Inspriration from all walks of life
五九 隨 緣
「我應該做什麼才能澈底覺悟？」
「無作。」
「為什麼？」
「因為澈悟之境不是來自有為，它就如此這般地發生了。」
「那麼我們是無法掙得它囉？」
「可以掙得。」
「如何掙得？」
「無作。」
「我們如何才能達得無作之境？」
「我們是如何入睡或醒來的呢？」
LETTING GO
“What must I do for enlightenment?”
“Nothing.” “Why not?”
“Because enlightenment doesn’t come from doing — it happens.”
“Then can it never be attained?”
“Oh yes, it can.”
“How?”
“Through non-doing.”
“And what does one do to attain non-doing?”
“What does one do to go to sleep or to wake up?”
五八 無 作
有個人因畏懼於修行的艱辛及刻苦的痛苦，始終不敢開始他的靈修旅程。大師對他說：
「一個人張目而看，又需經歷多少艱辛及刻苦？」
EFFORTLESSNESS
To a man who hesitated to embark on the spiritual quest for fear of the effort and
renunciation, the Master said:
“How much effort and renunciation does it take to open one’s eyes and see?”
五七 本 末
據說，天主派遣天使告知大師：「不論你祈求百萬年或千萬年的壽命，天主都會賞賜給你。你希望活多久呢？」
「八十歲。」大師毫不猶豫地囘答。
弟子們有些失望：「但是，師父，如果您能活到百萬年，想想，有多少世代的人能蒙受您的智慧之恩？」
「如果我真能活上百萬年，那麼人們就會擱下智慧之道，而全心致力於延壽之術了。」
PRIORITIES
According to legend God sent an Angel to the Master with this message, “Ask for a
million years of life and they will be given you. Or a million-million. How long do you
wish to live?”
“Eighty years,” said the Master without the slightest hesitation.
The disciples were dismayed. “But, Master, if you lived for a million years, think how
many generations would profit by your wisdom.”
“If I lived for a million years, people would be more intent on lengthening their lives
than on cultivating wisdom.”
五六 反 映
「為什麼這兒只有我這麼不快樂？」
「因為他們已經學會隨時隨地觀察世間的美善。」大師應道。
「為什麼我却看不出其中的美善呢？」
「那是因為你旣不認識自己的內在，也無由看見外境的真相。」
PROJECTION
“Why is everyone here so happy except me?”
“Because they have learnt to see goodness and beauty everywhere,” said the Master.
“Why don’t I see goodness and beauty everywhere?”
“Because you cannot see outside of you what you fail to see inside.”
五五 無神論者
為了讓弟子高興，大師要求一件新襯衫做為他的生日禮物。弟子們立刻買進上好布料。村里的裁縫也前來為大師量身，並且一再呼上主之名，保證一週之內一定做好。
一週期限已至。大師高興地等着他的新衣，弟子快馬加鞭地衝到裁縫店取衣。裁縫說：「事情受到一點延誤，但是，因天主之名，明天保證做好。」
第二天，裁縫又說：「真抱歉，還沒有趕好。明天你再來看看，如果天主願意，明天一定會做好。」
次日，大師說：「你去問問他，如果天主不管這檔子事，他需要多久才做得好？」
ATHEISM
To the disciples’ delight the Master said he wanted a new shirt for his birthday. The
finest cloth was bought. The village tailor came in to have the Master measured, and
promised, by the will of God to make the shirt within a week.
A week went by and a disciple was dispatched to the tailor while the Master excitedly
waited for his shirt, Said the tailor. “There has been a slight delay. But, by the will of
God, it will be ready by tomorrow.”
Next day the tailor said, “I’m sorry it isn’t done. Try again tomorrow and. if God so
wills, it will certainly be ready.”
The following day the Master said. “Ask him how long it will take if he keeps God out
of it.”
五四 責 任
大師與一位弟子外出，在村郊邂逅了執政官。他誤以為他們是來迎請他入村的。便說：「你們實在大可不必千里迢迢地迎接我的。」
「您誤會了，大人。」弟子說：「我們正要出外旅行，但是如果我們知道您會來，冒再大的風霜，我們也會前來迎接您的。」
大師不發一言。直到傍晚時分，他才說：「為什麼你一定要讓他知道我們不是來歡迎他的呢？你可瞧見他的一副尷尬相？」
「我們應該告訴他實情，否則我們不是有意欺騙他嗎？」
「我們一點也沒有欺騙他。」大師說：「是他在欺騙自己。」
RESPONSIBILITY
The Master set out on a journey with one of his disciples. At the outskirts of the
village they ran into the Governor who, mistakenly thinking they had come to welcome
him to the village, said, “You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble to welcome me.”
“You are mistaken, Your Highness,” said the disciple. “We’re on a journey but had we
known you were coming we would have gone to even greater pains to welcome you.”
The Master did not say a word. Towards evening he said, “Did you have to tell him
that we had not come to welcome him? Did you see how foolish he felt?”
“But had we not told him the truth, would we not have been guilty of deceiving him?”
“We would not have deceived him at all.” said the Master. “He would have deceived
himself.”
五三 無 明
「何處才能覓得天主？」
「祂就在你面前啊！」
「我為什麼看不到祂？」
「為什麼一個醉漢看不到自己的家？」
大師接着說：「該找出你迷糊的原因。想看到祂，先得清醒過來。」
UNCONSCIOUSNESS
“Where can I find God?”
“He’s right in front of you.”
“Then why do I fail to see him?”
“Why does the drunkard fail to see his home?”
Later the Master said, “Find out what it is that makes you drunk. To see you must be sober.”
五一 進 步
次日，大師說：「在外奔波要比知止無為容易得多了。」
弟子問其因。
「因為你心神奔馳時，至少還有一個夢想可繫；一旦息止下來，就得面對真相。」
「如果我們連個目標或夢想都沒有，又如何能進步？」某個喜弄玄虛的弟子問。
「真正的進步常不是出於自己的期待。當你面對真相時，意想不到的進步就在不知不覺中完成了。」
EVOLUTION
The following day the Master said, “It is, alas, easier to travel than to stop.”
The disciples demanded to know why.
“Because as long as you travel to a goal you can hold on to a dream. When you stop,
you face reality.”
“How shall we ever change if we have no goals or dreams?” asked the mystified
disciples.
“Change that is real is change that is not willed. Face reality and unwilled change will
happen.”
五一 上 岸
「開悟之道是難是易？」
「非難非易。」
「為什麼？」
「因為它與難易無關。」
「那麼人該當如何，才能邁向彼岸？」
「人永遠無法邁向彼岸，因這是一段『非時空』的旅程。只要你中止遊蕩，你就已安坐家中了。」
ARRIVAL
“Is the path to enlightenment difficult or easy?”
“It is neither.”
“Why not?”
“Because it isn’t there?”
“Then how does one travel to the goal?”
“One doesn’t. This is a journey without distance-Stop travelling and you arrive.”
五０ 無 言
「你們的學識和虔誠有何用處？難道一隻驢子住在圖書館內會變得聰明？一隻耗子住在教堂裏就會變得神聖些？」
「那麼什麼才有用？」
「心。」
「如何才能獲得它？」
大師緘默不言。如果他們尚不知皈依自己的心性，又不會往心靈深處探尋，他還能說什麼？
SPEECHLESSNESS
“Of what use is your learning and your devotions? Does a donkey become wise
through living in a library or a mouse acquires holiness from living in a church?”
“What is if then we need?”
“A heart.”
“How does one get that?”
The Master would not say. What could he say that they wouldn’t turn into a subject to
be learnt or an object of devotion?