0:00
In this segment of lecture one, I'm going to talk a little about our feelings, our emotions, and I'm going to do that from two perspectives.
在第一讲的这一部分，我将谈论关于情感、情绪类的东西。我将从两个角度展开：
From the perspective of Buddhism, and then also from the perspective of evolution. In other words, in the
佛教的角度，进化的角度。换言之，to figure out you know, why our feelings have certain properties. Why perspective of somebody who's trying evolution created them that way.
从这样一些人的角度，这些人试图找出为什么我们的情感有某种特性。为什么进化把它们创造成那样。
0:22
And here I'm kind of jumping ahead to things we're going to cover in greater detail later in the course,
现在我往前跳了一点，讲了些我们将会在后面课程中会提到的细节。
but I did want to give you a taste of them. For one thing I wanted to give you a sense for kind of some
但是我确实想先让你们对它们有点儿感觉。我想让你们知道，一些冥修的实际好处，
of the practical payoff for meditation, and also the sense for some of the larger themes that lie ahead.
还有，一些后面会涉及到的更大的主题。
Now a few months ago I was in Vienna in Austria at a big conference on interfaith dialogue. And there
几个月前，我在在奥地利的维也纳，参加了一个不同信仰之间对话的大会，
were people from all kinds of religions there, and one of them was a Buddhist Nun named Yifa, YIFA, from
有各种宗教人士参加，其中一个佛教徒叫Yifa，Yifa来自台湾。
Taiwan. In fact she is a pretty prominent Buddhist Nun. She has written books about Buddhism. And I found
事实上她是一个很有名的女佛教徒。她写了关于佛教的书。我跟她交谈过。
myself talking to her.
1:05
And we got to talking about meditation. And I asked her if I could videotape her. Because I knew I was
我们谈论了冥修。我问她我是否可以拍视频，因为我知道我将教这个课程。
going to be teaching this course. And I thought I'd like to share some of her thoughts with you. And she
我也想分享一下她的一些思想给你们。
said sure. And so I pulled out my cell phone. And I pressed record. And I asked her how can meditation
她说好的。然后我就拿出手机，按下录制键。我问她冥修是怎样改变
change the way you view your feelings. And, here's what she said. >> When you act angry or, you know,
你看到感觉的方式。这是她的回答。>> 当你非常愤怒，或者你有一种很强烈的情绪，
you have a great emotion,
1:32
and you would grasp that feeling as real. But when you are meditating or contemplate on those sensations,
你将把那种情绪当作是真实存在的东西，紧紧抓住它。但是当你冥想或者内观那些感觉时，
the anger, fear, over anxiety and you will find very interesting those things are not real, not concrete.
那些愤怒、恐惧、过度焦虑，你将发现那些东西都不是真的，不是实体，很有意思。
1:58
So it's to help you to see the nature of a fear, fear
所以，这能帮你看到恐惧、焦虑，所有的情绪的本质。
2:05
over you know, anxiety or [UNKNOWN], all kinds of, emotion. And you find, it's very different.
你会发现，很不一样。
2:16
Like, when you use that kind of,
当你冥想时，
2:19
meditative, look, from, kind of from inside.
从内部观察，
2:24
And you make a analysis, kind of a, okay, this is a so called anger. And you find, it's just like you
你会分析，比如说，哦，这就是所谓的愤怒，你就发现，这就像你在看电影。
watching movie. The movie it's, its a kind of a, you know, picture by picture in motion. And you, you
电影，其实是连续在动的图片。
grasp it as real. But when you you know, take a, a one by one, a piece by piece. It's not real. >> Well,
你把电影当作真实的东西。但是，一帧一帧地播放时，它不是真的。 >>
that would be nice, wouldn't it if you could just convince yourself that some of your most troublesome,
这很好，当你可以确信，你的很多麻烦，
unpleasant feelings aren't real and kind of liberate yourself from them? Now that does lead to the
很多不开心的感觉，其实不是真的，你不就把自己从中解救出来了吗？
question what does it even mean to say that feelings are real?
那么这是否引发这样一个问题：这其实就是说，感觉都不是真实的。
3:04
You know, after all, isn't the definition of a feeling just this thing we experience, so as long you're,
毕竟，感觉的定义不就是这些我们体验到的东西吗，
as you're experiencing it, isn't it, isn't it real? Well that's a good question, it's a challenging
你体验到它，它难道不是真的吗？这是一个好问题。这个问题很有挑战性。
question and in fact it's so challenging that I think I'll dodge it, for just right now and
事实上这个问题如此具有挑战性以至我都想回避它。但只是现在，
promise to get back to it later. What I would say for now is that, on the one hand it's not you
我们很快就会回来。我现在要说的是，一方面，
know, found in core Buddhist doctrine anywhere the assertion that you know, feelings aren't real
“感觉不是真的。”这不是在佛教核心教义里随处可以找到的断言：
in so many words. On the other hand, I think there are a lot of Buddhist meditators who would know
一方面，我想这里有很多佛教冥修者，他们很明白
exactly what Yifa was talking about. And it is part of Buddhist thought, quite explicitly, that
Yifa在说什么。确切的说，这就是佛教思想的一部分，
our feelings are not reliable guides to reality, in a sense. They're not entirely trustworthy.
认为某种意义上，我们的感觉不是真实的可靠向导。它们并不完全可靠。
Okay. And, and meditation is a, is a technique for among other things giving yourself some
有很多方法，能让你与你的感觉保持适当的距离，避免被感觉误导。冥修是其中的一种。
critical distance from your feelings to avoid being misled by them. Now one reason it matters
感觉是否可靠，这个问题比较重要的一个原因是，
whether feelings are really reliable is that feelings can influence your perceptions. And your
它能影响你的知觉、你的思想。
thoughts and, and this is something that becomes more evident through meditation. As you observe
这种东西通过冥修可以变得更清楚。当你
your mind, You can realize that this is happening in a subtler way than you had, than you had
观察你的思想，你能意识到它的发生，它的发生比你之前以为的更微妙。
previously thought.
4:27
And this kind of influence of feelings on perception and thought is also something that
感觉对知觉和思想的影响，也是心理学家们最近特别关注的事情。
psychologists have paid more attention to recently. And, in fact, there's a, a very interesting experiment
事实上，这里有一个很有意思的实验，我想现在告诉你。
4:38
about this that that I want to talk about now.
4:42
What do you see here? Is this a squirrel or is it an alligators head? If it's a squirrel, you see
从这里你能看到什么？这是一个松鼠还是鳄鱼头？如果它是松鼠，你看看这里，
the, that these as the eyes and this is the tail and these as the paws. If you think it's an
这些是眼睛，这些是尾巴，这些是爪子。如果你认为是
alligators head emerging from the water, then these are the eyes, this is the snout, and here are
一个从水里冒出的鳄鱼头，那么这是眼睛，这是，这里是嘴巴，
the menacing teeth, okay. And so, too for, for this. Is this a rope or a snake? Is this a meat
吓人的牙齿。还有这个，这是一根绳子还是一条蛇？这是一个切肉刀还是一个烹饪锅？
cleaver or a cooking pot?
5:12
Well you know most people, when they see one of these things they make a snap judgement. What's
你知道大部分人，当他们看到这里面的一件东西时， 他们就会很快判断出来。
interesting is what researchers recently found about how you can influence the snap judgements
有趣的时，研究者们最近发现，你可以怎样影响人们的快速判断。
people make. What the researchers did was they showed these three pictures to people for one
研究者们把三幅图片给人们看一秒钟，
second and asked them what they saw. But first they exposed these people to one of three different
然后问他们看到了什么。一开始他们让这些人处于三种不同的情景中。
conditions. Either they played kind of happy music Or they played no music. Or they played scary
或者播放一些轻快的音乐，或者不播放音乐；或者播放
music that sounded like this. [MUSIC] And then they asked them, what did you see here? Now it
那种令人感觉害怕的音乐，然后他们再问这些人，你看到了什么？
turns out that the happy music didn't have much of an effect one way or the other compared to just
结果发现，听到轻快音乐的，跟那些没听音乐的人，表现差不多。
hearing no music. But if you look at these graphs you can see that the scary music had a
但是如果你看这个图片，你会发现，播放令人害怕的音乐，有一个显著的效果。
pronounced effect. So in the case of the snake about 30% of the people who heard no music saw a
如果人们没听音乐，看这张图片，他们中有30%的人认为这是一条蛇；但是听到令人害怕的音乐时，大概有70%的人，
snake as opposed to a coiled rope. And, and roughly 70% of the people who heard the scary music
将图片识别为一条蛇而不是绳索。
thought they saw a snake. Now if you ask why is the brain built like this. So that our feelings
如果你问，为什么大脑会被造成这样，让我们的感觉能够以这样的方式影响知觉。
can influence our perceptions in this way.
6:28
It might help to kind of, step outside of this contrived laboratory condition. And imagine a, a
也许我们从人为设计的实验条件中跳出来比较有帮助。想象一个真实生活的场景，
real-life scenario. Suppose you're about to take a hike, in what you've just learned is
假设你将去远足，去一个有响尾蛇的地方，
rattlesnake terrain and in fact, you've just heard that, that a few weeks ago, someone was bitten
而且你也听说过，几周前，有人被响尾蛇咬死了。
by a snake and died. Well, that's going to change your frame of mind. As you take your walk,
这就会改变你的心智结构。当你散步时，
you're going to be at least modestly fearful and that's going to change the things you pay
你将有些恐惧，这将改变你关注的事物。
attention to. the, the Greek the Greek playwright, Sophocles said, to a main who is afraid,
古希腊剧作家 Sophocles说，对那些害怕的人来说，
everything rustles. And that's very much the idea, you're going to be very attentive to rustling
任何东西都沙沙作响。这就是那个意思。你将非常仔细地去听沙沙的响声。
sounds. And, if you hear one, and look down to see what's going on and let's say it turns out it's
如果你听到一个声音，往下看发生了什么，假设你发现
actually a lizard darting across your path, well it's a good chance, that for a second you're
一只蜥蜴从你的路上飞奔而过，那么，会有那么一秒钟，你会把这个响声当成是蛇。
going to actually think it's a snake. Or if you, if there happens to be an actual coiled rope as
或者，如果这里真的有像实验里面那条卷起来的绳子，那你很可能把它当成蛇。
in that experiment, you would probably interpret that as the snake.
7:28
Now from natural selection's point of view, this actually makes sense. Right? The, the, these kind
从自然选择的观点看，这说的通。对吧？这些误判其实很有道理。
of false positives actually make sense.
7:38
because, you know, it's better safe than sorry. It's, it's, even if you, you jump out of the way
因为，安全比遗憾更好。即使有99%的概率那不是一条蛇，你还是跳开了。
99 times out of 100, and it's not a snake, well, if, if that same fear that made you do that, that
如果同样的恐惧让你那样做，
made you see a snake that isn't there, makes sure that you jumped out of the way on, on the
让你看到一条实际不存在的蛇，这能确保你在真的有蛇时及时躲开。
occasion when the snake is there, well, then all that other trouble, and those other 99 times, was
所有其他99次的误判，是值得的。
worth it. From natural selection's point of view. Okay. So, this is a reminder that natural
从自然选择的观点看，是这样的。
selection designs organisms ultimately to do one thing. That is get genes into the next
要提醒的是，自然选择设计有机体最终就是为了做一件事情：向下一代传递基因。
generation. Genetically-based traits that are conducive to getting genes into the next generation
基因图谱被设计成让基因存活得足够久，以便把传递到下一代，这是自然选择偏爱的事情。
and surviving long enough to do that are favored by natural selection.
8:22
So it's not really high on natural selection's agenda necessarily that we see the world clearly.
所以，我们能够清楚地看到这个世界，对于自然选择来说，并不重要。
If it's the case that an illusion, seeing an actual illusion, will help us survive or help us get
如果，一个错觉，以为自己看到真实的错觉，能帮我们存活下来，帮我们
our genes passed on then that is the tendency that natural selection will favor. So we're not
传递基因，那就是自然选择偏爱的倾向。
really, our brains aren't built to see the truth per se.
所以我们的大脑，实际并不是专门为看到真相本身而设计的。
8:44
Now, a couple bits of nuance I want to add to this. First of all, whenever I say natural
这里有一点细微不同，我想多说明下，首先，无论我什么时候说自然选择设计大脑或有机体，
selection, designs, brains, or organisms.
8:53
Designs should be in quotes, okay. It's, it's kind of a metaphor. Natural selection obviously
“设计”必须要被打引号。这是一种比喻，自然选择显然没有意识，
isn't conscious, but it does, produce organisms that look as if they were designed by a conscious
但是，它确实创造了有机体，就像这些有机体是被一个最终目的是传递基因到下一代的造物主有意识地设计出来的一样。
designer to do ultimately one thing, get their genes transmitted. And the second thing I'd add is
第二点我想补充的是，
it, it, it fairly often, you know, is in, in, in our, our interests, even by natural selection's
很多时候，自然选择偏好看事物更清楚，这也对我们有好处。
likes to see things clearly. Okay. So, if you ask, why am I not about to, to walk over and run
如果你问，我为什么不直接走过去，去撞墙呢？
into that wall? The answer is because I see very clearly where the wall is and I have a very
答案是，因为我能看清楚墙在哪里，
healthy aversion to running into walls. And if you ask why, when I leave this building am I not
我能清楚地判断会不会撞到墙。如果你问为什么，当我离开这栋楼时，
going to get run over by a car, one answer is well, I will hear the cars coming and I will pay a
我不会撞到车。一个答案是，我能听到车来了，我会特别留意这些信息。
lot of attention to that. But even there, there is a kind of illusion. It turns out that when
但即使如此，也会有错觉。当人们听到声音时，特别是
people hear things, possibly threatening things, coming they actually overestimate how soon they
令人恐惧的声音，这种声音的危险最终会被高估。
will get there. That seems to built into us and, and actually also into our, our primate
这好像是天生内置在我们身体里的，也内置在我们灵长类亲戚的身体里。
relatives. So it seems to be a product of natural selection. And again, it makes sense. It's the
所以，这很像是一个自然选择的产物。它也很有道理。
better safe then sorry principle. Okay. So the point of this is just to draw one basic parallel.
仍然是安全比遗憾重要法则。所以，这点是划了一个基本的对比点。
Okay. Buddhism says that we should be skeptical of our feelings. They are not necessarily truthful
佛教说，我们应该对自己的感觉持怀疑态度。它们并不一定可信，不能作为现实的向导。
guides to reality and indeed that we should be skeptical of some of the thoughts and the
事实上，我们应该对一些因为感觉引发的思想和知觉同样持怀疑态度。
perceptions that feelings foster.
10:28
Evolutionary psychology also says a certain kind of skepticism makes sense. Because we are not
进化心理学也说了某种程度的怀疑是有道理的。因为
necessarily designed to see the truth. And in some cases our, our minds are actually designed to
我们并不是为看到真相而设计的。有些情况下，我们的思想实际上被设计来看到一些表面上的错觉。
see what are literally illusions. Now the stakes of this may not seem especially high. I mean how 它的风险可能并不特别高。我的意思是，
often do you actually find yourself hiking in, in rattlesnake terrain? But sometimes the stakes
你有多常发现自己在响尾蛇地盘里远足？但是有时候，风险很高。
are higher. So some other psychologists found that if they show people a scary movie, in this case
有些心理学家发现，如果他们给人们看恐怖电影，
it was Silence of the Lambs, or show them part of the movie. And then show them pictures of men in
比如《沉默的羔羊》，或者给他们看其中一部分，然后给他们看
a different ethnic group from theirs. These people are more likely to see menacing, angry
不同种族的人像，这些人比那些没看过恐怖电影的人，更容易看到吓人的、愤怒的表情。
expressions on the faces of these men than people who have not seen part of the scary movie. And again, you can imagine, you know, as with the rattlesnake illusion, you can imagine this coming in
你能想象，就像响尾蛇错觉，你能想象，这是本能。
handy. Maybe you're in a, in, in, in kind of a dicey neighborhood, and you get some cues that
也许你是在一个危险的地区，你获得一些线索，
maybe you should get out of there that creates fear, and the fear makes you kind of hyper
也许你应该从这些引发恐惧、让你提高警惕的地方离开，
vigilant. And maybe even makes you kind of imagine menacing expressions aren't there, but it does
也许让你想起那个吓人的表情的东西不在那里，但是
do you the service of, of getting you to a safer place. Could work like that. But at the same
它确实把你引导一个更安全的地方。
time, remember that one reason, politicians manipulate the emotions of people when these
但是同时，记住一个原因，当政客想要发动战争时，他们会操纵人们的情绪，
politicians want to go to war. Is because by manipulating people's emotions, you can change their
因为，操纵人们的情绪，你们可以改变他们的知觉，
perceptions, you can change their perception of the people that the politicians want to go to war
改变他们对政客想要发动战争对象的知觉。
with. So these things do matter. And it's really worth while to figure out exactly what the
所以这些东西确实重要。它值得弄清楚，
interaction is among feelings and thoughts and perceptions, and how collectively they can distort
在感觉、思想、知觉之间的这些互动，以及他们如何共同作用，扭曲我们的世界观。
our view of the world. And figure that out is a lot of what this course is about.
弄清楚这些，就是这个课程的内容。
12:26
Now lets go back to square one, in, in the next segment, and look at some Basic Buddhist doctrine.
现在让我们到下一节，看看那些基本的佛教教义。
In particular the Buddha's ideas about why people suffer.
特别是Buddha关于人们为什么受苦的观点。