna=spiritual suicide?>
〈涅槃＝精神自殺？〉<nibanna=spiritual suicide?>
〈涅槃＝精神自殺？〉
當你真正明白涅槃是什麼——你看見的是終結，五蘊的止息。是六根的止息，是受想行識的止息，是色身的終結——一切的終結。
有時當我這樣說時，人們會反駁：「這根本就是徹底的精神自殺。」
但所謂自殺，首先得有個「自我」可殺才行。
就像《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》裡柴郡貓的比喻——多年前我講這個比喻時有些記錯了，其實不是柴郡貓出現在空中——只有牠的頭浮現，而且當時是紅心皇后（不是白皇后）下的命令。
紅心皇后對劊子手說：「砍掉牠的頭！」劊子手很合理地回答：「我怎麼砍頭？牠只有頭沒有身體啊。當只有頭而沒有身體時，根本無從砍起。」
同理——當根本沒有「我」存在時，何來自殺？當本來無一物時——從來就沒有真實存在過——一切只是幻象的遊戲時，又何來毀滅？
我們可以這樣說——甚至有人靠談論這些寫書謀生——但他們無法實證這些道理。這些終究只是概念和文字。
關鍵在於——唯有親身體證才能知曉。
而確知這種體驗的唯一方式，就是逐步放下——一層層地放下。這些階段便是越來越接近涅槃——越來越接近諸法消失，越來越接近火焰熄滅的過程。
這就是涅槃的真義——熄滅、消散、終結。
因此在傳統的修行次第描述中——再次強調，這只是自然發生的過程——你遲早會經歷（若非今生，便是來世）。
——阿姜布拉姆
節錄自：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
<nibanna=spiritual suicide?>
You realize what Nibbana is—you see ending, the cessation of the five khandhas. It's the ending, the cessation of the six senses. It's the ending of perception and feeling, of consciousness, of body, form—ending of everything.
Sometimes people, when I talk like this, they say, "That's just like absolute spiritual suicide."
You can only be suicide when there's someone to kill in the first place.
Like the simile of Alice in Wonderland with the Cheshire Cat—when I said that many years ago, I got the simile a little bit wrong, because it wasn't actually the Cheshire Cat appeared in the sky—it was just its head appeared in the sky, and it was the Red Queen (not the White Queen).
The Red Queen told her executioner, "Off with its head!" The executioner quite rightly said, "How can I chop its head off? It's only got a head—hasn't got a body. You can't chop someone's head off when there's only a head, not a body."
Same way—you can't have suicide when there's no one there. You can't have annihilation when there's nothing there—never was anything there—just a play of illusion.
We can say that—and sometimes people have even made livelihoods of saying these things, writing books about these things—but they can't practice these things. It's just ideas and words.
The point is—it's in the experience that you know.
And the only way that you can be sure of that experience is to gain those stages of letting go—stages of letting go. They're just stages of getting closer and closer to Nibbana—closer and closer to things disappearing, closer and closer to the flame going out.
That's what Nibbana means—the going out, disappearing, ending.
That's why in the usual description of the process—again, this is all just a process, a natural process—it will happen to you sooner or later (if not sooner, then later).
----Ajahn Brahm
Excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
<禪修積聚能量><Meditation builds up energy>
<禪修積聚能量><Meditation builds up energy>
<Meditation builds up energy>
For those of you who have problems with energy—especially mental energy—you'll always experience that whenever you have a deep meditation, that you have such an increase of energy, of mental energy.
And you can imagine—if you haven't achieved the jhānas yet—what it would be like to get one of those deep jhānas and to emerge afterwards—it'd be just so bright and brilliant.
When the Buddha talked about the pabhassara citta—the radiant mind, the brilliant mind ;which is—I prefer that translation—not radiant, but brilliant—that brilliant mind;—the nimitta is brilliant, but it also carries the meaning of being very penetrative, very wise. And that brilliance stays after you emerge.
----Ajahn Brahm
<禪修積聚能量>
對於那些受能量問題困擾——特別是心理能量——的人，你會發現，每當你進入深度禪定時，總能感受到能量--尤其是心理能量---如此顯著地增長。
你可以想像——如果你尚未證得禪那（jhānas）——當你達到其中一個深層禪那並出定後，那種狀態會是多麼清明透徹、光芒四射。
當佛陀談論"pabhassara citta"（光明心、燦爛心）時——我傾向將它譯為"燦爛心"而非"光明心"——那種燦爛心；禪相（nimitta）不僅燦爛奪目，更蘊含著極強的穿透力與智慧。而這份燦爛，會在你出定後持續存在。
——阿姜布拉姆
節錄自：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
<快樂的幻覺><The delusion of happiness>
<快樂的幻覺><The delusion of happiness>
<The delusion of happiness>
the very fact that having a self is suffering. The bigger the self you have, the more suffering you have. The more you let go, the more freedom, the more happiness, the more joy you feel.
It's really strange—out there in the world, people want to attach to more and more and more, and they think that's going to make them happy. Even some of the anagārikas thinking they're going to be happier once they leave this monastery.
You're going to have trouble out there. No one can stop you—so I'm not trying to stop you, and never will try to stop anybody.
You're picking up more burdens, picking up more suffering. Why? Because there'll be more business, more doing, more things, more encumbrances, more afflictions for the mind.
Going in the opposite direction—the direction of letting go, abandoning—having fewer possessions, having less will.
----Ajahn Brahm
image cred .to BSoWA
Excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
<快樂的幻覺>
擁有「自我」的本質就是苦。你的「自我」越大，承受的苦就越多。你放下得越多，就越自由、越快樂，感受到的喜悅也越多。
這真的很奇怪——世間的人總想抓取更多、更多、更多，還以為這樣會更快樂。甚至有些淨人（anagārikas）也以為，離開這座寺院後自己會更快活。
你出去後會遇到麻煩的。沒人能阻止你——所以我無意阻止，也永遠不會試圖阻止任何人。
你只是在背上更多負擔、撿起更多痛苦。為什麼？因為會有更多事務、更多作為、更多東西、更多牽絆、更多煩惱擾亂你的心。
這和這樣的方向——放下的方向、捨棄的方向、擁有越少物品、懷抱越少欲求--相反
——阿姜布拉姆
圖片來源：BSoWA
節錄自：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
<你能放下多少＝你的禪定有多深><How much you can let go=how deep your meditation is>
<你能放下多少＝你的禪定有多深><How much you can let go=how deep your meditation is>
<How much you can let go=how deep your meditation is>
You can test one's degree of attachment and ability to let go by how deeply one can go in meditation. To gain a jhāna, you have to let go of your body fully—let go of the body to the point of the five senses being completely inaccessible to the mind. Sound, sight, smell, taste, even physical touch becomes inaccessible to the consciousness for that period of time. That's a degree of letting go, and that's possible. That's what a jhāna is all about.
That's what you would experience when you get into those states—or rather, that's what you'll notice about the experience once you emerge from those states: the body had gone.
----Ajahn Brahm
<你能放下多少＝你的禪定有多深>
你可以透過一個人能進入多深的禪定，來測試他的執著程度與放下能力。要達到禪那（jhāna），你必須完全放下身體——放下到五感完全讓心感知不到的程度。在那段時間裡，聲音、視覺、嗅覺、味覺，甚至身體的觸覺都無法被意識感知。這是一種放下的程度，而且是可能達到的。這就是禪那的真諦。
當你進入那些狀態時，你會體驗到這點——或者更準確地說，當你從那些狀態出來後，你會注意到這個體驗：身體已經消失了。
——Ajahn Brahm
節錄自：
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GSB6-VWhFY
<你可以停止思考的>《What it feels like to be still》
<你可以停止思考的>《What it feels like to be still》
And how we can overcome what's probably the biggest problem in people's meditation—how to overcome, transcend, this mind which is always thinking. Sometimes people keep telling me, "Oh, I can't meditate; I am always thinking, thinking, thinking about something, thinking about anything, but I'm always thinking, and I can't stop thinking." That becomes one of the biggest obstacles to being a meditator—they cannot stop thinking.
But the truth of the matter is, it's very easy to stop thinking, and a lot of people do it quite naturally. Very often, they stop thinking. And there is a classic example, a demonstration which I love doing on every retreat, to show you how easy it is to stop thinking and what it feels like when you stop thinking—because at least you can recognize, "Yes, it is possible; I can do it." For many people, that is amazing—to realize, yes, they can stop thinking; it is possible, and they've actually experienced it.
The little demonstration is to ask you that when I am speaking, to also be aware of the reaction to my words inside your mind. So don't just listen to what I am saying; also listen to what it does to you inside your mind. Because as I am speaking, as long as you are mindful inside a little bit, you will begin to notice something strange—that between my words,
there are
long gaps.
In those spaces between
my words, what was happening in your mind? You were silent. You were aware, but not a thought was going on in your mind. You can do it.
This is what it feels like—being aware, hearing the sounds of the birds, but without a thought going on in your head. Easy, isn't it? Now, just carry on for another two hours (laughter). Now, you know what silence is and how beautiful it feels.
我們該如何克服人們在禪修中最大的問題——如何超越這顆總是在思考的心。有時人們不斷對我說：「噢，我無法禪修，我的腦子總是在想、想、想，想著某件事、想著任何事，但我就是停不下來。」這成了禪修者最大的障礙之一——他們無法停止思考。
但事實上，停止思考非常容易，許多人甚至很自然地做到了。他們經常能停止思考。這裡有個經典的例子，也是我在每次禪修營喜歡做的示範，用來展示停止思考有多簡單，以及停止思考時的感受——因為至少你能認知到：「是的，這是可能的，我能做到。」對許多人來說，這很不可思議——他們發現自己真的能停止思考，而且已經體驗過了。
這個小示範是：當我在說話時，請你也覺察內心對這些話的反應。所以不要只聽我說的話，也要觀察這些話在你心中引起的波動。因為當我在說話時，只要你保持一點點覺知，就會開始注意到一件奇怪的事——在我的話語
之間，
存在著
很長的間隙。
在這些話語之間的空白裡，你的心發生了什麼？你是寂靜的。你是覺知的，但心中沒有任何念頭。你能做到。
這就是它的感覺——保持覺知，聽見鳥鳴，但腦中沒有任何念頭。很簡單，不是嗎？現在，試著再保持這樣兩小時吧（笑）。現在，你知道了什麼是寂靜，以及它有多美妙。
----Ajahn Brahm
image cred. to BSWA
excerpted from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0KljDgHswM
《涅槃——身心的無餘止息 Nibanna --The Remainderless Cessation of Body and Mind》
《涅槃——身心的無餘止息 Nibanna --The Remainderless Cessation of Body and Mind》
Only when there is some persistent entity there to begin with can we use the word annihilate. But for the remainderless ending of an empty natural process, we use the word cessation. Nibbana is the empty and natural process of body and mind doing its cessation thing.
唯有當某個持續存在的實體最初存在時，我們才能使用「斷滅」這個詞。但對於一個空虛自然過程的無餘終結，我們使用「止息」一詞。涅槃即是身心這個空虛自然過程的自行止息
----Ajahn Brahm
<兩則輪迴的故事>《Two stories of re-incarnation》
<兩則輪迴的故事>《Two stories of re-incarnation》
《Two stories of re-incarnation》
Devotee: how and why people lost their memory when reincarnating?
Ajahn Brahm: if you remember all your memories, it gets really complicated.
If you remember your past life; imagine this life, okay this life you got your wife, you got your kids, you've got your mother-in-law, and stuff .
Imagine that in your next life, you remember all of that.
Oh life is complicated enough.
You know that sometimes the people they get married and they get divorce and they get a second wife, or they have this kid, and this kid ; or even your father, or called your uncle, or something. And his life is so complicated
That just complicate things more if you remembered (your past lives)
This is a true case, I haven't seen her for a while now, this one woman , someone might know her, but she did have a clear memory of her previous life
She was in one of the villages in the northeast of Thailand and her son from the previous life was a very good, devout young man. He did well at school, and even went through a university where he studied education, became a teacher at the local school. And eventually, his mother died and was reborn in the same village as his niece.
So the teacher by this time was the headmaster, the principal of the school. And so that his sister gave birth to this little kid and she had perfect memory of her previous life, so everyone accepted, know that's the Headmaster's mother from previous life, now the niece
It's all very interesting until that little girl went to her son's school . You know, schools in Thailand had strict discipline in
those days.
So when the principal, the headmaster came into the room, every child had to stand up, but this girl , the Headmaster's niece, 'I'm not standing up for him, he's my son from a previous life'
And so even the principal didn't know what to do.
I mean how can you cane your mother ? so he couldn't discipline her at all , and she said, 'I can do whatever I wanted in that school. I didn't learn very much, didn't do very well, but had a wonderful time.'
because the headmaster, you know, realized that little kid was his mum from a previous life.
It does make things very complicated
the memories of one life stored in our brain, but also leave an imprint on our mind.
And so when we die the brain gets destroyed, all this of the harddrive of the memories all get destroyed, but the mind serves as a backup.
Just think like things stored on Google Cloud.
And you can access them from anywhere even if your hard drive just now gets busted up, still you know the passwords, then you can get into the your memory back from the previous computer, previous device, and that may be how it
works; but it's stored in your mind rather than the brain and that's when it gets really fascinating.
There are stories of people who get the memories of past
lives through hypnotic regression, and you know, I think many of you know our current president Dennis Shepard, he sometimes does these regressions.
He's really good at it and he get his really interesting results,
not always, but sometimes he said that ;
this is not his clients ,but one of his friends over in Sydney.
It's an amazing story, one of the most amazing ones.
when one of his friends over in Sydney was doing a regression of a young girl , she was only about 16, who had anorexia.
And a really bad anorexia.
I looked it up once in the dictionary, and anorexia means you look in the mirror and you think you're too fat .
Very nice, that's what I have when I look at the mirror (laugh)
Anyway ,this was serious stuff, so this poor little girl had anorexia . Doctors, psychologists, therapists no one seemed to be able to solve the problem.
She's getting really sick and maybe even dying .
So her mom took her to this regression therapist, just to see if it could help.
And because now she was only 16 and the therapist or the hypnotherapist was a male, you had to be there all the time now, because of these sexual abuse stuff which happens unfortunately in many places.
So the therapist did amazing job, got this 16 year old girl back into sort of into hypnosis and back into what she claimed to be a previous life, and she recalled in a previous life that around 50-60 years ago, that she had an elder sister, and both her sister and her fell in love with the same guy, and she was so jealous that this guy chose her elder sister, and she thought, because her elder sister was more attractive than she was, and it sort of broke her heart to such an extent that in a previous life, she said that she committed suicide, she killed herself.
She couldn't stand the fact that she lost the love of this guy
and her sister had married him.
And you can understand why in some sort of perverted way ,she thought the way that to stop that suffering happen in the future, was to be as attractive she possibly could , starving herself with the idea that very thin people are attracted to
so that was interesting story except that while she was relating this , her mother was going hysterical /
And this poor therapist ,imagined his therapist was trying to look after this young girl, she just, you know regressed and and gone through a memory of suicide and deep depression ; and then she also had to deal with the mother, who was going crazy .
so he had to calm both of them down , and then ask the mother why he goes to so hysterical, the mother said, ' I was the older sister, I never told my daughter that your auntie you never met , committed suicide. it is sort of the thing that you did hide from your family, you don't so go advertising it. So my daughter never knew that my sister had committed suicide,he only sister I had. Because that's what happened , we're both in love with the same guy, I married him. It's her father, she committed suicide and she's come back. That's my daughter.'
The one way she can get close to the man of her dreams , but not as a lover or as a wife, but as a daughter.
Interesting to us how karma works , and anyway , so if she'd remember that from the day she was born, that would have just made things so complicated which is one of the reasons
why that's no those memories. They're just almost white and not totally white . You can access them sometimes if you really want to , but sometimes do you really want to?
<兩則輪迴的故事>
信徒：人們在輪迴時為什麼會失去記憶？
阿姜·布拉姆：如果你記得所有的記憶，事情會變得非常複雜。
如果你記得你的前生；想像一下這一生，這一生你有妻子、孩子、岳母等等。
假設在你下一生，你記得所有這些。哦，人生有夠複雜的了。
人們有時結婚、離婚，然後再娶第二任妻子，或有孩子，甚至變成你的父親、叔叔等等。人生變得如此複雜啊！
如果你記得（你的前世），那就更麻煩了。
這是一個真實的案例，我已經有一段時間沒見到她了，有一位女士，有人可能認識她，但她確實對她的前世有清晰的記憶。
她曾住在泰國東北的一個村莊，她前世的兒子是一位非常好、孝順的年輕人。他在學校表現良好，甚至上了大學，讀教育，成為了當地學校的老師。最終，他的母親去世了，然後在同一村莊裡轉世為他的侄女。
到那時，這位老師已經成為了校長。而他的姐姐生下了這個小女孩，她對前世的記憶非常清晰，所以大家都接受了，知道這是校長前世的母親，現在成為了他的侄女。
一切都很有趣，直到這個小女孩來到她兒子的學校。你知道，泰國的學校在那個時候有嚴格的紀律。
所以當校長進入教室時，每個孩子都必須站起來，但這個女孩，校長的侄女，卻說：「我不會為他站起來，他是我前世的兒子。」於是即使校長也不知道該怎麼辦。
你怎麼能打自己的母親？所以他根本無法懲罰她，而她說：「我可以在這所學校隨心所欲。我沒學到很多東西，表現也不好，但過得很愉快。」
因為校長明白，這個小女孩是他前世的母親。這確實讓事情變得非常複雜。
一生的記憶儲存在我們的大腦中，但也在我們的心靈上留下了印記。
當我們死去時，大腦被摧毀，所有記憶的硬碟都被摧毀，但心卻備份了。想像一下，這就像存儲在雲端的東西。即使你的硬碟壞掉了，如果你仍然知道密碼，然後可以從之前的電腦、設備中恢復記憶，這可能就是它的運作方式；它儲存在你的心靈而不是大腦裡，這變得非常迷人。
有些人通過催眠回歸獲得前世的記憶，我想你們中的許多人都知道我們目前的會長丹尼斯·謝潑德，他有時會進行這些回溯。他真的很擅長這件事，得到了一些非常有趣的結果，雖然並不總是如此，但有時他會提到；這不是他的客戶，而是他在悉尼的一位朋友。這是一個驚人的故事，最驚人的之一。
當他在悉尼的一位朋友進行一個年輕女孩的回歸時，她只有大約16歲，患有厭食症。
而且是非常嚴重的厭食症。
我曾經查過字典，厭食症的意思是你在鏡子前面看著自己，覺得自己太胖。非常好，這就是我看鏡子時的感覺（笑）。
不管怎樣，這是個嚴重的問題，這可憐的小女孩患有厭食症。醫生、心理學家、治療師似乎都無法解決這個問題。她變得非常虛弱，甚至可能會死去。於是她的母親帶她去找這位回溯治療師，看看是否能幫助她。
因為她才16歲，而治療師是一名男性，所以他必須全程在場，這是因為不幸的性虐待事件在很多地方都發生過。
這位治療師做得非常出色，讓這位16歲的女孩進入催眠，回到她所聲稱的前世，她回憶起大約50-60年前的生活，當時她有一位姐姐，她和姐姐都愛上了同一個男孩。她非常嫉妒，因為這個男孩選擇了她的姐姐，她認為姐姐比她更有魅力，這讓她的心碎得如此厲害，以至於在前世，她說她自殺了，結束了自己的生命。
她無法忍受失去這個男孩的愛，因為她的姐姐嫁給了他。你可以理解，為什麼在某種扭曲的方式中，她認為停止未來的痛苦的方法，就是盡可能變得更具吸引力，通過斷食。
她認為非常瘦的人是有吸引力的。
這是一個有趣的故事，但在她講述這一切時，她的母親卻變得歇斯底里。
這位可憐的治療師，想像一下，他試圖照顧這位年輕女孩，她剛剛回憶起自殺和深度抑鬱的記憶；然後他還得應對她那發瘋的母親。
所以他不得不讓他們兩個都冷靜下來，然後問母親為什麼會這麼歇斯底里，母親說：「我是那位姐姐，我從未告訴我的女兒，她的阿姨自殺了。這是一件你會隱瞞的事情，不會對家人宣揚的。所以我的女兒從不知道我的姐姐自殺了，她是我唯一的姐姐。因為那是發生過的事情，我們都愛上了同一個男孩，我嫁給了他。他是她的父親。她自殺了，現在她回來了。這是我的女兒。」
這是她接近夢中情人的唯一方法，但不是作為情人或妻子，而是作為女兒。
這讓我們對業力如何運作感到有趣。不管怎樣，如果她從出生那天起就記得這一切，那將使事情變得非常複雜，這就是為什麼這些記憶不會完整地保留。它們幾乎是空白的，並不是完全空白。你有時可以回溯它們，如果你真的想要，但有時你真的想要嗎？
2019 Jhana Grove retreat
<如何應對失眠>《How to cope with insomnia》
<如何應對失眠>《How to cope with insomnia》
《How to cope with insomnia》
Devotee: what can I do to relax and get a good sleep at night ?
Ajahn Brahm: so first of all, don't worry about getting to sleep
...... when you don't worry at all, it was easy to go to sleep and sometimes I thought, 'hang on a moment , my bed as a monk do so much work and stuff and sitting cross-legged, it had been sitting cross-legged meditating for a while, lying down on a sort of comfortable mattress, a nice duvet or blanket, it's one of the most comfortable positions in my day, relaxed, laying out.'
have you ever had that experience , you wake up in the morning , and you've had enough sleep; you don't need to go to the toilets, it's so nice and cozy; it's why that some genius invented the snooze buttons on your alarm clocks. Because it's so comft , that you don't want to get up; you just put a snooze button and stay a little bit longer under the pillows; it's nice and cozy.
so I worked on that principle, that when I was awake, who wants to go to sleep! this is the most comfortable position I get into in the whole day; relax, warm , cozy, snuggling into my pillow. Who wants to miss out on this wonderful cozy experience? so I said I don't want to go to sleep . And as soon as I thought that, I fell fast asleep .
I don't doubted this psychology , when you want to go to sleep you can't.
You don't mind going to sleep, don't go to sleep; then you do.
And number two here. I did notice.
On these retreats , sometimes that people come up to me and they said they couldn't go to sleep at night, and even though you've got this wonderful rooms all by yourselves, personal rooms, and you've got your own Suites, and it's really comfortable. And you know, we put a lot of funds and effort trying to make these rooms comfortable for you; but people can't go to sleep.
But then when they come in the morning to meditate,
they're fast asleep. So after a while, you know, you just use your logic and reason, I say now obviously you can understand the reason why.
When you try to meditate, you fall asleep; when you try to fall asleep, you're wide awake.
so if you ever have sleepiness in this meditation hall, when you come in here ; try to fall asleep, then you have no sloth and torpor at all you'll be wide awake, your mind will be (laugh)
and when you want to go to sleep at night, you go into your room , you lay down on your bed, and you try to meditate . There you go fast asleep .
Now of course you know that's I've exaggerated a point in there, just to make it very clear that what is going on there.
It's wanting makes you tense , and that tension stops you go to sleep .
They just relax , 'If I go to sleep , then go to sleep. if I don't go to sleep, doesn't matter, either way it's fine. And then, okay, if I can't go to sleep, I just meditate just meditate, make my mind really peaceful, so nice, peaceful, still , cozy in my bed; then you go fast asleep.
just relax, and that's where you find you're going to sleep, but wanting to go to sleep is not relaxing .
And there you get a good sleep at night
2019 Jhana Grove retreat
<如何應對失眠>
修行者：我該怎麼做才能在晚上放鬆並獲得良好的睡眠？
阿姜·布拉姆：首先，不要擔心入睡。
……當你完全不擔心時，其實很容易入睡。有時我會想，「等等，我作為一個僧侶，做了這麼多工作，坐著打坐，已經坐了一會兒，躺在一張舒適的床墊上，蓋著一條柔軟的被子，這是我一天中最舒服的姿勢，放鬆～躺著～」
你有沒有過這樣的經驗？早上醒來時，睡得剛剛好；不需要上廁所，感覺如此舒適；這就是為什麼有些天才發明了鬧鐘的貪睡鍵。因為實在太舒服了，你不想起床；你只需按一下貪睡鍵，繼續在枕頭下待一會兒，真是舒服。
所以我就是在這個原則上下功夫。當我還醒著的時候，誰想要入睡呢？ 這是我一天中最舒適的位置：放鬆、溫暖、舒適，依偎在我的枕頭上。
誰想要錯過這樣美好的舒適體驗？所以我不想入睡。
當我一這麼想，我就快速入睡了。
我不懷疑這種心理學，當你想要入睡時，你反而睡不著。
你不在乎入睡，然後你卻能睡著。
第二點。我注意到，在這些禪修營中，有時候有人來找我，說他們晚上無法入睡。即使你擁有如此舒適的私人房間和套房，我們也花了很多資金和精力來讓這些房間變得舒適，但人們卻無法入睡。
但當他們早上來冥想時，他們卻睡得很香。
所以經過一段時間，你就能用邏輯推理，我說現在顯然你可以理解原因。
當你試著冥想時，你會入睡；
當你試著入睡時，你卻保持清醒。
所以如果你在這個冥想廳裡感到困倦；試著入睡，然後你根本不會感到昏沉睡眠，你會非常清醒（笑）。
當你想晚上入睡時，你進入你的房間，躺在床上，試著冥想。然後你就會快速入睡。
當然，你知道我在這裡夸張了一些，只是為了讓這一切變得清晰。
想要使你緊張，而那種緊張會阻止你入睡。
所以，放鬆吧。「如果我能入睡，那就入睡；如果我不能入睡，沒關係，兩種情況都好。」然後，好吧，如果我不能入睡，我就冥想，讓我的心靈變得非常平靜，這樣在床上會感到如此舒服、安靜；然後你就會快速入睡。
只需放鬆，而這就是你會入睡的時刻，但想要入睡並不是放鬆。
這樣你就能在晚上獲得良好的睡眠。
——2019年Jhana Grove 禪修營
《如何應對傷害我們的人？》《How to deal with someone who hurt us?》
《如何應對傷害我們的人？》《How to deal with someone who hurt us?》
《How to deal with someone who hurt us?》
Devotee: How to deal with people doing bad things to you? How can I react to protect myself with kindness?
Ajahn Brahm: Why do they do bad things? To actually upset you. To push your buttons. If you refuse to get upset, they don't get bad things on you anymore. They just do it on somebody else. You are of no fun. He can't upset you
Why do they do bad things? to hurt you? If you refuse to be hurt, then they don't win
2019 HK meditation retreat
《如何應對傷害我們的人？》
信徒：如何處理對你不好的人？我如何以善良的方式反應來保護自己？
阿贊·布拉姆：他們為什麼要做壞事？其實是為了讓你不高興。為了觸動你的情緒。如果你拒絕感到不高興，那麼他們就不會再對你做壞事了。他們只會轉而對其他人這樣做。你對他們來說沒有趣味，他們無法讓你不高興。
他們為什麼要做壞事？了傷害你？如果你拒絕被傷害，那麼他們就不會得逞。
2019 香港冥想靜修
《阿贊·布拉姆教你如何克服昏睡睡眠》《Ajahn Brahm teaches how to overcome sloth and topor》
《阿贊·布拉姆教你如何克服昏睡睡眠》《Ajahn Brahm teaches how to overcome sloth and topor》
《Ajahn Brahm teaches how to overcome sloth and topor》
Devotee： How to overcome sleepiness and pain during meditation?
Ajahn Brahm: If you're meditating and you feel sleepy, then don't fight it.
There's a cause and effect there.
I was sleepy in the jungles of Thailand for many years, went down to Bangkok to do some visas, stayed in Wat Pa Bong, it was a wealthy monastery, a royal monastery. They had a new building where we stayed, had one room, it was an air-conditioned room.
We used to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning, so no one else was using that room at that time of the day, 3 o'clock in the morning, before alms-round. So we managed to borrow the key, and we'd meditate in there, from 3 to maybe 4, 5 o'clock in the morning. In the air-conditioned room, the Westerners were meditating in there, no sloth and torpor, no sleepiness.
The temperature was just right for Westerners. We didn't feel sleepy. From that time on I realised, there's external causes that make you sleepy.
You haven't slept enough, you're catching up on your sleep, your tiredness, you're bored with Ajahn Brahm's talks, all of them, I don't know, but there's external causes.
You look at those simple answers, and you become bright, catch up on your sleep, it's just the right temperature, you have some good food, your body's fit and healthy, then sleepiness doesn't come. In brief, it's not your fault.
Don't blame yourself, it's cause and effect. So if you're sleepy, go to bed. That's the best antidote for sleepiness.
If it's painful, stretch your legs. People just want, no, no, come on, Ajahn Brahm, can't you give us something more spiritual, more psychic, more deep? Sometimes people just want the deep teachings, and they just don't see the obvious answers.
---Ajahn Brahm
2019 HK meditation retreat
《阿贊·布拉姆教你如何克服昏睡睡眠》
信徒：如何克服冥想時的困倦和疼痛？
阿贊·布拉姆：如果你在冥想時感到困倦，那麼不要去抗拒它。
這裡有因果關係。我在泰國的叢林中困倦了很多年，後來到曼谷辦簽證，住在Wat Pa Bong，那是一個富裕的寺廟，皇家寺廟。他們有一棟新樓，我們住在那裡，有一個空調房間。
我們通常在早上三點起床，那時候沒有人使用那個房間，早上三點，在乞食之前。我們借到了鑰匙，從三點到四、五點在裡面冥想。在那個空調房間裡，西方人在裡面冥想，沒有懶惰和昏睡，沒有困倦。
溫度正好適合西方人。我們沒有感到困倦。從那時起我意識到，有外部因素會讓你感到困倦。
你可能沒有睡夠，需要補覺，或者對阿贊·布拉姆的說話感到無聊，這些我不知道，但肯定有外部因素。你看看這些簡單的答案，然後你會感到清醒，補充睡眠，溫度合適，吃一些好的食物，身體健康，這樣就不會感到困倦。簡而言之，這不是你的錯。
不要責怪自己，這是因果關係。所以如果你感到困倦，就去睡覺。這是克服困倦的最好解決辦法。
如果感到疼痛，伸展一下腿。人們往往想，不，不，來吧，阿贊·布拉姆，你能不能給我們一些更精神、更深奧的東西？有時人們只想要深奧的教導，而他們卻看不到明顯的答案。
---阿贊·布拉姆
2019 香港禪修營
《為什麼Ajahn Brahm 選擇禁慾？》《Why does Ajahn Brahm choose to become a celibate》
《為什麼Ajahn Brahm 選擇禁慾？》《Why does Ajahn Brahm choose to become a celibate》
《Why does Ajahn Brahm choose to become a celibate》
Devotee： Will we become more pure spiritually if we become celibate?
Ajahn Brahm: Only if you feel comfortable being celibate.
If a person is celibate and it's a tough journey for them, then it doesn't work, you become too stressed out. Sometimes people enjoy being celibate. As you get used to it, it's very peaceful.
I've always mentioned before in my book why I became celibate. I was an active heterosexual, I had a good girlfriend, and enjoying all the... Sometimes people get upset when I say this. I was having good sex with my girlfriend, and then just leaving her in Gloucester to go to a meditation retreat. And I never expected what would happen, getting into this incredibly deep meditation, and the bliss, the sheer joy of it, the pleasure of it, was better than sex.
Lasted longer, was deeper. That blew me away. How can that happen? My reaction was, why hasn't anyone told me about this before? To me, I thought the highest pleasure was sex, or later on, I had a heroin addict who was staying at our monastery, trying to sort of cold turkey, and just give up the habit.
And I taught him some meditation. I don't know how he managed to do this, but he slipped into a deep meditation. He came running out to me and said, yeah, I can sort of understand that the bliss of meditation is better than sex, but I never thought I'd say it was better than heroin.
And the way he said it, with honesty, with frankness, I thought, wow, because I've never taken heroin. But he said that that, that's why it's addictive to people. It's the bliss you can't get anywhere else, but you found another way, from deep meditation.
That's actually stunning to say that. But that's what happens when we really are just into immense pleasures, and why? For anyone who says, oh, you get attached to those pleasures, yes, you will. And the Buddha said, anyone who gets attached to the pleasures of meditation is either going to become a stream-winner, a once-returner, a non-returner, or fully enlightened.
That's the only four options for you, by being attached to the pleasures of deep meditation. It's not a bad deal, is it?
----Ajahn Brahm
2019 HK retreat
《為什麼Ajahn Brahm 選擇禁慾？》
信徒：如果我們成為獨身，靈性上會變得更純淨嗎？
阿贊·布拉姆：只有當你感到舒適時，獨身才會有這樣的效果。
如果一個人獨身而這段旅程對他來說很艱難，那麼就不會有效果，你會變得太有壓力。有時人們會享受獨身的生活。隨著你習慣了這種生活，你會變得非常平靜。
我在我的書中提到過我為什麼選擇獨身。當時我是一位活躍的異性戀者，有一位很好的女朋友，享受著一切……有時候當我這麼說時，人們會感到不安。我和我的女朋友有著美好的性生活，然後我就離開她，前往格洛斯特參加禪修營。我從未預料到會發生什麼，進入這種極其深刻的禪定，那種幸福，那種純粹的喜悅，甚至比性愛更好。
持續得更久，更深入。這讓我驚訝不已。怎麼會這樣？我的反應是，為什麼之前沒有人告訴我這些？對我來說，我一直認為最高的快樂就是性愛，後來我還有一位海洛因成癮者住在我們的寺院裡，試著戒掉這個習慣。
我教了他禪修。我不知道他是怎麼做到的，但他進入了一種深刻的冥想狀態。他跑來告訴我，對，他能理解冥想的幸福比性生活更好，但他從來沒想過會說比海洛因更好。
他誠實而坦率地說這番話，我想，哇，因為我從未使用過海洛因。但他說，這就是為什麼它對人們來說是上癮的。這是你在其他地方無法獲得的幸福，但你找到了另一種方式，通過深入的禪定。
說這些實在令人震驚。但這就是當我們真的沉浸在巨大的快樂中時會發生的，為什麼？對於任何人來說，他們會說：哦，你會對這些快樂產生執著，是的，你會的。佛陀說，任何對禪定的快樂產生執著的人，將要成為初果、二果、三果或完全覺悟者。
這是你因為對深度禪定的快樂產生執著而擁有的四種選擇。這可不是一個壞的交易，是吧？
----阿贊·布拉姆
2019 香港禪修營
《Ajahn Brahm如何贏得天主教徒的友誼》《How Ajahn Brahm win friendship over Catholics》
《Ajahn Brahm如何贏得天主教徒的友誼》《How Ajahn Brahm win friendship over Catholics》
《How Ajahn Brahm win friendship over Catholics》
Devotee: Thank you for answering, I believe in one truth and many paths. What are your thoughts about being non-religious? Why do we need, what is the purpose of religious acts? Is it important? What do you advise for people who believe all religions are okay? What about those who believe in none? Is being a Buddhist important for practise to seek peace and happiness? Why?
Ajahn Brahm: So, if you want a religion, fine. That's what I say that over in Australia, when people ask, you know, is Buddhism a religion? What do we answer? Yes, for tax purposes anyway. (laugh)
But, you know, it's a non-theistic religion, so why do we need to put labels onto things and put things into boxes? Because when we have labels and boxes, we say, my religion is better than yours, this is the fast way, yours is the slow way, mine is the high way, yours is the low way, all that sort of stuff. That's what really upsets me, that whatever your path is, you will know it's a good path by just how peaceful it makes you, how much harmony it engenders. Not just the wisdom so you can write books and become a professor, but the wisdom which is tested in the challenges in life, and you pull through, the practical wisdom of life.
And in fact, it's a common theme in life that many people get fed up with religion. They promise a lot, deliver very little, and sometimes they say, oh, just when you become enlightened, or when you die, then you know what's right and what's wrong. It's a bit late then, isn't it?
So instead, I always mention that emperor's three questions story, an emperor who had it up to here with religion, but had the power and authority to make his own religion.
So he realises there's only three things in life you need to know the answer for.
When is the most important time?
Who's the most important person?
What's the most important thing to do?
I mentioned that for a meditation method.
When is the most important time? Now
who's the most important person? Is it the Buddha, or the Jesus, or the Bodhisattva, or Ajahn Brahm?
Or is it, who's the most important person? The one right in front of you, whoever that happens to be.
What's the most important thing to do? Is to care.
There's a story written by Leo Tolstoy again. What a powerful teaching that is.
Simple. Do you need to be a Buddhist, or a Christian, or an atheist to hold that? That's practical, that works.
As I say, when I bow to the Buddha, I don't bow to an image, but what it represents.
Keep it practical, keep it useful, and then you'll find the deep truth in your own heart. You know it's good because it doesn't cause problems between people. We don't fight for market share of the religious market.
If you want to be an atheist, fine. Sometimes, is Buddhism an atheist religion? Does Buddhism believe in a creator God? Does Buddhism believe in God? What is Buddha's idea of God? So this is where we innovate. If we say that Buddhism doesn't believe in God, but other people really believe in God, we create a war.
Arguments, differences. So how can we use wisdom to transcend the important people's reverence for God? And that was the story of being challenged by this quite a well-known Australian theologian, Frank Brennan, who challenged me one day. With respect, he said, what is the Buddha's view of God? And I was sitting next to a friend, Abbot Placid, who was the abbot of a Benedictine monastery.
I deliberately cultivated friendships, not with people who agreed with me, but with people who challenged me. So I recall many times in our conversations, friendly conversations, now he was sort of, he had a good sense of humour too, so I remember teasing him once, walking through his old monastery, you know, it's one of the oldest buildings in Western Australia, and I said, are there any ghosts in your monastery? He said, no, I'm a Catholic, we don't believe in ghosts. And I said, what about the Holy Ghost? Ha ha ha, got you.
I was only teasing him. So he laughed, he does the same to me. So anyway, this occasion that, he was, he often used to tell me, one of his core beliefs as a Catholic, as a Christian, was that everyone is searching for God.
Now, don't rebel against that, or have any resistance to that. I said, I'm going to respect that statement. So, because I respect the man who said it, who's a friend.
So, if everyone is searching for God, what are you searching for? As an atheist, as a Buddhist, as a scientist, what are you searching for in your life? And then we get these wonderful answers. You search for respect, people actually respect you, respect your boundaries, respect who you are, respect your customs, respect your space.
That you search for the great joy, to be loved, to be loved and accepted, the door of my heart is totally open, and someone says that to you, and you can give that same love to somebody else.
You search for truth, for peace, sometimes we search for the ability to find our own way in this world, to have rest, to search for beauty, whatever fulfilment. You can add many other things.
So, what do you search for in life? Why are you working? Search for meaning, search for the wonderful thing to have someone say thank you, because what you did or how you helped me was such an amazing, amazing experience.
They really say thank you. To search for moments like that. And so, when I added all those up together and said as a Buddhist or as atheist, this is what people search for, what everyone searches for.
So if my friend said everyone searches for God, this is what Buddhist atheists search for, that must be what God means to a Buddhist. Truth, respect, peace, giving love, receiving love, caring, meaning, truth, peace. You can add to that list.
But it's something which everyone can share. So instead of having an idea which creates wars and boundaries and arguments, it's something which can unite us, which we have in common. So remember, Frank Brennan is a very, you know, very strong intellectual, highly respected.
He said, wow, that was really unexpected. Yeah, that's a great answer.
So I was very happy that, you know, he approved of it.
And why not? Because that's an atheist idea of what people search for, what you want in life. Search for, especially respect. There's too many people we just feel we're taken for granted.
Other people just use us for whatever they want to use us for. And we're not really respected. So giving a person respect and kindness and peace, those are things which I think we can agree upon, is what people search for.
So call that God, if you wish. And I'll put my hand up, I believe in that. Do you believe in that? Hopefully.
----Ajahn Brahm
2019 HK Retreat
《Ajahn Brahm如何贏得天主教徒的友誼》
信徒：感謝您的回答。我相信真理唯一而道路眾多。您對「無宗教信仰」有何看法？宗教行為的目的與必要性是什麼？對於認為「所有宗教都好」或「不信任何宗教」的人，您會給予什麼建議？追求平靜快樂必須成為佛教徒嗎？為什麼？
阿姜布拉姆：若你想要信仰宗教，很好。在澳洲常有人問：「佛教是宗教嗎？」我的標準回答是：「是的，為了報稅目的。」（笑）
但佛教是無神論宗教。何必急著貼標籤分類？一旦有了標籤與框架，就會產生「我宗教比你高尚」「我的路是捷徑，你的是迂途」這類比較。這正是令我憂心的現象。判斷道路好壞的標準，在於它帶來多少內在平靜與和諧——不是那種能讓你寫書當教授的知識，而是經得起生活考驗、助你度過難關的實踐智慧。
現實中許多人對宗教失望，正因它們承諾太多卻兌現太少。有時宗教會說：「等你開悟/死後自然明白什麼是對，什麼是錯。」但到那時不就太遲了嗎？
我常引用「皇帝三問」的故事：有位受夠宗教的皇帝，決定創立自己的宗教。他領悟人生只需回答三個問題：
何時是最重要的時刻？ → 現在
誰是最重要的人？是佛陀、耶穌、菩薩或Ajahn Brahm 嗎？那是此刻在你面前的人
什麼是最重要的事？ → 關懷他人
托爾斯泰寫過這個故事，多麼有力的教導！這種智慧需要分佛教徒、基督徒或無神論者嗎？它是普世實用的。
當我禮佛時，禮敬的不是塑像，而是它所象徵的精神。保持實際與有用，你自會觸及心靈深處的真理。你知道它好，因為它不會引發人際衝突，我們不需要爭奪宗教市場占有率。
若你選擇無神論，fine。有人問：「佛教是否否認造物主？佛陀如何看待神？」這裡需要智慧。若直接說「佛教不信神」，可能引發對立。如何超越這種分歧？有次我被澳洲著名神學家弗蘭克·布倫南挑戰，他恭敬地問：「佛陀對神的觀點是什麼？」當時我身旁坐著本篤會修道院長普拉西德神父——我刻意結交能挑戰我的朋友，而非一味認同我的人。
我們常有幽默互動。有次參觀他那座西澳最古老的修道院時，我逗他：「這裡有鬼嗎？」他正色道：「我們天主教徒不信鬼魂。」我反問：「那聖靈（Holy Ghost）呢？」他大笑，我們常這樣互相調侃。
普拉西德神父常強調他的核心信仰：「所有人都在尋找上帝。」我不反駁，因我尊重這位朋友。那麼問題來了：作為無神論者、佛教徒或科學家，你終極追尋的究竟是什麼？答案其實相通：
被尊重，包括界線、文化、空間
感受愛與接納：我的心扉為你完全開著
有人和你這樣說，你也向別人給予同樣的愛
你探求真理與平靜
尋找生命意義
有時你找尋行走自己道路的能力
去休息
有尋找美麗
什麼的滿足感都好
那麼，你在生活中尋找什麼？你為什麼工作？尋找意義，尋找那種美好的事情，讓某人對你說謝謝，因為你所做的或你幫助我的方式是一種驚人的、驚人的經歷。他們真的會說謝謝。
尋找這樣的時刻。因此，當我把這些加在一起，說作為一個佛教徒或無神論者，人們所尋求的就是這些，這是每個人所追求的。
所以如果我的朋友說每個人都在尋找上帝，這就是佛教無神論者所尋求的，這必定是上帝對佛教徒的意義。真理、尊重、和平、付出愛、接受愛、關懷、意義、真理、和平。你可以在這個清單上添加更多。
但這是每個人都可以分享的東西。因此，與其擁有一個創造戰爭和界限及爭論的觀念，不如擁有一個可以團結我們、我們共同擁有的東西。請記住，Frank Brennan是一位非常強大的知識分子，受到高度尊重。
他說，‘哇，這真的很意外。是的，這是一個很好的回答。’
所以我很高興，他對此表示贊同。
為什麼不呢？因為這是無神論者對人們所追求的、你在生活中想要的東西的看法。特別是尊重的追求。太多人只是覺得自己被理所當然地對待。
其他人只是把我們當作工具，隨意使用。
我們並沒有得到真正的尊重。因此，給予一個人尊重、善良和和平，這些我認為是我們都可以同意的，人們所尋求的東西。
所以如果你願意，可以稱之為上帝。我會舉手，我相信這一點。你相信嗎？希望如此。
----阿贊·布拉姆
《止與觀是一起的》《Samatha and Vipassana are together》
《止與觀是一起的》《Samatha and Vipassana are together》
《Samatha and Vipassana are together》
Samatha and vipassana...
Once, there was this couple: Sam and Vi
Sam surname is atha, Vi is passana
And they have two dogs, one is called metta, one is called anapana
And one day after lunch, Sam and Vi decided to go up to the meditation. And of course they took their two dogs, metta and anapana.
I bet you know what metta means? Loving kindness and compassion
What is anapana? the breath meditation
So Sam, which is calm. Vipasanna, insight
Sam went up to the meditation mountain, becuase there is a beautiful peace up there, that is so calm and still there. He likes the calm and still up there in the meditation mountain.
Vi takes a Canon camera, very expensive , because she wants to take some insight shots of the view. She wants to take the insight of the whole universe at the top of meditation mountain. Everything was laid out, you got so many wonderful truth of existence in your insight camera.
And metta the dog, why does it want to go up there?
Just for fun! for joy!
Dogs are so wise, they are simple.
And anapanasati also went up there for a bit of peace and quiet and fun.
Sam and Vi with their two dogs walked up to the meditation mountain, they only got half way up. Even there, half way up, is so peaceful , that Sam was very happy. And even half way up, Vi can see a really good views, she took many shots.
And metta the dog was so happy, even when half way up, she was wagging her tail, like she was gonna come off.
And anapana, actually the dog was vanishing, disappearing.
And when they got to the top of the meditation mountain: Woah~
It was so still out there. That Sam was so satisfied with the stillness, nothing moves at the top of meditation mountain. But he had an eye to enjoy the view.
And Vi, when she got up there, it was amazing view. You can see the real right view at the top of meditation mountain. She was happy, but she could also enjoy the stillness on top of meditation mountain.
And metta the dog, she was so happy, loving the whole universe of the meditation mountain ; boundless, infinite, boundless loving kindness to the whole universe .
Anapanasaiti was no where to be found
She disappeared.
Because on top of the meditation mountain, your breath vanishes.
Kindness, love and bliss are so incredibly strong; you are so still , so much wisdom, because all these coexist at the top of meditation mountain.
It is not just samatha and vipassana, I don't know why people forgot loving kindness as well.
Samatha , vipassana , metta come together at the top of meditation mountain.
Ajahn Chah had a simile: you see the front of my hand, and you see the back. You see the front, you see the back.
You see the back of your hand, your front is still there.
You see the front ,the back is still there
that is samatha and vipassana, they cannot be separated
So said Ajahn Chah
---Ajahn Brahm
2019 <1:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1hshAOIVBs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIqOjNNhR49EW9MJmxtd9XrT&index=11
《止與觀是一起的》
止與觀……
曾經有一對夫妻：Sam 和 Vi
Sam 的姓是 Atha，Vi 的姓是 Passana。
他們有兩隻狗，一隻叫 Metta，另一隻叫 Anapana。
有一天，午餐後，Sam 和 Vi 決定上山冥想，當然他們帶上了兩隻狗，Metta 和 Anapana。
你知道 Metta 是什麼意思嗎？慈悲。
那 Anapana 是什麼呢？呼吸的禪修方法。
所以 Sam 代表止，而 Vipassana 代表觀。
Sam 上了禪修山，因為那裡有美麗的寧靜，非常安靜。他喜歡禪修山上的寧靜與靜謐。
Vi 拿著一台非常昂貴的 Canon 相機，因為她想拍一些關於風景的洞察。她想在禪修山頂捕捉整個宇宙的洞察。所有的真理都在她的洞察相機中展現。
那麼 Metta 這隻狗為什麼想上山呢？
只是為了好玩！為了快樂！
狗是如此有智慧，它們是簡單的。
Anapana 也來到這裡尋找一些寧靜和樂趣。
Sam 和 Vi 帶著兩隻狗走上禪修山，他們只走到一半。即使在半山腰，那裡也是如此平靜，以至於 Sam 非常高興。即使在半山腰，Vi 也能看到很好的風景，拍了很多照片。
而 Metta 這隻狗也非常高興，即使在半山腰，她搖著尾巴，像是要飛起來一樣。
而 Anapana，實際上這隻狗似乎消失了。
當他們到達禪修山頂時：哇~
那裡是如此靜謐，Sam 對這份寧靜感到非常滿足，禪修山頂上什麼都如如不動。可是他卻能享受這美景。
Vi 上去後，看到的風景令人驚嘆。在禪修山頂上，你可以看到真正的正確視角。她很高興，但她也能享受禪修山頂的靜謐。
而 Metta 這隻狗，她非常高興，愛著整個禪修山的宇宙；無邊無際，無限的慈愛遍及整個宇宙。
Anapana 卻不見了。
她消失了。
因為在禪修山頂上，你的呼吸消失了。
慈悲、愛與喜悅是如此強烈；你是如此靜謐，擁有如此多的智慧，因為這一切都在禪修山頂上共存。
這不僅僅是止與觀，我不知道為什麼人們會忘記慈悲。
止、觀與 慈心在禪修山頂結合在一起。
阿姜查有一個比喻：你看到我手的正面，也看到背面。
你看到正面，也看到背面。
你看到手的背面，手的正面依然存在。
你看到正面，手的背面依然在。
這就是止與觀，它們是不可分割的。
阿姜查這樣說。
---Ajahn Brahm
2019年 <1:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1hshAOIVBs&list=PL-E16hq8cBIqOjNNhR49EW9MJmxtd9XrT&index=11
《幫助他人為我們帶來能量》《Helping others bring energy to us》
《幫助他人為我們帶來能量》《Helping others bring energy to us》
《Helping others bring energy to us》
Serving other people, giving your energy to somebody else, and you really are selfless and care. It is amazing that the energy you get, is a pure form of energy, not like caffeine. Service to others, giving. That really brightens up your energy.
Normally, you maybe dull, depressed, low energy. This time you are really bright and energized....
That's why, whenever you have the chance to help, to serve, to give; take it. And that means , somebody comes late for lunch, save some lunch for them, so they don't get hungry.
If they drop something, or being tired, or you find out tommorow is someone's birthday, bring them breakfast in bed. Silly things like that, why not.
----Ajahn Brahm
2019, from <7:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRlz88M5NqQ&list=PL-E16hq8cBIqOjNNhR49EW9MJmxtd9XrT&index=9
《幫助他人為我們帶來能量》
為他人服務，將你的能量給予別人，這是真正的無私與關懷。
令人驚訝的是，你所獲得的能量是純粹的能量，與咖啡因不同。服務他人、付出，真的可以讓你的能量變得明亮。
通常，你可能會感到沉悶、沮喪、能量低下。但這時候你真的會感到充滿活力和光彩......
這就是為什麼，無論何時有機會去幫助、服務或付出時，請抓住它。
比如，有人遲到了去吃午餐，為他們留一些午餐，讓他們不會餓著。
如果他們掉了東西，或者感到疲倦，或者你發現明天是某人的生日，給他們帶早餐到床上。這些小事，為什麼不呢？
---Ajahn Brahm
2019, from <7:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRlz88M5NqQ&list=PL-E16hq8cBIqOjNNhR49EW9MJmxtd9XrT&index=9
《道德高地》《Higher moral ground》
《道德高地》《Higher moral ground》
《Higher moral ground》
I've told that topoliticians. I even, actually, told that to the president of Sri Lanka a couple of years ago, all you Sri Lankans here, he loved thatstory, because, being a politician, people are always throwing dirt on you. Shrug it off, stamp it in, and you get higher moral ground.
It's the same with you. People criticize you. Your husband calls you ugly. You called him stupid,
whatever it is. Just shrug it off, stamp it in, and you'll get closer to the top of the well. That's how to deal with difficult people
《道德高地》
我曾告訴那些政客。事實上，我幾年前甚至告訴了斯里蘭卡的總統，你們這裡的斯里蘭卡人，他非常喜歡這個故事，因為作為一名政治家，人們總是向你潑髒水。把這些拋在腦後，踩在腳下，你就能獲得更高的道德高地。
對你來說也是如此。人們批評你。你的丈夫叫你醜。你叫他愚蠢，無論是什麼。只需把這些拋在腦後，踩在腳下，你就會更接近井口的頂端。這就是處理麻煩人的方法。
---Ajahn Brahm
28-11-2008 from:
《平靜自己等於平靜他人》《calming down ourselves equals calming down others》
《平靜自己等於平靜他人》《calming down ourselves equals calming down others》
《calming down ourselves equals calming down others》
I remember this one lady, no other monk would be able to talk with her, and she would come on the telephone...I think someone knows who I'm talking about, and she would swear, F-words, bloody words, "Bloody monks, I'm going to come up there with an M-16 and shoot you all."
I said, "OK, that's a nice thing to do." [laughter]
I understood her. No, she's a really difficult person, but because I have never reacted back, because I always react in kindness, she always loved me and said,"You're the only person who understands me," and of course she never came to the monastery with an M-16 to shoot us all.
She was just taking out her venom on someone who would listen and not take it seriously.
I could understand where she was coming from, the pain of her life, the difficulties of her life and embracing her for who she was. Then she'd calm down, become very peaceful and tell me all about her life, a very painful difficult life. She was not a problem. She was not a difficulty. As I understood myself, I could understand her.
You can actually calm down the so called difficult people in this world when you have learned how to calm down yourself. Then everybody in the world is not difficult anymore. It's not as if they continue those bad habits which other people think asdifficult. Because you can calm them down, accept them peacefully, they don't need to express that difficulty anymore in those dysfunctional ways.
《平靜自己等於平靜他人》
我記得有一位女士，沒有其他僧侶能和她交談，她會打電話來……我想有人知道我在說誰，她會咒罵，使用髒話，“該死的僧侶，我要帶著M-16來那裡把你們都射了。”
我說：“好吧，這是一件很好的事情。”[笑聲]
我理解她。不，她真的是一個難相處的人，但因為我從未對她做出反應，因為我總是以善意回應，她總是喜歡我，說：“你是唯一懂我的人。”當然，她從來沒有帶著M-16來寺院射我們。
她只是把她的怨恨發洩在一個願意傾聽且不會當真的人身上。
我能理解她的處境，理解她生活中的痛苦和困難，並接納她的本來面目。然後她就會平靜下來，變得非常安詳，告訴我她的生活，一段非常痛苦艱難的生活。她不是一個問題。她不是一個困難的人。當我理解自己時，我也能理解她。
其實，當你學會讓自己平靜下來時，你可以讓這個世界上所謂的難相處的人平靜下來。然後這個世界上的每個人都不再難相處。並不是說他們會繼續那些被其他人認為是困難的壞習慣。因為你可以讓他們平靜下來，平和地接納他們，他們不需要再以那些不健康的方式表現出困難。
---阿姜布拉姆
《負面情緒讓你變得難以相處》《Negativity makes you a difficult person》
《負面情緒讓你變得難以相處》《Negativity makes you a difficult person》
《Negativity makes you a difficult person》
when you get sort of negative, you do become a difficult person to live with, so know that whatever you have to do in life, you embrace it, have fun withit. If you teach a person to have fun with the difficulties of life, to embrace them, then you'll find that you never get a difficult character.
Seeing a person who is a difficult person to live with, it is because they're fighting their life. They're angry at just what life gives them, and they're probably working too hard, "Why do I have to do all of this? Why does all these things happened to me? Why is this life so tough for me?" and they take it out on you, and all the other people they live with.
Hope I never take it out on the monks which I live with. Instead, you just embrace it, take it on board, it's just life. You can't change life, but as I said many times,you can always change the attitude you have to life. It's an attitude problem we have, that's all. What's wrong with working hard? You can only do one thing at a time,that's all we ever do. That's why we never get angry at people not turning off their mobile phones, we embrace that. [laughter]
Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to explain just how you can embrace the difficulties of life. [laughter]
Look, I had a choice, I could get angry at someone not turning offtheir mobile phone, but why get angry for? It's already been turned on, big deal, so you don't get angry at life, you just embrace it. People make mistakes. I make mistakes. I made abig mistake, I hope she's not here today. Last Sunday I was doing a marriage service forone of the people who comes here regularly, and she's married to a nice young boy.You always have to get married to a boy, I suppose, if you're a girl. [laughter]
I don't know why I said that, but anyway she was getting married...[laughter]
...and after the service, doing the blessing service, and I said to him...That's right, this elderly man came to stand next to him, and I said, "Oh, is that your father?"
And the old man said, "No, I'm the best man." [laughter]
He was not very happy at me. [laughter]
Well, like I was telling a funeral director on...When was it? On Wednesday, or Tuesday...Thursday, Thursday, yesterday. I was telling the funeral director about one of the funerals I did once for a couple who comes here. One of their parents died. I'm doing the funeral service and saying, "Oh, it's such a shame that your mother passed away, she was such a good Buddhist, and she'd done so much."
Then this old lady stood up at the back and said, "It's not me, it's my husband. I'm alive! It's he who's dead." [laughter]
I do stupid things many times. [laughter]
But when you make a stupid thing, instead of getting tense about it and being a difficult person, you laugh at life. I actually try and collect all my stupid mistakes, and try and tell you all about them... [laughter]
...so that you laugh. When you make a mistake, it's like a wonderful opportunity to make people laugh. That's why one of the sayings, "When you ever make a stupid mistake, and people laugh, you laugh as well, because then the world never laughs at you, it only laughs with you."
So we laugh as well at the stupidity of life and making a mistake, and that way we embrace and accept things, even the difficult things, and we don't become a difficult person.
No matter what you have to deal with, you can embrace and make it work, so if you learn that, then you're not one of the difficult people in life. It's always other people who are difficult. No matter who those other people are. They're us, so when we learn how not to be difficult, we can maybe give those skills to other people,but not be so demanding of life by having an attitude which is more accepting of life.
《負面情緒讓你變得難以相處》
當你變得有些負面時，你確實會成為一個難以相處的人，所以要知道，無論你在生活中要做什麼，請擁抱它，享受它。如果你教會一個人如何在生活的困難中找到樂趣，並擁抱這些困難，那麼你會發現自己永遠不會變得難以相處。
看到一個難以相處的人，是因為他們在與生活抗爭。他們對生活所給予的感到生氣，可能還在拼命工作，心裡想：“為什麼我必須做這些？為什麼這一切都發生在我身上？為什麼我的生活對我來說如此艱難？”他們將這些情緒發泄在你和其他與他們生活在一起的人身上。
希望我永遠不會把這些情緒發泄在與我一起的僧侶身上。相反，你只是擁抱它，接受它，這就是生活。你無法改變生活，但正如我多次所說，你始終可以改變自己對生活的態度。這是一個態度問題，僅此而已。努力工作有什麼錯？你只能一次做一件事，這就是我們所做的。所以我們從不會因為人們不關掉他們的手機而生氣，我們接受這一點。[笑聲]
非常感謝你給我這個機會來解釋如何擁抱生活的困難。[笑聲]
你看，我有選擇，我可以因為有人不關掉手機而生氣，但為什麼要生氣呢？它已經開著，這有什麼大不了的，所以你不要對生活生氣，你只是擁抱它。人們會犯錯，我會犯錯。我犯了一個大錯，我希望她今天不在這裡。上週日，我為一位經常來這裡的人主持婚禮，她嫁給了一位好小伙子。對於女孩來說，你總是要嫁給一個男孩，我想。[笑聲]
我不知道為什麼我會這麼說，但不管怎樣，她正在結婚……[笑聲]
……在儀式結束後，在祝福儀式上，我對他說……對的，這位老先生走到他身邊，我說：“哦，那是你的父親嗎？”
老先生說：“不，我是伴郎。”[笑聲]
他對我不太高興。[笑聲]
好吧，就像我告訴一位殯葬主任的……什麼時候來著？在星期三，或者星期二……星期四，昨天。我告訴殯葬主任關於我曾經為一對經常來這裡的人主持的葬禮。他們的父母去世了。我正在主持葬禮，說：“哦，你母親去世真可惜，她是一位很好的佛教徒，做了很多事情。”
然後這位老婦人在後面站起來說：“不是我，是我丈夫。我還活著！是他死了。”[笑聲]
我經常會做愚蠢的事情。[笑聲]
但當你犯了愚蠢的錯誤時，不要對此感到緊張，成為一個難以相處的人，而是要對生活發笑。我其實試著收集所有的愚蠢錯誤，並試著告訴你們所有的……[笑聲]
……這樣你們就可以笑了。當你犯錯時，這就像是一個讓人發笑的絕佳機會。這就是為什麼有一句話：“當你犯了一個愚蠢的錯誤，人們笑了，你也笑了，因為這樣世界就不會嘲笑你，而是和你一起笑。”
所以我們也要對生活的愚蠢和錯誤發笑，這樣我們才能擁抱和接受一切，即使是困難的事情，我們也不會變得難以相處。
無論你必須面對什麼，你都可以擁抱並讓它運作，所以如果你學會了這一點，那麼你就不是生活中那些難以相處的人。總是其他人才是難以相處的。無論那些其他人是誰。它們就是我們，所以當我們學會如何不變得難以相處時，我們也許可以把這些技能傳授給其他人，但對生活的要求不再那麼苛刻，擁有一種更能接受生活的態度。
---阿姜布拉姆
《如何避免自己成為一個難相處的人》《How to prevent ourselves being a difficult person》
《如何避免自己成為一個難相處的人》《How to prevent ourselves being a difficult person》
《How to prevent ourselves being a difficult person》
One of the reasons why people are difficult, why sometimes you are difficult, is because people are too stressed out. When you're stressed out at work, you take it back home, give people a hard time at home, and then because you have a hard time at home, you have family problems, when you go back to work, you're stressed out at work even before you begin your day.
You are in the cycle of negativity and stress, so much so that we reallyshould deal with that problem, whether at home, or at work, to learn how to de-stress, and to be able to de-stress a little bit of meditation really works.
You know the old story, how heavy is a cup? The longer I hold it, the heavierit feels,
if I keep holding this for five minutes, my arm aches, 10 minutes, I'm in great pain.
If I keep holding this for half an hour, I'm a very stupid monk. [laughter]
What should I do when it starts to get heavy? Put it down for five minutes. If you don't believe me, you can try this out at home. [laughs] It works, after five minutes , you pick it up again, it's much lighter. It feels lighter. It's exactly the same weight, it feels lighter because you have rested. Your stress is nothing to do with how much work you have.
The amount of responsibilities and duties you have, that is not the cause of stress.
The cause of stress is when it gets too heavy to bear, you don't know how to put it down.
You're afraid of putting it down for a few minutes, to rest, to get your energies and strength back up, and you will find, as any psychologist or monk will tell you...actually, we teach the psychologists, that's where they got all their ideas from.[laughter] We should patent them, but we give things out for free.
This is the work you have. You find if you put it down for 5 or 10minutes,
it's not 5 or 10 minutes wasted, it's actually an investment of time. Because when you're rested, afterwards, the quality of your work improves enormously. You get more done in less time too. You become more efficient, and sometimes at work we mistake the quantity of work for its quality and efficiency.
Giving yourself a break, 10 minutes of meditation, rest, or whatever, and I recommend the toilet is a great place to meditate. [laughter]
You can put on, "engaged" there, no one will bother you, and you can always say you were constipated. You're not lying, because your brain was constipated.[laughter]
Then rest for a few minutes. When you come out afterwards, you make up that 10 minutes you spent in the loo very quickly, so you get more work done, more efficiency, higher quality, and you're not stressed out.
So when you go home, you can enjoy the company of your relations, and know your kids, and your wife, your husband, and even actually relax and enjoy your dinner.Because when you enjoy the company of home...again, home is supposed to be a place where youde-stress, you can relax, have a good dinner, and meet the people you love and care for.
When you have a nice rest in the evening, you go back to work in the morning, then you're sort of calm. It's a cycle which you can either have a vicious cycle of stress and argument at home, or stress at work, and you get really crazy, or you can break thatcycle, rest a little bit at work. You get more done, you come home, you relax, everythingis going well at home so you...happy at work as well. You get more done there.
That's a cycle where you don't become a difficult person to live with. That'swhy I say to people when they come on meditation retreats, they're doing meditation here on a Saturday afternoon, or beforehand, "Why do you meditate?" Because other people have to putup with you. [laughter]
That's one of the great reasons to meditate, and if you meditate,you're a much nicer person afterwards. Many times when I've been teaching meditation,especially down at Armadale, I don't know why this happens always in Armadale group. In Armadale group, sometimes after the meditation, talking to people afterwards, and veryoften people say, "You know, this evening, I never wanted to come."
"It's Tuesday evening, I've been at work, and I'm tired, and I told my kids I'm not going this evening, and my daughter said, 'Mommy, you must go tomeditation.'
I said, 'I don't feel like it darling, I'm tired.' 'Mommy, you must go to meditation!'
'No, not this evening.'
'Mommy, go to meditation!!'
'Why darling?'
'Because you're a much nicer mommy when you come back.'" [laughter]
So they go. Many of the kids actually understand that. They can see the change in you when you're de-stress, so you're not such a difficult mother or a difficult father to your own kids. This is actually how you can see in practice, a little bit of rest makes people less difficult people to live with.
You see, in the course of these things, so it's not just being compassionate and kind, it's actually knowing the causes of being difficult, and dealing with them by giving yourself a bit of rest, being de-stressed.
《如何避免自己成為一個難相處的人》
人們為什麼會變得難以相處，有時你自己也會變得難以相處，原因之一就是因為壓力太大。當你在工作上感到壓力時，這種壓力會帶回家，給家人帶來困擾，然後因為在家裡的困擾，你又會有家庭問題，當你回到工作時，即使在一天的開始之前，你已經感到壓力重重。
你陷入了負面的循環和壓力之中，因此我們真的應該解決這個問題，無論是在家還是在工作，學會如何減壓，而一些禪修的練習確實能幫助你減壓。
你知道那個老故事，杯子的重量是多少？我握著它的時間越長，感覺越重。
如果我握著它五分鐘，我的手臂會感到疼痛，十分鐘後，我會感到非常痛苦。
如果我一直握著它半小時，那我就是一個非常愚蠢的和尚。[笑聲]
當它開始變得沉重時，我應該怎麼做？放下五分鐘。如果你不相信我，可以在家試試看。[笑聲] 這是有效的，五分鐘後再拿起來，會感覺輕多了。它的重量並沒有變，卻因為你休息過而感覺輕鬆。你的壓力與你有多少工作無關。
你的責任和義務的數量並不是壓力的根源。
壓力的根源在於當你無法承受時，你不知道如何放下。
你害怕放下幾分鐘，去休息，恢復精力和力量，你會發現，正如任何心理學家或僧侶會告訴你的……其實，我們教了心理學家，這就是他們所有想法的來源。[笑聲] 我們應該為此申請專利，但我們免費提供這些。
這是你所承擔的工作。你會發現，如果你放下五或十分鐘，
這不是浪費的五或十分鐘，而實際上是時間的投資。因為當你得到休息後，隨之而來的工作質量會大大提高。你能在更少的時間內完成更多的工作。你變得更有效率，有時在工作上，我們會錯誤地將工作量與質量和效率混淆。
給自己一個休息，十分鐘的禪修，休息或其他什麼，我建議廁所是一個很好的禪修地點。[笑聲]
你可以在那裡“忙碌”，沒有人會打擾你，你也總是可以說你便秘了。你並不是在說謊，因為你的大腦確實是“便秘”的。[笑聲]
然後休息幾分鐘。當你出來後，你會很快彌補在廁所花的那十分鐘，這樣你能完成更多的工作，效率更高，質量更高，同時你不會感到壓力。
這樣當你回到家時，你可以享受與家人的相處，了解你的孩子，妻子或丈夫，甚至真正放鬆地享受你的晚餐。因為當你享受家庭的陪伴時……家庭應該是一個讓你減壓的地方，你可以放鬆，享受美好的晚餐，與你愛和關心的人相聚。
當你在晚上得到良好的休息，早上回到工作時，你的心情會平靜。這是一個循環，你可以選擇要麼陷入惡性的壓力和家庭爭吵，要麼在工作中稍微休息一下。你能做得更多，回到家後放鬆，家庭一切都很好，這樣你在工作上也會感到開心。你能在那裡做得更多。
這是一個讓你不成為難相處的人的循環。這就是為什麼我對來參加禪修營的人說，在星期六下午或之前，他們在這裡禪修，“你為什麼禪修？”因為其他人必須忍受你。[笑聲]
這是禪修的一個重要原因，如果你禪修，之後你會變得更加友好。很多次在我教禪修的時候，特別是在阿馬代爾小組，我不知道為什麼這總是在阿馬代爾小組發生。有時在禪修後，與禪員交談，很多人說：“你知道，今晚我根本不想來。”
“今天是星期二晚上，我在工作，感到疲憊，我告訴我的孩子我今晚不去，我的女兒說，‘媽媽，你一定要去禪修。’
我說，‘我不想去，親愛的，我累了。’‘媽媽，你一定要去禪修！’
‘不，今晚不去。’
‘媽媽，去禪修！！’
‘為什麼，親愛的？’
‘因為你回來後會變得更好。’”[笑聲]
所以他們去了。很多孩子其實都明白這一點。他們能看到你在減壓後的變化，這樣你就不會成為孩子們難相處的母親或父親。這實際上是你可以在實踐中看到的，休息一下會讓人變得不那麼難相處。
你看，在這些事情的過程中，不僅僅是表現出同情和善良，更是了解變得難相處的原因，並通過給自己一些休息來解決這些問題，讓自己減壓。
《大善可以轉化惡人》《Immense kindness can convert a bad person》
《大善可以轉化惡人》《Immense kindness can convert a bad person》
《Immense kindness can convert a bad person》
One of the first time, 20 years ago, when I told this story it was when I asteaching in prison, in Karnet Prison Farm, just down the road from my ministry. We still go there most Fridays.
When I was teaching that at Karnet Prison Farm one of the prisoners complained and he said, "That is just new age rubbish. It doesn't work in the real world,especially in a prison. Prisons are tough places. If you've got a difficult person you've got to standup for yourself. That's the only language they understand."
Of course, I wasn't having any of that. I said, "I don't believe you." He said,"You don't live in prison." I said, "Monastery we have cells, we have wall around."Actually, they don't have a wall around Karnet but we have a wall around our monastery. Sometimes people, in the early years, they used to drive to Karnet Prison Farm and ask where are the monks. It was very embarrassing. Luckily, there weren't any monks in it.
Anyway, I challenged this guy and said, "In this prison, who is the most difficult person you have to deal with?" The prisoner I challenged was with a number of other prisoners. He said, "The chief officer. The chief officer, my job is to serve him tea and coffee every day. That's my job in prison. I hate that guy. He's always really nasty."
He told me a story which happened a week before. One of the prisoners inKarnet, he had hardly ever had a visit from his family because it's such a hard place to get to.There's no public transport and if you're poor and haven't got a car you have to find a friend who can actually take you all that way. It's a difficult place to get to.
He said this man's wife had managed to get a lift to come and see him, but before you can go and see your relations in prison you have to check in, say your name, go through all the security stuff.
The chief officer had seen this woman checking in and knew that she had come to see this prisoner and decided to be cruel to the prisoner.
On the PA system he said so-and-so, I've got a job for you on the other side of Karnet Prison Farm and sent him to a place where the PA system didn't reach. It's a huge prison farm. He did it on purpose because as soon as his wife had checked in the PA system, he announced, 'prisoner so-and-so, your wife is here, please go to the visitor's area' . But he couldn't hear it from where he had been sent.
The message was repeated two or three times. There was a search to try and find him. They did find him. By the time they found him and he came back visiting hoursare over. Better luck next time. He said, "The chief officer did this on purpose with no reason other than spite and trying to give the prisoners a harder time than they deserved.That's why, in that time in prison, he was called a dog."
I said, "You hate him?" He said, "Yes. Really big time. He's so difficult. He never respects us, never says anything to us. He always puts us down and treats us like dirt." I said, "Great. This is a challenge. You meet him every day serving tea and coffee.Be kind to him. Don't embrace him with your arms, you'll get in trouble that way,but at least you can embrace him with your heart."
I said, "How you can do that is every time you serve him some tea and coffee try and put some love and care in that tea or coffee. Try and make it the most beautiful, delicious cup of coffee you possibly can make. Find out what he likes and be kind. Get lots of love and compassion whenever you serve him tea and coffee."
So all credit to this prisoner, he tried it, for a week. When I came back afterone week, "How is it going?"
He said, "It's a complete waste of time. I'm trying really hard to be kind to this guy , but every time, even if I put lots of effort into making a nice cup of tea and coffee, he completely ignores me as if I don't exist, as if I'm lower than a cockroach.He even says to the cockroach get out of here, but not me."
I told him, "Carry on." It was about, I'm not sure how long, maybe a couple of months, I had to encourage him and force him to do this, before we got what I call the big breakthrough.
One day I actually came to visit and he couldn't wait to tell me this.
He said, he'd made this prison officer a beautiful cup of coffee with cream or whatever he found, just the type he thought the prison officer liked, and managed to find him some biscuits which he noticed the prison officer liked, and he said, "Here you are sir, have this coffee, and I've found some special biscuits which I know you like," and the prison officer said, "Er." He grunted. That was our breakthrough. [laughter]
It was the first time he acknowledged that this prisoner actually lived and existed and breathed. That grunt, I said, "Wow, this is exciting!" That is the crack in the dam wall.
I was right. It was only about two or three weeks later the prisoner managed to find a special cup of tea, a sandwich or whatever, handed it to this prison officer,the chief officer, who was a dog, and the chief officer turned around and said, "Thankyou."
All the other prisoners were telling me this and they were all looking at me and they said,
"You don't realize just how the prison grapevine works. That has gone to every prison in the state." That this chief officer could say thank you to a prisoner was unbelievable.
I won the challenge. I knew I'd win eventually. Even such a dog you can change into a cuddly little puppy with lots and lots and lots of kindness.
You can turn difficult people around, but it just takes a lot and lot of patience, a lot of kindness. Some of you will not be able to do that. It's too much for you. You have to know your limitations. But it does work if you really push at it. The most difficult people can become the best of your friends. Sometimes it's a challenge which is worth
facing in life. You have people in the office. Give them kindness.
When they give unkindness back to you and difficulty to you, know your limitations.
If you have to run away, fine. If you have to, talk to them and point out what it feels like. What I talked about this afternoon in a conference is also what I talked about here, the old sandwich technique.
If you do have to tell a person you're being difficult to me, I have my own space that I need to protect, you don't go blurting out the negative stuff straight away.
That will never work.
Whenever you are talking to someone and want to bring up a difficult problem, in other words to criticize them, to tell them they're making a problem for you,sandwich technique.
Two or three pieces of praise, first of all. You're a really nice person, you're so diligent, you're so well dressed or whatever, somethingwhich praises them, and then you tell them.
Say you want to criticize me. You say, "Ajahn Brahm, you're such a nice monk, coming all the time, giving these talks, and they're very inspiring. When you say things like that I open up to you. You lighten me. I'm listening to you." Then you say, "But your jokes are sometimes a bit over the top, but I know that you do look after the monasteries and look after the Buddhist society." You praise afterwards.
If you actually sandwich your criticism between heaps and heaps of praise,people actually listen to it. If you are dealing with a difficult person and you really need to tell them, they really need to listen to you to know exactly what they're doing and the problems they're causing, please praise them first of all. Get on their right side. Then they know they're not being attacked.
Push this back at you. Isn't that what you need when you're being told off because you are difficult people, as well? Sometimes aren't you? It's always somebody else. Sometimes we create difficulties for others. If I was going to tell you off, this is how I would do it. I'd praise you,
first of all, butter you up, make you know that I appreciate and value andcare for you.
If you just give criticism straight away ;what we feel if we are that person will be--why are they my enemy?
Why are they just saying this to me? Don't they realize how hard I work andthe difficulties and the problems I have to face? When you get criticism straight away you just get defensive,
you justify yourself, and you don't listen to the other person. You don't take it on-board.
By getting that acceptance, the very fact that you're accepted, you're appreciated, you're valued means you're opening up.
Then you put the criticism in and you butter over
afterwards. I really like you, you're really valued, thank you for being who you are.
Then people actually can listen. A lot of times people don't realize they're being difficult to you. It's weird, but they think they're being a friend. They think they're being them or they're being funny or they're being whatever. Sometimes we do need feedback to know exactly whatwe're doing and how we come across.
《大善可以轉化惡人》
二十年前，我第一次講這個故事的時候是在監獄裡教書，地點是卡內特監獄農場，就在我的部門附近。我們幾乎每個星期五都會去那裡。
在卡內特監獄農場教書時，有一名囚犯抱怨說：“這只是新時代的垃圾。在現實世界中，尤其是在監獄裡，這是行不通的。監獄是艱難的地方。如果你遇到麻煩人，你必須為自己挺身而出。那是他們唯一懂的語言。”
當然，我不這麼認同。我說：“我不相信你。”他說：“你不住在監獄裡。”我回應道：“我們寺廟就是牢房，四周有牆。”其實，卡內特監獄沒有牆，但我們的寺廟有牆。....
不管怎樣，我挑戰了這個人，問：“在這監獄裡，誰是你必須面對麻煩的人？”我挑戰的囚犯和其他幾個囚犯在一起。他說：“主任。每天我的工作就是給他端茶和咖啡。這是我在監獄裡的工作。我討厭那個家伙。他總是很刻薄。”
他告訴我一個星期前發生的故事。卡內特的一名囚犯幾乎從未見過他的家人，因為那是一個難以到達的地方。那裡沒有公共交通，如果你很窮又沒有車，你就得找個朋友帶你一路過去。這是一個難以到達的地方。
他說這個人的妻子設法搭到車來看他，但在你可以去監獄裡見你的親戚之前，你必須登記，報上你的名字，通過所有安全檢查。
主任看到這位女士登記，知道她來看這名囚犯，於是決定殘酷地對待這位囚犯。
在公共廣播系統上，他說：’某某，我有個工作要你去卡內特監獄農場的另一邊‘，並把他發送到一個公共廣播系統聽不見的地方。這是一個巨大的監獄農場。他是故意這麼做的，因為當他的妻子登記進來時，公共廣播系統宣布：“囚犯某某，你的妻子在這裡，請到訪客區。”但他在被發送的地方聽不見這個消息。
這條消息重複了兩三次。人們試圖尋找他。找到了他時，到訪時間已經結束。他說：’下次再好運一點吧‘。他說：“主任故意這麼做，除了出於惡意，沒有其他原因，想讓囚犯們過得更艱難。這就是為什麼在那段時間他在監獄裡被稱為狗。”
我問：“你討厭他嗎？”
他說：“是的，真是非常討厭。他太難相處了。他從不尊重我們，從不和我們說話。他總是貶低我們，把我們當作垃圾。”
我說：“很好，這是一個挑戰。你每天都要給他端茶和咖啡。對他好。不要用手擁抱他，這樣會惹麻煩，但至少你可以用心去擁抱他。”
我說：“你可以這樣做，每次給他端茶和咖啡時，試著在茶或咖啡裡放一些愛和關懷。努力讓它成為你能做的最美味的咖啡。找出他喜歡什麼，對他好。每次給他端茶和咖啡時，注入很多慈悲。”
這位囚犯值得表揚，他嘗試了這個方法，持續了一週。當我一週後回來時問：“進展怎麼樣？”他說：“這完全是浪費時間。我努力對這個家夥好，但每次，即使我很用心地做了一杯好茶和咖啡，他完全忽視我，彷彿我不存在，彷彿我的地位比蟑螂還要低。他甚至對蟑螂說‘滾開’，卻不對我這樣。”
我告訴他：“繼續。”我不得不鼓勵他並強迫他這麼做，大約兩三個月後，才得到我所謂的重大突破。
有一天我去探望他，他迫不及待地告訴我。
他說，他為這位監獄官員做了一杯美味的咖啡，裡面加了奶油或他找到的其他東西，正是他認為監獄主任喜歡的類型，還設法找到了一些他注意到監獄官員喜歡的餅乾，他說：“這是給您的，先生，請喝這杯咖啡，我還找到了您喜歡的特別餅乾。”
而監獄官員只是“嗯。”他發出了一聲低沉的聲音。那就是我們的突破。[笑聲]
這是他第一次承認這名囚犯其實是活著的，存在的，呼吸的。那聲低吟，我說：“哇，這真令人興奮！”這是堤壩牆上的裂縫。
我沒錯。大約兩三周後，這名囚犯終於找到一杯特別的茶、一個三明治或其他什麼，遞給這位監獄官員，這位被稱為狗的主任，主任轉過身來說：“謝謝。”
所有其他囚犯都告訴我這件事，大家都看著我說：“你不知道監獄的八卦是怎麼運作的。這已經傳到了全州的每一個監獄。”這位主任能對一名囚犯說謝謝，真是不可思議。
我贏了這場挑戰。我知道我最終會贏。即使是這樣的狗，你也可以用巨大的善意把他變成一隻可愛的小狗。
你可以轉化麻煩人，但這需要大量的耐心和善意。有些人可能無法做到這一點，這對你來說可能太多了。你必須知道自己的界限。但如果你真的堅持下去，這是有效的。最困難的人可以成為你最好的朋友。有時這是一個值得面對的挑戰。在辦公室裡，對他們施以善意。
當他們回報你不善的態度和困難時，知道自己的限制。如果你必須逃避，那就走。如果需要，與他們談談，指出你的感受。今天下午在會議上講的內容也是我在這裡講的，老式的三明治技巧。
如果你確實需要告訴某人他對你造成了困難，我需要保護自己的空間，那麼你不要立刻就說出負面的東西。
這樣做是不會有效的。
每當你和某人交談，想提出一個困難的問題，也就是要批評他們，告訴他們他們給你帶來了麻煩，使用三明治技巧。
先給兩三句讚美。你是一個很棒的人，你非常勤奮，你的穿著很好，或者其他什麼，讚美他們，然後再告訴他們。
假設你想批評我。你可以說：“阿姜布拉姆，你真是一位好和尚，經常來這裡，給我們這些啟發性的講座。當你這樣說時，我會對你敞開心扉。你讓我輕鬆，我在聽你說。”然後你可以說：“但你的笑話有時會過火，但我知道你確實在關心寺廟和僧團。”最後再讚美。
如果你真的把批評夾在大量讚美之間，人們實際上會聽進去。如果你正在與一個麻煩人打交道，而你真的需要告訴他們，他們需要聽到你所說的，知道他們在做什麼以及造成的問題，請首先讚美他們。拉攏他們的心。這樣他們就知道自己不是在被攻擊。
這反映到你自己身上。當你因為自己是困難的人而被指責時，這不正是你需要的嗎？有時候我們會給別人造成困難。如果我要告訴你，我會這樣做。我會先讚美你，讓你知道我欣賞、重視和關心你。
如果你立刻就給出批評；如果我們是那個人，感覺會是——為什麼他們是我的敵人？為什麼他們只對我這麼說？難道他們不知道我工作有多辛苦，要面對的困難和問題有多少？當你立刻受到批評時，你只會變得具防備性，為自己辯護，而不會聽取對方的意見。你不會接受他們的話。
通過獲得接受，你被接受、被重視、被欣賞的事實意味著你在敞開心扉。然後你把批評放進去，再加上一些讚美。我真的很喜歡你，你真的很有價值，謝謝你做你自己。
那麼人們就能聽進去。很多時候，人們並不知道自己對你造成了困難。這很奇怪，但他們認為自己是在做朋友。他們認為自己在表現自己，或是搞笑，或是其他什麼。有時我們確實需要反饋來了解我們在做什麼以及我們的表現如何。
---阿姜布拉姆
《與麻煩人相處》《Dealing with difficult people》
《與麻煩人相處》《Dealing with difficult people》
《Dealing with difficult people》
So number one, you have to accept that, and you have to learn how to deal with them.
One is learn that they're part of life and you can learn so much from them.
Number two is to realize that most of the difficulty of difficult people is actually coming from you, the way we react to them.
Someone once said, "If ever you see a difficult person, remember, you only have to endure them for maybe a few minutes, a few hours at most." Even if you live withthem, it's your husband or your wife, I don't know why you chose that person anyway. That's your karma. [laughter] But anyway once you chose them....
Even if they're that close to you, you only have to live with them for a short period of time, but they have to live with themselves all day.
Sometimes when you think how irritating they are for you, they'll be equally irritating towards themselves. Those poor people have to live with that mind 24 hours a day.
It's a wonderful reflection when you see difficult people. You know if they're that difficult for you to live with, they're also difficult to live with themselves. That gives you so much compassion. It takes away the hurt which you feel, and you notice the hurt that they feel, that they're so difficult to you.
It's actually empathizing with the other person, taking the pain away from yourself.
Why do I have to deal with this person? Get an idea of what they are goingthrough in their head, in their mind, in their life. Some of these people, if they're that difficult to you and you're an ordinary person they've probably got no friends, no one they can really relate to, because they're such an incredibly difficult character to live with. They're so lonely.
That actually arouses a bit of compassion to such people. When you have compassion to such people, your endurance levels go up enormously. You can actually bear dealing with such people because you know they're not going to be around for long.
They're going to walk out of your office, or you're going to go home to somebody else.
If you can't escape from it, you can always come on a retreat in mymonastery or in Dhammasara monastery. There's always some place you can get away.That's one thing you can do . It's also to know that the difficult people in life, you can actually change them. It's a wonderful thing to know the difficulties which you face in life or difficulties which they experience, they are impermanent. They're not always there. It's a phase which people go through in their life, being difficult. Of course, that phase may last from birth
until death, but it ends eventually. [laughter]
It's not forever, but it's nice to know you can actually change people.You can actually see them grow. How you change people is a wonderful psychology which I've learned as a teacher, how you can interact with people and take the cause of them being difficult to themselves and others and actually just move that, nudge that, in a sense of learning to be more kind, more sensitive, less demanding, and less of a pain to live with.
It's wonderful. You can do that. How is that done? I was mentioning it in a talk this afternoon at Curtin University. I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. This was a powerful little experience which I had about a month ago, maybe even longer, six weeks ago, in Singapore.
I was invited to give a talk at a conference at the Institute of Mental Health. It was one big anniversary of their hospital. They invited me over with all these other psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors and professors, as a monk, to give a talk on how to deal with mental health.
What I was talking about there was the things which you heard here before. What I was really impressed with was afterwards there was a devout Christian who was head of one of the
wards...departmental head. He invited me to his ward to do some Buddhist chanting. but he told me actually not to tell anybody. Now I've blown it. [laughter]
I said, "Why do you say that?" He said, "Because what you said just makes so much sense." He said, "I really respect that wisdom."
He said, "What I respect most of all is you're telling us something which you've only recently
been practicing. Where we don't focus on the times of the day where our patients are sick and difficult, the times when they experience delusions or psychosis,and are dysfunctional.
We just put that aside. The times that they are apparently healthy, where they're relating to themselves and their environment in a sensible way."
Because when a person has a mental dysfunction, it's not 24 hours a day.They have periods, times when they're sort of in some sort of delusional state and times when they come out afterwards.
He said, "They were focusing on the times when they weren't delusional,"and he said,
"By focusing on the times when they were healthy." He said, "A healing was happening." The times when they were healthy were extending and the times when they were dysfunctional were decreasing.
I'd been teaching that for years. It's wonderful to see that has gotten into a modern health system, in the only sort of mental hospital, which they have in that citystate.
I know that's the same with difficult people. If you focus on their difficulties and make a big deal about that, you're actually encouraging those difficulties. You're feeding them and eventually they'll get worse and worse and worse.
---Ajahn Brahm
28-11-2008 from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jniaUr_7438
《與麻煩人相處》
首先，你必須接受這一點，並學會如何與他們相處。
第一，認識到他們是生活的一部分，你可以從他們身上學到很多。
第二，意識到麻煩人的大部分問題其實來自於你自己，來自我們對他們的反應。
有人曾經說過：「如果你遇到困難的人，記住，你只需要忍耐他們幾分鐘，最多幾個小時。」即使你和他們住在一起，無論是你的丈夫還是妻子，我不知道你為什麼會選擇那個人。那是你的業力。[笑聲] 但無論如何，一旦你選擇了他們，即使他們與你如此親近，你也只需與他們相處短暫的時間，但他們必須整天與自己相處。有時候，當你覺得他們讓你很煩時，他們對自己也會同樣感到煩惱。那些可憐的人必須24小時與那種心境生活。
看到困難的人時，這是一個美妙的反思。你知道，如果他們對你而言如此困難，那麼他們對自己也是如此。這會讓你產生很多同情心。這會減輕你所感受到的痛苦，讓你注意到他們所感受到的痛苦，即他們對你而言是如此困難。
這實際上是在與他人共鳴，將痛苦從自己身上移開。
為什麼我必須與這個人打交道？我們可以了解他們心中正在經歷的事情，了解他們的生活。有些人，如果他們對你如此困難，而你又是普通人，他們可能沒有朋友，沒有人可以真正交流，因為他們是如此難以相處的角色。他們是如此孤獨。
這實際上會引起對這些人的一點同情。當你對這些人產生同情時，你的忍耐力會大大提高。你能夠承受與這些人相處，因為你知道他們不會長時間在你身邊。
他們會走出你的辦公室，或者你會回到其他人身邊。
如果你無法逃避，你總是可以來我寺廟或達馬薩拉寺院靜修。有總有地方可以逃避。這是一種你可以採取的方式。還有一點就是，生活中的麻煩人，其實你可以改變他們。知道你面對的困難或他們經歷的困難是無常的。它們並不會永遠存在。這是人們生活中經歷的階段，和一些人難以相處的階段。當然，這個階段可能會持續一生，但最終會結束。[笑聲]
這不是永恆的，但也很高興知道我們實際上可以改變人。你實際上可以看到他們的成長。如何改變人是一門很棒的心理學，作為老師我學到的，如何與人互動，並將他們對自己和他人造成困難的原因移開，並實際上讓他們學會變得更友善，更敏感，要求更少，與人相處時更少帶來麻煩。
這是美妙的。你可以做到這一點。這是如何做到的呢？我在今天下午的科廷大學演講中提到過。我幾週前提到過。這是我大約一個月前，甚至更久之前，在新加坡的一次強烈經歷。
我應邀在心理健康研究所的一個會議上發表演講。那是他們醫院的一個大型周年慶典。他們邀請我和其他心理學家、精神科醫生和教授一起，作為僧侶來發表如何處理心理健康的演講。
我在那裡談到的內容與你們之前聽到的內容相似。我真正印象深刻的是，之後有一位虔誠的基督徒，某個病房的負責人……部門主管。他邀請我去他的病房做一些佛教的誦經，但他告訴我實際上不要告訴任何人。現在我已經洩露了這個秘密。[笑聲]
我問：「你為什麼這麼說？」他說：「因為你所說的實在太有道理了。」他說：「我真的很尊重這種智慧。」
他提到：「我最尊重的是你告訴我們的東西，你最近才在實踐的。當我們不專注於患者生病和困難的時候；當他們經歷妄想或精神病，變得無法運作的時候，我們只是將這些放在一邊。當他們顯得健康的時候，他們又能與自己和環境能合理地聯繫。因為當一個人有心理功能障礙時，並不是24小時都如此。他們有時在某種妄想狀態中，然後又會回到正常狀態。」
他說：「他們專注於那些他們不是在妄想的時候」，他說：「通過專注於他們健康的時候。」他說：「療癒即可發生。」他們健康的時間在延長，而他們無法運作的時間在減少。
我教了這個好幾年。看到這種方法能夠進入現代醫療系統，這是該城市唯一的精神病院，真是太好了。
我知道這與困難的人也是一樣的。如果你專注於他們的困難，並對此大驚小怪，你實際上是在鼓勵這些困難。你在滋養它們，最終它們會變得越來越糟。
---阿姜布拉姆
《麻煩人是我們的老師》《Difficult people are our teachers》
《麻煩人是我們的老師》《Difficult people are our teachers》
《Difficult people are our teachers》
So first of all, there's nothing wrong with having difficult people. In fact, we can look upon difficult people...as my teacher Ajahn Chah says, they're a great blessing to our life.
They teach us patience. They teach us compassion. They actually lead to so much wisdom.
---Ajahn Brahm
28-11-2008 from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jniaUr_7438
《麻煩人是我們的老師》
首先，與麻煩人相處並沒有錯。事實上，我們可以把困難的人……正如我的老師阿姜查所說，他們是我們生命中的一大祝福。
他們教會我們耐心。他們教會我們慈悲。他們實際上帶來了許多智慧。
---阿姜布拉姆
28-11-2008 from:
《Harmony between different sects of Buddhism》《不同佛教宗派的和諧》
《Harmony between different sects of Buddhism》《不同佛教宗派的和諧》
《不同佛教宗派的和諧》
我曾經去過一些大乘寺廟，那裡有一些非常好的大乘僧侶，他們所做的和我一樣：他們遵守非常嚴格的戒律，禪修，教導佛法。
我想，這些人和我有什麼區別？他們的袍子顏色不同，但他們的修行都是佛教徒，都是僧侶。我意識到他們是比丘，我也是比丘，我們是兄弟。無論是大乘還是上座部，根本沒有任何區別。
看看這裡的首席尊者，你是在什麼部派（Nikaya）下受戒的？
是暹羅（Siam ）尼迦，還是什麼尼迦？這不重要，我是在泰國的摩訶尼迦受戒的。好吧，那是我的傳承。但這並不讓我和首席尊者分開，我們是兄弟，我們都是佛陀的兒子，這就是我們之所以是兄弟的原因。因此，我看不出任何區別，這些宗派和尼迦，對我來說，作為現代佛教徒，我們應該拋開這些。現在，看看，如果我們無法和諧共處，我們怎麼能教導別人和諧相處？
---阿姜·布拉姆
2011年5月9日，來源:
https://bswa.org/teaching/bhikkhunis/
《Harmony between different sects of Buddhism》
I went to sort of Mahayana temples and there are some of those Mahayana monks that are really good monks and they were doing what I was doing: they were keeping a very strong Vinaya, they were practicing meditation, they were teaching the Dhamma. You know, I thought, what’s the difference between them and me? The color of their robes was different, but their practice, they were Buddhists, they were monastics. I realized they were bhikkhus and I was a bhikkhu, we were brothers. And a difference of Mahayana or Theravada made no difference at all.
Look at Chief Venerable here, what Nikaya will you ordained here was it Siam Nikaya, what Nikaya? Doesn’t matter, I was ordained in Maha Nikaya Thailand. Ok, that was my lineage as it was. But that doesn’t make me separate from the Chief, we’re brothers, we’re the same sons of the Buddha, that’s why we are brothers. So I can’t see any difference, all this sects, and Nikayas, I think that is something which as Buddhists in our modern world we should push aside. Now, look, if we can’t live in harmony together, how can we teach other people to live in harmony?
---Ajahn Brahm
9 May 2011 from:
《explaining Nibanna using Wishing game 》《用願望遊戲解釋涅槃》
《explaining Nibanna using Wishing game 》《用願望遊戲解釋涅槃》
《用願望遊戲解釋涅槃》
有五個孩子在玩許願遊戲，規則是每個孩子都有一個願望，能提出最好願望的孩子會贏。
第一個孩子舉手說：「如果我有一個願望，我希望我有十個電腦遊戲……」
第二個孩子說：「如果我有一個願望，我希望擁有一家電玩商店。如果我擁有這家商店，我就可以隨時獲得新的電腦遊戲，這顯然是一個更好的願望……」
第三個孩子說：「如果我有一個願望，我希望我可以擁有一千億美元。擁有一千億美元後，我第一件要買的就是電腦遊戲商店。但是玩電腦遊戲的孩子們有個問題，他們的父母會告訴他們先做功課。所以在我買了自己的電腦遊戲商店之後，我會買自己的學校。如果我擁有這所學校，老師們總是要給我好成績，甚至校長也得對我好；否則我就不會給他們太多假期或工資。一旦我從自己的學校畢業，我將會買自己的大學；我不需要工作，可以隨時玩我的電腦遊戲，沒有任何問題。那一千億美元，還有我一生中想要的任何東西，我總是有足夠的錢來花。」這個一千億美元的願望，你能打敗嗎？
第四個孩子等了一會兒。每當別人問你問題時，永遠不要是第一個或第二個……
……第四個孩子是一個天才，她說：「如果我有一個願望，我希望有三個願望，我的第一個願望是擁有一家電腦遊戲商店，第二個願望是擁有一億美元；但我的第三個願望是擁有三個更多的願望，這樣我就可以永遠繼續下去。」這是一個真的很棘手的願望，無限的願望～
最後一個孩子輕鬆地贏得了願望遊戲。他說：「如果我有一個願望，我希望我能如此滿足，以至於我再也不需要任何願望。」
那就是佛陀。這就是涅槃的描述。如此滿足，以至於不需要願望。現在你知道什麼是涅槃了。
----阿姜·布拉姆
<1:14:05 :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkWMzhcimHs&t=5224s
《explaining Nibanna using Wishing game 》
There were these five children playing the wishing game , and the rules are like this every child has a wish and the one who comes up with the best wish would win .
So the first kid put the hand up and said,‘ if I had a wish, I wish I had ten computer games …..’
the second kid said, ‘if I had a wish I would wish for getting a shop. If I owned this shop, I could get a new computer game when I want it that's obviously a much better wish ….’
And the third kid said, ‘ If I had a wish, I wish I could have 100 billion dollars u.s.d. With 100 billion USD, the first thing I buy is e computer game shop【s】. But the problem with kids playing computer games is, their mothers and fathers will tell them to do their homework first.. So after buy my own computer game shops; I would buy my own school. if I own the school, the teachers always have to give me good marks, even the headmaster has to be nice to me ; otherwise I'll never give them many holidays or salaries. And once I graduate from my own school, I will buy my own University ; I don't have to do any work that I can play my computer games whenever I like without any problem. And that hundred million dollars u.s. there's anything else I ever want in my whole life I always have plenty of money to spend.’
The hundred billion USD wish, can you beat that?
And the fourth child waited for a while. Whenever people ask you questions, never be the first or the second…..
… The fourth kid was a genius, she said, ‘ if I had a wish, I wish for three wishes, my first place will have a computer game shops, second wish is to have $100,000,000 USD; but my third wish is to have three more wishes that way I can go on forever. That's a really tough wish, an infinity of wishes granted.
The last easily won the wishing game. He said, ‘ If I had a wish, I wish I were so content , that I never wish any wishes ever again.’
That’s Buddha. That’s describing nibanna. So content that you don’t need wishes. Now you know what nibanna is.
----Ajahn Brahm
<1:14:05 :
《Jhanas, Nirodha Samapatti, and enlightenment》《第四禪、滅盡定與覺悟》
《Jhanas, Nirodha Samapatti, and enlightenment》《第四禪、滅盡定與覺悟》
《第四禪、滅盡定與覺悟》
一旦你進入第四禪，有時他們稱之為中捨；我更喜歡稱之為滿足，因為這種感覺非常愉快，並不乏味，但一旦靜止下來，某些東西就會消失！我記得有一句話：當你不觸碰電腦時，它會關閉，這是一個很好的比喻來說明心的運作。
在第四禪中，靜止得如此徹底，以至於沒有任何東西在運動；這就是正念和中捨的完美結合；如此靜止，以至於它開始關掉，而那些無色界禪那；就是心正在關閉的地方；對空間的感知，對識的感知都會關閉；而體驗就是「無」，你的心正在消失，然後經歷的是既無認知也無非認知——那到底是什麼？
當你從一個角度看，認知停止了；從另一個角度看，認知是你感知到它停止了；而之後就是認知和感受的完全停止；這就是識暫時的消失，這叫做滅盡（定）；滅盡是由靜止所創造的，當事物真正靜止時，所有東西皆止。
你在之後出來，因果法則，然後你又回到第四禪，然後再從禪中出來，隨著心智的浮現；但你出來時擁有如此強烈的正念；你帶著非常清晰的記憶；就像你知道你可以回到它們的形象；這叫做「回觀/省察智」，這就是你獲得這些美妙資料的方式，而這正是你可以覺悟的地方。
<1:13:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXDzf3kE2Q
《Jhanas, Nirodha Samapatti, and enlightenment》
Once you get into the fourth Jhana, that's you know, they sometimes call it equinity; I prefer to call it contentment because it's very pleasant it's not boring at all, but once it set still; then something disappears! I remember the saying, that when you don't tap anything on your computer; it turns off that's a good simile for how the mind works.
In the fourth Jhana, it's so still that nothing moving at all; that's Perfection of mindfulness and equinity; so still , so it starts to turn off and those immaterial attainments, the Arupas; that is where the mind is turning off; the perception of space , the perception of Consciousness turns off; and the experience is nothing; your mind is disappearing, and then the experience of neither perception or non-perception-- what the heck is that ?when you look at it one
Way, perception is stopped; looking at another way, perception is you perceive
it stopped; and after that is the full cessation of perception and feeling;that's where Consciousness ceases for a while it's nirodha; cessation, it's created by Stillness when things are really still ,things stop. Everything.
And then you come out afterwards, Karma, and then you go backwards back into the fourth Jhanas, and back out the Jhanas, as the Mind emerges ; but you come out with such a strong mindfulness; you come out with a very clear memory of them; it's like you know you can go back into the image of them; it's called paccavekkhana nana; that's how you have this wonderful data and that's where you can get enlightened.
<1:13:34
《Were we Buddhas in our past lives?》《我們過去世曾是佛陀嗎？》
《Were we Buddhas in our past lives?》《我們過去世曾是佛陀嗎？》
《我們過去世曾是佛陀嗎？》
你不可能前世是佛陀
因為一旦你成佛，死後你就會消失！
那是你最後的一生，沒有其他。
<1:04:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXDzf3kE2Q
《Were we Buddhas in our past lives?》
you couldn't have been a Buddha before, because once you're a Buddha, after you pass away you disappear! it's your last life, nothing else
<1:04:34
《An infant that talks!》《會說話的嬰兒！》
《An infant that talks!》《會說話的嬰兒！》
《會說話的嬰兒！》
信徒：如果這一生無法達到涅槃該怎麼辦？
阿姜·布拉姆：那就再投生。
長大後再去上學。
再被父母訓斥。
再去找工作。
再變老。
再結婚。
你要做多少次這些事？！
你知道有時候--你可能不相信這些---但有一些有趣的現象。是我信任的人告訴我的。有很多人經歷過他們的孩子在生命的第一天就會說話。
這發生在加州；一個嬰兒出生了；從母親的子宮裡出來；醫生和助產士都看到並聽到了。這個孩子從母親的子宮裡出來，環顧四周，說了句話：「哦，不要再來！」
你明白他為什麼這麼說嗎？當你活夠時，你就會明白。
<1:24:26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkWMzhcimHs&t=2s
《An infant that talks!》
Devotee: What to do if I cannot attain nibanna this life?
Ajahn Brahm: go and get reborn again.
Grow up and go to school again
Get told off by your parents again
Go find a job again
Get old again
Get married again
How many times you have to do this?!
You know sometimes , you may not believe in this, there are some sort of interesting phenomena. People I trust told me this. There are many people who experienced that their children; their first day of their lives talking.
And this was happened in California; a baby was born ; came out of the wound; the doctors and midwives ; they saw it and they heard it. The kid came out of the mother’s womb, the baby looked around and said the words, ‘ Oh no~ not again~ ‘
Do you understand why he said that? You will understand when you have had enough to live.
<1:24:26
《What next when you get deep meditation》《進入深度禪定後該怎麼辦》
《What next when you get deep meditation》《進入深度禪定後該怎麼辦》
《進入深度禪定後該怎麼辦》
當你進入深度禪定時，有些人接近這種狀態。
然後他們會問：「下一步我該怎麼做？」
三個錯誤：
「我」
「做」
和「下一步」
沒有「我」，放下它。不要在打坐時緊抓著方向盤。
「做」？你不會去「做」打坐。
放下！讓它去吧！
「下一步」？沒有下一步，現在沒有‘去’。不要「做」下一步。
這意味著，你會變得非常平靜，但這對人們來說會很可怕；你知道那很可怕；因為你必須放下所有；你消失了，你不見了。
你消失了，寶貝，你真的消失了（呵呵）。
但你是完全清醒的，在內心深處。
這讓你洞察涅槃是什麼--事物的消失。
<1:01:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkWMzhcimHs&t=2s
《What next when you get deep meditation》
When you get into some deep meditation, some of you get close.
And they say, ‘what do I do next?’
Three mistakes
‘I’
‘do’
And ‘next’
No ‘I’, let go . Don’t hang onto the driver wheel in meditation
Do it? You are not going to meditate.
Let Go! Let it be!
Next? There is no next , no go now. Don’t ‘do’ ‘next ’
That means, you get very peaceful , but it does get very scary for people; you know why it’s scary; because you have to let go everything; you vanish, you gone.
You gone, baby, you are gone (hehehe)
But you are perfectly awakened aware, deeper inside
Now this give you an insight what nibanna is. Things disappear and vanish
<1:01:20
覺悟存在，但沒有覺悟的人Enlightenment is , But not the person who enters it
覺悟存在，但沒有覺悟的人Enlightenment is , But not the person who enters it
覺悟存在，但沒有覺悟的人
‘道’存在， 但在這上沒有行走者
Woah, 我一直都愛這句句子
道存在，但沒有人造這條道路
你見不到行走者
這就準確地是你在禪修所做的東西，你～消失～
----Ajahn Brahm
Enlightenment is , But not the person who enters it
The Path is , but no travellers on it you see
Woah, I always love that phrase:
The path is, but no one does the path, who walks the path
no travellers on it you see
And that is precisely what you do when you are meditating—you vanish, you disappear!
----Ajahn Brahm
<55:04
《Luang Por Ganha and the King Cobra 》《隆波甘哈與眼鏡蛇的故事》
《Luang Por Ganha and the King Cobra 》《隆波甘哈與眼鏡蛇的故事》
《隆波甘哈與眼鏡蛇的故事》
如果你不認識阿姜甘哈，我得告訴你一個關於阿姜甘哈和一條蛇的故事，那是一條眼鏡蛇。wooo~
他在叢林中打坐。僧侶們正坐下來打坐。他聽到叢林動物靠近的聲音，睜開眼睛，看到的動物是一條蛇！一條大蛇！一條眼鏡蛇！
在泰國的那個地方，人們通常稱眼鏡蛇為“一步蛇”。為什麼呢？因為如果眼鏡蛇咬了你，你只能走一步，然後就會死去。wooo~
…所以眼鏡蛇滑了過來，阿姜甘哈舉起手，眼鏡蛇張開了它的蛇冠，ZZZZ~（哈哈哈）就在阿姜甘哈的鼻子前面！ZZZ~
那麼，如果你是阿姜甘哈，你會怎麼做？面對這條非常危險的蛇ZZZ~就在你鼻子前面。
別想著逃跑，因為這些蛇比保特還快。我見過它們！它們滑行得非常快！我不可能贏過它們。阿姜甘哈也不可能，那麼阿姜甘哈做了什麼？
他舉起手，輕輕拍了拍眼鏡蛇的頭，並用泰語說：“謝謝你來探望我。”
這是一個真實的故事。其他僧侶都看到了；他拍了拍眼鏡蛇的頭！你能做到嗎？不！這就是為什麼眼鏡蛇享受被一位高僧拍頭的每一分鐘。作為一條眼鏡蛇，能夠享受到這樣的拍打可不多見，所以它享受著每一分鐘，哦，是的；就那樣（阿姜布拉姆在拍他的頭）。
在拍了5-10分鐘後，眼鏡蛇覺得被高僧拍頭的時間夠了；它收起蛇冠，低下頭，然後朝另一位僧侶爬去。“不不不，回去！”（哈哈哈）
但那是阿姜甘哈，多年前他曾在我位於珀斯的寺院待過一段時間。
《Luang Por Ganha and the King Cobra 》
If you don’t know Ajahn Ganha, I have to Tell you a story about Ajahn Ganha and a snake, it was a King Cobra. Woo~
He was meditating in the jungle. The monks were sitting down and meditating. He heard the sound of a jungle animal coming close. They opened their eyes and the animal they saw, coming close to them, was a snake! A big snake! A King Cobra！
And in that part of Thailand , they used to call King Cobras as the one-step-snake. Why? Because if the King Cobra bites you, you have one step , and you will be dead. Woo~
…So the King Cobra slid up, Ajahn Ganha raised his hand, (the king cobra) opened his hood , ZZZZ~(hahahaha) right in front of Ajahn Ganha nose! ZZZ~
Now, what would you do if you were Ajahn Ganha? And you have this big one step snake, dangerous snake ZZZ~ right in front of your nose.
Don’t think of running, because these snakes are faster than Usain Bolt. I’ve seen them! They slither so fast! I could not have won them. Ajahn Ganha could not have won them; so what did Ajahn Ganha do?
He raise his hand, and patted the King Cobra on the head, saying in Thai, ‘Thankyou for coming to visit me’
Now it’s a true story. All the other monks saw that; and he patted the Cobra on the head! Could you do that? No! that is the reason of why the cobra loved every minute of patting from a senior monk. Not often can you get a patting if you are a king cobra, so its enjoying every minute, oh yeah; just over there (Ajahn Brahm patting his head)
And after 5-10 minutes, the king cobra has patted enough by the head monk; he closed his hood, put his head down, and he crawl towards one of the other monks. ‘nonono, go back’ But that was Ajahn Ganha, who came to stay some time in my monastery in Perth many years ago
from <26:11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkWMzhcimHs&t=2s
----Ajahn Brahm
《The symbol of the Buddha》<<佛陀的象徵>>
《The symbol of the Buddha》<<佛陀的象徵>>
<<佛陀的象徵>>
試著記住佛陀的象徵。
慈悲、善良的存在。如果這就是佛陀的本質，甚至非佛教徒也能理解佛陀是怎樣的——慈悲、善良、溫和的存在；從未戰鬥過，從不批評任何人；對任何人都不會造成傷害或使用暴力。
你知道，他就是慈悲和溫和的。
這就是我們需要培養和禪修的心靈！
慈悲、善良、溫和的心靈！
《The symbol of the Buddha》
Try to remember the symbol of the Buddha.
Compassionate, kind being. And if that’s what the Buddha is, and even non-buddhists they actually has got an idea of what the Buddha is--- compassionate, kind, gentle being; never went to war, never criticize anybody; never sort of harmful or violent to anybody.
You know; he is compassionate, gentle
And that is that sort of mind which we have to generate and meditate !
Compassionate, kind, gentle mind!
<09:10:
《Stealing》《偷竊》
《Stealing》《偷竊》
《偷竊》
信徒：請問偷竊的定義是什麼？
阿贊·布拉姆：偷竊是指拿走你認為不屬於你的東西，這是一種竊取的方式，不僅僅是取走那裡的時鐘；如果你想把它拿起來放進口袋，那並不是偷竊。你是為某人保護它。
如果你真的是以偷盜的心態去做，拿走它而佔有它，而不是去照顧它；那就是了
信徒：例如，如果有人看到那裡有一本參考書，且兩三週都沒有任何人拿走它；然後他把它拿走，這算不算偷竊？
阿贊·布拉姆：那不算偷竊，如果你真的相信它是被遺棄的；那不算偷竊。有時，人們只是拿起那個時鐘，問：“這是屬於任何人的嗎？”如果沒有人認領，那就不叫偷竊。
信徒：即使是地上掉的錢，我們也可以這樣做嗎？不不不，我們會把它交給警察。
阿贊·布拉姆：最好還是交給警察。你知道嗎，我們在寺院裡也必須這樣做。如果我們發現有人掉了一個錢包，躺在地上。如果那是我生活的寺院，我必須把它撿起來，檢查一下，如果裡面有信用卡或一些名字，然後我會給他們打電話或發郵件，“今天你在寺院裡遺失了什麼嗎？”
如果他們說是，我絕對不會立即同意他們的說法，我會問：“那是多少錢的錢包？”我會首先檢查一下，如果我在寺院，我有責任這樣做。
《Stealing》
Devotee: May I ask what is the definition of stealing?
Ajahn Brahm: is taking what you perceive that does not belong to you, it’s the manner of theft, not just take the clock over there; you want to pick it up and put it into your pocket, that is not stealing. You are protecting it for a person.
If you really do it with a mind of a thief, taking a possession of it, not to care for it
Devotee: For example, if someone sees a reference book there, and no one takes it for 2-3 weeks; and then he takes it, is that theft?
Ajahn Brahm: that is not stealing, if you really believe that it is abandoned; that is not stealing. Sometimes, people just pick that clock up, ‘ does this belong to anyone, anybody? ‘ And no one claims it, then it is not called stealing
Devotee: even for the money on the floor, we can do it like this? Nonono, we will give it to the police.
Ajahn Brahm: Give it to the police better. You know what, we also have to do that in the monastery. We find someone drop a wallet there, lying on the floor. If that is the monastery I live, I have to pick it up, examine it, and if there is credit card or some names, and then I will give them a call or email , ‘ Did you lose something in the monastery today？’
And if they say yes, I will never agree with them, I will ask, ‘how much is it?’
I check it first of all, if I am in the monastery, I have got the duty.
《nirodhasamapatta》《滅盡定》
《nirodhasamapatta》《滅盡定》
《滅盡定》
信徒：我在經中讀到，滅盡定只有阿那含和阿羅漢才能達到，這是真的嗎？是否有精通禪那的人也能做到？
阿贊·布拉姆：他們可以。當他們出定時，可能會成為阿那含或阿羅漢。但在那之前，他們可能只是須陀洹；然後在出定後，成為阿那含。所以這在某種程度上是對的。你可以先做到滅盡定，然後在出定後成為阿那含
《nirodhasamapatta》
Devotee: I read in the sutta that the nirodhasamapatta is only achieved by anāgāmi and arahants, is that true? Can someone who is proficient with Jhana do that?
Ajahn Brahm: They can. When they come out, they may become an anagami or arahant. But before that, they may still become a stream-winner; then after coming out, anāgāmi. So it is kind of true. You can do it first, then after you have come out—anāgāmi
following their advice.
禪修比女友好 Meditation is better than girlfriends
禪修比女友好 Meditation is better than girlfriends
I have got a nice girlfriend , most people think that I am having a wonderful life! But I was never happier than when I was meditating.
---Ajahn Brahm
我曾經有過一位很好的女友，大多數人認為我過著美好的生活！但我從來沒有試過比打坐時更快樂。
---Ajahn Brahm
《Gap between cittas》《心與心之間的空隙》
《Gap between cittas》《心與心之間的空隙》
《心與心之間的空隙》
信徒：我在您的書《mindfulness, bliss and beyond》中看見您提到，心與心之間有空隙，這個對嗎？
Ajahn Brahm：是的。
《Gap between cittas》
Devotee: I read in your book ‘mindfulness, bliss and beyond’ , it is said that between cittas, there are spaces, is that correct?
Ajahn Brahm: yes
《淨化心靈》《Purify the mind》
《淨化心靈》《Purify the mind》
《Purify the mind》
So the better you make the mind still. The more you can let go.
Stop controlling! Relax!
Make the mind peaceful, make it still.
Develop more kindness, more compassionate, towards whatever it is . The more you let go and are at peace, the more powerful you become.
The wiser you become, the freer you become; The more liberated you can become.
So that’s what Buddhism is all about. Purify the mind.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《淨化心靈》
所以，當你越能夠讓心靜止，你就能放下得越多。
停止控制！放鬆！
讓心平靜，讓它靜止。
培養更多的善良，對任何事物都要有更多的慈悲。你越是放下並感到平靜，你就會變得越強大。
你變得越有智慧，就會變得越自由；你可以變得更加無束縛。
這就是佛教的全部意義。淨化心靈。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《死胎再次投生》《A stillbirth child get reborn here again》
《死胎再次投生》《A stillbirth child get reborn here again》
《A stillbirth child get reborn here again》
This particular lady is asking about one of her relations. Just have a child, but the child is stillborn. It reminds me of the disicples here. They too have a child who was stillborn. They have the ultrasound a couple days before her birth, but after a few days, the baby in the womb strangle himself and come out stillborn. I know that because I do the funeral service for this family. It is quite a moving experience. Because they dressed the baby up, they gave her a name. And had a family photograph. The baby is called Charlie.
I think it was quite nice. But one of the things what this family did is common in many cultures. XXX Stephen actually wrote a whole book about this. That they marked the foot, the heel of this deceased child. Because they thought it was part of the tradition. Maybe because this child does not have much good kamma for him to make into this life. But maybe will try again. And sure enough, after a few months, the woman became pregnant again. And when she gave birth to a child, the first thing they did is to look was it there. The birth mark—exactly the same, the mark they marked with blue ball pen, the heel on the baby’s feet.
So they are quite sure that it is their baby reborn again. They feel much better.
That is quite true. This is what happens when a person try to take birth as a human being. Sometimes they do not have enough good kamma. Almost enough, but not quite.
I have got a metaphor. Just like you have gone to an airport. You don’t have enough money to buy a proper ticket, so you get a standby. And it is just like this baby, who has a standby ticket. Sometimes the plane has got enough people that you cant get on. But they will always put you on the plane later.
So its just like this baby. It doesn’t have enough good kamma to make that birth, but the next one.
That is what it usually happens! Beings when they are trying to get reborn; they will keep on trying until they into there. Just like you try to get onto a plane until you try to get a seat.
And that is what you can understand. People have that sort of memory, they will try , not making it , then try again. This is part of their clear memory which comes as a result of empowered by meditation.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《死胎再次投生》
這位女士在詢問關於她一位親屬的問題。她剛生了一個孩子，但這個孩子是死胎。
這讓我想起了這裡的一個弟子。他們也有一個死胎的孩子。她在臨產前幾天做過超聲波檢查，但幾天後，胎兒在子宮中絞死，結果是死胎。我知道這些是因為我為這個家庭主持了喪禮。這是一個相當感人的經歷。因為他們給這個嬰兒穿上了衣服，給他取了個名字，還拍了全家福。這個孩子叫查理（Charlie）。
我覺得這很不錯。但這個家庭所做的事情在許多文化中都很常見。XXX 史蒂芬（Stephen）其實寫了一整本書來講這個。他們在這個死去孩子的腳跟上做了標記，因為他們認為這是傳統的一部分。也許因為這個孩子在今生沒有足夠的善業來投生，但也許會再試一次。
果然，幾個月後，這位女士再次懷孕。當她生下第二個孩子時，第一件事就是查看那個出生標記。那個出生記號——正好與他們用藍色圓珠筆標記在死胎腳跟上的痕跡一樣。
因此，他們非常確信這是他們的孩子再次投生。他們感到心情好多了。
這是相當真實的。這正是當一個人試圖投生為人時所發生的。有時他們並沒有足夠的善業。幾乎夠，但又不完全。
我有一個比喻。就像你去機場一樣。你沒有足夠的錢來買一張正規的票，所以你只能買到候補票。就像這個嬰兒，擁有一張候補票。有時飛機上有足夠的人，你就不能上去。但他們總是會把你放到後面的飛機上。
所以這正是這個嬰兒的情況。它沒有足夠的善業來完成這次投生，但下一次卻可以。
這就是通常會發生的情況！當眾生試圖再次投生時，他們會不斷嘗試，直到成功。就像你試著登上飛機，直到你獲得一個座位。
這就是你可以理解的。人們擁有這樣的記憶，他們會嘗試，但未能成功，然後再試一次。這是他們清晰記憶的一部分，而這些記憶是透過禪修而強化的。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《深定與死亡》《Deep meditation and Death》
《深定與死亡》《Deep meditation and Death》
《Deep meditation and Death》
Because when you go deep in meditation, that is what you are going to , when mind becomes still; you become powerful, and your body fades away. All your five senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching all disappeared; you just left with the mind. Actually you cant see, you cant hear, you cant smell, you cant taste, you cant touch, you cant feel anything.
You are nicely inside. Very powerful. Not asleep, incredibly awake. You have gone to a state of pure mind state. That’s all which have left, that is a pure mind. Very blissful, very still, very powerful.
Now you actually know that when you go through those states, these states of deep meditation, there are what we called nimittas, the light of the mind. And all the five senses disappeared. You are getting so still , you cant see , you cant hear, cant smell , cant taste or touch. You just cant do that, that is all gone.
A beautiful light that appears in the mind. You go into that light, the other side is the jhanas.
You have read about out-of-body experience, or near-death experiences. Floating out of the body, what happens next to them? They go towards the light.
I know now. That light that we experience at death, is exactly the same as in meditation. What is death anyway? It is the five sense of body disappearing! What is meditation when five senses of the body disappear? What is it like when at death? they are exactly the same experience!
So when you are meditating , you are actually practicing how to die!
How to let go of the body of the five senses. And you know when the body of five senses disappear. It’s not that everything just stops! You know that this mind continues on. The stream of consciousness. Why? Because you have done that before!
And it is fascinating when you could remember past life, or what happens when getting a new birth; all these ideas and theories you hear in Buddhism start to make so much sense because you begin to come part of your experience!
You could remember what happens when you die.
Someone just asks me before I came into here. They have a bit concern because they have had a few deaths in their family. And those tsunami victims! What happens! Do they gone? Do they disappear? They seem so sad! Their child just being swept away. You seem so cool. But not so cool, still unfortunate, still sad; but it is not so bad, if they are given another chance.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《深定與死亡》
當你進入深度禪定時，這就是你所達到的--當心靈變得靜止時；你會變得強大，而你的身體將褪去。你所有的五種感官——看、聽、嗅、味、觸——都會消失；你只剩下心。實際上，你無法看、聽、嗅、味、觸，甚至感受任何東西。
你在內心深處。非常強大。不是在睡覺，而是極度清醒。你進入了一種純潔的心靈狀態。這就是你所剩下的，清淨的心。非常愉悅，非常靜止，非常強大。
現在你實際上知道，當你經歷這些深度禪定的狀態時，會出現我們所謂的“禪相”，即心靈的光。所有五種感官都消失了。你變得如此安靜，以至於無法看見、聽見、嗅到、品嚐或觸摸。你就是無法做到，那些都消失了。
一束美麗的光在心中出現。你進入那光中，另一邊就是禪那。
你可能聽說過出體經驗或近乎死亡的經驗。當他們浮出身體後，接下來會發生什麼？他們朝著光走去。
我現在知道。那個我們在死亡時經歷的光，正是禪修中的光。
死亡究竟是什麼？就是身體的五種感官消失！
禪修的時候，當身體的五種感官消失時，這是什麼感覺？死亡的時候，它們的經驗完全相同！
所以，當你在禪修時，你實際上是在練習如何去死亡！如何放下身體及其五種感官。你知道當五種感官的身體消失時，並不是一切都停止了！你知道這個心會繼續存在。那個意識流。為什麼？因為你曾經這樣經歷過！
當你能記得過去的生或再次投生是怎樣時，所有這些你在佛教中聽到的觀念和理論開始變得非常有意義，因為那開始成為你自身經驗的一部分！
你可以記起當你死去時的情況。
有人在我進來之前問我。他們有點擔心，因為他們的家人中有幾個人去世了。還有那些海嘯受害者！會發生什麼？他們消失了嗎？他們就這樣不見了？這似乎是如此悲傷！他們的孩子被沖走。你看似很酷哦。
但並不那麼酷，仍然不幸，仍然悲傷；但如果他們得到另一個機會，那也不算太糟。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《我們正在做相反的事情》《We are doing the opposite》
《我們正在做相反的事情》《We are doing the opposite》
《We are doing the opposite》
And you find the very reason you want to control your life, to give you a better happiness. You realize that you are doing exactly what you are shouldn’t be doing. You want to control, you want to manage, you want to think to solve your problems; you make more problems
You stop thinking, you calm the mind down , then you let go much more; there’s no more problems to solve anyway. You don’t need to manage life.
Life starts to flow more smoothly. You become more successful. You become an easier person to live with, you have better relationships.
All those things which are problems before, and now no longer problems.
That’s why meditation is incredibly popular. It works so well. You do it properly, you become a happier and more peaceful person. Less grumpy, and less sick!
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《我們正在做相反的事情》
你會發現，你想控制人生，是為了更快樂。
然後你意識到自己卻正在做完全不該做的事。
你想要控制，想要管理，想要思考來解決問題；結果卻製造了更多的問題。
當你停止思考，讓心靜下來，然後放下更多；就不再有問題需要解決了。
你不需要管理人生。人生卻開始更順利地流動。你變得更成功，成為更容易相處的人，擁有更好的關係。
所有之前的問題，現在都不再是問題。這就是為什麼禪修如此受歡迎。它效果很好。如果你正確地去禪修，你將會成為一個更快樂、更平和的人。變得不那麼愛發脾氣，也不容易不開心！
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《抑鬱症》《Depression》
《抑鬱症》《Depression》
《Depression》
I came across that idea, because I used to visit my family in England, December January, this time of the year. And that is very stupid time of going to northern Europe , because it is just so depressing, it is so grey all over the place. My brother leads me around , coming from Perth where it is bright and sunny , where people wear colorful clothes. But there the sky is grey , the buildings are grey; no one paints bright colors in England. And they have over cold Sun. And just you cant see any colors at all. Because the Northern Atmosphere is quite far above the equator, very close to the North Pole, it is felt like that.
And when the sun comes up at 9 o’clock ; and it goes down right away, maybe at 2 o’clock it gets dark again. There’s hardly any light there.
And because of that, people usually get depressed.
Because there is nothing to stimulate the senses.
And if you are a clever psychiatrist, there is a simple remedy, that is putting these people who are depressed in this particular time, put them into a bright room, let them wear Hawaii shirts, with walls of different colors. You just stimulate them and bright them up! And it works！ They have a lot more energy , because energy has gone into their knowing instead of their doing. Because they are so dull!
Whenever anyone of you have felt that life is so grey so dull, feel so depressed; nothing else can stimulate you anymore, not even the food, the food just tastes the same. All people just look the same. Flowers all smells the same. We have got another sunset, birds fly over the trees , shitting on the ground; that is very depressing.
The point was! If you have got in the mood that everything in this world is so depressing, why? Its nothing to do with such things, its to do with you. Because there’s not enough energy in your life.
If you are at this time in London, and you are in love. Ah, so beautiful; amazing building, so wonderful , beautiful sunset, beautiful pittings; its just so lovely! When you are actually in love everything looks so beautiful! I was just happening there because knowing you just enjoying life so much. The energy is pouring into the knowing. You actually do very much, because life is ok, you got no problems when you are in love.
The point I am making here is, I make every difference between the doer and knower. The energy goes into doing things ; when you have not got any energy left in the knowing, life becomes dark. It’s just like going around with a flash light going into low batteries. Everything has just got dark and miserable, and you get upset and angry.
What happened when you are meditating, because you do not allow energy into doing things, you are not like active and controlling, you are not thinking and managing; you accept things, allowing things to be making peace. You are not making wars, doing things. The energy of your beings start to get into this spare awareness. What we call in Buddhism this mindfulness, knowing. You become more alert, more awake , more alive. You find yourself less depressed.
One of the teams, I recommend, if anyone of you have depression; you practice meditation, your depression is going to disappear. You will become a happier, more bright, more positive person. It’s not that you are deciding to change yourself, it happens naturally , whether you like it or not.
You see more, you feel more, you hear more, you know more, you know deeper; the colors of life start to become brighter. You become energized, you become happy. That’s why this way of meditation, the buddha began to teach, became very popular. Because without having to go to a psychiatrist or psychologist, without having any theories, without having any bullies, without having to do this or that; it was happening naturally, the very fundamental way of overcoming negative Depression, or even grumpiness ; so you become a happier person , an easier person to live with ; my goodness! So many times people will actually come to my meditation classes.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《抑鬱症》
我想到這個，因為我以前在12月和1月的時候會去英國看望我的家人。這個時候去北歐真的很愚蠢，因為那裡非常令人沮喪，四處都是灰色。我哥哥帶我四處走，從明亮陽光的珀斯來到這裡。 帕斯的人們穿著色彩繽紛的衣服。而那裡的天空是灰色的，建築也是灰色的；沒有人在英國把建築漆成明亮的顏色。陽光也很冷。你根本看不到任何顏色。由於北半球的氣候距離赤道相當遠，非常接近北極，所以感覺就是這樣。
太陽早上9點才升起，然後立刻就會在2點時落下，幾乎沒有光線。因此，人們通常會感到抑鬱。因為沒有任何東西能夠刺激感官。如果你是一位聰明的心理醫生，有一個簡單的解決辦法，就是把這些在這段時間感到抑鬱的人放進明亮的房間，讓他們穿上夏威夷襯衫，牆壁上漆上不同的顏色。這樣可以刺激他們，讓他們變得開心！而且這真的有效！他們的能量會變得更多，因為他們的能量進入了‘知道’，而不是‘做’。
他們太枯燥了！
每當你感到生活如此灰暗和無聊，感到抑鬱時，根本沒有其他東西能夠再刺激你，甚至食物的味道也一樣。所有人看起來都一樣，花的氣味也都一樣。我們又看到了一個日落，鳥在樹上飛過，拉屎在地上；這是非常令人沮喪的。
重點是！如果你感到這個世界的一切都是如此令人沮喪，為什麼？這和那些事情無關，這和你有關。因為你的生活中沒有足夠的能量。
如果你此時在倫敦，正處於戀愛中。啊，那是如此美麗；令人驚嘆的建築，如此美好的日落和美麗的鴿子；這是如此可愛！當你真正處於戀愛中，一切都看起來如此美麗！這正是因為你知道你正在如此享受生活。能量流入了‘知道’。你實際上可以‘做’很多，因為生活是好的，當你戀愛時你是沒有問題的。
我想表達的是，我在做者和知者之間做了區分。能量投入到‘做’上；當你在‘知道’上沒有任何剩餘的能量時，生活就會變得黑暗。這就像帶著一個電筒，電池快沒電了，所有的東西都變得暗淡和悲慘，你會感到不安和憤怒。
當你在禪修時發生什麼？因為你不允許能量投入到做事中，你不再像主動和控制一樣，你不再思考和管理；你接受事物，讓事情發生，達至和諧。你沒有在發動戰爭，‘做’事情。你的存在能量開始進入這種備用的覺知。我們在佛教中稱之為正念，知道。你變得更加警覺、清醒和活躍。你會發現自己變得不那麼抑鬱。
我建議，如果你有抑鬱情緒，請練習禪修，你的抑鬱將會消失。你會變得更快樂，更明亮，更積極。這不是你決定要改變自己，而是自然發生的，無論你喜不喜歡。
你看得更多，感受到更多，聽到更多，知道更多，理解得更深；生活的顏色開始變得更明亮。你變得充滿活力，變得快樂。這就是為什麼這種禪修方法，佛陀的教導，變得如此流行。因為不需要去看心理醫生或心理學家，不需要任何理論，不需要任何信仰或閱讀這或那；這自然發生，是克服消極情緒、抑鬱，甚至是暴躁的基本方法；讓你成為一個更快樂、更容易相處的人；我的天！如此多的人來參加我的禪修課程。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《心的兩部分》《Two Parts of Mind》
《心的兩部分》《Two Parts of Mind》
《Two Parts of Mind》
So the mind becomes so still, it stops moving in the past and future, stop thinking; and what’s left, is the awareness, motionless still. And that’s what wonderful things happen in meditation. That is the two avenues for energy in the mind.
The energy of your life can go to one or two ways. You can go controlling things, or you can go just knowing, become aware.
The two part of the mind, the active , and the passive.
So much of our energy is just used up in doing things, controlling things, thinking about things, worrying about things. This is all the active part of the mind!
We got hardly any energy left being aware, just knowing ; and because of that ,we get very very dull, and even depressed.
Why do we get depressed? Because we do too much! You got no energy left.
Just to know , to feel, to know, to understand.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《心的兩部分》
當心變得如此靜止，它停止在過去和未來中移動，停止思考；剩下的，就是靜止不動的覺知。而這就是在禪修中發生的奇妙事情。這是心靈中兩種能量的途徑。
你生命中的能量可以朝兩個方向流動。你可以去控制事物，或是單純地去知道，覺知它。
心有兩個部分：主動與被動。
我們的能量大多數都用在做事、控制事物、思考事情、擔心事情上。這都是心靈的主動部分！
我們幾乎沒有剩餘的能量來覺知，僅僅是認知；因此，我們會變得非常遲鈍，甚至感到抑鬱。
為什麼我們會感到抑鬱？因為我們做得太多了！你沒有剩餘的能量。
所以只是去知道、感受、理解。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《禪定：靜止還是專注？》《Samadhi: stillness or concentration?》
《禪定：靜止還是專注？》《Samadhi: stillness or concentration?》
《Samadhi: stillness or concentration?》
Some people call meditation concentration; yeah in the sense, but not you concentrating the mind; its just the result of stillness. So I prefer stillness than concentration.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《禪定：靜止還是專注？》
有些人把禪修稱為專注；是的，從某種意義上來說是這樣，但並不是你讓心專注；專注只是靜止的結果。
因此，我更喜歡用 ‘靜止’ 多過 ‘專注。’
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《監獄與自由》《Prison and Freedom》
《監獄與自由》《Prison and Freedom》
《Prison and Freedom》
That story about freedom years ago. I just say it in brief.
The only difference between a prison and my monastery, is not the comfort; because my monastery is far more uncomfortable than any prisons.
But, people in my monastery want to be there, so they don’t think it is a prison
The jail, you don’t want to be there, that’s why it is a prison.
From that I got a wonderful understanding of freedom and prison.
A prison is any place you don’t want to be.
Freedom is any place you content to be
So you have got a crazy mind. You don’t want to be there, it becomes jail, it becomes huge sufferings, and makes it worse.
You have that crazy mind, you want to have that crazy mind.
You content, you find freedom happens. Then the mind starts to become calm and still. You are giving it freedom.
Try that out in your life.
When have you felt free, and when have you felt being in prison.
Every time you don’t want to be here, you put yourself in a jail
If you don’t understand the buddhist way of meditation, its all about being content, giving yourself freedom.
Content to be here in this moment. No matter what’s happening. That’s what I dealt with the problem of the cold.
I just content to have the cold! I stop fighting it!
When I was trying to have a talk, I was fighting it so hard. I tried to stop that but makes it worse. When I started meditating, I had a cold, that is fine with me. I freed the cold, I allow it to be. So it disappeared, my mind became still and peaceful.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《監獄與自由》
這個關於自由的故事，我簡單地說一下。
監獄和我的寺院之間唯一的區別，不在於舒適度；因為我的寺院比任何監獄都要不舒服得多。
但是，寺院裡的人都想待在那裡，所以他們不認為那是監獄。
而監獄是你不想待的地方，這就是為什麼它是監獄。
由此我得到了對自由和監獄的美好理解。
監獄是任何你不想待的地方。
自由則是你滿意待在的任何地方。
所以如果你有一顆瘋狂的心，你不想待在那裡，它就變成了監獄，變成了巨大的痛苦，讓事情變得更糟。
你擁有那顆瘋狂的心，你想要擁有那顆瘋狂的心。
當你滿足於它，你會發現自由出現。然後心開始變得平靜和靜止。你給了它自由。在你的生活中試試。
你什麼時候感到自由，什麼時候感到被囚禁？
每當你不想待在這裡時，你就把自己放進了監獄。
如果你不理解佛教的禪修方式，它的全部其實就是關於滿足，給自己自由。
滿足於此刻---無論發生什麼事情。
這就是我處理感冒問題的方式。
我只是滿足於有感冒！我停止與它作鬥爭！
當我試著演講時，我拼命在與它作鬥爭。
我試著停止這種狀態，但只讓情況更糟。
當我開始打坐時，我有感冒，這對我來說沒問題。我釋放了那感冒，讓它存在。所以它消失了，我的心變得靜止而安詳。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《瘋了的男人》《A man who turned crazy》
《瘋了的男人》《A man who turned crazy》
《A man who turned crazy》
The more business you do, the more thoughts you construct.
And if you do lots and lots of business, those thoughts get faster faster and faster.
Many years ago as a young monk, I watched a person go crazy.
I reappeared for 3 or 4 days , I could not stop it as I was a young monk I didn’t know what I was doing, But I noticed that this man is talking to me. His words were getting more and more fast, the power or the current of thinking was getting more and more out of control. You could actually see what is happening: the thinking mind just got stronger and stronger, until basically it bursts, it bursts to reality, and he became crazy.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《瘋了的男人》
你做的東西越多，構建的想法就越多。
如果你做了很多很多的東西，那些想法就會變得越來越快。
許多年前，作為一名年輕的僧侶，我目睹了一個人變瘋的過程。
我出現了3或4天，我無法控制，因為我還是年輕的僧侶，不知道自己在做什麼，但我注意到這個人在和我說話。他的話語變得越來越快，思考的力量變得越來越失控。
你可以實際看到發生了什麼：思考的心變得越來越強，直到它基本上爆發出來，爆發到現實中，他變瘋了。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
《工作完成～》《Finished～》
《工作完成～》《Finished～》
《Finished～》
In Buddhism , samadhi means settling , settling the business of life, finishing all your business. Have you done yet with your business? Or you got loose an unfinished business?
Look at your life, whenever will your business been finished ?
Even if you have an heart attack now, you still have a heart attack now, you still have so much unfinished business
Even if you are ok , seven days you are going to die. Can you finish your business in seven days? Of course you won’t be able to. 7 years, 70 years you will be dead , you still wont have all your business finished
Life is life for most people. If you ask what is the meaning of life is, it is like unfinished business for most people. You quote that, life is unfinished business.
So how on earth can you find any peace in this life? You find peace by finishing that business.
You know that lovely story of my book, many of you know this. It is about a monk in south Thailand, who is building a hall. When it comes to vassa, the rains retreat, he sent the builders home. It was meditation time, we need peace in this monastery , don’t build this around when its meditation time.
And a few days later, this man came and saw this half completed meditation hall; and ask the abbot: when your hall gonna be finished?
And this great monk said, ‘ my hall is finished’
What it means for finished? It has no windows , there are all the woods and bricks at the place. What do you mean for finished?
What he said is so important.
He said, ‘what’s done, is finished.’
Now that is very powerful.
Can you remember that in your life? Every now and again, what’s done is finished. So that way it is and ends.
There’s a way of finishing , there’s a way to gain peace in life. There’s a way of letting go.You actually make life complete
That means you let go of the past, you let go of the future, you complete things; understand things can never be perfect, if you are a controller.
If you let go of controlling. Then it suddenly does become perfect.
So what happens in this meditation, again it is incredible process. When you stop doing things. You start to find your mind calms down, become at peace with things. The thoughts start to slow down, because you are not making them.
The more business you do, the more thoughts you construct.
---Ajahn Brahm 13-7-2024
Excerpted from:
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
More about Ajahn Brahm
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
photo cred. To who owns it
《工作完成～》
在佛教中，禪定意味著安頓，安頓生命中的事務，完成你所有的事情。你是否已經完成了你的事務？還是鬆開未完成的事情？
看看你的人生，你的事務何時能完成？
即使你現在心臟病發作，你仍然有很多未完成的事務。
即使你沒事，如果你在七天內就會死去，你能在七天內完成你的事務嗎？當然不可能。七年、七十年後你會死去，仍然不會完成所有的事情。
對於大多數人來說，人生就是人生。如果你問人生的意思是什麼？對大多數人來說就是未完成的事務。
你可以說，人生就是未完成的事務。
那麼，在這一生中你怎麼能找到任何平靜？你通過完成事務來找到平靜！
你知道我書中那個很好的故事，很多人都知道。
這是關於一位在泰國南部的僧侶，他正在建造一個大廳。當雨季來臨時，他讓工人回家。他說，現在是打坐的時間，我們需要在這個寺院中保持平靜，打坐時不要有建築的聲音。
幾天後，一位來訪者看到這個半完成的禪修廳，問住持：你的大廳什麼時候能完成？
這位偉大的僧侶說：「我的大廳已經完成。」
「完成的意思是什麼？還沒有窗戶，地方上到處都是木材和磚頭。你所說的完成是什麼意思？」
他所說的非常重要。他說：「已做的，已經完成了。」
這是非常強大的。
你能在生活中記住這一點嗎？已做的就是完成了。這樣一來，就有了結束。
這是一種完成的方式---一種在生活中獲得平靜的方式。一種放下的方式。你實際上使人生變得完整。
這意味著你放下過去，放下未來，完成事情；理解如果你是控制者，事情是不可能完美的。如果你放下控制，那麼它突然就會變得完美。
所以在這次打坐中發生了什麼，再一次，這是一個不可思議的過程。
當你停止做事時，你會發現你的心平靜下來，與事情和平共處。
因為你不再製造想法，想法開始減緩。
你做的東西越多，所構建的想法就越多。
---Ajahn Brahm 2024年7月13日
摘自：
https://ajahnbrahmpodcast.stream/episodes/stop-trying-to-meditate-ajahn-brahm?fbclid=IwY2xjawILwtZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSe5VtSq8CbSvbXXExWyxytCjxqosXsiZXyBIjz09tpG4E3teOIDiv6v1g_aem_jvjwEvVwJYDaWCxztKApAQ
更多關於阿姜布拉姆的資訊
https://www.knownsee.com/%E5%A4%A7%E5%B8%AB%E7%88%B6-masters/%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C%8B-england/ajahn-brahm
照片來源：所有者
<< Ajahn Brahm 尊敬耶穌像的軼事>><<The incident in which Ajahn Brahm bows to Jesus statue>>
<< Ajahn Brahm 尊敬耶穌像的軼事>><<The incident in which Ajahn Brahm bows to Jesus statue>>
Buddhists are famous for their bowing. Westerners often ask why we bow. I answer that Buddhist bowing is an effective exercise for the stomach muscles so that you don't get so fat!
Becoming more serious, I explain that when we bow to a statue of the Buddha, for example, we bow to the qualities that the Buddha represents to us. My own three bows to a Buddha image are to virtue, peace, and compassion.
When I lower my head to the floor for the first time, I think of virtue. Goodness is so important to me that it is easy to worship it. I find so much happiness living in a community of monks that I can trust completely. When I have the privilege of meeting good people, it brings confidence that this world is a good place. Virtue is well worth a bow. Moreover, when I bow to virtue and remember its importance, I find that my own goodness grows. Whatever you worship and remember grows stronger with every prostration.
Next I bow to peace. Peace is also important to me, both in the world outside and in the private world of my meditation. Without peace of mind and peace between peoples, there is no happiness to be found. So I worship peace, and my life becomes more serene.
Lastly I bow to compassion. Acts of kindness bring warmth and light to the world. They make suffering bearable, even giving it meaning. A life without kindness is not a life worth living. So when I bow to compassion, I become more compassionate.
That is why Buddhists bow.
A few years ago, I was invited by a Christian friend, the chaplain at a top Perth private school, to give the spiritual address at the morning assembly. When I arrived, my friend the chaplain greeted me along with the school principal.
The principal explained the order of proceedings. "We wait until the whole school is assembled and quiet, and then the three of us will walk in. As we enter," he continued, "the chaplain and I will make a small bow to the statue of Jesus, because we are Christians. But as you are a Buddhist monk, you don't have to bow."
I saw an opportunity to make an important point. I turned to the principal, pretended to scowl, and remonstrated, "I demand my right, as a Buddhist, to bow to your image of Jesus!"
The principal was taken aback, allowing me to explain that I would bow to those qualities of Jesus that I, as a long-practicing Buddhist, respect. Obviously, I don't agree with all the Christian teachings, otherwise I would be a Christian not a Buddhist, but I can see plenty that I respect and can worship, and I wanted to bow to that.
Thus it was that the three of us entered the assembly and worshiped the figure of Jesus. Then some months later, the principal visited my Buddhist monastery and worshiped the figure of Buddha.
***From his book 'Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung?'
佛教徒以他們的鞠躬聞名
西方人常常問為什麼我們要鞠躬。 我回答： 佛教的鞠躬是一個對我們肚肌很好的運動， 所以你不會太胖!
認真些， 我解釋， 當我們向佛陀鞠躬， 我們在鞠躬佛陀所代表的美德。 我自己對佛像的三個鞠躬， 是美德， 平靜， 和慈悲
當我把頭首次伏到地上時， 我想起美德。 善良對我來說是重要的， 我在一個自己可以完全地信任的僧團當中， 找到了許多快樂。 當我有榮幸去遇到好人的時候， 這讓我有信心， 這個世界是個好地方。 美德非常值得我去頂禮。 再者， 當我頂禮美德和憶念起它的重要性時， 我發現我自己的善會增長。 你在崇拜和憶念的任何東西， 都會在你每個跪拜中成長得更強大。
然後，我頂禮平靜。 平靜對於我來說是重要的， 不論在外面的世界和我禪修時內在的世界。 如果沒有平靜的心， 人與人之間的平靜和平， 便不能找到快樂。 所以我崇拜平靜， 然後我的生命變得更平靜
最後， 我頂禮慈悲。 善良的舉動為世界帶來溫暖和光明。 它們讓苦難更可被忍受，甚至給予它意義。 一個沒有善良的生命便不是一個值得活的生命了。 所以當我頂禮慈悲， 我變得更慈悲。
這就是為什麼佛教徒會鞠躬
幾年前， 我被一位基督教朋友，一位 Perth頂尖學校的牧師， 去在早會中給予靈性開示。 當我到達時，我的朋友，那位牧師和校長， 一起和我打招呼
那位校長解釋了稍後的安排。
“我們會等到整間學校被聚集然後變得安靜， 然後我們三個才走進去。當我們進入時，” 他繼續，“牧師和我會向耶穌像鞠躬，因為我們是基督徒。 但因為你是佛教比丘， 你不用鞠躬”
我看見了一個機會去帶出重要的一點。我轉向校長， 裝著怒視他， 然後說：“我要求我--作為佛教徒--的權益， 去向你的耶穌像鞠躬!”
校長感到很震驚， 也讓我得以解釋，我會向耶穌的素質--- 那些我作為長久修行的佛教徒尊重的素質--去鞠躬。明顯地， 我不贊同一切基督教的教導， 不然我就會成為基督徒， 而不是佛教徒。但我看見充分的東西， 讓我尊重和禮敬， 而我想向它鞠躬。
就這樣， 我們三個進入了集會場地， 然後禮敬耶穌像。 然後幾個月後， 那位校長到訪了我的佛教寺院， 然後也禮敬了佛像
《無餘涅槃是怎樣的？》《What is nibanna without remainder?》
《無餘涅槃是怎樣的？》《What is nibanna without remainder?》
‘te khīṇabījā avirūḷhichandā’ （寶經） 這是關於citta, 心的。再生的種子已經被摧毀，它不能再生長。
那是最好的一段：’ nibbanti dhīrā ‘ 。 他肯定會涅槃--寂止，就如這燈一樣‘yathāyaṃ padīpo’
在那裡，佛陀明確指出涅槃是什麼，
在佛陀時代，所有人都知道涅槃是什麼意思。所有人！因為那是很慣用的語言。他說這個心會涅槃，就如這燈會涅槃一樣。
那是什麼意思？油燈 ‘涅槃’？ 這燈是否去到一個所有眾生都在的地方？它是否去到一個美麗的天堂？涅槃天堂？
油燈與蠟燭做什麼？熄滅。它會完結，寂止。這就是涅槃了。寂止，停止。 Phoof～ 它熄滅了。 但它去到哪裡了？當火焰熄滅的時候它去哪裡了？當它熄滅的時候，它是否去到所有造善業的火焰都和平共處的快樂地？
不！它只是止息了。這是Aggi-Vacchagotta 經的內容。
佛陀說火焰，尤其是油燈，有三個因：燈芯，油和熱。當這三個都在一起的時候，那就會有火。假如任何一個原因停止，好像燈芯燒完了，或不剩下任何油，或者風吹走熱力，那麼火焰就會熄滅。就如身體和心有它的因緣。當它們(因緣)消失，就如渴愛和無明—當它們停止，你也會停止。你會熄滅—phoof ~ 就如火焰般。
--Ajahn brahm
‘te khīṇabījā avirūḷhichandā’ （rattana sutta） this is about the citta, the mind. The seed of rebirth has been destroyed, it cant grow again.
This is the best line:’ nibbanti dhīrā ‘ It’s certainly going to nibanna, going to cessation , just like this lamp ‘yathāyaṃ padīpo’
There, the buddha was pointing out what nibanna really means
In the time of the buddha, everyone would know what nibanna meant. Everybody. Because it was a common word. He said this mind will nibanna just like that oil lamp will nibanna .
What does it mean, the oil lamp nibannas? Does the oil lamp go to the ground of al being? Is it just go to this beautiful heaven? Nibanna heaven?
What does an oil lamp or candle do? Extinguish. It goes out. Finishes , Ceases. That’s what nibanna is. Ceasing. Stopping. Phoof~ it goes out. But where does it go? Where does the flame go when it goes out? When the flames goes out , does it go to this happy land where all flames who have done good karma can live peacefully ever after?
No! it just ceases. And this is from the Aggi-Vacchagotta sutta.
He said a flame, is there because -especially an oil lamp- three causes, three supports: the wick, the oil and the heat. When those three come together, the heat, the wick and the oil , there’s the flame. And if any one of those causes stops. Such as the wick is all burnt out or there’s no oil left , or the wind blows the heat away, then the flame extinguishes. Just like the body and mind has its causes and conditions. When they disappear- such as craving, such as delusion- when they stop, you stop too. You go out- phoof~ like the flame.
----Ajahn brahm
What is Nibbana? | Ajahn Brahm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_3n96SmIyI&t=233s
《怎樣做一個有效的上司 How to become an effective boss?》
《怎樣做一個有效的上司 How to become an effective boss?》
It is amazing that how much more you could get harmony ,get progress , gain success , when you don’t try to control people so much
Do you know how it is like at work that you get a boss who makes you work hard, always shouting , never praising, never encouraging you… what is like when you are with this kind of people? Can you really work with them? What is like under a person who is like a tyrant. After a while, you just cannot stand them, you would like to go somewhere else. And you realize that when your bosss, instead of being a tyrant, always telling you what to do, ordering you, being forceful. If your boss is always encouraging , who is kind, who is understanding , then you will find that you are not forced to work hard under such a person , you find you want to work hard for such a person. The person who encourages you , inspires you ; they are kind to me, I want to be kind to them. There was a time I went to the Serpentine monastery , I was kind to them, and they were kind back to me. Its called the law of karma.
This is an example. If you are a tyrant, if you are mean to others; others will be mean to you
當你不去嘗試太控制別人時，你會取得極妙的，更多的融洽，進度和成功
你知道在職場上，你有一個讓你努力工作，一直都在吼叫，永不讚賞，永不鼓勵你的上司….你和這樣的人一起會怎樣？ 你真的能和他們一起工作嗎？在一個像暴君的人底下。過了一會兒，你便不能忍受，你會離開去別處。 然後你發現，當你的上司，不是當一個暴君，不斷教你做什麼，命令你，強硬的，而是鼓勵性的，善良的，明白你的，你就會發現你不是在這人底下被迫努力，而是你想在這人底下努力。鼓勵你，啟發你的人，他們對我善良，我也想對他們善良。有一次，我去到Serpentine廟，我對他們善良，他們也回過頭來對我們善良。這就是因果法則。
這就是一個例子。假如你是一個暴君，你對別人刻薄，別人也會對你刻薄
<26:31
Free Will – by ajahn brahm
《打坐的姿勢不是太重要》
《打坐的姿勢不是太重要》
《The posture doesn’t really matter in meditation》
《The posture doesn’t really matter in meditation》
我進醫院已經三個星期了，臥在床上， 我決定：‘為什麼不打坐？’ 然後我從
未建立，但我只是能做到。我的身體太弱了，我從未試過跷腿—完整的蓮花座，半蓮花，四分之一蓮花，不論什麼。這些之外，我只是臥下。假如你看過一些人在醫院裡發燒—你的腿散落在那裡，你的手臂散落在那裡。我從未在打坐的書中看過那種特定的姿勢。但是，我卻進入了一次很美好的禪境。當我出定後，我感到極快樂。我之前發燒，但現在沒了。我真的不能相信我透過這個姿勢進入了這麼深度的禪定。我說這個的唯一理由是，你可以，姿勢不是真的很重要，只要你能放下你的身體。疼痛沒有在讓你粘住它。所以請讓你的姿勢舒適
---ajahn brahm
It’s been three weeks since I have gone into that hospital, lying on the bed, I decided, ‘ why not meditate!’ and I never set up, I just could do that. My body was too weak, I never tried to cross my legs—full lotus, half lotus, or a quarter lotus , whatever it may be. So instead I was just lying down. If you have ever seen someone in the fever in the hospital—your legs all over the place, your arms all over the place. That particular posture I have never seen in any books of meditation. But nevertheless, I got into a really fantastic meditation. And when I came out afterwards, I felt so blissed out. I had a fever before, now its gone. I really cant believe that I can get into deep meditation in such a posture. The only reason that I say that is, you can, the posture is not so important as long as you can let go of your body. The aches and pains are not keeping you stuck to it. So please keep your posture comfortable
---ajahn brahm
<40:57
2024-03-07 Ajahn Brahm Hong Kong Retreat Day 1 Evening Talk
《天神存在嗎？》
《天神存在嗎？》
《Do heavenly beings exist?》
《Do heavenly beings exist?》
誰相信有天界眾生？我從不相信，直至我出家的第六年。那年我在pupah 頭陀行，我在山上整日行走，我已經喝盡水了，然後那裡又沒有井和河流，我真的很口渴。當我去到山脊上，我看見在山谷有個村莊，那裡通常都會有士多來賣香煙，然後，當然還有百事。我通常不喜歡百事，但當時我是一位年輕比丘，真的很熱，然後又沒有水，百事會是很絕妙。但作為比丘，你不能索取東西，你沒有錢，你也不能買
我記得一個故事，關於一個比丘在二戰時期，那時他住在緬甸。其他比丘說‘你要離開緬甸，快些，因為假如泰國向日本投降，所有泰國比丘都會被視為敵人’然後許多比丘，泰國比丘，都被英軍很差地對待，他們害怕比丘們會是間諜。所以他們對這位比丘說 ‘請你，Luang pu chob ，離開緬甸。你不能走到大路上，它們全被英軍控制。你要去到樹林裡，那些山上。清邁北部的山很偏僻。所以他帶著所有物品，沒有隨從，走上山以回到泰國，
那裡幾乎沒有村莊。他很飢餓，口渴和疲勞，然後開始想自己可能不能夠在這次旅程中存活。然後他記起好比丘通常都會被天界的眾生所支持，當他們需要支持的時候。所以他就下了一個決意 ‘假如真的有天界眾生，這裡有一個好比丘，他持戒，禪修，請來幫他吧。‘ 他在森林中間，他在道路的角落轉了彎，然後在五十米外，他看見有一個穿得很好的男人。穿得很好，住在森林的人，然後穿得很好！ 他帶著一盒飯，金屬托盤，有咖哩和其他東西在底部。
他站在那裡，穿得很好。然後當luang pu chob 經過他，比丘不允許停下來然後問。然後這個男人，不知從哪裡來，合掌然後說‘ Mimon krab’ 這是邀請去接受什麼的意思。所以這位比丘就停下來了，然後那個男人拿著真的很熱的飯，很好的咖哩，不是在森林可以拿到的，但就如曼谷的食物。
所以Luang pu Chob，他是其中一位大森林僧，沒有人會質疑他說的話是否真確。通常，當某人供養你這樣的食物，你不允許去問他，你只是給他祝福。但luang pu chob 忍不住了，他問 ‘你從哪裡來？’ 他許多日都不見有村莊，那不是在森林裡可以得到的食物。那個男人沒有回答，他指向上方。然後基本上沒有其他解釋—這位男人是位天神。
回到這個鬼佬比丘，
在山脊上，我看見一個村莊，我真的很口渴，乾枯。然後我說，‘我是一位科學家，假如有天神，證明它。假如有天神，我是一位好比丘，我持戒，我禪修，致力於成為一位好比丘。假如有天神，可以給我百事嗎？’
這會給我足夠的能量去完成旅程。然後我走到那個村莊。我的眼向下望，就如一位好比丘應該有的那樣。我不會左右顧盼，只是以平常速度前進。我的眼邊看到我在經過那間店鋪。我經過了，但沒有人攔下我。然後我想‘ 或許沒有天界的眾生了’
然後我就聽見有人在我背後跑來 ‘Mimonkrab ‘ 他帶著連著飲管的百事。這很可能只是巧合。但什麼緊接著發生？首先，泰國的神奇數字是什麼？另一個人也來到，帶來另一瓶開了的百事。然後第三，第四，第五，第六，第七，第八，然後第九位。我就像 ’ ok, 我接受那裡有天神了。‘ 它們都在桌子上，每一瓶我都喝一點。這從未發生過。我作了一個決意，然後天界的眾生想和我說’是‘ ，他們真的存在。 我不能說這是巧合，我只是和你們說真相。
Who believe in heavenly beings? I never believe the heavenly beings existed until my sixth year of monk. I went on Tudong in Pupah. I had been walking all days in the mountain, I ran out of water , and there was no wells or rivers , and I was really thirsty. When I came to the ridge of the mountains , I saw that there was a village at the valley, and there was always a store which sold like cigarettes , and of course pepsi. I don’t usually like pepsi, but when I was a young monk, it was really hot, and there was nothing like water around , pepsi will be wonderful. But as monk , you cannot ask for things. You don’t have money, you cant buy either.
So I recalled a story about a monk during the second world war, who was staying in Berma . And the other monks said, ‘ you have to get out of berma fast, because when Thailand surrendered to the Japanese, all Thai monks will be considered enemies.’ And many monks , thai monks, are treated very badly by the British soldiers, they afraid them to be spies. So they tell this monk, ‘ please, luang pu chob, get out of Berma , you cant go to the main road , they are all controlled by the British soldiers. You have to go to the jungles, the mountains. ‘The mountains there in northern Chiangmai is very remote. So he was walking with all his possessions , no attendants, went on to the mountain to be back to Thailand .
There were hardly any villages. He was getting hungry , thirsty and tired , and he started to consider that he may not survive the journey. And so he remembered that good monks were always supported by heavenly beings , whenever they needed support. So he made a determination , ‘ if there are heavenly beings, here is a good monk who keeps his precepts, he meditates, please come help him.’ He was in the middle of the jungle. He turned the corner of the path, and about 50 M ahead of something , he saw a well dressed man. Well dressed , people live in the jungle, and well dressed , and he had one of the bentos with metal trays, having curry and other thing else put in the bottom .
He was standing there, well dressed . And when Luang pu Chob walked past him, monks are not allowed to stop and ask. And this man, in the middle of nowhere, put his hand up and said ,’ mimon krab.’ It was an invitation to accept something . So this monk stopped, and that man get the really hot rice, fine curries, not something you get in the jungle, but its like Bangkok food.
So Luang pu Chob, he was one of the great forest monks, no one doubts what he was saying was truth. Usually, when someone offered you food like that, you are not allowed to ask, you give him blessing, that’s all. But Luang Pu chob couldn’t help himself, and asked ,’ where were you from?’ He hadn’t seen villages for days, it was not the food to get in jungle . The man never answered, he pointed (upwards). And theres basically no other explanation that this man was a heavenly being.
So back to this kuailo monk.
On top of the ridge , I saw this village, I was really thirsty, dehydrated , and I said, ‘ I am a scientist, if there are devas, prove it. If there are devas, Iａｍ a good monk, I keep my Vinaya, I mediate, devoted to being a good monk. If there are heavenly beings, can I have pepsi?’
This will give me energy to complete the journey . And I walked into the village , my eyes down as a good monk should, not looking to the left or looking to the right, walking with usual pace. The corner of my eyes saw that Iｗａｓ walking past the store. I walked past, no one stopped me. Then I thought ,’ then maybe there are no heavenly beings at all.’
Then I heard someone running behind me ,’ mimon krab’ with an opened pepsi with a straw. That was kind of convincing that it could just be a coincidence . What happened next ? first of all, what is the magic number in Thailand ? Another man came behind, with another opened pepsi , and the third one, the fourth one, and the fifth one , and the sixth one, and the seventh one, the eighth one, and the ninth one. And Iｗａｓ like , ok, Iａｃｃｅｐｔ that there are devas . They are all on the bench, and drinking a little bit from each bottle. This never happened before. I made a determination, and the heavenly beings wanted to tell me yes, they do exist. I cant give that a coincidence . I am telling you the truth
《大腦中風了但心很強，但為何不能說話》
《大腦中風了但心很強，但為何不能說話》
《Got a stroke but the mind is powerful, why cant speak?》
《Got a stroke but the mind is powerful, why cant speak?》
信徒：ajahn brahm ,在阿姜查的例子中，他中風然後許多年都不能說話。假如心和大腦的功能是不同的，我們怎樣理解這個？因為阿姜查有個很絕妙的心。
Ajahn brahm : 的確，但大腦說話的功能壞掉落。然後有一件軼事。wat nong pah pong的比丘們開了一個會。 阿姜查不想要任何醫學的介入，基本上就讓他自然地去世吧。但泰國的皇帝那時說‘不’ 你不能夠和國王爭論，當我們只是平民百姓。所以比丘們接受國王為醫護付費。他們24小時一星期七天都輪班，持續了許多年，也有一些比丘來侍奉。
然後，一次，其實許多次了，但有一次，阿姜查停止了呼吸。當他停止了呼吸時，醫護人員都很害怕，他們要做些什麼。然後其餘兩位比丘說‘不用，你不用做些什麼’ ‘他要死了！沒有呼吸進入他的身體！他不能這樣活！’ 醫護人員知道阿姜查總有一天會死，但就是不想阿姜查在他們的輪班中死去。所以他們有了一個討論，醫護說，他們會每五分鐘為他抽血，如果血液開始缺氧，他們就會做些什麼。然後比丘們說 ‘好吧，就這樣。‘
這其實被記錄了的。雖然阿姜查沒有在呼吸，但他的血液完全充滿氧氣。那些醫護很驚嘆，那不預期會發生的啊！然而，那沒有危險，氧氣是如何在他沒有呼吸時進入的？這是另一個問題。但是，這發生了許多次，只有比丘們知道阿姜查在做什麼。他進入了禪那！
這顯示雖然阿姜查不能夠說話，他的心依然很強。但大腦受損了。
這就是科學的其中一個問題，他們甚至不接受心是可能的。
我的朋友Bernard曾和霍金爭論，霍金說 ‘不不不，心是不可能的’
就算在愛恩斯坦的量子理論，你要去看哥本哈根解釋，那確是心創造了現實。沒有心，你就不會存在。這就是第一次心成為了科學的一部分，但許多人依然否定它。這是一個明顯的東西來說明心是存在的。
Disciple :Ajahn brahm, in the case of Ajahn chah, he has a stroke and he cannot speak for many years . If mind and the brain function in different manners , how do we understand this？ Because ajahn chah has a really excellent mind
Ajahn brahm: indeed, but the brain function of speech is broken. And it is one of the anecdotes , that monks at wat nong pah pong had a meeting , Ajahn chah does not want any medical intervention, basically let him pass away. But the king of Thailand at that time said ‘ no’ . You don’t argue with the king while we are citizens. So the monks accepted that the king of Thailand pay for the medics, 24-7 they go on a shift which lasted for many years . But there were also a couple of monks who came to serve.
And , on one occasion, actually for many times, but it was one of the occasion, Ajahn chah stopped breathing .When he stopped breathing, the medics were very afraid , they had to do something . And the other two monks said , ‘ no, you don’t have to’ .’ He is going to die! There;s no breath going into the body, he cant live like that!’ The medics knew that Ajahn Chah had to die one day, but they didn’t want ajahn chah to die on their shift. So they had a discussion, the medics said that they would take the blood for every five minutes, then once the blood got deoxygenated , they had to do something . And the monks said,’ ok, go ahead.’ .
It is actually recorded, what they found even though ajahn chah was not breathing at all, was that the blood was fully oxygenated . So the medics were stunned, that did not suppose to happen . But nevertheless, there was no danger , how did the oxygen get in although he was not breathing , is another question. . But nevertheless, this happened many times , that only monks know what Ajahn Chah was doing. He entered into jhanas
This showed that although ajahn chah could not speak, his mind was still so powerful. The brain was damaged .
That’s one of the problem with science, that they don’t even accept that the mind is possible.
My friend Bernard argued with Steven Hawkins , Steven Hawkins says ,’ no no no, the mind is not possible ‘
Even in Einstein’s Quantum theory , you have to look up for the Copenhagen interpretation, and that is indeed the mind, which creates the reality , without that mind, you wont exist . It is the first time, that the mind becomes part of science, but still rejected by many. It is an obvious thing that the mind exist !
More about ajahn brahm:
https://www.knownsee.com/.../%E8%8B%B1%E5%9C.../ajahn-brahm
<<Ajahn Brahm 所提倡的禪法>>
<<Ajahn Brahm 所提倡的禪法>>
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<<Meditation method advocated by Ajahn Brahm >>
(English version below)
【Ajahn brahm 對四念住的詮釋】
信徒：ajahn , 有兩個情景
一個人整日修習安般念不轉業處，看著呼吸的生滅
另一個人只是在坐禪當中修習安般念，但也修習身，受，心念住
我可以問，他們誰人會先覺悟嗎？
Ajahn brahm : 兩個也不。首先，當你說覺知心，是什麼意思？
信徒：心念住，例如有貪，無貪
Ajahn brahm : 那是個很難完成的念住。很多時候，我會問，你是否讀得正確？對於心念住，很多時候你要知道禪那是什麼。很多時候，人們不知道禪那是什麼，所以他們不能完成念住
另一樣關於念住的事情是，你看到他生起與滅去，那是個很差的翻譯。假如你深入看大念住經，這些用詞都有解釋，你知道呼吸生起的原因，你知道呼吸消失的原因，不只是看到生滅，但你看到它為什麼生起，為什麼滅去。
你看到心的原因，它究竟是什麼。你看到它消失。為什麼？不是看它來然後走。看見事物來然後走，為什麼它來然後走？無論如何，念住的第一部分，已念住的前提開始，你在專注身，受，心，法前第一件事要專注什麼？
信徒：去除五蓋？
Ajahn brahm:確實！什麼是vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ？在英語，它是指捨棄貪婪與憂傷，那是說英語的人的廢話，它完全不合理。當你看著這些字詞：vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ。那是五蓋的同義詞，然後呢看看增支部，我不是嘗試當一位學者，我確實在禪修，修習它。Abhijjhā意味著五蓋的第一蓋，domanassaṃ在兩部經都用作第二個蓋。我通常對義註沒有什麼信心，但它說你在做四念住前，第一部分就是要大大地抑制頭兩蓋。所以你在做念住前，你首先要抑制五蓋。我會這樣做，有些經典會這樣給它權威性，你可以自己查查看
它意味著，假如你體驗過這些禪那，假如你出定，五蓋會被抑制，它們會消失一段長時間，arati 和tandi 也會一起消失。arati 的意思是不滿意tandi 的意思是疲累。當你進入這些深定，不只是五蓋，但不喜歡和疲累也會消失。你會精力充沛，沒有什麼可以讓你難過。那是其中一個途徑，假如任何人惹惱你，而你剛剛體驗完禪那，我看著你然後說，‘不不不，你太年輕了，不會能夠體驗禪那。’ ‘香港人不能體驗禪那’ 然後你看他們的反應‘ Umm，你這個鬼佬’ 假如你被冒犯了，那就不是禪那。假如你體驗到其中一些深定，你不能被冒犯，然後你會體驗到清明的心
【當那樣東西消失了， 你才徹底明白】
信徒：那麼假如我這個問題是在出禪那後問的呢？
Ajahn brahm :當你出禪那，我會給你一個譬如。這是freddie 聽過許多次的譬如，所以會很容易翻譯。那是關於蝌蚪和青蛙。很久以前，有一隻蝌蚪住在寺院的湖里。蝌蚪很聰明，他進入了蝌蚪學校，和大學，學習化學。那隻蝌蚪專科於水，最後成為一位教授。他讀了所有書，完成所有學習，就連水性的阿比達摩也學過了。你認為蝌蚪會知道水是什麼嗎？他懂得所有理論，但完全沒有關於水的深入理解和清楚，並不比魚明白更多。生於水，但他並不知道水是什麼
蝌蚪和魚的分別是，有一天，小蝌蚪長出來手臂和腳，然後成為了青蛙。然後一日，青蛙跳出了水，去到乾地，那是一個關於乾地的很奇妙的體驗。當他體驗過乾地，之前他有所有理論，現在他有親身的體驗了，之前一直在的東西，現在沒了。那就是水。當青蛙跳出水，他就能明白水是什麼
一樣，當你進入禪那然後出定，你可以回憶起什麼在禪那中沒了，定義那個。
在初禪，你會沒了身體和所有五根，不再在了。現在你有機會去知道身體是什麼了，透過你的第六根，你的心。
當你進入第二禪，那個沒了的東西是你的意志，你的選擇。所以你會變得非常非常地靜止。你知道意志是什麼嗎？有些人會說他是造作者，選擇，做決定者。你明白它嗎？你當然不明白，直至你進入二禪你才會明白。現在它離開了，就如青蛙，他知道水是什麼。所以當東西消失了，不是生滅，而是離開了，一段長時間。
所以禪那的體驗是那麼的重要
【透過轉換禪那而觀照的覺悟方法】
信徒：所以一個人可以在禪那中待許多個小時，比如說，在初禪，然後跳到二三四禪，然後跳回去。透過觀察某些東西的存在和消失，一個人就能取得覺悟？這是你的方法對嗎？
Ajahn brahm : 不，那不是我的方法。那是佛陀的方法。假如你看經典，然後和其他比丘討論，他們也都會說同樣的東西，那就是八正道，最後一部分是四禪。
【要享受禪修才會成功入定】
我會說一個關於蓮花的譬如。你不是從一個禪那跳到另一個，你在你本身在的地方走得更深。這就是我們怎樣打坐，你只是坐在這裡，開始打坐。我已經教了呼吸怎樣運作，那不是透過用力而做到的。所以你可以體驗呼吸的快樂。
就連隆波間夏，他曾經來過澳洲待幾個月。人們常常問他 ‘你可以教我們你的禪修方法嗎？’ 他一向都會回答‘你吸入，舒服～呼出，舒服～’ 那很奇怪，因為他是第一位我聽見的比丘教導要去享受禪修。那時是舒適的～ 我強調 ‘舒適·～’ 。 你要愉悅地做事，容易地。
【安般念的步驟】
然之後我研讀巴利文，你在呼吸禪修法開始前，你首先要做的便是確立面前的念。在什麼前面？在鼻子？肚子？ 它的意思不是在某人的前面，而是你把它放在首位，列表中的第一項。那是你做任何呼吸禪修前的一樣東西，確保你的念是強和被確立的。
這些日子，許多人都有不同對於念的定義。我的定義是，你只是覺知，你活在當下，沒有過去，未來，只是在當下。當你在看的時候，你不給他名字，你不在思考，你不用如freddie 般摘錄筆記去翻譯。有時在腦袋中，你嘗試記下它，嘗試找出它是什麼意思，這是我作為物理學家學到的東西。你做你的實驗，你回憶起儀器的所有讀數，但你不曾下任何結論，直至實驗完結。
在你禪修也是同樣的，在你禪修時，想著你可以多平靜，事實上你變得平靜。在你看呼吸前，你要覺知那大程度的平靜和靜默(註釋：之前 ajahn brahm 有教導放鬆到極點而取得平靜的方法)。然後它一向都會發生，一會兒後，你會平靜和寧靜，很舒適，呼吸會來到你那裡。它就在那裡！它在那裡的原因，是因為你的身體消失了，你不能感受到你的屁股，你的膝蓋…..它消失的原因是因為沒有東西在動，所以周圍的聲音，呼吸和風
當我在樓上休息時，我很疲倦，然後我現在是老比丘了。我想你們許多都嘗試不要製造噪音，但你們仍然在製造噪音，但你沒相關。它一向都會是一樣的。你在說中文，我不知道你們在說什麼，你很大幫助，我可以睡半個小時。但假如你說英文，那就很不同了。但無論如何， 我沒有放太多注意力去背景的噪音，然後它們就會消失，就如我的身體，當一會兒後它就會消失，什麼剩下？我的身體什麼東西還在動？ 就是那個呼吸。那很自然，當所有東西都在消失，你的呼吸還在那裡，你甚至不用去找它。所有打擾你的東西都消失了。然後你可以看你的呼吸。你甚至不用嘗試去看呼吸。一會兒後，呼吸會變得很暢順，呼吸進的感覺，呼吸出的感覺，它們變得那麼的相似，不要去害怕，當它們變得那麼的相似時，它也會消失
那就是呼吸禪修法的一個很美妙的東西。那就是，假如你學習安般念，首四個階段的呼吸出入，平息它。之後你就會開始體驗到一些喜悅， 喜和樂。學者們發生什麼事？關於那裡發生什麼，你不像平時那樣在感覺那個呼吸。那是心行，那其實是知道呼吸，那個平靜，美麗和喜悅，它們現在來到你的心了，而不是身體的感受，心的感受開始主導，那很重要。因為你開始享受禪修了，現在你呼吸得很舒適～有時人們會覺得你瘋了。 享受禪修？比這個更好，你在禪修中得到極樂，呼吸進，那很好，呼吸出，很多個小時
當你進入到這些禪修的境界， 當你愛禪修， 你不能滿足。 所以有時在禪修營， 鍾響了， 但人們繼續坐， 他們不去任何地方。 有時在一些我主持的禪修營， 你會發現， 吃飯的鐘響了， 然後那是一天之中最後的一頓飯， 人們就會錯過那頓飯， 不吃東西直至第二天。然後， 他們不移動， 因為打坐比那更有價值。 你會拿到喜樂， 然後那是打坐的重要部分。 那讓它非常有趣。 只是心不想做其他東西， 他在享樂!我已經成為比丘49年了， 然後這年是第五十年， 為什麼？為什麼比丘？
信徒：快樂
Ajahn brahm:對， 快樂。舒適～真的舒適～那就是靜坐時發生的東西， 不可思議地增強了快樂。掉進那極樂當中， 真的很快樂。那就是心--那個第六根--如何體驗。在安般念的第九階就更大力量。在那時，你覺知心，呼吸走了，你仍然呼吸進出， 但你意識不到它們。有更強大的東西， 那就是心。佛陀怎樣解釋它? 那就是你在心中看到的光， 叫做禪相。那和義註沒有關係。那在upakilesa sutta (MN128)， 佛陀用了整個經說了關於禪相的障礙、隨雜染。 這是禪修的直接、直路。這就是人們坐著打坐， 身體消失了，呼吸平靜得很舒服， 你就開始看到心中的光， 你叫這些做禪相。最終， 他們變得穩定， 然後你和它融合， 那就是初禪了
然後每一種禪那， 更上的就更加快樂。這就是佛陀怎樣形容這些體驗。這種快樂、極樂 ， 其中一種快樂， 就連初禪， 佛陀也形容為覺悟之樂。 Sambodhi 是佛教中覺悟的用詞。實際上它指的是， 當你在初禪， 你就嚐到覺悟的味道。那不是覺悟， 但很接近。 你們每一位也可以。去做到這一點， 你不用成為比丘或比丘尼， 但如果你出家會容易些。 但無論如何， 你們每個人也可以做到的。 你深入你的蓮花， 深得坐在你身體中的蓮花花瓣消失然後盛開。 你進入你的心， 但那不足夠。 那是個很棒的體驗。 蓮花中是什麼？
沒有什麼.
你中心裡的是什麼？
沒有東西.
OK ?
【Ajahn brahm annotating satipattana】
Disciple : Ajahn ,for there are two scenarios
One person practise anapanasati throughout without changing the kammathana , observe the arise and fall of the breath
Another person practise anapanasati in his sit meditation, but also practise mindfulness of the body, feeling and citta in his daily life.
May I ask which one will get enelightened first?
Ajahn brahm: Neither. First of all, when you say about being aware of the citta, what do you mean?
Disciple: The satipattana of the citta, like lobha alobha
Ajahn Brahm: that is a very difficult satipattana to complete. A lot of the time, I will ask if you have read it properly. Much of the citta satipattana, you know what jhana is, what you know in jhana. A lot of time people do not know about what jhana is , so they do not complete satipattana at all.
The other thing about satipattana , is that you see it rise and fall, that is a terrible translation . If you look into the satipattana sutta, these terms are explained , you know the causes, for the arising of the breath , you know the causes for the breath to disappear, not just seeing the rise and fall, but you see why it arises, why it falls.
You see the cause of the citta, what actually it is . You see it disappear, why? Not to see it comes and goes. It is very easy to see things come and go, why they come and why they go? So anyhow, the first part on the satipattana , it starts off with the prerequisite of the satipattana. What is the first thing you focus on before you focus on the body, Vedana, citta , and dhamma?
Disciple: removing the five hindrance ?
Ajahn brahm: Exactly ! what is vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ? In english, it simply means abandoning grief and convetousness in the world , which is an English speaker nonsense, it doesn’t mean any sense at all. When you actually look at these words : vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ。 That is a synonym of the five hindrance . And you specially see in the Aṅguttara Nikāya , I am not trying to be a scholar here, I actually practise it, the loke abhijjhā stands for the first of the five hindrances, domanassaṃ is used in two suttas, is a synonym of the second hindrances. I don’t usually have much faith on the commentary, but it says that the first part of the satipattana, before you do the four satipattanas , that is to restrain a lot the first two hindrances. So before you do the satipattana, you have to restrain the five hindrances, I will do that . This is quite in some suttas which gives it authority, you can check it up yourself .
It means that, if you have experienced these jhanas, if you have emerged , the five hindrances are supressed , they are not there for a long period of time, together with arati and tandi. Arati means discontent, tandi means weariness ; when you get into these deep meditation, not just these five hindrances , but also weariness and dislike disappear. You are energized , and nothing is gonna upset you. It is one of the ways , if anyone of you , say that you have just experienced jhana . I look at you and say ‘ nono , you are too young to experience jhanas.‘ ‘people in Hong Kong cannot experience Jhanas’ and you wait to see their experience ,’ um this kuai lo ‘ if you get offended , that is not jhana . If you just experienced one of these deep meditation , you cant be offended, and you also experience the clarity of mind .
So to overcome the five hindrances of the mind is the gist of jhanas. Once you have experienced the jhanas, you can contemplate , actually what they are
【When that thing disappears , you will know thoroughly about it】
Disciple : then what if the question is asked after one has emerged from jhana ?
Ajahn brahm：When you have emerged from Jhana, I will give you a simile . That is a simile that Freddie has heard of many times before , so it is easy to translate. It is about the tadpole and the frog . Once upon a time , there is a tadpole living in a lake of a monastery . Tadpole is very smart , he goes into tadpole school , and also university, studying chemistry. And the Tadpole specialized in water, eventually became a professor . He reads all the books , done all the studies, and even the Abhidhamma about the nature of water . Do you think that tadpole knows what water is? He knows all the theory , but none of the clearance or deep understanding of the water , no more than a fish who can understand what water is . Born in water , with the life in water , he doesn’t know what water is .
The difference between the tadpole and a fish , is one day, the little tadpole grows arms and legs , and becomes a frog . Then one day, the frog jumps outside of the water onto dry land, which is a very strange experience about dry land. Once he has experienced dry land , he has all the theories , now he has the experience , something which is always there, is now missing , that is water . When the frog can go outside of the water , he can understand what water is .
That is the same when you have entered into the jhana and emerge from the jhana, you can recall that something is missing in the jhana , define that.
In the first jhana, you have missed the body and all the five senses , not there anymore. Now you have the opportunity to know what body is , with your sixth sense the mind.
When you get into the second jhana, the thing that is missing is your will, your choice, that’s why you get very very still . Do you know what a will is? Some people call it a doer , choice, make decisions. Do you understand it? Of course you don’t, until you have entered into second jhana. Now its gone, like the frog, he knows what the water is . That is why when things really disappear, not rise and fall, but gone , for long periods of time.
That is why the jhana’s experience is so essential
【The method of switching between jhanas and contemplate until enlightenment】
Disciple : so one can stay in jhanas for many hours, and just for example , in the first jhana, then jump to second , third and forth jhana , then go back. By observing the existence and disappearance of something , and one can get enlightened ? This is you method right?
Ajahan brahm: no, that is not my method. That is lord buddha’s method. If you look at the suttas and you discuss with other monks , they say all the same. It is the eightfold path , the last part is the four jhanas .
【Enjoy is the key to deep meditation 】
I think I will say about the simile of the lotus . You do not jump into one another, you go deeper in what you already are. That is how we mediate, you just sit down here, start meditating , I have taught how it works for breathing , but that isn’t done with force . So you can just experience the joy of the breath .
Even ajahn ganaha , he came to stay in Australia for a few months . People always ask him, ‘ can you teach us your method of meditation?’ he will always say ‘you breathe in, sabai ~ breathe out , sabai~ ‘ it is weird, because he is the first monk who I have heard that teaches about to enjoy meditation. That time was sabai~ I add the emphasis of sabai ~ that is what it was . You have to do things pleasantly , easily.
【The steps of anapanasati】
Then afterwards I study pali, before you start to do the breath meditation , the first thing you have to do , is to establish mindfulness in front of you . In front of what? Where? At nose ? tummy? Abdomen? What it means is not in front of the person, you keep it front , you give it priority , number one on the list. Something you must do before you do any breath meditation, make sure that the mindfulness is strong and established .
These days, many people have many different definition of mindfulness . My definition which I have, is you not only aware , you are in this moment, no past, no future, right here. When you are watching, you are not giving it names , you are not thinking , you don’t need to take notes like Freddie who has to translate it. Sometimes in your brain you try to memorize it, try to figure out what it means , this is something I learn as a physicist , you do your experiment , you recall all the readings on your instruments , but you do not make any conclusion until the end of that experiment. The same thing for your meditation, during your meditation, think how peaceful you can become, actually you become peaceful, before you start watching your breath , you have to aware that great degree of peace and silence . And that always happens, that after a while , you are at peace and silence , very comfortable, the breath comes to you. It is there. The reason it is there, is because , if your body disappears, you cannot feel your bottom , your knees … The reason it disappears is because nothing is moving . So the ambient sound, the breath and the wind .
When I take a rest upstairs, I am tired, I am an old monk now. I think a lot of you, try not to make a lot of noise , you are still making noise, it doesn’t matter . It is always the same . You are speaking in Chinese, that I don’t know what you are talking about , that is very helpful, I can have a nap for half an hour. If you talk in English, it will be very different. But anyway, Iａｍ ｎｏｔ giving too much attention to the background noise , and it soon disappears . Just like my body, it disappears after a while , what is left with? What else is moving at my body? (ajahn brahm breathes loudly ~) the breathing. Its natural, everything else is disappearing , your breath is there, you don’t even need to find it . Everything which disturbs you, disappears . And you can watch your breathing. And you don’t even need to try watching your breathing , something you can watch. Then after a little while , the breathing comes very smooth, the feeling of the in breath , the feeling of the outbreath , becomes so similar , that not to be afraid of. When it becomes so similar, it disappears as well.
That is a wonderful thing of breath meditation That if you study the anapanasati , the first four stages of breathing in and out , calm it down . Then you can start to experience some joy , the piti sukha . What is happening for the scholars ? what is happening there, you are not feeling the breath , that you normally do. It is cittasankhara , that is actually knowing the breath, the peace and beauty and delight , is now coming for the mind , rather than from the body sense , mind sense is going to dominate , that is important . Because now you begins to enjoy the meditation . Now you are actually breathing sabai ~ sometimes people think you are crazy. Enjoying meditation？ Much better than that , you are blissing out in the meditation , breathe in , is great, breath out ~ for many hours .
As much you get into those stage of meditation , when you love meditation, you cannot get enough of it . That sometimes in retreats, the bell goes and people continue to sit down , they don’t go anywhere . Any in some of the retreats I hold , you find that , the bell goes for the meal, and that is the last meal of the day, and people miss out the meals , fast until the next day. And, they don’t move , Meditation is worth even much more. It is liking to get joy and happiness , and that is the important part of the meditation . That makes it really interesting . Just the mind doesn’t want to do anything else , its having fun. I have been a monk for 49 yeaars, and this year the 50th year. Why? Why monk?
Disciple : happy
Ajahn brahm: yes, happiness .Sabai ~ really sabai. And that is what happens in the meditation , it is incredibly boosted in bliss . Dropping in that real bliss,is really happy. That is how the mind experience , the sixth sense. And it gets even much powerful in the ninth stage of anapanasati .In the ninth stage of the anapansati, you are aware of the citta . The breath is gone , you are still breathing in and out , but you are not aware of that , something is more powerful, and that is the awareness of the citta . And how is that explained by the buddha ? that is where you see the beautiful lights in the mind, called nimittas . That is nothing to do with the commentaries . That is in the upakilesa sutta (MN128). Where the buddha spends the whole sutta talking about the obstacles , the upakilessa to these nimittas . This is the direct, straight path of the meditation . This is where people sitting there, the body disappears . The breath calms down to be really sabai, you start to experience lights in the mind , you call that nimittas . Eventually they become stable . And when you merge into one of those , then it is , the first jhana.
And each of these jhanas , there is even more bliss . It is how the buddha describes this experiences . The type of happiness, bliss , one of the pleasure , in even the first jhana, he describes it as, Sambodhi sukha . Sambodhi is the buddhist word for enlightenment . What that actually means, is when you are at the first jhana, you are experiencing the taste of enlightenment . It is not enlightenment , it is close enough , each one of you can. You don’t need to be a monk or bikkhuni to do this, but if you ordain, it is easier. But anyway ,everyone of you can do that. You go deep into your lotus , so deep that the petals sitting in your body disappears and open up . You get into your mind , that’s not enough. that’s an amazing experience . And you go deep and deep into the lotus . Whats inside in the lotus? Whats there? Whats middle of the lotus ?
Nothing~
What is in the central of you ? nothing
. OK ?
<<修慈很困難?>><<Difficult to spread metta?>>
<<修慈很困難?>><<Difficult to spread metta?>>
信徒:我發現 ajahn 很容易就能散發慈心。 但有時當我嘗試散發慈心， 心仍然會保持中捨。 請問 Ajahn 可以教導一下嗎?
Ajahn brahm: 不要試， 只管做
Student : I find that ajahn can spread metta very easily. Sometimes I try to spread metta, but the mind remains neutral . Could ajahn please advise ?
Ajahn brahm: don't try , just do it
<<阿羅漢死後>><<When an arahant dies >>
<<阿羅漢死後>><<When an arahant dies >>
問：阿羅漢死後，是不是連識都沒有留下來了？
Ajahn brahm：正確
學生：那麼阿姜曼看到過去諸佛的解釋是什麼？
Ajahn brahm：這是對某事的解釋。
你不能看到過去的佛。
Ajahn Tet 是比Ajahn Maha Bua 更資深的弟子。
當他讀完阿姜曼的傳記後，他不允許任何人為他寫傳記。
他在他去世前親自寫了自己的傳記。
阿姜曼的傳記很有爭議
2024年3月4日
Student : is it when an arahant dies , there is not even consciousness left behind ?
Ajahn brahm: correct
Student : then what is the explanation for ajahn mun's seeing past buddhas?
Ajahn brahm : this is the interpretation of something.
You cannot see past buddhas. Ajahn Tet is a more senior disciple than ajahn maha bua. After he had read the biography of ajahn mun , he didn't allow anyone to write his biography. He wrote it himself before he died.
Ajahn mun's biography is very controversial
《Ajahn brahm：心不是常。阿羅漢死後沒有留下心》
《Ajahn brahm：心不是常。阿羅漢死後沒有留下心》
《Ajahn brahm：citta is not permanent, after an arahant dies, no citta is left》
《Ajahn brahm：citta is not permanent, after an arahant dies, no citta is left》
(English version below)
信徒：ajahn brahm , 請問識和心是否同樣的東西？（根據SN12.62,佛陀把心，意，識說為同樣的東西）
Ajahn brahm: 不～有多少種識？
信徒：6
Ajahn brahm：它們是否同樣的東西?
信徒：不
Ajahn brahm: 所以你從來不說識（單數），但識s(眾數)。它們是完全地不同的。當你說心的時候，是在說什麼呢？
信徒：意識？
Ajahn brahm: 對的。意識是否實在且不變的？
信徒：不
Ajahn brahm:當然不啦！它來了就走。有時佛陀會給一個關於識流的比喻，當他在說心的時候。 現在，當我回到今早的島，那裡的水是否一樣？完全地不同！可能看似一樣，但完全不同。你的意識，你的心一直在變
信徒：但luang ta maha bua 說心是常的，你怎樣理解這個？
Ajahn brahm:他不能這樣說，我完全地不同意。心永遠不會是常的。就連佛陀都說，（心在一天生滅）許多許多次。你將身體當作是常的比較好，因為它基本上就和昨天一樣，你的爸爸媽媽可以辨認到你。心轉變得那麼快，快到你根本不能證明心是常的這個見解。我不知道luang ta maha bua 有沒有說過。別人翻譯它，所以他有沒有說過（我們不知道）
信徒：我終於找到一位ajahn 同意我的論點了，因為有許多泰國的ajahn ，他們都說心是常的。阿羅漢死後，心會留下。
Ajahn brahm :佛陀從來沒有這樣說過。佛陀在Aggivacchasutta (MN72)中說過一個比喻，有人問佛死後心去到哪裡？他說，假如有一把火，它建基於水，玻璃或什麼什麼的。為了讓你們更加容易明白，一個蠟燭，蠟燭上的火是什麼？火是三個緣的合成：蠟，蠟燭芯，熱力。 這三樣來到一起，我們就稱它為火。有一天，蠟終究會用盡，或者蠟燭芯會燒盡，或者風吹散了熱力---任何一個因素。火會有什麼後果？
信徒：他會離去
Ajahn brahm : 去到哪裡？
信徒： 沒有地方
Ajahn brahm: 沒有地方！假如他是一把很好很好的火，然後讓你追踪它往哪裡跑了，你也讀了些經文。那把火有如此的善業，它不是會去到天堂，然後所有‘好火’就會聚在那裡一起直到永遠嗎？當然不是！ 假如它是把很壞的火，燒毀了你的屋子，那把火會否下地獄？當然不會！ 佛陀曾經說， 那個火的原因，當熄滅了，火去哪裡了？--這個想法不再能夠應用。 涅槃這個字。Nibutto是它的過去分詞。它的意思是涅槃了。在佛陀時代，就算是小朋友都明白。問題是，當人們說那裡沒有什麼的時候，人們會把‘沒有東西’當作‘有某些東西’
就有一個故事關於阿那律尊者，佛陀其中一位大弟子。在他的早年，他出生於一個很富有的家庭。他不曾做過很多工作。那時他有些笨。他那時在玩波子，然後在賭博。他把自己的午餐（蛋糕）作為自己的賭注。但他不斷輸。所以他命令僕人拿更多的蛋糕。僕人回到家中然後拿來更多的蛋糕。但他輸得更厲害了，每次賭博，他都會輸掉。所以他叫他的僕人再拿更多的蛋糕。 僕人說，已經沒有蛋糕了。然後那時她的用詞是 ‘natthi 蛋糕’
‘你拿了蛋糕了嗎？’ 阿那律對僕人說
僕人回答：‘natthi 蛋糕’
但當阿那律尊者望入籃子的時候，他看到一個他一生中看過最驚人美味的蛋糕。因為那時阿那律尊者的過去業，讓他永遠也不會聽到‘沒有‘ 這個詞。無論什麼情況，都會有些東西預給他。然後天界的眾生，為了讓這個年輕人的業力完整，便放了一個天界的蛋糕去他的籃子裡。僕人覺得沒有蛋糕了，便說natthi蛋糕。當他揭開了它的時候，便發現有一個天堂的蛋糕在裡面。阿那律嘗了那個天堂般的蛋糕的時候，便這樣 ‘wow ,太美妙了！我的媽媽一定在藏起這些‘natthi’蛋糕！’
‘natthi’蛋糕的意思是沒有蛋糕，但卻變成了‘有些東西’。 人類總是嘗試從‘沒有’中創造出‘一些東西’。實際上，它是指，它走了，沒有了蛋糕
或者，任何受過英式教育的人，會知道Alex in the wonderland through the looking glass，在棋的遊戲中遊玩的紅色皇后。最後抵達最終的方塊的人會成為皇后。Alice 經歷了很長的旅程後終於有資格成為皇后。然後她遇到了一個很久以前就抵達那裡的皇后。皇后問‘在旅途中，你有否遇過任何人？’
Alice 回答‘我在旅途中遇見 ’‘沒有人’‘
然後皇后問‘那很有趣。因為我的信使來得早一點點，他也說，他遇見 ’‘沒有人’‘你們碰到同樣的人了！‘
然後，當信使確認他沒有遇到任何人時，皇后便問信使‘你太慢了，’‘沒有人’‘在你前面，’‘沒有人’‘一定走得比你快‘
如果你以英文讀懂它，他們把’‘沒有人’‘當成一個人類，然後’‘沒有人’‘是某人的名字
試想像一下你的父親在你出生時給了你一個名字’‘沒有人’‘
‘有沒有人完成了他的家課？‘ ’ ’‘沒有人’‘完成了他們的家課‘
當你考試及格了 ‘’‘沒有人’‘考試合格’
當你在上班，‘’‘沒有人’‘在上班’
因此那很有趣，從沒有東西創造出某些東西。
在佛教中那很具爭議。但，當你發展出一些很深的定時，首先，你可以看著事物消失，整個身體消失，你不能夠感受任何東西。就如其中一個故事，一個在perth 的男子，一般上他會打坐40分鐘。但在某星期天的下午，他和他的妻子說，自己要到睡房打坐，那時他的妻子在電視上看電影。一個半小時之後，他依然還未離開他的房間。於是她便去查探丈夫—他正以打坐的姿勢坐著，沒有絲毫的移動，非常靜止。他甚至沒有在呼吸。於是他的妻子便叫了救護車，然後救護車很快地來了
當擔架去到他的臥室時，他仍然在打坐。他們檢查了他的脈搏，發現沒有任何脈搏，他也不在呼吸。然後他們把他放進救護車，把他帶到最近的醫院。當他進入了急症室時，那天是星期天的下午。護士找不到任何生命的跡象。所以他們把他推進手術室，也檢查了他的EEG 和ECG。 ECG 是一條平線—那裡沒有心跳，EEG 也是平的—沒有腦的活動。這是真的發生了的事情，是真的事情。
那時，醫生發現了一件怪事，雖然這人看似死了，但是他的身體仍然是暖的。通常如果你在ECG EEG有一條平線，你的身體就會變冷。但是假如你有讀經，佛陀其實有定義到，假如你進入了深定，你的身體不會變冷，你不會說那人是死了的
那時那個男人的妻子崩潰了，看著救護員用電流，除颤器，嘗試把他從平線中救活，也有用到腎上腺素。每次他們會把電流放到他的身體。他們會把他電到彈起來。但都沒有起色。一再一再地，他們也不能喚醒他。
但當時，他終於決定要出定了。 ‘這裡在搞什麼鬼？我明明剛才在我的臥室中啊！’ 然後儀器開始 ‘嗶～嗶～嗶～’ 全部開始正常運作了。其中一件幸運事是，那天是星期天的下午。當值的醫生的父母是從印度來的移民。他的印度父母曾對他說，當他們進入了很深的靜止時，將會暫停所有在心裡的事情，然後會完美地靜止。他看過，所以明白在發生什麼事。
之後發生什麼事？他們給了他一個徹底的檢查，然後發現他什麼事都沒有。所以他們不把他留下來，但讓他回家。他走回家，沒有用到救護車。沒有什麼是需要的。他絕對健康
我問他‘那時發生了什麼事？當你在救護車上，他們用電流電你的時候’ ‘沒有什麼，他們只是這樣說’
‘你是否處於一個昏迷或者無意識的狀態？’
‘不！我處於一個一生之中最清醒的狀態，但不覺知五根，只有第六根—心。當他們用電流電我的時候，我根本感覺不到什麼，內裡只有快樂，完美地具念。‘這就是在深定中所發生的事情，世界是離你那麼遠，你的心是那麼的靜止和美麗。如果你想知道心是什麼，那個經歷便是了。在深定中，五蓋會離開，那意味著，五蓋中其中一蓋—疑蓋會離開。現在，你很肯定，那不是一個夢，也不是一個幻想。這就是我們所說的洞察了
Student : ajahn brahm, may I ask is consciousness and citta the same thing? (according to SN12.62, buddha says that the citta and the consciousness is the same thing)
Ajhan brham: no~ how many types of consciousness are there?
Student : 6
Ajahn brahm: yeah. Are they the same ?
Student: no
Ajahn brahm: so you never say consciousness, but consciousnesses . And they are all totally different . When you talk about the citta , what are you talking about?
Student: the mind consciousness ?
Ajahn brahm : yeah . Is mind consciousness solid and permanent ?
Student: no
Ajahn brahm: of course not. It comes and goes. Sometimes the buddha gives the simile of the stream of consciousness when he talks about the mind. Now when I go back to the bay this afternoon , that water is it the same ? it is totally different. May look the same, but it is totally different. This type is your consciousness , the mind consciousness. Your citta it always changes
Student: but luang ta mahabua says that the citta is permanent, how do you perceive this?
Ajahn brahm: he cant say that. I totally disagree. Citta is never permanent. Even the buddha says that many many many times in one day (does the citta arise and fall) . You had better take this body as permanent , it looks basically the same as yesterday, your father and mother can recognize you. The mind changes so fast, so much impossible to justify the idea that your citta is impermanent. I don’t know whether luang ta maha bua has said that. People translate it , so that what did ajahn maha bua actually did say ( we don’t know )
Student: I finally have found an ajahn who agrees with my conclusion, because many ajahns in Thailand says that the citta is permanent . After an arahant dies, the citta remains.
Ajahan brahm: the buddha never says that. The buddha gives a simile in Aggivacchasutta (MN72) , somebody asks where does the citta go to when he dies. He says, if there is a fire, based on water , glass or something. To make it simpler to understand. A candle, what is the flame on the candle? Flame is the combination of three causes: the wax of the candle , the wick ,and the heat. The three things come together , that is what we call the flame . So one day, it has to happen, that the wax burns out, or the wick is all burnt out, or the wind blows the heat away any one of the causes, what happens to the flame?
Student: it is gone
Ajahn brahm: go to where?
Student: nowehere
Ajahn brahm: No where! If it is a really really good flame , and allow you to follow where it is going , and you even read some suttas. The flame has such a good karma, isn’t it will go to the heaven , and all the good flames will be there ever and ever after ? of course not. If it is a very bad flame , and it burns down your house, will the flame go to hell? Of course not. The buddha once says , the causes of the flame , being extinguished , where it is going to , that idea doesn’t apply anymore . In other words, when the flame goes out , nibutto . The word nibanna , the word nibutto is the past participle . it means it is nibannaed . In the times of the buddha, even the children will understand . The problem is when we say there is nothing there, people take nothing to something .
There is one story about Anuruddha , one of the buddha’s chief disciples . In his early life, he was born in a wealthy family. He hadn’t done too much work, he was a bit stupid, the young man. So he was playing the marbles with other children. And he was gambling . He gambled his lunch which cakes are given, but he kept on losing , so he ordered the servants ,’ give me some more cakes’ . The servant went home and got some more cakes. He gambled worse, every time he gambled, he lost. So he asked his servant , ‘get me some more’ , and the servant replied ,’ there is no more cake’. And the word she used is ‘natthi cakes’.
‘you got the cakes?’ said Anuruddha to the servant
And the servant repleid, ‘natthi cakes’
But when Anuruddha looked into the basket, he saw the most amazing delicious cake he could ever see in his life. Because it was Anuruddha’s karma in his previous life, that he would never ever hear the word as ‘not’ , in what circumstances there will be some in there for him. And the heavenly being, in order to keep this young man’s karma intact, then serve him some heavenly cakes into the basket. So the servant thought there were no cakes at all, natthi cakes. When he opened it, there were heavenly cakes in there . Then Anuruddha tasted the heavenly cakes in there , and was like ‘wow , this is wonderful, my mother must have been hiding these wonderful ‘natthi’ cakes.
‘natthi cakes’ means no cakes at all, but became something . Human beings are all trying to make something out of nothing. It really meant, it was gone, no cakes at all.
Or anyone who has had English education, may know the story of Alex in the wonderland through the looking glass, and the red queen, who pace around the chess game. And the little girl who reaches the final square she can become the queen. Alice who has gone through a long journey which qualifies her as a queen. And then she met a queen who had got there a long time ago. And the queen said , ‘ on the journey, on the journey, did you meet anyone on the journey ? ‘
Alice said ,’ I met no one on the journey.’
And the queen said’ that is really interesting , because my messenger came a little earlier, and he said he met no one on the journey as well, you have met the same person!’
And when it was confirmed that the messenger had met no one in the journey , then the queen said to the messenger ,’ you are so slow, ‘no one’ is actually before you , ‘no one’ must have walked faster than you .’ and so when you understand that in English , they are making ‘no body’ a person , and ‘no one’ as the name to somebody.
Imagine your own father gave you a name when you were born ‘ no one’ .
‘Have anyone done their homework? ‘ ‘no one has done the homework’
When you pass your exam, ‘ no one has passed the exam’
When you go to work, ‘no one is going to work’
So there is a lot of fun, making something out of nothing
And that’s quite controversial in Buddhism. But , once you have developed some deep meditation, first of all you can watch things disappear, the whole body does, you cant feel anything . Like one of those stories, one man in perth, usually he meditates for 40 minutes. But on Sunday afternoon, he told his wife, he was going into the bedroom to meditate , his wife was watching some movies on the TV. And after an hour and a half, he still hadn’t come out from his room. So she went to check on him. He was sitting on a perfect meditation posture , not moving at all ,really still. He wasn’t even breathing. So his wife called the emergency number , and the ambulance came very quickly then.
When the tray went into the bedroom, he was still meditating . And they checked his pulse , and noticed there was no more pulse , he wasn’t breathing . And they put him straight into the ambulance , they took him to the nearest hospital. When he went into the emergency department, it was Sunday afternoon . And the nurse found that there was no sign of life . So they pushed him into the emergency surgery room, and checked his EEG and ECG, the ECG is a flat line – there was no heartbeat, the EEG was also flat –no brain activity. This is something real , something really happened
The doctor that time noticed one strange thing about this the person look so dead, his body was still warm. Usually if you have flat lines on ECG EEG, your body becomes cold . But if you read the way in the sutta, the buddha also defines or tells that, if you are in a deep meditation , your body doesn’t go cold , you don’t call , the person is dead.
So if venerable ajahn you, you don’t see him breathing , don’t send him to the hospital yet , feel his body, if it is still warm, leave him alone .
The man’s wife at that time was freaking out, looking of this , using electric shock , defibrillator , they tried to take him out of the flat line. Supposed to used adrenaline . Everytime they put some electric shock on his body, they take him off the table and set him to the shock . But then nothing worked . Again again and again, they couldn’t wake him up.
But then, he decided to come out of the meditation . ‘whats happening here? I was in my bedroom!’ , and the machines were like ‘beep ~ beep~ beep~’ all started to work normally. One of the fortunate things , that it was Sunday afternoon. And the doctor who was in duty, his parents had migrated from india. So his hindu parents had told him, sometimes they got into such a deep stillness, that had suspeneded everything in the heart and became perfectly still. He had seen that and had an understanding of what was happening.
Then what happened the next? They gave him a thorough checkup, and found that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him at all. So they didn’t keep him there, but let him go home. He walked home . No ambulance. Nothing was needed . He was perfectly healthy .
I ask him ‘ what was happening in that time, when you were in the ambulance , being put down electrics , do you know that? ’ ‘no, they only say about that’
‘were you in a trance or unconsciousness?’ ‘no! I have been most aware I have ever been in my life so far , not aware of the five sense , but the sixth sense of the mind. I cant feel a thing when they were putting a shock throughout my body , but just blissing out inside , perfectly mindful’. That’s what happens in deep meditation , the world is so distant from you , your mind is just so still and beautiful. If you want to know what citta is, that experience is . And, at the end of the deep meditation things which happened, is that the five hindrances are gone. Which means that, one of the fifth hindrances, is doubt. Now you know for sure, it is not a dream or a fantasy, it is real. That’s what we called insight
《Good things will fade away 好的事情都會褪去》
《Good things will fade away 好的事情都會褪去》
當人們沒有内在的快樂 (禪悅)，他們就會開始透過那麽多、沒多大幫助的外在途徑，來尋找快樂。他們在別人的肯定中看：你怎麽好、你怎麽妙、你怎麽美好，然後被認爲那麽好。但當然，那些特質會褪去的：你的美麗、你在運動、生意上的能力、你的成功。他們會褪去的，別人會拿取那個位置的
When people don’t have their inner happiness （happiness gained from meditation） , they start for seeking happiness in so many outside ways which are not really helpful. They see it in other people’s affirmation: how good you are , how wonderful you are, and how you are lovely and regarded so well. But of course , those qualities will eventually fade away: your beauty, your abilities in sports or in business, your success , that will always fade while other people take that place.
----Ajahn brahm
26 May 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=358&v=gYXPtABY8mk
《The inclination from the past brings to this life》
《The inclination from the past brings to this life》
Background : a girl quoted ajahn brahm that the purpose of the life is to learn to be a wiser and kinder human being, she asked why we keep forgetting our past lives in reincarnations
Ajahn brahm: it is not that you forget it. You sometimes forget the details 。Your character, your inclinations,---what really moves you and motivates you---that develops from life to life. If you are a very good person now, you should be a very good person in your next life.
It is kind of a joke but i always encourage to ask questions as I often recited about when somebody asks the buddha
‘ why does somebody rich but another people poor’—buddha gives a good answer which is kind of from the past
‘why are some women beautiful while others are ugly? And you notice that I wasn’t looking at you , I wasn’t looking at anybody. Because someone complained once! ‘why are you mentioning the word ‘’ugly’’ when you are looking at me ? ajahn brahm!’
But the main part of the story was , why are some people intelligent, while another stupid?
You may have heard children, you really love for them care for them, you encourage them to be good at school, give them extra tuition , give them everything you could possibly can , give them a good education, but they cant do it . kamma from the past is the cause .
And the kammic reason why people are stupid in the next life, is because they do not ask questions in this life! That’s in the suttas! That makes sense to me
22-3-2023 HKU public talk
More about ajahn brahm
《奇特！投生到剛死去的身體！WEIRD! Getting reborn into a dead body!》
《奇特！投生到剛死去的身體！WEIRD! Getting reborn into a dead body!》
有些案例是一些人再生於剛死去的人。
泰國有一個著名的老師， 然後他説了他出生的記憶
是在這泰國南部的村落裏發生的：
一個男孩離村落的湖邊太近，然後他遇溺了，他掉進去被浸了5-6個小時。你沒有可能在這個情況底下生存的。所以當村民發現了，他們便拼命地尋找他。然後4-5小時後，他們在水底找到了他。
他們之後透過他的脚來拉他，把脚吊起，任何水都能透過地心吸力出來，然後許多水走出來。
他們只是簡樸農村的村民，他們驚訝地發現那個男孩開始呼吸，他生存下來了！
然後在他後來的生命，他成爲了一個和尚,也很出名。然後那位著名的和尚給了關於這件事的記憶
他説，他憶起看見這個强大的光，然後他就在這個男孩的身體了。然後那是他這一生最早的記憶。換句話，他再生於一個男孩的身體—當這個男孩的身體死去
那是件奇怪的東西。但他是個著名的比丘。因此你相信他的説話
There are some cases which people have been reborn into people who’ve just died.
There‘s one of the famous teachers in Thailand , and he told his meomories of his birth. What happened in this village in the south of Thailand:
A boy went too close to the village lake , and he drowned in the lake he fell in and got submerged for about 5or 6 hours. Theres no way you can survive that. So the villagers once they found out this boy had slipped into the water and drowned , they desperately search for him. And under the water , after 4-5 hours , they finally found his body and they dragged him up to the surface .
And you know they dragged him by their legs, lifting up the legs for any water through gravity could come out , and so lots of water came out.
And to their surprise , they were simple villagers this was maybe 50-60 years ago, the boy started breathing again. He survived!
And later on in his life, he became a monk , and became quite a well-known monk. And the well-known monk gave his memory of that .
He said, he remembers seeing this incredible powerful light, and then he was in this child’s body. And that’s the earliest he can remember of this life. In other words, he got reborn into a young boy’s body , after this young boy’s body had died.
This is weird stuff, but this was a well-known monk. And because of that you trust what he says
《1:13:03
------AJAHN BRAHM
26-3-2023 Evening Q&A
《自我感越強修行越不好 the more the ego the worse your practise is 》
《自我感越強修行越不好 the more the ego the worse your practise is 》
the more you disappear, the more you let go, the more you are not , then the better your practice is going . if somebody comes along, and says , ‘ my practice is really good’ , ‘ I got deeper meditation than anybody else’ ,’ I am fully englightened’ , then that’s a dead giveaway that are nowhere near enlightenment . this is your sense of self-disappearing, vanishing , no one there. So any pride, any ego, any possession ‘ this is mine’ disappears. That’s how you know that your meditation is going well
你越消失、你越放下，你就越‘不是’，那你的修行就越好。假如有人來到然後說，‘我的修行真的很好’、‘我比其他人取得更深的禪定’、 ‘我是完滿覺悟者’，那就是一個暴露無遺的證據表示離覺悟還很遠。這是你自我消失的感覺、消失、沒有人在那裏。所以任何驕傲、自我、擁有‘這是我的’ 消失。那就是你的靜坐怎樣去得好
《1:02:00
------AJAHN BRAHM
26-3-2023 Evening Q&A
《死時遇到醜陋的禪相怎麽辦？ What to do if you see an ugly nimitta when you are dead? 》
《死時遇到醜陋的禪相怎麽辦？ What to do if you see an ugly nimitta when you are dead? 》
信徒：因爲禪相可以被描述為心的反射，（待續）
Ajahn brahm: 不那麽是心的反射，但是是心的解釋。心只是在你前面，你怎樣向你自己描述？所以我們用我們看見最近的影像
信徒：假如一個沒有戒德或更差的人死掉，他會否看見一個醜陋或可怕的禪相？（待續）
Ajahn Brahm：可以。但假如他們來過Ajahn brahm 的演講，他們會知道看見一個可怕的禪相不要緊。會有一處是純潔和漂亮的，不會如其餘那麽可怕和骯髒。專注漂亮的部分，然後禪相就會變得越來越美麗。然後你就可以去到某些漂亮的狀態
信徒：所以這樣會否推動那人去下界？
Ajahn brahm:對的，你會去下界，但只是暫時性的，數劫而已（笑）
Student : since the nimitta can be described as the reflections of the mind,
Ajahn brahm: its not so much reflections of the mind, but the interpretations of the mind. The mind is right there in front of you , how do you describe it to yourself? And that’s why we use the nearest possible image to what we see
Student : if someone dies after a life without sila or worse, will he or she see an ugly or frightful nimitta?
Ajahn brahm: can be. But if they have come to Ajahn brahm’s talks , they will know it doesn’t matter if you see a frightful Nimita , to be one part of it which is pure and beautiful, which is not as frightful or dirty as the rest. Focus on the beautiful parts, and that nimitta will become more beautiful and more beautiful and more beautiful . And then you can get into some beautiful states
Student :if so will this propel that person to a lower realm?
Ajhan brahm: yes, you go to the lower realm, but just temporary, only for a few eons (laugh )
38:00
------AJAHN BRAHM
26-3-2023 Evening Q&A
《打坐悶時怎麽辦？what to do if being bored at meditation? 》
《打坐悶時怎麽辦？what to do if being bored at meditation? 》
信徒：我明白打坐的利益，我很想能夠做到它，但它真的很悶，我應該怎樣做？
Ajahn brahm: 那是因爲你做了東西讓它沉悶。當你的正念提升，我已經提及它了。每一下你吸入的呼吸都是不同和獨特的。你讓它有趣
我對那些說悶的人說這個：我給你一個測驗，香港人喜歡測驗。我不太喜歡測驗。但我給你一些東西去向著做。你擅長於測驗嗎？你們有些是。你想‘ok，那個測驗是什麽？’
當你吸入、呼出，哪個比較長：吸進和呼出之間的停頓，還是呼出和吸進之間的停頓？它們哪個較長？
打坐一整晚之後你再和我說（大衆笑）
你可以讓他有趣。有時開始時讓它有趣，我發展出不同看呼吸的方法
現在爲了强調它，我現在請你們閉上眼睛然後看三下呼吸。第三下呼吸之後打開眼。
。。。
然後我保證你們從吸入開始：呼吸入、呼吸出。呼吸入、呼吸出。呼吸入、呼吸出—那就是你三下呼吸。
我想你們再看三次呼吸，但這次先呼氣出然後吸入。呼吸出然後呼吸入。呼吸出然後呼吸入。所以第三個呼吸之後請你再打開眼。
然後我發展了它，它叫朝後式靜坐。呼吸出然後再呼吸入，然後你就會驚訝，它和你呼吸進之後呼吸出完全不同。假如那還不能讓它有趣，你可以呼吸進三下然後呼吸出一下。假如你想讓它有趣，它就會變得有趣
Student : I understand the benefits of meditation, I really want to be able to do it, but it is really boring! What should I do ?
Ajahn brahm: so it is because you do something which it becomes boring . when your mindfulness increases , I mentioned this already, that every breath which you breathe in is different and unique. You make it interesting .
What I’ll tell people saying that it is boring . I give you a test, people like test in hongkong . I don’t really like test , but give you something to work towards. Are you good at tests? Some of you are. You think, ’ ok, what is the test?’
When you breathe in and out, which is longer ? the pause between the inbreath and the outbreath , or the pause between the outbreath and the inbreath—which is longer?
You tell me after you have meditated all night (students laugh)
You can really make it interesting . sometimes to make it interesting in the beginning , I develop the different ways of watching the breath.
Now to emphasize this, I now ask you all, please close your eyes and watch 3 breaths. After the 3rd breath then please open your eyes.。。。
And I guaranteed that you started with the inbreath : inbreath and outbreath , inbreath and outbreath, inbreath and outbreath – those are your three breaths . now when I say close your eyes , I want you to watch 3 breaths, but this time outbreath first and in, outbreath first and in, outbreath first and in. so after the 3rd breath open your eyes.
And I develop that , it is called backward breath meditation, breathe out first and then in. and you will be surprised that it will feel totally different that you breathing in-out in-out , out-in this time. If that doesn’t make it work to become interesting, you can breathe 3 in breaths to 1 outbreath. It does become interesting if you want to make it interesting.
Sometimes I saw my nephews playing video games on iphone, that looks so boring to me. Is it boring? Depends on what age you are. At my age, yes it is boring. But they love it , they put so much money in it. So is the breath really boring ? is meditation really boring ? no way! That is the most interesting thing that you could ever do. You just find it out yourself , you just make it interesting to begin with , and then afterwards you find it so beautiful and so interesting .
look I really were tired after the interviews but nevermind I love to do it . so I go meditating , so you got energized again. I know I can do this, by doing some meditation and you can get the full power back to your body, that’s how I do to pass my final exams in Cambridge . meditating half an hour between the morning exam and the afternoon exam. That’s how I do to get some inspiration. If I do something and I get exhausted , you know when you are exhausted, all the people who come to listen your talk , and that is such a small here. I remember over in the buddhist fellowship in Singapore, they have an idea that I can have a concert that I can play , and of course I have my place acting in that play, I don’t know if any of you have ever saw that . but after I have given a Friday night talk, but not an hour , you know it always ends late. And getting up at 3 oclock in the morning to get myself showered and get to the airport to get the early morning flight from perth to Singapore . and as soon as I go from singapore airport to this theatre straightaway , not going to anywhere to just this theatre, then given a little bit idea of what I am supposed to do. And then people started to getting in and you have to perform.
And then when it is finished , everyone else is looking for something to eat, but me , I cant eat after the afternoon, there wasn’t even a cup of tea for me.
So there is another performance that evening in an hour and two times, poor ajahn brahm. I just found a quiet corner in that theatre, sat meditation, really tired at first and after about an hour, body lifting up. I don’t mean levitating , but just get all those energy , and the afternoon performance was no problem at all。
What performance ? I wasn’t singing and dancing, it was just really cliché, this lady was saying that how she had problems with her relationship with her husband. After a while she found a book, by this western author ajahn brahm, and that saved her marriage. And she said , ‘I always would like to be with ajahn brahm ‘ she said. Its all made up in the script, and that was my cue to come on the stage. I enjoyed it a bit of fun, but nevertheless, that how I overcome tiredness . it’s the most powerful thing ive ever learnt. That’s why I find it just amazing.
If you find it boring, it must be my fault, I haven’t sold it to you yet. You know that people have these sales things and a good salesman can sell you anything. So anyway this is legitimately good
------AJAHN BRAHM
26-3-2023 Evening Q&A
More about ajahn brahm
《why don’t you become enlightened after practising mindfulness for 7 days as the buddha says？爲什麽你在訓練正念七日後不能如佛陀所說取得證悟？ 》
《why don’t you become enlightened after practising mindfulness for 7 days as the buddha says？爲什麽你在訓練正念七日後不能如佛陀所說取得證悟？ 》
正念有許多種，但在念住經你被預料會有已去除五蓋的正念。vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ--那是你實行念住的前提。因爲你去除了五蓋，所以你的正念很强大
你知道我作爲佛教徒讀的第一本書是什麽？我在劍橋大學圖書館佛學會一年級時念的就是念住經。它被兩位斯里蘭卡比丘所翻譯。我讀完簡介就想去斯里蘭卡。之後我由斯里蘭卡旅游到緬甸，因爲在緬甸你可以修習念住。
他們想，‘因爲佛陀說任何人如果修習念住7日，就會至少成爲三果聖者或完全地覺悟。他們想，‘那是一筆很好的交易’ ，你知道嗎？去了緬甸幾個星期，覺悟，然後回到斯里蘭卡教學。在簡介中，他們去了那裏，修習念住，他們很勤奮然後追隨所有的指示。但兩個星期後，他們仍然未覺悟。他們再做一次，再一次他們沒有覺悟，所以他們改爲把書由巴利文翻譯成英文
當我讀到這裏時，我想，佛陀不會説謊，那有什麽地方出錯呢？佛陀說，假如你修習四念住，你就會成爲至起碼三果聖者，但爲什麽人們沒有成爲三果聖者？
對於我，唯一一個具邏輯性的理由就是，他們不能按照佛陀所建議的那樣做。然後當我學習巴利文，你就會看到爲什麽。因爲他們沒有弱化五蓋地修習念住—所以如此。他們進入得太快，沒有做任何準備功夫來讓念住變得有效、這就是原因。
所以正念要去到那麽強的級數—你沒有很大的貪欲、惡意、掉舉、昏睡—你的心是强的
現在人們說正念就像是一個大一統的事，沒有去明白正念有不同的層次
there are all types of mindfulness , but in the Satipatthana sutta, you are supposed to have the mindfulness which is free from the five hindrances. vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ, that is the prerequisite before you do that satipatthana , you have weakened the five hindrances, so your mindfulness is powerful.
So if you are going to do the satipatthana say, and as the buddha said…
You know what is the first book as a buddhist I read? I got the book in the Cambridge university library buddhist society first year, was the satipatthana sutta. And the translation is by two srilankan monks. And I read the introduction, and I decided to travel to srilanka , so I travel from sri lanka to Burma. Because in Burma , you could practise the satipatthana。so they thought， ‘ Because the buddha says anyone who practise the satipatthana for 7 days, were at least become a non-returner or fully enlightened . and they thought ‘that is a good deal.’ And you know just go to Burma for a couple of weeks , get enlightened , and go back to sri lanka to teach . and in the introduction , they went there , they practise satipatthana, they were diligent and follow all the instructions , but after 2 weeks , they still weren’t enlightened . So they did it again, and again they weren’t enlightened , so they translate the book from pali to English instead .
When I read that, I thought, the buddha doesn’t lie. So what is wrong there? The buddha says if you practise the four foundations of mindfulness, that you become at least a non-returner. Why do people not become non-returners?
And the only logical reason for me , I was a student ---they cant be doing it as the buddha advise. And later on when I learn my Pali, you saw the reason why. Because they were doing the satipatthana without having weakened their five hindrances—that’s why. They were going into it too fast without doing the preparation required to make satipatthana effective . and that is the reason why.
So mindfulness has to go to such a strong level, that you really have got not much desire left , no ill will , not restlessness , no sort of slough and torpor—your mind is strong.
People now talk of mindfulness , as if it is a monolithic thing, rather than understanding that mindfulness has all sort of different levels
------AJAHN BRAHM
26-3-2023
<<覺悟後為什麼佛陀偏向不說法？ Why does the Buddha inclined not to teach after enlightenment?>>
<<覺悟後為什麼佛陀偏向不說法？ Why does the Buddha inclined not to teach after enlightenment?>>
信徒： (背景： 在香港大學的公開講座中， ajahn brahm 解釋了為什麼佛陀先要被邀請才教導眾生)
在你的禪修營， 你說過進入禪那或覺悟後， 意志會被抑制。
Ajahn brahm : 是的
信徒：那是否指那個狀態之後， 那個人會變得不活躍， 只會做恆常的事而不會做新的東西？
Ajahn brahm: 的確! 有時你看見一些人出禪那後， 他完全地滿足然後不會想再做任何東西。 所以有時你要說“來吧， 是吃飯的時間了” 你給他們通知然後他們的例行程序會再次開始
有時他們覺悟後， 你要和他們說“ 請為了眾生的利益而教導吧” 他們才會起動然後教導
Student ：( background :in a public talk in HKU , Ajahn Brahm explains the reason why buddha had to be invited before he preached )
In your retreat, you mentioned that after enlightenment or jhana, the will is suppressed.
Ajahn brahm : yea!
Student :. So does that mean after that state, a person will become inactive , will just do something regular but won't do new things.
Ajahn brahm : indeed . Sometimes you see someone who comes out of jhana, he's perfectly content and do not want to do anything . Thats why Sometimes you have to say 'come on , it's time for lunch ' you give them notification and the routine will start again.
Sometimes after enlightenment , you have to ask them ' please teach for the benefit for the sentient beings ' before they got to go and teach
<<Sakyaditthi and the thought 'I am' 身見和“我是”的思維 >>
<<Sakyaditthi and the thought 'I am' 身見和“我是”的思維 >>
信徒： 我可以問， “我是”的思維和身見有什麼分別？ 它怎樣聯繫到渴愛和慢？( 初果到三果仍會有 “我是”的思維， 但已經斷身見)
Ajahn brahm : 那和 khemaka 相關, 她也解釋了。 她說她明白無我， 但那是一個殘餘的習慣。那狀況她還未完全放下。 那就像你洗衣服， 然後肥皂的味道還在。 但當你再徹底地洗時， 肥皂的味道就沒有了。
那是“我是”的思維， 而不是“我是”的見。 “我是”的思維只是殘餘慣性的趨勢， 它將會離去。
信徒：你是否指伺等思維？
Ajahn brahm : 不是那種思維， 思維被認知這個條件所構成，然後認知又被見所構成。 當見完美， 認知和思維都會變得完美， 但那要一段時間。
信徒：所以見已被糾正， 但認知還沒有
Ajahn brahm : 對， 完全地清晰!
Student : May I ask how is the thought of 'I am ' different from sakyaditthi and how is it related to craving and conceit ?
Ajahn brahm: yes, that is with khemaka and she has explained that , she said she knew there is no self , but it is a residual habit , the condition which she hasn't totally let go of yet . So it's like washing your clothes , and the smell of soap powder is still there . After you have washed it around , the smell of soap powder won't smell anymore.
That is the thought 'i am ' , instead of the view 'i am ' . The thought ' I am ' is just residual habitual tendency , which is about to go.
Student : so it is vicara those thoughts , you mean ?
Ajahn brahm : it's not those thought , it's just thinking is conditioned by perception , and perception is conditioned by view. When the view becomes perfect , the perception and thoughts become perfect . It takes a while of time.
Student : oh , so the view is corrected but the perception has not been corrected.
Ajahn brahm : yea, totally clear
<<沒有了疑蓋會變得易受騙嗎? No doubt=gullible ?>>
<<沒有了疑蓋會變得易受騙嗎? No doubt=gullible ?>>
Student : may I ask how is the suppression of doubt different from being gullible?
Ajahn brahm: it is when doubt disappears , you see clearly , it is not gullible at all , you can't be fooled
Student : you will be pretty smart ?
Ajahn brahm : so clear . The Buddha has not doubt, he is no fool
信徒： 我可以問疑(蓋) 的抑制和容易受騙有什麼分別嗎？
Ajahn brahm : 當疑消失， 你會看得清楚， 不會是易受騙的， 你不能被愚弄。
信徒： 你會變得聰明？
Ajahn brahm : 很清明。 佛陀沒有懷疑， 但他不是傻瓜
《Ajahn brahm teaches how to cope with spirits 》
《Ajahn brahm teaches how to cope with spirits 》
Student : for my spirit (entering body) problem, is there any further advice?
Ajahn brahm: no, just any spirit inside of you , you can say , ‘ oh! Spirit you can stay here as long as you like, you can look after me I can look after you, we can be friends. When that spirit soften and is kind to you , it is easy for it to say ‘ oh I have done my job, and now I get to leave
Student: so more metta and transfer of merits?
Ajahn brahm: yeah , just you know, was just general kindness as always to your body and mind. And things get all the way better even though, get better and better.
It was one of my favourite stories, I think I didn’t tell you that a monster enters the emperors palace? Everyone in that palace says , ‘get out of here! You don’t belong’ what happened to that monster is that it just got bigger bigger and bigger, until when the emperor came back, he knew exactly what to do. He said ‘ welcome monster! Has anyone got you a cup of tea?’ and he was really kind to the monster, kind words, kind deeds or kind thoughts . and the monster grows smaller, until that the monster grow so small, one more add of kindness, and the monster vanish completely away. That’s how we get rid of spirits. So much kindness that after a while the monster vanishes completely away.
Student: but 2 years already!
Ajahn brahm : 2 years is nothing. You learn so much from this. So often spirits or monsters may come a couple of years, and any couple of years, people say that is nothing. You learn so much from this, without that monster, you will never met me, you say thankyou monster
Student: thankyou monster
Ajahn Brahm: ok?
Student: ok
25-3-2023
《the bliss of being an arahant 》
《the bliss of being an arahant 》
Student : may I ask what is the bliss of being an arahant
Ajahn brahm: how many of you are looking forward to your retirement? Good.
When you retire you don’t have to get up early to go to work, you don’t need to save a little bit more money, you don’t need to deal with people who want your job, or you don’t need to deal with boss who is always criticizing you , you don’t have the stress trying to sell something which other people don’t , you got no temptation to break the precept such as lying. You don’t need to come home in the evening, you have retired , you are having a good time. That is only physical retirement
Imagine you retire from the world , really retired , you have nothing else which you need to be done . Perfectly at peace , you don’t have to worry about sickness and illness , the mind is so much stronger than the body . If you are sick , it is just a small irritation, but not a problem . In fact it is nothing which is a problem for you anymore. Even old age and struggling to walk , or buddha struggle to do anything – it is not a big deal anymore. Even buddha says whenever he needs, he can just sit down and go into deep meditation, and just leave the body , I don’t mean floating to the air , its deep into meditation so there is no feeling of pain or anything . And often such strong meditation , sometimes it has an ache or a pain on your knee , sap sap sap, and the pain goes, that is how strong the mind can become. So that will be pretty happy state to be with, isn’t it? Would you like that? Nothing to fear, nothing to worry about , just nothing to do ,except just being kind to others and teaching them.
Every now and again someone you teach, something you say works , and it heals them. As a monk, I tell you I don’t get any money , I don’t even see them here, counted by Gerald or carol or somebody , and they get sent to monastery somewhere. And this time I think is gonna go to the retreat centre of Melbourne , which still need some funding . but that’s not how I get paid . if one of you come up and thank me for saving your life. That happens many times ,
one of that times, I was in London getting some talks , I was going from one place to another , I was going to oxford to give a talk. And I was at Paddington station underground , and going to mainline train to get to oxford. Just walking to the concourse of Paddington station, and there is a woman come running up to me. She was afro English and she said, ‘ you are the youtube monk! And I kind of like that, because many of my talk you know are going on youtube. So what are you doing at Paddington station, you are supposed to be in Australia !’ And she is almost with adoring eyes , she said , ‘ I want to thankyou for saving my life!’ she was about mid 20s, going through one of the relationship breakdown being hard to endure, and she said it was devastating , it was so unfair and cruel to her, she never thought of having an end of relationship with that guy, he let her down. And she went to psychiatrist and psychology therapist , but none of them helped. She was contemplating suicide. Out of desperation, she went onto the internet , and got one of my talks . And she listened to the whole of it—1 hour. And then she listened to another one, straight afterwards and another one , she binged on ajahn brahm’s talks, but it worked for her. And she said thankyou for saving my life.
What that means to you ? its one of the wonderful purposes to help people , literally save their lives, that is the word they said. That’s my payment . The joy , you can say something or do something and teach something which really works for people.
You cant expect to change the lives of everybody . But there are a lot of people who has done as my payment
That what the bliss of being a good monk. People listen to , and just you can help people. Imagine how it feels like, that is really cool
25-3-2023 evening Q&A
《how to recall your past life? 怎樣憶起過去世？ 》
《how to recall your past life? 怎樣憶起過去世？ 》
信徒：你説過輪回和再生，可以再說多一點他嗎？可能是你在打坐時所體驗到的
Ajahn brahm : 我不太肯定我何時取得它。 但我記得在有一次很深的禪定中，當我出定， 我問自己一個簡單的問題，當時心非常平靜 ‘ 我最早的記憶是什麽？’ 當你在禪定的平靜當中，那是個憶起過去世的很好的方法。在那種平靜當中，就如被良好訓練的狗，你叫他拿你的拖鞋來，他便立刻去然後帶來。
所以心帶我到早期的記憶。在此我要小心，根據我的律藏，我不能宣稱自己有任何超能力。那很接近，我不會再進一步，但我會向你顯示怎樣做到
直截了當地，我憶起當我還是嬰兒時，我在嬰兒手推車裏被我媽媽推著。
（憶起這事的時候）我是一位比丘，在澳洲的禪堂中。那不是你今天午餐吃了什麽的記憶，那是重新體驗。那就像我回到了在嬰兒手推車時的嬰兒，我可以探索它。然後有一樣東西我發現而又能夠增添它的真實性的是，我的視覺不如我的嗅覺重要。我透過母親的氣味而認得我母親，而不是她怎樣看還是怎樣説話。我也是透過氣味而認得我在那裏花了數小時的嬰兒手推車。那很奇怪。隨你在那裏體驗多長，然後回來
然後我和一些醫生確認 ，尤其是兒科醫生和照顧初生嬰兒的人。然後我很驚訝地發現，當一個孩子出生，嗅覺為五種感官的主導。大腦在這方面發展得比其他多，他們透過氣味認得別人。假如你是媽媽又有孩子，不要換香水，你會讓他困惑的
你可以更深一層：我更早的記憶是什麽？那種記憶，當我從禪定中出來的時候，我沒有任何的懷疑。那很真實。對於我很奇怪—沒有疑惑。我不是一個囂張的人，我只是知道—那是我！然後我意識到爲什麽。那是對於那些認識上座部佛教的人。當你進入深定，當你出來之後，五蓋被抑制，它們毫不活躍。其中一個蓋，即第五個蓋就是疑惑。然後我現在知道疑惑是什麽。你有那些經歷，你很清晰、你明白它們，然後你沒有任何疑惑。你可以只説‘是的我知道’ 心沒有扭曲，那很大力量
所以如果假如你在深定後有那些經歷，你會知道那是你
我一定要說這個，我是個負責任的比丘。假如你做這個，有個很好的深定，那你隨後便問你自己：‘我最早的記憶是什麽？’有時我有些學生會報告說他們見到他們在完結中的過去世，死亡近乎是這一生最强烈的體驗。那通常是很不悅意的，不一定，但通常是。他們會對我投訴，‘ Ajahn brahm ，不要再建議別人做這個！’但我還是會。因爲假如你獲得不悅意的過去記憶，便立刻說‘早些，謝謝！’ 然後你就會得到你過去世死前的記憶—那些更有趣、更好待的。
要記得那種記憶不是你吃過什麽午餐那種，你不是在嘗它，你不是在從新體驗你的午餐。但那不是記憶，那是你重新回到那裏
Student : you have talked about the reincarnation and rebirth, could you tell me more about it , maybe what you have seen or sensed in your meditation.
Ajahn brahm: I am not quite sure when I got this for this life, but I remember in one of my meditation, very deep , and coming out of the meditation, and I asked myself a simple question , the mind is really peaceful ‘ what is my earliest memory’ . that is a very fantastic way of recalling your early lives or previous lives, when you are in a state of meditation with meditative peace . straight away in that type of meditation, that type of stillness, that is like one of the dogs who has been well trained, go and get my slippers and they just go immediately and bring this up.
So the mind brought me back the early memory.. I gotta be careful here , according to my Vinaya, I cannot claim to have any supernormal state. This is getting close, and I am not going to go further, but I will show you how it works.
Straight away, I remembered being a baby in a pram being pushed by my mother. I was a monk in a hall in Australia , that is around 40 years beforehand. And that is not the memory of what you have had for lunch today, that is a reexperience, it was like I was back to the baby in the pram, and I could explore it. And one of the thing which I can discover therin, which gives it authenticity, was that everything I saw, my sight is not as important as smell. And I recogniazed my mother by how she smelt – not by how she looked or how she talked . I recognized my pram which I spent so many hours by how it smelt. And that was weird. You experienced as long as you wanted, and you came back out .
And I checked that out with the doctors who I knew, especially paediatrician , or people who looks after kids when they are born. And then I was surprised that I knew that , as soon as a kid is born, the sense of smell, is the dominant of the five senses. The brain has actually grown that part of nervous system more than anything else, they recognized people using smell. If you are mother, don’t change your perfume when you have a baby, you confused it .
And things like that, you could go deeper if you wish: what is my earlier memory . those kind of memory , when I come out of meditation, I have no doubt at all, that was really real, that is quite strange to me, the absence of doubt . I was not an arrogant person, I just know that – it is me! And then I realized why. That is for those who know about therevada Buddhism. That when you get into deep meditation, when you come out afterwards, the five hindrances are just suppressed , they are not active at all. One of the five hindrances , no. 5 , is doubt. And now I understand what doubt is . you have those experience , you are clear, you understand them, and you don’t have any doubt at all, you can just say ‘yes I know’. The mind is not distorted , its powerful.
So if you have those experiences after deep meditation, you would know that were you.
I must say this, I am a responsible monk. If you ever do that, have a nice deep meditation, then ask yourself afterwards ‘what is my earliest memory’ sometimes some of my students report that they see their past lives ending, that is closely the strongest experience of this life—your death. That is usually very unpleasant, not always, but many the time. They will complain to me , ‘ ajahn brahm , don’t ever advise people to do this ever again!’ but I do , because what happens, if you do get the memory of the past, which is unpleasant , immediately just say ‘earlier please’ , and then you get earlier before your death of previous life—something a bit more interesting and easier to be with .
Remember the memory is not what you have had for lunch again, you are not tasting it, you are not reexperiencing your lunch, its not the memory , it is you are back there
22-3-2023 hku public talk
《the relationship between the mind and the body 》
《the relationship between the mind and the body 》
Student : what is the relationship between the brain and the mind?
Ajahn brahm: that is a good question. The brain is physical. Once the being is born, the brain takes over after a few weeks, before the mind is dominant.
I say that because this was the first time it happened. There is a couple, they were not buddhist , they are basically atheists . when they had their second child and just brought the child home. That they tell the elder son: ‘please say good nightto your brother peter’. So the elder son went over to the cart :’good night peter’
And then peter replied ‘good night paul’
It was only 2-3 weeks old, that is impossible they thought! Without any prompting, paul repeated again to his younger brother peter ‘ good night peter’
And peter replied again with father and mother paying full attemtion : ‘good night paul’
They were so concerned and confused and so they came to see the buddhist monk.
‘are we crazy?’
I said ‘no’
That sometimes , rarely , it sometimes happenes. The mind of baby is able to create speech, the brain is not.
I know another example of that: there is a baby boy and took 7 steps and said’ I am the chief and this is my last life. ‘ That is surely the buddha.
That is my favourtie story because sometimes people research, and they found that the baby who was born in the united states . As soon as he came out of the womb, he is a male, he took a one look around and his words were :’ oh no ! not again!’ that is not a joke, it is a real story , it makes me laugh.
If you were reborn and you could speak, what will you say?
That is a sign of mind taking over at birth. And then usually you use your brain the most of your life, but there are a few times over hypnosis, you could access your mind to some extend. In deep meditation you could do that too. It is something that will happen at the end of your life, which now has a medical term assigned to it. That is called terminal lucidity . There is any sort of doctors or nurses whowork in palliative care , and they may have come across this. Someone has been in a coma for days, someone with alzheimer’s or dementia, they haven’t been able to remember things for days, and somebody visiting them , and they say ‘where have you been since last time Freddie, nice to see you freddie’. They haven’t recognized you for ages, and then a couple of minutes later they pass away. It is the lucidity which comes at the endof your life. It is called terminal lucidity
I have asked people ‘ please, tell me if you have experienced that.’ And there is one doctor who came up at the end of one of my talks and said , in one weekend , one of his patients—that is in a hospital in perth – started to enter the dying process. Dying is not an event, it is a process which the body went into an irreversible decline. And this person he rushed into the bedside, the person is in a coma, he has given all his instructions ‘ if I die, here is all of my relations telephone number, please sms them as soon as possible, call them and tell them to come as soon as possible’. So he was calling the closest relations, he came to this male’s daughter Julie . She answered the phone ‘ Julie, bad news, your father is dying , please come to the hospital as soon as possible.’ And that is when his father opened his eyes – he hasn’t opened for days – and said’ please tell Julie how much I love her , and he closed his eyes and passed away.
That happened, not happened on everybody, but on a significant number of people: when they are dying, the brain stops , and the mind takes over . And that could actually motivate parts of the body that could speak
22-3-2023 hku public talk
<is burning paper craft useful to the deceased? 燒東西是否對亡者有用？>
<is burning paper craft useful to the deceased? 燒東西是否對亡者有用？>
信徒：請問燒紙扎品是否對亡者有用？
Ajahn brahm: 如果他們覺得那有用，那就有用，如果他們不覺得有用，那只是浪費時間而已
信徒：所以那取決於那個鬼是否覺得那有用
Ajahn brahm : 對的
Student : Is burning paper craft useful for the deceased ?
Ajahn brahm : it is if they think that is useful , then it is useful ; if they don’t think it is useful , it is a waste of time
Student : so it depends on whether the ghost thinks that it is useful
Ajahn brahm : yes .
21-3-2023
<Ajahn brahm advice to a student who experienced thoughtblock caused by spirit>
<Ajahn brahm advice to a student who experienced thoughtblock caused by spirit>
Ajahn brahm: You need some mindful meditation that I taught last Friday to some students in sri lanka , I think you have heard of me saying this a month before (student name), about the emperor’s 3 questions :
What is the most important time?
Now! Any time we have ever had. When you are meditating , what is the most important meditation object? The most important meditation object, is whatever you are aware of right now, whatever it is. The only thing to do, is to care for it , don’t try to cure it , don’t try to get rid of it, don’t try to get rid of things, get out of things. All to do is, whatever you are aware of , be with it right now.
Develop a wonderful sense of opening the door of your heart . If it is something that you don’t like, often it just tends to change. Be peace, be kind to what you are aware of right now. Don’t even see if it is future or past. The mind is very peaceful , it’s peaceful, the mind become still , happy, and I will imagine that your problem you have then will be overcome. Very simple form of meditation, but very effective.
No stress. If you are trying to watch the breath and trying to overcome the steepness in meditating on that . Not by itself wherein too much tightness
Student: so just embrace the present
Ajahn brahm: yes. If your eyes closed , what are you aware of, just stay with it care for it.If it changes, its fine , because any changes of you , objects come into. It’s a beautiful attitude and relationship of being kind. Its so easy to meditate. Don’t try to get rid of something or try to get something. Led by itself is it stressing the mind
21-3-2023
《The king Yama 閻羅王》
《The king Yama 閻羅王》
信徒：Ajahn brahm ,我可以知道閻羅王的職權嗎？他是否能決定來到的人會投生到哪裏？
Ajahn brahm:他只是提醒他們某些行為，那是由他們的
信徒：那是否他不能決定，只是由他們的業力？
Ajahn brahm: 是。如果我是位有權的天神，我會原諒所有人
Student : Ajahn brahm, may I know what is the power and job of king yama , is it he can decide which realm for the people coming to his place will go to ?
Ajahn brahm :he just reminds some of their deeds, its up to them
Student : so is it he cannot decide but its up to their karma
Ajahn brahm : yes. If I am a deva with power, I will forgive everybody
21-3-2023
<The law of karma> 《業果法則》
<The law of karma> 《業果法則》
The other thing about karma which I love to say , is when you do any bad karma, you don’t just get it back one by one. If you hit a nun , you don’t get it back a hundred times or a thousand times , its more than that , millions of time or something. When you do a good act of karma, it comes back to you many times. A bad act of karma comes back many times. So if you do the maths, remember I was a mathematician , physicist , before I became a monk。 you ‘ve done so much bad karma each one of you , and me; there is no way we can pay all back, its too much. But you also have done so much good karma, there’s no way you can exhaust all. A good kind act get paid back millions of times over. So we have got such a store of good karma and such a store of bad karma.
Why is one type of karma comes into fruition, other types don’t ? you can understand why. Right now , what is your mind state like ? If you get a bad mind state, you are attracting bad karma from the past. Therefore if you are in a miserable mood, more bad things happened on you. But if you can be in a good mood , a kind mind, so amazing how many good things happen on you, you are attracting the store of good karma from the past
Karma is an amazing thing, you have so much good karma each one of you
其他關於業力的而我又喜歡說的是，當你造任何惡業，你不只是逐個地拿回。假如你打一個僧尼，你不會只是拿回100倍或1000倍的報應， 那是比這個還要多，會是百萬倍或是怎樣的。當你做一件善業，也會以許多倍回報給你。惡業也是。假如你計計數（請記得我在做比丘前是一個數學家、物理學家），你們每個人曾做過許多惡業，我也是。我們無法全部償還，太多了。但你也做了許多善業，你們也無法耗盡所有。一個好、良善的舉動能夠以百萬倍回報你。所以我們已有那麽多山野和惡業的庫存。
爲什麽一種業會成熟、另一種則不？你可以明白的。現在，你的心是什麽狀態？假如你有一個壞的心的狀態，你就在吸引過去的惡業。假如你在一個痛苦的情緒，更多的惡事就會在你身上發生。但如果你心情好、有良善的心，那是驚人的—有多少好事會發生在你身上，你在吸引過去善業的庫存
業力是個令人驚奇的東西，你有非常多的善業，你們每個人
Expectations Cause Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 24 June 2022
《49：21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z8q_FWbWa8
阿姜布拉姆講故事 ～ 預測未來
阿姜布拉姆講故事 ～ 預測未來
很多人喜歡預知未來。有些人迫不及待想知道事情的結果，就去找算命先生預測。我有個忠告：如果那算命先生窮困潦倒，可千萬別相信他！
修禪的僧人常被認為是高超的算命師，可是在這方面他們通常不太合作。
一天，一位跟隨阿姜查很久的在家弟子想請這位禪修大師預言他的未來。阿姜查拒絕了：好僧人是不算命的。可是那個人提醒阿姜查說有多少多少次他供養了食物。有多少多少次他捐款給寺院，有多少多少次他不顧工作和家庭的需要而用自己的車接送阿姜查。阿姜查看他立定主意非問不可，就同意只為他破例一次。 “伸出你的手，讓我看看你的手掌。”
阿姜查從來沒有為任何弟子看過掌紋，這次對他是特別優待！而且阿姜查被公認為具有大神通力的聖人，只要是阿姜查說的，就一定會發生，肯定會。那弟子欣喜若狂地伸出手掌。只見阿姜查的食指沿著那人的掌紋緩緩移動，還時不時地自言自語：“哦，有意思”、“好，好，好”、“太妙了”等等，那可憐的人被撩撥得心急火燎。
阿姜查終於讀完了，他放下那弟子的手掌，對他說：“弟子，你的未來是這樣的。” “是，是，”弟子忙不迭地說。
“而且我是不會搞錯的，”阿姜查接著說。
“我知道，我知道，那麼，我的未來將會怎樣呢？”弟子已經急得快按捺不住了。
“你的未來是不確定的。”阿姜查說，而且他果然沒錯！
《用‘無我’來放下》 <Using non-self to let go>
《用‘無我’來放下》 <Using non-self to let go>
《用‘無我’來放下》 <Using non-self to let go>
ajahn brahm
（括號為版主注，可以省略）
'首先，我們的身體。我們是否擁有我們的身體？你擁有它嗎？它是你的嗎？當你老一點，你就會發現身體怎樣不受控制。假如身體有一個主人，那就是大自然了，但不是你。
它生病，它受傷，它變老，它又好起來了。而你只是對它有一點點控制，不是很多。但是你可以明白，何時你認爲身體是你或你的，你就會受折磨；因爲當你認爲這個受蚊子叮的身體是你的，你就受折磨。但是如果你能夠想象這隻蚊子不是在叮你的身體，而是在叮我前面的麥高峰，你會爲他擔心嗎？你會關心嗎？你不會，因爲麥高峰不是你的。
假如你能夠認知，甚至只是透過想象：蚊子在叮的脚和手不是你的，折磨就會消失，關注也會離開，平靜就會生起。假如你不把東西當作是你的，結果就是放下。放下的相反是什麽？它叫擁有，我不會叫他控制。我之所以叫他擁有，是因爲是因爲擁有常會伴隨這擁有者。所以我們（透過）看著我們擁有什麽，或更確切地說看著認爲是我們的東西(接著去訓練)；就是在抵達佛陀‘無我’的教導，像我之前所提到的。 假如那裏有一個我，一個靈魂，那就會有東西屬於我們的。假如有東西屬於我們的，那就一定要有個主人。這是雙向的。
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所以你看看‘無我’的教導，你認爲你擁有什麽？你擁有你的身體嗎？如果是這樣，你會受折磨的。假如你認爲你擁有身體，你就會依戀它。假如你認爲你擁有身體，你不會能夠放下的。我看過很多人陷入這樣的困境：接近死亡時的疼痛但又不肯放下。有時看著別人臨死時剧烈的移动、掙扎著呼吸、掙扎著找一個舒服的姿勢、掙扎著讓死亡不要來，是很悲哀的。
就算他們在疼痛之中，他們寧願要疼痛都不要死亡，爲什麽？依戀著身體。爲什麽他們會依戀著身體？因爲他們覺得那是他的。他們不能夠放下，就像小孩子拿著洋娃娃和泰迪熊。當有人想拿走它們時，‘不要！放下他！那是我的！你不能拿走他！’你可以在小孩看到這個現象，你也知道那個小孩是愚蠢的。
但是，這個洋娃娃，正正就是我們的身體，我們帶著走的身體。當大自然要拿走他時，你會不會尖叫？你會不會哭：‘不不不！我還很年輕，我還有很多東西要做。還未得，明天吧，不要今天，不要現在！’
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這就是我們所説的依戀，然後依戀的原因就是‘自我’或‘靈魂’的幻象。這’擁有‘的幻象，你其實可以在生命裏看到的。當你的身體受到疾病、疼痛的威脅。就譬如打坐時脚上的疼痛，有什麽問題？真正的問題是什麽？是疼痛還是因爲你認爲是你的疼痛？爲什麽你就不能放開你的疼痛？爲什麽你就不能跟隨著呼吸然後和呼吸在一起？
假如你看近一點，你會走向讓你關注的東西，一些你認爲和你有關的東西；那些你認爲應該要做的東西。你會走向那些你認爲你有責任的。你走向你的脚，是因爲你認爲那是你的脚；那是你的痛。這時你要做一些東西：假如你能在那刻覺察到，你就要用一點想象，無我： ’那不是我的，不關我的事，那不是我要關注的，讓身體自己照顧這個疼痛。 我可以照顧我的呼吸、禪相或者我的心。‘ 你就能做到了。
只有當你覺得你明白你並不擁有他們時，你才可以把他們放開。依戀建基於’擁有‘的幻想。
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Using non-self to let go
AJAHM BRAHMM
“First of all, our body. Do you possess your body? Do you own it? Is it yours? The older you become the more you realise just how out of control this body is. If there is an owner to this body, it's nature, not you. It gets sick. It hurts. It gets old. It gets better again. And you have just a little influence over this, but not that much. However you can understand that whenever you assume this body to be you or yours, you suffer because as soon as you think that this body which a mosquito is biting belongs to you, you suffer. If you could just imagine this mosquito was biting not your body but say, this microphone in front of me, would you worry about it? Would you be concerned about it? You would not, because this microphone isn't yours. If you could actually perceive, even like through your imagination, that this arm or this leg which the mosquito was biting wasn't yours, suffering will disappear straight away. The concern would be gone. There would be a sense of peace. Whenever you regard something as not yours, the result is this thing we call "letting go". What is the opposite of letting go? It is called owning. I won't call it controlling. I'll call it owning now because the owning always assumes an owner, and so we look at what we own and what we possess or rather what we think we possess, and this is the way of accessing the teaching of anatta using the Buddha's teaching which I mentioned earlier. That if there's a self, a soul, a me, there'll be things which belong to me. If there's things which belong to me, if there's possession, there has to be an owner. These two go together.
So you look for the teaching of anatta, just what you think you own. What do you own in this world? Do you own your body? If you do, you suffer. If you think you own your body you'll be attached to it. If you think you own the body you will not be able to let it go. I've seen many people in that predicament, close to death in pain but not willing to let the body go. Sometimes it's very sad to see a person thrashing about in the last few moments of their life, struggling for the breath, struggling for a comfortable position, struggling to stop death happening. Even though they're in pain, they'd rather have that pain and discomfort than have death. Why is that? It's attachment to the body. Why are they attached to their body? It's because they think it's theirs. They can't let it go. It's like a child with a little teddy bear or a doll. Someone's trying to take it from you. "No, leave it, it's mine. You can't have it". You won't let that teddy bear or little doll go. You can see that in a child, and you know that the child's being stupid. However, this little doll, this little teddy bear is also the body we carry around with us. When nature takes it back, do you scream? Do you cry "No, no, no. I'm too young to die. I've got too many things to do. Not yet, tomorrow maybe, but not today, not now"?
This is what we're talking about with attachment and the cause of this is this mirage of self and soul. This mirage of ownership. You can actually see this happening in certain moments of your life, when the body is threatened by sickness, by disease, or even just simple pain, when there's a pain in the legs when you're meditating, What is the problem? What is the real problem? Is it the pain or is it because you think it's my pain? Why can't you let go of the pain? Why can't you just go to the breath and just stay with the breath?
If you look closely you'll know you'll go to that which concerns you, which you think is your business, which you think is what you're supposed to be doing. You go to that which is your assumed responsibility, that which you own or think you own. You go to the pain in your legs because you think it's your legs. It's your pain. You have to do something about it. If you could realise at that point, or do a little imagining, not self: "This is not mine. Nothing to do with me. This is not my concern. Let the body look after the pain. I can look after the breath or look after the nimitta or look after the mind." You could do it then. When you understand you don't own these things, only then can you let them go. Attachment is born by the illusion of ownership.”
https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed055.htm
<Ajahn brahm explaining nibanna>《Ajahn brahm 講解涅槃》
<Ajahn brahm explaining nibanna>《Ajahn brahm 講解涅槃》
<Ajahn brahm explaining nibanna>
《Ajahn brahm 講解涅槃》
Singaporean student: Bhante, what happens to the five aggregates after one becomes awaken?If the false idea of self is eradicated at arahant, what happens to the five aggregates?
Ajahn brahm: When you become enlightened, in other words,;you attain , no ,attain is the wrong word ; you experience nibanna; that means the five aggregates are in the disentagling mode , as in where you are putting in, you are disappearing, the cause of the process of continuing has been taken out—the illusion of a self. That means you continue until you die, and when you die, that’s when the five aggreagates—the body. Experiences( vedana), perception, will ( the main part of sankhara), and consciousness (let me make a point, consciousness is the six consciousness e.g. mind consciousness, all those consciousness ) cease without remainder, nothing more comes up. Nothing get destroyed, just the process is now finished, its nothing disappears. But the process ends. That’s what nibanna called, parinibanna. THE word pari means total , nothing remaining. So the five aggregates are vanished
新加坡學生： 尊者，當一個人覺悟後，他的五蘊會怎樣？ 假如在阿羅漢身上我的錯見已經被根絕，五蘊會怎樣？
Ajahn brahm :當你覺悟了，換句話説；你獲得，不，獲得是錯的字；你體驗涅槃；你的五蘊就是處於一個非纏繞的狀態，就是你所説，‘你’消失了。繼續的過程那個原因已被取出—那個‘我’的幻覺。那表示你會繼續直至你死去。當你死亡，五蘊—身體、感受、認知、意志（行的最主要部分）、識（六識）就會無餘地停止，再沒有什麽發生。沒有什麽被消滅，只是那個過程完結了，沒有什麽消失，但那過程完結。這就稱爲涅槃。對於般涅槃，般是指完全的，沒有任何東西餘下。所以五蘊消失了
、
Expectations Cause Suffering | Ajahn Brahm | 24 June 2022
《44：17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z8q_FWbWa8
You're An Idiot Buddhist!你是個傻瓜佛教徒!
You're An Idiot Buddhist!你是個傻瓜佛教徒!
🌹Ajahn Brahm....
You're An Idiot Buddhist!
你是個傻瓜佛教徒! Ajahn brahm 講述
Someone calls you an idiot. Then you start thinking, “How can they call me an idiot? They’ve got no right to call me an idiot! How rude to call me an idiot! I’ll get them back for calling me an idiot.” And you suddenly realize that you have just let them call you an idiot another four times.
一些人叫你傻瓜。之後你就開始想：
他怎麼可以叫我傻瓜？
他們沒有權利說我傻瓜!
我要他們還!
然後突然你發現你讓他們再罵你四次傻瓜
Every time you remember what they said, you allow them to call you an idiot yet again. Therein lies the problem.
每一次你憶起他們所說，你是在容許他們再叫你傻瓜。這就造成問題了。
If someone calls you an idiot and you immediately let it go, then it doesn’t bother you. There is the solution.
假如某人叫你傻瓜，然後你立即放下，那就不會困擾你。這就是解決方法。
Why allow other people to control your inner happiness?
為什麼容許別人控制你的內在快樂呢？
The person with you has just told you that you’re an idiot. Rather than responding to these unfriendly words, reflect on the suffering state of the person before you. And, be assured that they are suffering.
那個和你一起的人剛才說你是傻瓜。與其對他不友善的言語作出反應，不如反思在你之前那個人的受苦狀態。然後，請被擔保，他們在受苦。
For, unless they’re enlightened, that is, they’ve let go of the causes of suffering, they do experience an underlying unsatisfactory quality to existence, even if they’re not conscious of the fact. And the offending words that spew forth from their lips are the direct result of their suffering state.
除了他們覺悟了，那表示他們已經放下了受苦的原因，否則他們還會經歷潛在不讓人滿意的存在素質，就算他們意識不到現實。
然後那些從他們唇裡噴出的冒犯言語，就是他們受苦狀態的直接結果。
They are subject to the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and impersonal conditions of the universe that we all are. Identifying with the person that they think themselves to be, they react against the world in the only way that they know how, which at the present time takes the shape of distasteful diction. They are truly a pitiable being, and feeling compassion for them will result in immediate forgiveness for anything done that wasn’t nice.
它們受制於無常、不滿意、 與我們身處的宇宙，那些非個人狀況。
透過確認“那人”的身份，那個他們自以為是自己的“那個人”； 他們對這世間，作出他們唯一知道的反應。那就形成那些令人不快的措辭了。
他們是真正可憐的人，對他們悲憫會讓我們立即寬恕他們不友善的東西。
The compassionate one simply wants to help others escape their self-made, self-perpetuating prisons. Seeing them in this light, it’s hard to hang on to the stuff that they said to you, since you are more concerned with their well being than what they say.
那些有同情心的人只是想幫助別人逃離他們自己做成、自己存續的監牢。
這樣看他們，我們很難再握住他們對我們說的東西。因為你比較關注他的幸福，多於他們所說的。
《How to introduce the happiness of meditation to others in need?》《怎樣對有需要的人介紹禪修的快樂？》
《How to introduce the happiness of meditation to others in need?》《怎樣對有需要的人介紹禪修的快樂？》
《How to introduce the happiness of meditation to others in need?》
《怎樣對有需要的人介紹禪修的快樂？》
Nathan :Ajahn brahm it seems that everyone around me right now is sad, I want to show that meditation that part is my thing. How can I help them? Thankyou !
Ajahn brahm : sometimes you can’t help them by talking . But if you just sit down and meditate , and they watch you. Afterwards they will come out and ‘wow you look so much more peaceful and happy afterwards.
Sometimes there are many ways in encouraging people, not just by words, but by examples , and they will come and ask you questions .
Oh I can’t resist this story.
That was when I used to teach meditation in brumberry, in the prison out there . And then I have a free afternoon. I tell this story because it happens in November …how many years ago now? And so, the beach was empty. I walk to there not away from the city , around a mile or two miles something . And there was house and other things on the other side of it , but there was no one on the beach. It was a very beautiful , cool afternoon, I just sat down there and meditate for two hours.
And when I came out of my meditation, a beautiful meditation , there were people on the beach , I didn’t mind that. But there was someone sitting next to me , someone sitting on the other side. You have heard this story, haven’t you?
Now I am a monk ok? The person sitting on my left is a beautiful red head , with a bikini , 17 years old ; and I turn round there was a brunette on the other side, also in a bikini, sitting next to me, on the beach, with a monk in the middle . (ajahn brahm scratches his head)
How did that happen! Just opposite is brumbrery high school. And it was the last exam in the year 12 , they just finished it that day in the afternoon. And what do students do after finishing their year 12 exams? Yeah ! the beach ! Get the babe wasn’t going to the beach, and of course I was meditating peacefully and didn’t hear them or what they are up to, until the girls’ there, they are very beautiful young lady , and they just saw me were really still , so they sit around me to wait me coming out of the meditation , so they can talk: what the hack you are doing ? that is really impressive.
But for me, it was very scary ，what if you have taken a photograph or someone taken a photograph, fortunately it was the day before iphones , how could I explain that ! (Ajahn brahm laughing ) I will get into a big trouble
Nathan : Ajahn brahm, 似乎我身邊的人都很悲傷，我想顯示給他們我很享受打坐，我應該怎樣幫助他們？
Ajahn brahm: 有時你不能透過交談來幫助他們。但如果你坐下然後打坐， 他們會看到你。之後他們會出來然後說‘ 哇! 你打坐之後看來比之前更平靜與快樂！’
有時有許多方法可以來鼓勵他人，不只是透過語言，但透過作爲榜樣，然後他們就會來然後問你問題。
噢！我不能制止自己說這個故事。
那時我曾經在brumberry 的監獄那裏教禪坐。然後我有一個空閑的下午。 我說這個故事是因爲它發生在11月。距離現在多久了？然後那個沙灘是空的。我步行到那裏，那裏不是離城市很遠，只是1英里或2英里。然後在它對面有屋子和其他東西，但就是沒人。那是一個美麗、涼爽的下午，我坐在那裏兩個小時。
但當我出定後，那是一個美麗的禪坐，有人在沙灘裏，我不介意。但有人坐在我的旁邊，你們都聽過這個故事對嗎？
我是一個和尚，ok? 那位坐在我隔壁的是一個17嵗漂亮的紅髮女士，穿著比堅尼。然後我擰轉另一邊，那裏有一位深褐色头发女子，也是穿著比堅尼的，夾著一個和尚在中間。（Ajahn brahm 抓他的頭）
那怎可能發生！ 對面就是brumbery 中學，然後那是第12學年最後的考試，他們在下午剛剛完了考試。學生們在完了12學年的考試之後會做什麽？ Yeah ! 沙灘！去找寶貝兒不是去沙灘的。然後我當然在平靜地打坐然後聽不到他們在做什麽，直至那些女孩在那裏，她們是美麗又年輕的姑娘。她們見到我非常靜止，所以她們就坐在我隔壁等我出定，之後就可以説話：你在做什麽？那很震撼啊！
但對於我，那很可怕。假如你拍了照或其他人拍了照…幸好那時沒有iphone…我怎樣解釋！（ajahn brahm 笑）我會陷入大麻煩！
Extracted from
The Four Jhanas | Ajahn Brahm | 13 November 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQrqbUc9Jb8
<1:03:09
Q&A by Ajahn Brahm at Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre on 1 July 2014 --abortion
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