Author: voice

　一四二　自甘貧賤

大師向一位來自遙遠異鄉的弟子問道：「你究竟在尋找什麼？」

「明心見性。」

「你自家已擁有一座寶庫，為什麼却跑到外地尋寶？」

「我的寶庫在哪兒？」

「就是這自你心內揚起的渴求之心。」

這位弟子當下卽開悟了。在往後的歲月裏，他常向朋友說：「開啟你自己的寶庫，享用你的寶藏。」

IMPOVERISHMENT

When a disciple came from a far-away country, the Master asked, “What are you
seeking?”

“Enlightenment.”

“You have your own treasure house. Why do you search outside?”

“Where is my treasure house?”

“This seeking that has come upon you.”

At that moment the disciple was enlightened. Years later he would say to his friends,
“Open your own treasure house and enjoy your treasures.”

一四一　自　縛

一位惴惴不安的宗教家來訪，大師說：「你為什麼這麼緊張？」

「我怕失去救恩。」

「救恩到底是什麼？」

「是超脫，是自由。」

大師禁不住大笑道：「那麼你是被迫自由？不能不超脫？」

自那一刻起，這位宗教信徒頓時輕鬆下來，永不畏懼。

BONDAGE

To a fearful religious visitor the Master said, “Why are you so anxious?”

“Lest I fail to attain Salvation.” “And what is Salvation?” “Moksha. Liberation.
Freedom.”

The Master roared with laughter and said, “So you are forced to be free? You are
bound to be liberated?”

At that minute the visitor relaxed and lost his fear forever.

一四０　開　放

一對夫婦焦慮不已，因為他們的孩子已經背離了家族的宗教傳統，並且自稱為自由主義者。

大師說：「不必擔心，如果這小伙子真能忠於自己的思考，天地之正氣必然升起，護送他至嚮往之境。」

OPENNESS

An anxious couple complained to the Master that their son had abandoned the
religious traditions of the family and proclaimed himself a freethi nk er.

Said the Master, “Not to worry If the lad is really thinking for himself, the Mighty
Wind is bound to arise that will carry him to the place where he belongs.”

一三九　昇　華

一位婦人遭喪子之痛，前來大師前尋求寬慰。

大師耐心地聆聽她傾訴喪子的經過及內心的悲痛。

然後，他和藹地說：「孩子，我無法為你逝去眼淚，我只能教你如何聖化這些眼淚。」

AFFIRMATION

A woman in great distress over the death of her son came to the Master for comfort.

He listened to her patiently while she poured out her tale of woe.

Then he said softly. “I cannot wipe away your tears, my dear. I can only teach you
how to make them holy.”

一三八　友　善

「我該如何學習『愛鄰人』？」

「不再恨自己。」

這位弟子反覆認真的囘味此話，然後囘來稟告大師：「但是我發覺我過於愛護自己，因為我相當自私，且自我意識甚強。我該如何除去這些缺點？」

「對自己友善一點。當自我感到舒暢時，你就能自在地去『愛鄰人』了。」

FRIENDLINESS

“What shall I do to love my neighbour?” “Stop hating yourself.”

The disciple pondered those words long and seriously and came back to say, “But I
love myself too much, for I am selfish and self-centred. How do I get rid of that?”

“Be friendly to yourself and your self will be contented and it will set you free to love
your neighbour.”

一三七　神　聖

有位傳道人一再強調：「我們應當把天主放在我們的生活裏。」

大師却說：「祂早就在那兒了，我們的責任只是認出這真相而已。」

HOLINESS

To a preacher who kept saying, “We must put God in our lives,” the Master said. “He
is already there. Our business is to recognize this.”

一三六　表　象

大師對任何新奇譁衆之事都不屑一顧。他一再聲明：真正的聖德常隱在平常心中。

聽說大師曾向一位苦修近乎怪異的孩子說過這番話：「神聖是件奧秘，它愈偉大，却愈少受到人的注意。」

APPEARANCES

The Master always frowned on anything that seemed sensational. The divine, he
claimed, is only found in the ordinary.

To a disciple who was attempting forms of asceticism that bordered on the bizarre the
Master was heard to say, “Holiness is a mysterious thing: the greater it is the less it is
noticed.”

一三五　陶然自樂

「靈修能帶給我什麼好處？」一位酗酒者請教大師。

答覆是：「不需醉酒，卽能飄飄似神仙。」

CELEBRATION

“What would spirituality give me?” said an alcoholic to the Master
“Non-alcoholic intoxication.” was the answer.

一三四　根　器

「我該如何才能成聖？」一位訪客前來探問。
「順從你的心靈。」大師說。

訪客聽了滿心喜悅。

但是在他離開前，大師却悄悄對他說：「要順從心靈以前，你先得有一副健康硬朗的體質。」

BEING

“What must I do to attain holiness?” said a traveller.

“Follow your heart,” said the Master.

That seemed to please the traveller.

Before he left, however, the Master said to him in a whisper. “To follow your heart
you are going to need a strong constitution. 1 ”

一三三　服　務

大家都知道大師一向偏愛行動甚於退隱。但大師所強調的却是「悟境中」的行動。

弟子們探問「悟境」是何意，它是否卽指「動機純正」？

「絕不是。」大師道：「試想，當一隻猴子把一尾魚從溪流中救出來時，牠的動機何等純正。」

SERVICE

The Master was known to favour action over withdrawal. But he always insisted on
“enlightened” action.

The disciples wanted to kn ow what “enlightened” meant. Did it mean “right-
intentioned”?

“Oh no.” said the Master, “Think how right-intentioned the monkey is when he lifts a
fish from the river to save it from a watery grave.”