永恒

　　Keep Going

　　在我從少年到成年的記憶裏，最佩服的人就是依羅喇嘛。

　　In my memory from early youth to adulthood, the person I respected most is Lama Yulo.

　　他身材魁梧，永遠手持念珠，口誦經咒。他的臉上有一疤痕，是因年輕時走路去拉薩，途中遭遇強盜所致。這不但沒有影響他的形象，反而使他顯得更加可愛。

　　He was a man of strong build. His hand perpetually moved the mala beads and his mouth constantly recited mantras. On his face there was a scar left by robbers he encountered when as a young man he was making a trip on foot to Lhasa. This facial mark, instead of being a blemish, in a way made him even more likable.

　　讀小學期間，我一直住在他家。每天天還沒亮，他就開始起床，一邊念咒，一邊磕頭。飯後，就開始看書和念誦一天的功課，下午坐禅，晚上念經。十幾年來，周而複始，從不間斷。

　　I took room and board at his house when I was attending elementary school. Every day before dawn, he would get up and start to do prostrations and at the same time recite prayers. After breakfast, he would read books and go over his daily Dharma practices. He sat in meditation in the afternoon and recited scriptures in the evening. For over 10 years he kept the same schedule over and over again without interruption.

　　當時我以爲，作爲修行人本來就應當這樣，所以不足爲奇。如今，當我意識到我和我周圍的人大多是叁天打魚，兩天曬網，心情好的時候就精進，心情不好的時候就散亂的情形，才知道他的毅力的確值得贊歎。

　　At that time I took it for granted that all practitioners should behave as he did, and felt nothing special about him. But now I see myself and others only doing spiritual practices in fits and starts. We get serious only when we are in good spirits but as soon as our mood falls, we become distracted and lag behind in practice. The glaring contrast makes his perseverance all the more admirable.

　　到1987年他去世，已念了五億多心咒。真是不算不知道，一算嚇一跳。和他的精進相比，實在令我慚愧。

　　At the time of his passing at age 87, he had accumulated 500 million mantras, an astonishing number that could remain unrecognized without adding it all up. Comparing my meager diligence with his, I really feel ashamed.

　　《大乘阿毗達磨論》雲：“諸資糧道修行人應精進聞思，諸根調柔，飲食適當，上、下半夜不入眠(意爲只睡中夜)。”

　　In Mahayana Abhidharma Sangiti Shastra it says: “Practitioners on the path of accumulation should endeavor in studying, contemplating, and meditating on the Dharma; to tame the six senses, eat appropriately, and avoid sleeping in the early or late part of the night (that is, to sleep only in the middle section of the night).”

　　“不積跬步，無以至千裏；不積小流，無以成江海。”

　　Without adding up many little steps, a journey of a thousand miles cannot be accomplished.

　　Without the pouring together of many tiny streams, there will be no big oceans.

　　一時的勤奮不算什麼，一生的勤奮才是最重要的。

　　An on-and-off diligence amounts to nothing; only the diligence over a lifetime is what counts.

　　壬午年叁月二十六日　

　　2002年5月8日　　

　　書于春光明媚之清晨　

　　26th of March, Year of RenWu

　　May 8, 2002

　　Written on a lovely spring morning