聖伯鐸廣場

一一三　自　然

一位演說家口沫橫飛地向人們解釋：當前世界只需要由龐大的軍備經費中撥出極小的一部分，就能解決所有人類的生活問題。

弟子們聽了這番演說後的第一個反應就是：「人類怎麼會變得如此愚蠢？」

大師面色凝重地說：「因為人們學會了讀白紙黑字，而失去了閱讀無字天書的藝術。」

「什麼是無字天書，請給我們一個實例。」

但大師不給實例。

一天，大師終於拗不過他們的追問，便說：「鳥鳴蟲噪都在宣告真理；花紅草綠，都在為我們指示人生之道：好好地聽，好好地看，這才是真正的學習之道。」

NATURE

A lecturer explained how a fraction of the enormous sums spent on arms in the
modem world would solve all the material problems of every member of the human race.

The inevitable reaction of the disciples after the lecture was, “But why are human
beings so stupid?”

“Because,” said the Master solemnly, “people have learnt to read printed books. They
have forgotten the art of reading unprinted ones.”

“Give us an example of an unprinted book.” But the Master wouldn’t give one.

One day in response to their persistence, he said: “The songs of birds, the sounds of
insects are all trumpeting forth the Truth. The grasses and the flowers are all pointing out
the Way. Listen! Look! That is the way to read!”

一一二　入　世

大師雖對自己的弟子很慈悲，但也毫不隱瞞地表示他更偏愛住在「世界」中的人，基於寺院中的弟子，也就是指那羣成家立業的商人、農人等等。

當弟子們質詢此事，他答覆道：「在行動中的修持，遠超過退隱的修行。」

INVOLVEMENT

The Master white being gracious to all his disciples, could not conceal his preference
for those who lived in the “world” — the married, the merchants, the farmers — over those
who lived in the monastery.

When he was confronted about this he said, “Spirituality practised in the state of
activity is incomparably superior to that practised in the state of withdrawal.”

　　　111　閉　塞

一羣大學院士來訪，大師極度慇懃地招待他們，却從不正面答覆他們的問題，也不加入他們的神學研討。

弟子們知道大師內具深意。他說：「你怎能向井底之蛙談論浩瀚的大海？你怎能向被困鎖在自己的槪念中的人談論超凡之境？」

RESTRICTION

The Master was exceedingly gracious to University dons who visited him but he
would never reply to their questions or be drawn into their theological speculations.

To his disciples who marvelled at this, he said, “Can one talk about the ocean to a frog
in a well — or about the divine to people who are restricted by their concepts?

一一０　解　脫

「我如何才能得到解脫？」

「先去找出誰束縛了你。」大師說。

一週後，弟子返囘覆命：「沒有人束縛我。」

「那麼有什麼好解脫的？」

弟子頓然醒悟，自此卽變得自在灑脫了。

LIBERATION

“How shall I get liberation?”

“Find out who has bound you,” said the Master.

The disciple returned after a week and said, “No one has bound me.”

“Then why ask to be liberated?”

That was a moment of enlightenment for the disciple who suddenly became free.

一０九　幻　滅

一位弟子懇求大師指示智慧之道。大師說：「不妨試試這個方法：閉起你的眼睛，觀想自己和一切生物都從懸崖的邊緣被拋出去；每當你想攀住一樣東西，阻止自己下墜時，心裏明白那東西本身也正向下墜落……。」

這弟子嘗試這個方法，立刻身心蕩然，脫胎換骨。

MORTALITY

To a disciple who begged for wisdom the Master said, “Try this out: close your eyes
and see yourself and every living being thrown off the top of a precipice. Each time you
cling to something to stop yourself from falling, understand that it is falling too...”

The disciple tried it out and never was the same again.

一０八　賭　注

大師談論的主題是「生命」。

一天，他提到一位飛行員的經歷。這位飛行員在第二次世界大戰期間專門載運工人由中國到緬甸的叢林中修路。這段航行漫長又單調，所以工人就聚在一起賭牌，由於他們都是一貧如洗，無錢可賭，於是就用自己的生命做賭注－－輸家應不帶降落傘，跳出飛機外。

「多麼可怕的事！」弟子聽了驚嚇萬分。

「確實可怕。」大師說：「但這種賭法才過癮。」

當這一天卽將消逝，大師說：「當你用自己的生命做賭注時，你才是道道地地的活過。」

ADVENTURE

The theme of the Master’s talk was Life.

One day he told of meeting a pilot who flew labourers from China into Burma during
World War II to work on jungle roads. The flight was long and boring so the labourers
would take to gambling. Since they had no money to gamble with, they gambled with
their lives — the loser jumped out of the plane without a parachute!

“How terrible!” said the horrified disciple?

“True.” said the Master.” But it made the game exciting.”

Later in the day he said. “You never live so fully as when you gamble with your
lives.”

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.”