Inspriration from all walks of life
一０七 逝者如斯
大師卽將圓寂的跡象愈來愈明顯。弟子們十分憂傷。
大師微笑地說：「你看見沒有，死亡帶給生命孤獨？」
「不！我們寧願你永遠不死。」
「凡是真實活過的東西都會死亡，看那些花朶，只有塑膠花永遠不死。」
FLOW
When it became clear that the Master was going to die the disciples were depressed.
Said the Master smilingly. “Don‘t you see that death gives loveliness to life?”
“No. We’d much rather you never died.”
“Whatever is truly alive must die. Look at the flowers: only plastic flowers never die.”
一０六 何處無芳草
大師常常勸阻那些打算住進寺院的人。
他會說：「卽使你想由書本獲益，也不用住在圖書館裏啊！」
他甚至說：「卽使你從未踏入圖書館，仍然可以讀得到書；同樣的，想要修行的人，也不必走進寺廟。」
UNIVERSALITY
The Master ordinarily dissuaded people from living in a monastery.
“To profit from books you don‘t have to live in a library,” he would say.
Or, even more forcefully. “You can read books without ever stepping into a library;
and practise spirituality without ever going to a temple.”
一０五 真 福
一位失意的股票經紀人，又一次賠本以後，來到寺院，尋求內心的寧靜，然而他却心煩意亂，無法祈禱。
他離開後，大師簡短地投下一句警語：「安心睡在地板上的人，從無由床上摔下來的痛苦。」
BEATITUDE
The disconsolate stockbroker lost a fortune and came to the monastery in search of
inner peace. But he was too distraught to meditate.
After he had gone the Master had a single sentence by way of wry comment: “Those
who sleep on the floor never fall from their beds.”
一０四 富 裕
「對我這類俗人，靈修有何助益？」一位商人道。
「它會助你更加富裕。」大師答。
「助從何來？」
「它教你減少慾望。」
RICHES
“How would spirituality help a man of the world like me?” said the businessman.
“It will help you to have more.” said the Master.
“How?”
“By teaching you to desire less.”
一０三 愛 情
一對新婚夫婦問：「我們該如何維繫這份愛情？」
大師說：「共同去愛其他事物。」
LOVE
A newly married couple said. “What shall we do to make our love endure?”
Said the Master, “Love other things together.”
一０二 智 慧
大師最感欣慰之事，卽是人們體驗到自己的無知。
「智慧的成長與人們對自己的無知的自覺能力常成正比。」大師說。
弟子請求解說。大師說：「如果今日的你覺得自己並非如昨日想像中那般聰明，你今日確是聰明一點了。」
WISDOM
It always pleased the Master to hear people recognize their ignorance.
“Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance,” he
claimed.
When asked for an explanation, he said, “When you come to see you are not as wise
today as you thought you were yesterday, you are wiser today.”
一０一 無 我
一位富裕的企業家問大師：「你會如何發展一門企業？」
「無為。」大師說。
企業家輕蔑地笑了：「那豈不是懶惰？」
「絕非如此。對一個積極的人而言，懶惰是最大的罪過。」
後來，大師向弟子說：「若人真能無為，則一切事均能因此而成就。要費盡多少心思，才能達到無為之境啊！你們不妨試一試。」
SELFLESSNESS
An affluent industrialist said to the Master, “What do you do for a profession?”
“Nothing.” said the Master.
The industrialist laughed scornfully. “Isn’t that laziness?”
“Heavens, no. Laziness is mostly the vice of very active people.”
Later the Master said to his disciples. “Do nothing and all things will be done through
you. Doing nothing really takes a lot of doing — try it!”
一００ 極 權
有囘，大師竟向一位主教說：「宗教人士常不知不覺地變得很殘忍。」弟子們覺得此話很失禮。
主教囘去後，弟子們追問其因。
「因為他們為了完成某種目的，輕而易擧地就把別人犧牲掉了。」大師道。
TOTALITARIANISM
To the disciples ‘ embarrassment the Master once told a bishop that religious people
have a natural bent for cruelty.
“Why?” the disciples demanded after the bishop had gone.
“Because they all too easily sacrifice persons for the advancement of a purpose.” said
the Master.
九九 熱 忱
有個婦人發現財富並不能帶給她快樂，而滿腹牢騷。大師說：「由你的話中，好似肯定豪富與舒適是構成快樂的因素。事實上，朋友，如果你想快樂，只需找件事讓自己熱忱地獻身就夠了。」
ENTHUSIASM
To the woman who complained that riches hadn’t made her happy the Master said.
“You speak as if luxury and comfort were ingredients of happiness: whereas all you need
to be really happy, my dear, is something to be enthusiastic about.”
九八 自以為義
大師喜歡與普通老百姓在一起，對聖德彰顯的人他總是敬而遠之。
有一囘，弟子向他請益終身大事。大師說：「只需記住一點，千萬不要嫁給一個聖人。」
「為什麼？」
「因為你遲早會被引上殉道之路。」大師笑着說。
SELF - RIGHTEOUSNESS
The Master loved ordinary people and was suspicious of those who stood out for their
holiness.
To a disciple who consulted him on marriage he said. “Be sure you don’t marry a
saint.”
“Why ever not?”
“Because it is the surest way to make yourself a martyr.” was the Master’s merry
reply.