山兔

　　Mountain Hare

　　山兔常被藏人譽爲“菩薩”，本地的山兔一般有白色的腹部，灰黑色的後背。兩只大大的眼睛，一對長長的耳朵，性情特別慈悲。

　　Tibetans usually praise the mountain hare as a bodhisattva. The native species here sports a white belly and somber black back, two big eyes, and a pair of big floppy ears. It has a very gentle and loving disposition.

　　幾個月前，一只山兔在我院子裏的一棵松樹下安了家，成爲我的新鄰居。

　　A few months ago, one mountain hare decided to make its home in a pine tree in my yard and has become my new neighbor.

　　每天，當太陽還躺在被窩裏沒有出來時，精勤的山兔已飽餐了帶有露珠的青草，回到窩裏開始“坐禅”。一個上午，它就這樣一動不動地“觀明點”、“觀虛空”，仿佛一位駕輕就熟的老瑜伽師。

　　Every day while the sun is still snuggling in bed, my diligent neighbor has already filled its belly with grass laden with dewdrops and returned home to assume its “meditation.” It remains motionless all morning working with skill and ease on “looking at the essences” and “looking into the void,” just like an old yogi master.

　　直至下午，它才走出“關房”，開始品嘗肥嫩的青草。由于長期的和睦相處，它已將我視爲同類，對我不再有戒備，即使我路過它的“關房”，它也熟視無睹，不屑采取任何防備措施。

　　The hare does not leave its “meditation cell” until it”s time to nibble tender grasses again in the afternoon. As we are getting along well, it has long considered me as one of its own kind and has not bothered to establish any protective measures. Even if I walk past its “meditation cell,” it will not blink an eye and could care less.

　　我樂于與它爲鄰，因爲它的清淨生活，因爲它的慈悲胸襟。它從未傷害過任何衆生，遠遠勝過如今大城市裏吃海鮮、吮猴腦，渾身散發著血腥的人們。

　　With a kind heart the hare never harms other beings. Compared with urban folks who ooze bloody odors from feasting on seafood or slurping live monkey brains, the hare lives a pure and unfettered life. How I love having it as a neighbor!

　　一位學者的道歌這樣唱道：“晴朗天空中的月輪是獨立的；參天大樹下的山兔是獨立的；寂靜山林裏的修行人你不會孤獨……”獨自是多麼的悠閑自在！

　　A song of realization says: “In the clear sky the moon shines alone; under the towering pine trees the mountain hare sits by itself; spiritual seeker in the deep forest, you will never be lonely….” How relaxed and carefree it is to be in solitude!

　　陽光開始降下帷幕，夜空的遊舞即將上演，山兔回到了它的洞穴，我也開燈繼續著一天的功課。

　　The sun lowers its curtain for the day; soon the nightly sky will take the stage. It”s time for the hare to return to its burrow, and for me to turn on the light to continue my daily homework.

　　壬午年六月二十九日　

　　2002年8月7日　

　　29th of June, Year of RenWu

　　August 7, 2002