念死 Meditation on Death. 100621
如是我聞
一時。佛住舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園
爾時。世尊告諸比丘。若比丘修習隨死念。多修習已。得大果大福利。云何比丘修習隨死念。多修習已。得大果大福利。是比丘修隨死念俱念覺分。依遠離．依無欲．依滅．向於捨。乃至捨覺分亦如是說
佛說此經已。諸比丘聞佛所說。歡喜奉行
勇猛銳利的隨死念
有一次，佛陀在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園時，教導了比丘們隨死念的修行。
佛陀說：
「如果能修習隨死念，多修習後，就會有很好的成效。怎麼修呢？應當以隨死念分別配合念覺分、擇法覺分、精進覺分、猗覺分、喜覺分、定覺分、捨覺分，把握依遠離、依無欲、依滅、向於捨的實踐來修。」
※ ※ ※
在另一次的集會中，佛陀勉勵比丘們說：
「比丘們！多修習念死，可以使大家獲得許多成果，成就許多功德，就像沈浸在甘露中，而且是究竟的甘露之中。所以，比丘們！大家應當多修習念死。」
聽到佛陀這麼說後，在座的一位比丘，就起來報告他的心得：
「世尊！我常常修習、思惟念死。」
「比丘！你是怎麼修的呢？」佛陀進一步問。
「世尊！當修念死時，我作這樣的思惟觀想：我只剩一天一夜可活了，我要充分地把握這一天一夜的時間，全心全意地專注於修學世尊所教導的，趕快得到佛法的利益，讓死後沒有遺憾。世尊！我就是這樣修的。」
另一位比丘接著說：
「世尊！我是這樣修的：觀想自己只有一個白天可活了，激勵自己要好好把握這個白天的時間，盡我所能地專注於修學世尊所教導的，這樣，死後就不會遺憾了。」
就這樣，繼續有比丘起來作報告。報告的內容都相同，所差別的，是觀想還可以活命時間的長短不同：有觀想只剩下半天的，有觀想只剩下吃一頓飯時間的，有觀想吃半頓飯的，有觀想吃四、五口飯的，有觀想吃一口飯的，有觀想只剩下一呼一吸的一口氣的。
最後，佛陀對以上幾位比丘的報告，作了這樣的評論：
「比丘們！有比丘觀想只剩下一天一夜的時間可以活命，有觀想一天的，有觀想半天的，有觀想只剩下吃一頓飯時間的，有觀想吃半頓飯的，有觀想吃四、五口飯的，像這樣的修習念死，都算是放逸。因為，以這樣來修習念死，對於助成斷盡所有煩惱的修學，其效果是緩慢的。
而觀想只有吞一口飯、只剩下一口氣可活的隨死念，是不放逸的，以這樣來修習念死，對於助成斷盡所有煩惱的修學，其效果是猛利的。
比丘們！因此，我們應當學習不放逸，以不放逸的觀法來修習念死，勇猛銳利地助成所有煩惱的斷盡。」
《阿姜查的禪修世界【第二部】定》（橡樹林出版，第86頁）
念死
對於那些還有強烈貪、瞋、痴，並發現它們難以控制的人來說，以自己的死亡作為禪修的主題，是很有用的。我們可以看到，無論貧、富或善、惡，每個人都不免一死。
在修行念死的過程中，我們發現一種厭離的看法會升起，修得越多，就能得到越多的定。因為它是適合我們的修法，若這修止的方法與我們的根性不合，就無法產生厭離的看法。唯有這所緣真的適合自己，我們才能發現它會很輕易地經常在心中升起，並發現自己時常會想到它。
註：念死(marana-sati)：十隨念的修法之一，也是修止的一種方法。修此法者當生起「死將來臨」、「命根將斷」或「死、死」的如理作意，如此思惟，就能鎮伏五蓋，得到近行定。勤修念死者能常不放逸，捨棄對命的愛著。
Meditating on Death
In HH Dalai Lama’s The Joy of Living and Dying in Peace:
It is helpful to learn about the advantages of doing death meditation and the disadvantages of ignoring it.
First, it is meditation on impermanence and death that inspires you to engage in spiritual practices. It is an eye-opener. When you become aware that sooner or later you have to leave this world, you are bound to be concerned about the affairs of the next life. This awareness automatically helps you to turn to spiritual pursuits.
Second, death meditation is a powerful technique that helps you to prolong and continue your spiritual practice. In any endeavor of substance, be it spiritual or temporal, difficulties and problems are bound to occur. The power of death meditation helps you to face whatever hardships may come your way.
Finally, this meditation acts as a stimulus, helping you to successfully complete your practice. Therefore, awareness of death is essential at every stage of your spiritual life. As a practitioner, you will be more concerned about the affairs of the life after death. And by eliminating deluded thoughts and actions, you will be able to make this life meaningful.
There are many disadvantages in not remembering death.
When you forget death, there is very little chance of your being inclined toward practice. Without awareness of death, your practice will become slack and ineffective. You will be predominantly occupied with the affairs of this life. There are people who receive vows and recite their prayers daily. But because their awareness of death is weak, they behave like ordinary people in times of crisis, becoming excessively angry, attached, or jealous.
There is a saying in Tibetan: “When you are well fed and enjoying the sunshine, you look like a practitioner. But when faced with a crisis you reveal your true nature.” Everyday experience tells us that most of us are like this.
Without awareness of death, you have the affairs of this life at the center of your heart. And because you are obsessed with wealth, status, and fame, you barely flinch when committing negative actions.
A person who is not concerned about death naturally has no interest in the lives beyond it. Such an individual has no great regard for spiritual values and readily cultivates deluded thoughts and actions. Consequently, such a person is a source of harm to himself and others.
If you forget that you will die, you will think mainly about how to lead a prosperous life. Your most important concern will be to get a good place to stay, good clothes to wear, and good food to eat. You will not hesitate to deceive and threaten others if you get the chance. What is more, you might judge such negative activities as the marks of an efficient and capable person. This is a clear indication that you are not farsighted enough to think about the long future ahead.
We all have many lives to come, which are completely dark to us and about which we have no idea. When you forget these circumstances, you will be inclined to pursue destructive activities.
Further reading in English:
Buddhism and Death (Access To Insight Org.)
夢與心如此不同
