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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.”

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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.”

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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!”’

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一九九　垂拱而治

大师的言论实在暧昧难解。他常说，真正的改革者能在每一件事情上看出它当下的圆满意义，而且能够随顺因缘。

「那么他为什么仍希望有所改善呢？」他的弟子如此反驳。

「改革者有很多种类。有一种人自己一无所为，却能引导出一种趋势，这些人只在疏导河的流向而已。另一种人企图大展鸿图，他们竭尽所能想湿润河流。」

CONTENTMENT

Paradoxical as it seemed the Master always insisted that the true reformer was one
who was able to see that everything is perfect as it is — and able to leave it alone.

“Then why would he wish to reform anything?” protested his disciples.

“Well, there are refonners and reformers: One type lets action flow through them
while they themselves do nothing; these are like people who change the shape and flow
of a river. The others generate their own activity; they are like people who exert
themselves to make the river wetter.”

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一九八　炫　耀

有个弟子自称他有意去教导别人真理。大师要考核他：「你准备一篇演讲，我将亲临会场审核你是否已经准备妥当。」

这篇演讲颇具启发性。最后，一位乞丐走向这位演说者，他立即起立，并将自己的外衣送给这个乞丐，做为羣众的表率。

事后，大师说：「你的言词充满宗教热忱，然而，孩子，你尚未准备好。」

「为什么？」弟子显得十分失望。

「有两个原因：你根本没有给那乞丐开口的机会，表明他真正的需要；而且你也不必过于向他人炫耀你的德行。」

EXHIBITION

When one of the disciples announced his intention of teaching others Truth, the
Master proposed a test: “Give a discourse that I myself shall be present at to judge if you
are ready.”

The discourse was an inspiring one. At the end of it a beggar came up to the speaker
who stood up and gave the man his cloak — to the edification of the assembly.

Later the Master said. “Your words were full of unction, son but you are not yet
ready.”

“Why not?” said the dispirited disciple.

“For two reasons: You did not give the man a chance to voice his need. And you are
not above impressing others with your virtue.”

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一九六　操　纵

大师坐在那儿听一位妇女抱怨她的丈夫。

最后，大师说：「孩子，如果你能做一个好妻子的话，你的婚姻就可以算是相当幸福了。」

「那，我该如何做呢？」

「别在拚命想把你先生改造为一个好丈夫。」

MANIPULATION

The Master sat through the complaints a woman had against her husband.

Finally he said, “Your marriage would be a happier one my dear, if you were a better
wife.”

“And how could I be that?”

“By giving up your efforts to make him a better husband.”

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一九五　豪气干云

有天，弟子们想知道，那一类的人才适合投入大师门下。

大师说：「有一种人，他只有两件衬衫，却卖了一件，用这钱买了一朶花。」

EXTRAVAGANCE

One day the disciples wanted to know what sort of person was best suited to
discipleship.

Said the Master, “The kind of person who, having only two shirts, sells one and with
the money buys a flower-”

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一九四　祈　祷

大师总喜欢反驳一般人所接受的天主的槪念。

「当天主把你从困境中解救出来，你才会想到寻求真实的天主。」

弟子要求大师解释此言之意。大师说了一个故事：

有个人上街购物，把一辆全新的脚踏车停放在市场边。直到第二天，他才想起他的脚踏车。冲到市场时，以为那脚踏车一定被人偷走了。然而那脚踏车却安然无恙地停在原处。

他高兴地跑到附近圣堂内感谢天主保全了他的脚踏车。当他走出圣堂，却发现脚踏车不见了。

PRAYER

The Master never ceased to attack the notions about God that people entertain.

“if your God comes to your rescue and gets you out of trouble,” he would say. “It is
time you started searching for the true God.

When asked to elaborate, this is the story he told: -

A man left a brand new bicycle unattended at the marketplace while he went about his
shopping.

He only remembered the bicycle the following day — and rushed to the marketplace
expecting it would have been stolen. The bicycle was exactly where he had left it.

Overwhelmed with joy he rushed to a nearby temple to thank God for having kept his
bicycle safe — only to find, when he got out of the temple, that the bicycle was gone!

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一九三　过犹不及

一位充满狂热的弟子一心想去教导别人「真理」，前来征求大师的意见。大师只说：「等一等。」

每年这位弟子都提出同样的请求，而每年大师的答复都是：「等一等。」

有一天，他终于忍不住质问大师：「究竟要等到什么时候我才够格去教导别人？」

大师说：「当你一心想为人师的狂热消退以后。」

AGGRESSION

A zealous disciple expressed a desire to teach others the Truth and asked the Master
what he thought about this. The Master said, “Wait.”

Each year the disciple would return with the same request and each time the Master
would give him the same reply: “Wait.”

One day he said to the Master, “When will I be ready to teach?’

Said the Master, “When your excessive eagerness to teach has left you.”