本文旨在揭露在當代上座部傳統所修習的觀禪裡，其內在實際動力的關鍵面，尤其馬哈希禪師（Mahāsi Sayādaw）、葛印卡（S. N. Goenka）以及帕奧禪師（Pa Auk Sayādaw）就是以這種方式教導禪修。（一）本文首先簡要考察這三個現代的觀禪傳統，概述這些禪修練習與四念處相關的基本面，並比較這三個傳統各自賦與「修止」的重要性。（二）接著，檢視這三個傳統在古老的觀智架構裡的共同根源，並比較在《攝阿毘達磨義論》（Abhidhammatthasa?gaha ）、《解脫道論》和《無礙解道》（Pa?isambhidhāmagga）裡，所發現到各種版本的觀智架構。（三）最後，再回溯至巴利《尼柯耶》裡的早期經典，尋找觀智架構的根本面，特別是在經典裡對於無常、苦、非我的教導，這種「透過無常引生苦，然後由苦導至非我」的禪修發展，本文視之為隱藏在觀智發展下的實際動力之關鍵面。
In the present paper, I intend to bring out key aspects of the practical dynamics that underlies insight meditation as it is practiced in modern day Theravāda tradition, in particular in the way this is taught by Mahāsi Sayādaw, S. N. Goenka and Pa Auk Sayādaw. (I) I start with a brief survey of these three modern day insight meditation traditions, describing basic aspects of their meditative practice in relation to the scheme of the four satipa??hānas and comparing the importance given in each of these three traditions to the development of mental tranquility. (II) Then I examine the common roots of these three traditions in the medieval scheme of insight-knowledges, comparing the versions of this scheme found in the Abhidhammatthasa?gaha, the 解脫道論, and the Pa?isambhidhāmagga with each other. (III) In the last part of my paper I trace back the essential aspects of the scheme of insight knowledges to the early discourses in the Pāli Nikāyas, in particular to their teachings on impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not self, whose meditative development – with impermanence leading on to unsatisfactoriness and then unsatisfactoriness in turn leading on to not self – I see as the key aspect of the practical dynamics underlying the development of insight.
