【Lexi Sayadaw - Manual of the Requisites of Enlightenment】 2 of 8 (恭敬附上 華文 於下方)
Three Types of Patients In the same sources referred to above, the Buddha gave another classification of beings, dividing them into three classes resembling three types of sick persons, namely:
1. A person who is certain of regaining health in due time even though he does not take any medicine or treatment
2. A person who is certain of falling to make a recovery, and dying from the illness, no matter to what extent he may take medicines or treatment
3. A person who will recover if he takes the right medicine and treatment, but who will fail to recover and die if he fails to take the right medicine and treatment
Persons who obtained “sure prediction” from previous Buddhas, and who as such are certain of obtaining release from worldly ills in this life resemble the first class of sick persons.
A padaparama class of individual resembles the second class of sick persons. Just as this second class of sick person has no chance of recovery from his illness, a padaparama class of individual has no chance of obtaining release from worldly ills during this life. In future lives, however, he can obtain release either within the present Buddha Sāsana or within future Buddha Sāsanas. The story of the youth Chattamāṇava, of the frog who became a deva, and of the ascetic Saccaka are illustrations of persons who obtained release from worldly ills in following existences within the present Buddha Sāsana.
A neyya class of individual resembles the third class of sick persons. Just as a person of this third class is related to the two ways of either recovering or dying from the sickness, so is a neyya individual related to the two eventualities of either obtaining release from worldly ills during the present life, or failing to obtain such release. If such a neyya individual, knowing what is good for him according to his age, discards what should be discarded, searches for the right teacher, and obtains the right guidance from him and puts forth sufficient effort, he can obtain release from worldly ills in this very life. If, however, he becomes addicted to wrong views and wrong ways of conduct; if he finds himself unable to discard sensual pleasures; if although able to discard sensual pleasures he does not obtain the guidance of a good teacher; if he is unable to evoke sufficient effort; if although inclined to put forth effort he is unable to do so through old age; if although young he is liable to sickness; in all these cases he cannot obtain release from worldly ills in this present life.
King Ajātasattu, the millionaire Mahādhana’s son, bhikkhu Sudinna, are cases of persons who could not obtain release from worldly ills in this present existence. King Ajātasattu failed to obtain release because he had committed parricide. It is stated that he will drift in future saṃsāra (round of rebirths) for two asaṅkeyyas (unit followed by 140 zeros) of world-cycles, after which he will become a paccekabuddha (Solitary Buddha).
The millionaire Mahādhana’s son indulged himself so excessively in sensual pleasures during his youth that he was unable to attain tranquillity of mind when he grew older. Far from obtaining release from worldly ills, he did not even get the opportunity of associating with the Tiratana. Seeing his plight at that stage, the Buddha said to Ānanda: “Ānanda, if this millionaire’s son had become a bhikkhu in my Sāsana during his youth or first period of his life, he would have become an arahat and would have attained Parinibbāna in this present life. If, otherwise, he had become a bhikkhu during the second period of his life, he would have become an anāgāmi and on death would have been reborn in the suddhāvāsa-brahma-loka, whence he would attain Parinibbāna. In the next alternative, if he had become a bhikkhu in my Sāsana at the beginning of the third period of life, he would have become either a sakadāgāmi (once-returner) or a sotāpanna (stream-enterer) and would have attained permanent release from rebirth in the apāya-lokas.” Thus said the Buddha to the Venerable Ānanda. Thus, although he (the millionaire Mahādhana’s son) possessed pāramī ripe enough to make his present life his last existence, not being a person who had secured “sure predicition,” he failed to obtain release from worldly ills in his present life because of the upheavals caused by the defilements within him, and this is despite the fact that he had the opportunity of encountering the Buddha Sāsana. If, further, his period of existence in the Lower Regions (apāyaloka) is prolonged because of evil acts done in this existence, he would not be able to rise again and emerge out of those apāya-lokas in time for the Sāsana of the future Metteyya Buddha. And, after that, the large number of world-cycles that follow are world-cycles where no Buddhas appear, there being no world-cycles within the vicinity of the present world where Buddhas are due to appear. Alas! Far indeed is this millionaire’s son from release from worldly ills even though he possessed pāramī ripe enough to make his present existence his last one.
The general opinion current at the present day is that if the pāramīs are complete, one cannot miss encountering a Buddha Sāsana even if one does not wish to do so, and that one’s release from worldly ills is ensured even though one may not desire such release. Those of this view fail to pay attention to the existence of niyata (i.e., one who has obtained a sure prediction made by a Buddha) and aniyata (one who has not obtained a sure prediction made by a Buddha).
Considering the two texts from the Piṭakas mentioned above, and the story of the millionaire Mahādhana’s son it should be remembered that aniyata neyya individuals can attain release from worldly ills in this life only if they put forth sufficient effort, even if they possess pāramī sufficient to enable them to obtain such release. If industry and effort are lacking, the paths and the fruits cannot be attained within the present Buddha Sāsana. Apart from these classes of persons, there are also an infinite number of other beings who, like the ascetics Alāra and Uddaka (MN 28), possess sufficient pāramī for release from worldly ills, but who do not get the opportunity because they happen to be in one or the other of the eight inopportune places (aṭṭhakkhaṇa) where it is not possible to attain the paths and the fruits.
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三類病人
在上面提到的相同經典中，佛陀對眾生進行另一種分類，把他們比喻成三類病人 ：
1. 即使不服藥或治療，過些時候也確定能痊癒的病人；
2. 無論如何服藥或治療，也無法痊癒並將病死的人；
3. 只要正確服藥和治療即能痊癒的病人。但如果他未能正確服藥或治療，即無法痊癒並死亡。
那些曾獲得過去佛陀的授記並肯定會在今生解脫世間之苦的人好比是第一種病人。
文句為最者好比是第二種病人。就如第二種病人無藥可救一樣，文句為最者沒有機會在今生解脫世間之苦。然而，他還是可以在尚屬現今佛陀教法時期的未來世，或在未來佛的教法時期獲得解脫。傘蓋青年(Chattamāṇava) 、青蛙天子 和遊方僧薩遮格(Saccaka) 的故事，即是於現今佛陀教法時期的下一期生命中解脫世間之苦的例子。
可引導者好比是第三種病人。就像第三種病人可能康復也可能病死一樣，可引導者也有兩種情況，他可能在今生解脫世間之苦，但也可能解脫不了。
只要可引導者清楚適合他年齡的有益之事，捨離該捨離的，追隨明師並獲得他的正確指導，再付出足夠的精進，他將能在今生解脫世間之苦。然而，倘若他沉迷於邪見和不良行為，或者無法捨離欲樂享受，或者雖然能捨離欲樂但卻沒有獲得明師的指導，或者未能激起足夠的精進，或者雖然想要精進但因為年老卻心有馀而力不足，又或者雖然年輕但卻體弱多病。所有這些因素都將導致他無法在今生解脫世間之苦。未生怨王 、富翁大財(Mahādhana)之子 ，蘇定那尊者(Sudinna Bhikkhu) 的故事，即是在今生無法解脫世間之苦的例子。
未生怨王未能解脫是因為他犯了弒父的不善重業。有記載說他經過兩個不可數(asaṅkheyya, 等於10140)大劫 的未來輪迴後，將成為一名獨覺佛 。
富翁大財(Mahādhana)之子年輕時由於過度沉溺於欲樂享受，導致他年老時無法獲得內心的平靜，與解脫世間之苦相去甚遠，甚至連親近三寶 的機會都沒有。佛陀看到這種情況後告訴阿難尊者說:“阿難，假如這富翁之子在他年輕的時候或生命的第一階段於我的教法中出家為比庫，他將在今生成為阿拉漢並成就般涅槃。或者，假如他在生命的第二階段出家為比庫，他將能成為不來者，死後投生到淨居天界並在那裡般涅槃。再不然，假如他在生命第三階段的前期於我的教法中出家為比庫，他會成為一來者或入流者，並且永遠解脫投生惡趣之苦。”佛陀如此對阿難尊者說。因此，雖然富翁之子擁有足夠成熟到能令他今生成為最後一生的巴拉密，但由於未曾獲得授記，導致他雖然有機會遇到佛陀的教法，但還是被自己的煩惱打敗而使生命出現變數，無法在那一生中解脫世間之苦。更有甚者，如果他今生所造作的惡行導致他墮落惡趣的時間過於漫長，他還有可能因為無法及時脫離惡趣而錯過當來慈氏佛 的教法。而過後將是無數個沒有佛陀出現的空劫 ，因為沒有任何接近這個世界的其它世界週期將會有佛陀的出現。實在可惜！這富翁之子即使擁有足夠成熟到令他今生成為最後一生的巴拉密，可是對他來說解脫世間之苦仍然遙遙無期！
現今這個時代，普遍的觀念認為只要具足巴拉密，即使這個人沒有想要遇到佛法，他也不會錯過佛陀的教法時期；即使他沒有解脫世間之苦的意願，也保證能解脫。這些觀念忽略了“確定”(niyata, 已獲得佛陀授記者) 與“不確定”(aniyata, 不曾獲得佛陀授記者) 的事實。借鑒前面提到的兩個經典中的案例，以及富翁大財之子的故事，我們應謹記，未確定的可引導者即使擁有足以在今生成就解脫世間之苦的巴拉密，也只有在付出足夠的精進努力後，才有可能獲得解脫。如果勤勉與精進不足，則難以在現今的佛陀教法時期證悟道果。
除了這幾類人之外，還有多不勝數的其他眾生擁有足以解脫煩惱的巴拉密但卻沒有機會獲得解脫，就像隱士阿臘勒(Āḷāra)和伍德格(Uddaka) 一樣，因為他們生於不可能成就道果的八難(aṭṭhakkhaṇa) 的其中一種。
