The Real Magic

　　真实的魔术

The villagers and other disciples around WatBa Pong tell many tales of Achaan Chah's powers. They say he can make his body manifest in several places at once and some claim to have seen his double. They tell of his great healing powers, of his cures of the sick, or they speak of his power to know the minds of others, of his clairvoyance and penetrating Samadhi.

　　住在巴蓬寺附近的村民和其他弟子，传出很多关於阿姜 查有神通的传说。他们说，他能够同时在很多地方出现，甚至望称见过他的复身。他们谈他的治病神通、他医病的良方或谈他有他心通、他的天眼通和进入三摩地的神通。

Achaan Chah laughs at these stories, at the unenlightened concern for, the misguided awe of such powers. "There is only one real magic," he says, "the magic of the Dharma, the teachings that can liberate the mind and put an end to suffering. Any other magic is like the illusion of a card trick-it distracts us from the real game, our relation to human life, to birth and death, and to freedom. At WatBa Pong," he says, "we only teach the real magic."

　　对於不明智地顾虑怪力乱神的故事，阿姜 查引以为笑。他说:“只有一种魔术是真正的魔术，那就是“法”的魔术──能够使心解脱并断除苦的教法。任何其他的魔术就如同牌戏的幻影，干扰我们的真实的游戏──人类生命的关系、生与死和解脱的游戏。他说：“在巴蓬寺里，我们只教导真实的魔术。”

On another occasion he told the monks: "Of course, if one reaches Samadhi, it can be used for other purposes-cultivating psychic powers, or making holy water, blessings, charms, and spells. If you reach this level, such things can be done. Practicing like that is intoxicating, like drinking good liquor. But over here is where the Path is, the way the Buddha passed. Here Samadhi is used as a foundation for Vipassana, contemplation, and need not be very great. Just observe what is arising, continue observing cause and effect, continue contemplating. In this way, we use the focused mind to contemplate sights, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily contacts, and mental objects." It is in our very senses that the whole Dharma of liberation can be found.

　　在另外一次的集会中，他告诉僧侣们：“没错，如果达到三摩地的话，可以拿它来做其他目的之用──长养超能力、做圣水、祈福、咒符和巫术。如果你达到这种境界，就能有诸如此类的神通。但那样的修行就好像喝醉酒一般。这里，才是“道”的地方──佛陀走过的路。在这里，三摩地是用来做为昆婆奢那、思惟的基础，而且也不需要非常深的三摩地。只须审视生起的和继续观照因、果。如此一来，我们利用专注的心来思惟(观)色、声、香、味、触和法。”整个解脱的“法”是在我们的感官中找到的。