David Chiou:

剛好看到一篇論文,無著比丘提出 SN 51.22 提到鐵丸的 pabhassarataro (光耀)不太合理,有可能如同其他幾處巴利經文般是被上座分別說部分支赤銅鍱部的傳抄者加上「光耀」這個字,那些經文在其他各傳承的經文(漢、藏、考古遺跡片段一類的)中都沒有 pabhassarataro ,但在南傳都多了 pabhassarataro。

在這篇論文 The Luminous Mind in Theravāda and Dharmaguptaka Discourses 中,對於 SN 51.22 無著比丘是這麼論述:

The passage in question describes an iron ball that has been heated all day such that it becomes more light, soft, workable, and luminous. Similar to the condition of such a heated iron ball, as a result of engaging in a certain meditation practice the Buddha’s body becomes more light, soft, workable, and luminous. No parallel to this discourse is known to me, wherefore nothing further can be said from a comparative perspective.

Nevertheless, in relation to my present topic I would like to note that for the Buddha’s body to become “more luminous”, pabhassarataro, at least as long as the term is understood in a visible sense,38 seems less straightforward than for the same to be said of a heated iron ball. This is not to deny that in describing the mind a metaphor has its place or that meditation practice can have visible effects on the body. My point is only that when iron is heated up, it will indeed emit light, whereas for a comparable effect to happen with the human body of someone immersed in meditation is considerably less self-evident.

我找到中國古代翻譯的《解脫道論》有一段敘述和 SN 51.22 相同:

《解脫道論》卷9〈五通品 9〉:「彼坐禪人修四如意足。以作自在心。其身隨心其心成隨身。彼坐禪人於時安身。於心安心於身。以由身心變。以由心身變。以由身心受持。以由心身受持。或樂想或輕想著於身。於著成住。彼坐禪人如是現修成最輕。其身成最軟最堪受持。如鐵丸為火所燒隨意作物。如是以修心成身輕。以輕故入第四禪。安詳念出能分別虛空。以智受持。如是於虛空此身當起。以智受持。於虛空成起。如風吹綿縷。」(CBETA, T32, no. 1648, p. 442, a6-15)

看來也是根據 SN 51.22,當中引用的經文的確沒有提到「光耀」這回事。

《解脫道論》是南傳古代的大論,可能也是後來南傳覺音著作《清淨道論》的重要參考之一,在西元515年梁朝翻譯為中文,看來在當時 SN 51.22 還沒有pabhassarataro (光耀)這個字,這個字可能如無著比丘所推論是較晚期的南傳傳抄者加入的。就五通的理論而言,「光」跟開發天眼通較相關,的確跟神足通沒有直接關係。

元亨寺版的 SN 51.22 在這裡翻譯為「清淨」,看我們是否適合翻譯為這一類,保留解讀的空間?

當然,既然這個翻譯是根據現存的巴利藏,既然現存的巴利藏已有這個詞,就不適合刪去,只是保留解讀的空間。


Anderson Chang:

我去看了,既然有人也翻清淨,那也ok。

不過鐵球被太陽高溫曬熱後,適合用清淨這個詞形容嗎?

另一方面,這裡是一部短片,將鐵球加熱到1000度,確實會很光耀。 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqTXNr7aSYk

不過經文裡講的是炎熱白天,縱然我們知道印度很熱,曬一上午頂多100度吧,應該是不至於到光耀。


David Chiou:

哈,鐵球日曬後後也沒有變得較輕快、較柔軟,要超過千度高溫才會熔掉。或許古代印度鐵球雜質多,有錫等等金屬,才會那麼容易軟。

反正只是比喻,這個例子只能意會,不能認真談物理 :-D