圣伯铎广场

二一二　逆　境

「磨难能促人成长，甚至开悟。」大师道。

他作了如下解说：

有只鸟儿每天栖息在荒原中的一株枯树上。一天，一阵狂风刮倒这株枯树，可怜的鸟儿只能飞到百里之外，另觅栖身之处－－终于牠来到了一座森林，林中结满了累累果实。

大师做了简要的结论：「这棵枯树存在一天，这只鸟儿就不肯放弃牠栖身之处而高飞远翔。」

TRIBULATION

“Calamities can bring growth and enlightenment.” said the Master.

And he explained it thus:

Each day a bird would shelter in the withered branches of a tree that stood in the
middle of a vast deserted plain. One day a whirlwind uprooted the tree forcing the poor
bird to fly a hundred miles in search of shelter — till it finally came to a forest of fruit-
laden trees.

二一一　教　育

大师对于神圣的宗教知识及教育一向抱着存疑态度，常常鼓励科学、艺术或其他方面的研究，所以他顺理成章地接受国立大学的邀请，前去演讲。

他提早一小时抵达学校，浏览校园，观摩教学设备，对那些向所未闻的现代化设备，赞叹有加。

而他的演讲一如惯例，还不到一分钟就结束了。他说：

「如果灵心慧眼不在其中，所有的实验室、图书馆、厅堂、回廊、拱门以及丰富的讲学都形同虚设。」

EDUCATION

Suspicious as the Master was of knowledge and learning in matters divine, he never
missed a chance to encourage the arts and sciences and every other form of learning. So it
was no surprise that he readily accepted an invitation to address the University
Convocation.

He arrived an hour ahead of time to wander about the Campus and marvel at the
facilities for learning that were quite non-existent in his own day.

Typically, his Convocation speech lasted less than a minute. He said:

“Laboratories and libraries, halls and porch and arch and learned lectures — all shall
be of no avail if the wise heart and the Seeing Eye are absent.”

二一０　虚　荣

大师时常提醒弟子，人的圣德，如同美貌一般，是浑然天成而不自觉的。他喜欢引用下面的诗句：

玫瑰，它适时绽放。

无缘无由；

也无意妆扮，

　　为赢得我的夸赞。

他又引用谚语：「当人认清自己不过尔尔，方堪称为圣。」

VANITY

The Master frequently reminded his disciples that holiness, like beauty, is only
genuine when unselfconscious. He loved to quote the verse:

She blooms because she blooms,
the Rose:

Does not ask why.
nor does she preen herself
to catch my eye.

And the saying, “A saint is a saint until he knows that he is one.”

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.