This is Unawareness, not Transcendent Awareness

这是不觉，非超觉

Q: Transcendent Meditation involves listening to a particular sound until our mind feels as if “sinking to the ocean’s bottom.” It is a pleasurable experience, which I have experienced a few times myself. Later, I felt that the sound sounds like a shrimp and since then, the results are not as good as before. I wonder why?

问：「超觉静坐」英文叫T.M.，通常要听一种声音，我们的心就会沈到所谓的「海底」，那是非常快乐，我有过几次的经验。后来觉得这个声音像虾，以后再坐下去，效果就没有原先那么理想，我不晓得为什么？

A: Your wanting to hear a sound is your false thinking. This is false awareness, not transcendent awareness. It should be very natural, very spontaneous; there should be no greed, no craving, and no expectations. If you crave something and hold out an expectation, then that is being unaware, not transcendent awareness.

答：你想听声音，这都是妄想，这是「妄觉」不是超觉。超觉是很自然的、没有做作的，没有贪、没有求、没有期待。你有所贪求、有所期待，这不是超觉，是不觉。

Q: Is this a good way to meditate?

问：这种静坐的方式好不好呢？

A: This is a method thought up by people who cannot sit in full lotus posture. If you want to meditate, first learn to sit in full lotus. If one does not learn the full lotus posture, it is impossible to realize the Path. It is analogous to studying; if one does not study, how would one learn new words? Thus, if one does not really cultivate, but expects to become enlightened by taking drugs, how could this be possible?!

答：这是为了没办法结双跏趺坐的人，想出一个别开生面的法门。你想静坐，先要练习跏趺坐，你不练习跏趺坐，你就说得到「道」了，这个不可能的。你不读书，怎么也不会认字；你不真心修行，想吃点迷魂药就开了悟，那是无有是处的。