Cognition and Expression Part One

认知与表达（一）

Cognition and Expression Part One

禅七的第一天开始了。大家今天打了一天座。第一天打坐，对于经常修行和经常参加禅七的人会感觉很舒服。假如周围都没有人来干扰，那是很舒服的。但对刚刚开始打坐的人，突然进行密集型的打坐，即使是一天五、六座（一天下来有五、六座，正规的禅七有十一座），也会感到很难受，浑身疼。

The Seven-day Chan meditation retreat has started, and participants have already immersed themselves in a full day of meditation. For seasoned practitioners and retreat veterans, the first day often carries a sense of comfortable familiarity. With minimal external distractions, it can be a truly peaceful experience. However, for newcomers venturing into the realm of intensive meditation, even the seemingly modest schedule of five or six sessions (comprising a full Chan retreat's eleven sessions) can be surprisingly challenging, leading to various bodily discomforts.

 

真正出家人的禅七，并不会像我们这样晚上花两个小时进行交流，但居士可以利用这段时间进行交流，一方面可以听到一些佛法的知识，另一方面可以缓解一下屁股疼、腰疼。

In retreats for ordained monks, they do not have evening talks like we do. But for us as lay practitioners, these talks are a great chance to learn about Buddhism and give our tired bottoms and backs a break from all the sittings.

 

无论如何，大家要坚持禅修。我们的禅七，会从现在的一个禅七逐渐发展成以后的两到三个禅七，而且规矩越来越严格。在这个过程中，会大浪淘沙，该走的都走了，剩下的那些人，如果能够坚持认认真真地去打每一个禅七，会出具体什么结果就不知道了，但应该是很好的结果。

Even when things get tough, sticking with Chan retreats is key for everyone. Our seven-day retreat now will lead to longer ones, maybe fourteen or twenty-one days, with stricter rules. This will naturally weed out those who cannot stay on track. For those who stick with it and give each retreat their all, the exact results are unknown, but they will definitely be good!

 

每一次禅七的第一天或者连续好几天，我都会讲一些似乎与要讲的经论不是直接相关的话题，比如佛法与生活、工作、快乐、幸福的关系等等。这次也不另外，讲的主题是“认知与表达“。

During the first day or the first few days of the Chan retreat, I explore themes that may seem less immediately relevant to the main text but offer valuable insights into Buddhism's connection to everyday life. Continuing in this tradition, our focus for this retreat is "Cognition and Expression."

 

这是一个很大的题目。现在所谓的认知科学非常发达，是一门囊括很多学科和具有高度综合性和系统性的科学。它跟我们学佛有什么关系呢？有很大的关系。比如现在的ChatGPT（AI聊天生成预训练模型机器），关于它是否具有有情生命一样的认知力，对此有很大的争论。如果承认AI有人类一样的认知力，那学佛的人就很傻，整个佛法会被推翻。

The expansive field of cognitive science, with its diverse disciplines and rigorous research, offers fascinating insights for our Buddhist practice. Consider the ongoing debate around AI's potential for sentience, exemplified by ChatGPT. Recognizing human-like cognitive abilities in AI could profoundly impact Buddhist wisdom and even challenge core doctrines.

 

有人会问：“真会这样吗？”真的会的。最近遇到一位硅谷很出名的量子物理学家，他专门给Google等很多大公司提供量子力学方面的科技咨询，是一位真正的大科学家。他最近跑到我这里来问，说他之前是坚定的佛教徒，但现在怀疑AI会不会有一天制造出人类一样的认知？我们当时互相进行了辩论，由于语言不通，我说的是中文，他说的是英文，我女儿通过ipad来进行远程视频翻译。因此，双方没法就这个问题很深入地探讨下去，不过，到最后他基本上还是认同一些佛教的说法。

Would anyone ask, "Could AI ever think like us?" The question seemed unthinkable, a mere hypothetical. But that is exactly what happened. It was brought up with me recently by none other than a prominent quantum physicist in Silicon Valley. This esteemed scientist, a key consultant on quantum mechanics for giants like Google. He used to be a strong believer in Buddhism, but now he's not so sure. He wonders if machines could learn to think like humans, truly feel, and understand the world as we do. We debated, but language was a barrier. Though my daughter was trying to bridge by remote translation through an iPad, we could not go too deep. Nevertheless, we found common ground in some Buddhist principles by the end.

 

通过科技制能否造出人类那样天生的认知？如果承认，学佛的理论会被连根拔起，彻底推翻。这个导致的结果是什么？以我为主的，不管坐在上面还是下面的，全都是傻瓜。就会变成学佛就是一个很愚痴的行为，搞科学才是真理之路。但事实是这样吗？不是的。

If AI could have human-like innate cognitive abilities, it would shake up the very core of Buddhist teachings, maybe even rewrite them entirely. All followers of the Buddha, both those who guide and those who seek guidance, are foolish. This could lead people to believe that scientific pursuits hold the sole key to truth, diminishing the value of Buddhist practice. But that's not true.

 

为什么会认同呢？因为，一定程度上，我们双方都认同AI不是有情的认知能力，而是计算能力。现代认知科学很复杂，它有很多不同的派别、不同的专家，并没有形成一个完整的公认的大系统。认知科学中的一个派别认为：人类的大脑的认知和计算机一样。实际上不是的，人类的认知很多时候不是计算，我们的觉照能力就不是计算。当然，说实话，佛法修行人要说服非佛教徒有点困难，因为那些都带有论证的。但佛教徒有个非常简单的方式，可以一下论证认知不是计算机的活动，是什么呢？禅定。禅定达到一定深度的时候，物理现象会消失。

We found common ground on certain Buddhist principles because we both believe that AI lacks the same cognitive abilities as humans. Modern cognitive science is indeed complex, with diverse schools of thought and experts, and no single universally accepted overarching system. While some compare brain function to computers, human cognition involves aspects like awareness and intuition that go beyond mere computation. Honestly, bridging the gap between Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspectives on consciousness can be a complex endeavor, often requiring rigorous logical analysis and reasoning. Yet, Buddhism offers a straightforward way to experience that human cognition is not simply a computational activity: meditation. When meditation reaches a certain depth, physical phenomena may fade away, offering a direct, personal experience beyond the limitations of computational models.

 

对佛教徒而言，这个问题是很好证明的，可以通过中观和唯识就可以解决。为什么呢？因为物质是可以被分空的，物质本体都不成立，怎么可能聚合起来形成认知力呢？这很容易理解。但是，如果你对非佛教徒，或者学佛学得不深的或不学五部大论的佛教徒解释，那是挺麻烦的，说不清楚。

For many Buddhists, this question finds a clear answer through the Madhyamaka and Yogacara. These doctrines point out that matter is empty by nature. If its essence does not exist, how could matter then aggregate to form cognitive faculties? While this concept resonates readily with some Buddhists, explaining it to those outside the Buddhist context or with limited knowledge of its teachings as the Five Great Treatises can be challenging.

 

佛教徒还可以非逻辑性地证明认知力并非是物理运动，其中最好的方式是禅定。有些师兄定力达到一定程度时，物质现象会消失，身体感受没有了，眼睛不看了，耳朵不听了，只剩下单纯的认知力，但那还不是真正的证悟，是一种很深的阿赖耶识状态。

Beyond logical arguments, Buddhists offer meditation as a powerful avenue for exploring the non-computational nature of cognition. Experienced practitioners, at advanced stages of their practice, may find that physical experiences fade away. Bodily sensations, sight, and hearing fade away, leaving behind a state of pure awareness. It's important to note, however, that this is not true enlightenment, but rather a deep meditative state within the Alayavijnana.

 

我们经常会说一句佛经里的话“一切境相由心现”，通俗地讲就是说所有现象是心显现出来的。这句话是一种可以通过中观、唯识推演出来的逻辑或哲学的表述。在此，我不用再重复解释一下这句话的真实性吧？否则，我们要再学一遍中观，那要花很长的时间。大家只要记住“一切境相由心现”这个结论就行了，当然也可以通过逻辑去推演，但要实现的话，去打坐就行了。打坐到了一定的时候，比如修四夺，夺到很深的程度、安住到很深的程度，身体的感受，眼睛看的、耳朵听的会消失。消失到很深的时候，物理现象会没有了，那时候会剩下很单纯的认知力，彻底可以证明：“精神是物质运动组合造成的”这个理论是错误的，因为物质消失了，精神还在。

The Buddhist phrase, "All phenomena arise from the mind," whispers a profound truth: everything we perceive is just a projection of the mind. It's a statement that resonates both logically and philosophically, explored in depth by Madhyamaka and Yogacara. While delving into the intricacies of their arguments would be a time-consuming detour, the core message remains simple: our experience of reality is fundamentally shaped by our minds. This truth isn't just intellectual. It can be directly experienced through meditation, particularly practices like the Four-Negation meditation. As you meditate to a certain point, bodily sensations, sight, and hearing will gradually fade away. When this state is deepened, all physical phenomena vanish, leaving behind the pure awareness. This effectively disproves the theory that "mind is a result of material movement" because after the material phenomena disappeared, the mind is still there.

 

但是，这种方法只适合一些资深的佛教徒。如果你对他说“世界是物质的”，他只能无奈地看你一眼，会觉得你很傻，懒得跟你理论。关键是我们现在要通过禅定的方式去告诉没有禅定的人，身体是可以消失的，眼睛是可以不看的，物理现象消失以后心还能够认知，他会相信你吗？他没办法相信你。这个在传统中国文化中叫“夏虫不可以语冰”，这个说法太文艺了，说得流行点叫“白天不懂夜的黑”。没办法，因为他没有这样的体受，很难用现量去说服他，这时候只能用比量。既然要用比量，那只能学中观和唯识，而他又不去学，那怎么让他相信佛法是真的呢？

However, this method of using meditation is only suitable for some seasoned Buddhists. If you tell a seasoned Buddhist that "the world is material," he will only look at you helplessly, thinking you are naive, and will not bother to engage in a debate with you.

 

Imagine telling someone who's never seen snow that everything feels soft and cold when it falls. They might raise an eyebrow and think you're a bit fanciful. Explaining complex experiences like deep meditation can be similar.

 

For experienced meditators, the idea that the world unfolds within the mind feels as real as sunlight on their skin. But for newbies, it might sound strange, like "the body vanishes, and you see with your mind!" It's like sharing stories of a beautiful, hidden valley – those who've visited understand, but others need a different path to see its wonders. We need to find ways to spark curiosity. To help them intellectually understand that the world is not material through inferential inquiry, we can introduce them to Madhyamaka and Yogacara. Over time, they might lead someone to explore meditation for themselves, to discover their own hidden valley within. It's not about making them believe anything, but about opening a door to a new way of seeing the world. And who knows, maybe one day they'll tell us about their own magical stories from the depths of their minds!

 

很多人问：“你能告诉我轮回是真的吗？人死了以后真的什么都没有了？我们还会轮回吗？”这是学佛的一个关键性的问题。尽管他听过各种各样的说法，传说，或者开示，但他不见得真的相信。而关于这个问题的辩论和分析的焦点，落到最后是：轮回成立吗？真的有轮回吗？如果真的有轮回，那无论如何都要去学。如果没有轮回，那我们学佛就是傻瓜。

Many people on their Buddhist journey wonder: "Is this endless cycle of life and death we hear about, 'samsara,' real? Is there something after this life ends, or just nothing? Will we keep going through this cycle again and again?" These are big questions that naturally come up as we explore Buddhist teachings.

 

Some explanations might feel like stories or metaphors, and it's okay if complete belief doesn't come instantly. The important part is the core of the question: does samsara really exist? Is it something we need to understand and work with, or not?

 

If samsara is indeed real, then learning about it and finding ways out of its endless cycle becomes a natural priority. But if it's not, then studying Buddhism would be foolish.

 

轮回是否成立是一个焦点性的问题。它在佛法里面是如何得到解决的呢？解决的方式是闻思修，其中闻思是属于逻辑部分，修指的是要去现量证实。闻思这部分，如果要非佛教徒花大量的时间去学习五部大论，产生“轮回一定存在”的认知结果，是非常困难的。不要说非佛教徒，在座的佛教徒，有几位学完五部大论的？请举手！你只要举手，那就是大妄语。不要说学懂，你可能根本都没学过，包括我在内，都没有学完五部大论，为什么呢？我是在家人，戒律是不能学的，比如出家人的《四分律》。

The nature of samsara, the cycle of rebirth, is a topic that many Buddhists, and even non-Buddhists, ponder. Buddhism suggests exploring this question through various paths, including learning about Buddhist teachings, contemplating their meaning, and engaging in practices like meditation.

 

Studying complex texts like the Five Great Treatises can be quite challenging and often requires dedicated training and guidance. It's okay if we have not fully delved into such deep studies. On top of it, as lay practitioners, we are prohibited from studying certain disciplines, such as the "Four-division Vinaya" for monastics. However, the beauty of Buddhism lies in its diverse approaches, offering accessible practices and simpler explanations for everyone, regardless of background or level of study.

 

最近我跃跃欲试，准备拿来看，但其实这是不行的，因为在家人不能去看。不过，大体上，我已经知道里面的很多内容，比如出家人应该做什么，那是挺复杂的；还有，具足戒比丘有二百五十条，比丘尼有三百四十八条，看起来好像男女不平等。其实，戒律很多也很厉害，我都没学完。

Overall, Four-division Vinaya covers complex things such as what monastics should do. For example, there are 250 precepts for fully ordained monks and 348 for fully ordained nuns. These precepts are very powerful.

 

要一位非佛教徒去学完五部大论是非常不现实的，所以，没有五部大论作为基础，想在逻辑上相信轮回是成立的是很难的，因此，我们的修行是有意义的。

While delving into the Five Great Treatises can deepen our understanding of samsara, it's not always accessible to everyone. Luckily, diverse approaches like our Seven-day Chan meditation retreat offer valuable pathways for individuals seeking insights into samsara and beyond.

 

学佛面临一个现实的挑战：它动辄就要大家舍弃今生，发菩提心，利益众生，别人转头就会问你为什么？凭什么？轮回值几个钱？就像我们以前问道德值几个钱是一样的。这会很麻烦，你没办法有结论。

Embarking on the Buddhist path presents significant challenges. The concepts of detachment, bodhicitta, and samsara can seem abstract and distant from our everyday realities. It's completely understandable to have questions like, "Why should I make sacrifices for something intangible?" or "How can I believe in a cycle of rebirth that I can't see?"

 

Instead of framing these questions as obstacles, consider them as natural steppingstones on your journey. The beauty of the Buddhist path lies in its exploration, not in immediate answers. As you delve deeper, the concepts may unfold organically through practice and personal experiences.

 

Remember, Buddhism is not about sacrificing happiness, but about cultivating a transcendental happiness. It's not about giving up everything you have now, but about letting go of attachments that hold you back from experiencing the nectar-like Dharma that leads you to discover the ultimate truth.

 

那如何用简易的方式让普通人相信有轮回呢？我们可以通过“认知”这门学问，间接地、多角度地让一些不学佛的、无法学习五部大论的人，在一定程度上，相信有轮回。所以，我觉得研究“认知”这门学问是有意义的。

How can we make the concept of samsara more accessible to everyone? Cognitive science offers possibilities. This is the reason why we are now studying cognition to seek alternative perspectives on Buddhist concepts like samsara.

 

我打算花今天和明天两天的时间来探讨一下认知。因为这门学问的范畴太广，牵涉的东西太多，所以我只能依据佛法的哲学认知，对现代科技，特别是比较前沿的物理学得出的结论和佛法得出的结论进行一些对比、归纳和总结。接下来，我所讲的，很多都是概念性的东西，很深的，在禅七里面跟一些平常都不读书的人来说这些，我自己都觉得有点“牛对人弹琴”，也就是有点麻烦，不太好让人听懂。

I'm excited to spend the next two days exploring the fascinating realm of cognition, comparing how Buddhist philosophical insights and cutting-edge physics in areas like quantum mechanics offer different perspectives on this critical aspect of cognition. While translating such profound concepts for a diverse audience can be like composing a symphony for a first-time listener, I believe the potential for new understanding and shared learning makes it a worthwhile challenge. Let's embark on this intellectual journey together!

 

无论如何，我还是想讲一讲。虽然里面牵涉到很多的内容，综合了很多的问题，比如佛教里面的唯识、中观、如来藏，还有现代科学里面的现代物理学、现代数学、量子力学等很多的东西。我在科学这方面非常的欠缺，我只有结论，没有细节。别人给了一个结论，比如双缝实验、薛定谔的猫，我并没有学习过其中的细节。但对佛教方面我是有细节的，而大家对佛教的细节又不熟悉，现代物理、数学这方面，很多人也不熟悉。这些都牵涉到认知学里面的内容，要把这些内容强行让大家听懂，我觉得不是你们的错，而是我太天真。但为什么还是要这么做呢？我觉得有一定的意义，所以要简化，不要搞得那么复杂。

We will touch on Buddhist doctrines of Yogacara, Madhyamaka, and Tathagatagarbha, alongside modern science like physics, math, and quantum mechanics. I am not an expert on science – I grasp the big picture, not the intricate details. Like knowing about the double-slit experiment or Schrödinger's cat without digging into the nitty-gritty. On the Buddhist side, though, I'm well-versed. But even then, these concepts might be unfamiliar to you, and science-speak can baffle many. That is where cognitive science comes in – it bridges these diverse realms, shedding light on how we think and experience the world. It might seem daunting, but I believe the journey is worthwhile, even if it is not always a smooth path. So, bear with me as I try to unpack these ideas, stripping away the complexities and presenting them in a way that sparks curiosity, not confusion.

 

我一上来，似乎把大家说了一顿，似乎在说大家没有文化，不好意思，我绝对没有这个意思，只是很多时候，谈论这个话题往往绕不开这些现实的问题。不过，我把它简单化以后，至少能帮助你们在大的脉络上知道一个结论：佛教的认知方式和现代科技的认知方式是有差别的。不管现代的认知方式多复杂、多庞大，都逃不过基础的框架。

Even if I simplify it, it will at least help you understand one thing: Buddhism and modern science have different ways of understanding the world. No matter how complex and sophisticated modern science is it still falls within a basic framework.

 

比如，佛法有三藏十二部，其体量之大超乎想象，但归纳起来就是三转法轮。其中，二转法论所说的般若，复杂到不得了，但四个字就可以归纳了——“缘起性空”。所以，我们可以归纳性地稍微了解一下。里面的细节、逻辑的严密，有兴趣的师兄，可以深入学习，没有兴趣的，记住结论就行了。

The Buddhist canon, comprising the Three Pitikas and Twelve Categories of Buddhist Scripture, represents an unimaginable volume of texts. Nonetheless, it can be summarized as the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma. Of these, the Paramita of the second turning is extraordinarily complex, yet it can be succinctly captured in the phrase "Dependent Origination and Emptiness." Therefore, we can gain a general overview of this concept. Those who find it compelling can delve deeper, while others can simply remember the conclusion.

 

有时候，如果和佛教徒吵起来的话，你就可以拿着这些结论去怼他，可以起到这样的作用。不过，这样的作用，相当于我们刷小视频，被里面的一些乱七八糟的结论糊弄是一样的。小视频里面有很多说法，这样那样说了一大堆，比如让你“放下执著”，这个结论是对的，但关键是要怎么放下执著？小视频是不会告诉你的。再比如“你要打开心胸”，然后乱七八糟说了一通，关键是怎么打开心胸它不说！拿菜刀啊？小视频是不会教你这些的。

Sometimes, if you argue with a Buddhist, you can use these conclusions to counter their arguments. However, this is similar to being misled by the jumbled conclusions in some short videos. Short videos often make all sorts of claims, such as "let go of attachment." This conclusion is correct, but the key is how to actually do it. Short videos will not tell you that. For example, they might say "open your mind," but they will not explain how to do it. Do you use a kitchen knife? Short videos will not teach you these things.

 

现在我们说的认知也是一样的庞大、很深邃，那要怎么办呢？我们可以像那些小视频一样，把这些结论告诉大家。细节方面，如果要深入进去，要么学佛，要么去学很前沿的现代物理学。当然你还有第三个选项——来我这里直接听结论。但是，不用说你也会知道，我肯定会把现代物理学批一顿。毋庸置疑，批判需要一个基本的理由，总不能张嘴乱批，非要说“我们的认知是最牛的，肯定是最厉害的”。

The cognition we are discussing is just as vast and profound. So, what should we do? We could just tell people the conclusions, like those short videos do. If you want to go deeper, you can either study Buddhism or learn cutting-edge modern physics. Of course, you also have a third option: come to me and I will tell you the conclusions directly. But you can guess that I will criticize modern physics. After all, criticism needs a reason. You cannot just criticize something without any justification, asserting, "Our cognition is the best."

 

我要拿出理由佐证我所说的话。在此，我就把这些粗大的理由告诉大家，至于它是否正确，你们自己去判断。但起码你会知道这不是胡说，佛教的理论、认知不是乱来的，它是非常严密的，逻辑是自洽的，系统是周密的。今天，只能在粗大的层面上来说这些东西。

I want to provide evidence to support my claims. So, I will just give you a rough overview of the reasons. Whether or not they are correct, you can decide for yourself. But at least you will know that this is not nonsense. Buddhist theories and cognition are not just made up. They're very rigorous, with a logical and systematic foundation.

 

一些佛教徒可能会问：“这个认知对我们的修行有帮助吗？”有帮助的，因为里面牵涉到一些比较高层面的东西。比如，开悟是什么？开悟实际上是一种认知，这不是朝外的认知，而是认知“认知”本身，佛教里面称为“心认知心”，这种认知叫做“自明”。

Some Buddhists might ask, "Is this lecture on cognition helpful for our practice?" It is because it involves some more advanced concepts. For example, what is enlightenment? Enlightenment is actually a kind of cognition, but it's not directed outward. It's a cognition of cognition itself. In Buddhism, this is called "the mind knowing the mind." This cognition is called "self-knowing."

 

认知对佛教徒是有用的。比如平常的修行，实际上在训练你的认知。比如别人欺负你，你很生气，这是一种认知方式。这种认知方式带有人我、法我，起码要相信“你”是存在的，总不能说“有个虚空”欺负了你，这是不行的。你怎么都要找个人来欺负你。即使欺负了你，但“你”要存在嘛，总不能说“那个人欺负了一个虚空”，这是成就者，那还得了！成就者不受欺负，就是这个原因。所以，你的认知中总得有个“我执”和“他执”在。被欺负了以后怎么办呢？按照常理，你要生气，如果不生气，那你已经在学菩萨了。

Cognition is helpful for Buddhist practitioners. In everyday practice, you're essentially honing your cognitive abilities. For instance, when someone mistreats you and you feel irritated, it reflects a cognitive response. This response incorporates the concepts of self and others, requiring, at the very least, a belief in the existence of "you." You cannot claim that "nothingness bullied me." How could nothingness bully you? It takes a person to do that. Bulling involves two parties. The one who is bullying, and the other one who is being bullied. In your case, if someone bullies you, the person who bullies you must exist, and "you" being bullied must exist as well. You cannot say, "that person mistreated nothingness." This would imply a realized being. Realized beings no longer harbor a sense of self and others, making it impossible to bully them. As unrealized individuals, we always have a strong sense of self and others. How do we react after being bullied? According to our habitual tendencies, we feel anger. If we do not, we are already practicing in a way reminiscent of a Bodhisattva.

 

我们平常的修行，实际上是认知方式的一种训练。所以，学习这些笼统的知识，虽然感觉好像有点儿“离经叛道”，所涉及的语言、逻辑好像跟我们平常学的理论不一样，但实际上是一样的，甚至会牵涉到中观、唯识的理论，因此我们的修行也是有好处的,。比如汇集相违应成因、能立等同所立应成因(应成派的不共四因：即汇集相违之应成因、根据相同之应成因(是非相同之类推因)、能⽴等同所⽴不成之应成因、他称三相之应成因。)。这两个词汇大家会知道，但具体运用估计没有，而这里会牵涉到这些因来阐述佛教的一些认知逻辑。

Even though learning these general concepts may seem a bit "out there" to Buddhists, the language and logic involved may seem different from the theories we commonly study. However, in reality, the underlying principles are the same, and it even involves theories from the doctrines of Madhyamaka and Yogacara. Thus, it is beneficial for our practice. For example, the “reductio argument expressing a contradiction” and “the similarity of probative reason and probandum” (The four types of arguments in Prasangika: the “reductio argument expressing a contradiction and the similarity of probative reason and probandum and Inference based on what others accept and argument from the parallelism of similar reasons). You may be familiar with these terms, but chances are you have not applied them in practice. Here, we will learn these theories to elucidate some cognitive logic within Buddhism.

 

说了这么多，我是想告诉大家，这个禅七有可能花两天的时间，也就是总共四个小时，来讲这些。这样做是有理由的、有作用的，否则我何必在这里哔哩吧啦呢？你们现在认为有用的东西，不外乎就是：如何打坐，听了以后要有启发，或者你“点”我一下就明白了——痴心妄想，绝对不可能！大家不要抱有这种幼稚的想法。这好像被电视连续剧所骗一样，很搞笑的。

We will dedicate four hours over the next two days in this meditation retreat to explore these concepts. This is not just theoretical. While learning meditation techniques is valuable, expecting instant enlightenment or an "Aha moment might not be the most realistic approach. It is a gradual process and comparing it to a TV show's quick-fix narratives can be misleading. Let us approach this journey with open minds and realistic expectations and see where it takes us.

 

电视连续剧里面，经常给大家演一些非常神圣的东西，或者甜美的爱情。神圣的东西，在此我就不说了，因为容易触及到一些禁忌。甜蜜的爱情，和谐的婚姻，到处都在演，似乎家家户户都是如此。事实上，这是小概率事件，一万人之中可能有一对，叫“万一”。但在电影和电视连续剧中铺天盖地到处都是，大家很容易上当。

Movies and TV shows often portray idealized versions of love and marriage. They make it seem like everyone is in a perfect relationship, but the reality is that this is not the case. In fact, it is a rare occurrence. For every 10,000 couples, there may only be one that is truly happy and fulfilling. But because movies and TV shows are so pervasive, it is easy for people to be misled into thinking that this is the norm.

 

每个女的都觉得自己有公主命，出门便能遇到王子。每个男的都觉得，即便再穷，能够在大街上遇到公主，把你捡回去供起来，而且两个人还处得很好。他们不知道的是，即使一见钟情，二见就要终弃了。电影里面把这些小概率事件，演得好像到处都是，实际上是你被骗了。

Every woman thinks she's destined to be a princess, and that she'll meet her prince charming just by stepping outside. Every man thinks that even if he's poor, he'll find a princess on the street, take her home, and live happily ever after. But what they don't realize is that even love at first sight can fade with time. Movies make it seem like these unlikely events happen all the time, but in reality, you're being sold a dream.

 

然后，你就拿着这种认知论、观点去交往、去处世、去找男女朋友，很快你就抑郁、失望，觉得整个世界都没有希望。其实人人都这么活，怎么叫做没有希望？

Then, you take this cognitive framework and perspective into your relationships, your interactions with the world, and your search for romantic partners. Soon, you'll start to feel disappointed and depressed, and you'll think that the whole world is hopeless. But the irony is, everyone lives this way. So how can you say that there is no hope?

 

实际上你被PUA了。PUA就是洗脑，但这并不符合PUA的概念。PUA有个基本的常识，就是阻断你的认知，不让你听到其他声音，只让你听一个声音。把你关起来，不让你听其他的，然后反复跟你说“你是王八、你是王八、你是王八”，还要挂个王八的照片在那里，串习成量，最后你真的会把自己观成王八，这是“生起次第”的修法。

In fact, you have been brainwashed by a pick-up artist (PUA). PUA is a form of brainwashing, but it doesn't fit the traditional definition of PUA. The basic principle of PUA is to cut off your ability to think for yourself. They do this by isolating you from other voices and repeating a single message to you over and over again. For example, they might lock you in a room and tell you "You are a loser, you are a loser, you are a loser." They might also hang a picture of a loser on the wall to reinforce their message. After a while, you will start to believe that you are a loser, even if you know it is not true. This is a type of brainwashing called "generation stage."

 

闭关修生圆次第，其实就是PUA，不准听其他的，手机也关了。有谁闭关会带着手机进去看连续剧啊？闭关就是闭掉你六根朝外的追寻，全部切断完，然后拿一个东西反复地训练。但这种不能称为真正的PUA，因为它有大量的理论支持，把你带向美好、带向解脱。

Engaging in the Generation Stage and Completion Stage practices during a retreat bears similarities to PUA in its intentional isolation from external influences, like phone restrictions. After all, attending a retreat while glued to your phone and TV shows seems inherently contradictory. The core principle is to shut down the outward pursuits of the six senses and focus on repetitive training with a specific method. However, labeling this "PUA" wouldn't be entirely accurate. These practices have a robust theoretical foundation and aim to guide individuals towards genuine happiness and liberation, unlike the manipulative intent behind typical PUA techniques.

 

真正的PUA是为了整你，从你那里拿取利益，或者把你变成他喜欢的样子，所以才会阻断你其他的认知。夫妻之间经常会这样，比如男的为了让女的听话，就经常对她说“外面的男人坏得很，这个世界上只有我一个好男人”，同时又不让她跟外面接触，久而久之，那个女就真的相信了。有没有这样的人啊？不知不觉间真的有，但是他要有能力阻断才行。如果跟隔壁的王大叔接触，发现比你好多了，那PUA就会失败。所以，真正的PUA要封锁消息。

True PUA aims to control, exploit, or mold you into their ideal image. To achieve this, they isolate you from outside influences, blocking your access to alternative perspectives. This manipulative tactic sadly creeps into relationships too. Imagine a man constantly telling his wife, "Other men are terrible, I'm the only good one for you." He might even restrict her social interactions, limiting her contact with family and friends. Over time, this isolation can make her vulnerable to believing his warped reality.

 

But it is important to remember: such manipulative behavior exists, but it is not ubiquitous. While some individuals strive to exert such control, their success hinges on maintaining that isolation. If the wife were to connect with someone like Mr. Wang who lives next door and discover he is so much better than you, the PUA's manipulation would crumble. That is why true PUAs prioritize information control, seeking to keep their victims trapped in their distorted world.

 

为什么佛教不是PUA呢？因为佛教是开放的，任何理论都可以拿来讨论——到底佛教说的轮回是不是成立的？解脱是不是真的可以达成？这些都要有逻辑，不能乱说。逻辑上要成立，修证也要成立。目前为止，没有任何一种理论能够击破佛教的逻辑。

Buddhism is not PUA because it is open to discussion and debate. Any theory can be put forward, but it must be logical and based on reasoning. The Buddhist concepts of samsara and liberation must be supported by logic and direct experience. To date, no theory has been able to disprove the logic of Buddhism.

 

我很期待有击破佛教的理论出来，我真的期待！有人疑惑：“你是佛教徒哦，为什么还期待呢？”因为我知道不可能。我做了一辈子这个事情，看看会不会出现一种理论、一种说法，能够击破缘起性空和如来藏的说法？根本就没办法找到，不管是哲学还是科学，我的注意力基本上都放在这上面，所以是不可能的。逻辑上不可能，理论上不可能，实践上根本就不用说。粒子加速器等机器，怎么可能击破啊？完全不行的！

I am really looking forward to seeing a theory that could challenge Buddhism. I truly am. You might wonder, "Are you a Buddhist? Why are you looking forward to it?" Well, it is because I know it is not going to happen. I have spent a lifetime on this, exploring the possibility of a theory or doctrine that could dismantle the teachings of dependent origination and emptiness and the Tathagatagarbha. Whether in philosophy or science, it is simply not possible. Logically, theoretically, and in practice, it is out of the question. Even machines like particle accelerators, how could they possibly undermine these principles? It is just not happening!

 

常人认为很高级的神经科学，前沿的物理学、量子力学，都不算什么，根本都没办法击破佛法。但是，如果你能够在逻辑上、实证上证明佛法是错的（当然这是不可能的，但我假设你做到了），我马上皈依你，立即变节投降。

Neuroscience, cutting-edge physics, and quantum mechanics are all highly regarded by ordinary people, but they are not enough to refute Buddhism. However, if you can logically and empirically prove that Buddhism is wrong (which is of course impossible, but I will assume that you have done so), I will immediately convert to you and renounce my former beliefs.

 

为什么？因为我们追寻的是真理，它既可以叫佛教，也可以叫悉达多教。关键什么是真理？为什么其他的都不是真理？可能是部分真理，或者局部真理，而究竟的真理只有佛教有。所以，我们学习佛法这些并非是人们所说的迷信，恰好是最科学、最较真的，甚至较真得有点“变态”。

Why Buddhism? Because it is our path to understanding the nature of reality, the ultimate truth behind existence. Call it Buddhism, call it Siddhartha's teachings – the essence is the same. Now, what makes something true? Why would not other philosophies or religions hold truth? They might offer valuable pieces of the puzzle, local truths as it were. But in our eyes, Buddhism paints the whole picture, the complete perspective we are searching for. That is why diving deep into it is not superstition, as some might claim. It is the most rigorous, the most dedicated pursuit of true knowledge you can imagine, so meticulous it might even seem a little unconventional at times.

 

科学有时候还承认假说，比如进化论，其实是一种假说。还有霍金的宇宙爆炸论，说世界来源于一个奇点，现在开始遭到一些人的反对。这其实也是一种假说，虽然有一定的数学逻辑推演，也有间接的实验证明，实际上不是一个绝对实证的东西。虽然科学讲究理论自洽，能实验成功，同时还可以重复这个实验，但宇宙大爆炸怎么可以重复？一爆炸就没了，谁来重复啊？所以这是不可能的。

Science is not all airtight proofs. It sometimes embraces hypotheses. Take the theory of evolution, a pillar of biology, yet still technically a hypothesis. Similar is Stephen Hawking's Big Bang theory, positing a universe erupting from a singularity – another fascinating hypothesis. Both boast substantial evidence: evolution with its fossil record and genetic fingerprints, the Big Bang with intricate mathematical models and cosmic echoes. But neither are slam-dunk certainties. Science, at its core, demands testability. Theories must be internally consistent, hold up in experiments, and ideally, be repeatable. But how do you rewind and replay the Big Bang? Boom, and it is gone, a cosmic one-shot. That is why, despite its supporting evidence, it remains a hypothesis.

 

而佛教里面的所有理论是可以自洽的，开悟以个体的方式在重复。如果一个人开悟了，随时都在开悟中间，他可以在定中出来再进去，这就叫做重复。所以，从理论上、实证上都是完美的，是无法被推翻的。而现在的推翻方式很可笑，它上来就给你贴标签，说你是迷信——哦豁，那就完了！或者上来就认定“世界是物质”，那么认为“世界的本质是空性”就错了，但究其原因，是因为他不理解空性。其实，唯物主义者说“世界是物质的”，也没有理论证明，也没有物质证明，只是一种意识认定，但它就是这么固执地认定，还成为了所有人类认知的主流。

All the theories within Buddhism maintain internal consistency, and the experience of enlightenment is repeated in an individual way. Once a person achieves it, they are constantly in the state of enlightenment. They can come out of it and then re-enter during meditative concentration, a process referred to as "repetition." Therefore, both theoretically and empirically, Buddhism stands as a perfect and unassailable philosophy. Current attempts to challenge it appear absurd; Many people just come up and label Buddhism as superstitious. For them, that is the end of it! Or they might assert that "the world is material," deeming any claim that "the essence of the world is emptiness" as incorrect. However, the underlying issue is their lack of understanding of emptiness. In reality, when materialists claim "the world is material," there is no theoretical or material evidence supporting it; it's merely a hypothesis. Yet, they staunchly adhere to this view, establishing it as the mainstream of human cognition.

 

现在，世界的社会秩序，人类的生活秩序和道德秩序极端的堕落和败坏。虽然科技非常发达，但幸福感快速的下降。当然，唯物主义是不承认的，但事实就是如此。一旦大家不相信因果，一旦相信物竞天择、适者生存，那什么都做得出来。

In today's world, we're witnessing a severe decline in social order, the human way of life, and moral values, despite the remarkable advancements in technology. Strangely enough, while materialism may not acknowledge it, the reality is clear – the overall sense of happiness is rapidly diminishing. Once people lose faith in the law of causality and start believing in the law of the jungle and survival of the fittest, it seems like there are no restraints to keep them from doing whatever they want.

 

普通人还可以在道德观的约束之下坚守一些原则，比如我们会受影视剧的影响。它里面塑造人物的行为模式，比如锄强扶弱，我们会不知不觉地去模仿。影视剧里面经常会有英雄出现，当他看到一个靓女受欺负，便会上去就把坏人打翻，然后带着靓女跑了，最后靓女不可救药地爱上了你。这种东西会很影响男的，出去专门看有没有靓女受欺负？

Even ordinary people can uphold some principles under the constraints of their moral compass. For example, we are influenced by movies and TV shows. The behavior patterns of the characters in them, such as helping the weak and the oppressed, are unconsciously imitated by us. In movies and TV shows, there are often heroes who, when they see a beautiful woman being bullied, will go up and knock down the bad guy, then run away with the beautiful woman. In the end, the beautiful woman falls hopelessly in love with you. This kind of thing will have a great impact on men, and they will go out specifically to see if there are any beautiful women being bullied.

 

这种影响还算好的，它至少还让人坚守一定的道德行为规范。一个完全的唯物主义者，他深刻地、全面地认同物竞天择、适者生存，那么他的行为会非常可怕。如果他还非常的聪明，那么这个人会非常的尖酸，逻辑清晰可怕，什么事都做得出来，而他所做的一切无非为了欲望、为了利益。至于他的所作所为是不是欺骗、是不是暴力，没关系。暴力，可以粉饰成正义的行为。欺骗，可以用很多的声音来说不是欺骗，而把真实的声音反倒说成是欺骗。网上现在是不是这样干的？这是非常可怕的！

This kind of influence is still relatively good, because it at least keeps people within certain moral boundaries. A completely materialistic person who deeply and comprehensively believes in the survival of the fittest will behave in a very terrifying way. If he is also very intelligent, then this person will be very sharp-tongued, with a terrifyingly clear logic. He will do anything, and all he does is for his own desires and interests. Whether his actions are deceptive or violent is irrelevant. Violence can be disguised as a just act. Deception can be justified by many voices, and the real voice can be said to be deceptive. Is this what is happening online now? This is very terrifying!

 

长期这样下去，互相之间的信任就会丢失。人与人之间的没有信任了以后，人们就不会觉得活得美好，所以，大家出门就害怕被骗，到泰国打禅七就害怕被人“割腰子”。很多师兄在这里生活了几年，腰子还是好好的，这说明你们搞错了割腰子的地方。

If this continues for a long time, mutual trust will be lost. When there is no trust between people, people will not feel that life is good. So, everyone is afraid of being cheated when they go out, and they are afraid of being "kidney harvested" when they go to Thailand for meditation. Many fellow practitioners have lived here for several years, and their kidneys are perfectly fine. This shows that you have mistaken the place to cut off the kidney.

 

这些宣传非常可怕，毫无底线。为什么会如此？因为宣传这些的人，他们不相信真正的因果，只要抓不住，他们做什么都可以。这恰恰是唯物主义认知论所带来的恶果，所以这个禅七我要讲“认知”。

These propagandas are very terrifying and have no bottom line. Why is that so? Because those who spread these propagandas do not believe in true causality. As long as they can get away with it, they can do anything. This is precisely the terrifying consequence of materialisticNUMPAGES epistemology, so I will talk about "cognition" in this meditation retreat.

 

说了这么多，其实想告诉大家：我讲的认知虽然深一点、范畴广一点，但还是有意义的。我想说的就是这个意思，大家理解吗？认同吗？网上的师兄认同吗？现场有师兄在点头，哈哈！

Now, after all that, what I really wanted to say is this: I acknowledge that it may have delved into deeper layers and broader territory than usual, but I truly believe it has meaning. In essence, this is the message I aimed to convey. Does this resonate with you? I invite feedback from both the live audience and our online community. I see nods in the audience already! You rock!

 

网上师兄说：“缅北会割肾。”缅北是否有割肾这个事我确实不清楚，但割肾的目的是为了移植到活人身上用的，所以一要买家，二要医疗技术。缅北是否拥有这些条件不得而知。那里都是军阀来的，割来的肾是要小炒还是清炖啊？在我没有绝对的把握之前，我不会轻易下结论！

A fellow online said, "In Myanmar, they harvest kidneys." I'm not sure if there is kidney harvesting in Myanmar, but the purpose of harvesting kidneys is to transplant them into living people. To do so, it needs two things: a buyer and medical technology. It is unknown whether Myanmar has these conditions. There are only warlords there. What are they going to do with the harvested kidneys? Fry them or stew them? I won't make a conclusion lightly before I have absolute certainty.

 

而这里是绝对没有，但大家还是要小心，出去不要惹祸。如果出去自己惹事，被人打了一顿，还说“那个地方不好”，其实是你惹祸该挨打的。现在每个人都可以制作小视频，有的直接制作成小视频发到社交媒体上，引起舆论。我们要小心，既然每个人都可以制作的小视频，你还去相信它，那不是脑袋有包吗？

But here in Chiang Mai, it is definitely not the case. However, everyone should still be careful. Do not cause trouble when you go out. If you go out and cause trouble yourself and get beaten up, and then say "that place is bad," in fact, it is you who caused trouble and deserved to be beaten up. Nowadays, anyone can make short videos and post them on social media to stir up public opinion. We need to be careful. Since everyone is doing it, and you still believe everything you see without questioning, would that be a bit naive?

 

以我个人刷小视频的经验来看，它们的影响太大了。以前我蹲马桶的时候，一般是看闲书。我当然不会在厕所里面看《大圆满心性休息》，这种执著我还是有的，所以只在厕所里面看闲书。我的厕所里面有个书架，上面放着金庸的武侠小说、琼瑶的《窗外》等等。现在，因为小视频的出现和横行，我已经不看这些书了，开始刷小视频，我深受其影响。

I used to read books in the bathroom. Of course, as a Buddhist, I had some dos and don'ts. I would not read sacred texts like "Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind, A Dzogchen Teaching" in it. My bathroom bookshelf – once a portal to Jin Yong's martial arts epics and Chiung Yao's romances like "Outside the Window" – now stands largely abandoned. I am now lured by short videos.

 

大家看小视频时，对媒体传递给我们的讯息要谨慎，特别是信息来源不完备的地方更要特别小心。有些消息纯粹是捏造，无中生有，歪曲、扭曲。

When watching short videos, it is essential to be cautious about the information presented by the media, especially in places where the information source is incomplete. Some messages are entirely fabricated, unfounded, and distorted.

 

在世界各地，也经常可以看到胡说八道的东西。到处都一样。总之一句话：大家要小心！不要听到就马上相信，这是很笨的行为。很多消息要先学会证实。比如，有人说佛教是迷信、某某是魔鬼，这些说法都是人与人之间传，或者通过现在的媒体传，我们都要小心！

In our interconnected world, information, true or not, travels at the speed of a click. It's tempting to take every headline or overheard conversation as gospel, but that's where critical thinking comes in. Claims about sensitive topics like religious beliefs or personal accusations need a closer examination. Don't let hearsay or sensational headlines sway your judgment – research, verify, and form your own conclusions based on reliable sources. Remember, a little skepticism goes a long way in navigating the confusing world of information.

 

影响到平常生活中一些琐事还无所谓，但如果影响到大事上的抉择就很有所谓了。比如，有人想来清迈打禅七，对真诚学佛的人而言，这是件很大的事。就算不能通过这次禅七开悟，来打七天座也是挺好的，但看到小视频说这边有人割腰子就不敢来了，那么，这个视频就严重影响到他的抉择。

It is not a big deal if it only affects some little things in everyday life, but when it starts influencing important decisions, that's a different story. Take the case of someone seeking a profound seven-day meditation retreat in Chiang Mai. For those earnestly dedicated to Buddhist practice, even without guaranteed enlightenment, seven days of meditation retreat holds immense value. But then, a sensationalized video about kidney harvesting in the area paints a picture of danger, casting a shadow of fear over their journey. The decision, once clear, becomes shrouded in doubt, might dissuade them from coming, significantly influencing their could-be life-altering choices.

 

学佛也一样，有时候，一个小视频就足以摧毁你对整个佛法的信心，因为你本身对佛法知识的理解不完备。那要怎么办呢？小心就行了，并不是要大家马上做出准确的、正确的、系统的、清晰的结论，这是很难的。

The same is true for learning Buddhism. Sometimes, a short video is enough to destroy your faith in Buddhism because your understanding of it is limited. What should we do then? Just be careful. It is not about quickly arriving at accurate, correct, systematic, and clear conclusions—those are hard to come by.

 

现在回到我们的主题——认知与表达。这是一个很大的命题。为什么要说“表达”呢？因为经常听课的师兄都会知道，我经常跟大家提到“见解语、修行语、境界语”。以往都是只讲它们的概念，并没有对此作出进一步的解释，因此，我想借此机会跟大家解释一下，同时，也一并对“表达”做解释。了解清楚“表达”很有必要，它牵涉到你的阅读和思考。在你阅读佛教书籍，思考或者打坐、参学的时候，有些窍诀会对你产生影响，所以会讲到这些。

Returning to our central theme – cognition and expression – This is a big topic. Why, then, must we delve into the realm of expression? As many of you have heard me mention "insight language," "practice language," and "realm language." While their conceptual outlines have been presented, a deeper understanding remains unaddressed. Thus, I seize this opportunity to illuminate these facets of expression, offering a lens through which we may view both them and the act of expression itself. Grasping this concept clearly proves necessary, for it is intimately intertwined with your reading, your contemplation. As you navigate Buddhist texts, engage in critical thought, or embark on meditation, certain insightful techniques will inevitably come into play – and that is precisely what we shall explore.

 

《认知与表达》

什么是认知？认知是生命特有的行为，分为能认知和被认知，能认知即有情的心识，被认知为心识的对境，色法和心识都可以成为被认知。哲学中，心识被称为精神，色法被称为物质，谁是第一性成为唯心论和唯物论的分界线。佛教唯识学中，能认知和所认知都是心识的作用，称为“见分”和“相分”，心识的本体称为“自证分”，不承认实有的物质。而唯物论者认为认知只是物质的活动，意即认知不存在自己的本体，只是物质运动的结果。

What is cognition? Cognition is a distinctive behavior exclusive to sentient beings, encompassing both the ability to perceive and being perceived. The capability to perceive refers to consciousness, while being perceived pertains to the objects perceived by consciousness. Those being perceived are both physical entities and mental states. In philosophy, consciousness is often identified as the mental, and physical entities as material. The question of primacy between them forms the dividing line between idealism and materialism. In Buddhist Yogacara doctrine, both the capability to perceive and the objects perceived are considered as functions of consciousness, termed as "phenomena'' and "perceiver." The intrinsic nature of consciousness is referred to as "self-knowing." This doctrine rejects the existence of inherent material entities. However, materialists posit that cognition is simply an activity of material substance, suggesting that cognition lacks an intrinsic nature and is merely a result of material movement.

 

这个题目很大，花两天的时间跟大家讲完是不可能的，只能讲一些粗大的概念以及逻辑线条。这些粗大的逻辑线条里面的细微连接，有兴趣的师兄可以深入，没兴趣的师兄可以不管。

The scope of this topic is extensive, and it is impossible to cover everything in just two days. Therefore, I can only discuss some broad concepts and logical frameworks. The subtle connections within these broad logical frameworks can be explored in depth by those who are interested, while those who are not interested can choose to disregard it.

 

什么是“认知”？其实大家都知道它，比如眼睛看、耳朵听，这些都是认知。“认知是生命特有的行为”，这句话已经在否定AI具备认知了。AI能够认知吗？AI不能。AI是被动操作，是计算。它有强大的计算能力。给它一个指令，它会根据你的指令作出计算。比如，你问AI：“认知是什么？”它一股脑儿地把网上所有关于认知的内容收集起来，再根据你的阅读习惯，筛选组合，很快就可以给你一篇文章。

What is cognition? Well, everyone is familiar with it – seeing with the eyes, hearing with the ears, these are all forms of cognition. The statement, “Cognition is a distinctive behavior exclusive to sentient beings,” unequivocally rejects the idea that AI possesses cognition. Can AI cognize? No, it cannot. What AI does is a passive operation, a computation. It boasts powerful computing abilities. Give it an instruction, and it will carry out calculations based on your guidance. For instance, if you ask AI, “What is cognition?” it will systematically gather online data about cognition, filter and amalgamate it according to your reading habits, and promptly generate an article for you.

 

我问过ChatGPT什么是物质？什么是唯物主义的存在？什么是存在？什么是认知？它马上就给了我一大篇文章。我一看就知道它很“土”，学得并不好。总之，AI不具备认知，仅仅是一种被动操作和快速运转而已。

I asked ChatGPT about the nature of matter, the essence of materialistic existence, the concept of existence, and the meaning of cognition. It promptly delivered a lengthy response. Upon review, it became evident that its understanding is somewhat rudimentary and not particularly refined. In a nutshell, AI lacks cognition; it is merely a passive operation and rapid processing.

 

有人说：“人类的头脑也运转得很快啊？”是的。不过，人类还有觉照能力，能直接一下就呈现出被觉知的现象，而且这是没有时间性的。觉照能力如果从物理学上找一个类比，类似量子纠缠——很多师兄可能对“量子纠缠”不太清楚，但是，一些学物理的可能知道它是指两个或两个以上粒子在其组成的系统中相互影响的现象。两个粒子距离遥远，但一个粒子动，另一个也会马上动，而且两个粒子纠缠的速度比光速还要快。两个粒子之间好像在进行某种信息的传递，否则为什么会纠缠在一起呢？

Someone might say, "The human mind also operates quickly, doesn’t it?" Absolutely. However, humans also have the awareness and the innate ability to manifest, instantly projecting perceived phenomena, and this process is not bound by time. If we were to find a physical analogy for the ability of direct awareness and manifesting in physics, it could be likened to quantum entanglement. "Quantum entanglement" refers to the phenomenon where two or more particles in a system mutually influence each other. Despite being distant, when one particle moves, the other also moves immediately, and the entanglement between the two particles is faster than the speed of light. It is as if there is some form of information transfer between the two particles; otherwise, why would they be entangled?

 

这种现象在物理学上也引起了麻烦。物理学家们试图找出两个粒子中靠什么来传递。两个粒子，同时发生纠缠，其传递的速度超过了光速。问题是为什么能够同时呢？人的心就能同时，显现跟认知是同时的。同时的这种认知能力，AI是没有的，而人类是有的。我看到这个东西的瞬间，显现和认知是同时的。

This phenomenon has also posed challenges in physics. Physicists have been trying to figure out what facilitates the transfer between two particles. Two particles becoming entangled at the same time, and the speed at which the transfer occurs surpasses the speed of light. The question here is why it can occur simultaneously. The human mind can operate simultaneously; appearance and cognition occur at the same time. This simultaneous cognitive ability is absent in AI, but humans possess it. The moment I see this thing, the appearance and the cognition happen simultaneously.

 

在单空修得比较深的程度时，我们会认为：觉知就是显现，显现就是觉知。并不是一边显现，一边还有个东西去觉知它，而是现起的同时就是觉知。这样的话，显现必须是假的才行，如果它是实有的，那就是它自己放在那里，再让你去觉知它，这样的话，显现就不是觉知。反之，如果它不是真实的，显现的同时就是觉知。但很多人会错误理解这个东西。甚至我们会觉知到思维是什么，你知道你在思维，思维的同时你自己就知道了，所以，觉知的同时就是显现。AI是没有这个能力的。

When we have practiced “mere emptiness” to a deeper level, we will come to believe that: awareness is appearance, and appearance is awareness. It is not that appearance arises on one side and there is something else to perceive it on the other. Rather, awareness is present at the same time as appearance arises. In this case, appearance must be unreal. If it were real, it would be there by itself, and then you would perceive it. In this case, appearance would not be awareness. On the contrary, if it is not real, awareness is present at the same time as appearance arises. But many people will misunderstand this. We can even be aware of what thinking is. You know that you are thinking, and you know it at the same time as you are thinking. Therefore, awareness is present at the same time as appearance. AI does not have this ability.

 

因此，可以确认“认知是生命特有的行为”。除了上述的那种直接的认知方式，人类还有另一种认知方式——思维。思维是比量的；但你知道自己在思维，这个是现量的。比如，你想了什么，别人不知道，但你自己是知道的。我们经常说“你心里还没有个数啊？”因为你确实在想的同时就知道了，你不会去知道一下自己在想什么。这种直接的认知，只有生命才有，AI是不具备这个能力的。

Therefore, it can be affirmed that "Cognition is a distinctive behavior exclusive to sentient beings." In addition to the direct cognitive approach mentioned above, humans also employ another cognitive method—thinking. Thinking is inferential, but you are aware that you are thinking, which is also direct cognition. For instance, you can think about something, and others may not know what's on your mind, but you yourself are aware of it. We often say, "Don't you have it in your mind?" because you indeed know what you are thinking while you are thinking it; you do not need to go check what is on your mind. This direct form of cognition is exclusive to living beings; AI does not possess this ability.

 

那么，认知这个生命特有的行为分为“能认知”和“所认知”。认知是一种能力，叫能认知；同时它有认知的对境，叫所认知。为了便于大家理解，我会尽量把这些概念简单化，但是，要注意的是，简单化以后容易出现漏洞。但是，如果不把它简单化，而是遵循术语化，说起来似乎一点漏洞都没有，但你们估计会听不懂，这样反而成了“大漏洞”。

Cognition, the unique behavior of sentient beings, can be divided into two aspects: "cognitive ability" and "object of cognition." Cognitive ability, often called the capacity to cognize, refers to the mental processes involved in perceiving, understanding, and responding to the world around us. The object of cognition, on the other hand, is the target of these processes; it is what we perceive, understand, or respond to.

 

Understanding complex concepts like cognition can be challenging. To facilitate this, I will strive to simplify them as much as possible. However, it is important to acknowledge that oversimplification can introduce inaccuracies or omissions. Conversely, relying solely on technical jargon might sound precise but could impede comprehension. Ultimately, seeking a balance between clarity and accuracy is crucial, avoiding both the "pitfalls" of simplification and the "unintelligibility" of excessive technicality.

 

 

虽然简单化会出现漏洞，但还是我还是选择把这些概念简单化，因为，我们交流的目的是让大家听懂。至于出现漏洞的话，可以查缺补漏，否则补漏的机会都没有——你都不听了，还补什么漏呢？完全没漏洞，就好比你什么都不做的话，就绝对不会有错一样。你们不要认为这种说法搞笑，大圆满的修行就是这样，啥都不做，但绝对不会错，叫“无勤成佛”，你们是不是想这样呢？这个啥都不做好难，那个只有在产生了智慧的基础之上才行。

Although simplification might lead to loopholes, I still choose to simplify these concepts. This is because the purpose of our communication is to make everyone understand. As for the loopholes, we can fill them later. Otherwise, there will be no chance to fill them—if you do not listen, what are you going to fill in the loopholes? It is just like if you do nothing, you will never make any mistakes.

 

Do not think that this is a funny way to say it. The practice of Dzogchen is like this. You do nothing, but you will never make any mistakes. This is called "effortless enlightenment." Do you want to be like this? It is difficult to do nothing. It can only be done on the basis of wisdom.

 

 

这个“什么都不做”，普通人是不行的。作为普通人，我们一定要做，做指的是造作。我们平常的修行是以造作有用的东西去摧毁无明，但造作其实也是一种无明。从究竟来讲，不管你修什么，即使你修金刚萨埵，都是无明。大家听到会怀疑我是不是魔鬼？你要敢说我是魔鬼，你就是标准的魔鬼，而且是一支傻鬼。

This "doing nothing" is not possible for everyone. As untrained individuals, we must engage in doings, and by doings, I mean practice deliberately and diligently. In our daily practices, we use constructive means to eliminate ignorance, but practice itself is a form of ignorance. Ultimately, regardless of what you practice, even if you are practicing Vajrasattva, it still is a form of ignorance. Some might hear this and doubt if I am a demon. If you do so, then you are undoubtedly a demon, and quite a foolish one at that.

 

就修行而言，你做什么都是造作，但这种修行的造作会摧毁其他无始以来导致你轮回的造作，用修行造作的无明去摧毁你无始以来堆积的无明——“两个泥牛打入海，直到如今无消息”，修行造作的无明把无始的无明打烂以后，都放下来，本质就露出来了。所以，这个修行造作并不容易，你想不造作更难。

In terms of practice, whatever you do is essentially a form of mental fabrication, but it is instrumental in eliminating things that have driven you through the cycle of rebirth in samsara since time immemorial. The ignorance generated by engaging in practice tools the mind to dismantle the ignorance accumulated from time immemorial —"Two fighting clay bulls plunge into the sea, and to this day, they vanish without a trace." Once the “practice-born ignorance” dissolves the “long-accumulated ignorance,” you let go of everything, and the essence reveals itself. Therefore, this practice of mental fabrications is demanding, and "doing nothing" is even more so.

 

有人说：“我不想造作，我想躺平！”我想问：“你躺得平吗？”躺平是要有基础的，那不是一件容易的事情，你躺什么平啊？你要吃饭的嘛，怎么躺平啊？躺平的话，你连饭都吃不下去，你得坐起来才能吃。你是没法躺平的。一定要去挣钱。躺平是不想再去争取媒体上所鼓励的更多东西，只要简单的温饱而已。实际到了一定时候，你连简单的温饱都做不到。

Someone might say, "I'm done! I’ve had enough. I don’t want to work hard anymore. I want to be relaxed and carefree." But can you really do that? Stepping away from the relentless grind requires a firm foundation, not a whim. You need to eat at least. So, how can you truly retreat when basic sustenance hinges on your very actions? Lay idle, and your plate may remain empty. You will be forced to rejoin the fray, compelled to earn your survival. Quitting the rat race, in essence, is not about rejecting mere comforts as the media peddles; it is about securing the bare necessities. Yet, even that seemingly simple goal can prove arduous at times.

 

还有，你富足了以后就能躺平了吗？一样躺不平，人类是有欲望的。你晚上一个人睡觉会感觉不孤独，你想排遣这种孤独感，就无法躺不平。“我要结婚，我要谈恋爱，半夜醒来，枕边都是凉的”，你的枕头就在旁边，凉了把它睡热乎就行了。所以，人是躺不平的，你要真的躺平，那你就是成就者。

Even after achieving wealth, laid-back living remains elusive, driven by our innate desires and emotional needs.  Picture this: you are alone in bed at night, and loneliness creeps in. You sense a hollowness within and strongly feel the need to address it: "I want to get married. I want to be in love. I hate waking up in the middle of the night to a cold pillow." Yet, all you need to do is to sleep on it to warm it up, and you'll be fine. But, in reality, you will continually grapple with it. This illustrates that people cannot truly lead a completely relaxed and carefree life; achieving that would indeed make you an enlightened being.

 

大圆满的修行窍诀就是躺平。有种修法叫做“大摊尸”——明白了以后，你的心完全不造作，体会到解脱。所以，网上流行“躺平”这句话时，我很诧异，觉得人类的境界很高啊！当然我知道在开玩笑，但真的躺平是很难的。

The key to Dzogchen practice is “doing nothing.” There is a practice known as "lying flat like a corpse" — once you understand it, your mind becomes completely free of constructions, and you experience a sense of liberation. Therefore, when the phrase "doing nothing" became a trend online, I was quite surprised, thinking that humans have reached a high level of realization! Of course, I know I am making a joke. The point is that the true “doing nothing” is very difficult.

 

前面，我们提到，认知分为“能认知”和“被认知”。其中，能认知即有情的心识，它是生命特有的行为。生命和有情是一个意思，可以互换。我们的识会现出外境，识是心的一种分别。心自明就是开悟。自明把所有的无明全部融化掉就是成佛。其实，这几句话就可以把修行说完了，但要实现里面的内容，那就复杂了。

Earlier, we discussed that cognition can be divided into "cognizer" and "cognized." Among them, "cognizer" refers to sentient consciousness, a distinctive characteristic of life. Life and sentient beings are essentially the same, and they can be used interchangeably. Our consciousness presents the external phenomena we perceive. Consciousness is an ability of the mind to differentiate and categorize. When the mind truly and directly sees itself, it marks the state of enlightenment. Through it, ignorance is eliminated, leading to Buddhahood. In essence, these few sentences capture the essence of Buddhist practice, but achieving this state necessitates profound dedication and effort.

 

被认知是指心识的对境。唯物主义认为，外面的山河大地，物质的堆积以及物质的本身，是我们认知的对境。佛教唯识宗则把它们都归为心识的相分。如果以唯识学作为世俗谛，是不承认有真正的物质。比如我手上拿着的板子，在我看来，它就不是由木头分子、原子组成的一块板子，而是我的心识的一种呈现。我看到它的样子，是我眼识的呈现；我手捏到这个板子，发现它有点硬也有点软，那是我触识的显现；我去闻它，发现没有味道，那是我鼻识的显现。

它是我的心识的显现，并不是有个东西放在那里。这种显现，就是所谓的认知的对境，即唯识里面所说的相分。其实，色法和心识都可以成为被认知。色法被认知，就是所谓的物质，即眼耳鼻舌身五个感官所认知的对境。眼睛看到的东西，耳朵听到的声音……这些都是被认知。

"Cognized'' refers to the objects of the mind. Materialism believes that the mountains, rivers, earth, the accumulation of matter, and the matter itself, are the objects of our cognition. In the Yogacara school of Buddhism, all these are categorized as the appearance aspect of the mind. If we take Yogacara as the conventional truth, it does not acknowledge the existence of inherent material substances. For example, the board I am holding in my hand, according to this perspective, is not a piece of wood composed of molecules and atoms; rather, it is a presentation of my consciousness. The form and shape I see is the presentation of my visual consciousness; the fact that I feel it is hard and soft when I touch it is the manifestation of my tactile consciousness; the fact that I smell nothing when I smell it is the manifestation of my olfactory consciousness.

 

 

They are manifestations of my consciousness, not something that is there independently. This manifestation is what is referred to as the object of cognition, or what Yogacara calls "appearance aspect." In fact, both matter and consciousness are the objects of cognition. When objects are cognized, it is what is called matter, which is the object of cognition of the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. The things that the eyes see, the sounds that the ears hear, and so on are all cognized.

 

心识也可以称为被认知，比如，我们知道自己的情绪，知道自己的想法——我在想：“你是个王八、你是个王八、你是个王八”。“你是个王八”这个想法、这几个字（中文字或者英文字：You are bastard），这些都是心识的对境。还有情绪，比如你抑郁。其实你的心是知道自己在抑郁的，只是你被抑郁控制了。

"Consciousness" can be a type of the cognized. For example, we know when we have emotions and thoughts. For instance, you know when you are thinking, “What a jerk.” In this case, the thought “What a jerk” and the accompanying words serve as objects of your consciousness.

 

When it comes to emotions, like experiencing depression, your mind is actually aware of the emotional state. However, the tragedy lies in feeling trapped by depression's grip.

 

修单空的修行人或修大圆满的修行人也有各自相应的认知方式。如果我有抑郁症，抑郁起来的时候，马上会觉知到带来的感觉是不愉快，或者哪里堵着一坨——“我心里堵着一坨好痛啊！”心已经认知到它了。这时，如果你是一位单空的修行人，立即会带着单空的认知去找到他的认知对境——抑郁，这就叫做“照见抑郁皆单空”。如果照见的力量足够，抑郁就会消失，这是解决抑郁的最好方式，属于对治型的。

When it comes to practitioners, those in Mere Emptiness and Dzogchen each embrace unique cognitive approaches. Let's illustrate this with the case of depression. The moment that unpleasant sensations like a congested chest arise, or the thought 'My heart aches!' claws at your mind, awareness is already there, observing. For a Mere Emptiness practitioner, this is the cue to bring their understanding of emptiness to bear on the mental object - depression.This is called “seeing depression as Mere Emptiness.” In other words, mentally, they directly experience that depression is just an illusion. This profound insight, if it strikes with enough force, can actually dissolve the dark cloud of depression. This approach, then, is essentially a countermeasure against mental afflictions and beyond.

 

大圆满则更厉害——抑郁本身就是觉性。这个很难让人理解，有些人甚至完全没办法理解。他不去对治抑郁，直接就觉得它是觉性，只要他的觉悟、智慧一回来，抑郁就是觉性。你看着他好像在抑郁，实际上是在觉性；看他好像在愤怒，实际上是法性的游舞。那些忿怒菩萨都是龇牙咧嘴的，却是慈悲和空性的游舞。

Dzogchen takes a radical approach: depression itself is awareness. This is difficult for people to understand, and some may not be able to understand it at all. Dzogchen practitioners do not try to fight against depression; instead, they simply see it as awareness. When they see depression through their awakened mind and wisdom, it is awareness itself. When you look at them, they may appear depressed, but in reality, they are in a state of the nature of awareness. Similarly, when they seem angry, they are actually dancing in the Dharmata. Even wrathful bodhisattvas, with their fierce visages, joyfully engage in the dance of compassion and emptiness.

 

心识也是被认知的原理肯定是这样的，但描述起来的话，就只能描述个大概。总之，心识也会成为认知的对境。比如，我们经常会有很多烦恼和痛苦，那是因为你的错误的认知方式导致的。你的认知总带着人我的方式去认知一个对境，比如，我感觉到孤独，只有带着人我的方式，才会产生孤独这种东西。而人我的解决孤独的方式，就是找个伴儿，或者打个电话跟闺蜜或朋友聊一下，或者约朋友去拼啤酒。这样还是有点儿作用，但下次又来了，而且以这样方式解决的成本很大。出去拼啤酒，不小心喝醉了，酒瓶子还会乱砸，问题的关键在于这样是不能在根本上解决痛苦的。

The principle of consciousness being cognized is certainly like this, but if we describe it, we can only describe it roughly. In short, consciousness  can also become the object of cognition. For example, we often experience various afflictive emotions and physical and mental suffering because of our erroneous ways of perceiving. Our cognition tends to adopt a perspective that is deeply rooted in the sense of self when perceiving an object. For instance, feeling lonely arises only when viewed from an individualized perspective. The conventional human approach to addressing loneliness is to find a companion, make a phone call to a close friend, or go out for drinks with friends. While these methods may have some effect, the loneliness often returns, and the cost of resolving it in this way is high. Going out for drinks might lead to unintended intoxication and fighting, and the consequences of such actions don't fundamentally eliminate such suffering.

 

如果有单空的修行，知道自己在孤独，单空一去，孤独就会消失，人会马上充满欢喜。其实，不需要单空修得很好，都能起到这样的作用。如果证悟了觉性，就会去玩这些东西，他故意去孤独，没孤独还找点孤独来玩。成就者，到了一定的时候，会故意找一些能够引起他波动的地方或事情来玩，大圆满叫做“训练妙力”。

When a practitioner who practices Mere Emptiness feels lonely, he employs the mind power cultivated through practicing Mere Emptiness to dissolve loneliness. In no time, he feels peaceful and happy. Interestingly, you do not have to be very good at this  practice to experience the effect. When a practitioner realizes the nature of awareness, he will start to play with loneliness, embrace it, and even look for it to play with. A realized being, at a certain point, will deliberately seek situations or things that can stir him up, and in Dzogchen, this is referred to as “training with extraordinary mind power.

 

不管是任何一种心识的对境——贪、嗔、痴、慢、疑——本质都是觉性，所以，任何一种不好的情绪，我们所认为的执著、罪业，在大圆满里像阳光照耀在天空中，乌云一下就消散了。值得注意的是，究竟而言，这种说法是不对的。按照这个说法，阳光和乌云好像是两个东西，其实不是的。

No matter what the object of consciousness is, be it desire, aversion, ignorance, arrogance, or doubt, its essence is ultimately the nature of awareness. Therefore, all negative emotions, which we often consider attachments or sins, are, in Dzogchen, likened to dark clouds vanishing swiftly when sunlight shines upon the sky. However, it's worth noting that this framing, while helpful, ultimately misleads. It suggests that sunlight and dark clouds are two separate entities, when in reality, they are not.

 

可见，认知方式非常重要。我们的修行就在训练认知方式。我们把人我的认知方式训练成菩萨的认知方式，把二元的认知方式训练成大圆满的认知方式——什么显现都是觉性。认知非常的重要，但由于它的范围太大、太广，我这样集中起来讲，中间可能会出现漏洞。如果出现漏洞，怎么办呢？请大家原谅我！否则还能怎么办？难道大家批驳我吗？批驳我还是要花点功夫的。我先跟大家“吹嘘”一把！

It is clear that the cognitive approach is extremely important. Our spiritual practice lies in honing our cognition. We transform the egocentric mode of cognition into the Bodhisattva's way of cognition, and we train the duality-based cognition into the Dzogchen—where all appearances are  recognized as awareness itself. While this subject holds immense importance, due to its vast and extensive nature, there might be loopholes in my concentrated explanation. If there are loopholes, please forgive me! Otherwise, what else can we do? Are  you going to debate with me? That would take some effort. Let me "brag" first!

 

我讲的这些话中间有繁复的逻辑和运行方式，都是经过很多次的检验，你要去批驳它的话，得准备很长的时间。这个时间要以几十年作为基本单位来算，一般人是没有这个功夫的，也没有这个兴趣的。

The intricate logic and operational mechanisms woven into my words have undergone rigorous testing many times. To seriously challenge them, one must commit to meticulous preparation and prolonged study, a daunting prospect for many. Most people do not have the time, interest, or patience for this.

 

哲学中，心识被称为精神，色法被称为物质。谁是第一性成为唯心论和唯物论的分界线。这些知识我们初中和高中都在学，“世界是物质的，物质是运动的，精神是物质运动的结果”，大家背得滚瓜烂熟，其实你已经被PUA了。这种世界观决定了你这一生绝对不会幸福，而且决定了你死亡以后更不幸福。唯物论者基本上会堕地狱，这是一个大概率。这种说法有点危险。大家明白我为什么在清迈跟大家讲这些吗？但这确实是邪见，十恶之中邪见第一，而且是最低劣的邪见。这不是我说的，而是佛陀讲的。

In philosophy, consciousness is referred to as spirit, and material phenomena are called matter. Which comes first becomes the dividing line between idealism and materialism. We have all been taught the prevailing concept: “The world is material, matter is in motion, and spirit is the result of the motion of matter.” Everyone knows it by heart, but, it is a sign that you have already been PUAed by the materialistic worldview. This worldview determines that you will never enjoy the true lasting happiness in this life and will be even more unhappy after death. Chances are materialists will fall into hell; This statement is somewhat radical and controversial in certain places. Now, do you understand why I am sharing this with you in Chiang Mai, Thailand? This statement is indeed a wrong view, which is the worst one of the ten non-virtuous actions. It is not me saying this; it is what the Buddha taught.

 

你去信上帝或婆罗门都不一定会堕地狱，有时候还能去天道。婆罗门里面有很多厉害的因明师。“因明”这门学问，在婆罗门教是很发达的。有些仙人还会去天界为天人讲因明，比如商羯罗。所以他们不一定会堕落。但唯物主义者是一个非常低劣的邪见，会造业，而且推广这个东西会造巨大的恶业，太可怕了。

Belief in God or Brahman does not necessarily lead to hell. In fact, some believers may even go to heaven. The study of logic, known as pramana, is well-developed in Brahmanism. There were many great logicians in the Brahman tradition, and some accomplished beings in Brahmanism such as Adi Shankara would even go to heavenly realms to teach logic to celestial beings. Therefore, they may not fall into lower realms. However, materialism represents a very inferior wrong view, which will inevitably bring forth negative karma, and promoting this view can lead to the creation of huge negative karma, which is truly alarming.

 

 

那么，到底世界的基础是色法还是心识就是所谓的第一性。第一性其实是唯物论和唯心论的分界线：承认世界是唯心的是唯心主义，而承认世界是唯物的是唯物主义。这里，请大家记住极其重要的一点——佛教的唯心主义和世俗哲学的唯心主义是不同的。

A timeless debate centers on whether matter or consciousness constitutes the underlying essence of the world is actually the dividing line between materialism and idealism: materialism is the belief that the world is material, while idealism is the belief that the world is mental. It is crucial to note one extremely important point here: Buddhist Yogacara, also known as the Mind-only school, is different from secular philosophical idealism. 

 

有些人会将唯心主义和佛法里的唯识混为一谈，有些佛教的高僧大德说：“不能说唯心主义就是佛教的唯识。”世俗哲学的唯心主义，其认知的范畴窄而浅，达不到像佛法对心那样很深层次的认知。比如，对世俗哲学来说，“阿赖耶识”是什么，它一无所知。虽然弗洛伊德发明使用了“潜意识”这个词汇，但它的程度很浅，没能力做到六根停止运行了以后还能够觉察到心较深层次的认知。佛教说的心包含了阿赖耶识等世俗哲学无法涉及的层面。所以，佛教的唯心主义和世俗哲学的唯心主义不能完全等同起来。

Yogacara is often wrongly equated with idealism, but eminent Buddhist masters warn of this misconception. Compared to the profound exploration of the mind in Buddhism, secular philosophical idealism offers a limited understanding. WhileSigmund Freud introduced the term "subconsciousness," its depth pales in comparison, lacking the cognitive ability to access and apprehend the deeper dimensions of the mind after the six senses have ceased functioning. The mind explored in Buddhism encompasses aspects unaddressed by secular philosophy, such as Alayavijnana, the base consciousness, an important aspect of the mind in Buddhism. Therefore, equating  secular idealism with Yogacarais like mistaking a candle flame for the full blaze of the sun.

 

 

首先，我们来看唯心主义。它分为客观唯心主义和主观唯心主义。主观唯心主义认为外界都是我们感觉滋生的东西；客观唯心主义，顾名思义，则认为外面有个神灵。佛教的唯识学认为心识是产生一切的基础，跟世俗哲学上的主观唯心主义和客观唯心主义都不一样。我这里说的“唯心”和“心识”，是指佛教的唯心，不是指世俗哲学上的唯心主义，因为它的过于肤浅，根本不值得去讨论。

First, let us look at idealism. It is divided into two categories: objective idealism and subjective idealism. Objective idealism, as the name suggests, believes in an external deity. While subjective idealism posits that the external world is a product of our sensations. However, Yogacara in Buddhism stands apart from both. It holds that the mind is the foundation of all phenomena. When I refer to "Mind-onlyism" and "mind" here, I'm specifically referring to Buddhist Yogacara, not the limited and unworthy-of-discussion idealism in secular philosophy.

 

佛教的唯识学认为，能认知和所认知都是心识的作用，其中能认知叫做见分，所认知叫做相分。

Yogacara holds that the cognitive ability itself, along with all perceivable objects, are just functions of the mind. The cognitive ability is the capability of consciousness to perceive, while the cognized is called form, both tangible and intangible.

 

眼耳鼻舌身这五种识都有各自相应的见分和相分。比如我用眼睛去看你，这种看的能力就叫做见分。我看到的对境，用术语去分析，一个叫形色，一个叫容色。形色就是样子、相状的意思。你们看到一个人，比如你们看到我的肚皮是圆的，这叫做形色。容色就是颜色的意思。比如，你的脸色很好啊，白里透红，一看就知道遇到烂桃花。再比如，看到一块布，布的形状叫形色，布的颜色叫容色。你的眼睛就具有这两种功能，它们就叫做眼识的相分。

Each of the five types of consciousness—visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile—has its own perceiving ability and the perceived form. For instance, we are now sitting in this spacious meditation hall. You all see me at the podium giving this lecture, and I see you all in the audience listening. When you see me, your eyes’ ability to see me is the cognitive ability of your visual consciousness. The object, me in this case, that you see through your visual consciousness has two attributes, called "form" and "color" in Buddhist terminology. "Form" refers to the appearance and shape; for example, my round-shaped belly as you are seeing now. The skin tone of mine you are seeing now is the color. It refers to hues like white, black, brown. Your eyes can perceive form and color directly. They are referred to as the form aspect of eye consciousness.

 

我用耳朵听声音的这种能听的能力叫见分，听到的声音本身叫相分。我用鼻子闻气味的这种能闻的能力也叫见分，闻到的气味本身叫相分。我用舌头品尝味道的这种能品尝的能力也叫见分，品尝的味道本身叫相分。我身体能感觉的这种能力也叫见分，感觉的各种触受，比如身体的沉重或麻痒，叫相分。

Your ears' ability to hear my voice is the perceiving ability, and the voice heard by your ears is the perceived form. Your noses' ability to perceive various scents and odors in this hall is  the perceiving ability, and the scents and odors perceived by your noses is the perceived form. The subtle fragrance of incense rising from the burner, or the faint earthy aroma of the meditation mats, are all perceived forms created by your olfactory consciousness. Your tongues' ability to perceive various tastes in your mouths is the perceiving ability, and the tastes perceived by your tongues is the perceived form. Your physical bodies' ability to sense various sensations coming and going through them is the perceiving ability, and the various sensations such as the pain you feel in your buttocks, knees, and ankles caused by sitting for a long time sensed by you physical bodies are the perceived form. Similarly, as we sit together, the interplay of sensations shapes our individual perceived forms. The gentle hum of the air conditioning, the coolness of the floor beneath our feet, and the subtle shift of our postures throughout the session – these form a tapestry of awareness woven by our tactile consciousness.

 

这里，让我们以身触为例来分析在它之上见分和相分是如何划分的。身触分内触和外触两种。比如摸到某个东西叫外触：觉得它硬或软就叫做相分，能摸的这种能力叫见分。内触是什么？它指的是感觉到的身体的冷暖变化。触到身体上的冷暖变化叫相分，能触到这些冷暖变化的能力叫见分。有些人修行到很深时，比如内观到一定程度，就能够觉知到一股热流从丹田顺着中脉冲上去，这就是触识在起作用。

Here, let us take physical sensations as an example to analyze how the perceiving ability and the perceived form are differentiated. Sensations come in two types: internal sensations and external sensations. For instance, touching an object is an external sensation. The feelings of hardness or softness resulting from it are the perceived form, and the ability to touch and sense is the perceiving ability. Internal sensation refers to the feeling of the changes in body temperature. Perceived warmth, coldness, or in-between in the body is the perceived form, and the ability to sense these changes is the perceiving ability. Some individuals, when they advance in their spiritual practice, such as reaching a certain level of mindfulness, can perceive a stream of heat rising from the Dantian (the lower abdomen) along the central channel, indicating the body consciousness at work.

 

这就是唯识里面所说的心识能力，但其本体是什么呢？比如眼睛看一个木块时，看到的这个木块是“相分”，能看的能力是“见分”。但同时，我还可以看其他的东西，有一个总的能力。这个总的能力叫做“自证分”。我不但可以看到木块，还可以看到你们的脸，看到虚空，我有一个总的能看的能力。这个总的能力是什么呢？它就是所谓的心识的自证分。自证分是指这种能力的本体。能力具有作用，作用呈现出来就变成了见分和相分，而它们的本体就是自证分。

These are the perceiving abilities of the consciousnesses described in Yogacara. And now the question is what their essence is? When we look at a piece of wooden block, the seen wooden block is the perceived form, and the ability to see it is the perceiving ability. However, at the same time, I can perceive other things; there is a greater ability called self-knowing. I can see the wooden block, your faces, the space before me simultaneously and overarchingly—I have this greater perceiving ability. What is it? It is the so-called self-knowing aspect of the mind, the essence of all perceiving abilities. This greater ability has functions, and when those functions start to perform, they become the perceiving abilities and the perceived forms.

 

现在让我总结一下刚才讲的内容：心识的认知作用分二：一个叫“见分”，一个叫“相分”，心识的本体称之为“自证分”。

To recap what we have just discussed: The cognitive functions of consciousness are twofold: perceiving ability and perceived form. The essence of consciousness is referred to as "self-knowing."

 

唯识是不承认实有的物质。比如看到这些东西，唯物主义认为它们一定由某种基本物质组成，要么是分子，要么是量子，要么是能量——能量也是物质。不管这个基本物质是什么，反正它就是有的。唯识则不承认，认为它完全是我们心识的一种体现。这跟我们的常识好像很冲突，我们就是习惯性地觉得有个东西，那是因为你没有思考，错误地把作用一下当成了本体。

Yogacara does not acknowledge the inherent existence of matter. For example, when we see things, materialism asserts that they must be composed of some fundamental substance, be it molecules, quantum particles, or energy. Energy is also considered a form of matter. Regardless of what this fundamental substance is, materialism insists that it inherently exists. In contrast, Yogacara denies this and views matter as mere manifestations of the mind (consciousness). This seems to be in conflict with our common sense, as we are accustomed to feeling that there is something there. This misunderstanding arises because, without thorough analysis, we mistakenly treat the manifestation as the essence.

 

我手上拿着一个木块，它是一种心识的作用，但你把这个作用当成了它自己的本体。它的本体是什么？物质！所有的蠢人不加思考都会得出这个结论。他们不在头脑里面进行语言化、逻辑化的思考，总觉得有个东西，而且这个东西有好、有坏、有需要、有不需要。是不是这样的？

The piece of the wooden block in my hand is just a function of consciousness. But We have gone ahead and treated this function like it has gotten its own essence. What is it? Matter! We tend to jump to this conclusion without thinking it through logically. We just feel like there is something there, and this thing has innate qualities such as being good or bad, useful or useless. Is that the way it is?

 

我们有个共同的天——我们有个共同的天吗？我们有个身体，有我们的家，有各种各样的东西，如果它们不是心，那就是物质。我们一定会习惯性地认为是物质。虽然学了唯识，在概念上不认为这些是物质，但在实际面对它们时，还是会把它们当成物质的。为什么呢？因为你会根据现实需要来。比如一块黄金和一坨大粪放在那里，你选什么？你会毫不犹豫地选黄金。万一遇到一个不知道黄金价值的农民，他选什么？他会选大粪，想拿去给土地施肥，像古代的农民，他不需要黄金。或者把你弄到一个荒岛里面去，然后开垦一片地。如果这时给你黄金和大粪，你会要什么？肯定要大粪。在荒岛上要黄金干嘛？

We have a common sky. Really? We have a body, a home, and all sorts of things, and if they are not mind, then they are matter. We will definitely habitually think of them as matter. Even though we have studied Yogacara, and we conceptually do not see them as matter, when we deal with them in reality, we still treat them as matter. Why? Because we will act based on our practical needs. For instance, if you had to choose between a piece of gold and a lump of dung, what would you choose? Undoubtedly the gold. But what would a farmer who does not know the value of gold choose? He might go for the dung, because he could use it to fertilize his land. Or imagine you were put on a deserted island and then start to cultivate a piece of land. If you were given gold and dung at that moment, what would you choose? Definitely the dung. Why would you need gold on a deserted island?

 

我们是根据自己所需要来选的。在需要它时，我们会认为它是一个有用的东西，这就叫做法执。根据我们的需要，换一个词，就是根据“我执”的需要。可以肯定的是，“我执”一定在里面起作用。“我”需要这个东西，你需要那个东西，两个不同的“我”就有不同的选法。

We choose based on our needs. When we need it, we consider it as something useful and valuable, and this is called attachment to things as real. Based on our needs, in other words, it is based on the needs of the ego. Whether we are aware of it or not, it is certain that the ego is always behind our choices. "I" need this thing, "you" need that thing, and two different "I"s make different choices.

 

对于商人而言，知道黄金有价值，他会选黄金。对于耕地人，觉得大粪更有用，他会选大粪。两个不同的个体对“我”的认知是不同的，虽然有个共同的“我”的认知，但是“我”需要什么，会因为“我”的不同，而采取不同的选择。

For a merchant, who knows that gold is valuable, he will choose gold. For a farmer, who believes dung is more useful, he will choose dung. Two different individuals have different perceptions of the "self." Although there is a common understanding of the "self," what the "self" needs and the choices it makes differ due to the distinctions in each "self."

 

虽然唯识里面不承认有实有的物质，但我们会认为有实有的物质，这就是为何我们要修行的原因。如果认为有实有的物质，我们一定要根据我执的需要去找不同的物质，我们一定要去挣钱，而不是去”挣空气”——其实还是要挣空气的，我们要去空气好的地方。修行就要改变这些错误的认知。

Yogacara does not acknowledge the inherent existence of matter, but we, as untrained people, do the opposite way. This is why we need to practice. If we believe in the inherent existence of matter, we are compelled to seek various material possessions based on the demands of our ego. We are compelled to earn money rather than "earning air." In reality, we need air, but we take it for granted. Given an option, we all would prefer to be in places with fresh and clean air. Spiritual practice aims to change these misconceptions.

 

什么叫做解脱呢？当你什么都不需要的时候，你就解脱了。有人说：“这不可能，你总要吃饭嘛。”觉性真的不需要吃饭。你的生命不是这一堆身体。你的这一堆身体其实是帮忙的，而且经常帮倒忙。我们的生命，我们的身体，我们的感官，全是帮倒忙。我们的修行，就是要去掉这些帮倒忙的，回到我们本来的原始认知上。当你的生命回到原始认知上，那时候你啥都不需要。但是，还是有种需要——严格来讲，那不叫需要，而叫利益众生。

What is liberation? It is when you no longer need a thing, not even food. Some might scoff:" Impossible! You gotta eat!" But here is the truth: your true essence, that pure awareness deep within, has no need for fuel. It is not this meat suit that defines your life. This body, meant to be a trusty sidekick, often turns into a pain-in-the-neck troublemaker. Our lives, our bodies, our senses, they are all tripping us up. That is where practice comes in. It is about clearing away these obstacles, dusting off our primordial awareness, and returning home we have departed for so long. When that happens, needs fade away. But a different kind of "need." Precisely speaking, it is not a need driven by lack, but rather a commitment to benefit all sentient beings.

 

这是不是一种需要呢？有两种说法，一种是世俗的说法，永恒的菩提心利益众生。《普贤行愿品》里说：“乃至虚空世界尽，众生及业烦恼尽。如是一切无尽时，我愿究竟恒无尽。”另一种是连利益众生的想法都没有，随缘任运而已，应你的需要来利益你。甚至这种描述都是有问题的，因为他那时候没有“你”“我”之分，难以描述。

Is this not a need? Two views on it. The first one is the conventional view, saying that the eternal Bodhicitta fuels the wish to benefit all sentient beings. In “The King of Aspiration Prayers,” it goes like: “Sentient beings are as limitless as the boundless expanse of space; So, shall my prayers of aspiration for them be as limitless as their karma and harmful emotions!” Alternatively, there is the ultimate view, saying that it is not a thought-driven but a pure spontaneous response reacting to circumstances and needs of sentient beings. Even this description itself is misleading because, in that state, there is no distinction between "you" and "me," making words pointless. 

 

唯物论认为认知是物质的活动。刚才已经说过，它认为世界是物质的，物质是运动的，精神是物质运动和组合的结果——这里要加上“组合”，因为物质不能单独运动后产生认知的，它一定会组成什么有机物之类的。目前是这么说，以后就不一定了。

Materialism says that cognition is a product of material activity and the world is a tapestry woven from ever-moving matter, and within this dynamic ballet, the mind emerges as a result of the dynamic interplay and fusion of threads of matter. Please note the word "fusion" here because a single thread of matter cannot generate cognition; It takes the tangled embrace of multiple strands of matter weaving into something akin to life itself. That is materialism's story for now, but who knows what tomorrow's chapters might hold?

 

我记得那位量子物理学家问我：“人类能否利用计算机创造出认知？”我坚定地回答他：“这是不可能的！”他要我给出理由。我说了一大堆理由，里面加夹着大量的佛教术语，交流起来很麻烦，因此，要把这些佛教术语翻译成科学术语才行。

I remember the quantum physicist asked, "Can computers be used to create cognition?" I said  "That's not possible!" He sought reasons, and I went on to explain, incorporating various Buddhist terms, which made the conversation difficult to go deep. Therefore, translating Buddhist terms into modern scientific language is crucial due to the complexity of such discussion.

 

 

唯物论认为意识认知只是物质的一种运动，也就是说，认知自己的本体是不存在的。请大家记住这句话。这句话看起来很学术，但它的作用是巨大的。唯物主义认为，我们的认知活动不是心识（心识是一种本体）在认知，物质才是本体，认知是物质运动的结果——物质的运动产生了认知。是不是认为心识本身作为本体在认知就造成了很大的差别，差别非常之大！

Materialism says that consciousness is merely a byproduct of the intricate dance of physical matter, denying any essence to cognition itself. Remember: this seemingly academic position carries profound implications. Materialists argue that our cognitive activities are not orchestrated by some shadowy mind, but rather emerge from the dynamic interactions of physical neurons. It is matter, they hold, that is the true essence. Yogacara, however, presents a stark counterpoint: the mind, not matter, is the fundamental entity, a vast ocean of consciousness from which all experience arises, including the very illusion of the world. This distinction is monumental.

 

唯物主义认为认知是由物质运动产生的，认知本身没有本体。如果唯物主义说认知本身有本体，那它就会变成类似佛教的修行方式, 而佛教的修行方式也就是唯物主义所谓的物理及其活动方式。如果认为认知有本体，修行的时候就会变成禅宗的“念佛是谁”。念佛不是一种物质的运动，它是有本体，去找这个本体是什么？找到了就怎么样？开悟，就拿到了根本！

Materialism says that cognition, produced by the movement of matter, has no essence by itself. If Materialism were to acknowledge that cognition itself has an essence, in that curious scenario, then Buddhist practice methods and principles in physics would even start echoing each other. Research and studies in the scientific field will interestingly mirror the iconic Chan koan: "Who  chants the Buddha's name?" This question delves beyond the physical act of chanting, pointing toward the essence behind it. It is not the mere movement of lips and lungs, but a deeper wellspring of the essence of awareness. What happens when you discover this essence? Awakening—you find the root, the nature of the mind!

 

 

认为认知本体是他体和认为认知本身是本体的这两个结论的差别很大！如果认知只是物质组合的运动，那么只要物质组合一停止，认知就结束了。之所以唯物主义者特别怕死，就因为这个原因。而且他们还认为死了以后什么都没有，生命无非就是物质的组合，突然“啪”一下就没了。佛法里讲的往生净土这些说法，对他们来说都纯属迷信。由此可见，两个结论的差别之大！

The claim that cognition has an external essence differs significantly from the claim that cognition itself is its essence. This distinction has profound implications. If cognition is merely the activity of combined matter, then its cessation marks the end of consciousness. For some materialists, this belief in nothingness after death fuels a deeper fear, as life becomes a fleeting spark extinguished with the body's collapse. Buddhist teachingsof rebirth in the Pure Land, seen as nothing but mere superstition by many materialists, directly contradict the materialist perspective, creating an immense chasm between these two worldviews.

 

上面把认知概括性地讲了一番。接下来，我们来说说人类目前的认知方式。本来计划稍微说一下天人的认知方式，但鉴于那个对我们来说太遥不可及了，所以还是先来说说人类目前的一些认知方式。它可以简略分为如下几种。

We have presented the groundwork for understanding cognition in general. While I was tempted to peek into the minds of celestial beings, that might be a bit beyond our reach. So, for now, let us zoom in to explore the human cognitive approaches.  

 

1、五种感官和意识现量：眼耳鼻舌身及其五俱意识和意俱意识是人类最基本的认知方式。人类所有的学问和技术，必须以此为基础展开。这句话是什么意思呢？我们眼睛看东西、耳朵听声音，鼻子嗅气味，舌头尝味道，身体感受冷热、轻重等触受，这里面一定牵涉到五俱意识。意俱意识，因明叫它自证意识，唯识叫它意识的自证分。

1.The direct valid cognition of the five-sense organs and the mental consciousness. 

The fundamental cognitive approaches that humans use to perceive the world involve the following factors: the five-sense organs, the five sensory consciousnesses, the five simultaneous sensory awarenesses, the mental consciousness, and the simultaneous mental awareness. To make it simple, let us call all of these forms of simultaneous awareness "knowers." All these factors form the bedrock of our understanding, the very tools with which we build all human knowledge and technology. Remember: In every form of human perception, be it the symphony of light, the rumble of vibrations, the bouquet of aromas, the dance of flavors, the sensations of physical bodies, and the whispers of thoughts, these knowers must engage individually or collectively. The specific knower, or the simultaneous mental awareness, that goes hand in hand with the mental consciousness is termed as self-knowing consciousness in Pramana and the self-knowing aspect of the mental consciousness in Yogacara.

 

我讲到的这些东西，大家可能觉得太学术化，其实直接牵涉到你的修行，甚至根据我讲的东西，你的修行都会清晰很多。

What I have just talked about might sound a bit too academic, but it directly connects to our spiritual practice. In fact, understanding these concepts can significantly enhance the clarity of our spiritual practice.

 

什么叫做五俱意识呢？我们看东西的时候，意识要搭上去才会清晰,不搭上去就会模糊。打坐的时候，眼睛看着前面，意守丹田，如果很专注，眼识就会产生模糊，达到比较好的程度，身体的沉重感会消失，耳朵甚至听不到声音。原因是什么？意识不去帮忙了。意识不去帮忙的话，相应的感官能力就会慢慢变得模糊起来。就好比我们专注打电话，那时候眼睛是看不到东西的，看到一个影子一晃而过，注意力全部在电话上，这时候耳俱意识就搭上去了。

What do the five simultaneous sensory awarenesses mean? When we are looking at something, the simultaneous visual awareness needs to be in play for perception; otherwise, things will not be perceived visually. In other words, looking but not seeing. During meditation, if you are gazing forward while your mind is concentrated on the lower abdomen fully, your visual perception may become somewhat blurry. With a high level of concentration, the sensation of heaviness in the body might vanish, and you might even lose awareness of surrounding sounds. Why does this happen? It is because the corresponding sensory awarenesses are not actively contributing. When one or all of the sensory awarenesses are not lending a hand, the corresponding sensory abilities gradually fade out. It is akin to when we are deeply engrossed in a phone call, our eyes cannot pick up on things around us. All of our attention is on the phone. At that moment, the other sensory awarenesses remain inactive, only the auditory awareness is engaged actively.

 

当专注看一个东西时，比如孩子看精彩的电视剧，母亲在旁边怎么跟他说话都听不到，惹得母亲生气，一巴掌打过去“看电视！看电视！”为什么会这样呢？他的眼俱意识和耳俱意识都到了屏幕上，意俱意识去感受看这个电视所带来的喜悦。这时候，他的耳朵就放弃听旁边你说的声音。简而言之，当我们专注看一个东西的时候，是听不到别人说话的。

A man enthralled by a gripping TV show is oblivious to his girlfriend's calls from the other side of the living room, no matter how loudly she calls. The girl is so irritated that she might dart across the room to slap him, "Can't you hear me?" Why does this happen? His visual awareness and auditory awareness are glued to the show on the screen, and the mental awareness is engaged deeply in the process of experiencing the pleasure derived from the TV show. In that moment, the outside world, including his girlfriend's voice, fades into a muted hum. 

 

通常，我们的五俱意识是平摊到五根上的，但在某些特定情形下，它们中的某个或多个俱意识的作用会相应地明显很多。比如，一个人拿着大砍刀去监狱里救一位英雄，这时候，他的五俱意识里的眼俱意识、耳俱意识和意俱意识都上来积极地发挥相应的作用，也就是俗话里说的“眼观六路，耳听八方”。他的眼睛到处看，耳朵也很警觉，意识也平摊到了五根上。不过，这种情况下，主要是耳根和眼根在发挥功用。为什么鼻根和舌根没有参与呢？因为人的鼻根和舌根知道危险的可能性不大。除非是狗，它依靠极度敏锐的嗅觉来识别危险。

Normally, our five simultaneous sensory awarenesses are well balanced, each receiving equal attention. However, in high-pressure situations, like storming a prison to rescue a hero, some of the simultaneous sensory awarenesses take the lead. A Chinese idiom goes: "eyes and ears everywhere." His ears and eyes become sharpened weapons, scanning for any hint of danger. Although his mental consciousness is evenly spread across the five-sense organs, in this scenario, the main players are the ear and eye, and the nose and tongue play a quieter role. Why? For humans, the nose and tongue perceive less likelihood of danger. It is a different story for a dog, though. Its super-charged sense of smell becomes its primary weapon, sniffing out threats while its eyes and ears provide backup.

 

其实，所有人类的活动的背后都是认知方式在操控。如果我们能够清晰地知道并掌控我们的认知方式，会很快解脱，很快找到真相。这是我为何跟大家聊认知的一个原因。

Beneath every human action, cognition reigns as the hidden king. By learning to navigate this inner landscape, we can attain liberation and uncover the ultimate truth. That is the journey I am hoping to embark on with you through this conversation about cognition.

 

五俱意识指的是眼俱意识、耳俱意识、鼻俱意识、舌俱意识和身俱意识。此外，再加一个意俱意识。因明里面不承认意俱意识，而叫“自证意识”。它是指我们知道自己在想什么，是一种意识的自证。唯识里面把它叫做意识的自证分。自证分能够肯定见分和相分。其实，我们知道自己在想什么就行了，不用死记硬背“意俱意识”这个词汇，因为它只是一个为了便于交流沟通而造出来的词汇，而佛教的因明学里面并没有这个词汇。

The five simultaneous sensory awarenesses refer to simultaneous visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile awarenesses. Additionally, there is the simultaneous mental awareness, termed self-aware consciousness in Pramana. This signifies our awareness of our own thoughts, an ability that the mental consciousness possesses to know its activities. Yogacara terms it the self-knowing aspect of consciousness, which defines and reinforces perceiving ability and perceived form. In essence, knowing what we are thinking is enough, and memorizing the term "simultaneous mental awareness" is not necessary. This term is merely a linguistic convenience for communication and is absent from Pramana.

 

眼睛看、耳朵听，鼻子闻、舌头尝，身体触和意识想（知道自己在想什么），它们是不是我们认识世界和认识自身的最基本的认知方式？绝对是最基本的。难道初生的婴儿一生下来就会思考？不会。刚开始，初生的婴儿会用眼睛看、手触摸等方式去找妈妈。新生儿的眼睛要去看外在的世界，才会让视网膜长得齐全。让孩子瞎，或者让孩子变成独眼龙，其实很简单。你在新生儿的一个眼睛上贴上胶布，让他一个眼睛看，另一个眼睛不看，等长到一岁的时候，再把胶布拿掉，他的其中一个眼睛再也看不到，最后变成独眼龙。表面上，他的两个眼睛是一样的，但他的其中一个眼睛已经失去了视觉能力，因为视觉神经要靠练习发展起来。

Do our five senses and mental consciousness provide the most basic way of knowing the world and ourselves? Absolutely. Could a newborn baby think from the moment he is born? No. At first, newborn babies use sight, touch, and other senses to find their mothers. The eyes of a newborn need to see the outside world in order for the retina to develop fully. It is actually very simple to make a newborn blind or become a one-eyed person. If you put a patch on one eye of a newborn and just let him see with one eye, then remove the patch until he is one year old, one of his eyes will no longer be able to see and eventually become a one-eyed person. On the surface, his two eyes are the same, but one of the eyes has lost its visual ability because the optic nerve needs to be developed through practice.

 

这种直接的认知是人类所有认知的基本方式，所有的学问，无论是思维，还是技术，都必须以此为基础展开。我们看了很多东西，见多识广，开始是堆积，尔后在头脑里面进行思考，思考的时候，你知道自己在思考什么，随后对思考的内容进行总结、归类和归纳，最后写成书，流传后世。

This direct cognition is the basic way of all human cognition. All knowledge, whether it is thinking or technology, must be based on it. We experience a lot of things, and our knowledge becomes vast. At first, we accumulate. Later, we reflect and contemplate. When we reflect and contemplate, we know what we are reflecting and contemplating. Then, we summarize, classify, and generalize the content of our thinking, extracting meaning from our experiences and turning them into knowledge. And finally, we write books and pass them on to future generations.

 

总之，人类所有的学问和知识的获得都离不开这六种基本的认知方式——眼耳鼻舌身意。其中的意包括了意俱意识和五俱意识。它们是我们人类认知的基本方式。

In short, all human knowledge is based on the six basic cognitive methods: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mental consciousness. The mental consciousness includes both mental consciousness and five simultaneous sensory awarenesses. These are the basic ways in which humans perceive the world.

 

我们修行是怎么一回事？首先利用眼耳鼻舌身意，包含意俱意识，这些基本的认知方式去修行，然后要将它们放弃，最后剩下的是这个认知体的自明，这个称之为“开悟”。如果用意俱的方式去认识一个对境，就变成了单空或者阿赖耶识，所以不是真正的证悟。

What is our practice about? Our practice is about transcending the limitations of our normal perception. In the beginning, we start by using our sensory and mental faculties (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) as tools to practice. This also includes the "simultaneous mental awareness." Gradually, we learn to detach from these faculties, letting go of their interpretations and attachments. Ultimately, what remains is the raw essence of cognitive experience, a pure self-awareness beyond the constructed world of thoughts and sensations, which is called "realization." If we just use the simultaneous mental awareness to perceive an object, it becomes the mere emptiness or the Alayavijnana (storehouse consciousness), so it is not true realization.

 

你知道你在想什么，那种想已经非常轻微，它变成了一种状态、感受，这就叫做觉受。比如单空修到一定时候，身心一个念头都没有，前五识变得非常轻微，模糊、虚幻。这时候这些状态和感受一定会被你的心知道，如果不知道，那你在修什么呢？

When you start being aware of your thoughts, they start losing their strength and become very faint. This state or feeling is what we call "awareness." For example, when you practice the mere emptiness to a certain point, the chattering thoughts in your mind and body quiet down, and the activity of your five senses become very subtle, blurry, and illusory. At this time, these experiences and feelings will definitely be known by your  mind. If not, then what are you practicing?

 

产生的这些觉受，但它们并非是开悟，因为还有个觉受在那里。大圆满里面说：“所有的觉受会像天空中的云彩一样消失”，剩下只有认知体自己的明了，这就叫做开悟。

No matter how vivid, these experiences are mere ripples on the surface of the mind. They are not realization or awakening, because experiences themselves still ripples there. Dzogche says: “All experiences and feelings will vanish like clouds drifting across the sky,” leaving behind only the pure awareness of the mind. Seeing it is what we call realization or awakening.

 

你把这些记熟了，再回过头去看书，比如中观、唯识、大圆满的书，你会发现很容易看懂，这也正是我为什么要讲认知的其中一个原因。当然，对于很多不喜欢读书的师兄们来说，这是一种精神打击，但也没关系，起码种个种子。

Once you understand these concepts well, you will find out that reading texts on Madhyamaka, Yogacara, and Dzogchen becomes a much easier task. Admittedly, for some, the path of dense philosophical texts may seem daunting. But remember, even a single seed, nourished by curiosity, can eventually bloom into a magnificent garden of knowledge for realization.

 

尽管禅七每晚的两个小时讲的这些内容，全都是非常学术化，或者牵涉到很高的修行，但是没办法，因为上述各种原因，这个题目选定了，我们就按计划讲下去。如果想要那种能听得懂，又能马上用的，大家可以去听现在其他师兄在讲的禅修课，那些很实用，用心去听。

The content covered in the two-hour lectures during the Chan retreat offer a rigorous exploration of academic materials and advanced practices, newcomers and those seeking immediate tools may crave a more practical approach. Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend attending the meditation classes taught by other instructors. They are very practical and well worth your time and attention.

 

现在学的比较学术化的内容，对于普通师兄来说，作为一个种子也是有好处的。对于一些学得比较好的，修到一定层次的师兄，会非常有用。

While the academic nature of our current studies might seem daunting, its depth holds immense potential for many. For those just beginning their journey, it plants seeds of deeper understanding and transformation. For seasoned practitioners who have reached a certain level of practice, it will be incredibly useful.

 

这类认知方式的结论，世俗称之为“事实”，佛教称之为现量。有句话叫做实事求是：你看到什么就是什么，你听到什么就是什么，你想到什么就如实准确地把它说出来，称之为“事实”。佛教把这种认识方式称为现量。

There is a saying that goes: "Seek truth from facts:" what you see is what it is, what you hear is what it is, and present whatever is in your mind truthfully and accurately. In simpler terms, what we consider facts in everyday language are what Buddhism calls direct valid cognition.

 

现量的对境，在色法和心法上叫做“性境”，就是直接的认知。“性境”是唯识的内容，我们先不说这些，说起来就很多了。这里我们要记住的是，现量在世俗上称之为事实。

The object of direct valid cognition, both form and consciousness, is called nature realm, a concept in Yogacara. We will not delve into that now, as it is quite extensive. What we need to remember here is that direct valid cognition, in everyday language, is known as fact.

 

意识思维的自证。虽然意识无法取得真正的共证，但依据它的相似的作用和表达，可以有相似的性相。

Mental consciousness has the ability to be aware of its own activities, which we call self-awareness. While this self-awareness lacks external validation from others, the similarities in its function and expression suggest it may share some definitional elements with how we describe objects.

 

如何理解意识是思维的自证？比如我们想的东西，是没办法取得共证的。什么意思呢？你想什么，我不可能知道；你感受到什么，我也不可能知道。

How do we understand that mental consciousness is the self-awareness of our own thoughts? Think about it: everything in our heads, thoughts and feelings, are personal experiences we cannot share. So, what does that mean? It means we can never truly know what goes on inside each other's minds, what we feel or think.

 

你想什么，我怎么可能知道呢？因为，同样面对一种状况，一个人可能是开心，一个人可能是不开心。尽管如此，两个人在同样面对某个事先不知道的状况时，可以通过其相似的作用和表达，把它说出来。比如同样身处黑暗中，一个人说：“哎呀，好黑啊，我什么都看不到”。而另一个说：“哎呀，我也什么都看不到”，通过这样的表达，我们可以对意识的自证进行归类和总结，然后得出相似的性相。

How can I know what you are thinking? After all, the same situation may make one person happy and another person sad. However, when two people are facing the same unknown situation, they can express it through their similar functions and expressions. Imagine two people plunged into darkness, one exclaiming, "Wow, it's pitch black!" while the other echoes, "Me too, I can't see a thing!" By analyzing these shared expressions across diverse experiences, we can classify and categorize the self-awareness of mental consciousness, and then derive similar characteristics.

 

意识活动的性质是什么？表现在我们的思维认知里面，它的相状是什么?比如两个都在嫉妒的人，各自把嫉妒的状态说出来：一个人说“我感到难受、嗔恨”。另一个人听见以后就说“我也差不多”。那么，嫉妒的性和相，通过他俩的语言得到了相似印证——意识思维的自证，可以有些相似的性相。

What is the nature of conscious activity? How does it reveal itself in our thoughts and understanding? Take jealousy: two individuals gripped by it might voice their internal turmoil. One mutters, "I feel terrible and hatred." The other echoes, "Me too, exactly." In this case, the nature and characteristics of jealousy have been comparably confirmed through their language—the self-awareness of mental consciousness could have some similar characteristics.

 

为了便于大家理解这些学术化的内容，我会用一些概括性的语言来讲，不会讲得很复杂，讲深奥了，大家听起来就麻烦了。

To make it easier for you to understand this academic content, I will use some general language to explain it. I will not make it too complicated. If I talk too deeply, it will be troublesome for you to listen.

 

唯识认为前五识的认知对境都属于“性境”，如果器官正常，它们认知的结果都属于“现量”。比如我看什么、听什么，是什么就是什么。比如我看到了墙壁就是墙壁，它属于性境，它不是虚幻的，它真的就是墙壁。看到的就是现量。

Yogacara believes that the objects of cognition of the first five consciousnesses belong to the "nature realm". If the sense organs are normal, the results of their cognition all belong to the "direct valid cognition". In other words, what we see and hear is simply what it is. For example, when I see a wall, I directly perceive it as a wall, not an illusion. It really is a wall. Therefore, in this case, what I see is the direct valid cognition.

耳朵听到的也一样，你听到的声音就是这个声音。比如，听到一个女孩在唱歌，那就是一个女孩在唱歌，不会是一个男孩在唱歌，而且这个声音的频率还比较高，你听到就是它。这种认知结果，如果自己的耳朵没有出问题，那么听到的确实是对的。听到的就是现量。耳识和眼识都是一样的。

The same principle applies to sound. What you hear with healthy ears is exactly what you hear. If you hear a girl singing, that is what is happening - not a boy. Moreover, the frequency of this sound is relatively high. This direct perception of the world around you is the same for both your eyes and ears.

 

也就是说，前五识的对境全都是“性境”，如果器官正常，认知的结果都属于“现量”。请大家记住“性境”和“现量”这两个词汇。

That is to say, the objects of the first five-sense consciousnesses all belong to the nature realm. If the organs are healthy, the results of perception are direct and valid. Please remember these two terms: nature realm and direct valid cognition.

 

意识在唯识学中意识的对境可以是性境、独影境和带质境，其认知结果是分别是现量、比量和非量。

In the Yogacara, the Mind-Only school, the objects of the mental consciousness are categorized into three realms: the nature realm, the reflection realm, and the illusion realm. Their corresponding cognitive outcomes are classified as the direct-valid cognition, the inferential-valid cognition, and non-valid cognition.

 

听到那么多专业术语，大家不要怕。接下来用我们能理解的方式来解释。

Do not worry if you are overwhelmed by all the jargon. We will break it down in simple terms that are easy to understand.

 

意识的对境，也就是意识所思考的内容，可以是直接知道的真实对境。比如对识的认知，可以是性境。但我们胡思乱想，比如想一只乌龟的头上长几根毛（即所谓的龟毛兔角），和做梦，可以是独影境。胡思乱想，或者疯子思考的内容，可以叫独影境。这些意识是知道的。然后，你看到什么，再回过头去想，这个叫带质境。比如你见到一个人，他有一张圆圆的脸，然后，他圆圆的脸在你头脑里面出现，这个意识的对境就叫做带质境。也就是说，可以出现这三类意识的对境。

The objects of our mental consciousness are things that it thinks about, and they can be grouped into three categories. The first is the nature realm, a direct and true perception of reality. The second is the reflection realm, which involves recalling past perceptions. For example, if you see someone with a round face, you might later have the image of her round face come to mind.Finally, the third category is the projection realm. It is a non-valid form of cognition that includes perceptions like imagining the number of hairs on a turtle’s head, dreams, and even the thoughts of someone with a mental illness. The mental consciousness is able to be aware of them.

 

认知的结果有三量：现量、比量和非量。性境就是“现量”：你知道自己在想什么，你知道自己在恨他，诸如此类。另外，还有“比量”，比如利用离一多因去分析某个东西最后是否分得完。有时候可能推断错了。比如根据所有的信息推断出他是个坏蛋，结果中间很多人在造谣，实际上他不是坏蛋，而你之前得出“他是个坏蛋”的这种认知就是“非量”。

The three cognitive processes yield three types of cognitive results: direct-valid cognition, inferential-valid cognition, and non-valid cognition. The nature realm represents direct-valid cognition. In other words, this signifiesthat we have an immediate awareness of our own thoughts and emotions, such as recognizing feelings of animosity towards someone. Inferential-valid cognition employs logical reasoning, like the neither-one-nor-many principle, to analyze whether something can be fully divided. However, even such inferences can sometimes lead to errors. For example, you might conclude from all the evidence that someone is untrustworthy, but if the information was based on rumors and the person is actually trustworthy, then your initial judgment of "he is untrustworthy" would fall into the category of non-valid cognition.

 

让我们总结刚才讲的内容：认知的对境有性境、独影境和带质境。认知的结果有现量、比量和非量。现量就是直接认知，是怎么样就是怎么样的，是我们意识的对境；比量就是逻辑推断的结果；非量就是逻辑错误的结果，或者是疯人的一些认知行为，属于意识认知。

Let us summarize what we have just discussed: The results of cognition fall into three categories: direct valid perception (what you perceive is what it is), inferential valid perception (derived from logical reasoning), and non-valid perception (arising from logical fallacies or mental constructs).

 

一定程度上，性境可以有共证的对境，而独影境和带质境则无法共证，只能通过语言以类似的对境进行交流，得出结论。有些性境是相对共证的对境，比如眼识看到的东西，大家都可以看到。记住，这不是绝对共证，而是相对共证。

To a certain extent, the natural realm can be verified mutually with shared objects of reference, while the reflection realm and projection realm cannot be verified mutually. They can only communicate and draw conclusions through language using similar objects of reference. Some aspects of the nature realm are relatively public and can be seen by everyone, such as the objects visible to the eye. It’s important to note that this is not an absolute verification but rather a relative one.

 

什么叫做绝对共证和相对共证呢？比如大家看到他是一个人，这个是不是绝对共证呢？不是的，而是相对共证，因为每个人看的角度不一样。他从左边看，你从右边看，结果他看到左边有一块疤，而右边没有。然后你到处去宣扬，说那个人很漂亮，脸上白白净净的，结果左边的人不这么认为，因为脸上有很大一块疤。所以，这不能绝对共证的。哪怕她没有这块疤，也不能叫做绝对共证，因为还有角度。一个杯子也是这样的，你们在下面看到的杯子与我在上面看到的杯子是不同的。所以，性境是没有绝对共证的。

Let us talk more about absolute verification and relative verification. For example, if everyone sees her as a person, is this absolute verification? No, it is relative verification because everyone has a different perspective. One person who sees from the left notices a scar on the left side of her face, while another from the right does not see the scar at all. Then the person on the right goes around saying that the person is very beautiful with a clean and clear face. But the person on the left does not think so because of the scar on her face. Therefore, this cannot be absolute verification. Even if she did not have the scar, it still would not be called absolute verification because there are still different angles and factors involved. The cup in front of me is the same; what you see from below is different from what I see from above. Thus, the nature realm does not have absolute verification.

 

而独影境和带质境是没法共证的。比如独影境：你头脑里面想的东西，是没法共证的。带质境：你看到以后头脑是怎么想的，我看到以后头脑是怎么想的，这些也没办法共证。所以，只能通过语言，以类似的对境进行交流，最后得出结论。

The projection realm and the reflection realm cannot be mutually verified. For instance, in the projection realm: the things you think about in your mind cannot be mutually verified. In the reflection realm: how you and I think after seeing something cannot be mutually verified. Therefore, communication can only occur through language, using similar objects of cognition to finally reach a conclusion.

 

比如，来清迈现场参加禅七的师兄看到了我这个胖子，而网上参与禅七的师兄没见过我。当从清迈回去的师兄回去跟某位网上参与的师兄说：“我在清迈见到了胖子”。于是，那位在线参与禅七的师兄在头脑中开始想象胖子。这两个“胖子”是不一样的。听到“胖子”的师兄在头脑里面想象的胖子，与见到“胖子”的师兄说的胖子，二者虽然都有“胖子”这个词汇，但听到的人肯定会乱想，这就叫做非量。比如，万一他把我想象成有五百公斤，那就不对了。

To illustrate, a fellow practitioner who journeyed from China to attend the Chan meditation retreat in Chiang Mai saw me in person – a chubby man. Another practitioner, who participated online, had no firsthand encounter. When the former returned to China and told the latter, "I saw the chubby man in Chiang Mai," the online participant began to picture the chubby man in his mind. Although both use the same term, their conceptions diverge. The one envisioned by the online participant rests on non-valid cognition, for who knows what image of me – as the "chubby man" – occupies his thoughts? If he envisions me weighing 500 kilograms, that image would be inaccurate.

 

就算是你们两个都看到我，但对形相的带质境也是不一样的。比如我从侧面走进来，有些人刚好看到我那富士山形的肚子，而有些人只看到我的正面，没看到我的肚子，就觉得我不怎么胖。不同的角度都会造成带质境的不同，所以没法共证，但可以进行相似的交流，由此，大家可以得出一个统一的结论：胖。

Let us say that they both see me in person, the shape and appearance of myself in their reflection realms differ. Those who see me from the side might just see my Fuji-mountain-shaped belly, while those who only see me from the front might not notice it and think I am not that chubby. Different angles lead to diverse reflection realms, so mutual verification is impossible. Yet, despite these divergences, similar communication can occur, leading everyone to the same unified conclusion: chubby.

 

请记住：如果我们听到别人给的概念词汇，在他那里的带质境、独影境和在你那里所引发的相应的思维是不一样的。所以现在网络出了一个词汇，叫“无图无真相”，说明词汇已经不行了，要用图来证实。其实有图也没办法有真相，因为图是可以P的，有些人在照片上看很漂亮，结果去奔现，一见面，恨不得妈没把自己生下来。

Remember, the words and ideas we share always create different reflection realms and the projection realms in others' minds, often differing from the thoughts they trigger in ours. There is a trending phrase, “no picture, no truth,” indicating that vocabulary alone is insufficient, and images are required for verification. However, even pictures can be deceiving, because they can be retouched. Some people look very beautiful in photos, but when you meet them in person, you might wish you were never born.

 

这是五种感官和意识的现量认知，属于直接认知方式。然后，认知方式开始扩展一些，有比量、思维方面的认知。

The aforementioned cognition of the five sense organs and mental consciousness is considered direct and valid. However, beyond this type of cognition, there exists another form known as inferential valid cognition, which arises through reasoning.

 

 

2、信仰认知、思维认知和逻辑认知

Faith-based cognition, thinking-based cognition and logic-based cognition

 

信仰认知是人类依据文化或者宗教观念所认同的观点，正确与否不可定论。

Grounded in cultural traditions or religious doctrines, faith-based cognitions offer personal lenses through which humans interpret reality, but their ultimate validity remains inconclusive.

 

信仰认知主要是头脑里面的东西，可以形成文字、图形和语言。比如基督教认为有上帝；伊斯兰教认为有安拉；佛教认为有佛陀，佛陀有法身、报身、化身。

Faith-based cognition is primarily a mental phenomenon, which can be formed and then expressed through words, graphics, and language. For example, Christianity believes in God; Islam believes in Allah; Buddhism believes in Buddha, who has Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya.

 

你见过佛陀吗？你没有现量见到过佛陀。如果你见到过三十二相的佛陀，我会对你肃然起敬。你见到过佛陀吗？那要生圆次第修得很好的人才见得到，那算得上是半个圣者。如果你在观修中见到三十二相的佛陀，那是很厉害的。

Have you seen the Buddha? You have not seen the Buddha with your own eyes. If you had seen the 32 marks of the Buddha, I would bow down to you with deepest respect. Only those who have practiced the generation and completion stages very well can see him. That counts as being half a saint. If you saw the 32 marks of the Buddha in your meditation, that would be truly extraordinary.

 

 

我们有师兄念佛念到蓝光出现，身上到处都是蓝光，这是见到了毗卢遮那佛的法身，得到了加持，但他都没见过三十二相的化身佛。如果见到无量广大的报身，那就更了不起。你没见过，但还是认为有佛陀。这是怎么来的？你被人“PUA”了，是经论教给你们的，这就叫做信仰认知，至于正确与否不可定论。你见到过上帝、婆罗门、大梵天？没有现量见过，都是书籍和逻辑推断告诉你的。

One of our fellow practitioners chanted the Buddha's name, and something truly extraordinary happened: a blue light began to envelop his body. We believe this was the Dharmakaya of Vairocana Buddha, showering him with blessings. Yet, he has not seen the glorious nirmanakaya, the Buddha with the 32 noble marks. If one were to witness the immeasurably vast Sambhogakaya, that would be even more remarkable. You have not seen the Buddha directly, but you still believe that he truly exists. How does this come about? The teachings have played their part, gradually shaping your faith-based cognition. Whether this is "correct" is not quite the point. Have you ever seen God, Brahman, or Brahma? Without direct perception, your knowledge of them is derived from books and logical inference.

 

思维认知是人类利用自己的感官和意识经过粗大思维得出的结论，由于思维方式的粗大和片面，其结论的正确与否不可定论。Thinking-based cognition is the conclusion that humans draw from their sense organs and mental consciousness through coarse thinking. Due to the coarseness and one-sidedness of the thinking mode, the correctness of the conclusion cannot be determined.

 

思维认知是比较低层次的思维认知。比如我们对每个人有很多想法、看法：“我觉得这个人如何如何，我觉得那个人如何如何，我觉得这个事情如何如何，哎呀，法座上面的人满嘴脏话……”，都有很多的结论。

Thinking-based cognition, filled with opinions about everyone and everything, is a limited, biased, and superficial form of cognition. “This person is good." "That person is bad." "This thing works for me." "That thing doesn't work for me." "I think the chubby man on the Dharma seat is full of cursed words.” We have a lot of opinions in our minds.

 

下面有一百多个人，每个人对坐在台上的这个我的看法有相似之处，也有绝对不一样的地方。虽然大家对我的看法有个粗大且相似的结论，比如我会说话——也正是因为这个，大家千里迢迢从世界各地飞过来清迈听他我说话。这个结论是成立的，否则大家来干嘛呢？但是，每个人对我这个胖子的很多看法也有诸多不一样的地方。比如，有人说“哇，他怎么这么胖？这么难看呢？”有人说“不是很难看，我觉得长得还可以嘛！”这些就是利用自己的感官和意识，经过粗大思维得出的结论。

There are over a hundred people in the audience, and each person has both similar and completely different views of me sitting on the stage. Although everyone has a rough and similar conclusion about me, such as I can talk about Buddhism well- it is also because of this that everyone flew from all over the world to Chiang Mai to listen to my lecture. This conclusion is valid, otherwise why would everyone come? However, everyone has many different views on me, this chubby guy. For example, some people say, “Wow, how can he be so chubby? So ugly!” Some people say, “He’s not that ugly, I think he's still good looking!” These are the conclusions they draw from our sense-organs and mental consciousness through thinking.

 

感官就不用说了，眼睛看的样子、耳朵听的声音都很粗大。闻气味就算了，我们人类的嗅觉能力就更弱了。与此想法，我们人类的意识思维很发达。比如，通过听我的课，跟我接触之后，你们当中的某些人会觉得我道德败坏，是个魔鬼，而某些人会觉得我道德高尚，是个神仙。你们会听到各种关于我的传说。传说一定会有的，但我相信大部分都不是真的。关于我好的传说大家都不要相信，坏的随便相信，没所谓。

When it comes to the perception of our five sense organs, their accuracy and reliability are far from perfect. What our eyes and ears pick up is quite coarse and superficial. Our sense of smell, in particular, is notably weak. On the other hand, our thinking abilities, as humans, are highly developed. For instance, after attending my lectures and interacting with me, some might see me as morally corrupt, a devil, while others might view me as morally upright, almost like a holy being. You would hear various stories about me. True or false, good or bad, narratives will inevitably emerge. However, I genuinely believe that most of them are not true. Do not put too much stock in the positive tales about me; as for the negative ones, believe them if you would like–it really does not matter.

 

感官和意识思维得出的结论正确与否，是没办法定论的。根本上，你听到的都只是听说而已。因此，当你听到这样人好、那样事坏，别轻易相信。很多人的认知都是片面的、粗大的。通过简单地看，简单地思维，再结合自己的经验，就得出个自以为正确的结论。试想一下，一个靓女进入一个房间，里面的一群女的和一群男的看到她以后所得出的结论绝对是不一样的。以前我的公司招的办公室主任是一位中年女人，他招的来的员工全部是男的，一个女的都不要。后来我让一位兄弟组织一群人去招工，结果招进来的全是靓女。

It is impossible to say definitively whether the conclusions drawn from the sense organs and thinking are correct or not. Essentially, what you hear is just words. Therefore, when someone tells you that someone is good or bad, do not believe it easily. Many people tend to form one-sided judgments, relying on their personal observations, thinking, and experiences, to arrive at conclusions they believe to be true. Consider this scenario: When a group of women and men see a beautiful girl, their opinions about her may vary based on their individual perspectives and observations. In my previous company, during a new staff recruitment drive, the office manager, a middle-aged woman, hired only male candidates and rejected all the female candidates. I felt this was unfair, so I asked my buddy to lead a separate recruitment team. However, their team ended up hiring only attractive women.

 

也就是说，对人的评论完全是根据自己的需要和感觉而来——人类粗大的思维认知——我们深陷其中。经常有人跟你说这个人好，那个人坏，这个事情不对，那个事情对，我们要如何如何，这些都是扯淡，扯淡就算了，你还要相信，那就更扯淡！可怜！幼稚！

Fundamentally, judgements about people are entirely shaped by one's own needs and feelings—the coarse cognitive processes of humans, and, unfortuantely, we find ourselves getting stuck in it. People frequently say that this person is good, that person is bad, this thing is wrong, that thing is right, we should do this and that—these are all nonsense. It is fine to talk nonsense, but once you choose to believe it, things get more peculiar! Pity! Naivety!

 

逻辑认知是人类利用逻辑的严密推理得出的结论，由于逻辑的是否自恰，参数是否齐全，结论正确与否也不可定论。

Logical cognition is a process of using logical reasoning to draw conclusions from premises. However, the correctness of the conclusions is not guaranteed, because the logic may not be self-consistent or the parameters may not be complete.

 

逻辑认知比前面的思维认知好很多，比如数学。我再给大家举个思维逻辑的例子：一个平时不怎么说话的在大街上举着砍刀杀人，但大家都因此说这个人的脾气很好，那就不对了。现在，小视频里也能看到类似的人：一个平常很温和的老实人，如果你得罪了他，他一旦开始报复，你连道歉的机会都没有，极具威胁感啊！现实中，的确也有这样的人，但是你能说他脾气很好吗？其实不是的，只是看到他平时不怎么说话，就觉得他的脾气很好，但他的郁闷可能藏在心里面，爆发起来就很吓人。

Logical cognition, such as mathematics, is much better than thinking cognition. Here's another example: Imagine a typically reserved person suddenly going on a rampage with a gun on the street. It would be incorrect to claim this person has a good temper, wouldn't it? Similar characters are often portrayed in online videos, appearing mild and sincere but retaliating without apology if provoked. They are genuinely dangerous! Such individuals do exist in real life. Can we genuinely say they have a good temper? We might perceive them as having a good temper simply because they do not talk much, but beneath the facade, they might harbor a lot of anger, and when it erupts, it can be profoundly alarming.

 

这个例子代表的逻辑叫做事理逻辑，还有一种叫做数理逻辑，比如数学。数学相当准确，但事理逻辑经常会出错，因为你看事情往往很片面，只看到局部和一段时间。譬如，看到一个人很温和，就觉得他一直是那样的，但说不定十年前他是一个很暴躁的人，后来被人暴打一顿，从此之后就变得温和了。

The logic represented by this example is called common-sense logic, and there is another type known as mathematical logic, as seen in mathematics. Mathematics is quite accurate, but common-sense logic can often be wrong because the way we look at things is often one-sided, only seeing a part of the big picture within a limited period of time. For example, if you see someone who is very gentle, you might assume he has always been like that. However, perhaps ten years ago, he was a very irritable person, and later he was beaten up by someone, and since then he has become gentle.

 

我们看事情经常带有强烈的时间性、区域性、文化性、片面性，导致事理逻辑往往出错。与此相反，数理逻辑相对要严密多了，但是，它也不可避免地会牵涉到逻辑本身的一些毛病，比如数学的三次危机——第一次数学危机是毕达哥拉斯悖论；第二次数学危机是贝克莱悖论；第三次数学危机是罗素悖论。

We often view things with strong temporal, regional, cultural, and one-sided biases, which often lead to common-sense logic being wrong. In contrast, mathematical logic is relatively more rigorous. However, it inevitably grapples with some inherent issues in logic itself, such as the three crises in mathematics— the Pythagorean paradox, the Berkeley paradox, and the Russell paradox.

 

所以，因为数理逻辑没办法理论自恰，也会出问题。虽然在一定范围内，数学是正确，但不能说它就绝对正确。比如，买菜是件非常简单明了的事儿：菜每斤8块，要3斤，3乘8得24块，一下就算出来了。但数学就没那么简单了，比如√2≈1.414 ……。它是一个无理数，即无限循环小数，现实中找不到这样的数，只能在概念中存在，这在逻辑上是矛盾的。再比如圆周率π，你能够找到一根π那么长的绳子吗？你绝对找不到！3.14159……根本没有结尾。微积分也是一样。微积分是否分得完这个问题，可以用中观的离一多因去分析。如果分完了，微积分就没了，这门学问就彻底坍塌。如果分不完，那个微分微到怎样的程度呢？

Because mathematical logic cannot be theoretically self-consistent, it can also have problems. Although mathematics is incredibly powerful within certain areas, it does not guarantee absolute truth.

 

For instance, when you go to buy vegetables, it is a very straightforward process. If the vegetables cost 8 dollars per kilo, and you need 3 kilos, 3 times 8 is 24 dollars, which can be calculated immediately. But mathematics is not that simple. For example, √2≈1.414…… It is an irrational number, an infinitely repeating decimal. Such a number cannot be found in reality; it can only exist in concept, posing a logical contradiction.

 

Another example is the circle ratio π. Can you find a rope exactly as long as π? Absolutely not! The decimal representation 3.14159... goes on indefinitely.

 

Calculus faces a similar question: "Can calculus be completely divided?" To address this, it involves the axiom of Neither One Nor Many of Madhyamaka; if calculus is divided completely, it ceases to exist as a subject of study. If it is not divided completely, then to what degree should it be divided?

 

这说明数理在应用上可以，但在逻辑上不能绝对自恰，包括理发师危机，这个我就不讲了。喜欢听的师兄，已经听了很多次；不喜欢听的师兄，讲了很多次还是当没听过，每次听到都烦。理发师危机是一种集合的危机，你也搞不清楚，逻辑上也无法自恰。所以，逻辑认知所得出的结论正确与否，也不可定论。

This means that mathematics can be applied, but it cannot be absolutely self-consistent in logic. For example, the Barber Paradox, which I will not talk about. For the fellow practitioners who like to listen have heard it many times. For those who do not like it, even after hearing it so many times, still act like they have never heard it, and they get annoyed every time they hear it. The Barber Paradox is a crisis of sets. It has not been solved, neither is it logically consistent. Therefore, the correctness of conclusions drawn from logical cognition is also indeterminate.

 

我否定了数学和科学是绝对真理的说法。科学就是很多所谓的无法绝对共证的现量认知。否认数学是科学之母，就等于人类现成的认知方式全部被否定完了。数理逻辑在运用的程度上绰绰有余，但说它是绝对真理，那就不一定。

I deny the claim that mathematics and science are absolute truths. Science is just a collection of many so-called empirical cognitions that cannot be absolutely verified. To deny that mathematics is the foundation of science is to deny all of the existing cognitive methods of mankind. While mathematical logic excels in its practical application, claiming it as an absolute truth may not be entirely accurate.

 

无论如何，信仰认知、思维认知和逻辑认知是人类最优秀的品质，也是人类能够追逐真理的先天条件。这类认知在世俗中称为“理论”、“见解”、“观点”等等，佛教称为“比量”认知。

Nevertheless, faith-based cognition, thinking-based cognition, and logical cognition are humanity’s most remarkable qualities. It is also a prerequisite for human beings to pursue the truth. In everyday language, we call them theories, perspectives, viewpoints, and so on. In the context of Buddhism, they are called inferential valid cognition.

人类为什么能够做地球之王呢？因为我们有意识思维，比量思维非常发达。我家的狗叫尼奥，让它帮我算个数学题，绝对不行。问它√2等于多少？绝对不行。但它跑步比我厉害多了。如果我们跟老虎打架，那肯定打不赢，但我们跟老虎一起去考数学，一万条老虎都考不过我们。所以，人类的思维能力、信仰是很厉害的。

Why are humans the ruler of the Earth? It is because we have conscious thinking ability, and our ability to reason and infer is highly developed. My dog, Neo, cannot solve a math problem. If I ask him what the square root of 2 is, he will never answer. But he can run much faster than me. If we fought a tiger, we would definitely lose, but if we compete with tigers in a math test, even ten thousand tigers will have no chance to beat any single one of us. Therefore, human thinking ability and faith are truly remarkable.

 

狗会不会有信仰呢？主人就是它的“信仰”。其实，那不是信仰，而是神经反射。人类才会对某种思维对境产生绝对的信任，这种能力只有人类才具有。所以，信仰、逻辑都是人类最优秀的品质，导致我们能够在地球上奴役其他动物，甚至奴役同类。有没有这样的事？有吧！

Do dogs have faith? Their owners are their “faith.” In reality, this is not faith, but a neurological reflex. Only humans can have absolute trust in certain cognitive objects; this ability is unique to humans. Therefore, faith and logic are the most finest qualities, enabling us to enslave other species, even our own kind, on Earth. Has such a thing happened? It has!

 

在一个小视频上，有人问：“你现在的职业是大学教授，但过去在国子监的职业叫什么？”一个人犹豫了半天说：“奴才！”这就说明，同类也会被进行奴役的。

In a short video, someone asked a professor, "Your current profession is a university professor, but what was it called in the Imperial Academy in the past?" He hesitated for a while and said, "Servant!" This shows that even people of the same kind can be enslaved.

 

思维认知、信仰认知和逻辑认知是我们能够追逐真理的先天条件。我们为什么能够学佛呢？就是因为我们具备了这些先天条件。就算有些人不会读五部大论，至少可以听我讲课。你说听课很困难吗？跟你讲的“阿弥陀佛很好哦，可以往生西方极乐世界哦，你赶紧去念哦”，这些你起码听得懂吧？如果去跟我家的狗尼奥说这些，说半天它是不会理你的。你拿坨肉去引诱它，马上就跟你跑了。

Faith-based cognition, thinking-based cognition, and logical cognition are prerequisites for human beings to pursue the truth. Why are we able to learn Buddhism? It is because we meet these prerequisites. Though someone might not be able to study the Five Great Treatises, they still have an option of listening to my lectures. Listening is a much easier task. When I say the Amitabha Buddha is great, rebirth in the Pure Land is within reach, and recite Amituofo now, you are able to understand them easily. If I say the same thing to my dog Neo, he will not get it, paying no attention to me no matter how hard I try to talk to him. But if I just show him a piece of meat, he immediately runs after me.

 

所以，信仰认知、思维认知和逻辑认知只有人类才具有。在世俗谛中，这些认知得出的结论称为理论、见解、宗教、观点，而在佛教里面，在很大程度上称其为比量。思维的结果——比量——逻辑推论。

Faith-based cognition, thinking-based cognition, and logical cognition are exclusive to humans. In relative truth, the outcomes of these cognitions are referred to by various terms such as theories, perspectives, religions, viewpoints. In Buddhism, they are mainly known as inferential valid cognition, representing the results of thinking and logical reasoning.

 

五部大论里面好多都是这些逻辑推论。当然，五部大论不仅仅是这些，还有圣言量——圣者的现量，但在我们这里它就会变成思维见解。有些圣人说：“我修禅定进入法性定”，以及一大堆法性定的状况，但我们听到的就只是一些话，而后在头脑里面产生相应的思维认知。

There are many logical axioms presented in the Five Great Treatises. Of course, the Five Great Treatises expound not only on logical reasoning but also on scriptural authority—the direct valid cognition of enlightened beings. However, for those of us who have not attained enlightenment, these insights remain out of reach. We cannot directly experience what enlightened beings describe, like entering the Meditative State of Dharma Nature. Their words paint a picture of the state's signs and experiences, but for us, it is all concepts and words. Naturally, our minds latch onto these ideas, forming our own interpretations.

 

这些大家能够听得懂吗？我讲得那么费力，给个反应嘛！反应都不给——下课（开玩笑）！其实，有兴趣的师兄听这些才会有意思，没有兴趣的真是很麻烦。你们想听一些神奇故事，而我不讲神奇故事的。很多人学佛以后神经兮兮的，“哇，你知不知道啊？我学佛以后，昨天晚上隔壁一个鬼飘过来，我用些招数把他抓了，逼着他去给我刷马桶”，这是属于比较阴暗的。还有比较光明的，“我学了佛以后，看到他有病，我手一搭上去病就好了”，好像比X光机还灵。

Does everyone understand what I am saying? I’m putting in so much effort. Give me some feedback! No response? Okay, class dismissed (just kidding)! In reality, this topic is fascinating for those who are curious about it, but it might bore those who are not. Some people want to hear myths, but I do not tell such stories. Instead, I share some real-life examples of how people mistakenly take Buddhism as a means to fulfill personal desires. For instance, some people get a bit paranoid after practicing Buddhism. They say things like, “Wow, do you know? After I started practicing Buddhism, a ghost floated over from next door last night. I used some tricks to catch him and make him clean my toilet.” That sounds pretty shady, doesn’t it? Some people claim to have miraculous powers after learning Buddhism. They say things like, “I saw a person who was very sick. As soon as I laid my hands on him, he got cured.” They sounded as if they were more effective than an X-ray machine.

 

我从来不讲这些。谁讲这些，我严重地鄙视他。讲的必须是科学逻辑，而且能够实际操作，能够有结论，这才是真正的佛教，而不是那些神奇的故事。说他昨天晚上和阿弥陀佛约会了，后天文殊菩萨请他喝茶了……这些永远都没有结论，全都是神奇传说，看得你热泪盈眶。但结论是什么？你先是热泪盈眶，接着就是崇拜和供养，再接下来是失望，然后是诽谤。

I never talk about these things, and frankly, I seriously disrespect those who only talk about Buddhist myths. True Buddhism, to me, is about scientific logic and achieving concrete results. It should be practical and applicable in our lives. Some people talk about experiences like having a date with Amitabha Buddha and Manjushri Bodhisattva inviting him for tea. These stories never provide any evidence or reasoning. They are simply tales. What practical benefit can they offer? None. In fact, they make you feel so moved that your eyes well up with tears, then it turns into blind admiration and offerings, next comes disappointment, and finally negativity.

 

我超级讨厌这些，简直在糟蹋佛教。所以，一定要讲实际的、有逻辑的、可以证实的东西。即使是这样，也必须花心思去学去做才行，没那么简单的。如果一讲大家都能明白的话，佛教还会像现在衰弱得一塌糊涂吗？三大教中就佛教的人数最少，最不经打，而且被别人灭过很多次。在历史上，灭佛都有好多次，比如三武一宗灭佛。佛教就讲真理，不讲暴力，不讲硬来。所以，当众生的业力趋恶，认知糊涂的时候，就会遭到灭佛。即使如此，我们也不能用欺骗、暴力的方式来推广，还是要采取讲理的方式去推广。

I genuinely dislike these things; All it does is to disparage Buddhism. Therefore, we should talk about aspects that are practical, logical, and verifiable. However, understanding and implementing these principles demand effort; It is important to remember that mastering them is not a simple task. If everyone could readily grasp and apply them, would Buddhism be in its current weakened state? Despite being one of the three major religions, it is the smallest, the weakest, and has been wiped out many times by others (such as the Four Buddhist Persecutions of Three Wu and One Zong in China during the Northern Wei Dynasty). Buddhism advocates for truth, avoiding violence or coercion. Thus, it tends to be the victim of persecution easily when the karma of sentient beings becomes violent, and their perception becomes obscured and distorted. Nevertheless, we cannot promote it through deception or violence; a rational approach remains essential for dissemination.

 

3、物理工具和数学思维造成的认知：

其实这跟前面的逻辑认知有类似的地方，但也有差异。为什么呢？因为物理工具已经不是简单的逻辑思维，它还需要依靠数学思维作为基础。

3. Cognition Resulting from Physical Tools and Mathematical Thinking:

In fact, this type of cognition shares similarities with the logical cognition we discussed earlier, but there are differences as well. Beyond mere logical thinking, physical tools  also rely on mathematical reasoning.

（下面的文字是我随便写出来的，如果错了，你们要原谅我，把好吃的东西都给我，哈哈！）

The following text is written by me. If there are mistakes, please forgive me and reward me with delicious food.

 

人类利用科技制造出来的物理工具扩大了感官的认知范围，比如望远镜、显微镜、声纳等等。这些科技能够让我们看得听得更远、更细微。

Humans have expanded the range of their sensory perception through the use of physical tools brought forth by the development of scientific technology, such as telescopes, microscopes, sonar, and so on. These technologies enable us to see and hear things that are more distant and subtle.

 

利用发达的数学逻辑，比如微积分、拓扑学、矩阵、集合论等，让简单的逻辑思维更加复杂和实用。计算机和人工智能是数学逻辑和物理进行结合的最佳体现。AI的诞生必须依靠数学和物理的结合，否则AI是无法问世的。即使数学再发达，如果没有物理的集成电路、芯片等，AI无疑是镜花水月。之所以现在中国的科技被卡脖子，就是因为芯片。

Advanced mathematical logic, such as calculus, topology, matrices, and set theory, can be used to make simple logical thinking more complex and practical. Computers and artificial intelligence (AI) represent the best integration of mathematical logic and physics. The birth of AI relies on the combination of mathematics and physics. Without this combination, AI cannot come into existence. It is like a seed without soil and water. Even if mathematics is highly developed, without the integration of physical components such as integrated circuits and chips, AI is undoubtedly a flower in a mirror, unreachable. The current bottleneck in China’s technology is primarily due to issues with chips.

这类认知的结果可以扩大人类的认知范围和范畴，既有现量也有比量。但由于认知工具的限制和逻辑参数的不齐全，对一些物质外境难以获得全面深入的结论，对一部分意识的对境则无能为力。利用计算机、望远镜等科技工具，可以看得更远，所以，我们的认知范围和范畴会扩大。我们现在能够看到火星，甚至可以去火星，再过几个月，马斯克肯定可以送人上去！就算是这样，其实也不能算什么，有本事去净土！为什么大家会那么崇拜他呢？因为大家看得到火星而看不到净土。如果看到净土，马上没人理马斯克了，绝对全部跟着堪布们跑了。全世界所有的粉丝都一下粉到阿弥陀佛那里去了。

The results of this type of cognition can expand the scope and range of human cognition in both direct valid cognition and inferential valid cognition. However, due to the limitations of cognitive tools and incomplete logical parameters, it is challenging to reach comprehensive and in-depth conclusions about certain things in the material world. Therefore, understanding the objects of consciousness becomes elusive. Technological tools like computers and telescopes help us see farther, expanding our scope and range of cognition. For instance, we can now see Mars, and even travel there; in a few months, Elon Musk would likely send people there! Even so, it is not a big deal; if it is really that great, should it be able to send people to the Pure Land? Why do people admire him so much? Because they can see Mars but not the Pure Land. In contrast, if they could see the Pure Land, nobody would care about Elon Musk; everyone would follow the Khenpos from Tibet. All the fans worldwide would instantly turn into devotees of Amitabha Buddha.

 

其实这都是认知的问题。不管怎么样，通过科技，我们的认知范畴得到了拓展，变得更广大、更细微。比如我们可以通过显微镜直接看到新冠病毒。人类也因此可以在其未知的领域开展认知活动。比如动植物仿生学，利用声呐探测船的运行方式等。在这之前，声纳认知是诸如海豚和鲸鱼等生物才有的功能，而对人类来说，声呐认知是未知的领域。如今，人类利用仿生学，原有的认知范畴得以拓展，从而建立新的认知范畴。

It all boils down to cognition. Nevertheless, the advancement of technology has greatly expanded our cognitive scope, both broader and subtler. Consider, for instance, the ability to directly observe the novel coronavirus through a microscope. This technological advancement enables humans to engage in cognitive activities in previously unexplored areas, such as biomimicry, and to utilize sonar technology for detecting ship movements. The ability to use sonar, once limited to animals like dolphins and an uncharted territory for humans, has now become a tool for human cognition. Now, through biomimicry, humans have expanded their cognitive horizons, paving the way for a new, broader, and deeper understanding.

 

这些既有现量又有比量。数学模型以及推断就是比量。通过的物理工具，产生的认知，那算是现量（虽然不是眼睛的现量，但实际上还是现量）。比如用望远镜看到一个人过来，这也算是现量。

These involve both direct valid cognition and inferential valid cognition. Mathematical models and inferences fall into the category of inferential valid cognition. The cognition that is produced by physical tools is considered a direct valid cognition, even though it is not directly perceived by the eyes. For example, seeing a person approaching through a telescope is also considered  direct valid cognition.

 

当然，通过望远镜看到的和录像机录下来看到的，到底算不算现量，在佛教里面还有争论。古代没有录像机，那现在的录像机算不算现量呢？录像机已经不能算是现量，但望远镜算得是现量。比如，你们戴着眼镜看着我和摘了眼镜看着我，哪个算是现量？你不能说戴着眼镜看不能算是现量，一定要摘了眼镜模模糊糊的才是现量（众笑）。

Certainly, there is debate within Buddhism about whether things seen through a telescope or recorded on a video camera can be considered direct valid cognition. In ancient times, there were no video cameras, but now the question arises: Can things recorded on video cameras be considered direct valid cognition? The images captured and presented by video cameras and projectors are no longer considered direct valid cognition. However, things seen by a telescope are still considered direct valid cognition. For instance, which one is considered direct valid cognition: looking at me with glasses on or off? You cannot say that looking at me with the glasses on is not direct valid cognition but argue that only when seeing me with blurry eyes with the glasses off, it is considered direct valid cognition.(laughter)

 

扩而广之，我们用望远镜看算是现量，显微镜看也算是现量，但录像机录下来的就不能算是现量，因为时空换过了。

In the same way, looking through a telescope and a microscope is considered direct valid cognition. On the other hand, what is recorded by a video camera cannot be considered direct valid cognition because it alters time and space.

 

由于认知工具的限制和逻辑参数的不齐全，对一些物质外境难以获得全面深入的结论。这是什么意思呢？就算用射电望远镜，可以看到很远，比如看到遥远的银河系，但总有看不完的。而且显微镜也不可能一直这么显微下去。你能通过显微镜看到无分刹那吗？这是不可能的。最微细的东西你是没办法看到的。所以要用粒子加速器去轰击，试图找到最细的那个东西，但轰击得出的结果是没办法看到的。比如，现在得出的什么粒子，很多都是计算出来的，是用思维比量算出来的，并不是用显微镜现量看到的。

Due to the limitations of the cognitive tools and the incomplete logical parameters, we are limited in our ability to draw comprehensive conclusions about the material world. Even powerful tools like radio telescopes that allow us to see distant galaxies or microscopes with immense magnification, there will always be something beyond your ability to see. We cannot use a microscope to see an indivisible subatomic particle or an indivisible moment in time. The "smallest thing" is always beyond our direct observation. Therefore, we use particle accelerators to collide with particles in an attempt to find even smaller components. However, many of the particles discovered now are the results of theoretical predictions based on these collisions, not directly observed by a microscope.

 

现在利用科技去看，会加进很多的参数。比如看远处的一个东西，遇到有雾，这个参数如果不排开，我们就没办法认清楚。或者空间的扭曲、变化，都可能导致我们认知的错误。物理学上都会这样。

所以说，由于认知工具的限制和逻辑参数的不齐全，对一些物质外境难以获得全面深入的结论。

In modern times, relying on technology for observation introduces its own set of complexities. For example, attempting to see something in the distance in the fog adds additional parameters. If we do not account for these variables, our perceptions may be misguided, distorted, or obscured. Similarly, spatial distortions and changes can introduce errors in our perceptions. Physicists are well aware of this phenomenon. Hence, due to the constraints of cognitive tools and incomplete logical parameters, achieving comprehensive conclusions about the material world proves to be a challenging task.

 

无论现代科技如何发达，认知工具如何先进，对于一部分意识的对境无能为力。这是什么意思呢？科技对我们的意识有很大的帮助，为什么呢？我们可以利用一些计算能力去帮助记忆力，以前算数还需要慢慢列式去计算，但现在用计算机一下就算出来了。现在连去买菜的老太婆都会拿一个计算机，啪啪啪一摁就算出得数，不需要在头脑再进行计算。

No matter how great the technology and our cognitive tools have been advanced, there are still significant limitations when it comes to understanding some aspects of consciousness. Undoubtedly, technology can enhance our cognitive abilities tremendously. Take, for instance, the way we perform calculations. In the past, people had to do basic calculations mentally. However, today, people no longer have to proceed in this manner; they can simply click a few times on the calculator app on their smartphones to get instant results.

 

所以，科技对我们有帮助，但对意识的另外一些能力（意识对境）完全无能为力。比如，能够用计算机来对治抑郁吗？做不到的！问AI：“我现在很抑郁，请你来治疗我！”这是做不到的。再问AI：“我现在失恋了，能不能让我去掉这种痛苦？”AI会告诉你：“重新找一个！”我们没办法通过科技工具来让自己解决这些问题。有时候可以利用一些方法解决，比如药物，但药物并不是真正的解决，而是压制。如果是压制，就不一定得用药物。如果你抑郁了，我一棒把你打昏，你昏迷的时候就不会抑郁，但醒了以后会继续抑郁。所以这是不算的，其实吃药也一样，吃药的时候不抑郁，但效用一过，马上又抑郁了，还是不行的。

So, while technology can be beneficial, it is entirely clueless when it comes to certain aspects of consciousness, such as addressing emotional states. For instance, can a computer effectively treat depression? Absolutely not! You cannot ask AI, "I'm feeling down, can you help me?" Similarly, querying AI about overcoming the pain of a breakup would likely result in an unhelpful suggestion like, "Find someone new!" Technological tools are inadequate for solving these issues on their own. While there are methods like medication that could help, they are not genuine solutions; they merely suppress symptoms, just like knocking someone unconscious, which could briefly keep them away from their depression, but once they wake up, depression returns. By the same token, medication might alleviate depression temporarily, but it does not provide a lasting solution.

 

且因为认知的根本还属于人类六根的范畴，故而难以让人类的认知结果产生质变。

Furthermore, because the essence of cognition still falls within the domain of the human six-sense organs, it is difficult to bring about a fundamental shift in the results of human cognition.

 

不管用什么工具或数学，都在六根范围之内。比如你看到的东西，永远都是在后丘脑成像。即使你用再高级的射电望远镜，或者我们拍电影时使用的电影镜头，也都是如此。有时候还会加滤镜效果，一张像我这样的老脸，滤镜一滤，马上变成小鲜肉。影像都是欺骗，所以不能是现量。

Regardless of the tools or mathematical methods we employ, everything remains constrained within the realm of the six-sense organs. For instance, what you see is always an image formed in the posterior thalamus. Even with advanced tools such as a radio telescope or a sophisticated cinema lens, the basic principle remains the same. Sometimes, we can even further the manipulation of an image by applying filter effects. For example, by using a filter, we can modify an aging face like mine into that of a prince charming. Images are inherently deceptive, and, therefore, they cannot be considered direct valid cognition.

 

无论这些工具再怎么先进，再怎么拓展人类的认知范畴，认知本身最终都要靠人类这个认知者去完成。即使工具再变化，也很难超越人类的六根，这也是我们没办法用照相机拍出净土的原因。以前有很多利用照片欺骗的现象，大多数人都有过类似这样的经历。比如看到一些藏传佛教某某某的虹光身的照片。这些照片基本上全是假的，因为虹光认知已经超出我们六根的认知范畴。不要说拍出虹光身了，我现在一棒把你打到眼冒金星，你有本事用照相机把金星拍出来吗？这个还算是在人类的错误认知里面，还在人类六根的范围之内。

Regardless of how advanced these tools become and how much they broaden the scope of human cognition, the act of human perception still ultimately relies on the human observer. Even with highly developed tools, it is challenging for them to surpass the six-sense organs of humans. This is precisely why it is impossible to capture the Pure Land with a camera. There have been numerous instances of deceiving people with fake photographs. I believe many people have had such experiences. For instance, people would show you photos of the rainbow light body of some Tibetan Buddhists. These images are entirely fabricated because the rainbow light body extends beyond the cognitive boundaries of our six-sense organs. Let me ask: are you able to capture the stars you see after receiving a sudden blow to your head with an external device? This phenomenon is a human visual misperception, which still occurs within the scope of the human six-sense organs.

 

尽管所看到的净土、虹光身的照片基本上都是假的，但有见到净土和虹光身确实也是有真的。有些大德圆寂的时候，亲近的弟子可以看到很多奇怪的现象，这也在他们的六根范围之内。这些奇异的现象是照相机拍不出来的，但亲近弟子可以亲眼看到。如果有人声称用照相机拍出来了虹光身成就，那绝对是欺骗。听到我这么说，你们没有崩溃吧？利用神神怪怪的东西欺骗大众的事儿到处都有。只要是宗教团体，稀奇古怪的东西多得很！他们利用这些东西激发你的信心，让你虔诚，让你流泪，但可悲的是，你会因为这些迷信而丢失掉对佛法的真正的信心。

Even though most photos depicting the Pure Land and rainbow light bodies are fabricated, there are accounts of genuine experiences. When some enlightened masters passed away, their close disciples witnessed many unusual phenomena with their naked eyes, one of their six sense organs. These unusual phenomena, invisible to cameras, were witnessed by the naked eyes of close disciples due to the special bond between the masters and the disciples, which allowed the disciples to witness them. Therefore, if someone claims to have captured the rainbow light body with a camera, it is undoubtedly a deception. Hearing me say this, I hope you are not dismayed. Deceptive practices using mystical elements are widespread, especially within religious groups. They exploit these phenomena to inspire faith, foster devotion, and evoke emotions. Unfortunately, you may lose genuine faith in the Dharma due to these superstitious beliefs.

 

这些怎么都属于六根的范围，故而难以让人类的认知结果产生质变。这当然不带来质变，比如，我们没办法用射电望远镜看到净土，这绝对是扯淡。依靠科技的方式，在某种程度上，叫做利用人类的共同能力进行认知的神通化——我用了很转折的术语“人类的共同能力进行认知的神通化”。

All the cognitive tools invented so far, no matter how advanced and sophisticated they are, still operate within the limitations of the six sense organs. This makes it challenging for human cognition to undergo a fundamental shift. Such an approach is doomed to failure; for example, the idea of using a radio telescope to see the Pure Land is absurdly nonsensical. In a sense, the use of technology can be described as 'equipping common human cognition with supernatural power'—a rather elaborate term.

 

比如，以前无法在几千里之外和家人进行视频通话。随着互联网和智能手机的出现，这个过去完全不可能的事，现在已经变成了人类的一种共同能力。科技催生的诸如远程视频通信等认知工具好像使人类拥有了千里眼和天耳通似的功能。以后能不能够用手机来传送气味呢？这样的话，我家的狗尼奥就舒服了——看视频就能让它闻到我的气味，好让它心安。

Just a few decades ago, having video calls with family thousands of miles away seemed like an impossible dream. Now, thanks to the internet and smartphones, what was once inconceivable has become commonplace. These technological advancements have enabled us to experience clairvoyance and clairaudience through remote video and audio communication. Looking ahead, where will scientific innovation take us next? Perhaps sending scents through our phones will become a reality. That way, I could send a virtual hug to my dog Nio. When he detects a comforting whiff of my presence even when I am far away, he will feel content.

 

但是，视频是无法传送气味的。为什么呢？因为人类认知需要相应的媒介。现在的手机上没有传送气味的分子性媒介，因为目前的研究没有朝那个方向发展。认知很难产生质的改变，因为工具的变化怎么样都逃不开六根的范畴。很多东西我们都看不到的，比如，我们看得到紫外光吗？实际上是有紫外光的，但我们看不到。超声波我们也听不到，但确实是存在的。

We can now share smiles and even virtual hugs across continents, thanks to advancements in video calling. Yet, one sense remains frustratingly elusive: smell. Unlike images and sounds readily transmitted by our smartphones, scents require a different approach for us to perceive them remotely.  This is because scent relies on molecules that can't be easily transmitted through digital means. Currently, the development of technology is not oriented towards scent transmission at all. Therefore, it lacks the ability to capture and encode the molecules responsible for smells. Fundamentally shifting how we perceive the world through technology is very difficult to achieve. Any advancements in tools inevitably rely on our human six senses to take effect, as exemplified by our inability to directly perceive ultraviolet light and ultrasonic waves, even though they exist.

 

那么，我们可以换一种方式去描述和体现它，比如用波长去描述和体现人眼不可见的紫外光。虽然人眼不可见，但它确实是存在的。我们可以通过仪器所呈现出来的图像与波长去体现它。尽管用仪器去体现它，但它其实还是在你眼识的可见光之内。通过这个仪器所呈现出来的图像与波长，你就可以断定它是紫外光。但是，你看到的其实已经是可见光之内的视觉呈现，波长你是看不到的。大家能够想得通吗？

For example, ultraviolet light, which is not visible to human eyes, has measurable properties like wavelength that we can use to describe and represent it. Even though we cannot see it, it exists. Tools like specialized cameras and sensors translate its presence into images and data that are perceivable by humans because they fall within the range of the visible spectrum. These representations act as windows into the invisible, but they are still filtered through the lens of our own vision. We see what ultraviolet light does, not what it is. When you observe the images and wavelengths presented by these instruments, you recognize that it is ultraviolet light. However, keep in mind that what you are actually witnessing is the visual representation within the visible light spectrum; the wavelength itself remains invisible. Does that make sense to everyone?

无论如何，紫外线到你这里就变成不可见光，到仪器这里就变成可见光，而且是现量的。在逻辑上告诉你，有一个跟你现在看到不同的波长的光，叫紫外线。

Though invisible to our eyes, ultraviolet light exists and can be directly detected in real-time by specialized instruments. These instruments act as translators, logically informing us that ultraviolet light, with wavelengths different from those visible to us, indeed exists.

 

无论如何，试图用科技的方式去根本性地改变认知是很难的。当然，有时候我们可以利用科技的计算能力，严重地超越我们人脑的计算能力，比如计算机阿尔法狗。它下围棋把人类搞得晕头转脑。再比如计算能力，AI比人类强多了。由此可见科技的发展速度是很快的。

Of course, we can leverage the immense computing power of AI, which far surpasses what humans alone could achieve, to our advantage. However, fundamentally changing our cognition currently remains impossible, and this situation is likely to persist for many years to come. Let us recall the chess match between AlphaGo and the human chess master. AlphaGo's dominance in the game left the chess master feeling like a pigeon playing checkers against a grandmaster, highlighting the breathtaking speed of technological advancement.

 

但是，即使科技发展得再快，计算能力的方式，本质上还是建立在二元对立的基础之上，怎么都是0和1的转换，所以，计算机也没办法越过数学逻辑上所说的问题。五根也好，意根也好，计算能力也好，最终是没办法产生质的改变。它不可能像佛陀一下觉照，全宇宙任何一个现象都知道。计算机是不行的。

However, no matter how rapidly technology develops, computational power is fundamentally based on the principle of binary opposition, involving the conversion of 0s and 1s. Therefore, computers cannot overcome problems rooted in mathematical logic. Whether it pertains to the five senses, mental consciousness, or computational power, it is ultimately impossible to produce a qualitative change in human cognition. It is impossible for it to be like the Buddha, omnisciently knowing all phenomena in the universe simultaneously. Computers cannot achieve this.

 

AI很厉害，但它也有相应的缺限。比如，现在的ChatGPT，因为用户太多，计算能力跟不上，已经快被挤爆了。大家都去问它，当它忙得回答不上，就说：“无法登录”。

AI is very powerful, but it also has its limitations. For example, the processing power of the current version of ChatGPT cannot keep up with the rapidly increasing number of users. When it is too busy to answer questions, it will display the message “Unable to log in”.

 

我问了ChatGPT很多问题，它也没法回答，把它整死了。如果想如此去对付佛陀，那是不可能的，因为他的认知方式不一样。计算机是单纯在计算，不断地分别。佛陀的认知方式是一下就去了，叫觉照。

I asked ChatGPT many questions. It could not answer at all. ChatGPT was defeated. It is tempting to think we could do the same thing to the Buddha with relentless inquiry, but it is impossible because he is all-knowing, a completely different thing. Computers crunch numbers and draw lines, forever caught in the dance of duality. The Buddha, in contrast, knows everything directly and in real time, like the vast ocean holding all reflections simultaneously.

 

佛陀到底有没有思维，在佛学上是一个大争论。佛陀没有像人类那样的思维。对他来说，任何事情都是现量，没有比量，人类才会有比量。佛陀的觉照是全面性的。人类利用六根去认知都是局部性、区域性的。什么叫做全面性呢？他同时看到娑婆世界，同时还看见在娑婆世界能够呈现刹土出来。

Whether the Buddha thinks in the same way as we humans do has been a major debate in Buddhist scholarship. Human cognition, largely relying on inference, is partial and biased. The Buddha knows everything directly and in real time. His knowing is all-encompassing, unclouded by mental constructs, allowing him to see both the Saha World and the transcendental Buddha fields simultaneously.

 

大圆满的修行人，在一头牛身上都可以看到很多刹土，同时还看到它是牛。这是超范畴的觉知能力，用现代语言来说，叫做时空的不同。现在的机器有本事造出这样的东西来吗？造不出来。它还是局限在人类的六根范围之内。无论你怎么改，都逃不出六根的框框。

A Dzogchen practitioner, in real-time, sees many Buddhafields on a Yak while still simultaneously perceiving it as a Yak. This extraordinary awareness can be explained in modern terms as a difference in time and space. However, it is unlikely that advanced tools, with all their processing power, could ever replicate it. This is because tools, no matter how advanced, still operate through our six sense organs. Imagine peering through a kaleidoscope, each fragment showcasing a vibrant piece of the world, but never the whole picture. That is how our cognition often works. 

 

上述都属于物理工具和数学思维造成的认知，它有提高，但还是受人类六根范畴认知质量和本质的限制。这是一种认知能力。

While all those types of cognition mentioned above, enhanced by physical tools and mathematics, are indeed superior, they still operate within the limitations of our six sense organs. Fundamentally, they are nothing more than extensions of our cognitive ability.

时间到了，今天就讲到这里，后面还有禅定等内容，两天不一定讲得完。讲不完怎么办呢？大家有没有兴趣？没有兴趣的话，我明天就不讲了。后面是大家喜欢听的内容，比如禅定、禅修的觉受认知等等，这些跟我们的修行有很大的关系。OK，今天就讲到这里，明天继续。现在开始回向。

Well, time flies when we are having fun, doesn't it? We have packed a lot into today, but there is still a treasure trove of topics waiting to be explored, like the art of meditation and its mind-blowing effects. And guess what? These juicy bits are directly connected to our spiritual journey, so I would not want to leave them untouched unless, of course, you are already overflowing with wisdom!

 

So, the big question is: are you all up for diving deeper tomorrow? We will be delving into the magic of meditative concentration, how meditation shapes our experience and understanding, and more. Trust me, it is going to be a wild ride!

 

But if you are feeling like this has been enough spiritual food for one day, then hey, no worries at all! Let us call it a day, rest our minds, and reconvene tomorrow bright and eager. Just before we go, let us take a moment to dedicate the merit of our learning to all living beings. That way, whatever insights we gained can ripple out and touch everyone.

 

See you tomorrow, fellow explorers!