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以欲愛斷欲愛

有一次，尊者阿難住在拘睒彌城東南的瞿師羅園，有一位婆羅門來園裡問他說：

「阿難道友！你以什麼目的，要跟在沙門瞿曇的門下修學呢？」 「婆羅門！是為了斷欲的緣故。」 「阿難道友！斷欲，有方法嗎？」 「婆羅門！是有方法的。」

「阿難道友！什麼方法呢？」

「婆羅門！比丘以欲求、精勤、攝心、觀照之堅定意志努力修行禪定，並且以修得的禪定力為基礎，開發超越常人的神通，可以依此為斷欲的方法。」

「阿難道友！照你這樣說，豈不是陷入了無止境的循環嗎？修學的欲求也是欲，這豈不是想以欲求來斷欲愛，這樣的說法沒道理！」

「婆羅門！讓我來問你，請你照實回答。

你認為如何？婆羅門！在來這裡之前，你是不是先有來這裡的欲求？但到了這裡以後，這種欲求就不需要而消失了，不是嗎？」 「是的，道友！」

「在來這裡之前，你所激起想來這裡的精勤，到了這裡以後，這種精勤就不需要而消失了，不是嗎？」 「是的，道友！」

「在來這裡之前，你起了決定來這裡的心念，到了這裡以後，這種心念就不需要而消失了，不是嗎？」 「是的，道友！」

「在來這裡之前，你所做要不要來這裡的觀照，到了這裡以後，這種觀照就不需要而消失了，不是嗎？」 「是的，道友！」

「這道理是完全相同的，婆羅門！一位成就阿羅漢的比丘，他的煩惱已經完全掃除了，清淨聖潔的人生已經確立，應該作的都做了，他卸下了煩惱的重擔，達成了自己的目標，全然地摧毀了輪迴而生的束縛，而在最後的正覺中解脫了，此時，他先前想要成就阿羅漢的欲求消失了，先前所激起要成就阿羅漢的精勤消失了，先前決心要成就阿羅漢的心念消失了，先前所做要成就阿羅漢的觀照，也消失了。

婆羅門！你說這樣會陷入無止境的循環嗎？」 「阿難道友！這樣的情況當然是有止境的，不是無止境的。

真是太偉大了，阿難道友！從今日起，請為我終生的歸依作見證。」

※ ※ ※

另一次，尊者阿難住在拘睒彌城東南的瞿師羅園，有一位愛慕尊者阿難的比丘尼，對尊者阿難有裸露身體的性暗示，尊者阿難立即轉身避開，以示拒絕。

尊者阿難即時的斷然拒絕，使得比丘尼感到慚愧而向他懺悔。尊者阿難因而對她說：

「姊妹！我們的身體依賴著食物、愛欲、我慢的支持，但要斷除食物的依賴，還得靠食物，斷除愛欲的依賴，還得靠愛欲，斷除我慢的依賴，還得靠我慢。姊妹！我們的身體從男女的性行為而來，但世尊教導我們，必須斷絕任何會導致男女性行為的橋樑。

姊妹！怎樣是依著食物來斷除對食物的依賴？當在進食的時候，要這樣思惟：進食不是為了享樂，不是為了解癮，也不是為了身材的豐滿迷人、窈窕美麗，而是單純地為了維持身體，為了活命，為了治療飢渴之病，為了能達清淨聖潔人生的修行之緣故，就像運貨的人，以油酯潤滑車子，只是為了運貨；皮膚病的患者塗藥，只是為了治病，而不是為了享樂、解癮、好看與吸引人，所以，在先前的飢餓感消失後，不要再貪佞地製造出想吃的感覺，而導致吃得過飽，應當要自我警覺地保持著不盲目、健康地生活，待日後清淨聖潔的修行成就，不必再生死流轉時，就斷除了對食物的依賴了，這就是依食斷食。

姊妹！怎樣是依著愛欲來斷除愛欲？當聽到某位尊者，或某位尊者的弟子斷除了所有的煩惱，成就解脫後，心生嚮往，愛樂於趣向解脫的修學，因而日後修學成就，斷除所有的煩惱而解脫，這就是依愛斷愛。

姊妹！怎樣是依著我慢來斷除我慢？當聽到某位尊者，或某位尊者的弟子斷除了所有的煩惱，成就解脫後，心想：那位尊者可以成就解脫，為什麼我不能！因而激發趣向解脫的修學，日後終於修學成就，斷除所有的煩惱而解脫，這就是依慢斷慢。」

聽了尊者阿難的這番教說，這位比丘尼遠塵離垢，得法眼淨，起身頂禮尊者阿難之足，對尊者阿難懺悔說：

「大德！現在，我對自己剛才的愚癡、不入流的舉動，真誠地表白懺悔，請求尊者阿難的原諒。」

尊者阿難見證了她的懺悔，並勉勵她應當防護自己的行為，遵守佛陀所訂定的戒律。
Using Desire To Abandon Desire

On one occasion, the Venerable Ananda was dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita’s Park located in southeast of the city. Then one Brahmin came to the park and asked:

“Friend Ananda! “For what purpose are you studying under Ascetic Gotama?”

“Brahmin! It is for the sake of abandoning desire.”

“Friend Ananda! What is the way for the abandoning of this desire?”

“Brahmin! There is a way.”

“Friend Ananda! What is the way?”

“Brahmin! A bhikkhu develops the basis for spiritual power that possesses concentration due to desire, energy, mind, investigation and volitional formation of striving. Using the acquired concentration as basis, to develop supernatural power as the way for the abandoning of this desire.”

“Friend Ananda! Such being the case, the situation is interminable, not terminable. The desire for studying is also desire, it is impossible that one can abandon desire by means of desire itself.”

“Brahmin! I will question you about this matter. Answer as you see fit. What do you think, Brahmin, did you earlier have the desire, “I will go to the park”, and after you went to the park, did the corresponding desire subside?”

“Yes, friend!”

“Did you earlier arouse energy, thinking, “I will go to the park” and after you went to the park, did the corresponding energy subsided?”

“Yes, friend”

“Did you earlier make up your mind, “I will go to the park” and after you went to the park, did the corresponding resolution subsided?”

“Yes, friend.”

“Did you earlier make an investigation, “Shall I go to the park” and after you went to the park, did the corresponding investigation subside?”

“Yes, friend.”

“It is exactly the same, Brahmin, with a bhikkhu who is an arhat, one whose taints are destroyed, who has lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached his own goal, utterly destroyed the fetters of existence, and is completely liberated through final knowledge. He earlier had the desire of the attainment of arhatship, and when he attained arhatship, the corresponding desire subsided; the corresponding energy subsided; the corresponding resolution subsided and the corresponding investigation also subsided.

Brahmin! What do you think, such being the case, the situation terminable or interminable?”

“Ananda friend! Such being the case, the situation is terminable, not interminable. Magnificent, Ananda friend! From today let Ananda friend remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

***** ***** *****

On one occasion, the Venerable Ananda was dwelling at Kosambi in Ghosita’s Park located in the southeast of the city. Then one admiring bhikkhuni exposed herself to flirt with the Venerable Ananda. The Venerable Ananda immediately turned away to express his disapproval.

The Venerable Ananda’s immediate and flatly refusal causing the bhikkhuni felt shameful, consequently replanted to him. The Venerable thus told her:

“Sister! Our body relies on food, desire and arrogance to support, but must rely on food to abandon the food dependency, must rely on desire to abandon the desire dependency and must rely on arrogance to abandon the arrogance dependency. Sister! Our body is derived form the sexual behavior of man and woman, but The World Respected One teaches us that we must abandon the bridge which leading to the sexual behavior of man and woman.

Sister! What does it mean by relying upon food to abandon the food dependency? When we eat, we should contemplate: Eating is not for enjoyment, not for addiction, nor for building an attractive figure; it is simply for supporting the body, for maintaining life, for healing the illness of hunger and thirsty, and for the practice of attaining pure and holy life; just like the mover who grease the cart merely for transporting the goods; a skin disease patient applying ointment merely for the healing instead of for enjoyment, addiction, good looking and attractive. Therefore, as the hungry sensation dissipated, do not greedily create appetite, resulting overeating; one should maintain self-alertness and smartly pursuing a healthy life, after the attainment of pure and holy life, no longer transmigrating in life and death, hence the food dependency is abandoned. This is relying upon food to abandon food.

Sister! What is relying upon desire to abandon desire? After learning certain venerable or disciples of the venerable completely abandoned vexation and achieved liberation, one contemplated: That venerable can achieve liberation why can’t I? Thus aroused the practice destines to liberation, finally accomplished through practice, severed all vexation and attained liberation. This is relying on desire to abandon desire.

Sister! What is relying on arrogance to abandon arrogance? After learning certain venerable or disciples of the venerable completely abandoned vexation, achieved liberation, then contemplate: That venerable can achieve liberation, why can’t I? Thus aroused the practice destines to liberation, finally accomplished through practice, severed all vexation and attained liberation. This is relying upon arrogance to abandon arrogance.

After listening to the teachings of the Venerable Ananda, the bhikkhuni departed from defilement, obtained Pure Dharma Eye, she rose from her seat and prostrated to the feet of the Venerable Ananda, sincerely expressed her repent:

“Bhikkhu! Now, I truly express my repent for my ignorance and undignified action. Please pardon me.”

The Venerable Ananda witnessed her repent, and encouraged her to guard against her action to abide by the precepts set forced by the Buddha.

按語：

一、本則故事前段取材自《相應部第五一相應第一五經》，後段取材自《雜阿含第五六四經》、《增支部第四集第一五九經》。另，《增壹阿含第四三品第六經》中佛陀亦有「依驕慢滅驕慢」之語。

二、前段故事，有助於對後段故事的理解，但北傳的《阿含經》無。

三、依欲斷欲、依愛斷愛，所依的欲與愛，都是指「善法欲」、「善法愛」，而不包括男女之欲、男女之愛。「必須斷絕任何會導致男女性行為的橋樑」，《雜阿含第五六四經》放在「依愛斷愛」一段，顯得唐突，今依《增支部第四集第一五九經》之說，放在尊者阿難一開始教說之處，為尊者阿難引佛陀的教誡，對那位比丘尼表明應當遵守佛陀戒律，斷絕任何會導向男女性交的「橋樑」，也就是應該避開任何可能導致發生男女性關係的情境。

四、男女之欲，是欲界眾生的本能，雖不能說是惡，但確實是源於我執、我愛的產物，是不得解脫的障礙之一，所以，印順法師說：「初果、二果的在家聖者，依然能生男育女。如離欲界煩惱，進得三果，那在家也不再有淫念了。如得四果，雖然年富力壯，女性不再有月經（身體健康正常）；男性也不會夢遺不淨。出家的可得四果，在家可得三果。在家而得四果，那就不是當下涅槃，就一定出家了。」（《華雨集(五)》第二五一頁）

五、依佛陀律制，出家者在物質上不作私有的蓄集，情感上不作家庭的佔有，所以要斷除男女欲愛，這樣，就斷除了男女之間可能有的任何糾紛與困擾，而能專注於解脫的修學了，這是少欲知足的嚴格標準，同時也暗示了男女之欲對解脫的障礙特性，因此，隨順於佛陀時代教化的純正佛法，是不能同意以任何形式的男女之欲作為修行方法的。

Notes:

1. The first part of this story was derived from Samyuktta-nikaya 51th, Nikaya 15th Sutra, latter part of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 564th Sutra and Volume IV, Anguttaka-nikaya 159th Sutra. Text in Ekottarikagama 6th Sutra, Chapter 43 also documented the Buddha’s saying, “rely on arrogance to abandon arrogance”.

2. The first part of the story has contributed to the understanding of the latter part of the story; but it was not found in the Agama Sutras of the northern transmitted Buddhism.

3. The desire and craving indicted in “rely upon desire to abandon desire, rely upon craving to abandon craving” is the “desire for wholesome Dharma” and the “craving for wholesome Dharma” which exclude the desire and craving found between man and woman. It would appear brusque by putting “must abandon the bridge leading to any sexual behaviors of man and woman” (Samyuktagama 564th Sutra) in the paragraph of “rely upon craving to abandon craving”, hence this writing inscribes, in the beginning of the teachings from the Venerable Ananda, the texts from Volume IV, Anguttaka-nikaya 159th Sutra for him to cite the Buddha’s instruction and made known to the bhikkhuni to abide by the precepts set force by the Buddha, to abandon the “bridge” leading to any sexual intercourse. It also indicates that one should avoid any situations that might lead to sexual relationship between man and woman.

4. The lust of man and woman is an instinct of the sentient beings in the Desire Realm, although it is not unwholesome, but it indeed is the product originated from self-attachment and self-love, which is one of the obstacles for liberation. Therefore, the Venerable Yin Shun said: “the householder sages who achieved the First Fruition and the Second Fruition can bear offspring. If one is able to leave behind vexations in the Desire Realm, attained the Third Fruition; the lust will subside even being a householder. If gaining the Fourth Fruition, even though the individual is in prime age, the female will not have menstruation under normal health conditions, and the male will not have the defilement of nocturnal emission. Under such circumstances, the monastic can attain the Fourth Fruition; and the householder can obtain the Third Fruition. If a householder attained the Fourth Fruition, he is either entering nirvana or must have become a monastic. (Hua Yu Collections (V), p251)

5. According to the precept put forced by the Buddha, a monastic is not allow to have any private materials, nor emotional attachment to family, hence must abandon the desire and lust between man and woman. As such, one will be able to abandon any possible dispute and confusion between man and woman, and focus upon liberation practice. This is a stringent standard for achieving lesser desire and content. In the meantime, it also suggests the obstructive characteristics of the desire between man and woman toward liberation; hence, to conform to the instruction of pure dharma during the Buddha’s time, using any forms of desire between man and woman as means for practice is unacceptable.