Month: December 2023

　　　　八七　分　別

大師與他的一羣弟子在河邊散步。

他說：「看，這些魚兒隨心所欲地游來游去，這才是真正的快樂。」

一旁的路人聽到這話便反唇相激：「你又不是魚，你怎知魚快樂與否？」

弟子們驚異地瞪着這魯莽的傢伙。大師却含笑注視這一無所懼地追根究柢的人。

他親切答覆：「我的朋友，你又不是我，你怎麼知道我不是魚？」

弟子們不禁笑了，認為他罪有應得，這位路人却怔在那兒沉思話中深意。

他整天反覆咀嚼此言。然後登門造訪：「也許你並非如我所想的，與魚截然不同，而我與你，也非相異過甚。」

DISTINCTION

The Master was strolling with some of his disciples along the bank of a river.

He said. “See how the fish keep darting about when they please. That’s what they
really enjoy.”

A stranger overhearing that remark said. “How do you know what fish enjoy — you‘re
not a fish?”

The disciples gasped at what they took for impudence. The Master smiled at what he
recognized as a fearless spirit of enquiry.

He replied affably. “And you my friend, how do you know I am not a fish — you are
not I?”

The disciples laughed, taking this to be a well-deserved rebuff. Only the stranger was
struck by its depth.

All day he pondered it then came to the monastery to say. “Maybe you are not as
different from the fish as I thought. Or I from you.”

　　　　八六　無　執

大師本身的生活極其純樸，却從不鄙視他的豪富弟子，門徒們感到有趣。

「成為一個旣富又聖的人，雖寥寥可數，並非不可能。」有一天，大師如是說。

「如何才能達到此境？」

「當金錢對你心靈的影響力，一如竹蔭拂過天井。」

弟子們轉身向庭院望去，竹蔭拂過，却未激起一絲塵埃。

DETACHMENT

It intrigued the disciples that the Master who lived so simply would not condemn his
wealthy followers.

“It is rare but not impossible for someone to be rich and holy.” he said one day.
“How?”

“When money has the effect on his heart that the shadow of that bamboo has on the
courtyard.”

The disciples turned to watch the bamboo’s shadow sweep the courtyard without
stirring a single particle of dust.

八五　大夢初醒

大師灑脫自在的風範，令他的弟子們不禁鼓起勇氣問：「你能否告訴我們，您開悟後有何所得。您變得更神聖了嗎？」

「沒有。」

「您變成一位聖人了？」

「沒有。」

「那麼究竟有何改變？」

「只是醒了。」

SLEEP-WALKING

The Master’s expansive mood emboldened his disciples to say. “Tell us what you got
from Enlightenment. Did you become divine?”

‘No.’

“Did you become a saint?”

No.”

“Then what did you become?”

“Awake.”

八四　覺　醒

「救恩應由行動獲得，還是由祈禱？」

「都不是。救恩來自於正見。」

「見什麼？」

「看見你所盼望的項鍊正掛在頸項上；看見你所畏懼的蛇，不過是地上的一根繩子而已。」

AWARENESS

“Is salvation obtained through action or through meditation?”

“Through neither. Salvation comes from seeing.

“Seeing what?”

“That the gold necklace you wish to acquire is hanging round your neck. That the
snake you are so frightened of is only a rope on the ground.”

八三　投　入

「如何才能除去我的恐懼？」
「你怎能除去一樣自己緊抓不捨的東西？」
「你是說，是我自己緊抓不捨恐懼？這恕我難以苟同。」

「只要想一想，你的恐懼所能帶領你逃避的麻煩，你就會同意我的話了。而且你會看到自己有多蠢！」

INVESTMENT

“How shall I rid myself of fear?”

“How can you rid yourself of what you cling to?”

“You mean I actually cling to my fears? I cannot agree to that. “

“Consider what your fear protects you from and you will agree! And you will see your
folly.”

八二　遙　控　

有個弟子個性怯懦，他想尋回自信心，大師說：「你想由他人的眼神中獲得肯定，而且認為這就是自信。」
「難道我不該重視別人的意見？」
「正好相反，重視別人所說的，但不受它的箝制。」
「該如何突破別人的箝制？」

「你該問：如何突破自己的錯覺？」

REMOTE CONTROL

To a shy disciple who wanted to become self-confident the Master said, “You look for
certainty in the eyes of others and you think that is self-confidence.”

“Shall I give no weight to the opinion of others then?”

“On the contrary. Weigh everything they say, but do not be controlled by it.”

“How does one break the control?’

“How does one break a delusion?’

八一　錯　覺

「開悟的最大阻礙是什麼？」
「畏懼。」
「畏懼由何而起？」
「錯覺。」
「什麼是錯覺？」
「把身邊的花朶想成毒蛇。」

「我怎能獲得悟境？」
「張開眼睛看清楚。」
「看什麼？」
「身邊一隻蛇也沒有。」

FANTASY

What is the greatest enemy of enlightenment?
“Fear.”

“And where does fear come from?”
“Delusion.”

“And what is delusion?”

“To think that the flowers around you are poisonous snakes.”

“How shall I attain to enlightenment?” “Open your eyes and see.” “What?”

“That there isn’t a single snake around.”

八０　倫　理

弟子們常常熱中探討對與錯的問題。有時答案很明顯，有時却擧棋不定。

如果大師湊巧在場，他通常都不表明立場。

一次，大師面對這樣的挑戰：「如果我殺了一個正想謀害我的人，是對還是錯？」

他說：「我怎麼知道？」

弟子詫異不已：「那麼我們怎能分辨對或錯？」

大師說：「當你生時，能死於自我，且徹底地死去。然後隨心所欲地去做，一定是對的。」

MORALITY

The disciples would frequently be absorbed in questions of right and wrong.
Sometimes the answer would be evident enough. Sometimes it was elusive.

The Master, if he happened to be present at such discussions, would take no part in
them.

Once he was confronted with this question: “Is it right to kill someone who seeks to
kill me? Or is it wrong?”

He said. “How should I know?”

The shocked disciples answered, “Then how would we tell right from wrong?”

The Master said, “While alive, be dead to yourself, be totally dead-Then act as you
will and your action will be right.”

七九　意識型態

一批活躍的政客，想向大師顯示，他們的觀念足以改變世界。

大師仔細地聽着。

第二天，他說：「一種意識型態的好壞，端賴於它的製造者。難道一百萬隻狐狸組織起來，推行公義，狐狸尾巴就不見了嗎？」

IDEOLOGY

A group of political activists were attempting to show the Master how their ideology
would change the world.

The Master listened carefully.

The following day he said, “An ideology is as good or bad as the people who make
use of it. If a million wolves were to organise for justice would they cease to be a million
wolves?”

七八　激　將

有個一向愜意度日的門徒開始抱怨：他從未經驗過大師常論及的寧靜。

大師說：「這種寧靜常發生在奮發進取的人身上。」

CHALLENGE

An easy-going disciple complained that he had never experienced the silence that the
Master frequently -commended.

Said the Master, “Silence only comes to active people.”