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六五　緣　由

大家都很驚異大師時髦的比喻：「生活有如一輛汽車。」

他們靜靜地等候大師進一步的解釋。

「是的。」終於不負所望，大師開口了：「汽車可以帶我們登山攀高。」

又是一陣沉默。

「可是大部分的人却躺在車前，任由車子從他們身上輾過，然後轉身責怪汽車肇禍。」

CAUSALITY

Everyone was surprised by the Master’s updated metaphor: “Life is like a motor car.”
They waited in silence, knowing that an explanation would not be long in corning.

“Oh yes,” he said at length. “A motor car can be used to travel to the heights.”

Another silence.

“But most people lie in front of it allows it to run over them, and then blame it for the
accident.”

六四　轉　變

一羣弟子興致勃勃地外出朝聖，大師說：「隨身帶着這個苦瓜，記得把它浸在你們經過的每一條聖河中，也帶它進入你們所朝拜的聖殿裏去。」

當弟子歸來，他們把這苦瓜煮熟，當作聖餐。 大師嚐了一口，語重心長地說：「奇怪，聖水和聖殿竟然沒有把苦瓜變甜

CONVERSION

To a group of his disciples whose hearts were set on a pilgrimage, the Master said:
“Take this bitter gourd along. Make sure you dip it into all the holy rivers and bring it
into all the holy shrines.”

When the disciples returned, the bitter gourd was cooked and served as sacramental
food.

“Strange.” said the Master slyly after he had tasted it, “the holy water and the shrines
have failed to sweeten it!”

六三　可塑性

「我願學習，你願教我嗎？」

「我覺得你並不知道該如何學習。」大師說。

「你能教我如何學習嗎？」

「你能懂得如何被我教的訣竅嗎？」

稍後，大師為這羣困惑的弟子解疑：「有真實的學習，才有真實的教導。當你能教自己一些事情，你才懂得如何學習。」

RECEPTIVITY

“I wish to learn. Will you teach me?”

“I do not think that you know how to learn,” said the Master.

“Can you teach me how to learn?”

“Can you learn how to let me teach?”

To his bewildered disciples the Master later said: “Teaching only takes place when
learning does. Learning only takes place when you teach something to yourself.”

六二　抽　身

　

「我如何才能幫助這個世界？」

「先認識它！」大師說

「怎樣才能認識它？」

「從裏面抽身出來。」

「那麼我怎能服務人類呢？」

「從認識自己開始。」

WITHDRAWAL

“How shall I help the world?”

“By understanding it,” said the Master.
“And how shall I understand it?”

“By turning away from it.”

“How then shall I serve humanity?”
“By understanding yourself.”

六一　發　現

「請幫助我們找到天主。」

「在這事上，很抱歉，我愛莫能助。」

「為什麼？」

「正如無人能幫助一條魚尋得牠的海洋，是同樣的道理。」

DISCOVERY

“Help us to find God.”

“No one can help you there.”
“Why not?”

“For the same reason that no one can help the fish to find the ocean.”

六０　表　達

一位宗教界的名作家，對大師的觀念十分好奇。他問：「人當如何發掘天主？」

大師坦率地告訴他：「以靜默來恢復心靈的潔白，少用宗教理論污染他的潔白。」

接着，他瞄了身邊學富五車的弟子一眼，風趣地說：「說話時也不必旁徵博引，免得把空氣都搞的濁重了。」

EXPRESSION

He was a religious writer and interested in the Master’s views. “How does one
discover God?”

Said the Master sharply. “Through making the heart white with silent meditation, not
making paper black with religious composition.”

And, turning to his scholarly disciples, he teasingly added. “Or making the air thick
with learned conversation.”

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.”