Learning to Chant

　　学习唱诵

A principal part of Achaan Chah's training is to help students learn to do whatever task is appropriate while keeping a balanced mind free from clinging. A Western psychiatrist who had ordained as a monk had to learn this lesson. He asked permission to stay at WatBa Pong for the three-month rains retreat in order to have a master under whom he could really practice meditation. Several days later, when Achaan Chah announced to the assembled monks that chanting of the sutras from 3:30 to 4:40 A.M. and from 5:00 to 6:00 P.M. was a mandatory part of the rains retreat, this newly ordained Western monk raised his hand and began to argue loudly that he had come to meditate, not to waste time chanting. Such a Western style argument with the teacher in public was a shock to many of the other monks.

　　阿姜 查的训练中，有一主要的部份，是去帮助学生做任何适合的工作，同时又能保持心境平衡和远离执著。有一位曾经是心理学家的西方僧侣在这方面受了教。他请求在巴蓬寺结夏安居三个月，以便有位师父能实际地教导他修禅。几天後，就在阿姜 查向大众宣布，从凌晨三点到清晨四点四十分和下午五点到六点的课诵，是夏安居必修的一部份时，这位新出家的西方比丘举起手来，然後开始大声地争辩，他是来这儿禅坐，而不是来浪费时间做课诵的。这种在大众面前与老师争辩的西洋方式，对其他大多数的比丘而言，实在是个很大的震撼。

Achaan Chah explained calmly that real meditation had to do with attitude and awareness in any activity, not just with seeking silence in a forest cottage. He made a point of insisting that the psychiatrist would have to be prompt for every chanting session for the entire rains retreat if he wished to stay at WatBa Pong. The psychiatrist stayed and learned to chant beautifully.
 
　　阿姜 查很详和地解释，真正的禅坐跟态度及觉醒一切的活动有很大的关系，而不只於寻求在森林茅蓬里的宁静。他坚持如果这位心理学家想留在巴蓬寺，就必须在整个夏安居中，准时参加每一堂课诵。後来，这位心理学家还是留下来了，而且学会了庄严的唱诵。