Author: voice

一五二　無常無斷

大師極不喜歡人們長久留在寺院內。每個弟子遲早都會收到這聲逐客令：「你該走了，如果你不走，聖神不會降臨。」

究竟這「聖神」是什麼？一位弟子極想知道。

大師說：

「水因着流動而永保活力及自由，

你也因着前進而永保活力及自由。

如果你不離我而去，你會變得呆滯、早夭－－而且還會被我污染。」

TRANSIENCE

The Master had an allergy for people who protracted their stay at the monastery.
Sooner or later each disciple would hear the difficult words, “The time has come for you
to go. If you do not get away the Spirit will not come.”

What was this ‘Spirit’ one particularly smitten disciple wished to know.

Said the Master.

“Water remains alive and free by flowing.

You will remain alive and free by going.

If you do not get away from me you will stagnate and die — and be contaminated.”

　一五一　栽　培

一位前來參訪的求道者臨行前請教大師：「我返鄉之後應如何分辨真假師父？」

大師說：「好的師父教導實修的方法；壞的師父空談理論。」

「但我又該如何分辨方法的好壞呢？」

「好比一個農夫，他自然看得出栽培得當與否。」

CULTIVATION

A traveller in quest of the divine asked the Master how to distinguish a true teacher
from a false one when he got back to his own land-

Said the Master, “A good teacher offers practice, a bad one offers theories.”

“But how shall I know good practice from bad?”

“In the same way that the farmer knows good cultivation from bad.”

一五０　偶像崇拜

大師再三警告弟子宗教的陷阱。他最喜歡講一位先知的故事。這位先知手擧火炬，在大街小巷裏大呼：「他將放火燒掉聖殿，這樣人們才會關切他們自己與上主的關係超過聖殿。」

然後，大師還會加上一句：「有一天，我自己也會擧起火炬，把聖殿及上主一齊燒掉。」

IDOLATRY

The Master never wearied of warning his disciples about the dangers of religion. He
loved to tell the story of the prophet who carried a flaming torch through the streets,
saying he was going to set fire to the temple so that people would concern themselves
more with the Lord than with the temple.

Then he would add: “Some day I shall carry a flaming torch myself to set fire to both
the temple and the Lord!”

一四九　形　象

若非別具慧眼，大師身上幾乎找不出什麼超凡之處。在環境許可時，他也會表現害怕或失意，他也能放聲大哭或開懷大笑，甚至勃然大怒；他喜歡佳餚，也不會拒絕喝上兩杯；遇到標緻的女孩，他也為之側目。

有位訪客開始議論這位大師並非聖人。一位弟子糾正說：

「一個人是否真是聖人是一囘事，而他在你眼中像不像個聖人則是另一囘事。」

PUBLICITY

There was nothing about the Master that any but the keenest eye would see as out of
the ordinary. He could be frightened and depressed when circumstances warranted. He
could laugh and cry and fly into a rage. He loved a goodly meal, was not averse to a drink
or two, and was even know to turn his head at the sight of a comely woman.

When a traveller complained that the Master was not a ‘holy man ‘, a disciple set him
right:

“It is one thing that a .man be holy. It is quite another that he should seem holy to
you.”

一四八　只緣身在此山中

有一座頗具聲譽的大學，校長深信大師已臻於神秘境界，想要聘任他為神學院院長。

他向大師的首座弟子提出這項計劃。這位弟子說：「大師注重的是使人開悟，而不在於解釋悟境。」

「這並不妨礙他成為神學院院長啊！」
「就好像讓一個大象做動物學院的院長一樣，怎能說沒有妨礙？」

EXPERIENCE

The President of a prestigious university, convinced of the Master’s mystical
experience, wanted to make him head of the Theology Department,

He approached the chief disciple with this proposal. The disciple said, “The Master
emphasizes being enlightened not teaching enlightenment.”

“Would that prevent him from being head of the Department of Theology.”

“As much as it would prevent an elephant from being head of the Department of
Zoology.”

一四七　矛　盾

「我應該怎麼做才能獲得天主？」

「如果你想獲得天主，你必須知道兩個秘訣：第一卽是深知所有獲得天主的方法根本無效。」

「第二個秘訣呢？」

「你必須忘掉第一個秘訣，照常努力不懈。」

CONTRADICTION

“What action shall I perform to attain God?”

“If you wish to attain God there are two things you must know. The first is that all
efforts to attain him are of no avail.”

“And the second?”

“You must act as if you did not know the first.”

一四六　適　中

大師深恐弟子對他的倚賴心，妨礙了他們深入自己內心的追尋，故常作冷漠，令他們掃興。

別人常聽大師說：「世界上有三種東西，近之則有害，遠之則無用，最好是與它保持一段適中的距離。那就是火、政府，以及師父。」

MODERATION

Again and again the Master would be seen to discourage his disciples from depending
on him, for this would prevent them from contacting the inner Source.

He was often heard to say, “Three things there are that when too close are harmful,
when too far are useless, and are best kept at middle distance: from the government and
the guru.”

一四五　修　練

弟子很想知道大師每天早上在花園中究竟在修練何種默觀法門。大師說：「若我仔細地瞧，我會看到叢叢玫瑰的綻放。」

「為什麼非要仔細瞧，才能看見玫瑰呢？」他們問道。
「以免我所看到的，不是叢叢玫瑰，而是腦子裏存有的印象而已。」大師說。

DISCIPLINE

To the disciples who wanted to know what sort of meditation he practised each
morning in the garden the Master said, “When I look carefully I see the rose bush in full
bloom.”

“Why would one have to look carefully to see the rose bush?” they asked.

Alt of them knew.

Then he said. “Put it into words.”

“Lest one see, not the rose bush.” said the Master, “But one’s preconception of it.”

All of them were silent.

一四四　文　字

弟子們都在熱烈地討論老子的名言：
「知者不言，

言者不知。」

這時大師進來了，弟子們請教他此言的涵意。

大師說：「你們之中有誰知道玫瑰的芬芳？」

所有的人都知道。

他接着說：「用文字表達出來。」

大夥兒都沉默下來。

WORDS

The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao Tzu’s dictum:

“Those who know do not say. Those who say do not know.”

When the Master entered they asked him exactly what the words meant.

Said the Master, “Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?”

一四三　本來具足

弟子們渴求明心見性，却捉摸不到它的門路。

大師說：「沒有人能獲得它，更無法掌握它。」

大師見弟子一副垂頭喪氣模樣，便說：「放心吧！你也不會失去它的。」

這一整天，弟子們都在探索這無法獲得，也無法失去之寶。

SOVEREIGNTY

The disciples sought Enlightenment but did not kn ow what it was or how it was
attainable.

Said the Master, “It cannot be attained. You cannot get hold of it.”

Seeing the disciples downcast look the Master said, “Don‘t be distressed. You cannot
lose it either,”

And to this day the disciples are in search of that which can neither be lost nor taken
hold of.