英文原文
A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO WORKING WITH PAIN FROM SUFFERING TO LIBERATION
I have been pondering how to use my Buddhist practice to work with suffering when my chronic pain flares up. The Buddha’s teachings on The Four Noble Truths came immediately to mind. These teachings provide a roadmap for living a life free from suffering. Experiencing my pain directly, without judgments or resistance, has allowed me to use the Buddha’s roadmap on my journey from suffering to liberation.
The Four Noble Truths
In his first teaching after attaining liberation, the Buddha taught The Four Noble Truths the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path to liberation from suffering.
The First Noble Truth recognizes the existence of suffering. We humans will do everything we can to resist or deny the existence of suffering. Paradoxically, resisting or denying the existence of suffering only increases our suffering. Recognizing the existence of suffering, without additional thoughts or denial, is the first step to letting go of the suffering that accompanies my chronic pain.
The Second Noble Truth, the cause of suffering, is clinging to things – especially ourselves – as real and permanent. My knee-jerk reaction when my pain flares up is self-pity. My self-centered thoughts and negative judgments increase my suffering. When I let go of my thoughts and focus instead on the direct experience of my pain, there is an immediate sense of relief and spaciousness.
Focusing on the pain itself, rather than clinging to it as something unique to myself, leads to the cessation of suffering – The Third Noble Truth. Working directly with the energy of physical pain has become my path out of the suffering that accompanies my pain. This path is related to the Fourth Noble Truth, the path to liberation from suffering.
“Don’t Shoot the Second Arrow”
The Buddha’s teachings on the “two arrows” has also been extremely helpful for me. When we experience physical or emotional pain, it is like being shot by an arrow. According to the Buddha, the first arrow is not problem. After all, we all inevitably experience pain of all kinds in our lives. The problem is that we then shoot ourselves with a second arrow with our thoughts, judgments and resistance to the initial pain. According to Buddhist teachers Jack Kornfield and Donald Rothberg[i]
According to the Buddha, our reaction [to pain] is equivalent to being shot by a second arrow. We can call this second arrow suffering. Suffering arises because when we experience pain ... we typically react by lashing out, at ourselves and others. We believe somehow that this will dispel or mitigate the pain. We act in such a way that a second arrow is shot, at us or others, on account of the pain of the first arrow. When we act so that the second arrow is shot, we ‘pass on’ the original pain.
When I “lash out” at the perceived injustice of having a chronic pain condition, I am shooting myself with a second arrow. My mindfulness practice allows me to notice my thoughts and judgments as they arise, let them go and return to the object of my meditation. When I’m experiencing pain, I allow that to be the object of my meditation. As thoughts and judgments arise, I notice them lightly and return to the direct experience of pain.
Working Directly with Physical Pain as a Path to Liberation
Here is an exercise for working directly with pain to alleviate the second arrow of suffering that often accompanies it. This exercise can be used for both physical and emotional pain.
* Focus on the pain and breathe into it., * Explore the pain with a sense of curiosity,
* Where is the pain located?How big is it?What’s its shape?If it had a color, what color would it be?Is it hot or cold?Is it static or does it move or vibrate?,
* As you explore the pain in this way, notice how it shifts and moves. This is a good reminder that everything is impermanent., * Remember that we all experience pain during our journey on the Four Rivers of Life — birth, old age, sickness and death.,
When I work with my pain directly in this way, I am fully in the present moment. My thoughts, judgments and resistance are gone, and so is the suffering that I’ve added to the pain with those thoughts, judgments and resistance. In that present moment, I am liberated from my suffering. As the old adage goes, “Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional.”
Reference
[i] D. Rothberg & J. Kornfield (2006). The Engaged Spiritual Life A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World. Boston Beacon Press.
中文翻译
佛教处理疼痛的方法从痛苦到解脱
我一直在思考如何运用我的佛教修行来处理慢性疼痛发作时的痛苦。佛陀关于四圣谛的教导立刻浮现在我的脑海中。这些教导为过上没有痛苦的生活提供了路线图。直接体验我的疼痛，不加评判或抗拒，让我能够运用佛陀的路线图，从痛苦走向解脱。
四圣谛
佛陀在获得解脱后的第一次教导中，教授了四圣谛苦的真理、苦因的真理、苦灭的真理和灭苦之道的真理。
第一圣谛承认痛苦的存在。我们人类会尽一切努力抗拒或否认痛苦的存在。矛盾的是，抗拒或否认痛苦的存在只会增加我们的痛苦。承认痛苦的存在，不加额外的想法或否认，是放下伴随我慢性疼痛的痛苦的第一步。
第二圣谛，痛苦的原因，是执着于事物——尤其是我们自己——为真实和永恒的。当我的疼痛发作时，我的本能反应是自怜。我以自我为中心的想法和负面评判增加了我的痛苦。当我放下我的想法，转而专注于直接体验我的疼痛时，立即会有一种解脱和开阔的感觉。
专注于疼痛本身，而不是执着于它作为我独有的东西，导致痛苦的止息——第三圣谛。直接处理身体疼痛的能量已成为我摆脱伴随疼痛的痛苦的道路。这条道路与第四圣谛相关，即从痛苦中解脱的道路。
“不要射出第二支箭”
佛陀关于“两支箭”的教导对我也非常有帮助。当我们经历身体或情感上的痛苦时，就像被一支箭射中。根据佛陀的说法，第一支箭不是问题。毕竟，我们在生活中都不可避免地经历各种痛苦。问题在于，我们随后用我们的想法、评判和对初始痛苦的抗拒，向自己射出第二支箭。根据佛教老师杰克·康菲尔德和唐纳德·罗斯伯格[i]的说法
根据佛陀的说法，我们对痛苦的反应相当于被第二支箭射中。我们可以称这第二支箭为痛苦。痛苦之所以产生，是因为当我们经历痛苦时……我们通常会通过对自己和他人发泄来反应。我们相信这能以某种方式驱散或减轻痛苦。我们以这样的方式行事，以至于第二支箭被射出，射向我们或他人，因为第一支箭的痛苦。当我们行事导致第二支箭被射出时，我们“传递”了最初的痛苦。
当我“发泄”于患有慢性疼痛状况的不公感时，我是在向自己射出第二支箭。我的正念练习让我能够注意到我的想法和评判的出现，放下它们并回到我的冥想对象。当我经历疼痛时，我允许那成为我的冥想对象。当想法和评判出现时，我轻轻地注意到它们，并回到对疼痛的直接体验。
直接处理身体疼痛作为解脱之道
这里有一个练习，用于直接处理疼痛，以减轻常常伴随它的第二支箭的痛苦。这个练习可以用于身体和情感上的痛苦。
* 专注于疼痛并向它呼吸。* 以好奇感探索疼痛。
* 疼痛位于哪里？它有多大？它的形状是什么？如果它有颜色，会是什么颜色？它是热的还是冷的？它是静止的还是移动或振动的？
* 当你以这种方式探索疼痛时，注意它是如何变化和移动的。这是一个很好的提醒，一切皆是无常的。* 记住，我们都在生命四河——生、老、病、死的旅程中经历痛苦。
当我以这种方式直接处理我的疼痛时，我完全处于当下。我的想法、评判和抗拒都消失了，我用那些想法、评判和抗拒加诸疼痛的痛苦也消失了。在那个当下，我从我的痛苦中解脱出来。正如那句老话所说，“痛苦是不可避免的；痛苦是可选的。”
参考文献
[i] D. Rothberg & J. Kornfield (2006). The Engaged Spiritual Life A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World. Boston Beacon Press.
文章概要
本文探讨了佛教如何帮助管理慢性疼痛，特别是中年时期的疼痛。作者结合个人经验，阐述了四圣谛和双箭喻在应对疼痛中的应用。四圣谛提供了从痛苦到解脱的路线图，而双箭喻则区分了不可避免的疼痛和可选的痛苦。文章还提供了一个直接处理疼痛的练习，强调正念和直接体验，以减少由想法和抗拒造成的额外痛苦。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容
这篇文章讲的是一个人用佛教的方法来对付身上的慢性疼痛。他用了佛陀教的四圣谛，就像一张地图，告诉我们怎么从痛苦中走出来。第一圣谛是说痛苦是存在的，我们不要假装它不在。第二圣谛是说痛苦是因为我们太执着于自己，觉得自己很可怜。第三圣谛是说如果我们只关注疼痛本身，不把它当成自己的问题，痛苦就会停止。第四圣谛是说有一条路可以让我们从痛苦中解脱。还有一个双箭喻，意思是第一支箭是疼痛，我们没办法避免，但第二支箭是我们自己用想法和生气射出来的，这会让痛苦更厉害。所以，我们可以练习直接感受疼痛，不胡思乱想，这样就不会有第二支箭的痛苦了。
佛学的各个宗派视角评价，突出《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角
从佛学宗派视角看，本文内容主要基于显宗的大乘教义，特别是四圣谛和正念实践，这体现了佛教的普遍智慧。在《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角下，本文的方法可以与准提法相结合，以增强修行效果。准提法作为密宗法门，强调即身成佛和快速净化业障，对于处理慢性疼痛这样的业力显现特别有效。从显宗角度看，四圣谛提供了理论基础，帮助修行者理解痛苦的本质和止息之道；而密宗如准提法则提供了具体的修持方法，如持咒和观想，可以加速转化疼痛能量。本文的正念练习与准提法的专注和净化理念相通，但准提法通过佛母准提的加持，能更直接地消除业障，带来身心解脱。因此，结合显密的圆通视角，本文的疼痛管理可以融入准提修持，实现从痛苦到解脱的更深层转化。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题。
在修行实践上，本文的方法可以应用于解决人们的十个问题。第一，帮助减少对疼痛的恐惧和抗拒，通过直接体验培养勇气。第二，提升正念能力，让人们在疼痛中保持觉知和平静。第三，减轻由疼痛引发的焦虑和抑郁情绪，促进心理健康。第四，增强对无常的理解，接受疼痛的变化性。第五，改善自我关系，减少自怜和负面评判。第六，提供一种非药物的疼痛管理方式，支持整体健康。第七，帮助人们在中年时期面对身体衰退，找到精神寄托。第八，促进家庭和谐，减少因疼痛导致的冲突。第九，增强社会适应能力，让人们在疼痛中仍能积极生活。第十，为修行者提供具体的实践路径，加速从痛苦到解脱的进程。这些应用都聚焦于佛教的显宗和大乘视角，突出准提法的优点，如快速净化和即身成就，为疼痛管理带来更深层的解脱可能性。