Inspriration from all walks of life
三八 應 機
有人探問大師揀選門徒之道。
他說：「我是以謙遜的方式應機而化的。凡因着我的謙卑自下而生傲心的人，我卽當下拒絕；對於那些一味推崇我的謙卑的人，我也一槪拒絕。」
REACTION
The Master was asked by what criterion he selected his disciples.
He said. “I act in a submissive and humble manner. Those who become haughty in
response to my humility I immediately reject. Those who revere me because of my
humble demeanour I reject with equal speed.”
三七 更 新
有個弟子常喜抱怨他人。大師說：「如果你享有平安，試着改變自己，而非他人。當心自己腳下，總比填平整個地球容易得多吧！」
TRANSFORMATION
To a disciple who was forever complaining about others, the Master said, “If it is
peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people. It is easier to protect your feet
with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.”
幻 境
三六 幻 境
「我什麼時候才能悟道？」
「當你看到。」大師道
「看到什麼？」
「花和樹，星和月。」
「我天天都看到它們。」
「不，你所看到的，只是幻境中的花和樹，星和月，因為你未活在實境中，而只活在你的思想及槪念裏。」
最後他懇切地加上幾句：「你卽虛幻地度過此生，你也將在虛幻中消逝。」
DREAMS
“When will I be enlightened?” “When you see.” the Master said. “See what?”
“Trees and flowers and moon and stars.” “But I see these everyday.”
“No. What you see is paper trees, paper flowers, paper moons and paper stars. For you
live, not in reality, but in your words and thoughts.”
And, for good measure, he added gently, “You live a paper life alas, and will die a
paper death.”
三五 重 生
「與你的過去一刀兩斷，你就會大澈大悟。」大師說。
「我正在一步一步地努力。」
「成長是慢慢累積起來的，澈悟却是在剎那間成就的。」
他接着又說：「躍過去！三步兩蹦，是跨不過懸崖斷壁的。」
REBIRTH
“Make a clean break with your past and you will be enlightened.” .said the ‘Master.
“I am doing that by degrees.”
“Growth is achieved by degrees. Enlightenment is instantaneous.”
Later he said, “Take the leap! You cannot cross a chasm in little jumps.”
「與你的過去一刀兩斷，你就會大澈大悟。」大師說。
「我正在一步一步地努力。」
「成長是慢慢累積起來的，澈悟却是在剎那間成就的。」
他接着又說：「躍過去！三步兩蹦，是跨不過懸崖斷壁的。」
REBIRTH
“Make a clean break with your past and you will be enlightened.” .said the ‘Master.
“I am doing that by degrees.”
“Growth is achieved by degrees. Enlightenment is instantaneous.”
Later he said, “Take the leap! You cannot cross a chasm in little jumps.”
有個婦人常哀嘆自己的命運，大師對她說：「你是自己命運的主人。」
「然而，生為女性，却不是我自己能夠作主的。」
「生為女性，並非命，而是個人的運，人的命運如何，得看你如何接受自己的運道，而結出豐盛的果實。」
DESTINY
To a woman who complained about her destiny the Master said, “It is you who make
your destiny.”
“But surely I am not responsible for being born a woman?”
“Being born a woman isn’t destiny. That is fate. Destiny is how you accept your
womanhood and-what you make of it.”
一位遊客望着廟裏歷代大師的法相，問：「目前是否還有大師存留在這世上？」
「有一位。」導遊答道。遊客再三懇求拜謁這位大師。遊客一見大師便啟齒問道：「目前何處可以找到最偉大的師父？」
「旅者！」大師叫道。
「先生！」旅者恭敬地應聲。
「你在何處？」
AVOIDANCE
A tourist, looking at the portraits of former Masters in the temple said. “Are there any
Masters left on earth?”
“There is one.” said the guide. The tourist solicited an audience with the Master and
started with the question, “Where are the great Masters to be found today?”
“Traveller.” cried the Master.
“Sir!” the tourist answered reverently.
“Where are YOU?”
大師向一位過於謙恭慇懃的弟子說：「光明映照在牆上，為什麼只知讚美那座牆？而不專注於光明本身。」
WORSHIP
To the disciple who was overly respectful the Master said, “Light is reflected on a
wall. Why venerate the wall? Be attentive to the light.”
有囘，大師問他的弟子：智慧與行動，哪一個比較重要？
弟子們異口同聲答道：「當然是行動，如果智慧不透過行動，又有何用？」
大師却說：「如果行動不是出自一顆悟心，又有何用？」
MECHANICALNESS
The Master once asked his disciples which was more important, wisdom or action.
The disciples were unanimous: “Action, of course. Of what use is wisdom that does
not show itself in action?”
Said the Master, “And of what use is action that proceeds from an unenlightened
heart?”
一位遭人遺棄的戀者說：「我已有一次燃指之痛，我絕不再戀愛了。」
大師說：「你像坐在爐竈上的一隻貓，被燙過一次後，再也不敢坐上去了。」
DISCRIMINATION
Said the jilted lover, “I have burnt my lingers once. I shall never fall in love again.”
Said the Master, “You are like the cat who. having burnt itself from sitting on a stove,
refused to sit again.”