Since early childhood,

我從小時候起

I have been interested in the mind,

就對心靈相當感興趣

in consciousness,

包含意識、

in understanding reality,

理解現實

and through that, help others.

以及藉由這些方面來幫助他人

I was wondering

我想知道

if anybody of you

你們當中是否有人

has not ask these questions to themselves:

從沒問過自己以下的這些問題：

What is consciousness?

什麼是意識?

What is reality?

什麼是現實?

Well, for me this has been my life long passion.

對我來說 探索這些問題是我人生的志業

And, I've been inspired by that

我獲得許多啟發

and I have been having that motivation

並且也有

to find out more.

深入了解的動機

In order to understand these fascinating topics,

為了瞭解這些令人著迷的題目

I thought I had to decide between

我想 我必須決定是要學習

either studying physics,

物理學還是醫學

or medicine or maybe philosophy,

又或者該念哲學

but that was not a hard science,

但哲學並非自然科學

or psychology.

或者是念心理學

So, I decided to study pharmacology

最後 我決定修讀藥理學

because I knew that there was the whole

因為我知道藥理學包含了

range of fascinating substances

許多對心靈產生影響的

that had an effect on the mind.

化學物質

I thought that by studying these substances,

藉由學習這些化學物質

I will have a better understanding of

我想我將能更了解

what is the mind

什麼是意志

and how it works.

以及它如何運作

Little did I know.

當時的我還搞不懂狀況

After finishing my studies,

完成學位之後

I worked many years with people

我花了好幾年的時間

who had addictions, depressions,

研究成癮症、憂鬱症、

anxieties, fears,

焦慮症、恐懼症

and other mental illnesses.

以及其他精神疾病

We were very skilled at defining

我們非常擅長定義

mental disorders and dysfunctions.

何謂心理失調與官能障礙

But what is a healthy mind?

但健康的心靈是什麼樣子？

A mind that flourishes

一個蓬勃發展的心靈、

that is actually happy.

確實快樂的心靈

We had no clue.

我們毫無頭緒

We were giving these some

我們過去給了一些

strong substances, but they rarely helped

強烈的藥物處方

with the mental causes that

但它們卻很少在第一時間

triggered these dysfunctions in the first place.

對觸發這些官能障礙的心理因素產生幫助

Addictions, for example,

以成癮症為例

do not begin with a physiological dependency.

並非一開始就是一種生理依賴

They are actually triggered

它實際上

by other mental causes that lead to

是受到其他心理因素所觸發

that, such as craving and desire

舉例來說 患者可能對滿足與快樂

for pleasures and happiness.

有一種強烈的渴求與欲望

Following my work with people who

在我接觸到

have these challenges with mental disorders,

這些飽受精神障礙所苦的人之後

I then signed up with an organization

我報名參加了一個

called Pharmaciens sans Frontieres,

叫做無國界藥師的組織

which is an organization like

它是一個類似

Médecins Sans Frontières but for

無國界醫師組織

pharmacist. And I worked in Asia

但由藥劑師所組成

with people who had leprosy,

我那時在亞洲工作 接觸到一些

tuberculosis and parasites,

患有痲瘋病、肺結核、

serious cases of parasites.

以及被寄生蟲嚴重感染的人

And it really struck me

我被深深地打動

and I was really surprised to see these people

而且我非常驚訝看到這些

that had actually physical disintegration.

身體上不完整的人

But they were in many ways more happy

在各方面反而比那些

than the people I was working

過去我在瑞士那清淨的環境工作時

back in Switzerland where it's clean.

所接觸到的人更快樂

These people in Switzerland had

在瑞士的這些人

physical well-being but

他們的身體安康

were actually disintegrating mentally.

但實際上心理卻不完整

These really confused me.

這真的使我很困惑

I was looking and I was trying to find

我試著找出

scientific explanation of what that cause was.

是什麼樣的原因以及

Why that happened?

為什麼會發生這種情況的科學解釋

With the tools that I had learned,

過去我所學的

I was not able to describe

並無法讓我很容易地

these actual experiences of these people

了解這些人的狀況

who were disintegrating mentally

他們的不同

or were different because

是因為心理上不完整

they were disintegrating physically too.

還是因為身體上也不完整呢？

So even less could I understand them.

若是這樣 我更沒有解答

I was really confused and was looking for

我著實感到疑惑

a scientific explanation.

並尋求科學解釋

It's during that research

正是在進行那個研究的時候

that I encountered the Buddhist teachings

我接觸到了佛教教義

and its systematic methodology

及其透過實際經驗來分析現實

of analyzing reality through actual experience.

這套有系統的方法論

While in modern science,

在現代科學當中

we look at reality as if it were out there,

我們看現實的方式 就彷彿它一直都在那裡

as if there is something out there

彷彿有什麼不受我們理解方式所支配

independent of our way of perceiving it.

而存在那裡

Some schools in Buddhism,

在某些佛學院內

they take mind as the center

他們視心靈為

of experienced reality.

五種感官結論的中心

In many ways,

在許多方面

when I discovered that,

當我發現到

this was the missing link between

這是兩個世界之間

these two worlds,

所缺失的環節

a science of the mind par excellence,

是一門心靈卓越的科學

I was hooked and accordingly I spent

我就此迷上

the next eleven years in Dharamsala

並因此花了接下來十一年的時間

in India among the Tibetan community

待在印度德蘭薩拉

in exile.

跟隨著流亡的西藏社群

I first learned Tibetan,

我首先學習藏語

and then in Tibetan,

接著透過藏語

I studied philosophy,

我研讀哲學、

Buddhist dialectics,

佛教辯證法、

practice, and also debate.

佛教的修行以及佛法辯經

But it's there that I met

在那裡我遇見了

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

達賴喇嘛尊者

and met a group of scientists

並遇見了一群科學家

who were coming up to Dharamsala

他們每兩到三年

every two to three years

來德蘭薩拉一回

to hold dialogues with him around science.

與尊者舉行有關科學的對話

These were the mind and life dialogues.

這是心靈與生命的對話

I had the privilege to join this group.

我有幸加入這個團體

And after few years, I had the honor

並在幾年後

also to moderate some of the proceedings.

有幸參與以及主持一些會議

These meetings have been going on since 1987.

這項集會從1987年持續舉辦到現在

At the beginning were behind close doors.

它起初是不對外開放

They were the private exploration of topics

他們私下探索包括

such as sleeping, dreaming and dying

睡眠、作夢、死亡、

or destructive emotions

破壞性情緒、

or quantum physics

量子物理、

as well as craving, desire, and addiction.

還有渴求、慾望以及上癮等題材

over the years, these gatherings have also

多年來

taken place in public.

這些集會也公開舉行

And, many of these dialogues

而且在會議中的

in these proceedings have been

許多對話

actually published as books

也被出版成書

and have been translated into

並翻譯成

many languages.

多種語言

On the YouTube,

你也可以直接

you can also even find some

在YouTube上找到

of the dialogues directly as

一些在會議過程中

they were filmed during the proceedings.

所錄下的對話

All of these meetings were arranged by

所有的研討會皆由

the Mind and Life Institute

「心靈與生命協會」籌辦

and hosted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama,

並由達賴喇嘛尊者主持

who is also the Mind and Life honorary chairman

他同時是心靈與生命協會的榮譽主席

and co-founder of this institute.

也是共同創辦人

Mind and Life Institute seeks to

心靈與生命協會致力於

bridge and integrate contemplative wisdom

連結並整合

and practices with modern research capabilities,

能觀的智慧與現代研究

and then, use the resulting knowledge

把產生的知識

to catalyze and initiate programs

用來催化和啟動研究方案

to alleviate suffering and

包含如何減緩痛苦、

promote human flourishing.

提倡人類蓬勃發展等等計劃

And here it's important to differentiate that

這裡有很重要的一點要區別

we are not talking about pain,

我們不是談論關於肉體的疼痛

we are talking about mental suffering.

我們談的是精神層面的痛苦

During a meeting in the year 2000,

在2000年的會議中

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

達賴喇嘛尊者

challenged the scientist present and said,

挑戰這些科學家並說：

"All these dialogues are very interesting,

「所有的討論都非常有趣，

but what can we do for society?

但我們可以為社會做些什麼?

Can you with your tools,

你能不能用你所學的一切

prove that what we think is beneficial

證明我們所想的有益方法

to really be of benefit?

是真正有益的?

And if it's beneficial,

如果這是有益的

then we should make it available to everybody."

我們就應該讓所有人取得這些方法」

This unleashed the whole new range

這解開了基礎研究

of basic research

整個嶄新的範疇

what we nowadays call contemplative science.

也就是我們現在所謂「冥想科學」

One question that I was having is,

我當時有一個問題：

"how can such dialogue unfold

「如何在各自抱持著不同世界觀下

when you have world views that are so different?"

展開這類的對話?」

It was helpful for me

幫助我理解的方法是

to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama

聆聽達賴喇嘛尊者

defining three parts of Buddhism.

對佛學三個部分的定義

Buddhist science,

佛教科學、

Buddhist philosophy,

佛教哲學、

and Buddhist religion.

以及佛教信仰

These dialogues focus on the first two:

這些討論聚焦在前兩個部分

Buddhist science and Buddhist philosophy,

也就是佛教科學與佛教哲學

which His Holiness encourage us to take out religion

尊者鼓勵我們除去信仰的部分

because after all,

因為這部分畢竟是

this is one's individual choice.

個人的選擇

So, when we talk about science,

所以當我們談論科學時

it might be important and helpful

我們先了解「科學」這個字的起源

to understand the English word science

英文字「科學」(science)

comes from the Latin word 'scientia'

是來自拉丁文 "scientia"

meaning knowledge.

代表「知識」之意

So science is defined as a systematic

科學被定義為一個

enterprise that builds and organizes

有步驟的、龐大的發展體系

knowledge in the form of testable explanations

科學的知識 都是從可被解釋的實驗或現象觀察

and predictions about the world.

一個個建立、累積下來

It is important here to note that

在這裡特別要注意到

it doesn't say how this knowledge is acquired,

這並不是在談如何取得這項知識

only that it needs to be testable,

它只是需要被測試

it needs to make explanations,

需要被解釋

and that it needs to make predictions about the world.

需要做出關於世界的現象觀察

So accordingly one method to gain knowledge

因此取得知識的一個方法

is by looking inside

就是藉由往內看

and explore the inner world.

探索內心世界

This is something that contemplative practitioners,

而這就是進行冥想的人、

psychologists, and psychoanalysts

心理學家、精神分析學家

have been doing.

一直以來所做的事

This is what we call the first person exploration

這就是我們所謂

of the inner world.

第一人稱的內心世界探索

On the other side,

從另一方面來說

by looking outside,

藉由向外看

and explore the outer world,

探索外在世界

you can also gaining knowledge.

你也可以獲得知識

This is what science has been doing

這就是從伽利略·伽利莱以來

since let's say Galileo Galilei.

科學一直在做的事

It's an observational of the external world

它是個對外在世界的觀察

and is therefore called the third person

所以也被稱為

perspective of the world.

第三人稱視角的世界

It is my conviction that

我相信這兩種

these two ways of acquiring knowledge

取得知識的方式

do not need to be mutually exclusive.

不需要是互斥的

There are many aspects that speak to that

有很多跡象

combination such as the exploration

表明這樣的結合

of actual experience,

像是實際經驗的探索、

such as what are you experiencing right now?

像是你現在所感受到的

This is something only you can

這是只有你能夠

actually access.

實際接近的

I can't.

我不能

Nobody else can.

沒有人可以

And also the effect of mental training.

當然還有心理訓練的影響

To me, this combination

對我而言

can be seen in this iconic image

這樣的結合能透過以下的肖像照

of the Yogi in the lab.

「實驗室的瑜伽修行者」 察覺出來

The Yogi is the long-term practitioner

瑜伽修行者是一位長期實踐者

that has dedicated his life

他花了一輩子的時間

to really understand the inside

真正地去了解

of his mental world.

自己的內心世界

There several ways how this image

這張「實驗室的瑜伽修行者」照片

can be interpreted.

有好幾種詮釋方式

And this image has also been featured on

順帶一提 這張照片也曾登上

National Geographic and on

國家地理雜誌與

Time Magazine by the way.

時代雜誌

On the one side,

一方面

there is the science of meditation

這是冥想的科學

where meditation become the object of investigation.

冥想成為調查的對象

We call this the science of meditation.

我們稱之為冥想的科學

On the other side,

另一方面

meditation itself can be a method

冥想本身可以是一種

to explore and gain knowledge.

探索和取得知識的方法

So meditation as science.

所以冥想作為科學

Through this, one gains insight

人們可以藉此

into the mental process

洞悉心理過程

and to actual experience.

以及實際經驗

Research in consciousness therefore require

因此研究意識

an integrated research method,

需要採取綜合的研究方法

a method that includes multiple disciplines,

來自各種學科的學者們

and scientists from neuroscience,

包含神經科學、

from clinical science,

臨床科學、

from philosophy,

哲學和

and most important from contemplative traditions.

最重要的冥想式傳統學

So over the last twenty years,

所以在過去二十年

a lot has changed

有關意識的科學研究

in regard to the scientific study of consciousness.

有了許多改變

New tools, new methods, and

新的工具、新的方法、

new insights were combined

新的理解被結合在一起

and have led to much

並因此產生許多

ground-breaking understanding.

具開創性的理解

First steps were taken in that direction

一群科學家於1992年

in 1992 when a group of scientists came

來到印度德蘭薩拉時

to Dharamsala in India,

朝這個方向邁開了第一步

and visited several hermits

同時也到喜馬拉雅山區

high up in the Himalayas.

訪問了一些隱士

But the rest research methods as you can see here

但就像你在此所看到的 其餘的研究方法

were very limited and basic.

都是很基本 很有限的

Adding to the limited tools was the challenge

除了有限的工具之外

of a clash of cultures.

文化間的衝突是另一個挑戰

I remember when this group of scientists

我記得當一群科學家

came to my school,

來到我的學校

the Buddhist dialectic school,

一所佛教辯證學校

and were showing how the research

並試著解釋

is being done.

研究將如何進行

They put the cap with many electrodes

他們為其中一位科學家

on one of those scientists,

戴上貼滿電極的帽子

in this case, Francisco Varela.