..續本文上一頁cluding Buddhists, who say there is danger lurking behind anything that goes on too far. Be it modernism and scientific methods, or be it postmodernism--if it”s carried to its extreme, it”s dangerous. So, it is for us--Buddhists and Buddhist educators--to point in a compassionate manner to the Middle Path-both in the postmodern form and in the modern form.

　　關于「後現代主義」有一樣對我們很重要，我需要提一下。在我們打碎「現代主義」將樣樣分割開來研究的形規框架的過程中，我們也抛棄了權威思想和傳統思想。那是因爲我們都被那些殘垣碎片——那些老舊僵硬的權威傷害過的關系。現在把這些東西砸碎了，這些「後現代」社會的個人，將無所依靠——沒有「梵網」了。一睹眼前滿目瘡痍，由這種空，而心生恐懼，所以現在又極力地要將零零碎碎的舊東西拼湊在一起。什麼舊東西？就是古文化、古哲學思想，以及現有的分崩離析中的一些東西。我們東拉一片，西扯一塊胡亂地拼湊著。就這樣，我們一手創出一個新的世界，一個新的結構。但每人所見有異，這人看到的是這些碎片；那人見著的是那些碎片。

　　There is one thing that I would like to say about the post-modern world that is very important for all of us. In this postmodern age, in the process of breaking all the formalities and rigidities of our modern world that were piding everything up, people have thrown away the idea of authority, and also of tradition. That”s because they have all been hurt by the debris—the leftovers, the broken piece--of our old, stiff authorities from the past. Now that these are all smashed, the postmodern inpiduals, out of having nothing for them to catch onto--no Brahma Net--and out of the fear and horror which comes from staring into this mess--this emptiness--they are trying to put the old back together frantically, by catching these bits and pieces of ancient cultures, philosophies, and what-have-you, of this old and disintegrating world. They (or we actually) catch these pieces and try to stick them together at random--a little bit from here, a little bit from there--as they see fit. So, they make a new world, a new construct for themselves, but for each inpidual it”s a different thing and it comes from different, disconnected pieces.

　　在這種環境之下，每一個人都對其「自我」有一種恐懼感；現代人生活在這個「後現代的社會」的恐懼感與無力感是非常之深的。對于這些人和那個世界，需要一種新的更爲對機的方法，這也正是我們需要觀世音菩薩幫忙的地方。那也是我們唯一能從恐懼和混亂的深淵中拔出來的方法。作爲老師，我們以悲憫之心去了解我們可憐的學生和我們同事的處境，以及爲什麼他們互不信任，也不信任這個世界。我們要從不同的角度去接近他們——從那個角度去幫他們，不是幫自己。我們都知道法門有許多，我們不應只找一個適合于我們自己的法門；如果我們力所能及，我們也應當幫他們找到他們各自的法門。

　　And in this kind of atmosphere, each person is afraid for his or for her own ego, for their selves. The level of fear and anquish of the modern human being living in a postmodern world is very, very high. There needs to be a new and more appropriate approach to these people and to this world. And here is where we all need the help of Guanyin. That is the only thing that can pull us out of this tremendous mess and fear that our world is in. As teachers, we must have empathy and see where our poor students and our poor colleagues are and why they are mistrustful of each other and of the world and approach them from a different angle—from the angle that we work for them, not necessarily for us, because we all know that there are many, many Dharma doors and so we should not only find one that works for us, but find their Dharma door if we can.

　　我的一個實際的建議是我們從小處著手，從一個受驚且無知的衆生所能明白的東西著手；也就是從與他們生命有關的東西，不太令他們害怕，且又能讓他們能做得到的東西開始。在一般人的標准來說，是使他們能這樣說的東西：「喔！這很容易，我這樣笨的人都能做得到。」然後從那個小地方著手，你可以使他們日日有所增益。要是你起點就非常高，又少關愛，又以威壓；見到威壓，他們就躲開了。我說這有點像訓練小動物，但是作爲教育工作者，得人心之道，在于從低處著手，並在我們講話中解除對他的威脅。

　　My practical suggestion for this is to start out small, with something a frightened and an ignorant being can relate to, something that is relevant to their own life, that is not too scary and that is attainable for them. On the human level, that is something to which they can say, "Oh, this is easy. Even a stupid fool like me can do that." If they can start from that point, you can make better human beings out of them. But if you start from a point that is way, way too far, that is not personal, and that is authoritative—if they see authority—then they shy away. It is a little bit like training a wild animal, I would say. But the way to a…

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