Inspriration from all walks of life
七四 扩 张
一位闻名的经济学家滔滔不绝地解释他的发展计画，大师出神地听着。
「在经济理论中，是否『成长』是唯一的考虑因素？」
「当然，所有的『成长』的本质都是好的。」
「那么癌细胞的成长呢？」大师问。
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 牵 绊
大师已在病床上弥留数周了。一日，他突然张开了眼睛，发现他心爱的弟子在身边。
「你从未离开我的床边，是吗？」他轻轻地说。
「没有，师父，我离不开你。」
「为什么？」
「因为你是我生命的光明。」
大师不禁长叹一声：「我的孩子，我竟然如此眩惑你的眼睛，使你至今仍然无法看到你心内的光明？」
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 谦 逊
有位访客，自称为真理的追寻者。大师说：「如果你寻找的是真理，那么你在一切才能之上还须具备一种特质。」
「我知道，是追求真理的极端热忱。」
「不，是随时愿意承认自己可能犯错的坚忍内涵。」
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 有色眼镜
「如果你把我塑成你心目中的权威人物」，大师向一个充满幻想的弟子说道：「你实在伤害了自己，因为你不再用自己的心目去看一切事物了。」
停了一会，他温煦地说：「你也伤害了我，因你不再认识我的真貌。」
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 独
有个弟子总缠着大师问东问西，大师对他说：「在你自己心内，就可以找到每一个问题的答案－－只要你知道寻找的途径。」
又有一天，他说：「在灵修的领域里，你不能依赖别人的灯光前进。你想要向我借光，我宁愿教你点燃自己的火炬。」
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
大师开悟后，他活得十分简单－－因为他发现这种简单的生活正适合他的心境。
但当他看见弟子们想仿效他度一简单的生活时，忍俊不住。
他说：「没有我的愿心，只知模倣我的擧动，又有何用？即使你们承继我的愿心，却没有实相的光照，又有何用？」
他又说：「一只山羊是否因着一撮小胡须，就变成兔子了呢！」弟子们若有所省。
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
寺院中设定了不少规矩，但大师一再警告他们留意法律的独裁性
「服从保全了规矩。」大师说：「爱却知道何时应打破规矩。」
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.”
六七 精打细算
大师常嘲弄那些凡事决定之前总是深思熟虑的弟子。
他是这样说的：「如果人们在踏出一步前都得全盘计算好，那么他的一生，连耗在一只脚上，都还嫌不够用。」
CALCULATION
The Master would laugh at those of his disciples who deliberated endlessly before
making up their mind.
The way he put it was, “People who deliberate why before they take a step will spend
their lives on one leg.”
六六 强 制
大师要求前来拜师的人，动机一定要十分诚恳而且认真。
但是，当弟子十分认真精进地修练时，他又加以责斥。他所要求的是「认真的放松」或「放松的认真」，就好像一位比赛中的运动员或是置身舞台的演员。
还有无限的忍耐。大师说：「在强制之下开放的花朶不再芬芳，在强制之下结的果实也会失去它的滋味。」
COERCION
The Master demanded seriousness of purpose from those who sought discipleship.
But he chided his disciples when they strained themselves in spiritual endeavour.
What he proposed was light-hearted seriousness or serious light-heartedness — like that of
a sportsman in a game or an actor in a play.
And much, much patience. “Forced flowers have no fragrance,” he would say.
“Forced fruit will lose its taste.”
《摆渡人》 由梁朝伟主演的电影『摆渡人』有一句经典问：『如果生命是一条孤独的河流，谁会是你灵魂的摆渡人？』事实上，灵魂的摆渡人并不存在，真正的摆渡人就是你自己。生命的长河里，不同的阶段有不同的使命、不同的难关，人这一生要三次摆渡自己：
◎年少渡情： 俗话说：没有少女不怀春，没有少年不痴情。年轻时，爱与恨总是来的惊天动地，没有人逃得过一个情字，总以为遇见一个人就是一生，殊不知，人生的任何一个岔路口都可能走散，人生第一个关口就是从渡过情关开始。 林语堂先生说：『人之所以伤心是因为看得不够远，决然而去的不值得；爱而不得的莫纠缠；有缘无份的别执著。』既然不能相濡以沫，不如两两相忘于江湖。渡过去再回首，所有的爱恨情仇都会变得云淡风轻。
◎中年渡难： 人生恍若一座山，我们所有人都是攀登者，从上学、工作，到结婚生子，每往前攀爬一段，山就陡峭一分，身上的负担也随之加重，到了中年以后，登山的难度就达到了高峰，抱着子女、背着双亲、牵着伴侣，还要时时担心失去赖以维生的工作。 生活的担子像潮水般袭来，压弯了腰、吹皱了脸，每个难字当头的中年人都有不为人知的压力，难以想像的焦虑，中年不易，但你只能一步一步的往前走，不能停也不能回头。 人到中年，只能一关一关的自渡，渡完一关还有万重浪，正如胡适先生所说：『做了过河卒子，只能拼命向前，渡过忙得分不清欢喜和忧伤，忙得没有时间痛哭一场的艰难时光。』有朝一日，你我都将如李宗盛所说：望着大河弯弯，终于放胆嘻笑面对人生的难。
◎老年渡心： 梁启超曾说：『少年人如侠，老年人如僧。』作家杨绛100岁时感叹的说：『一个人经过不同程度的锻炼就会获得不同程度的修养与效益，好比香料捣得越碎、磨得越细，香得越浓烈，我们曾如此渴望命运的波澜，最后才发现，人生最曼妙的风景，不过是内心的淡定从容。』
山一程、水一程，一路走来，迈过了年少情关，越过了生活难关。人到暮年，千帆过尽，最后要渡的就是自己的心。事实上，如果年轻是一路奔流而去的放荡不羁，中年是历经万水千山的沧桑，那么，晚年就是抵达风平浪静的平和淡然。 前半生的岁月都在为工作所累，为家庭而战，经历了潮起潮落，看遍了人生百态，有不舍、有执念、有挂碍，但到了一定年纪，终究要学会放下，余下的人生只求内心平静安宁，要为自己而活！ 年龄可以老，心态不能老，享受当下阳光！心宽是福，豁达是路，天宽地宽不如人宽，命好运好，不如心态好！