枇杷
Loquat Fruit
厄爾尼諾現象使仲春的天氣如同盛夏，天氣異常悶熱。
Due to the El Niño effect, the spring weather has turned out to be very hot and humid, almost like midsummer.
忽見街上一人肩負竹簍，裏面裝滿金黃的果實，在幾片葉子的襯托下，晶瑩飽滿，令人垂涎欲滴。從未見過如此之物，向人討教，方知是枇杷。剝開一顆，放之嘴裏，清涼鮮美的汁液溢滿口腔。如此美妙之果莫非是天人享用之物？一番討價還價之後，以不菲的價格換得幾十余顆。趕快捧回家，作爲佐書之“菜”。
On the street, I caught sight of a vendor carrying a basketful of golden fruit. Embellished with green leaves, the fruit looked so juicy and fresh, making one”s mouth water. I had never seen anything like it, and learned after inquiring that they are called loquats. I peeled one open and put it in my mouth. A refreshing and delicious juice filled my mouth—yum! Such tasty fruit must be the treat of the god realm! After a little bargaining, I brought dozens at quite a steep price and hurried home with them, thinking to savor them with my readings.
翻開《白蓮花論》，書中曰：“世上有誰能永享快樂？又有誰會永遠受苦？未曾感受痛苦的人有多少？得到快樂永遠享受的又有幾人？”的確，在漫長的人生道路中，既會有快樂，也不乏痛苦。無論何種身份，皆會嘗盡酸甜苦辣。只有勝不驕，敗不餒，坦然面對人生百味，方爲具智之人。法國哲學家拉羅申福科說過：“幸福後面是災禍，災禍後面是幸福。”古代也有“福兮禍所伏，禍兮福所倚”的說法。
Turning the pages of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus, I read this: “How many people in the world will enjoy everlasting happiness
How many people in the world will suffer endless miseries
How many have never experienced suffering
After attaining happiness, how many have enjoyed it forever
” Indeed, throughout the journey of life, there will be happiness, but suffering will be there as well. Whatever one”s identity is, one is bound to taste the assorted bitter sweetness of life. A person of wisdom therefore must meet life”s vicissitudes calmly: neither becoming arrogant with success nor discouraged by failure. The French philosopher La Rochefoucauld says that the happiness and misery of men depend no less on temper than fortune, mirroring this ancient saying:
Misfortune, that is where happiness depends;
Happiness, that is where misfortune underlies.
可見一切都是相對，一切都是無常的。
We can see that all things are but relative. Everything is impermanent.
無論快樂還是痛苦，當産生強烈的苦樂感時，都應觀其本面。這是最有力、最關鍵的修行方法。
Therefore, whenever we are seized with intense emotion of pleasure or pain in a happy or sad moment, we should look squarely at its essence. This is the most crucial, most powerful way of practice.
想著想著，不知不覺忘了吃枇杷的事。但我在書裏嘗到了比枇杷更鮮美的滋味。這才是世上最鮮美的枇杷，且經久不腐，即使曆經百年、千年，也可永久享用。
While entertaining these thoughts, I forgot completely my plan to enjoy the loquats. Yet from a book I have tasted something more delicious than the exquisite fruit. The teaching is the most delectable loquat in the world, it will never rot, and it is ready to be savored even a hundred or a thousand years later.
壬午年叁月十一日
2002年4月23日
11th of March, Year of RenWu
April 23, 2002