見山是山，見山不是山，見山又是山

 見山是山，見山不是山，見山又是山

First I see a mountain, then I no longer perceive it as a mountain, then I see the mountain again.

唐代 (西元第9世紀) 青原惟信禪師（生卒不詳）的一段經典話，總結了人生的三個階段。《五燈會元》是中國佛教禪宗的一部史書。南宋理宗皇帝統治期間，杭州靈隱寺普濟 (西元1179‒1253) 所編集，一共20卷。《五燈會元》記載了很著名的一段禪宗公案，主角便是青原惟信禪師：

青原惟信曰：「老僧三十年前未參禪時，見山是山，見水是水。及至後來親見知識，有個入處，見山不是山，見水不是水。而今得個休歇處，依前見山只是山，見水只是水。」

見山是山 - 這是第一階段，也是大眾都看得到的境界。地上高聳入雲的一片石頭，那不是山是什麼？這是人最直接的感覺。見山是山。

見山不是山 - 這是第二層。如同青原惟信禪師一樣發現，這山明明是石頭、泥土、植被這些東西組成的，又慢慢地改變像個活物一樣，怎麼會是山呢？因此，見山不是山。

見山只是山- 這是第三境界。經過深思，豁然開朗，發現眼前這座山，是由石頭、泥土、植被構成的，但仍然是山！

簡單來說，我們周圍的世界和自己本身沒有任何部分是固定不變的。 一切事物都在變化中。 憑我們初步的經驗，我們也許以為可以尋到堅固的"山"一般的安全感。 不幸的是，我們在生活中或許受苦受難，是因為我們在沒有穩定的世界不停地尋找絕對安全的事物可以依靠。

第一階段：當我們看到一座山時，我們最初可能會認為它是世界上堅固不會變的東西(安如泰山)(穩若泰山)。 這種概念產生一種錯誤的印象，使我們誤以為我們已透徹理解所看到的事物的本質（例如，一座山）。

第二階段：通過反思，我們開始意識到山的堅固是一種幻象和誤解。 我們開始更清楚地看到，山其實生機勃勃，充滿活力，不斷變化和移動。 山並不是一個靜態、固定的物體。

第三階段：在最後階段，隨著洞察力更加敏銳，我們不再把山看作是一個靜態的物體，而領悟到它涵蓋許多流動的過程。雖然我們仍然在說話時把山稱"山"，但我們已從一個新的角度認識它。 因此，我們對世界上任何事物不再輕率地下定義或結論。

The Wudeng Huiyuan (A Compendium of the Five Lamps) was compiled by Chan Buddhist Master Puji (1179‒1253), during the reign of the Southern Song Emperor Lizong. Puji was the abbot of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, where he spent two years in compiling the Wudeng Huiyuan in 20 volumes. He died in the year 1253AD. 

The Wudeng Huiyuan states that during the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese Chan [Zen in Japanese] Master Qingyuan Weixin wrote: “Before I studied Chan for thirty years, I viewed mountains as mountains, and rivers as rivers. When I arrived at a deeper understanding, I came to a point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and rivers are not rivers. And now that I have grasped its very essence, I am at rest. For I see mountains once again as mountains, and rivers as rivers.” 

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is a mountain again.

Alternative Rendering of the words of Qingyuan Weixin:

Thirty years ago, before I began the study of Zen, I said, "Mountains are just mountains, and waters are just waters." After I got attained to a deeper insight  through the instruction of a good master, I observed, "Mountains are not mountains, waters are not waters." But now, having reached the place of final rest (Awakening or Enlightenment), I conclude, "Mountains are really mountains, waters are really waters."

Simply stated, nothing in the world around us or our self is fixed or immutable. There are no eternal and unchanging objects, just process and flux. There is no fixed and unchanging kernel in our experience that we may hold on to. So we often suffer and experience difficulties in life because we perceive certain things in the world around us as unchanging, and we yearn for stability where there is none.

Stage 1: When we look at a mountain, we may at first perceive it to be something that is completely solid, fixed, and unchanging in the world. This concept and labelling creates the false impression that we really know what something is (for example, a mountain). 

Stage 2: After a period of reflection we should come to realize that the idea of the mountain as being solid, fixed, and unchanging is incorrect. We begin to understand that the mountain is changing moment by moment, that it is alive, vibrant, and moving. It is not in reality a static object, and many processes are taking place on it and within it. 

Stage 3: In the final stage, due to an ever deepening insight, we no longer see the mountain as a solid and immutable object, but as a flowing process. Since language is restricting, we still talk about it as a "mountain",  but our new awareness leads us to be very careful when defining or concluding anything about the things in the world or about the nature of ultimate reality.

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What is the main difference between the first and third stages, since the mountain is present in both? 

第一階段和第三階段之間的主要區別在那裡? 畢竟這兩個階段都有一座山。

The first stage reflects a subjective understanding of a mountain which exists almost entirely in the mind of the observer. Here, the concept of the mountain is a vast oversimplification of what a mountain really is. The mountain is close to just being a label on a particular object.

第一階段反映了對山的主觀理解，這種理解幾乎完全存在於觀察者的想像中。 在這裡，山的概念過度簡化。 這座山幾乎只是一個空洞的標籤而已。

However, by the third stage, the observer has become much more objective and has attained to a more complex and accurate understanding of the reality of what the existence of a mountain involves. The word mountain and the concept evoked by it is no longer merely a label. By extending this experience to view all objects and events in life in a similarly objective way, a more clearer view of reality is achieved. 

然而，到了第三階段，觀察者更為客觀，對山的存在所涉及的現實情況有了更深入和準確的理解。 山這個詞及其所喚起的概念不再僅僅是一個標籤。 通過延伸這體驗，以同樣客觀的方式看待生活中的所有物體和事件，可以更清晰地了解現實世界。

Is there anything wrong with remaining at the first level indefinitely? Many people evidently do. However, this can lead to an oversimplification of the objects and people in our environment, and lead to our labeling things arbitrarily and incorrectly. The labeling of individuals or groups of people based on subjective misconceptions can be particularly harmful, as it can lead to prejudice and conflict.
終生停留在第一境界有沒有甚麼壞處？ 畢竟許多人顯然一直沒有越過第一階段。 然而，這可能導致我們對環境中的物體和人存在著過於簡單的想法，並讓我們傾向於隨意對事物和人貼上標籤。 純基於主觀意識給個別的人或群體貼上標籤有多種害處，可能造成偏見和衝突。

Another common problem which arises is that by incorrectly assessing the nature of things people have an unrealistic view of what they can and cannot control. Trying repeatedly to control factors and processes which are in fact beyond our control often leads to much frustration, wasted effort, and unhappiness. 

另一個常見問題是，由於錯誤地評估事物的屬性，人對可以控制和不能控制的情況產生不切實際的看法。 我們一直想控制實際上超出人控制範圍的因素和過程，只會浪費精力，帶來挫折感，造成不不愉快的心情。

Mountains are sometimes used as an analogy for immovable obstacles and problems. If we view a problem as forever unchanging, we are likely to be more pessimistic about our chances of overcoming it. But if we realize that even mountains (mountainous) problems are changing constantly, even if we have no control over the situation in question, we will still have hope that naturally occurring changes may eventually result in a favorable outcome.    

山有時被用來比喻不可移動的障礙和困難。 如果我們認為一個難題永遠不能變，我們可能會對克服它失去希望。 但如果我們意識到即使是山一般龐大的問題也正在不斷產生變化 (如同實際的山一樣)，即使我們無法控制大局，我們仍然有理由希望自然發生的微小變化最終會帶來有利於自己的結果。

相關參考資料 Related Materials for Reference

道德經  Dao De Jing

道可道、非常道。名可名、非常名。
任何可以完整地解釋真理的道理不可能正確地代表宇宙的終極真相。
人為事物指定的名稱都無法完全反映其真實的本質。

Any path to truth which can be explained in its entirety cannot represent Ultimate Truth.
Any name assigned to something is arbitrary and is unable to reflect fully its true essence.

奧理略沉思錄 The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius 

All that your eyes behold will change in a moment and be no more; consider how many changes you have already witnessed, and think continually of that. The Universe is change, life is what our thoughts make it...Get rid of the judgement; you are rid of the ‘I am hurt’; get rid of the ‘I am hurt’, you are rid of the hurt itself. (Aurelius Meditations Book IV:3,7)

眼見的世界瞬息萬變，各事趨於消失；要不斷思索你親眼見到的事物有多少已改變了。「宇宙不停地變化，而人生由我們的思想所創造。」 若剷除「我心裡受了傷害」的觀念，受傷的感覺立刻也就會消滅。(奧理略沉思錄 IV:3,7)

Is it change that a man fears? Why, what can have come to be without change, and what is dearer or more familiar to Universal Nature? Can you yourself take your bath, unless the firewood changes? Can you be nourished, unless what you eat changes? Can any other service be accomplished without change? Do you not see that it is precisely your changing which is similar, and similarly necessary to Universal Nature? (Aurelius Meditations Book VII:18)

人通常都會害怕生活中的改變，但有甚麼比變化對宇宙更要緊呢？除非染料產生變化，你怎能把水加熱洗澡呢? 食物不產生變化，你身體能得到需要的營養嗎？ 情況不改變，人的需要能獲得滿足嗎? 你難道沒有看出，你個人的改變與宇宙自然的變化相似，同樣是必要的嗎？(奧理略沉思錄 VII:18)

All things are in change, and you yourself in continuous alteration and in a sense destruction. So, too, is the Universe as a whole.(Aurelius Meditations Book IX:19)

萬事萬物都在變化，而你自己也在不斷地改變和在某種意義上被銷毀。整個宇宙也是如此。(奧理略沉思錄 IX:19)

Loss is nothing else but change. 

(Aurelius Meditations Book IX:35)

損失與變化，性質完全相同。

(奧理略沉思錄 IX:35)

The Meditations explain that people are often unhappy because they are focused on what is beyond their control. They rail against fate and other things that they have no power over, but ignore and neglect the things which are under their control. They exhaust themselves tilting at windmills and complaining about how terrible the world is, while missing opportunities to make it a better place. In the philosophy of Aurelius, happiness results from making a valiant effort to doing what is reasonably within your power, and from focusing your attention and efforts on the things you can improve, while serenely acknowledging that there are things you cannot change. The core message is “focus on the things that you can do to improve your own life and the world in general”.

沉思錄說明，人之所以不快樂，是因為他們太專注於自己無法控制的事情。 他們對命運和自己無能為力的事大發雷霆，但並沒有認出有哪些事是他們可以控制的。 他們幻想宇宙與自己為敵，並抱怨世界有多麼糟糕，但同時完全錯過了讓世界變得更美好的許多機會。 在奧理略的哲學中，幸福源於勇敢和努力地去做力所能及的事情，並將注意力和力氣集中在可以改進的事情之上，同時平靜地承認有些情況是自己無法改變的。 沉思錄核心思想為 “人最關心的該是如何用自己有限的力量來改善自己的生活和整個周遭的環境”。