你有没有想过作为一个隐士生活，甚至住在一个山洞里？为什么？-网帖翻译-龙腾网

Stephen Whitehead
About 15 years ago, when I was living for a short time as a Buddhist monk in Northern Thailand, I had this incredibly strong urge just to leave the temple and keep walking. Not because I was not enjoying my time in the monkhood but simply because I felt the need to embrace the solitude and meditation of walking without purpose or direction.

大约15年前，当我在泰国北部做了一段时间的佛教僧人时，我有一种难以置信的强烈冲动，想离开寺庙，继续前行。不是因为我不喜欢我的僧侣时光，只是因为我觉得需要拥抱没有目标或方向的行走的孤独和冥想。

It seemed the logical, the natural, thing to do. So every now and then I would take off into the countryside around the temple and wander for a few hours, alone. Coming back refreshed.

这似乎是合乎逻辑的、自然而然的事情。所以我会时不时地到寺庙周围的乡间独自漫步几个小时。回来后感觉焕然一新。

Of course, I didn’t take off completely. For one thing I was not mentally strong enough. I was far too used to Western living. For another, my wife would not have been very happy!

当然，我并没有完全离开。一方面，我的心理不够强大。我太习惯西方生活了。另一方面，我妻子也不会很高兴!
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

But what remained with me was a recognition that such a lifestyle, also living in a cave as a hermit, somehow connected with a deep part of my being. Perhaps I have been such a monk in a past life? Some with better understanding than I have suggested that to me. I would like to think so because in many ways it feels the perfect life.

但让我印象深刻的是，这样的生活方式，同样以隐士的身份生活在洞穴里，在某种程度上与我存在的深层部分有关。也许我前世就是这样一个僧人?有些人比我更了解这个说法。我愿意这么认为，因为从很多方面来说，这是一种完美的生活。

Since then, whenever I see Buddhist monks walking alone along the highways of Thailand, I remember my own desire to do exactly that. Occasionally, I have stopped and given a walking monk water and food. For me, these monks are the true inheritors of the Theravada Thai forest tradition of the monk as hermit. The most devout of them will have no mobile phone and never handle money.

从那时起，每当我看到佛教僧侣独自走在泰国的高速公路上，我就会想起自己的愿望。偶尔，我会停下来给一个行走的和尚水和食物。对我来说，这些僧侣是泰国小乘佛教森林传统的真正继承者，即僧侣是隐士。最虔诚的僧侣不会有手机，也不会接触钱财。

Like the hermit and the wandering monk, I can be alone with my thoughts. Mostly, that is company enough.

像隐士和行走的僧侣一样，我可以独自一人思考。大多数时候，那已经足够了。

Robert Esposito
I’ve been a hermit for 13 years. You can live in a city and do it. You don''t have to be uncomfortable by living in a mountain cave.
Everything you need you can order and they’ll bring it to you in a day or two. If it wasn’t for doctor visits, I’d have no social life at all.

我已经做了13年的隐士了。你可以住在城市里，也可以做到这一点。你不必因为住在山洞里而感到不自在。
你需要的一切你都可以订购，他们会在一两天内给你带来。如果不是为了看医生，我根本就没有社交生活。

Candis Rose
I absolutely would.
I am only 34, but I have lived in twelve countries and traveled all over. I have been rich and I have been poor. I have known strength and weeknesses.
My brain has failed me in the fact that I simply don’t care anymore. I hit major depression and it has had a lasting affect. I hike and I surround myself with people.
At this point, I feel like I have done everything I need to do and met everyone I need to meet.
I am pretty checked out, but would not end my life, so living as a hermit would appeal to me.

我肯定会这么做的。
我只有34岁，但我在12个国家生活过，并在各地旅行过。我经历过富裕，也经历过贫穷。我了解了自己的优点和缺点。
我的大脑让我失望了，我已经不再关心任何事情了。它对我产生了持久的影响。我去徒步旅行，与人为伴。
此时此刻，我觉得我已经做了所有我需要做的事情，见了所有我需要见的人。
我已经对一切都不太在乎了，但我不会结束自己的生命，所以作为一个隐士的生活会吸引我。

Robyn Transom
Yes definitely. I long for living amidst a natural scenario and my “want” is life in an old cabin in the forest somewhere, with access to a stream or rivulets etc, and 3 German Shepherd dogs. Dirt floors, old boxes for chairs etc. I am a solo type person and as long as I had lots of things to do in that world, I would be happy. I would miss my computer though at least for a little while… and flush toilets… lol :)
(edit)… have you ever been in a pine forest with trees so tall and the forest floor thick with pine needles, and little streams and rivulets running through with pure water for drinking, and hearing the odd bird song break the silence? It is so wonderful and I grew up near the pine forests and spent a lot of time in there. So neat… :)

是的，绝对是这样。我渴望生活在自然环境中，我想要住在森林里的一间旧小屋里，有一个小溪或小河的入口，还有三只德国牧羊犬。土地地板，旧箱子作为椅子等等。我是一个独来独往的人，只要在那个世界里有很多事情可以做，我就会很开心。我会想念我的电脑，不过至少会想念一段时间…还有冲水马桶…哈哈:)
(修正)……你有没有去过松树林，树木高耸，地面上铺满松针，小溪和小河里流淌着清澈的饮用水，偶尔可以听到一些鸟儿的歌声打破寂静吗？那真是太美妙了，我在靠近松树林长大，并且花了很多时间在那里。太棒了……:)

Richard David Rivera
I would never live in a cave unless it was life or death. I don't even know what a hermit is. I cave to me is very dangerous just for the simple fact if there's any serious accident then the cave can come crushing down on you and it's life risking.
A cave sounds cozy but no way especially because they are dark and cold and bears go in their why do you think thy put cages in the entrances so bears can't get in. You don't want to be in a cave by your self with a bear do you?

除非事关生死，否则我绝不会住在山洞里。我甚至不知道什么是隐士。对我来说，洞穴非常危险，因为如果发生任何严重事故，洞穴可能会倒塌，这是冒生命危险的。
洞穴听起来很温暖舒适，但绝不可能，特别是因为它们很黑暗、很冷，熊会钻进去。你认为他们为什么会在入口处设置笼子，以防熊进入？你不会想和一只熊一起呆在洞穴里吧？

Subramanya Rao
I thought about it, got so depressed at the very prospect. My place is among people. I just love the world and the wonderful people and animals around me.

我考虑过，但是一想到那种生活，就变得非常沮丧。我属于那种喜欢与人在一起的人。我热爱这个世界和身边的美好人和动物。

Dana Sanford
Well, not as a hermit really. Though I can be somewhat jealous of my time.
And, not so much a cave, but, an underground house with a view. Not inaccessible, but not easily visible, on several acres of land so that neighbors aren’t too close. Not too far from some civilization, nor too close, along with a couple of dogs and cats. Off-grid with a greenhouse. That would be a good start.

嗯，并不是真的要像隐士一样生活。虽然我有时候很珍惜自己的时间。
不是想住在洞穴里，而是想住在一个有美景的地下屋。不是很难到达，但不太容易被发现，有几英亩的土地，邻居不会太近。不会太远离文明，也不会太靠近，有一些狗和猫。带有温室的非电网生活。这将是一个不错的开始。

Mary-Ellen Candage
I actually briefly contemplated buying a small prehistoric cave not far from my house a few years ago. It looked as though it had the potential to be transformed into a rather cosy, if eccentric, AirBnb.
Then I asked about archaeological surveys, building permits, and such and quickly abandoned that idea. And I never thought about living in it myself: I’m situated quite nicely down the road already.

几年前，我曾经短暂地考虑过在离我家不远的地方购买一座小型史前山洞。它看起来似乎有可能被改造成一个相当舒适的，甚至是古怪的AirBnb。
然后我询问了考古调查、建筑许可等问题，很快就放弃了这个想法。我也从来没有想过要自己住在里面：我已经住得相当舒适了。

Raja Paranjape
Thought of it; but decided not to do it because what you are trying to achieve by becoming one is actually achievable without leaving anything and going somewhere. After some reading and contemplation, I understood that the cave for me would become another crutch. Instead of gaining independence from the material obxts, I would just suffer the inconvenience of their lack without losing the desire for the convenience. It is the detachment or dependence on those obxt for your happiness that you are trying to lose and not the obxt itself. With that understanding, I found that I gave up the idea. May be I am not quite ready to become that detached yet.

曾经考虑过成为隐士，但决定不这样做，因为你试图通过离开一切去某个地方来实现的目标实际上是可以在不离开任何东西的情况下实现的。经过一些阅读和思考，我明白了对我来说洞穴会变成另一个拐杖。我不会因为失去了物质物品而获得独立，只会遭受缺乏这些物品的不便，但并不失去对其方便的渴望。你试图失去的是对这些物品的幸福的脱离或依赖，而不是物品本身。基于这种理解，我放弃了这个想法。也许我还没有准备好变得如此超然。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

Gail Dennehy
I've done more than think about it. I spent ten years in a trailer in the woods of Central Maine. I lived with two dogs and two cats and we existed alone. I learned more about myself than I thought possibly and came down out o the woods a much stronger person.

我所做的不仅仅是考虑这个问题。我在缅因州中部森林的一辆拖车中度过了十年。我和两只狗、两只猫住在一起，我们独自生存。我对自己的了解比我想象的要多，从树林里出来后，我成为一个更强大的人。

Rick Gauger
You can’t live in nature alone. No human being has ever been able to do that, even in the stone age. It’s illegal (and wrong) to live in a national forest and depredate the environment for fun.
The only way to live like a hermit in modern society is to have an independent income. That way, you can afford to buy or rent a home, buy groceries, and get medical/dental care. You can do that and, if you obey the law, you can keep yourself really isolated in the USA and Canada. Religious crazies and crackpots do that, usually so they can abuse their children as much as they want to.
In my case, after years of poverty, depression and anger, I gained a small independent income. I was tempted to buy a small camper vehicle or sailboat and disappear from family and society. But I took some time and realistically visualized myself living that way. I realized I would just get crazier and more unhappy if I isolated myself. I realized that I needed friends, the company of the opposite sex, and all the rest of it. So I simply moved to a place I liked (that was affordable) with my lady-friend, kept up with my old friends and family, and I am now living happily ever after. I hope. Nothing’s certain.
My advice: even if you hate the world, keep your job, but devote every penny to retirement savings. When you’re financially ready, then decide if you really want to be a hermit.

你无法独自在自然环境中生活。即使在石器时代，也没有人能够做到这一点。在国家森林中居住并以环境破坏为乐是非法的（也是错误的）。
在现代社会中像隐士一样生活的唯一方法是拥有独立的收入。这样，你就能够负担得起购买或租赁房屋，购买食品杂货并接受医疗/牙科护理。如果你遵守法律，你可以在美国和加拿大保持真正的孤立状态。通常，宗教疯子和怪人这样做，以便他们可以任意虐待自己的孩子。
就我而言，经历了多年的贫困、沮丧和愤怒后，我获得了一笔小额独立收入。我曾经想过购买一辆小型露营车或帆船，并从家人和社会中消失。但我花了一些时间，现实地想象自己那样生活。我意识到，如果我把自己孤立起来，我只会变得更加疯狂，更加不快乐。我意识到我需要朋友、异性的陪伴以及其他的一切。所以，我只是搬到了一个我喜欢的地方（可以负担得起），和我的女朋友在一起，继续与我的老朋友和家人保持联系，现在我过着幸福快乐的生活。我希望如此，但没有什么是确定的。
我的建议是：即使你讨厌这个世界，也要保住你的工作，但将每一分钱都用于退休储蓄。当你在经济上准备好了，再决定你是否真的想成为一个隐士。

Max Grundy
God yes, a cave not really to many dangers but hermit that's easy get a bush shake out the middle of nowhere with a sign trespassers prosecuted, danger venomous snake, spiders, scorpions, beware of leches, ticks, agressive rats, danger old mine shafts very unstable enter at own risk, land unstable prone to collapse, if that doesn't work unless it's a cop either ignore them till they leave or great them with a pick handle telling them to p off.

天啊，住在山洞其实没有多少危险，但隐士生活也很简单，只需在无人之地竖个标志“禁止入内，违者起诉”，注意毒蛇、蜘蛛、蝎子等危险动物，小心寄生虫、蜱虫、凶猛的老鼠，注意古老矿井的危险，很不稳定，进入自负风险，土地不稳定易坍塌。如果这些不管用，除非是警察，否则就无视他们直到他们离开，或者用一个十字镐打发他们。

Matthew T. Waterhouse
I guess I’ve lived as a hermit for nearly 6 years now — after 7 years of working in a locked dementia unit.

我想我已经像隐士一样生活了近6年了--在一个上锁的老年痴呆症单位工作了7年。

I’m not aware of ever thinking, “When I do _____, I’m now a hermit.” Or if I lived in whatever place or doing whatever thing. It was more of waking up one day after transcribing a series of dharma talks while watching the sky — and no humans around for miles, other than my wife.

我不知道曾经想过，"当我做_____，我现在是一个隐士"。或者如果我住在什么地方或做什么事情。更多的是有一天在抄写完一系列佛法讲座后醒来，看着天空--除了我的妻子之外，周围几英里内没有人类。

It was an accident. It wasn’t a plan. I just wanted to get away from people for awhile — and then I kept going.

这是一个意外，不是一个计划。我只是想离人群远一点——然后我继续这么做。

There’s around .8 people per square mile here — and that’s including what’s in the towns. From what it looks like sometimes, there’s nobody within a 6 mile radius. It’s fairly flat out here. The house sits on a high-spot, staring at all the old homesteads falling apart across the landscape.

这里每平方英里大约有0.8个人——这还包括城镇里的人口。有时候看起来似乎6英里范围内都没有人。这里相当平坦。房子坐落在一个高地上，俯瞰着整个景观中老旧的农舍。

But the question is really why — why live this way, in seclusion, working as a transcxtionist.

但问题真正在于为什么——为什么要这样生活，独居，做转录员。

It’s uncomfortable, but still not uncomfortable enough to leave. Not yet. Every winter I about lose my mind. I hate the cold. I thought the last two winters were my last. We’re getting older. Living this way is hard. But we’re still here, trying to figure out how to make it through another frigid winter. My joints really hurt when it’s cold.

虽然有些不舒服，但还不至于让我离开。至少现在还没有。每年冬天我都差点疯掉。我讨厌寒冷。我以为最近两个冬天是我最后一次。我们变老了。这种生活很艰难。但是我们仍然在这里，试图想办法度过另一个严寒的冬天。当天气寒冷时，我的关节真的很痛。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

Why put up with the cold, the bugs, and all the rodents?
Because it’s all dharma teachings without the nonsensical prattle of human culture.

为什么要忍受寒冷、虫子和所有的啮齿动物呢？
因为这里只有佛法教义，没有人类文化中的废话。

I don’t have a spiritual supervisor or mentor — just the stuff the universe sends me to transcribe — and the mice. Lots and lots of dharma teachings to teach me what’s important and what isn’t. That somehow, everything will be okay. Or I’ll be dead, which is also fine. I’m pretty I’m gonna die at an inconvenient time, just like my little truck.

我没有精神上的监督者或导师--只有宇宙派给我抄写的东西--还有老鼠。很多很多的佛法教义，教我什么是重要的，什么是不重要的。不知何故，一切都会好起来的。或者我将死去，这也很好。我认为我将在一个不方便的时候死去，就像我的小卡车一样。

We tried to make it into town yesterday. We didn’t make it. Mice had built a rather nice nest in the air intake and something probably got sucked into the carburetor

我们昨天试图进城。我们没能成功。老鼠在进气口筑了一个相当不错的窝，可能有什么东西被吸进了化油器

Worse case scenario, I’d have to walk 15 miles back home, get the van that has questionable brakes, and figure it out from there. Luckily our son-in-law was in the area and showed up with a trailer in a short time — while we had a nice little chat with his cousin. They hauled my truck home for my wife and I — no matter how isolated I might feel sometimes and how seldom I talk to anyone, I’m blessed with some amazing people in my life. I’ve been stuck in some pretty weird places — people seem to always be around to help when I expect to be nothing but the wind to tell it to.

最糟糕的情况是，我不得不步行15英里回到家里，去找那辆刹车有问题的面包车，然后从那里想办法。幸运的是，我们的女婿就在这个地区，并在很短的时间内带着一辆拖车出现了--而我们和他的表弟聊得很开心。他们为我和妻子把我的卡车拖回了家--无论我有时会感到多么孤立无援，但我很幸运，拥有一些非常棒的人在我的生活中。我曾经被困在一些非常奇怪的地方，但当我感到孤独无助时，人们总是会出现来提供帮助。

So, last evening my wife and I were talking. One vehicle won’t start, and one vehicle may not stop. There’s no Uber out in the middle of nowhere. Sure, we can get deliveries, but actually not going out and never going to town for supplies, even once every few months is a reality. That moment is coming. That moment may be now. Now what?

所以，昨天晚上我和我的妻子在谈论。有一辆车无法启动，有一辆车可能停不下来。在茫茫人海中，没有优步。当然，我们可以找人送货，但实际上不出门，永远不进城买东西，哪怕几个月一次也是现实。这一刻即将到来。那一刻可能就是现在。现在怎么办？

I’ve never rebuilt a carburetor before and didn’t know if I could do it and have a running engine at the end. I’ve watched my dad rebuild carburetors, but he didn’t teach me crap — there just seemed to be a monumental pile of little pieces, and that I shouldn’t touch anything — and stay away from dad when he’s fiddling with a bucket of carburetor pieces.

我以前从未修理过化油器，不知道我是否能做到，而且最后能有一个运转的发动机。我看过我爸爸重建化油器，但他没有教我废话--似乎只是有一堆不朽的小碎片，而且我不应该碰任何东西--当爸爸摆弄一桶化油器碎片时，要远离他。

I was up for the challenge. Couldn’t be harder than a Browning BLR, right? — but the grim reality of not having access to transportation wasn’t really all that bad.
The things we were going to town for all of a sudden became unimportant.
Many things we were clinging to simply blew away.

我准备好迎接挑战了。不会比勃朗宁的BLR更难吧?-但无法使用交通工具的残酷现实并没有那么糟糕。
我们去城里想要的东西突然变得不重要了。
我们紧紧抓住的许多东西都被风吹走了。

For me, that non-clinging thing has been a tough pill to swallow. But the mice are dharma teachers — brilliant little bastards. My lessons started in Army. The mice are like ninja, kung fu master, Zen mystics. Nothing is learned the easy way.

对我来说，这种不粘人的东西是一颗难以下咽的药丸。但老鼠是佛法老师——聪明的小杂种。我的课程是从军队开始的。老鼠就像忍者，功夫大师，禅宗神秘主义者。没有什么是容易学到的。

The mice are utter assholes, but great teachers.
The mice have given me other knowledge and tools in my toolbox. In my cabinet I still have a few combustibles with a low flash-point that eat life. The nests were full of life — feathers, hair, mouse turds — nothing but life.

老鼠是彻头彻尾的混蛋，但却是伟大的老师。
老鼠给了我工具箱里的其他知识和工具。在我的柜子里，我还有一些低闪点的易燃物，它们会吞噬生命。巢里充满了生命——羽毛、毛发、老鼠粪便——除了生命什么都没有。

I fed my carburetor a cocktail of chemicals to destroy the organic compounds. In my thinking, whatever path that life took down the hole should become liquefied as it penetrates and lubricates the molecules holding it together — the best things I’ve used to clean up mouse piss.

我在化油器中加入了各种化学物质来破坏有机化合物。在我看来，无论生命从哪个路径进入洞里，它都应该在渗透和润滑分子的过程中液化——这是我用来清理老鼠尿的最好的东西。

Today, I turned the key and the truck fired right up like there was nothing wrong with it.
I think this is why I live as a hermit — to have these realizations.

今天，我转动钥匙，卡车就开火了，好像什么毛病都没有。
我想这就是我作为隐士生活的原因——为了获得这些领悟。

What powers the little truck isn’t kindness in any shape or form. Looking down in that carburetor looked like a really deep rabbit hole. I know the ignition switch can only handle so many turns before it wears it — I’m on my 4th ignition switch. How many more times am I going to turn that key and the engine starts? Is it worth the effort to repair when it’s a toxic beast?

这辆小卡车的动力不是任何形式的仁慈。从化油器里往下看，就像一个非常深的兔子洞。我知道点火开关在磨损之前只能处理这么多圈--我已经是第四个点火开关了。我还要转动多少次钥匙，发动机才能启动？当它是一个有毒的野兽时，是否值得努力去修理？

And the universe has given me a cold, foggy and gloomy day to grapple with these things — and to figure out a better way to outmaneuver the dharma teachers the next time they jump out of the bushes and do aggravating things.

宇宙给了我一个寒冷的、有雾的、阴沉的日子来处理这些事情--并且想出一个更好的办法，在下一次佛法老师从灌木丛中跳出来，做一些令人恼火的事情的时候，把他们撵走。