Month: December 2023

七七　離題

那天的集會中，所有的問題都是針對死後的生命而發的。

大師却只笑而不答。

弟子們一再追問他拒答的原因。他說：「你們難道看不出，那些追求另一個永恆不朽生命的，都是那些不知道該如何度過此生的人？」

有個門徒仍然鍥而不捨：「究竟死後有沒有生命？」

「究竟死前有沒有生命？這才是問題所在！」大師留下一個公案。

IRRELEVANCE

All questions at the public meeting that day were about life beyond the grave
The Master only laughed and did not give a single answer.

To his disciples who demanded to know the reason for his evasiveness, he later said.
“Have you observed that it is precisely those who do not know what to do with this life
who wants another that will last forever?”

“But is there life after death or is there not?” persisted a disciple.

“Is there life before death? — that is the question!” said the Master enigmatically.

七六　暴　戾

大師常開示：罪惡感就像惡魔一樣，是一種邪惡的情緒，該盡量避免。

「可是，我們不該恨自己的罪過嗎？」一位弟子問。

「當你犯罪，你恨的是自己，而非你的罪。」

VIOLENCE

The Master was always teaching that guilt is an evil emotion to be avoided like the
very devil — all guilt.

“But are we not to hate our sins?” a disciple said one day.

“When you are guilty, it is not your sins you hate but yourself.”

七五　自　重

「怎樣才能成為一位偉人－－像您一樣？」

「為什麼要成為偉人？」大師說：「成為一個人，已經是很偉大的成就了。」

ACCEPTANCE

“How can I be a great man — like you?”

“Why be a great man?” said the Master. “Being a man is a great enough achievement.”

七四　擴　張

一位聞名的經濟學家滔滔不絕地解釋他的發展計畫，大師出神地聽着。

　

「在經濟理論中，是否『成長』是唯一的考慮因素？」

「當然，所有的『成長』的本質都是好的。」

「那麼癌細胞的成長呢？」大師問。

EXPANSION

The Master sat in rapt attention as the renowned economist explained his blueprint for
development.

“Should growth be the only consideration in an economic theory?” he asked.

“Yes. All grown is good in itself.”

“Isn’t that the thinking of the cancer cell?” said the Master.

七三　牽　絆

大師已在病床上彌留數週了。一日，他突然張開了眼睛，發現他心愛的弟子在身邊。

「你從未離開我的床邊，是嗎？」他輕輕地說。

「沒有，師父，我離不開你。」

「為什麼？」

「因為你是我生命的光明。」

大師不禁長嘆一聲：「我的孩子，我竟然如此眩惑你的眼睛，使你至今仍然無法看到你心內的光明？」

REPRESSION

The Master had been on his deathbed in a coma for weeks. One day he suddenly
opened his eyes to find his favourite disciple there.

“You never leave my bedside, do you?” he said softly.

“No. Master. I cannot.” “Why?”

“Because you are the light of my life.”

The Master sighed. “Have I so dazzled you, my son that you still refuse to see the light
in you?”

七二　謙　遜

有位訪客，自稱為真理的追尋者。大師說：「如果你尋找的是真理，那麼你在一切才能之上還須具備一種特質。」

「我知道，是追求真理的極端熱忱。」

「不，是隨時願意承認自己可能犯錯的堅忍內涵。」

HUMILITY

To a visitor who described himself as a seeker after Truth the Master said. “If what
you seek is Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else.”

“I know. An overwhelming passion for it.”

“No. An unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong.”

七一　有色眼鏡

「如果你把我塑成你心目中的權威人物」，大師向一個充滿幻想的弟子說道：「你實在傷害了自己，因為你不再用自己的心目去看一切事物了。」

停了一會，他溫煦地說：「你也傷害了我，因你不再認識我的真貌。」

BLINKERS

“If you make me your authority,” said the Master to a starry-eyed disciple,” you harm
yourself because you refuse to see things for yourself.”

And, after a pause, he added gently. “You harm me too because you refuse to see me
as I am.”

七０　孤　獨　

有個弟子總纏着大師問東問西，大師對他說：「在你自己心內，就可以找到每一個問題的答案－－只要你知道尋找的途徑。」

又有一天，他說：「在靈修的領域裏，你不能依賴別人的燈光前進。你想要向我借光，我寧願教你點燃自己的火炬。」

ALONENESS

To a disciple who was always seeking answers from him the Master said. “You have
within yourself the answer to every question you propose — if you only knew how to look
for it.”

And another day he said. “In the land of the spirit you cannot walk by the light of
someone else‘s lamp. You want to borrow mine. I’d rather teach you how to make your
own.”

六九　模　倣

大師開悟後，他活得十分簡單－－因為他發現這種簡單的生活正適合他的心境。

但當他看見弟子們想仿效他度一簡單的生活時，忍俊不住。

他說：「沒有我的願心，只知模倣我的擧動，又有何用？卽使你們承繼我的願心，却沒有實相的光照，又有何用？」

他又說：「一隻山羊是否因着一撮小鬍鬚，就變成兔子了呢！」弟子們若有所省。

IMITATION

After the Master attained enlightenment he took to living simply — because he found
simple living to his taste.

He laughed at his disciples when they took to simple living in imitation of him.

“Of what use is it to copy my behaviour,” he would say, “without my motivation. Or
to adopt my motivation without the vision that produced it?”

They understood him better when he said. “Does a goat become a rabbi because he
grows a beard?”

六八　革　新

寺院中設定了不少規矩，但大師一再警告他們留意法律的獨裁性

「服從保全了規矩。」大師說：「愛却知道何時應打破規矩。」

REVOLUTION

There were rules in the monastery but the Master always warned against the tyranny
of the law.

“Obedience keeps the rules,” he would say. “Love knows when to break them.”