双语 | 到底什么代表“我”?

01

We can see such examples in our lives: we might feel superior when our career is successful, but inferior when we do humble jobs.

在生活中我们可以发现这样的例子

若事业成功

便觉得高人一等

而职业低贱

又会自惭形秽

02

We might feel high and mighty when we are as rich as millionaire, but disgraced when penniless.

若家资巨万

便觉得趾高气扬

而身无分文

又会无脸见人

03

People with a clear mind would know that all these are only temporarily owned by us, and that we cannot escape the law of impermanence.

事实上

稍微清醒一些的人都会知道

这些东西只是暂时为我所有

它们中的每一样都逃脱不了无常的规律

04

Our reputation and social status are not permanent; the ownership of our credit cards, houses and cars could change any time; 

我们的名誉地位

无法永远保有

我们的信用卡、房子、汽车

随时都会更换主人

05

even the relationship with our spouse and children could change through successive encounters and separations. 

即便是我们的妻子儿女

也可能在聚散离合之中变换相互的关系

06

From there, we ought to understand that those external possessions cannot represent the real “me” or “I”, but we mistakenly consider them as parts of ourselves because of our delusion.

由此可知

这些身外之物并不能代表真正的我

我们只是出于错觉

才把它们当成是我的一部分

In this case, shouldn’t our body, our living body, be ours? Usually, what people care about most is their physical body.

那么我们的身内之物

我们的生命体总该是我的吧？

通常每个人最关心的就是自己的身体

When working for others, we are always concerned about gains and losses. For decades of our lifetime, we serve our body earnestly for clothes, food and its growth without complaints or regret.

当我们为他人付出一些劳动

总会计较报酬、计较得失

可一生几十年的光阴

都在为我们的色身服务

忙他的衣食、忙他的成长

却无怨无悔

Today, as medical science is well developed, many organs of the human body are replaceable at any time just like machine parts. When your arm is broken, you may change it for someone else’s arm. 

现在医学发达

人身上的许多器官都可以

像机器零件一样随时更换

当你的手断了

可以换上一只别人的手

When your heart has a problem, you may change it for an artificial heart made of synthetic material. Even changing head might not be a miracle. 

当你的心脏有了问题

可以换上合成材料制作的人工心脏

甚至换头也不再是神话

Soon, one might even be able to touch another person’s head on his own shoulders. But will this head be yours? Besides, our physical body keeps metabolizing every day. 

不久的将来

人就可能在自己的肩上摸到别人的头

那个头到底是不是你的呢？

而且我们的色身

每天都处在不断的新陈代谢之中

From being an infant to an adolescent, then an adult, we are growing every day, after which we start to age and decline. Is there any moment when the physical body does not change? 

从婴儿到少年、成年

每一天都在成长

然后又开始逐渐地衰老、败坏

我们的色身

又有哪一刻不在变化中？

As for meat-eaters, the raw materials for the physical body are meat from animals; as for vegetarians, they are vegetables and fruits. 

肉食的人

组成色身的原材料

是动物的肉

素食的人

组成色身的原材料

是蔬菜和瓜果

So, in the animal kingdom, carnivores are always fierce and brutal while herbivores are relatively much milder. 

所以在动物界

肉食动物的性格都比较凶暴

而素食动物则相对温和许多

The physical body is just like a temporary shelter, and cannot be possessed forever, let alone being kept from decay. 

色身有如住房

只供我们暂时住一住

我们无法永远拥有它

更无法让房子永远不会败坏

Life exists between breaths, which go on to keep us living brightly and joyfully. But life also turns out to be rot and stink when breathing stops. Thus, it is clear that the body cannot represent the real “me”.

生命只在呼吸间

当我们还有一口气在的时候

可以很活泼、很灿烂

倘若哪天一口气不来

就该腐烂、发臭了

可见色身也不能代表真正的我