緣起理論是整個佛學的基礎。所謂緣起，換句話說就是條件論，也就是說世界上的事物都是由條件組成的，條件破壞了，事物也就不存在了。這個理論不僅能指導我們分析世界、認識世界，也能指導我們實證。
The theory of dependent origination is the cornerstone of Buddhist philosophy. Dependent origination, in other words, is the theory of conditionality, suggesting that everything in the world arises from conditions, and when these conditions cease to exist, so does the thing itself. This theory not only guides us in analyzing and understanding the world but also provides practical guidance.
比如，我們很多人尤其是居士，對坐脫立亡、自主生死很是迷戀，有的人甚至去搞什麼三環九轉等。就像《西遊記》車遲國的那些和尚，被道士驅趕著拉大車，那個故事就是比喻我們某些修行人在搞河車運轉，耗費大量的精力，卻不見得有什麼大的成效。
For instance, many of us, especially lay practitioners, are fascinated by the idea of autonomous life and death, some even resorting to practices like the "three rounds and nine turns." Just like the monks in the "Journey to the West" who were compelled by a Taoist priest to pull a large cart, this story metaphorically illustrates how some practitioners engage in practices that consume vast amounts of energy without yielding significant results.
用佛法的緣起思想就很容易解決自主生死問題。我們的身體由心肺等臟器組成，心肺不工作了，人就自然死了。而心肺同樣是由條件組成的。它們由心肺器官和思想組成，比如你受到驚嚇，會不由自主地心跳和呼吸短促。佛教從思想入手，認為只要思想達到一定狀態，使心肺系統失去這個條件，心肺就失去了現有的功能，身體就無法約束你了，你就可以自主生死了。
Using the Buddhist concept of dependent origination makes solving the issue of autonomous life and death quite simple. Our bodies are composed of organs like the heart and lungs, and when these organs cease to function, death naturally occurs. However, these organs are also conditioned phenomena. They are comprised of physical organs and mental factors; for instance, when startled, your heart rate and breathing may involuntarily increase. Buddhism starts with the mind, asserting that if the mind reaches a certain state, causing the cessation of the heart and lungs' function, the body loses its constraint, allowing for autonomous life and death.
就拿肺停止呼吸來說吧，你只需按照佛陀教的禪定方法，使自己證入禪定，使思想進入一種不再紛繁複雜的寧靜狀態，肺就停止了呼吸。但你此時並不能覺察出來，只有當你從禪定出來的時候，因為你想使身體動起來，你就必須使心力加大，這時候你會感覺到肺突然一下子極深極深地吸了一口氣，這種感覺甚至讓你很吃驚，你以前的所謂深呼吸根本沒法和此時的深呼吸相提並論，因此用“驚吸”來形容更為合適。
Take, for example, the cessation of breathing. By practicing meditation methods taught by the Buddha, one can attain deep concentration, leading to a state of profound tranquility where breathing ceases. Yet, you may not be aware of this cessation until you emerge from meditation. When you attempt to move your body, you'll need to exert mental effort, causing a sudden deep inhalation, a sensation even more profound than what you'd experience with regular deep breaths. This sensation can be described aptly as a "startled inhalation."
這時候你一下子就體會到什麼是呼吸停止。同樣，心跳停止也只需思想進入更柔細的一種狀態就可以了。當你能讓呼吸和心跳停止，生死就在你的掌控之中了，沒必要像《西遊記》車遲國搞什麼三環九轉之類的拉河車功夫。
At this moment, you truly comprehend what it means for breathing to stop. Similarly, halting the heartbeat only requires the mind to enter a subtler state. When you can control the stop of both breathing and heartbeat, life and death are under your control, without the need for elaborate practices like the "three rounds and nine turns" demonstrated in the "Journey to the West."
佛教如果滅亡，並不是外來的什麼力量能使它滅亡，而是學佛的人不能正確理解和運用佛教理論，從而不由自主地把外道的東西搬進來，使佛教漸漸走向滅亡。
If Buddhism were to decline, it wouldn't be due to external forces but rather because practitioners fail to understand and apply Buddhist principles correctly, inadvertently incorporating non-Buddhist practices, leading Buddhism toward decline.
我們再用緣起理論來看看平時的修行。許多人平時總在那裏很艱苦、很辛苦地除妄想，其實妄想也是由條件組成的，其中一個條件就是因為妄想有一種執著力，因此它必須有外物可以用來執著，才能發揮作用，可以執著的外物就是妄想成立的一個條件。
Let's apply the theory of dependent origination to daily practice. Many people struggle strenuously to eliminate delusions, yet delusions are also conditioned phenomena, relying on attachment to external objects to function.
就像青春期的少男少女，他們只會思戀中意的對象，不可能思戀石頭。所以，要想斷掉妄想，很簡單，你只要把執著的對象分析透徹，達到沒興趣、沒吸引力就可以了。古大德說“不是悉心除妄想，只緣無事可思量”，這才是真正的修行。
Just like adolescents infatuated with certain individuals rather than stones, to eradicate delusions, one simply needs to thoroughly analyze and understand the object of attachment until it loses its allure. As the ancient sage said, "It's not diligently eliminating delusions, but realizing there's nothing to contemplate." This is true practice.
如果刻意去除妄想，去壓制念頭，反而會使自己愚癡。要知道我們的如來藏雖然沒有念頭，但卻是思想很活躍的，如果你沒證入如來藏，你就無法知道生活中哪些念頭是妄想，哪些是如來藏的真思維，一味地去壓制念頭，最終會害了自己。
Deliberately trying to suppress thoughts will only lead to foolishness. Our Tathagata consciousness is devoid of thoughts but highly active. Without realizing Tathagata consciousness, you cannot discern between delusional thoughts and genuine thoughts; blindly suppressing thoughts will ultimately harm oneself.
今天有的學佛人看上去恍恍惚惚、一副魂不守舍的樣子，大多數就是因為沒有很好地把佛陀的緣起理論用於實踐中，假如能夠處處用緣起理論指導生活，那你將不僅生活得很輕鬆，還會看上去神采奕奕，充滿智慧。
Today, some Buddhists appear detached and absent-minded, mainly because they haven't effectively applied the theory of dependent origination in their lives. If one were to integrate this theory into daily life, not only would life become more relaxed, but one would also radiate vitality and wisdom.
（輯錄自微信公眾號《汝是》2023年4月23日發佈的文章）
(Excerpted from an article published on the WeChat public account "You Are" on April 23, 2023)