開光

　　Consecration Ceremony

　　今天，多芒寺新築成的釋迦牟尼佛塔舉行開光典禮。恰逢藏曆六月十一日。今天和十叁日，也是一年一度供護法的日子，來自上下羅科馬鄉九個村的幾千信衆，身穿節日的盛裝，駕馭著剽悍的駿馬，聚集在左當草原上。

　　Dhomang Monastery held a consecration ceremony today for its newly finished Stupa of Shakyamuni Buddha. The date happened to be June 11 in the Tibetan calendar, which along with the 13th marks the annual Offering Day to Dharma Protectors. Dressed up in festival outfits and riding their strong horses, people from the nine villages of greater Luokema Village congregated on the prairie of Zuo Dang.

　　方圓兩公裏的草原上紮滿了各色帳篷，科羅河在陽光的照射下，波光粼粼，折射出寶石般的耀眼光芒；四周的山巒青翠欲滴，宛如錦緞織出的帷幕；山雀在林中婉轉地歌唱，仿佛天界傳來的音樂。這如同仙境般的土地也是吸引我四十年前探出母體，迫不及待地來到人間的地方。

　　A variety of tents were set up two miles around the prairie. Under the full sun, ripples from the Ke Luo River sparkled brilliantly like shining jewels; the lush greens of the surrounding mountains resembled brocade draperies. Birds chirped in the woods, their melodious tones were like celestial music. Forty years ago, it was exactly such an exquisite, heavenly surrounding that attracted me, when I could hardly wait to emerge from my mother”s womb to arrive in this world.

　　熏燒柏樹枝的桑煙袅袅升騰，漢子們手持護法旗，一邊轉繞，一邊將龍達淩空抛灑。不一會兒，整個草原就成了龍達的海洋。

　　As the offerings proceeded, pine braches were burned and its smoke spiraled up into the sky. Men holding flags of Dharma protectors performed circumambulation while tossing the prayer flags (lungtas) toward the sky. Shortly after, the whole prairie turned into an ocean of lungtas.

　　在一頂可容納上千人的大帳篷裏，男衆們再次發願戒酒、不殺生，去年他們都如此發願，起到了很好的效果。在過去的一年裏，幾乎沒有發生過濫殺無辜的情況，大家都以飲酒殺生爲恥，使這個以前以出産牦牛聞名的地方減少了不少惡業。

　　In a huge tent that could accommodate up to a thousand people, many men took oath once again to refrain from drinking and killing. Similar vow taking was done last year and it has brought impressive results, as there were hardly any cases of indiscriminate killing of the innocent in the past year. People have come to see drinking and taking lives as shameful conducts; now in this place once infamous for yak meat production, there are fewer offenses.

　　空氣中減少了血腥的氣息，顯得更加澄淨；河水中不再流淌著牛羊的鮮血，顯得更加清冽；美麗的草原上不再傳來牲畜的哀鳴，顯得更加甯靜。如果，我此時尚在娘胎，一定會再次選定這個地方作爲我的出生地，因爲我深深地眷戀著這片聚集著善良人們的地方。

　　As the bloody atmosphere of the past has abated, the air seems more refreshing and pristine; the river, no longer running with the blood of sheep or yaks, appears more limpid and cool; the pretty field, free from the distant wails of animals, feels more peaceful. Were I still in my mother”s womb I, for one, would certainly pick this place again as my birthplace, as I am deeply in love with this land full of people blessed with kind and tender hearts.

　　壬午年六月十一日 　

　　2002年7月20日 　

　　11th of June, Year of RenWu

　　July 20, 2002