Inspriration from all walks of life
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.”
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.”