A Journey of Self-Discovery 发现自我之旅 -01 Sayadaw U Revata

Today I am going to give a talk. The name of the talk is ‘A Journey of Self-Discovery’. People all over the world make different journeys. Some make long journeys, some make difficult journeys, and some make cultural journeys. Some make a journey to freedom – freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of worship, and freedom of the individual. In countries where there is no freedom, people make a journey to freedom, which means a journey to democracy. 
世界上的人都在进行各种不同的旅程，有些人在做长途旅程；有些人经历艰辛之旅；有些人进行文化之旅；有些人进行朝向自由之旅，朝向言论、思想、礼拜或宗教信仰自由，以及个人自由之旅。

Are you familiar with Mahatma Gandhi, the famous non-violent leader of India? In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began a three-hundred-mile protest march against British rule. This was also a type of journey. Our country too has been making a long journey to democracy, wherein a lot of people’s lives have been sacrificed.
大家对圣雄甘地，印度一位非暴力主义领袖熟悉吗？圣雄甘地在 1930 年开始了一场反抗英国殖民的 300 里抗议之旅。这也是一种旅程。在我们国家（缅甸）也曾进行过一场长久的民主之旅，期间，有许多人已经牺牲了。

Some make a journey to success. Are you all making a journey to success? Are you a successful person now? All these are endless journeys. I want all of you to make a journey which can arrive at an end. In other words, I want all of you to make a journey which has an end. I think all of you have also done some of the sorts of journeys I have mentioned, none of which are very important journeys. Today I want all of you to begin a journey of self-discovery.
有些人进行朝向成功之旅。你们是不是都在进行朝向成功之旅？你们现在是成功人士吗？
这一切，都是永无止境的旅程。我想要你们进行一场可以到达终点的旅程。换句话说，我想要你们做一场有止境的旅程。我想，你们可能经历过某些上述旅程，但那些都是不重要的旅程。今天，我想要你们开始一场发现自我之旅。

Researchers do different types of research for their discoveries. Many different types of researchers do different kinds of research and discover various things such as land creatures, water creatures, and many other discoveries. Because of their research, we get the opportunity to study what is beyond our reach. Even though we are grateful to them, theirs is also an endless journey. As I have told all of you, today I want all of you to do research to see who you are and what you are. After seeing who you are and knowing who you are, you will then arrive at the knowledge that you have to gain by yourself, and that you can’t get by depending on others.
研究人员通过各类研究，发现许多事物，如陆地上的动物、水上的动物，以及许多其他发现。由于他们的研究，我们有机会学习在我们能力范围以外的事物。虽然我们感谢他们，但是，他们进行的也是永无止境的旅程。今天我想要你们做出研究，看看你是谁？你是什么？见到你是谁和知道你是什么之后，你将生起一种必须依靠自己去获取，而并非依靠他人而得的智慧。

Let me ask you a question. Do you know who you are? You know many things, right? You are very interested in many external things but not in yourself. You know, you are making an endless journey. I will let you consider computer technology. Is there any end to it? Without encountering the end of these external things, you will finally arrive at your own end. That is why I want all of you to make a journey which has an end, the journey of self-discovery. Along your journey of self-discovery, you will come to know who you are. If you don’t know who you are, even though you know many other things, you can’t really make use of your life.
让我来问你们一个问题：你知道你是谁？你们知道很多事情对吗？你们对于许多外在的事物非常感兴趣，可是对自己却没有兴趣。你们知道吗？你们正在进行永无止境之旅。
大家想一想，电脑科技有没有尽头？有没有终点？在还没有看到这些外在事物的终点时，你自己先到达终点；是什么？以死告终。因此，我想要你们进行一场有止境的旅程，就是——发现自我之旅。在你的发现自我之旅过程中，你将开始知道你是谁？如果你不知道你是谁？纵然你知道许多其他的事物，你也不能真正善用自己的生命。

We are very interested in the things that attract our minds. Because of this reason, people pursue the sensuality that attracts their minds. Do you agree with me? All these sensual things are colourful, they are attractive. They attract your entire mind. Have you ever practised meditation? Does your mind like to be with the meditation object for a long time? You know well. Do you know what the reason is? The reason is that even though the meditation objects are wholesome objects, they are not colourful and they have no attraction, so you are not interested in them, even though they are really beneficial for all of you. Although you know meditation is beneficial, you don’t want to do it continuously.
我们对于能够吸引自己心的事物非常感兴趣。因为这样，人们追求吸引他们心的欲乐所缘（对象）。大家认同吗？是的，所有这些欲乐所缘多姿多彩，有吸引力，它们吸引着你整颗心。
大家是否曾经禅修？你的心是否喜欢长时间安住在你禅修的所缘上面？不喜欢。知道是什么原因吗？原因是，纵然禅修所缘是善的所缘，他们并不多姿多彩，也没有吸引力，所以你对他们没有兴趣，纵然他们对你真正有益。虽然你知道禅修是有利的，但是不能持续不断地做下去。

Let me ask you another question. Do you really want to accomplish your own good? I believe that all of you want to act for your own benefit. But in a practical sense, you are not really acting for your own benefit. Because of this reason the Buddha said, ‘Difficult to do is that which is truly beneficial for oneself. Easy to do is that which is unbeneficial for oneself.’ Because of defilement, our mind inclines towards taking sensual objects except for when we do good deeds. Do you agree with me? I have told all of you, because of defilement, our mind inclines to bad deeds except for when we do good deeds. In this way, instead of acting for your own benefit, you make an endless journey led by your defilements. Is it true? Who is the leader? Not you! The defilements are in charge of your life.
让我来问你们另一个问题：你真的想要做对自己有利益的事吗？肯定吗？是！我相信你们都想做一些对自己有利的事情；但实际上，你并没有做真正对自己有利的事情。
因此，佛陀说：真正对自己有利的事难做，对自己没有益的事容易做。由于烦恼的缘故，我们的心，除了在做善行的时候，其它时候都是倾向于缘取欲乐所缘的。大家认同吗？我曾经告诉大家，由于烦恼的缘故，我们的心除了在做善行时，都是倾向于作恶的。你不是为自己的利益做事，反而被烦恼带领着，进行永无止境之旅。对吗？谁是领导者？不是你自己，烦恼正掌管着你的生命旅程。

I am telling all of you this because your wisdom and mindfulness must be the leading factors if you are to make a journey of self-discovery. Do you really want to know who you are? If so, you must train your mind, your wisdom, and your mindfulness to be the leading factors on the way to discovering yourself. For sure you all remember what your friends look like. For sure your friends also know you and your appearance. For sure you also know and remember your own appearance. But you can’t know who you are just by knowing and remembering your appearance.
我告诉你们这一点，是因为如果你想要进行发现自我之旅，你的智慧和正念，是主导的因素。你真的想知道自己是谁吗？如果想要，你一定要训练你的心，你的智慧以及你的正念，使它们在你发现自己的过程中成为主导的因素。你肯定记得你朋友的样子，你的朋友也肯定认得你和你的样貌，但是，你不能够只是单凭知道和记得自己的相貌而知道我是谁？

Have you ever made a journey of self-discovery in your life? Many of you might answer, ‘Never, Bhante. We haven’t even thought about making a journey of self-discovery.’ Do you want to begin a journey of self-discovery? Very important, very im- portant. To know who you are, you need to begin a journey of self-discovery. To know where you are, you need to begin a journey of self-discovery. Do you know where you are? You know that you are now in this Chinese monastery, listening to this Dhamma talk. But you don’t really know where you are. You know in the way all people know, not the way you must know. There is more to it than this. Only when you begin a journey of self-discovery and are successful in that journey will you know who you are and where you are. More than that, you will know where else you need to go.
你是否曾经在自己的生活中进行一场发现自我之旅？许多人也许会回答，不曾，尊者！我们甚至从来没有想过要进行一场发现自我之旅。你想要开始一场发现自我之旅吗？这非常重要。要知道你是谁，你需要开始一场发现自我之旅；要知道你在哪里？你需要开始一场发现自我之旅。你知道你在哪里吗？知道，现在就在新加坡或泰国；是吗？知道，现在就在一所华人寺庙听闻佛法。但是，你并不真正知道你在哪里。你知道的是世界上人都知道的，而不是你一定要知道的。还有比这个更多的。只有当你开始了发现自我旅程，并且成功进行那个旅程时，你将会知道你是谁以及你在哪里？此外，你也将会知道，你还需要再前往何处。

Source:
A Journey of Self-Discovery
Bhikkhu Revata
悲住 尼师 翻译
刘小鹏整理