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身苦心不苦

有一次，佛陀住在摩揭陀國王舍城郊的一處山中，腳被飛來的碎石片刺傷流血，引起了生理上極大的疼痛。但佛陀心理持續保持正知正念，默默地承受身體的痛苦，不起煩惱。

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有一次，佛陀遊化到恆河下游北岸的跋耆國，住在設首婆羅山一處有野鹿出沒的樹林中。

那天，在佛陀的住處，來了一位一百二十歲的老居士，名叫那拘羅。老居士向佛陀頂禮問訊後，對佛陀說：

「世尊！我年紀大了，常常為身體的衰弱與多病所苦，行動也蠻吃力的，每次想要見世尊，以及幾位我一向敬重的善知識比丘，都要很勉強自己才辦得到，所以，每一次能見到世尊，對我來說都很不容易呢！但願世尊為我說法，讓我長久獲益，永遠安樂。」

「善哉！老居士！正如你所說，上了年紀的人，身體必然多病痛，哪還能期盼有個健康強壯的身體可以依靠呢？除非是個愚癡的人，否則，這是大家都知道的道理。所以，老居士！你應當這樣學：我的身體雖然生病了，但是，我的心不生病，老居士！你應當這樣學！」

那拘羅老居士聽了佛陀的教導，覺得很歡喜，禮謝了佛陀，就離開了。

那時，尊者舍利弗，正坐在離佛陀不遠處的樹下。

那拘羅老居士一辭別佛陀，就喜孜孜地去見尊者舍利弗。

尊者舍利弗看見臉上泛出愉悅神態的那拘羅老居士，就問他說：


「老居士！你今天容光煥發，神情和悅，莫非在世尊那兒，聽到什麼深妙的法嗎？」

「怎麼能不容光煥發呢，尊者舍利弗！剛剛世尊才以甘露法，灌溉滋潤我的身心呢！」

「世尊用了什麼甘露法，灌溉滋潤你呢？老居士！」

於是，那拘羅老居士就將他見佛陀的經過，轉述了一遍。

尊者舍利弗聽了之後，就問老居士說：

「那你何不繼續問佛陀，什麼情況是心隨著身體生病而生病？什麼情況是心不隨著身體生病而生病？」

「大德！我沒有那樣細膩的思辨能力，去繼續追問佛陀。但願尊者，為我詳加解說。」

「善哉！老居士！請你仔細聽，我來為你說明：


什麼情況是心隨著身體生病而生病？

不曾聽聞正法的愚癡凡夫，對屬於物質類身體的生起、消失、味著、禍患、出離不能如實知；不如實知的緣故，對身體產生了貪愛樂著，而導致或以為這些物質類的身體就是我生命的主體，要不然，就以為我生命中另有主體，身體是屬於那個主體的，而執著它。所以，當它發生變化了，敗壞了，心就會隨著受到牽動，而生起憂、悲、惱、苦、恐怖、顧念、不捨、障礙了。

同樣的道理，對於感受、想像、意志、識別等，生命的其他組成也是這樣，一旦以為其中之一是不變的我，或者在其中含有不變的我，或者以為那是不變我的一部分，或是屬於不變我所有的，只要以為生命中有一種不變的我，為生命的主體，其結果就必然是：身苦時，心也苦。

什麼情況是心不隨著身體生病而生病？

聖者的學生，多聽聞正法，對屬於物質類身體的生起、消失、味著、禍患、出離如實了知；如實了知的緣故，對身體不會貪愛樂著，不會以為這物質類的身體，就是我生命的主體，也不會以為我生命中另有主體，身體是屬於那個主體的，所以，當它發生變化、敗壞了，心不會隨著受到牽動，就不會有憂、悲、惱、苦、恐怖、顧念、不捨、障礙了。

同樣的道理，對於感受、想像、意志、識別等，生命的其他組成也是這樣，不認為生命中有不變我的主體，所以，當身苦時，心不會苦。」

聽了尊者舍利弗這一番解說，那拘羅老居士有深徹的理解與體悟，當下證得法眼淨：見法、得法、知法、入法，不再需要靠別人而能解決自己的疑惑，於正法中，心不再畏懼。就從座位上站起來，整理好衣服，恭敬地合掌，對尊者舍利弗說：

「大德！我已經證悟，得到超越與度脫。現在，我歸依佛、法、僧眾，為佛弟子，請當我的見證人。我從現在起，終身歸依三寶。」
Afflicted In Body But Not In Mind

On one occasion, the Buddha was dwelling in a mountain in the suburb of Rajagaha in Magadha. His foot had been cut by a stone splinter and caused severe physiological pains. But the Buddha was mindful and clearly comprehending, silently endured the bodily pain without arising vexation.

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On one occasion, the Buddha was in Vajji located on the north shore, in the lower-stream of the Ganges River for travel and teaching. He was dwelling in a forest of Bhesakala Mountain where deer were running around.

On that day, the 120-year-old householder Nakulapita arrived at the Buddha’s residence, after paying homage, he told the Buddha:

“The World Respected One! I am old, afflicted in body, often ill. I rarely get to see the World Respected One and the bhikkhus worthy of esteem, hence getting to see the World Respected One is not easy! Wish the World Respected One instruct me, that would lead to my welfare and happiness for a long time.”

“So it is, old householder! Just as you said that this body is afflicted, weighed down, encumbered. If anyone carrying around the body were to claim to be healthy even for a moment, what is that due to other than foolishness? Therefore, old householder! You should train yourself thus: “Even though I am afflicted in body, my mind will be unafflicted.” Thus should you train yourself.”

After listening to the Buddha’s instruction, old householder Nakulapita was delighted, having paid homage to the Buddha and left.

At the time, the Venerable Sariputta was sitting under a tree not far away from the Buddha.

After bidding farewell to the Buddha, old householder Nakulapita happily came to see the Venerable Sariputta.

“Old householder! Your facial complexion is pure and bright. Did you get to hear a Dharma talk in the presence of the World Respected One?”

“How can my facial complexion not pure and bright, Venerable Sariputta! Just now I was anointed by The World Respected One with the ambrosia of a Dharma talk!

“With what kind of ambrosia of a Dharma talk did the World Respected One anoint you, old householder?”

Hence the old householder Nakulapita repeated his entire conversation with the Buddha.

After listening, the Venerable Sariputta asked the old householder:

“Nakulapita! Didn’t it occur to you to question The World Respected One further as to how one is afflicted in body and afflicted in mind, and how one is afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind?”

“Bhikkhu! I am unable to question further, wish the Venerable could clear up the meaning of this statement for me.”

“Very well! Old householder! Please listen and attend closely, I will speak:

How is one afflicted in body and afflicted in mind?

Here the uninstructed worldly who is not a seer of the noble ones and is unskilled and undisciplined in their Dharma, unable to truly understand the arise, passing away, attachment, disaster and separation of the form body; as result, regards from as self, or self as possessing form, or form as in self, or self as in form. He lives obsessed by the notions: I am form, form is mine. As he lives obsessed by these notions that form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there arise in him worry, sorrow, lamentation, suffer, strike with horror, attend to, accept and obstacle.

Similarly, regarding feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness are the same, once regards such as self, or self as possessing, or I am such or such is mine; as long as there is an unchanged “self” as the subject of life, the outcome will be that when one is afflicted in body and is afflicted in mind.

How is one afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind?

Here the instructed noble disciple, who is a seer of the noble ones and is skilled and disciplined in their Dharma, able to truly understand the arise, passing away, attachment, disaster and separation of the form body; as result, does not regard from as self, or self as possessing, or form as in self, or self as in form. He does not live obsessed by the notions: I am form, form is mine. As he lives unobsessed by these notions that form of his changes and alters. With the change and alteration of form, there does not arise in him worry, sorrow, lamentation, suffer, strike with horror, attend to, accept and obstacle.

Similarly, regarding other components of life such as feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness are the same, one does not regard self, or self as possessing, or I am such or such is mine. As long as there is no unchanged “self” as the subject of life, the outcome must be that when one is afflicted in body but not afflicted in mind.”

After listening to the teachings of the Venerable Sariputta, the old householder Nakulapita had a deep understanding and realization. He immediately verified the Buddha Eyes: Seeing the Dharma, obtaining the Dharma, understanding the Dharma and entering the Dharma. He no longer requires assistance from other to resolve his doubt; he is in the right Dharma and no longer in doubt. He rose from his seat, arranged his clothes, joined palm in respect and told the Venerable Sariputta:

“Bhikkhu! I have verified and obtained transcend and liberation. Now, I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha and become a Buddhist disciple, please serve as my witness, from now on, I take refuge in the Three Jewels for life.”
  

按語：

一、 本則故事前段取材自《相應部第一相應第三八經》、《雜阿含第一二八九經》、《別譯雜阿含第二八七經》，後段取材自《相應部第二二相應第一經》、《雜阿含第一０七經》、《增一阿含第一三品第四經》?

二、為了方便說明、教導我們，佛陀將人的組成，歸類為物質、感受、想像、意志、識別等五種，經典中常簡為「色、受、想、行、識」，並將之合稱為「五蘊」、「五陰」。又，為了表示人們強烈的執著慣性，也稱為「五取蘊」、「五受陰」（參考《雜阿含第五八經》）。

三、在印度傳統的文化與宗教思想中，認為生命中應有一個不變的主體：在個人，稱之為「我」；在宇宙中，稱之為「梵」。這種思想，除了佛教之外，也普遍存在世界其它的宗教文化中，可以說是人性中的共通執著。佛陀從他的證悟中，指出「我」是一種根本不存在的錯誤，執著這種錯誤，成為眾生流轉生死，煩惱痛苦的關鍵。所以，破除「我」，就成了佛陀所教導的核心修行科目了。而從五蘊中，觀察、體證其中不存在任何形式的「我」，是破除「我」的修行方法之一。

四、生起、消失、味著、禍患、出離，經文中作：集、滅、味、患、離。其完整的內容，應當是「苦、集、滅、道、味、患、離」，也就是《雜阿含第四二經》所說的「七處善」。這是以苦、集、滅、道等「四聖諦」為核心的開展。

五、生理上的衰弱與病痛，老年人是更有機會，也更能深刻體會的。那拘羅老居士能很快地在尊者舍利弗的解說下證悟，佛陀的應機說法，是個重要的因素。

六、痛苦，是一種不舒服的感受，經中也稱為「苦受」。生理的痛，為身體非自主神經的一種警示機制，是難以避免的，佛陀也不例外。心理的苦，主要是源於「我」的執著。例如：希望「我所擁有的」周遭一切，包括肉體與精神，自身與他人，都要依著我的意思來運作，十足展現了貪愛的特性。這是可以經由修學來止息與超越的，這就是故事的主題：「身苦心不苦」了。

七、《雜阿含第四七０經》、《相應部第三六相應第六經》，對身苦與心苦，用了一個很貼切的譬喻：身苦，就像中了第一支毒箭。如果身苦心也苦，那就像又中了第二支毒箭，苦上加苦。所以，當有病痛時，我們要這樣想：中了一支毒箭已經很不幸了，還要再繼續中第二支嗎？怎能不「身苦心不苦」呢！

八、有時，看到一些學佛的朋友，報告他們「身苦心不苦」的心得，所用的方法，是將身體病痛部分，假想成第二者或第三者來觀察。如胃痛，就假想將胃獨立出去，不當成是自己的一部分，擬成「你這個胃」來觀察，看「你」要怎麼痛，與他客氣對話。這樣的方法，似乎也能達到不錯的對治效果。不過，使用這假想法觀察時，應當要注意不要讓那「觀察者」，在不知不覺中，又成為「我」的另一種變型才好，因為，只要執著於任何型態的「我」，痛苦煩惱與執著，就又會換個面貌悄悄地跟著來 。
Notes:

1. The first part of this story was derived from Samyukttagama Nikaya 1st, Nikaya 38th Sutra; Samyutagama 1289th Sutra; Other Translation Samyutagama 287th Sutra; the latter part of the story was derived from Samyukttagama Nikaya 22nd, Nikaya 1st Sutra; Samyutagama 107th Sutra and Ekottarikagama 4th Sutra, Chapter 13.

2. The Buddha, for the convenience of explanation, categorized the composition of the body as five kinds: the substance form body, feeling, thinking, will and identification. They were abbreviated in the sutras as “form, sensation, perception, volition and consciousness.” They also called “The Five Skandhas” or “The Five Aggregates”, which also called as “The five skandhas that is mistakenly attached to” and “the five aggregates that is mistakenly attached to” to reflect the strong habitual attachment by people. (See Samyuktagama 58th Sutra.).

3. In the traditional cultural and religious thinking of India, it considers that there should be a fixed subject in life: In the individual, it is called “self”; in the universe, it is called “Brahman”. Such thought commonly exists in other religious cultures in the world; it also can be said that it is a common attachment of human nature. In his verification and awakening, the Buddha pointed out that the thought of “self” is a mistake that should not have existed, attached to such mistake is the key to vexation and suffering, resulting the transmigration of life and death of the sentient beings. Therefore, eradicating “self” become the core of practice in the Buddha’s teachings. Observing and verification the non-existence of any forms in the five skandhas is one of the methods in eradicating of “self”.

4. Arising, passing away, attachment, the danger and the escape in the text of sutra as: arising, cessation, attaching, danger and escape. Its complete contents should be “suffering, arising, cessation, the way leading to its cessation, attachment, danger and escape”, which is the “seven cases” in Samyuktagama 42nd Sutra. This is the unfolding of the core of the Four Noble Truth” of suffering arising, cessation, the way leading to its cessation, attachment, danger and escape.

5. The elderly is particularly susceptible to and experienced in the physiological weakening and illness. Old householder Nakulapita was able to verify awakening swiftly under the explanation of the venerable Sariputta, the Buddha’s teaching of the Dharma for the occasion should have been an important factor.

6. Pain -- “sensation of suffering”-- in the text, is an uncomfortable feeling. Physiological pain is an alarm mechanism of the non-autonomic nervous system in the body, it is unavoidable, even the Buddha cannot escape from it. The origination of psychological suffering mainly generated from the misconception of and the attachment to the “self”. For instance, wishing “to possess” everything surrounding, including the mind and body, self and other; everything must operate in accordance with my will; these are the perfect illustrations of the characteristics of greed. This can be transcended and brought about the cessation through practice. Once transcended, the “Afflicted in body but not in mind” can be achieved.

7. As the metaphor in the story “Shot Consecutively by Two Poisonous Arrows”, body affliction is like being shot by the first poisonous arrow, if body and mind are afflicted, it will be just like being shot again by the second poisonous arrow, which doubled the suffering. Therefore when suffers from illness and pain, we should contemplate: It is unfortunately being shot by the first poisonous arrow, do we want to being shot again by the second one? How can we achieve the “body afflicted but not the mind.”!

8. On some occasions, I have witnessed certain Buddhist friends who reported their experience in “Body afflicted but not the mind”. Their method was imaging the inflicted pain was suffered by the second or a third person. If it was stomach ache, then imaging the stomach as an independence body, separated it from part of his body, imaged it as “you the stomach” for observation, to observe how “you” develops the pain; and talk cordially with it. Such action seemed to have produced some treatment effects. However, when employing such imaginary method for observation, attention should be paid to the “observer” who might inadvertently become another transformation of “self”, as long as the “self” is attached to any type of form, suffering, vexation and attachment, it will change its appearance and quietly creeps up again.