表演

　　Dance Performance

　　在人生的舞臺上，每個人都是一個舞蹈者。他們的舞蹈有的精彩非凡，扣人心弦；有的卻平淡無奇，索然寡味。什麼是最優美的舞姿，世間與出世間的人可謂仁者見仁，智者見智。

　　On the stage of human life, everyone is a dancer. Some dance performances can be thrillingly spectacular, gripping everyone”s attention; while others are just jejune, flat, and dull. If asked to name the most elegant and graceful dance, secular people and spiritual practitioners have different ideas, as the saying goes: “The benevolent see benevolence and the wise see wisdom”.

　　巴勒斯坦領袖阿拉法特在國際舞臺上可謂輝煌一時，他曾建立了自己的國家，並在聯合國一手持槍，一手持橄榄果爲和平而宣誓。雖然世人對他的舉止衆說紛纭、莫衷一是，但他也算得上是風雲一時的人物了。

　　The Palestinian leader Arafat dominated the international stage during his time; he established his government and once audaciously pledged for peace at the United Nations by holding a machine gun in one hand and an olive branch in the other. Although public opinions on his conduct vary widely, he was once a big name on the world scene.

　　如今72歲的他，雖然已經被關押在戰火飛揚，瀕臨倒塌的房屋裏。仍然十分珍惜時間，十年來一直堅持晚睡早起，每天只休息4個小時，其余的時間都在爲他的“和平”而戰，甚至不願意爲刮胡子而耽誤時間。他說：“每天用15分鍾刮胡子，一個月就是7個鍾頭啊！”且不論他的努力是否有價值、他的觀點是否正確，但這種精神是值得我們借鑒的。

　　Now, at the age of 72 and living under house arrest in a war-torn, run-down hut, he still does not waste any time. For the past 10 years he has adhered strictly to four hours” rest per day, going to bed late and getting up early, to devote all his waking hours to fight for his “peace movement,” even to the point of neglecting to shave in order to save a few minutes. He said: “Fifteen minutes per day spent on shaving consumes seven whole hours a month!” Putting aside the issue of whether his effort is worthwhile or if his view is correct, it is worthwhile for us to take note of his vigilance on time.

　　現在的人，白天忙忙碌碌地在人群中打滾；晚上迷迷糊糊地在被子裏昏沈；中間啰啰唆唆地在閑談中度過。一天有多少時光用于修行？

　　What is life like for most people these days

　　 During the day it is hurriedly and busily roving among people; at night, it is blearily drifting to sleep in bed; in the middle, it is killing time in endless idle gossip. What portion of the whole day, if any, is committed to spiritual practice

　　若能每天早起1個小時、晚睡1個小時，一個月就節約了60個小時，舞蹈者爲了跳出動人的舞姿，都不惜勤學苦練，一個修行人沒有珍惜時間的概念就太不合理了。

　　If every day we get up one hour earlier and go to bed one hour later, we will manage to save 60 hours in merely a month. A dancer, wishing to perfect elegant dancing poses, would not hesitate to study persistently and practice painstakingly. A seeker for spiritual liberation, then, should all the more know how to value time; otherwise, it doesn”t make sense.

　　修行人也應慎重選擇自己的角色，不要做表面的修行人。仁達瓦說：“通過精進聞思並斷除今生貪執而修，除此之外，再沒有令諸佛菩薩歡喜之事了。”

　　When you decide to be a spiritual practitioner, consider seriously what kind of role you want to play—do not choose the one that is beautiful outside but hollow within. Rendawa says: “Nothing pleases the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas more than your Dharma practice, that is, to listen to and contemplate the Dharma and to meditate diligently in order to cut off attachment to this life.”

　　生、旦、淨、末、醜，不僅僅囊括了世間之人，也包含了各色各樣的修行者。表面行善，實無修持的人，只能成爲徒增笑料的醜角，甚至不如醜角，至少醜角可以給人帶來愉快，而這些人不但于己無利，也禍及于人。

　　Shen, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou*, the five characters (in traditional Chinese opera) are said to include all different types of characters in the ordinary world. But these five types are also applicable to the varieties of practitioners. Some practitioners who only assume perfunctory virtuous acts but do not cultivate internal qualities could be called “chou”—jesters, the laughingstock. But it could be worse. A jester in a play can at least bring laughter to the audience; the jesters among practitioners, however, bring no benefit but ruin to themselves and others.

　　在扮演一個修行者的角色之時，是表演外在千姿百態、嘩衆取寵而內容空虛的舞姿，還是內在實修實證但外表卻平淡無奇的舞姿？實在值得我們深思！

　　How to perform your part as a spiritual practitioner—to play to the audience with hundreds of fancy movements and postures, or to be guileless but solid in practice and realization

　　 Shouldn”t we ponder these issues deeply

　　壬午年四月初七　　

　　2002年5月19日

　　7th April, Year of RenWu

　　May 19, 2002

　　Translator”s note:

　　*Characters in In Chinese Opera:

　　Shen – a young male lead,

　　Dan – the female leads,

　　Jing – a fierce or supporting male lead,

　　Mo – an older male supporting lead

　　Chou – the jester.

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