..續本文上一頁的，而是基督徒加之于他們頭上的節日呢？而一旦他們出去到一個基督教社會，基督教的社會力量就會使他們接受基督教節日而將回教節日往後擺。所以沙地政府的政策是：這是一個回教國家，耶誕日應該還是一個工作日。

　　Many of the teachers were quite upset, because they wanted to celebrate Christmas. The principals of the school, who were all Arabs, were also upset, and they were very embarrassed by this. This is the ethics that I”m talking about. These were ethical people, and they didn”t know what to do. So, they said, "This is the law, and we will get into trouble if we don”t follow the law, but we also know that you are good people who are teaching and not taking too much money and who try to help us and make friends with us. We apologize for our government, but we have to follow the law." I talked to the teachers and said, "Some of you are married to Arabs, so your husbands are Muslims. Those of you whose husbands are Muslims and those of you who really don”t care whether you are home or not for Christmas, and those of you who can give of yourselves-since Christmas is a day when you should give--come, in order to help out the school. Those of you who don”t want to come don”t have to come, and we will somehow pide the classes among the ones who are left behind." And that is what happened. Some people came, and some didn”t come.

　　當然這使得許多老師都很不痛快，因爲他們想放假過個耶誕日。校長們都是阿拉伯人，也很難過，很難堪，這是我所說的道德問題。他們都是品德很好的人，他們也不知道該怎麼辦。所以他們說，這是法律，如果我們不遵守，我們就會有麻煩的；但是我們都知道你們是好人，教書又不拿多少錢，是幫助我們，和我們作朋友。我們爲我們的政府向你們道歉，但是我們還是要遵守這個法律。所以我對那些教師們說：「你們中那些先生是回教徒的，那些不在乎耶誕節那天是不是回家的，那些能夠布施的——因爲耶誕節是布施的一天——都來學校吧！來幫助學校吧！那些不想來的不用勉強，那天學生我們會另外分班。」事情的經過是這樣子的：一些人來了；一些人沒有來。

　　I went to substitute for another teacher, and the minute I walked into the classroom, the students locked the door. I thought, "My goodness, what”s going to happen now

　　"

　　Then from under their chadors--the black cloaks that the women wear came all kinds of sweets and delicacies that they had made for their teacher (not for me; I was just a substitute) because they knew that she was an American and a Christian and that she liked Christmas, and they wanted her to be happy.

　　我那天去代別的老師的課；我一走進教室，學生即刻把門一鎖。我愣了一下，心想：「天哪！要出什麼事了？」這時從那些婦女穿著的回教黑袍底下，她們拿出各式個樣的甜點佳肴。她們專爲老師做的——不是給我做的，我只是一個替課老師——因爲她們知道她們的老師是美國人，基督徒，很喜歡過耶誕節的，她們想讓她開心開心。

　　This was such a touching thing. In spite of the law of their country, they wanted to respect their teachers. And I took these things and brought them home to their teacher. It was really a very humbling experience for everybody.

　　此事感人之處在于：她們願悖法而尊師。我把這些吃的包好回去帶給她們的老師。這一經曆足令每個人低首深思。

　　This story is a good example of what ethics is, because it is a case of going beyond the rule. The rule was one thing, but people saw what the principle behind it was, and they were courageous enough to follow that principle.

　　這樁事是關于什麼是道德的一個好例子，因爲它超越了規矩；規矩是一回事，人所見到規矩後面的道義是什麼，又是另外一回事。這些學生都很有勇氣，能見義而勇于去行其道。

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　　編按：阿比納博士原籍前南斯拉夫 ，生于佛教家庭，笃信佛教。獲貝 爾格勒南斯拉夫大學東方事務學碩 士；土耳其伊斯坦堡大學土耳其事務學博士。現任美國萬佛城法界佛教大學校長，教授「佛教宗教觀」一課；並任加州柏克萊法界宗教研 究院主任、研究教授。

　　Editor”s note: Dr. Akpinar originally came from the former Yugoslavia and was born a Buddhist. She holds an M. A. in Oriental Studies from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and a Ph.D. in Turkish Studies from the University of Istanbul, Turkey.

　　She is President of Dharma Realm Buddhist University at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and teaches a course called "A Buddhist View of Religion". She is also Director/Research Professor of Institute for World Religions in Berkeley, California.

《透過教育弘揚佛法 Propagation Of Buddhism Through Education》全文閱讀結束。