“我”到底在哪里？

The next two characteristics are emptiness and not-self. Emptiness means neither the mind nor the body is controlled by “I”. Not-self means neither the body nor the mind is “I”. Regardless of the conceptual difference between the two, both characteristics point to the absence of an inherently existing self.

下面是空性和无我两种行相。空性是指精神和肉体都没有受到一个“我”的支配；无我是指肉体和精神都不是“我”。不论其概念有何差别，但二者都是讲无我的。

Why is it important to ponder the non-existence of self? It is because it holds the key to ultimate freedom. Through cultivating renunciation and bodhicitta, we are able to greatly reduce greed, hatred and other afflictive thoughts. But lacking the perspective on emptiness, self- grasping, the root of all defilements, cannot be resolutely eradicated. Self-grasping is like a steel wire that links our mind and body together and confines us to this body life after life without freedom. In order to sustain the body and cater to its every need, mind following the commands of the body becomes its slave. As long as the wire stays, we remain bound. It is thus necessary to sever it. Once we are free from the fetters, mind can fly freely, like a kite without tethers, in the Dharma sky. Self-grasping can no longer exert any influence.

为什么要思维无我呢？因为这是最关键的。通过出离心和菩提心的修法，使我们减少了许多贪心、嗔心……但没有空性的见解，就不能绝对性地解决根本的问题——我执，它就像一根钢丝将我们的精神和肉体连结在一起，使我们生生世世都被束缚在这个肉体中，而不得自由自在。肉体的要求也很高，为了养活它、满足它的种种要求，我们的精神就受制于肉体，成了肉体的奴仆。这根钢丝一天不断，我们就一天不得自在，所以必须截断这条钢丝。一旦挣脱钢丝的束缚，我们的精神就可以自在地翱翔，像断了线的风筝一般在法界的天空中任意飞扬，我执就再也无法去操纵它了。

The only way to sever this wire is to realize emptiness. On attaining this realization, one ceases to differentiate between self and others. As a result, selfishness, unwholesome behavior such as stealing and killing for personal gains, hatred towards enemy and greed towards objects of desire will cease as well. From the perspective of Theravada, once these defilements are purified, one is deemed to have found the way out of samsara and attained liberation for oneself, which is the ultimate goal of Theravada practitioners. It means no more suffering and rebirth. Whereas in the minds of the bodhisattvas, purification of defilement is only the start toward their goal of being better equipped to benefit others. As realization of emptiness has destroyed selfishness, they can, from that point on, dedicate themselves entirely and unconditionally to benefit others. Therefore, one should endeavor to realize emptiness for one’s own sake and others’ as well. If not，the root of all delusions will still remain even though the more obvious defilements are reduced by other practices.

要断掉这根钢丝，唯有证悟空性一途，除此别无他法。证悟空性后就不存在你我他的分别，也就不存在自私心，就不会为了利己而去作杀生、偷盗的恶行，也不会对害己之人起嗔心，或对中意的物和人起贪心。从小乘的角度看，这些烦恼消失后就算是解决了生老病死的问题，自己从轮回中已经找到出路，达到了目的地。所有的痛苦都已消失，从此再不必轮回。而大乘菩萨却是以此为起点，目的是为了更好地饶益他众。因为证悟空性后打破了自私心，从此就可以无私地奉献，无条件地利益众生。所以，不论是为自己还是为他人的解脱，都必须要证悟空性。否则，以其他的修法，虽然可以减少粗大的烦恼，但根本问题仍会继续存在。