..续本文上一页cluding Buddhists, who say there is danger lurking behind anything that goes on too far. Be it modernism and scientific methods, or be it postmodernism--if it”s carried to its extreme, it”s dangerous. So, it is for us--Buddhists and Buddhist educators--to point in a compassionate manner to the Middle Path-both in the postmodern form and in the modern form.

　　关于「后现代主义」有一样对我们很重要，我需要提一下。在我们打碎「现代主义」将样样分割开来研究的形规框架的过程中，我们也抛弃了权威思想和传统思想。那是因为我们都被那些残垣碎片——那些老旧僵硬的权威伤害过的关系。现在把这些东西砸碎了，这些「后现代」社会的个人，将无所依靠——没有「梵网」了。一睹眼前满目疮痍，由这种空，而心生恐惧，所以现在又极力地要将零零碎碎的旧东西拼凑在一起。什么旧东西？就是古文化、古哲学思想，以及现有的分崩离析中的一些东西。我们东拉一片，西扯一块胡乱地拼凑着。就这样，我们一手创出一个新的世界，一个新的结构。但每人所见有异，这人看到的是这些碎片；那人见着的是那些碎片。

　　There is one thing that I would like to say about the post-modern world that is very important for all of us. In this postmodern age, in the process of breaking all the formalities and rigidities of our modern world that were piding everything up, people have thrown away the idea of authority, and also of tradition. That”s because they have all been hurt by the debris—the leftovers, the broken piece--of our old, stiff authorities from the past. Now that these are all smashed, the postmodern inpiduals, out of having nothing for them to catch onto--no Brahma Net--and out of the fear and horror which comes from staring into this mess--this emptiness--they are trying to put the old back together frantically, by catching these bits and pieces of ancient cultures, philosophies, and what-have-you, of this old and disintegrating world. They (or we actually) catch these pieces and try to stick them together at random--a little bit from here, a little bit from there--as they see fit. So, they make a new world, a new construct for themselves, but for each inpidual it”s a different thing and it comes from different, disconnected pieces.

　　在这种环境之下，每一个人都对其「自我」有一种恐惧感；现代人生活在这个「后现代的社会」的恐惧感与无力感是非常之深的。对于这些人和那个世界，需要一种新的更为对机的方法，这也正是我们需要观世音菩萨帮忙的地方。那也是我们唯一能从恐惧和混乱的深渊中拔出来的方法。作为老师，我们以悲悯之心去了解我们可怜的学生和我们同事的处境，以及为什么他们互不信任，也不信任这个世界。我们要从不同的角度去接近他们——从那个角度去帮他们，不是帮自己。我们都知道法门有许多，我们不应只找一个适合于我们自己的法门；如果我们力所能及，我们也应当帮他们找到他们各自的法门。

　　And in this kind of atmosphere, each person is afraid for his or for her own ego, for their selves. The level of fear and anquish of the modern human being living in a postmodern world is very, very high. There needs to be a new and more appropriate approach to these people and to this world. And here is where we all need the help of Guanyin. That is the only thing that can pull us out of this tremendous mess and fear that our world is in. As teachers, we must have empathy and see where our poor students and our poor colleagues are and why they are mistrustful of each other and of the world and approach them from a different angle—from the angle that we work for them, not necessarily for us, because we all know that there are many, many Dharma doors and so we should not only find one that works for us, but find their Dharma door if we can.

　　我的一个实际的建议是我们从小处着手，从一个受惊且无知的众生所能明白的东西着手；也就是从与他们生命有关的东西，不太令他们害怕，且又能让他们能做得到的东西开始。在一般人的标准来说，是使他们能这样说的东西：「喔！这很容易，我这样笨的人都能做得到。」然后从那个小地方着手，你可以使他们日日有所增益。要是你起点就非常高，又少关爱，又以威压；见到威压，他们就躲开了。我说这有点像训练小动物，但是作为教育工作者，得人心之道，在于从低处着手，并在我们讲话中解除对他的威胁。

　　My practical suggestion for this is to start out small, with something a frightened and an ignorant being can relate to, something that is relevant to their own life, that is not too scary and that is attainable for them. On the human level, that is something to which they can say, "Oh, this is easy. Even a stupid fool like me can do that." If they can start from that point, you can make better human beings out of them. But if you start from a point that is way, way too far, that is not personal, and that is authoritative—if they see authority—then they shy away. It is a little bit like training a wild animal, I would say. But the way to a…

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