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诸行无常
出处:当代佛教    上传时间:2011-10-16 00:24:50    点击次数:
诸行无常
 
[中译]良稹
AniccaVataSankhara
byBhikkhuBodhi
 
 
Aniccavatasankhara—\"Impermanent,alas,areallformations!\"—isthephraseusedinTheravadaBuddhistlandstoannouncethedeathofalovedone,butIhavenotquotedthislinehereinordertobeginanobituary.Idososimplytointroducethesubjectofthisessay,whichisthewordsankharaitself.SometimesasinglePaliwordhassuchrichimplicationsthatmerelytositdownanddrawthemoutcanshedasmuchlightontheBuddha\'steachingasalongexpositoryarticle.Thisisindeedthecasewiththewordsankhara.ThewordstandssquarelyattheheartoftheDhamma,andtotraceitsvariousstrandsofmeaningistogetaglimpseintotheBuddha\'sownvisionofreality.Aniccavatasankhara——“诸行无常!”——这是上座部佛教国家通报亲人去世的用语;不过我在此引用这个偈句,非是作为讣告的开端,仅是为了介绍本文的主题——sankhara[行]这个词本身。有时候,一个巴利单词具有如此丰富的内涵,仅仅坐下把它们勾画出来,对于阐明佛陀的教导,作用不亚于一篇义理长文。Sankhara一词的确可当此说。该词正居于佛法的核心,对其内涵的种种线索探究一番,即是对佛陀本人的现实观作一管窥。
 
Thewordsankharaisderivedfromtheprefixsam,meaning\"together,\"joinedtothenounkara,\"doing,making.\"Sankharasarethus\"co-doings,\"thingsthatactinconcertwithotherthings,orthingsthataremadebyacombinationofotherthings.Translatorshaverenderedthewordinmanydifferentways:formations,confections,activities,processes,forces,compounds,compositions,fabrications,determinations,synergies,constructions.Allareclumsyattemptstocapturethemeaningofaphilosophicalconceptforwhichwehavenoexactparallel,andthusallEnglishrenderingsareboundtobeimprecise.Imyselfuse\"formations\"and\"volitionalformations,\"awarethischoiceisasdefectiveasanyother.Sankhara一词来自前缀sam与名词kara的组合;前者意谓“共同”,后者意谓“做、造”。诸行因此就是“合造”,即与其它事物共同行动的事物,或者被其它组合事物造作起来的事物。对这个词的译法,众译家已有种种表达:造作、合成、活动、过程、力量、化合、组成、制造、决意、协同、构造。这都是为了把握一个我们并无准确对应的哲学概念所作的粗陋尝试,因此一切英译必然是不准确的。我自己用的是formations[造作]与volitionalformations[有动机的造作/意志的造作],亦知其缺憾不少于任一别译。
 
However,thoughitisimpossibletodiscoveranexactEnglishequivalentforsankhara,byexploringitsactualusagewecanstillgaininsightintohowthewordfunctionsinthe\"thoughtworld\"oftheDhamma.Inthesuttasthewordoccursinthreemajordoctrinalcontexts.Oneisinthetwelvefoldformulaofdependentorigination(paticca-samuppada),wherethesankharasarethesecondlinkintheseries.Theyaresaidtobeconditionedbyignoranceandtofunctionasaconditionforconsciousness.Puttingtogetherstatementsfromvarioussuttas,wecanseethatthesankharasarethekammicallyactivevolitionsresponsibleforgeneratingrebirthandthusforsustainingtheonwardmovementofsamsara,theroundofbirthanddeath.Inthiscontextsankharaisvirtuallysynonymouswithkamma,awordtowhichitisetymologicallyakin.不过,虽不可能为sankhara找到一个确切对应的英语词汇,透过对其用法的探讨,我们仍然可对它在佛法“思维世界”中的功能获得领悟。在经文中,该词出现于三类主要的教义语境。一类是十二因缘的连锁公式,在其中sankhara[行/造作]居系列的第二位。经文中说,它们以无明为缘,又作为意识的缘。把诸经中有关句子归纳起来,我们可以看见,诸行乃是负责造作重生、从而维持生死轮回继续运行的有业力活性的意志。在这个语境当中,诸行与语源学上一个相近的词kamma[业]基本上同义。
 
Thesuttasdistinguishthesankharasactiveindependentoriginationintothreetypes:bodily,verbal,andmental.Again,thesankharasaredividedintothemeritorious,demeritorious,and\"imperturbable,\"i.e.,thevolitionspresentinthefourformlessmeditations.Whenignoranceandcravingunderlieourstreamofconsciousness,ourvolitionalactionsofbody,speech,andmindbecomeforceswiththecapacitytoproduceresults,andoftheresultstheyproducethemostsignificantistherenewalofthestreamofconsciousnessfollowingdeath.Itisthesankharas,proppedupbyignoranceandfueledbycraving,thatdrivethestreamofconsciousnessonwardtoanewmodeofrebirth,andexactlywhereconsciousnessbecomesestablishedisdeterminedbythekammiccharacterofthesankharas.Ifoneengagesinmeritoriousdeeds,thesankharasorvolitionalformationswillpropelconsciousnesstowardahappysphereofrebirth.Ifoneengagesindemeritoriousdeeds,thesankharaswillpropelconsciousnesstowardamiserablerebirth.Andifonemasterstheformlessmeditations,these\"imperturbable\"sankharaswillpropelconsciousnesstowardrebirthintheformlessrealms.经文中把作用于十二因缘的诸行分为三类:身、语、意。诸行又被分为福行、非福行、以及“不可扰动”——即四类无色界禅定中的存在意志。当无明与渴求主宰我们的意识流时,我们身、语、意的有动机行为,便成为造作果报的力量,在它们产生的果报之中,最重要的是死后该意识流的更新。以无明为促进,以渴求为燃料,是诸行推动着意识流,朝下一个重生模式行进,并且,意识的具体立足点,取决于诸行的业力性质。假若某人行福德事,那么该行或者说“有动机的造作”将会把意识推向喜乐的重生域界。假若某人行损福德事,则将把意识推向痛苦的重生。假若他掌握了无色界禅定,这些“不可扰动”的诸行将推动他的意识流重生于无色界。
 
Asecondmajordomainwherethewordsankharasappliesisamongthefiveaggregates.Thefourthaggregateisthesankhara-khandha,theaggregateofvolitionalformations.Thetextsdefinethesankhara-khandhaasthesixclassesofvolition(chacetanakaya):volitionregardingforms,sounds,smells,tastes,tactileobjects,andideas.Thoughthesesankharascorrespondcloselytothoseintheformulaofdependentorigination,thetwoarenotinallrespectsthesame,forthesankhara-khandhahasawiderrange.Theaggregateofvolitionalformationscomprisesallkindsofvolition.Itincludesnotmerelythosethatarekammicallypotent,butalsothosethatarekammicresultsandthosethatarekammicallyinoperative.InthelaterPaliliteraturethesankhara-khandhabecomesanumbrellacategoryforallthefactorsofmindexceptfeelingandperception,whichareassignedtoaggregatesoftheirown.Thusthesankhara-khandhacomestoincludesuchethicallyvariablefactorsascontact,attention,thought,andenergy;suchwholesomefactorsasgenerosity,kindness,andwisdom;andsuchunwholesomefactorsasgreed,hatred,anddelusion.Sinceallthesefactorsariseinconjunctionwithvolitionandparticipateinvolitionalactivity,theearlyBuddhistteachersdecidedthatthemostfittingplacetoassignthemistheaggregateofvolitionalformations.“诸行”一词的第二个主要应用领域,是作为五蕴之一。第四蕴即为行蕴(sankhara-khandha),也就是有动机的造作的聚集体。经典上把行蕴定义为六类动机(chacetanakaya):即与色、声、香、味、触、法相关的动机。尽管这些“行”与十二因缘公式中的“行”密切对应,两者并非处处等同,因为行蕴的范畴更为广泛。有动机的造作蕴[行蕴]涵摄一切动机种类。不仅包括业力上有活性的造作,也包括造作的业果,还包括那些与业力无关的造作。在后来的巴利文献中,行蕴成为一个覆盖了除受蕴与想蕴之外的一切心理素质的类别,前两项各具独立的蕴。于是行蕴这个词便涵摄着诸如接触、专注、思维、能量等伦理上中性的素质,诸如慷慨、仁慈、智慧等善巧的素质,以及诸如贪、嗔、痴等非善巧的素质。既然这一切素质随着动机共同升起,并且参与动机的活动,早期佛教导师们认为它们最适合归类于有动机的造作。
 
Thethirdmajordomaininwhichthewordsankharaoccursisasadesignationforallconditionedthings.Inthiscontextthewordhasapassivederivation,denotingwhateverisformedbyacombinationofconditions;whateverisconditioned,constructed,orcompounded.Inthissenseitmightberenderedsimply\"formations,\"withoutthequalifyingadjective.Asbareformations,sankharasincludeallfiveaggregates,notjustthefourth.Thetermalsoincludesexternalobjectsandsituationssuchasmountains,fields,andforests;townsandcities;foodanddrink;jewelry,cars,andcomputers.“行”的第三个主要语境,是作为一切有为[缘起的]事物的统称。在这个语境当中,该词有了一种派生的被动性,指凡是因缘造作的事物,凡是有为的、被造作的、被合成的。在这个意义上,也许可以把它只译成不带限制性形容词的“造作”。作为广义的造作,诸行不仅是第四蕴,而且包括了所有五蕴。该词还包括诸如山、地、林;城镇;饮食;珠宝、车辆、电脑等外在的客体与状态。
 
ThefactthatsankharascanincludebothactiveforcesandthethingsproducedbythemishighlysignificantandsecuresforthetermitsroleasthecornerstoneoftheBuddha\'sphilosophicalvision.ForwhattheBuddhaemphasizesisthatthesankharasinthetwoactivesenses—thevolitionalformationsoperativeindependentorigination,andthekammicvolitionsinthefourthaggregate—constructthesankharasinthepassivesense:\"Theyconstructtheconditioned;thereforetheyarecalledvolitionalformations.Andwhataretheconditionedthingstheyconstruct?Theyconstructthebody,feeling,perception,volitionalformations,andconsciousness;thereforetheyarecalledvolitionalformations\"(SNXXII.79).诸行既可包括主动的力量,也包括由它们产生的事物,这个意义的重要性,确立了它在佛陀的哲学观中的奠基石作用。这是因为,佛陀强调的是,两种主动意义上的诸行——即十二因缘中的有动机的造作,以及第四蕴的业力动机——造就了被动意义上的诸行:“它们造作有为的,因此被称为有动机的造作。它们造作的有为事物是什么?它们造作色、受、想、行、识;因此它们被称为有动机的造作。”(SNXXII.79)
 
Thoughexternalinanimatethingsmayarisefrompurelyphysicalcauses,thesankharasthatmakeupourpersonalbeing—thefiveaggregates—areallproductsofthekammicallyactivesankharasthatweengagedinourpreviouslives.Inthepresentlifeaswellthefiveaggregatesareconstantlybeingmaintained,refurbished,andextendedbythevolitionalactivityweengageinnow,whichagainbecomesaconditionforfutureexistence.Thus,theBuddhateaches,itwasourownkammicallyformativesankharasthatbuiltupourpresentedificeofpersonalbeing,anditisourpresentformativesankharasthatarenowbuildinguptheedificesofpersonalbeingwewillinhabitinourfuturelives.Theseedificesconsistofnothingotherthansankharasasconditionedthings,theconditionedformationscomprisedinthefiveaggregates.尽管外在的无活性的事物可以纯粹从物理因缘中升起,构成我们个人存在的诸行——五蕴——则完全是我们在宿世生命中所作的具有业力活性的造作产物。此生的五蕴也同样地被我们当下所作的有动机的活动不断地维持、替补、延续,这些活动再复成为将来的存在之缘。因此佛陀教导说,是我们自己的业力形成的诸行,建筑了我们当前个人存在的结构,是我们当下的诸行,正在建造我们未来生命中将进住的个人存在的结构。这些结构由有为的诸行组成,也就是,由有为的造作形成的五蕴。
 
Themostimportantfacttounderstandaboutsankharas,asconditionedformations,isthattheyareallimpermanent:\"Impermanent,alas,areformations.\"Theyareimpermanentnotonlyinthesensethatintheirgrossmanifestationstheywilleventuallycometoanend,butevenmorepointedlybecauseatthesubtle,subliminalleveltheyareconstantlyundergoingriseandfall,forevercomingintobeingandthen,inasplitsecond,breakingupandperishing:\"Theirverynatureistoariseandvanish.\"ForthisreasontheBuddhadeclaresthatallsankharasaresuffering(sabbesankharadukkha)—suffering,however,notbecausetheyareallactuallypainfulandstressful,butbecausetheyarestampedwiththemarkoftransience.\"Havingarisentheythencease,\"andbecausetheyallceasetheycannotprovidestablehappinessandsecurity.以有为的造作来理解诸行,其中最重要的事实是,它们无一持久:所谓“诸行无常”。在意义上,无常不仅指诸行的那些粗糙形体终究完结,更重要的是,它们在微妙、精深的层次上,连续不停地升起、落下,永远出生,又在转瞬间败坏、消失:所谓“是生灭法”。因此,佛陀宣称诸“行”皆苦(sabbesankharadukkha)。不过,这并非是因为它们本身痛苦、紧张,而是因为它们具有不持久的特征,所谓“生灭灭已”;由于它们都趋向止息,因此不能够提供安稳的幸福。
 
Towincompletereleasefromsuffering—notonlyfromexperiencingsuffering,butfromtheunsatisfactorinessintrinsictoallconditionedexistence—wemustgainreleasefromsankharas.Andwhatliesbeyondthesankharasisthatwhichisnotconstructed,notputtogether,notcompounded.ThisisNibbana,accordinglycalledtheUnconditioned—asankhata—theoppositeofwhatissankhata,awordwhichisthepassiveparticiplecorrespondingtosankhara.NibbanaiscalledtheUnconditionedpreciselybecauseit\'sastatethatisneitheritselfasankharanorconstructedbysankharas;astatedescribedasvisankhara,\"devoidofformations,\"andassabbasankhara-samatha,\"thestillingofallformations.\"为了从苦中彻底解脱——不仅从苦的体验,而且从一切有为存在的不满意属性中解脱——我们必须从诸行中解脱。诸行之外者,是那非构造、非组建与非合成。这就是涅槃,相应地又称“非行”(asankharas),它与sankhata[被造作]——诸行的被动分词——意义相反。涅槃之所以被称为非行,正是因为这个状态本身既非是一种“行”,也非由“行”造成;它被描述为“离行”(visankharas),又被描述为“一切行的寂止”(sabbasankhara-samatha)。
 
Thus,whenweputthewordsankharaunderourmicroscope,weseecompressedwithinittheentireworldviewoftheDhamma.Theactivesankharasconsistinginkammicallyactivevolitionsperpetuallycreatethesankharaofthefiveaggregatesthatconstituteourbeing.Aslongaswecontinuetoidentifywiththefiveaggregates(theworkofignorance)andtoseekenjoymentinthem(theworkofcraving),wegoonspewingoutthevolitionalformationsthatbuildupfuturecombinationsofaggregates.Justthatisthenatureofsamsara:anunbrokenprocessionofemptybutefficientsankharasproducingstillothersankharas,ridingupinfreshwaveswitheachnewbirth,swellingtoacrest,andthencrashingdownintooldage,illness,anddeath.Yetonitgoes,shroudedinthedelusionthatwe\'rereallyincontrol,sustainedbyanever-tantalizing,everrecedinghopeoffinalsatisfaction.因此,当我们把sankhara一词置于显微镜下观察时,便在其中窥见了整个佛法世界观的压缩版。主动的“行”借着业力上活跃的动机,持久地制造、构建着我们存在的五蕴。只要我们继续认同五蕴(此为无明的作用),在其中寻求享乐(此为渴求的作用),我们就继续喷放有动机的造作[诸行],建筑起未来的诸蕴组合。那正是轮回的本质:空洞而有效的诸行连续推进,制造出更多的行,随着每一次新生,堆聚起新的波动,上升至顶峰后倾颓,又成为旧式的老、病、死。然而它继续着,被一团我自掌控的痴迷所笼罩,为一股对终极满足的冀望所维持,该冀望永具诱惑,永见退却。
 
When,however,wetakeupthepracticeoftheDhamma,weapplyabraketothisrelentlessgenerationofsankharas.Welearntoseethetruenatureofthesankharas,ofourownfiveaggregates:asunstable,conditionedprocessesrollingonwithnooneincharge.Therebyweswitchofftheenginedrivenbyignoranceandcraving,andtheprocessofkammicconstruction,theproductionofactivesankharas,iseffectivelydeconstructed.Byputtinganendtotheconstructingofconditionedreality,weopenthedoortowhatisever-presentbutnotconstructed,notconditioned:theasankhata-dhatu,theunconditionedelement.ThisisNibbana,theDeathless,thestillingofvolitionalactivities,thefinalliberationfromallconditionedformationsandthusfromimpermanenceanddeath.Thereforeourverseconcludes:\"Thesubsidingofformationsisblissful!\"不过,当我们开始修习佛法时,诸行的这场不屈不挠的生产就被缓止下来。我们学会看见诸行的真相,看见我们自己的五蕴:它们是不稳定、有为的过程,无人主宰地滚动着。因此,我们关闭被无明与渴求所驱动的引擎,中止业力的筑造,那么诸行的主动生产,就被有效地卸除了。借着对有为现实的造作的终止,我们打开了通往无时相、但非是造作有为的非行元素(asankhata-dhatu):即,非缘起元素。这就是涅槃、不死、意志活动的止息、从一切缘起造作也就是从无常与死亡中的最后解脱。因此我们的偈句末尾如此结束:“寂灭为乐!”
 
 
译按:“诸行无常,是生灭法。生灭灭已,寂灭为乐。”——此偈为帝释天王在佛陀般涅槃之际所诵,见于《大般涅槃经》等。常在南传佛国葬礼上持诵,首句亦为讣告之发端语。现代语中译为:“一切造作无常啊,生灭是其法则。既已升起,必然灭去,它们的止息是安乐!”
 
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