Saturday, May 25, 2019

楊定一 <> 痛,是生命的禮物


2018年,楊定一感染水痘疱疹病毒,從額頭到鼻尖皮膚發黑冒出水泡,眼睛葡萄膜炎和視網膜炎,好幾位專家說可能從此失明。眼窩痛、頭痛到嘔吐,他自嘲:
「John,你跨得過去嗎?」不斷地參:「是誰,有疼痛?有這種萎縮?有種種感受?」

2019年5月17日,台北,清晨大雨。老天像是把一盆盆水嘩啦嘩啦往地上倒,楊定一和長庚生技、風潮音樂與康健出版的團隊,掛念著晚上參加共修的朋友會不會淋濕。雨水之後,是光。午後,太陽露臉,照得行人的臉亮燦燦。陸續有朋友手牽手、或者直接由機場拉著行李箱,走進台北國際會議中心,井然排成一條長龍。

傍晚五點二十分,楊定一提早上台,帶領入座者觀想靜心;六點不到,大會堂3122席幾乎已無空位;201會議室800個位子在六點半坐滿。「活出心,只有心,徹底活在心—不同、甚至顛倒的生命觀」共修體驗,楊定一請長庚身心靈轉化中心老師吳長泰帶著眾人做結構調整運動。接著,他邀請所有人觀想,每一個人彷彿置身巴西雨林,全身細胞充滿氧氣,放光。「四千人相聚的能量大到不可思議,」楊定一說。活動過程寧靜,喜樂,是心和心的共融,是生命螺旋場的共振。楊定一也解答了眾人一年來的殷切詢問:「為什麼好久沒有帶領共修體驗?」

原來,去年六月,病毒感染攻擊他的眼睛和臉部,好幾位醫師專家說可能從此失明。「我常常提醒朋友,即使生病,是不是可以當一個模範病人?當然,我也只能這麼提醒自己。」他用《真原醫》的飲食方式調理身體;疼痛發作時,「我像看電影一樣,靜靜注視這個疼痛。」不斷透過「參」,接受、臣服宇宙給他的禮物。雖然痛,心裡卻是大歡喜。在病中,他不光如常處理公務,還透過8場線上讀書會和讀者互動,更完成《無事生非》、《頭腦的東西》、《清醒地睡》3本書。

楊定一接受《康健》專訪,分享這一段生病自癒的歷程。我本來睡得就少。2018年6月底出差,為了趕時間連續三天搭紅眼班機。第三天下飛機,眼睛已經開始劇烈疼痛,從額頭到鼻尖皮膚發黑冒出水泡,就像臭鼬臉上的白條紋,只是顏色是黑的。檢查發現是水痘疱疹病毒感染,造成眼睛葡萄膜炎和視網膜炎。耽誤了幾天才吃抗病毒藥物,接著,眼睛突然看不到了。即使有人站在面前,我也只看得見模糊的影子。兩三位專家都說不樂觀,會失明,不可能恢復。


眼睛痛、頭痛,不分白天晚上,就好像有人在腦袋裡、在眼睛後面拿著榔頭用力「咚、咚!」地敲,痛到嘔吐,藥物也壓不住。我60歲了,從來沒有生過病,都是在幫助其他病人,尤其是嚴重的癌症、慢性病、心靈有重大創傷的朋友。這一次是難得的機會,讓我可以親身體會生病朋友的痛苦。

斷食、有機蔬食、微量元素調養身體

我在《真原醫》提倡斷食,吃生機蔬食,修復生理機能。我的斷食並非完全中斷飲食,而是吃得很少,以生機飲食和蔬果汁為主。斷食,其實為身體帶來最激烈的重新整頓,非但讓腸胃休息,也將身心的精力轉向療癒。新鮮蔬果的活酵素、葉綠素、花青素、硫化物、胡蘿蔔素、葉黃素、茄紅素、辣椒素不只像彩虹一樣豐富,還帶來抗發炎、抗病毒、抗氧化和止痛等功效。我也會多吃一些蕈菇類,像冬蟲夏草就是天然的抗發炎食物,可以說是上天為人類準備好的藥。

此外,補充微量元素也很重要。微量元素,是人體所需的礦物質,身體需求量雖少,卻是代謝和健康的必要元素。人體沒辦法自行製造,必須額外補充。


透過疼痛,不斷地參,臣服

我幾乎沒有生過病,這次生病顯得特別嚴重。一位又一位專家說我視力不可能恢復,我想:「好吧。」眼睛看不到,中文也不好,當個盲人和啞巴,很好。美國同事問我:「John,如果瞎掉怎麼辦?」「一切順其自然。樣樣都好。」過去要看很多報表,現在請同事口頭彙報,非但簡單明瞭,也讓我更能體會他們的用心。一直以來,我對同事只有感恩。這次生病,對他們的感謝更是從內心深處一再地浮出來。

考驗最大的是我二姐,她是相當優秀的眼科專家,雖然知道病毒感染要經歷哪些治療,要有耐心,她還是每天早上留話關心,不斷叮嚀我該做什麼、不可以做什麼。我知道她是善意,我也自然去拜託我的眼科醫師:「妳可不可以出一份報告,轉給我姊姊。」這麼做,希望讓她放心。

每當劇烈頭痛發作,我會跟自己半開玩笑:「John,你跨得過去嗎?」過去,都是我在幫助病人。現在自己生病,我觀照著那個痛,像看電影一樣。自己痛,也去體會其他病人的痛、女性生孩子的痛甚至其他眾生的痛。我守住這個痛,像是從颶風中心靜靜往外看。就這樣,只是靜靜地看,不去干涉眼前的念頭、身體的萎縮疼痛,我們反而有機會放過這個世界。我們隨時接受、隨時放過,也自然理解一切都是頭腦的產物。

無論遭遇多大的病痛、創傷,一切都好。不要叫周邊的人可憐,不要成為別人的負擔。

在病痛中,一般人難免會抱怨「為什麼這麼倒楣、為什麼是我?」對我,這是個機會。我看著這個痛,不斷地參:「是誰,有疼痛?有這種萎縮?有種種感受?」這麼參,也就馬上提醒自己──其實,沒有東西叫做痛。會痛,是因為人把肉體看得太重要,而這種重要性本身是個大妄想。透過疼痛,我不斷地參,不斷地臣服,不斷去體會疼痛或情緒的來源是念頭,而念頭本身是空的。

當我看著那個痛,不痛了。人,生來就是痛苦。疼痛本身反而是很好的提醒──外在環境不管怎麼亂,我們充滿信心,這一生最大的功課也只是醒覺。宇宙帶著我們走到哪,算到哪,不要再動搖。這一生是好、還是壞,都不重要,不要分心。

雖然這麼說,並不是什麼都不做,而是該做什麼,都要做,但中心不動。我該工作時一樣工作,該運動就出門,最多是眼睛看不清楚,把跑步改成快走。假日我在院子裡一根根拔草,什麼都不想,是最好的動態靜坐。好幾次痛到嘔吐,但吐完我繼續口述寫書,繼續讀書會,連合作作品的同事都不知道。3本書、8次線上讀書會,都是這樣完成的。
一切都是剛剛好,最多,只能感恩有人問我,難道不覺得失去視力很可怕?我回答:
「一切都是宇宙的安排,一切都是剛剛好,是宇宙給我一個很大的恩典,我雙手接受。」

人生沒有完美,有生一定有死,不可能不生病。我們不需要講「某某人不該生病」。生,就一個肉體;死也是一塊肉體。肉體早晚會走掉,我們要走出自我的中心,練習參,練習臣服,一切都可以肯定,一切順著走。

我們自然會發現,在人間可以體會的一切都是相對的,是由局限種種條件組合的,樣樣都是無常。同時,也確實還有一個絕對的層面,不受任何影響,是永恆,是無限大,包含著全部的潛能。在每一個相對的處境,我們都知道絕對存在。也就這樣子,我們最多只能隨時感恩。

其實預防醫學是為了幫助我們「買」時間去意識轉變,而非為了長生不死。我們放過這個肉體,它反而會自己照顧自己。放過,意思是不去重視或貪戀任何現象。但也同時知道: 
這個肉體有它業力的週轉。它來到這世界有些任務想完成,就讓它完成吧。

我們最多是透過這個機會練習平等心。接下來,不要去分析,也不需要去解釋它的作用。這一來,我們反而隨時平靜,不知不覺和心中最大力量合一,自然活出最大的愛,活出大歡喜,大寧靜。


文章, 图片, 源至康健 -- 感恩


Wednesday, May 22, 2019

What do I have in this world?




Not my body, not my mind, not my personality ...
Being nobody, being nothing personal.
Then what am I? Who am I?
BEING -- the only thing I have.

Being what I am NOW and only this instance is what I have.
Intuitively feel It ... but cannot describe It.
It has nothing to do with this world, this life.
The body, the world comes and goes, but It remains ...

It -- is what I am, or simply BEING, pure awareness.
As what Jesus said: I am what I am.
Not I am this or that. Nothing to do with the personal I.
I am, is always there, no need effort to look for It.
No need spiritual practice to acquire It.

If you discover It, you are home. Seeking stops.
A sense of eternity, peace, contentment is what its nature.
This nature is I am, the primordial Self. Beingness.
Our true nature, It has no name and It never leaves you.

Only when you start to think I am this, I am that
Your delusional mind will lead you astray and cheat you.
The sun is always there, only the dark cloud covers it up.
The mind is like the dark cloud, it covers up your true nature.

Sunday, January 27, 2019

I Am That I Am


  • I Am can mean existence, witness, knower, observer, the eternal Self, which separate from the objects or the world of existence. It is the intermediate stage of understanding and realise that the world is not what you see as it is. The world is not real but a dream state. 
  • The world is like a dream, but it lasts longer, depends on your life span. It superimposes on you as the I Am. Just like the images play on a movie screen. The screen that is You, the I Am is merely a witness but not caught up or mentally involved with the worldly situations. 
  • By witnessing detachedly, you understand the world is just a gigantic mental projection of everything. You observing your own shadow — God playing its game — maya. Once you realised, why  take life seriously?
  • Like the teaching of neti, neti; not this, not that. Apart from you — yourself, I Am — nothing is real, including your own body. All are appearances, your own shadows.
  • The impact is profound, when understand that the body is just a dream body and it does not exist. Only you, I Am — the eternal Self exists.
  • The whole universe are just images, reflections from the mind — mental projections. But the humankind is so deeply hypnotised, collectively, we take the mental projections as real, and obsessed with our own projections. Like a mirage in desert, we take the refection of water from sand as real water. 
  • So called human life, is also a mirage which is also our mental reflection, yet we take it as real and take everything in life so seriously. 
  • As a result, we fight for our survival since birth. We struggle and suffer until we die. Because we lack the wisdom to understand that even birth and death are mental projections. The universe is mental concept.
  • So we are living within this confined, delusional and limited self created dream world, continue our dream life, from birth to death, generation after generation, living like a programmed robot, deeply hypnotised. Cannot jump out of the box.
  • Since everything is mind’s projection, there is no creator, so there is no cause of existence. When you have this deep and profound understanding on your own real being, then a shocking impact will lead you to ask the ultimate question: who am I? 
  • The truth is that you have never been born, or died. You are what you are. You are not of this world. As long as there is mind, the world of existence follows. But you are independent. No mind no world. You are not the mind, the body, so the world. Then who am I?
  • This will lead to another deep understanding of the idea of no self, egolessness because the mind creates the sense of false I — the fake I — in order to take ownership, to be individualised and therefore split from his or her true self — the I Am. 
  • The ultimate reality is, actually you are nothing, eternally nothing, no beginning, no ending; you are also everything — the infinite imaginary images on the gigantic screen. The screen is your true Self. The ultimate reality which is non manifested, pure consciousness, nirvana, Tao. But no word can describe or define That. All descriptions are false and missing the mark. Neti-neti. Not this not that.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Two Bad Bricks -- By Ajahn Brahm




 “I did see those bricks. But I also saw the 998 good ones that surrounded it.” Ajahn Brahm -- the abbot of Buddhist monastery in Australia. 

Many years ago, Ajahn Brahm and his fellow monks bought land in Australia to create their monastery. The land was vast, the resources plentiful, but there were no structures or buildings. Being a group of Buddhists – and having just spent quite a lot on land – they didn’t have enough money to simply pay for the construction. In lieu of that, they had supplies donated and set to work building their new homes.

Ajahn Brahm, who had studied Theoretical Physics in college, was now put to the task of bricklaying. He was in charge of constructing walls. For those of you who have never laid brick, it is a tedious process that most people want to do perfectly. I mean, you’re building a wall – you don’t want cracks, holes, or ugly deformities.

So he would lay bricks and, if one of them went askew, he would scrape the mortar, fill in the crooked area, and adjust the problem to perfection. This was a painstaking process that took days, but at the end of his project, he looked at what he had created. Stepping back, the first thing he noticed was that there were two bricks near the center of the wall that were off-kilter. There were two bad bricks.
He tried to scrape the mortar, but it had dried. He went to the leaders of the monastery and asked if he could destroy the wall and start over. “Do we have a bulldozer? Dynamite?” But they simply said there was not enough money and he would have to leave the wall is it was.  This tormented Ajahn Brahm. For several months, he dwelled on the fact that the ugliest wall in the monastery was the one that he had built. If people came to the grounds for a tour, he often volunteered to lead them – just so he could skip going past that wall!

One day, though, he saw a group coming back from a tour with another monk. One of the visitors raved about the quaintness of the buildings and made a comment about a singular wall that he particularly adored. Naturally, it was Ajahn Brahm’s. The monk looked at the guest and said, “Are you serious? Are you blind? What are you talking about? Couldn’t you see the two bad bricks?”

What the man said next puts the inherent nature of depression and obsession into perspective.  He said, “I did see those bricks. But I also saw the 998 good ones that surrounded it.”

Too often in life, we focus on the two bad bricks instead of looking at the many wonderful things around us. It’s incredible when you focus on the tiny faulty parts in our life, and forget about the many fantastic things, the wholeness of our life. We focus on the one or two bad bricks and conclude that our life must be miserable.

This is absurd! When put into proper perspective, our problems are all, in some way, temporary. There is nothing so consuming – even our own illnesses! – that we cannot appreciate the “good” we have. I once heard someone say, “If you are alive, then more is right with you than wrong.” Think about that – it’s true.

Years later, when Ajahn Brahm told this story to an audience, a man came to him afterward and said, “Don’t worry, I do construction and make mistakes all the time. Only in my line of work, when we screw up, we just call it a ‘feature’ and let people know it costs more!”

So from now on, when things go badly in your life, try to think of them as “features,” things that make you more valuable. And don’t forget to pay attention to all of the parts of your body that don’t have cancer, all of the people in your life who do love you, and all of the things you can experience now that don’t cost money. Because they far outweigh the two bad bricks.

The moral of the story is about how the ego used to be our fault finder in life. It Always looks for the negative side of life.  Life can never be perfect anyway, it is a coin of two sides. Rather than indulge with the negativity of life, which make us suffer as well as others, why not just simply enjoy the other bright side of life. Isn't this a win-win situation? Relaxed, don't take life so serious, be happy!

Next time be mindful of life situation! Don't be misled by the  cunning and tricky little ego! When ignorance overwhelms you, the ego is your very intimate enemy within. Be careful! 

This story, told by Buddhist monk Ajahn Brahm

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

This Is Your Dharma




There was once a holy man sitting under a tree meditating. He had his hands open and a female mouse fell into his hands. A bird had apparently dropped the mouse. He felt sorry for the little mouse and because he was a great siddhi, a being of great powers from his years of meditation, he turned the mouse into a lovely young girl, and took the girl home to his house. His wife was enthralled with this. She was unable to have children, and she was so happy to have this little girl. They both loved her very much, and brought her up to be a fine young lady.

One day the wife said to the husband, "Husband it's time for our daughter to get married. Where can we find a suitable husband for her?" And the holy man said, I know, I'll ask the sun. So he went outside and he called the sun and he said, "Mr. Sun, our daughter is of the marrying age and we're looking for a suitable husband. Can you help us?" The sun said, "Certainly, I will marry her myself." How would you like to get married to the sun? The husband was thrilled and he said, Oh great joy has come over me that the sun would pick my daughter to be married to. And he ran in and he told his wife and he told his daughter. And the daughter said, "No Dad, I don't want to marry the sun. There's too much light, I'll be burned. Find me a different husband."

So the holy man went outside, he spoke to the sun again, he said, "Mr. Sun, our daughter does not wish to marry you because she will be burned with your light. Can you think of anyone else more powerful than you, that can marry her?" So the sun thought about it, and then he said, "Ask Mr. Cloud. The cloud will give you an answer. The cloud is mightier than I am because many times the clouds hide me, and I do not appear, and I can do nothing about it. So the cloud is mightier than I am. Ask the cloud." The holy man beseeched the cloud and said, "Mr. Cloud, I have a daughter that is of the marrying age and I'm looking for a suitable husband for her. Can you help out? Do you know of anyone who should marry her?" And Mr. cloud said, "I will. I'll marry your daughter." And again the holy man became overjoyed with this. Imagine a cloud marrying my daughter. This was a good thing. He ran in the house, told his wife and then told his daughter. The wife and the husband were so happy, but the daughter said, "Chill out, Dad. I don't want to marry that cloud. For when it rains, I'll get soaked. Get me a better husband."

So again the holy man went out to the cloud and told him the story, what the daughter said. "Can you think of anyone else?" And the cloud said, "Well, how about Mr. Mountain? This is a great mountain here that is mightier than I am, because when I flow around the mountain, I can't go through it. I have to flow around it. And there's nothing I can do about it. So the mountain is very powerful." The holy man beseeched the mountain, "Mr. Mountain, can you think of someone that can marry my daughter?" And the mountain also said, "I will." So again the holy man was very happy about this. A mountain marrying his daughter, what could be better? He ran into the house, told the wife, she was overjoyed. And he told the daughter. Again she didn't want to marry the mountain. She said, "Come on, Dad, I can't marry this mountain. The mountain has cactus growing all over it. When we embrace, I'll be pinched with cactus. Think of someone else."

So the holy man went back to the mountain and told him the story, and said, Can you think of anybody else for my daughter? The mountain said, "Well, the only one I can think of that is more powerful than me is this little mouse that lives in the bottom of me, because he bores holes and has a nest inside of me, and I can do nothing about it. And since he bores holes in me, he must be more powerful than I am. Ask the mouse."

So the holy man went to the mouse and said, Mr. Mouse, I have a daughter of the marrying age, I'm looking for a suitable husband, can you help me?" And the mouse said, "Yes, I will marry her myself." He was overjoyed. Imagine, a mouse marrying his daughter. He ran and told his wife, and they both went and told the daughter. The daughter thought about this and she said, "Yes, I will marry the mouse. The mouse is very cute. I will marry the mouse. But father can you do something for me? Can you please turn me into a little mouse also?

So the holy man turned her into a little mouse. And they both got married and they lived happily ever after, in the mountain. Now what is the moral of this story?

This story tries to bring home the fact that your dharma is what you have to live out. If you try to change it, years will pass, and you will make all kinds of mistakes, and go through all kinds of problems. This means if you change your environment, or if you change the condition, the samskaras and the conditioning that you have inside of you will just put you back in that kind of a position with different people, different environment, because you have not risen from that condition yet. Therefore you have to experience the same things over, and over, and over, and over again.

Whatever your dharma is, has been presented to you by karma. Therefore do not fight it. Bless it.

From Robert Adams Talk -- This is your Dharma

Know Thyself Is To Hold the Attention On Itself



The ego exists say the scriptures due to non-inquiry. This non-inquiry is sustained and strengthened by ignorance. Consciousness is pure attention alone. 

When the attention is held unmoved, there is no place for ego or non-attention. To hold the attention on itself, to dissolve or transform non-attention into total attention, total consciousness, the quest, "Who Am I?" is the vital process. 

To turn one's attention on oneself is the essence of true knowledge.

Such self attention is the key to open the mystery gates of the immeasurable treasure, knowing the knower. The knower known there is none else, nothing else to be known. 

To turn one's attention from the details or activities to the source of activity is called introspection. This turning inward is the beginning of spiritual effort called sadhana. 

To remain as pure consciousness is the secret in meaning of "Know Thyself."


From Robert Adams Talk -- Beliefs And Predetermination


Wednesday, August 29, 2018

楊定一 : 時間的陷阱




仔細想,把注意力集中在已經過去的一切,或煩惱未來的規劃,其實無法為我們帶來任何改變,最多只是增加煩惱。可惜的是,許多朋友,哪怕在修行或瑜伽的領域投入了很久,一談起過去,還是憤怒,還是失落。所有的糾結,都離不開過去。過去,就像一個墓地,我們每個人都離不開。我們都忘了,就是因為把自己投入相對,才會有那麼多煩惱和痛心。如果我們不斷回想過去,想透過頭腦找出一個解決方案,這本身已經把所有可能限縮在人間很窄的範圍內……
新書《時間的陷阱》分享

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

楊定一 : 好像變了一個「我」




問:我依著楊博士教的方法,練習至今。念頭來了,念頭走了,念頭越來越少。情緒來了,情緒走了,不舒服的情緒消失地越來越快。好像有另一個「我」像旁觀者似的,看著自己和人的喜怒哀樂,不再隨之起舞,不再像以前跟著狀況打轉,而且心裡時不時會湧現一股很愉悅的感覺。我, 好喜歡這樣的自己。可是,最近腦中偶爾會有―你怎麼了?這樣是正確的嗎?一種質疑的聲音跑出來。所以我想問:這樣的狀況OK的嗎?不會是什麼人格分裂之類的問題吧?

答:你可以一路做下去,我還是要恭喜你。只要做,就對了。腦帶來一種質疑,這是正常的。你這樣想,我們從出生到現在,全部都是腦在運作,在作主。它怎麼可能會輕鬆的放棄?放棄什麼?放棄自己。它絕對會抗議,會想著各式各樣的方法來質疑。甚至,你偶爾會有噩夢,就是過去業力浮出來,而且加快浮出來,帶來對自己更多一層的質疑,或顧慮。這是難免的,都是好現象。懂了這些,最多只是往前走,不斷地往前走。會發現―走到哪裡,無所謂。對不對?就交給生命。臣服,不就是把全部自己交給生命嗎?

新書《十字路口》

楊定一 : 這就是醒覺



對我們一般人來說,生命就是一個停不下來的強迫思考。反而,要找到全部的你,要知道,這個念頭的世界只是我們整體的一小部分。並進一步要知道,在念頭前面,還有一個知覺。這個知覺是最直接、最原初的,倒不需要任何「動作」,就可以取得。只要透過這個知覺,讓一切存在。包括這個念頭的世界,也都讓它存在―這就是醒覺。最不可思議的是,這個最源頭、最根本的知覺,跟我們的感官不相關。假如沒有感官,它會透過其他的管道來傳達。它從來沒有生過,沒有死過。它本身就是存在。用人類的語言,也只能用「存在」來描述這個知覺、這個意識。只要我們輕輕鬆鬆存在,也就自然把這個意識帶回來了。

《神聖的你》卷六 更多的路標

楊定一 : 最好的禱告



最好的禱告,或最有效的祈禱,本來就是把自己交出來,完全的交出來,徹底的交出來―給生命,給自己的一體、內心、「在」、上帝、佛陀、佛性。全部交出來。同時做個感恩的功課。....... 這個祈禱好像是―用心,是心跟心在共鳴。


心,交給心。
心,完全轉出來。
是透過心,在做禱告。

而且,心不可能要求任何東西。要相信生命自然會聽到。聽到什麼?聽到我們的心。對我們的心帶來一個解答。


《插對頭.....還是接對頭?》新書分享

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

楊定一 : 快速的步調 缺失的注意力



現代人其實隨時處在注意力渙散的狀態。我們仔細觀察,現代資訊技術的突破,讓我們每個人都同時在在做好幾件事。無論在講話、走路、寫字、吃飯,不是看著手機,就是在搜尋資訊或用訊息軟體和別人交流。頭腦的運作,一刻都沒有停過……
儘管我們每個人都認為有點跟不上,卻又同時期待步調可不可以更快,有沒有什麼方法可以達到更高的效率。就連看電視,一個畫面上都同時有好幾條跑馬燈,就好像把一個瞬間切割成好幾個,才配得上我們對快步調的期待。這本身,自然會讓我們把無常和變化視為生活的主成分,而同時讓我們在現實中建立一個個虛構的架構,而每一個架構都彷彿有獨立的生命。

我在《真原醫》和「全部生命系列」曾經多次表達——這種快還要更快的步調,本身就是現代人最大的危機。讓我們不快樂,總是感覺到壓力或是不知哪裡來的沉重感,好像隨時背著一種負擔。這種不快樂的現象,甚至蔓延到年輕的一代,即使很年輕的孩子都有注意力缺乏和躁鬱症的問題。這種更快的步調,其實是相當近代的產物,人類演化多年來的架構沒辦法適應。畢竟,種種快步調的反應,當初只是為了生存而留下的「打或逃」本能,本來只是短期的應對。沒想到人類發展到現在,這種快步調的反應,反而變成我們隨時的常態。步調快,還不是主要的問題。問題在於,它同時帶來念頭快速的轉變,以搭配感官在世界運作所收到的資訊。透過念頭,頭腦隨時創出一個虛的現實。這些不斷在動的印象,頭腦來不及處理,本身也就不斷的帶來壓力。

我在之前的作品,也用相當多篇幅來表達——頭腦受到壓力或危機,自然轉到肉體上,帶來不安,帶來萎縮。所以,讓注意力集中而專注,是我們最需要的一堂功課。對忙碌的現代人而言,守住的感官愈多,通常愈能幫助守住注意力。

其實一般所談的「定」的功夫,都離不開時-空,更離不開感官。「定」或「專注」的功夫,是透過感官才可以運作。再說清楚一點,一般所談的「定」或專注,是透過感官的運作或「動」來捕捉資訊,而進入一個「不動」、寧靜或合一,才有「定」好談。懂了這些,自然可以把感官當作一個專注的門戶。如果我們懂得從多重感官著手,例如同時耳朵聽,加上眼睛觀想、鼻子聞、口腔的體會、皮膚的觸覺,反而更容易達到專一。重點是,不要同時產生念頭。

透過重複的朗誦,不容易產生念頭。讀經可以讓孩子接觸大聖人的觀念,而讓這些大智慧落到腦海。此外,由於讀經同時運用多重感官來集中注意力,對腦部發展的活化,有不可思議的作用。透過朗誦,其實是教孩子學會掌握耳根的聽、嘴巴的發聲、眼睛閱讀的觀、集體共振的觸覺,把注意力守住。