班迪達尊者是當代最偉大的禪修老師之一。「念住內觀」禪法是班迪達尊者有關定學的最核心教導,他強調禪修關鍵是不斷地保持正念。解脫苦是一切眾生最迫切的需求,每個人都有「解脫」的可能,那是隱藏在內心裡的美好,實現它是我們生而為人最大的價值展現。我們無須獨自走上一條未知的道路,「念住內觀」禪法即是能讓眾生滅除苦憂、體證涅槃的唯一道路。班迪達尊者在本書中為我們指出,這條離苦得樂的正念之道就在每個人自己的身心之中。他詳盡地解說了如何走上這條解脫道路的原則與方法,並邀請我們要以最大的精進,超越自己所認定的極限。他常告誡禪修者:「瞄準目標,集中!別讓心溜掉!請保持精進!」如果我們能保持正念、如實覺知,就能在每個剎那相續的經驗中,穿越重重的煩惱苦林,現證寂滅之樂。在本書中,班迪達尊者首先提醒我們,要遵循佛陀的「法」與「律」而生活,依戒、定、慧三學而修行,才能獲得解脫的快樂。接著,他建議以四種護衛禪——佛隨念、慈心禪、不淨觀與死隨念,來保護我們擺脫由貪、瞋煩惱所引發的擾亂,而能免於內在與外在敵人的危險。「念住內觀」禪法是班迪達尊者有關定學的最核心教導,他強調禪修的關鍵是不斷地保持正念。如果能以強力的「念」持續地穿透所緣的對象,心便受到正念的保護,不受煩惱攻擊,覺知會變得愈來愈集中且直接,進一步能生起觀慧,讓人親見身心過程的本質,認出它們是無常的、不受控制且不圓滿的,而獲得解脫。他教導禪修者:★在打坐時,標示與觀察自然呼吸下腹部「起」與「伏」的動作,並如實地覺知感受。★在行禪時,以正念覺知腳部「抬起、移動、踏下」的動作。★在一般日常活動時,時時刻刻都將注意力放在最明顯的對象上,對一切保持密集覺知。班迪達一生持戒精嚴,素以嚴格的教學與勇悍的禪法聞名。本書的內容即是來自二○○三年五月,他在美國麻州「內觀禪修協會」的長期閉關中心「森林皈依所」主持一個月的閉關時,為閉關學員所作的開示。
作者簡介
班迪達尊者 Sayadaw U Pandita
於1921年生於仰光近郊的因盛鎮(Insein),十二歲出家。1947年,他通過巴利會考的高級考。1954年,尊者以巴利校審員的身分參與第六次三藏結集的組織工作與佛典編輯。1950年,廿九歲的尊者開始追隨當代內觀大師馬哈希尊者(Mahāsi Sayādaw)修習念住內觀(Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā)禪法。當馬哈希尊者於1982年過世後,尊者即被選聘為該中心的導師。從此,他一生都在弘揚念住內觀的實修教學。1990年起,班迪達禪師陸續在東南亞、歐美等地成立禪修中心,尤其是緬甸勃固的森林道場,更成為外國禪修者學習念住內觀禪法的首選之地。念住內觀禪法因而廣傳至世界各地。班迪達尊者以持戒精嚴、嚴格教學而聞名,晚年時仍不畏病苦,四處弘法。尊者於2016年4月16日安詳示寂。他的著作有《就在今生》(In This Very Life)、《解脫道上》(On the path of Freedom)、《寧靜安樂之路》(The Way to the Happiness of Peace)、《炎炎夏日的雨水》(Rain Drop in Hot Summer)等,其中《就在今生》更是學習禪修者必讀的寶典。
譯者簡介
觀行者
教育科技博士,曾任教於淡江大學,辭去教職後,致力於佛學研修及翻譯。譯作有《祈禱的力量》、《慈悲與智見》、《進入禪定的第一堂課:超越觀呼吸》、《一行禪師講金剛經》、《療癒身心的十種想》等(以上皆由橡樹林文化出版)。
Taiwan went through an intense period of social change in 1949. The island's politics, economy, ethnicity …… had undergone considerable change. In response this period of tumultuous change, Master Dong Chu founded the "Humanity" magazine to help people cope.
Seventy years later, "Humanity" had weathered being shelved, relaunched and redesigned. It still continues to publish topics that help people cope with the changes in today's world monthly. As "Humanity" approaches its 70th anniversary, it is encountering a different kind of changing world. 27 June 2018, with the aim of sharing the diversity of spiritual practices, we invited dharma masters from different traditions to share the compassion and wisdom of Buddhadharma. The full texts of the keynote speeches and panels are included in this special issue of " Awakening in the Global Buddhist Village".
"Humanity's" guiding teacher, Master Sheng Yen, dedicated his life to bringing Chinese Chan Buddhism to the West. Many Westerners who became his students twenty to thirty years ago continue to follow his footsteps, engage in self cultivation and teaching, establish centers and transmit the lineage. How did they discover Chan Buddhism and how did they find their teacher, Master Sheng Yen? These stories of the teacher and the student are very inspirational.
In the twenty first century, on this 70th anniversary of "Humanity" magazine, Buddhism has spread around the world resembling a global Buddhist village. From the United States of America, Bhikkhu Bodhi described his process of transformation from a traditional monastic to that of a social advocator because he witnessed the oppression of human beings caused by the current social systems; to Italy's Bhikkhun? Dhammadinn? who shared about her journey of how she went from learning dancing to engaging in Buddhist research and ultimately to becoming a female monastic.
Contributing to the world in our capacity of Chinese Chan Buddhism, "Humanity"70 along with the Buddhist Dharma family all over the world and our friends on the same path, let us "Awaken in the Global Buddhist Village"!
About the Humanity magazine
Founded in 1949, Humanity magazine was the first Buddhist magazine published and released in Taiwan. Founded by Ven. Dong Chu and later continued by his disciple Master Sheng Yen, it has been one of the most influential magazines in Taiwan’s Buddhist circles.
Humanity magazine concerns itself about contemporary development of Buddhism, and puts an emphasis on the uplifting of people’s minds and spiritual lives. Each month’s topic not only touches upon various social phenomena, but also explores from Buddhist concepts to worldly studies, to encourage readers to search their inner beings and incorporate Buddhist practice into their daily lives. For cover and layout design, the magazine has invited outstanding illustrators to help render an elegant yet fun style, thus through pages allowing readers to slow down and find a space for spiritual relaxation, self-transformation, and the enjoyment of purity and freedom by applying the Dharma in life.
The magazine had been discontinued for a while due to Master Sheng Yen’s solitary retreat practice. When it was reissued in 1982, as an encouragement, he wrote:
Seek progress in the ordinary life and see the glory of life in hardship.
Seek development in harmony and see the hope in the hard work.
Seek abundance in peace and calm and see the solemness in the training.
Seek wisdom in silence and see the compassionate aspiration in the proactive commitment.
In the future, the Humanity magazine will continue to uphold Master Sheng Yen’s encouragements and expectations, to keep on sharing Buddhist wisdom and compassion, to help bring brightness and hope to the world.
長庚醫院榮譽副院長、腦神經科權威 朱迺欣博士潛心探索打坐對大腦的影響《打坐與腦》為朱迺欣醫師在立緒文化出版腦神經科學系列的經典著作,於2010年出版,本書為第二版印行,紀念朱醫師逝世周年。朱醫師多年潛心於佛禪學,探索打坐對腦神經的影響,實踐愛因斯坦的名言:「沒有宗教的科學是跛子,沒有科學的宗教是瞎子。」致力於宗教與科學融合的研究。目前,打坐已風行全世界。研究打坐,不但順應世界潮流,也能幫助我們瞭解心靈在大腦的運作,以及主觀經驗的一些腦機制。打坐可以說是「心靈的探針」。腦是心識(mind)的器官,打坐是心靈的訓練,牽涉到腦的運作。所以,腦與打坐應是息息相關。這表示,如果我們想瞭解打坐,必須認識我們的腦。廿一世紀是腦的世紀,我們必須探索腦的奧祕,包括認識我們自己,瞭解心識是什麼,情緒何等重要,智慧如何培養。我們正處在「心靈革命」的時代,打坐的重要性也水漲船高,因為它提供人類探索心靈的探針。做為現代人,我們必須瞭解腦;把腦的知識變成常識。如此,我們才能安然處在「心靈」革命中。我們期望,我們因而能獲得心靈的平靜、快樂和滿足。坐禪是靜坐冥想(meditation),華語傾向用打坐。雖然目前打坐風行世界,「禪與腦」對打坐本身,似乎未做深入探討,例如:打坐的歷史背景、打坐的方法、打坐的派別、打坐的原因、打坐的好處等。打坐的這些問題,我相信,應該是一般民眾想知道的。剛好,我自己對打坐有興趣,也有一些經驗,對打坐的科學文獻也有所涉獵。經過再三思索,我把想要寫的,定在打坐的腦科學研究,讓讀者從另一個角度看有千年歷史的東方心靈鍛鍊。不可否認,我對打坐和打坐的作用,有個人的一些見解,把它稱為偏見(bias)也可以。因為我喜歡歷史,我往往從歷史的角度觀察與分析;因為我也是腦科學的研究者,我也往往從腦科學的角度探討。與其他科普書籍比較,此書有一個特徵,即在敘述實驗發現或結果時,往往直接引用報告的表或圖,顯示實驗的「本來面目」,然後用通俗的語言說明或解釋。我衷誠希望,此項新嘗試能讓讀者產生親身感受的經驗,如同禪宗所說的:「如人飲水,冷暖自知。」──朱迺欣〈自序 腦科學看打坐的「本來面目」〉
作者簡介
朱迺欣美國密西根大學(University of Michigan)神經生理學博士,曾任美國科羅拉多大學(University of Colorado)神經科住院醫師,美國國家衛生研究院(National Institutes of Health, NIH)研究員,並任教於加州大學(University of California)爾灣(Irvine)醫學院,回國後任林口長庚醫院神經科主任,長庚醫院顧問級醫師及榮譽副院長,退休後2017年1月於美國加州逝世。專長診治頭痛、癲癇症、巴金森症、威爾遜病等。曾獲行政院國科會之傑出研究獎,並因研究錳中毒巴金森症出色,獲得美國巴金森基金會(National Parkinson Foundation)贊助,其研究小組成為該基金會的傑出研究中心,為亞洲第一個獲得此項榮譽之研究小組。除了學術專業論文外,著有《打坐與腦》、《腦與宗教:尋找腦中神明》(原書名《尋找腦中神明:宗教的腦科學觀》)、《靜坐:當東方靜坐遇上西方腦科學》、《神經神學:宗教有腦生物基礎嗎?》(以上皆立緒文化出版)、《懸壺看人間》、《認識腦、保護腦、開發腦》、《走出頭痛的陰影》、《巴金森病——認識與面對》、《前塵往事腦醫學》、《腦醫生的大帽子》等,另譯有《尋找腦中幻影》(Phantoms in the Brain)、《禪與腦》(Zen and the Brain)等書。