Visuddhimagga XIII-26

Evaṃ karonto hi seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso kūṭāgārakaṇṇikatthāya mahārukkhaṃ chindanto sākhāpalāsacchedanamatteneva pharasudhārāya vipannāya mahārukkhaṃ chindituṃ asakkontopi dhuranikkhepaṃ akatvāva kammārasālaṃ gantvā tikhiṇaṃ pharasuṃ kārāpetvā puna āgantvā chindeyya, puna vipannāya ca punapi tatheva kāretvā chindeyya.

譬如强人,为了要取造宫殿所需的栋梁而伐大树,只砍下枝叶,便坏了斧口的锋刃,不能再伐大树,但他并不放弃工作,跑到铁匠的屋内,把斧头整理锐利之后,回来再伐;若再坏了,亦同样的再修再伐。

Ñ(XIII,26): Just as when a strong man is felling a big tree for the purpose of making the peak of a gable, but is unable to fell the big tree with an axe blade blunted by lopping the branches and foliage, still he does not give up the task; on the contrary, he goes to a smithy and has his axe sharpened, after which he returns and continues chopping the tree; and when the axe again gets blunt, he does as before and continues chopping it;



So evaṃ chindanto chinnassa chinnassa puna chetabbābhāvato acchinnassa ca chedanato nacirasseva mahārukkhaṃ pāteyya,

他这样伐时,已伐的部分不必再伐,只伐其未伐的部分,不久之后,便伐倒大树了。

Ñ: and as he goes on chopping it in this way, the tree falls at length, because each time there is no need to chop again what has already been chopped and what has not yet been chopped gets chopped;



evamevaṃ pādakajjhānā vuṭṭhāya pubbe āvajjitaṃ anāvajjitvā paṭisandhimeva āvajjanto nacirasseva paṭisandhiṃ ugghāṭetvā cutikkhaṇe pavattitanāmarūpaṃ ārammaṇaṃ kareyyāti.

同样的,这样努力的比丘,从基础禅出定,以前已能忆念的不必再念,只忆念结生,不久之后,便能离去结生,以前生的死的剎那所行的名色为所缘了。

Ñ: so too, when he emerges from the basic jhāna, instead of adverting to what he has already adverted to, he should advert only to the rebirth-linking, and at length he removes the rebirth-linking and makes the mentality-materiality that occurred at the death moment his object.



Kaṭṭhaphālakakesohārakādīhipi ayamattho dīpetabbo.

此义亦可用樵夫及理发师的譬喻来说明。

Ñ: And this meaning should also be illustrated by means of the wood cutter and the hair-cutter as well.



Visuddhimagga XIII-25

Yasmā pana purimabhave nāmarūpaṃ asesaṃ niruddhaṃ aññaṃ uppannaṃ, tasmā taṃ ṭhānaṃ āhundarikaṃ andhatamamiva hoti duddasaṃ duppaññena.

前生的名色既已无余的坏灭,而生起了其它的(名色),所以那(前生的)处所是阻障如黑暗的、劣慧之人是非常难见的。

Ñ(XIII,25): But the mentality-materiality in the previous existence has ceased without remainder and another has arisen, and consequently that instance is, as it were, shut away in darkness, and it is hard for one of little understanding to see it.



Tenāpi ‘‘na sakkomahaṃ paṭisandhiṃ ugghāṭetvā cutikkhaṇe pavattitanāmarūpamārammaṇaṃ kātu’’nti dhuranikkhepo na kātabbo.

然而他们(劣慧者)不应说「我离去结生而取前生的死的剎那所行的名色为所缘是不可能的」而断绝他的忆念。

Ñ: Still he should not give up the task, thinking 'I am unable to remove the rebirth-linking and make the mentality-materiality that occurred at the death moment my object'.



Tadeva pana pādakajjhānaṃ punappunaṃ samāpajjitabbaṃ.

他们应该数数入基础禅,

Ñ: On the contrary, he should again and again attain that same basic jhāna,



Tato ca vuṭṭhāya vuṭṭhāya taṃ ṭhānaṃ āvajjitabbaṃ.

再再出定而忆念那(前生的)处所。

Ñ: and each time he emerges he should advert to that instance.



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Acknowledgment: Thanks to Buddhist Publication Society (BPS) and Venerable Nyanatusita for allowing me to use the English translation of the Visuddhimagga (The Path Of Purification) by Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa, translated from the Pāḷi by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, as part of a combined Chinese English translation.

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