Author: voice

二０九　洒脱自在

大师为了保持轻松自然的家风，不愿弟子们过度认真，包括对他的教导在内，他喜欢讲他自己的故事：

「我的第一个弟子为了修行，心力憔悴不堪；第二个弟子勇猛精进练习我传授的方法，差点把自己逼疯了；第三个弟子终日沉浸于静坐默观中，变得呆若木鸡；只有第四个弟子保持了自己的身心平衡。」

「他怎么做到的？」在座的人都异口同声地问。

「大槪是因为，他是唯一拒绝遵照我的方法去做的人。」大师一语惊座。

LIGHT-HEARTEDNESS

In keeping with his doctrine that nothing be taken too seriously, not even his own
teachings, the Master loved to tell this story on himself:

“My very first disciple was so weak that the exercises killed him. My second disciple
drove himself crazy from his earnest practice of the exercises I gave him. My third
disciple dulled his intellect through too much contemplation. But the fourth managed to
keep his sanity.”

“Why was that?” someone would invariably ask.

“Possibly because he was the only one who refused to do the exercises.” The Master’s
words would be drowned in howls of laughter.

二０八　虚　心

一位颇具声望的灵修指导者向大师吐露：「我无法祈祷，也无法了解圣经，更无法做到我教别人的灵修方法……」

「何不把这一切都抛掉？」大师欣慰地说。

「这怎么可能？我一向被视为有圣德者，又有一大堆徒众跟随在后。」

事后，大师叹息道：「当今所谓之圣德，已经有名无实了；唯有天才，可称得上是有实却无名。」

UNOBTRUSIVENESS

A man of spiritual repute came to the Master and said, “I cannot pray, I cannot
understand the scriptures. I cannot do the exercises that I prescribe to others...”

“Then give it all up.” said the Master cheerfully.

“But how can I? I am supposed to be a holy man and have a following in these parts.”

Later the Master said with a sigh: “Holiness today is a name without a reality. It is
only genuine when it is a reality without a name.”

二０七　食　谱

「你在寻找什么？」大师问那前来请益的学者。

「生命。」学者答道。

大师说：「如果你要生命，就得先死于文字。」

学者央求他进一步的解释。他说：「你已经陷入了困境、迷失了方向。因为你所渴望的是实质的生命，却心满意足地仰赖文字维生。要知道，菜单不能喂饱你，食谱也不能解你饥渴。」

FORMULATIONS

“What is it you seek?” asked the Master of a scholar who came to him for guidance.
“Life.” was the reply.

Said the Master, “If you are to live, words must die.”

When asked later what he meant, he said. “You are lost and forlorn because you dwell
in a world of words. You feed on words you are satisfied with words when what you need
is substance. A menu wilt not satisfy your hunger. A formula will not slake your thirst. “

二０六　拳打太极

大师常告诉新入门的弟子：「敲，门就会为你而开。」

不久，他又狡黠地对其中几位说：「如果这门从未关上，你又怎能期待它的开启？」

SHADOW BOXING

To newcomers the Master would say, “Knock and the door will be opened to you.”

To some of them he would later say conspiratorially, “How would you expect the door
to be opened when it has never been shut?”

二０五　共　融

大师即将圆寂，这是无法挽囘的事实了。弟子们希望为他预备一场隆重的葬礼。大师听到了，就说：「以天地为棺，以日月星辰为冕，整个宇宙为我护行入墓－－我还能奢求比这更庄严的仪式吗？」

大师要求「天葬」，但弟子们无法接受他的遗命，耽心他会被飞禽野兽吞噬。

「那么，记得把我的手杖搁在身边，我好能及时驱走野兽。」大师笑着说。

「这怎么可能，你已经没有知觉了。」

「既然如此，鸟兽来吃我，又有什么关系！」

COMMUNION

When it was certain that the Master was going to die, his disciples wished to give him
a worthy funeral. The Master heard of this and said, “With the sky and the earth for my
coffin; the sun and moon and stars for my burial regalia; and all creation to escort me to
the grave — could I desire anything more ceremonious and impressive?”

He asked to be left unburied but the disciples wouldn’t hear of it, protesting that he
would be eaten by the animals and birds.

“Then make sure you place my staff near me that I might drive them away.” said the
Master with a smile,

“How would you manage that? You will be unconscious,”

“In which case it will not matter, will it that I be devoured by the birds and beasts.”

二０四　工　具

一位弟即将辞别大师，重返他的家业。临行前，他请求大师赠言。

大师说：

「好好体会下面的话：

火无冷热，是你感觉冷热。

眼睛看不见，是你看见。

画圈的不是圆规，而是那制图的人。」

INSTRUMENTALITY

When a disciple came to take leave of the Master so that he could return to his family
and business, he asked for something to carry away with him.

Said the Master, “Ponder on these things: It is not the fire that is hot, but you who feel
it so.

It is not the eye that sees but you.

It is not the compass that makes the circle but the draughtsman.”

二０三　胆　识

有位访客十分失意地说：「为什么我留在此地，却收成不到任何果实呢？」

「可能是你缺乏摇撼树干的勇气吧！」大师温和地囘答。

DARING

Said a disappointed visitor, “Why has my stay here yielded no fruit?”

“Could it be because you lacked the courage to shake the tree?” said the Master
benignly.

二０二　极　限

大师一再强调：寻求天主的道上，最后一道障碍即是「天主」这个字及其槪念。

当地的祭司听了，十分恼怒，怒气冲冲地跑来与大师理论。

「『天主』这个字当然能引导人到天主前。」祭司说。

「它确实能够。」大师平静地应和着。

「既然能够，怎么又会是障碍呢？」

大师说：「驴子只能将你载到门口，却不能带你进入内室啊！」

INCOMPETENCE

The Master would insist that the final barrier to our attaining God was the word and
concept ‘God ‘.

This so infuriated the local priest that he came in a huff to argue the matter out with
the Master.

“But surely the word ‘God’ can lead us to God?” said the priest.

“It can.” said the Master calmly.

“How can something help and be a barrier?”

Said the Master, “The donkey that brings you to the door is not the means by which
you enter the house.”

二０一　优　越

一位来自东方的弟子，自恃懂得东方灵修，而趾高气昂地问大师说：「为什么西方拥有物质的进步，而东方拥有灵修？」

一位来自东方的弟子，自恃懂得东方灵修，而趾高气昂地问大师说：「为什么西方拥有物质的进步，而东方拥有灵修？」

大师简明地说：「因为太初之时，上天分配恩赐，西方人抢先一步作了选择。」

SUPERIORITY

An Eastern disciple who was proud of what he considered to be the spirituality of the
East came to the Master and said. “Why is it that the West has material progress and the
East has spirituality?”

“Because,” said the Master laconically, “when provisions for this world were being
handed out in the beginning, the West had the first choice.”

二００　天　恩

一位青年来到大师前说：「我想成为智者。我如何才能达成此愿望？」

大师叹息说：「曾经有个年轻人和你一样，也想成为智者，而且极度地渴望。有一天他发现他正坐在我现在的座位上，而且他前面－就在你的位置上，坐着一位青年，这位青年说：『我想成为智者。』」

GRACE

A young man came to the Master and said. “I wish to be Wise. How can I achieve my
wish?”

The Master sighed and said. “There was once a young man just like you. He wished to
be Wise and his wish had great power to it. One day he found himself sitting exactly
where I am. In front of him sat a young man on the exact spot where you are now. And
the young man was saying, ‘I wish to be Wise!”’