溪流與沙漠的對話: 跨越生命中的障礙,不要怕改變。

Dialogue between a stream and the desert: Cross the barriers of life and don’t be afraid to change.

一、 前言 (Preface)
This article is written by a Sophie traveling monk. He uses the metaphor (fable) of “the dialogues between the desert and a stream” . The desert teaches a small river how to cross a vast desert. This metaphor contains a very deep life and enlightening philosophy. If you are able to understand this fable, every obstacle in life can be easily resolved. 此文是一位蘇菲遊方僧侶的 一首 <沙土之歌>。他以 “溪流與沙漠的對話” 的譬喻 (寓言),教導小河流如何跨越大沙漠。如果能瞭解了其中的小道理,就可運用無窮,凡事迎刃而解。

In the same way, it also teaches practitioners how to transcend beyond all limits. Serious spiritual practitioners are then able to learn how to enter “the door without a door”, and become enlightened. 同理,它也教導修行人,如何百尺竿頭,更進一步。普賢行者,如何進入無門關,見性成佛。[ “無門”是如何進入 “空性”的法門,也是如何明心見性的法門]。

This article is written in English with Chinese translation. I hope it will be able to transform your life, and live happily everafter. 信堅在此以中英對照介紹此文,希望它能轉變你的 一生。

二、Dialogue between the stream and the desert溪流與沙漠的對話
A little stream flowed down from a high mountain far, far away through many villages and forests, until it reached a desert.
在遙遠的高山裡,有一條小溪流,為了進入海洋,從高山上流下來,而展開漫長旅途。它穿過各形各色的村莊和森林,直到有一天,它流到了一個沙漠邊緣。

The stream then thought, “I’ve been through countless obstacles. I should have no problem crossing this desert!” 小溪流就想:「我既已能夠越過之前的重重障礙,這次穿越這沙漠應該沒問題吧。」

But when she decided to start her journey, she found herself gradually disappearing into the mud and sand. After numerous tries, she found it was all in vain and was very upset. “Maybe it’s my destiny! I’m not destined to reach the vast ocean in the legend,” she murmured dejectedly to herself.
當它決定穿越沙漠時,卻發現自己的溪水,只要它一衝入沙土,就消失在泥沙之中。它試了一次又一次,總是徒勞無功,於是它非常沮喪,自言自語的說:「也許這就是我的命運吧!我注定永遠也到不了傳說中那個浩瀚大海。」

At this time, a deep voice came, saying, “If a breeze can cross the desert, so can a river.” It was the voice of the desert. 此時,四周響起了一陣低沉的聲音:「如果風能跨越沙漠, 那麼溪流也可以。」這是沙漠的聲音。

Unconvinced, the little stream replied, “That’s because a breeze can fly, but I cannot.” 小溪流很不服氣的反駁的說: ” 當我努力地衝向沙土,卻只徒然被吸砂土吸乾而已。風能飛過沙漠, 而我卻不能飛”。

“That’s because you stick to what you are. If you’re willing to give it up, and let yourself evaporate into the breeze, it can take you across, and you can reach your destination,” said the desert in its deep voice. 沙漠用它低沉的聲音回答說:「因為你堅持你原來的樣子,所以你永遠無法跨越這個沙漠。用你自己慣常猛衝的方式是無法辦不到的,你不是消失,只是變成一片泥沼。只要你願意放棄你現在的樣子,讓自己蒸發到微風中,讓微風帶著你飛越沙漠。這樣你才能被帶到你 的目的地。」

The little stream had never heard of such a thing. “Give up what I am now and disappear into the breeze? No! No!” She could not accept this idea. After all, she had never experienced anything like it before. Wouldn’t it be self-destruction to give up what she was now?  小河流從來沒聽過這道理。「放棄我現在的樣子,然後消失在微風中?不!不!」 小河流無法接受這樣的概念,畢竟它從沒有讓自己被微風吸入過的經驗。叫它放棄自己現在的樣子,那麼不等於是自我毀滅了嗎? [它不想喪失掉它所熟悉的體性。況且,我怎麼知道,我一旦喪失掉了現在這個體性,它還可以回復得來呢? ]

“How do I know if this is true?” asked the little stream.
「我怎麼知道你所說的是真的呢?」小溪流這麼問。

“The breeze can carry the vapor across the desert and release it as rain at an appropriate site. The rain will form a river again to continue its course,” answered the desert very patiently.「微風可以把水蒸氣攜帶起來,然後飄過沙漠,到了適當的地點,再把這些水氣,變成了雨水降落下來。這些雨水又會重新匯聚形成一條河流,繼續向前進。 」沙漠很有耐心地回答。

“Will I still be what I am now?” asked the little stream.
小河流又問: 「那我還能保有我現在的 “原來樣子” 嗎?」

“Yes and no. Whether you’re a river or invisible vapor, your inner nature never changes. You stick to the fact that you’re a river because you don’t know your inner nature,” answered the desert. 沙漠回答說:「可以說是,也可以說不是。不管你是一條河流或是看不見的水蒸氣,你內在的本質從來沒有改變。你會堅持自己是一條河流,那是因為你從來不知道自己內在的本質。你的精華部分,永不改變。你被微風帶走之後,你的精華,會再形成一條溪流。」

Deep down, the stream vaguely remembered that before she became a river, it was perhaps also the breeze that had carried her halfway up a high mountain, where she turned into rain and fell onto the ground and became what she was now. 此時小河流的心中,隱隱約約地想起了自己在變成河流之前,似乎也是由微風帶著自己,飛到內陸某座高山的半山腰,然後變成雨水降落到地面後,才變成今日的河流。

Finally the little stream gathered her courage and rushed into the open arms of the breeze, which carried her to the next stage of her life. 於是小河流終於鼓起勇氣,讓自己變成了水蒸氣,投入了微風的懷抱中。微風溫柔地、輕鬆地攜帶著它上升前進, 而在抵達許多里外的山巔時, 讓它輕柔地降下。奔向它生命旅程中的下一個階段。

The course of our lives is like the experience of little stream. If you want to surpass the obstacles in your life in order to head for the destination of Truth, Virtue and beauty, you should also have the wisdom and courage to renounce your ego (attachment to yourself). 我們的生命歷程也像小河流一樣,若想要跨越生命中的障礙,達成某種程度的突破, 往真善美的目標邁進,也需要有「放下自我(執著)」的智慧與勇氣,邁向未知的領域。

Perhaps you can try asking yourself these questions: What is my inner nature? What is it that I cling to? and What is it that I really want? 也許你可以試著問自己:我的本質是什麼? 我緊抓不放的是什麼? 我要的究竟是什麼?

Surmounting Life’s Obstacles -Do You Cling to What You Were Before?
跨越生命中的障礙,您還堅持原來的樣子嗎?

Sometimes, we are obsessively advancing toward our own goals. We firmly believe that as long as we work hard, we can clear the obstacles of the future; but we neglect that things are changing and developing.
有時候,我們執著的朝自己的目標前進,我們堅信,只要努力一定可以掃清前途的障礙;卻忽略了,事物是變化發展的。

三、Revelation啟示
People’s life course is like this small river. If we want to cross the obstacles in our lives, we must overcome a number of obstacles and achieve a certain degree of breakthrough. In the face of unknown obstacles, it is necessary to have the wisdom and courage to let go of attachments; at the right time, turn a corner, perhaps, then the new path ahead will become straight, leading to the desired goals of life.
人們的生命歷程也要像小河流一樣,必須跨越生命中的重重障礙,達成某種程度的突破。在面對未知的領域時,更須具備「放下自我(執著)」的智慧與勇氣,在適當的時候,轉個彎,才能往目標邁進。

Life is not necessarily having only one fixed form. When the environment cannot be changed, you must try to change yourself. As long as your essence remains the same, you are still you. 生命中不一定只有一種形式,當環境無法改變的時候,必須試著改變自己。只要本質不變,你依舊是你。

This is <the song of sand>, and it is also the song of life stream. When people are growing up, they always have to face different environments. Sometimes in order to reach the destination, we must be able to have flexibility, give up our stubbornness of maintaining in the same way, adapt to changes in the environment, learn to change thinking, and have flexibly cross the obstacles in life.
這是沙土之歌, 更是溪流的生命之歌。人在成長中,總要去面向不同的環境。有時候為了達到目的地,我們就要懂得變通,放棄你保有本來樣子的固執,順應環境的變化,學會轉換思維,靈活地跨越生命中的障礙。

After you understand your true essences, the next time you encounter an environment that cannot be changed, you may want to change yourself instead.瞭解了自己的本來面目後,下次當碰到環境無法改變的時候,你不妨試著改變自己 (山不轉路轉,路不轉心轉,心不轉念轉)。

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About wtsai

台南一中、台大物理、 哈佛博士。曾任教授、科學家、工程師。專長: 吹牛、高能物理、量子物理、太空物理,天文物理、地球物理,人造衛星設計、測試、發射、資料回收及科學應用。略涉: 武俠、太極、瑜珈、導引、氣功、經脈、論語、易經、老莊、一乘佛經、禪經、靈界實相、Hawkins、Seth。

10 thoughts on “溪流與沙漠的對話: 跨越生命中的障礙,不要怕改變。

    • 關關您好:

      這個名字,讓顏想到「關關難過,關關過。」不知是師姐,或師兄?我猜是師姐。

      淨空法師講過:看破幫助放下,放下幫助看破。看破是智慧,放下是功夫。看破與放下,相輔相成。

      人若真正看破,沒有放不下的。禪宗祖師也云:「只貴汝知見,不貴汝行履」。智慧能幫助我們看清真相,自然會作當時正確的抉擇。

      顏認為,所謂放下肉身,是指放下對肉身的執著,不是指棄絕或否定肉身的存在及作用。何況,當有人像您一樣,能瞭解肉身是四大假合的,要放下它應不難。

      在此因緣生因緣滅的世間,即使世人如何珍愛自己的肉身,自古至今,誰能阻檔它終將毀壞?不妨善待它,善用此假相,提高靈性,尋回「常樂我淨」之真如本性。

      放下,心無束無縛,身應可日漸隨緣自在。感謝南懷瑾老師和信堅師兄教我修行之道,要「性命雙修」。

      顏顏敬上

      • 誰?放下什麼?

        依理而言,若人了知,本來無一物,無塵可除,所照無境,何須煩惱 “放下”?

        依事而論,要放下的,是“執念”,是妄念所繫持的“假我”,是“愛欲”,是“無明煩惱”……。層層剝除,明鏡自照。

        顏顏敬上

  1. 在來米師兄:

    您問:“你會放下嗎?”

    剛才,想起一件改變我的往事:

    2016年初,台灣出現急凍的霸王級寒流,一早望見後山,一夜之間因雪白了頭,我因在國外見慣積雪,不以為意地,往常的山爬去。越過了陡嶺,往產業道路繼續蜿蜒而上,車輛來來往往(趕來賞雪)。當我停在路邊拍完連峰上壯麗可愛的雪景,正在寫字要上傳臉書時,突然聽到右後方巨響,見一機車橫倒在地,由上面陡坡路直往我掃來,那男騎士魂不附體地和我四眼對望……

    那一刻,失去了時間,只有一個念「我今天死了!」我腳前頂著水泥牆(圍著山谷),無路可逃,最後,我在那沒有時間的情況下,往右前跳了30公分。那30公分救了我一命。騎士機車把道路深深刮了一道(一年半後才不見),所經之處,好幾棵矮樹被撞到幾乎連根拔起,他?倒地等救護車。

    那山路到山頂7公里多,平時沒人會走,除了我。當天也只有我,而他卻能準地瞄準我,天意?不管結論如何,我站在原地,想著:「我心裡念著朋友,生死一線間,我死了呢?」人生無常,朝不保夕,要過有意義的生活,不能控制的,就聽天由命了。放不下?有很多事情,不是硬抓就能永遠抓住的。

    • 顏顏師姐:
      是啊;在來米是在問 關關師姐;也是準備自問自答。
      會放下嗎? 1.我有意願嗎? 2.我會方法嗎?
      1.如果學會放下,確知能逍遙自在;且付出少就能獲得,那肯定一定 會拚死拚活的修行。問題是;學佛是自證。如何相信尚未得到的,該依甚麼心態去做。若能身邊有一位修行高人,那是福報。在來米有意願學,甚麼時候成,沒有很在意。◕‿◕。
      2.最初接觸佛書,是服義務兵役時。在高雄岡山火車站,拿到一本 廣欽和尚語錄,爾後也聽過 星雲法師、慧律法師、上清下海法師、淨空法師、舉凡出現在電視台法師的講演,多少都聽過。五年前就專心跟隨 信堅師兄學佛。初生之犢不畏虎,用誠心閱讀園地文章,有感有疑就隨時留言。 信堅師兄的回文,從來都不是在來米心中的可能所想。但卻相信那是追求的境界,雖然一時不能理解或共鳴。甚至有手無寸鐵,弱點接受攻擊的微想。
      講了這麼多,忽然發現???怎麼在對 顏顏師姐講這些;◕‿◕。

      既然講了,就再摘錄一段 信堅師兄 多年前漫談【 明心見性】片段
      {我等眾生,本具如來智慧德相,靈明空寂與佛無殊。
      只因無明不覺,顛倒妄執,造業受報。
      從無始劫來,迷失自己本來面目。
      認妄為真,喚奴作郎,妄起貪嗔。
      愚者無知,【安受困苦,不求解脫】
      智者雖知,生死事大,苦海無邊,欲求解脫,而苦無其門。
      因此千經萬論,無不圍繞明心見性,來闡揚發明,使眾生得以覺破迷情,消除無明,離忘返真,就路歸家。}

      在來米敬上

      • 謝謝在來米師兄分享真誠的學佛因緣及真誠的感言。能自二十幾歲即學佛不退,又五年全勤,孜孜不倦,談何容易,若非累世善根,怎可能如此求道若渴,早同一般人尋樂去也,在來米是在此園地成熟的元老 ◕‿◕ ,在來米和信堅師兄因緣甚深,當然,在來米和顏天生愛拌嘴愛玩鬧,緣份可能也非凡 ─‿─

        您幫我們摘錄信堅師兄這段「明心見性」,有如「暮鼓晨鐘」,相信很多人讀了,都會心也戚戚:

        【我等眾生,本具如來智慧德相,靈明空寂與佛無殊。
        只因無明不覺,顛倒妄執,造業受報。
        從無始劫來,迷失自己本來面目。
        認妄為真,喚奴作郎,妄起貪嗔。
        愚者無知,「安受困苦,不求解脫」。
        智者雖知,生死事大,苦海無邊,欲求解脫,而苦無其門。
        因此千經萬論,無不圍繞「明心見性」,來闡揚發明,使眾生得以覺破迷情,消除無明,離忘返真,就路歸家。】

  2. 顏顏師姐、關關師姐:

    顏顏師姐,今天似乎,智慧大開,文思不斷,談經說道,深入實相,井井有條。信堅此後,高枕無憂,可讓師姐,代為發言。

    此沙土詩歌,表面是說,不要執著,肉身體相。四大皆空,真我本性,不生不滅。更深更廣,是說人生的意義與目的,是增長智慧,認清實相。不要執著於小我的認知,而為之所侷限。不要怕未知、不要怕改變。要能放開心量,智慧決擇。遇到難關,要能換一個角度思維,超越固有的認知,才能百尺竿頭,更進一步。山不轉路轉,路不轉人轉,人不轉心轉。心轉念轉,世上無難事。

    歡迎關關師姐,大駕光臨,信堅園地,指導迷津。誠如顏顏師姐所說,”關關難過關關過,處處無路處處路。事事難成事事成,處處隨緣處處緣”。只要放下執著,看破世相,認清實相,自然關關過、處處路、事事成、處處緣。
    [信堅補註: 詩經開宗明義的第一篇 “關雎” : “關關雎鳩,在河之洲。窈窕淑女,君子好逑”。 也是 “關關”起頭,不知師姐是哪一個 “關關”? ]

    最後,恭喜顏顏師姐,於生死一念之間,作出最好的決擇,大難不死,必有後福。這是累世善因緣。師姐身負 “上求佛道,下化眾生” 的重任,佛菩薩自然保佑,逢凶化吉 🙂

    信堅

    • 哈哈,顏大難不死,刹那深悟人生無常。之後感覺我命是老天多給的。記得2017年,您送來孫悟空的緊箍兒吧?顏一直戴著,上有佛菩薩罩著,隨師取經去◕‿◕,……去年讀完您那篇西遊記真義,就不怕緊箍兒了,悟空我,現在摸不到緊箍兒後,感覺很自在,也瞭解求道之途是最有意義的生命之旅,永生之旅!

      顏顏敬上

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