Inspriration from all walks of life
一五一 栽 培
一位前来参访的求道者临行前请教大师：「我返乡之后应如何分辨真假师父？」
大师说：「好的师父教导实修的方法；坏的师父空谈理论。」
「但我又该如何分辨方法的好坏呢？」
「好比一个农夫，他自然看得出栽培得当与否。」
CULTIVATION
A traveller in quest of the divine asked the Master how to distinguish a true teacher
from a false one when he got back to his own land-
Said the Master, “A good teacher offers practice, a bad one offers theories.”
“But how shall I know good practice from bad?”
“In the same way that the farmer knows good cultivation from bad.”
一五０ 偶像崇拜
大师再三警告弟子宗教的陷阱。他最喜欢讲一位先知的故事。这位先知手擧火炬，在大街小巷里大呼：「他将放火烧掉圣殿，这样人们才会关切他们自己与上主的关系超过圣殿。」
然后，大师还会加上一句：「有一天，我自己也会擧起火炬，把圣殿及上主一齐烧掉。」
IDOLATRY
The Master never wearied of warning his disciples about the dangers of religion. He
loved to tell the story of the prophet who carried a flaming torch through the streets,
saying he was going to set fire to the temple so that people would concern themselves
more with the Lord than with the temple.
Then he would add: “Some day I shall carry a flaming torch myself to set fire to both
the temple and the Lord!”
一四九 形 象
若非别具慧眼，大师身上几乎找不出什么超凡之处。在环境许可时，他也会表现害怕或失意，他也能放声大哭或开怀大笑，甚至勃然大怒；他喜欢佳肴，也不会拒绝喝上两杯；遇到标致的女孩，他也为之侧目。
有位访客开始议论这位大师并非圣人。一位弟子纠正说：
「一个人是否真是圣人是一囘事，而他在你眼中像不像个圣人则是另一囘事。」
PUBLICITY
There was nothing about the Master that any but the keenest eye would see as out of
the ordinary. He could be frightened and depressed when circumstances warranted. He
could laugh and cry and fly into a rage. He loved a goodly meal, was not averse to a drink
or two, and was even know to turn his head at the sight of a comely woman.
When a traveller complained that the Master was not a ‘holy man ‘, a disciple set him
right:
“It is one thing that a .man be holy. It is quite another that he should seem holy to
you.”
一四八 只缘身在此山中
有一座颇具声誉的大学，校长深信大师已臻于神秘境界，想要聘任他为神学院院长。
他向大师的首座弟子提出这项计划。这位弟子说：「大师注重的是使人开悟，而不在于解释悟境。」
「这并不妨碍他成为神学院院长啊！」
「就好像让一个大象做动物学院的院长一样，怎能说没有妨碍？」
EXPERIENCE
The President of a prestigious university, convinced of the Master’s mystical
experience, wanted to make him head of the Theology Department,
He approached the chief disciple with this proposal. The disciple said, “The Master
emphasizes being enlightened not teaching enlightenment.”
“Would that prevent him from being head of the Department of Theology.”
“As much as it would prevent an elephant from being head of the Department of
Zoology.”
一四七 矛 盾
「我应该怎么做才能获得天主？」
「如果你想获得天主，你必须知道两个秘诀：第一即是深知所有获得天主的方法根本无效。」
「第二个秘诀呢？」
「你必须忘掉第一个秘诀，照常努力不懈。」
CONTRADICTION
“What action shall I perform to attain God?”
“If you wish to attain God there are two things you must know. The first is that all
efforts to attain him are of no avail.”
“And the second?”
“You must act as if you did not know the first.”
一四六 适 中
大师深恐弟子对他的倚赖心，妨碍了他们深入自己内心的追寻，故常作冷漠，令他们扫兴。
别人常听大师说：「世界上有三种东西，近之则有害，远之则无用，最好是与它保持一段适中的距离。那就是火、政府，以及师父。」
MODERATION
Again and again the Master would be seen to discourage his disciples from depending
on him, for this would prevent them from contacting the inner Source.
He was often heard to say, “Three things there are that when too close are harmful,
when too far are useless, and are best kept at middle distance: from the government and
the guru.”
一四五 修 练
弟子很想知道大师每天早上在花园中究竟在修练何种默观法门。大师说：「若我仔细地瞧，我会看到丛丛玫瑰的绽放。」
「为什么非要仔细瞧，才能看见玫瑰呢？」他们问道。
「以免我所看到的，不是丛丛玫瑰，而是脑子里存有的印象而已。」大师说。
DISCIPLINE
To the disciples who wanted to know what sort of meditation he practised each
morning in the garden the Master said, “When I look carefully I see the rose bush in full
bloom.”
“Why would one have to look carefully to see the rose bush?” they asked.
Alt of them knew.
Then he said. “Put it into words.”
“Lest one see, not the rose bush.” said the Master, “But one’s preconception of it.”
All of them were silent.
一四四 文 字
弟子们都在热烈地讨论老子的名言：
「知者不言，
言者不知。」
这时大师进来了，弟子们请教他此言的涵意。
大师说：「你们之中有谁知道玫瑰的芬芳？」
所有的人都知道。
他接着说：「用文字表达出来。」
大伙儿都沉默下来。
WORDS
The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao Tzu’s dictum:
“Those who know do not say. Those who say do not know.”
When the Master entered they asked him exactly what the words meant.
Said the Master, “Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?”
一四三 本来具足
弟子们渴求明心见性，却捉摸不到它的门路。
大师说：「没有人能获得它，更无法掌握它。」
大师见弟子一副垂头丧气模样，便说：「放心吧！你也不会失去它的。」
这一整天，弟子们都在探索这无法获得，也无法失去之宝。
SOVEREIGNTY
The disciples sought Enlightenment but did not kn ow what it was or how it was
attainable.
Said the Master, “It cannot be attained. You cannot get hold of it.”
Seeing the disciples downcast look the Master said, “Don‘t be distressed. You cannot
lose it either,”
And to this day the disciples are in search of that which can neither be lost nor taken
hold of.
一四二 自甘贫贱
大师向一位来自遥远异乡的弟子问道：「你究竟在寻找什么？」
「明心见性。」
「你自家已拥有一座宝库，为什么却跑到外地寻宝？」
「我的宝库在哪儿？」
「就是这自你心内扬起的渴求之心。」
这位弟子当下即开悟了。在往后的岁月里，他常向朋友说：「开启你自己的宝库，享用你的宝藏。」
IMPOVERISHMENT
When a disciple came from a far-away country, the Master asked, “What are you
seeking?”
“Enlightenment.”
“You have your own treasure house. Why do you search outside?”
“Where is my treasure house?”
“This seeking that has come upon you.”
At that moment the disciple was enlightened. Years later he would say to his friends,
“Open your own treasure house and enjoy your treasures.”