交談

　　Nice Chatting

　　閩南佛學院後面有一座小山，其高度雖不能與雪域的名山相提並論，但于此地也可算是登高望遠之絕佳勝地，當地人稱之爲五老山。登上山巅，整個廈門市區一覽無余。令人頓生“登五老而小閩”之感。

　　A small hill called Wu Lau Mountain by the locals rises behind Minnan Buddhist Academy. Though lacking the imposing height of those in the Tibetan snow land, it nonetheless is considered a great local spot to hike in order to enjoy a panoramic view of the area surrounding it. Once at the peak and seeing the whole of Xiamen city, it”s easy to feel that “up on the Wu Lau, the Min Province is shrunken.”

　　山上樹林繁茂、綠草叢生、鳥兒啁啾、春蟲呢喃，真乃一修行之好去處。

　　This hill is lush with dense trees, green with grass, and vibrant with the twittering of birds as well as the chirping of insects. It”s an excellent place to do spiritual practice.

　　半山腰有一“那蘭若處”，爲當地人時常拜望之勝地。我與濟群法師的交談處就選擇于此。濟群法師培養了大批僧才，其培養的僧尼與知識分子已遍布各地。爲廣弘佛法所作之努力，也受到同道的認同。與之交談，深感惬意。

　　Halfway to the mountaintop is the Arinya Place, a sanctuary visited often by local residents. It is also where Dharma Teacher Jiqun and I have planned to meet and chat with each other. Dharma Teacher Jiqun has long endeavored in spreading the Buddhadharma and is well-respected in Buddhist circles for his accomplishment. He has trained many monks, nuns, and lay professionals who are now carrying out Dharma activities in many places. It”s a great pleasure to have a chance to talk with him.

　　一邊品著閩南人最喜歡的“功夫茶”，一邊交流心得。我談到了藏地依止上師的方式、傳統以及前輩大德依止上師的感人事迹。感人之處，不免令其贊歎不已。我又談到了聞思修行不可偏廢的重要意義。他感慨道，在五濁興盛之今世，通過聞思修行建立正知正見，消除煩惱非常重要。他的觀點令我有“伯牙子期”之感。的確，佛法的真正目的是爲了消除煩惱，若不能將佛法運用于實際生活，融入自己的相續，其他一切形象上的建道場、造佛像都是空談。只可惜人們往往不明其理，真是令人歎息。

　　Sipping Kung Fu tea, the chosen beverage of Min people, we exchanged our thoughts and experiences. I mentioned the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, its way of following spiritual teachers, and the many heart-rending stories of past great masters in this regard. We paused to admire some of the most inspiring ones. I also stated the central role of listening to, pondering, and meditation on the teachings; none of them can be spared. He agreed with a sigh that, indeed in this time of five degenerations, it”s crucial for people to work on these three wisdom tools in order to establish the right view and uproot afflictive emotions. His words lent me the feeling akin to Boya meeting his soul mate Ziqi. Certainly, the real purpose of Buddhism is to empower people to overcome confused emotions. Unless Buddha”s teachings are infused into one”s own minds and applied to daily activities, all other feats such as building temples and erecting statues are but superficial and meaningless. Regrettably, very few people grasp this truth. It“s a shame!

　　不知不覺，日已偏西。我不得不起身告辭，但願此生我們還能有緣再次促膝長談。只怕世事無常，此願難遂了！

　　Without us noticing it, the sun was already setting in the west. It”s time for me to take leave and to wish for another heart-to-heart talk while we are still around. But with impermanence pervading all places, I am afraid this wish may not come true!

　　壬午年叁月十四日 　

　　2002年4月26日

　　14th of March, Year of RenWu

　　April 26, 2002