我是谁 【上】 Who Am I? (Part I)

Life is filled with many unsolved mysteries.生命有很多不解之谜。Since time immemorial, humanity has never ceased to ask: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?古往今来，人们不停地追问着：我是谁？我从哪里来？我到哪里去？These are the eternal perplexities of the human race, the ultimate questions that none of us can escape. We ask them because what we care about most, and focus on most, is this "Self." Our entire lives are essentially built around this "ego-center."这是人类永恒的困惑，也是每个人无法逃避的终极问题。因为我们最在乎、最关注的就是这个“我”。我们的整个生活，基本都是以自我为中心而建立。But have we ever wondered: What truly represents "me"? Is it merely this physical body? Is it just this "Five Skandhas" vessel—this form before us that speaks, moves, cries, and laughs?但我们是否想过：究竟什么代表着我？仅仅是这个身体吗？仅仅是眼前这个会说会动、会哭会笑的五蕴身吗？The reason people fear death is that they mistake this body for the Self, believing that the decay of the body signifies the total destruction of "me."人们之所以害怕死亡，原因就是将这个身体当做是我，以为身体败坏就意味着“我”的毁灭。In truth, the physical form is but a fleeting fragment in the continuous stream of life—a constantly changing vessel that does not represent the True Self.其实，色身只是生命延续过程中的一个朝不保夕的片断，一种不断改变的形式，并不能代表真正的“我”。Philosophically, "Self" implies the essence of life—something eternal and indivisible. Yet the body is merely a composite of various elements, in a state of constant metabolism and perpetual change from moment to moment.从哲学定义来说，“我”代表着生命的本质，是永恒且不可分割的。但身体只是由众多元素构成，刹那刹那处于新陈代谢中，处于发展变化中。In today’s era of advanced medicine, many "parts" of the body can be replaced or even substituted with artificial ones. Within such a system, where can we find a solitary, unchanging "Self"? When we understand this principle, we become less obsessed with the body and less fearful of death.而在今天这个医学发达的时代，身体的很多零件还可以更换组装，甚至使用人工替代品，其中哪有什么独存、不变的“我”呢？如果了解其中原理，我们对身体就不会那么在乎，对死亡就不会那么恐惧了。Beyond the body, our sense of "Self" manifests in two other ways: our concepts and our mindsets.身体而外，“我”的存在还体现于两方面：一是观念，一是心态。We live in a shared world, yet simultaneously, we inhabit private worlds of our own—living within our own emotions. Often, we are swayed by these joys and sorrows, losing our inner autonomy.我们生活在共同的世界，但同时又活在自己的世界，活在自己的情绪中。很多时候，还会被这些喜怒哀乐左右着，无法自主。Why are we dominated by them? Because we mistake these emotions for who we are. We say, "I like this," or "I hate that."我们为什么会被其主宰？原因就是把这些情绪误以为是“我”——“我喜欢，我讨厌”。Consequently, we become attached. We pour our mental energy into these feelings, reinforcing them until we eventually surrender our inner sovereignty, allowing certain emotions to govern our lives for a long, long time.于是就会在乎，就会执著，进而不断将心灵能量投射其中，不断强化这些情绪。最终将主权拱手相让，使某些情绪长时间地影响我们。