上寨

　　Shang Zhai

　　得知上師回學院的消息，益西彭措和慈誠羅珠早已在上寨等候，益西彭措已爲上師安排了上寨最好的房間。雖說是最好的，但其“豪華程度”也實在不敢恭維。

　　Upon learning the imminent return of our Guru to the academy, Yeshe Phuntsok and Tsultrim Lodro wasted no time in getting to Shan Zhai to wait there. Yeshe Phuntsok arranged a lodge for our Guru that supposedly was the best in the area. Although proclaimed to be the “top accommodation,” the facilities at this place were really quite awful.

　　慈誠羅珠、 哲和我擠在一個房間裏，這是一間未經打掃的屋子，滿地煙頭、垃圾，枕頭、被單汙穢不堪，但因爲上師的情況有所好轉，再加上久別的友人得以重逢，我的心情格外快活，絕不亞于幾天前呆在五星級飯店的感覺。安排的晚餐也十分可口，心的力量真是能超越一切。

　　Tsultrim Lodro, Zhe, and I squeezed into a room that had not been cleaned, the floor was scattered with cigarette butts and garbage, and the pillows and sheets were absolutely filthy. Yet the pleasure of reuniting with long-separated old friends and of seeing our Guru getting better made this stay no less enjoyable than the one at five-star hotel a few days ago. The prepared dinner also turned out to be quite delicious; indeed, the power of the mind transcends all things.

　　飯後，我們一起去散步，途經一家新建的住房，這裏曾是當地殺牛的場所，慈誠羅珠感慨道：“人真是可怕的動物，對其它動物的生命毫不在乎，如果這裏是殺人的地方，人們是決不會在這瑞安家落戶的!”這裏一定聚集著許多牦牛的冤魂，我們爲它們念誦了回向偈。但願它們能有一個好的去處。對面山上印著觀音心咒的經幡迎風搖曳，附和著我的祝願。

　　While taking a stroll together after dinner, we passed by a new residence built over a lot where the locals used to slaughter yaks. Tsultrim Lodro said with a sigh: “Isn”t the human an awful creature! Had this place been an execution ground of people, no one would imagine building a house on it and calling it home, yet they care not the least for animals” lives.” Feeling that many unhappy souls of slaughtered yaks must be lingering around, we recited mantras for them and dedicated the merit for their rebirth to higher realms. On a hilltop facing the building, many prayer flags printed with Avalokitesvara”s mantra were flapping against the wind, as if echoing my prayers.

　　夕陽在山巅灑下最後一抹金黃後，迅速地消失于地平線，上寨迎來了新一輪的黑暗，回到房間，既沒有水，也沒有臉盆，隔壁嘹亮的鼾聲透過薄薄的木板清晰地傳了過來，敲打著我的耳鼓膜，如同一首安詳的催眠曲，將我趕入了甜蜜的夢鄉。

　　The sun set over the hill, in the last golden glow it faded in the horizon promptly, and night fell in Shang Zhai. Back at the lodge, there was no water or basin. A loud snoring, clearly audible through the thin walls, beat on my eardrums like a melodious lullaby; it quickly sent me to the realm of sweet dreams.

　　壬午年五月十二日 　

　　2002年6月22日 　

　　12th of May, Year of RenWu

　　June 22, 2002