Butmorethanprovidingausefulterm,Buddhismalsooffersaneffectivestrategyfordealingwiththefeelingsbehindit—feelingsthatourownculturefindsthreateningandhandlesverypoorly.Ours,ofcourse,isnottheonlyculturethreatenedbyfeelingsofsamvega.IntheSiddharthastory,thefather\'sreactiontotheyoungprince\'sdiscoverystandsforthewaymostculturestrytodealwiththesefeelings:Hetriedtoconvincetheprincethathisstandardsforhappinesswereimpossiblyhigh,atthesametimetryingtodistracthimwithrelationshipsandeverysensualpleasureimaginable.Notonlydidhearrangedanidealmarriagefortheprince,buthealsobuilthimapalaceforeveryseasonoftheyear,boughthimonlythebestclothesandtoiletries,sponsoredaconstantroundofentertainments,andkepttheservantswellpaidsothattheycouldputatleastasemblanceofjoyintotheirjobofsatisfyingtheprince\'severywhim.Toputitsimply,thestrategywastogettheprincetolowerhisaimsandtofindsatisfactioninahappinessthatwaslessthanabsoluteandnotfarfrompure.Iftheyoungprincewerealivetoday,thefatherwouldhaveothertoolsfordealingwiththeprince\'sdissatisfaction──includingpsychotherapyandreligionscounseling──butthebasicstrategywouldbethesame:todistracttheprinceanddullhissensitivitysothathecouldsettledownandbecomeawell-adjusted,productivememberofsociety. 

佛教不仅提供了这个有用的词汇，更提供了对治它表达的感受的有效策略——我们的本土文化觉察其威胁性，却素无良方。当然，并非仅西方文化受厌离感的威胁。在悉达多的故事里，面对王子的新生情绪，父王的回应代表着多数文化的应对方式:他试图说服王子，他的快乐标准高不可及，同时试以婚姻关系与各样感官极乐转移其注意力。父王不仅替他安排了一桩理想婚姻，还为他盖起宫殿，每季各居一处。不仅为他购置华服美饰，还使他的周围娱乐不断;受到优待的仆役们极尽能事，奉承王子的一应兴致。其策略简单说，是令王子降低目标，从远离绝对、远非清净的世俗生活中觅得快乐。如果年轻的王子活在今日，那位父王对付王儿的不满情绪则另有其招──其中会包括心理疗法与宗教咨询──不过基本策略不变:分散注意力，麻醉敏感度，使他安定下来，成为适应社会、有事生产的一员。

Fortunately,theprincewastooeagle-eyedandlion-heartedtosubmittosuchastrategy.Andagain,fortunately,hewasborninasocietythatofferedhimtheopportunitytofindasolutiontotheproblemofsamvegathatdidjusticetothetruthsofhisheart. 

所幸的是，王子有着鹰眼狮心，未曾屈从此计;更有幸的是，他出生的社会为他提供了寻找厌离感的解答与求证心灵真谛的机会。

ThefirststepinthatsolutionissymbolizedintheSiddharthastorybytheprince\'sreactiontothefourthpersonhesawonhistravelsoutsideofthepalace:thewanderingforestcontemplative.Comparedtowhathecalledtheconfining,dustypathofthehouseholder\'slife,theprincesawthefreedomofthecomtemplative\'slifeastheopenair.Suchapathoffreedom,hefelt,wouldallowhimtheopportunitytofindtheanswerstohislife-and-deathquestions,andtolivealifeinlinewithhishighestideals,\"aspureasapolishedshell.\" 

在悉达多的故事里，那个解答的初步象征，正落在王子离宫出游时遇见的第四人──丛林游方者时的反应上。较之被他称为“局限多尘”的世俗生活，王子视这位行者的人生如天空般辽阔。他感到这条自由之道将令他有机会求解生死问题，同时过一种符合自己最高理想的生活，“如磨光的珠贝般纯洁。”

Theemotionhefeltatthispointistermedpasada.Likesamvega,pasadacoversanothercomplexsetoffeelingsusuallytranslatedas\"clarityandsereneconfidence\"──mentalstatesthatkeepssamvegafromturningintodespair.Intheprince\'scase,hegainedaclearsenseofhispredicament,togetherwithaconfidencethathehadfoundthewayout. 

这个时刻他感受的情绪，便称为清净(pasada)。如同厌离感，该词也包含一组复杂的感受，通常解作“清明而安详的信心”──这类心态使厌离感不至沦为绝望。在王子的故事里，他对自己的困境有了清晰的了解，同时又对找到超越老、病、死的出路升起了信心。

AstheearlyBuddhistteachingsfreelyadmit,thepredicamentisthatthecycleofbirth,aging,anddeathismeaningless.Theydon\'ttrytodenythisfactandsodon\'taskustobedishonestwithourselvesortocloseoureyestoreality.Asoneteacherhasputit,theBuddhistrecognitionoftherealityofsuffering—soimportantthatsufferingishonoredasthefirstnobletruth—isagift,inthatitconfirmsourmostsensitiveanddirectexperienceofthings,anexperiencethatmanyothertraditionstrytodeny. 

早期佛教毫不讳言，困境就在于轮回于生、老、死的毫无意义。其教导并不试图否认这个事实，因此不要求我们欺骗自己，或者装着视而不见。如一位导师所说，佛教对现实之苦的确认──并且郑重其事地尊之为第一圣谛──是一件赠礼。它印证了我们对世事最敏感、最直接的体验，而这种体验是许多其它宗教传统试图否认的。

Fromthere,theearlyteachingsaskustobecomeevenmoresensitive,tothepointwhereweseethatthetruecauseofsufferingisnotoutthere—insocietyorsomeoutsidebeing—butinhere,inthecravingpresentineachindividualmind.Theythenconfirmthatthereisanendtosuffering,areleasefromthecycle.Andtheyshowthewaytothatrelease,throughdevelopingnoblequalitiesalreadylatentinthemindtothepointwheretheycastcravingasideandopenontoDeathlessness.Thusthepredicamenthasapracticalsolution,asolutionwithinthepowersofeveryhumanbeing. 

从那里出发，早期佛教要求我们进一步提高敏感度，直到看见，造苦的真正原因不在那里──不在外界社会，不在他人──而在这里，在每个人内心的渴求。接著，它确认苦是可以止息的，轮回是可以脱离的。同时它指出了解脱之道──藉由长养内心潜在的尊贵素质，直到止息渴求、趋向涅槃。因此，困境有一条人人得以实践的解脱之道。

It\'salsoasolutionopentocriticalscrutinyandtesting—anindicationofhowconfidenttheBuddhawasinthesolutionhefoundtotheproblemofsamvega.ThisisoneoftheaspectsofauthenticBuddhismthatmostattractspeoplewhoaretiredofbeingtoldthattheyshouldtrytodenytheinsightsthatinspiredtheirsenseofsamvegainthefirstplace. 

这条道之具有开放性，接受人们严格的审查与检验，也说明佛陀本人对于解决厌离感的难题何等有把握。对那些倦于受人劝解、拒绝否认引生厌离感的原初领悟的人来说，这也是真正的佛教最吸引他们的原因。

Infact,Buddhismisnotonlyconfidentthatitcanhandlefeelingsofsamvegabutit\'salsooneofthefewreligionsthatactivelycultivatesthemtoaradicalextent.ItssolutiontotheproblemsoflifedemandsomuchdedicatedeffortthatonlystrongsamvegawillkeepthepracticingBuddhistfromslippingbackintohisorheroldways.HencetherecommendationthatallBuddhists,bothmenandwomen,layorordained,shouldreflectdailyonthefactsofaging,illness,separation,anddeath—todevelopfeelingsofsamvega—andonthepowerofone\'sownactions,totakesamvegaonestepfurther,topasada. 

实际上，佛教不仅对解决厌离感的问题足有把握，也是少数几个鼓励从根本上长养此心的宗教之一。对于人生困境的解决之道要求如此专注的修持，只有具备了强烈的厌离感，才能够确保行者不至松懈退步、回复旧习。故有此番教诫:无分男女、在家出家，每日籍省思老病离死，长养厌离之感，下一步，藉由个人自身行动之力，将厌离升华为清净。

Forpeoplewhosesenseofsamvegaissostrongthattheywanttoabandonanysocialtiesthatpreventthemfromfollowingthepathtotheendofsuffering,Buddhismoffersbothalong-provenbodyofwisdomforthemtodrawfrom,aswellasasafetynet:themonasticsangha,aninstitutionthatenablesthemtoleavelaysocietywithouthavingtowastetimeworryingaboutbasicsurvival.Forthosewhocan\'tleavetheirsocialties,Buddhistteachingoffersawaytoliveintheworldwithoutbeingovercomebytheworld,followingalifeofgenerosity,virtue,andmeditationtostrengthenthenoblequalitiesofthemindthatwillleadtotheendofsuffering.Theclose,symbioticrelationshipmaintainedbetweenthesetwobranchesoftheBuddhistparisa,orfollowing,guaranteesthatthemonasticsdon\'tturnintomisfitsandmisanthropes,andthatthelaitydon\'tlosetouchwiththevaluesthatwillkeeptheirpracticealive. 

对于厌离心强，有志于离开世俗纠葛、减少解脱道上的障碍者，佛教既提供了一套久经考验的智慧体系，也提供了僧伽的安全网，这个机构使他们得以离开居家社会，基本生存条件无虞。对于离不开世俗关系者，佛教提供了一套居世而不受其染的生活方式，以布施、持戒与禅定，增强心智中趋向解脱的的尊贵品质。佛教僧俗(parisa)这两个分支的紧密共生关系，保证了僧侣们免于成为边缘人与厌世者，居士们得以继续接触保持其修行活力的根本价值。 

SotheBuddhistattitudetowardlifecultivatessamvega—astrongsenseofthemeaninglessnessofthecycleofbirth,aging,anddeath—anddevelopsitintopasada:aconfidentpathtotheDeathless.Thatpathincludesnotonlytime-provenguidance,butalsoasocialinstitutionthatnurturesitandkeepsitalive.Theseareallthingsthatoursocietydesperatelyneeds.InourcurrenteffortsatmainstreamingBuddhism,weshouldrememberthatonesourceofBuddhism\'sstrengthisitsabilitytokeeponefootoutofthemainstream,andthatthetraditionalmetaphorforthepracticeisthatitcrossesoverthestreamtothefurthershore.