..续本文上一页的，而是基督徒加之于他们头上的节日呢？而一旦他们出去到一个基督教社会，基督教的社会力量就会使他们接受基督教节日而将回教节日往后摆。所以沙地政府的政策是：这是一个回教国家，耶诞日应该还是一个工作日。

　　Many of the teachers were quite upset, because they wanted to celebrate Christmas. The principals of the school, who were all Arabs, were also upset, and they were very embarrassed by this. This is the ethics that I”m talking about. These were ethical people, and they didn”t know what to do. So, they said, "This is the law, and we will get into trouble if we don”t follow the law, but we also know that you are good people who are teaching and not taking too much money and who try to help us and make friends with us. We apologize for our government, but we have to follow the law." I talked to the teachers and said, "Some of you are married to Arabs, so your husbands are Muslims. Those of you whose husbands are Muslims and those of you who really don”t care whether you are home or not for Christmas, and those of you who can give of yourselves-since Christmas is a day when you should give--come, in order to help out the school. Those of you who don”t want to come don”t have to come, and we will somehow pide the classes among the ones who are left behind." And that is what happened. Some people came, and some didn”t come.

　　当然这使得许多老师都很不痛快，因为他们想放假过个耶诞日。校长们都是阿拉伯人，也很难过，很难堪，这是我所说的道德问题。他们都是品德很好的人，他们也不知道该怎么办。所以他们说，这是法律，如果我们不遵守，我们就会有麻烦的；但是我们都知道你们是好人，教书又不拿多少钱，是帮助我们，和我们作朋友。我们为我们的政府向你们道歉，但是我们还是要遵守这个法律。所以我对那些教师们说：「你们中那些先生是回教徒的，那些不在乎耶诞节那天是不是回家的，那些能够布施的——因为耶诞节是布施的一天——都来学校吧！来帮助学校吧！那些不想来的不用勉强，那天学生我们会另外分班。」事情的经过是这样子的：一些人来了；一些人没有来。

　　I went to substitute for another teacher, and the minute I walked into the classroom, the students locked the door. I thought, "My goodness, what”s going to happen now

　　"

　　Then from under their chadors--the black cloaks that the women wear came all kinds of sweets and delicacies that they had made for their teacher (not for me; I was just a substitute) because they knew that she was an American and a Christian and that she liked Christmas, and they wanted her to be happy.

　　我那天去代别的老师的课；我一走进教室，学生即刻把门一锁。我愣了一下，心想：「天哪！要出什么事了？」这时从那些妇女穿着的回教黑袍底下，她们拿出各式个样的甜点佳肴。她们专为老师做的——不是给我做的，我只是一个替课老师——因为她们知道她们的老师是美国人，基督徒，很喜欢过耶诞节的，她们想让她开心开心。

　　This was such a touching thing. In spite of the law of their country, they wanted to respect their teachers. And I took these things and brought them home to their teacher. It was really a very humbling experience for everybody.

　　此事感人之处在于：她们愿悖法而尊师。我把这些吃的包好回去带给她们的老师。这一经历足令每个人低首深思。

　　This story is a good example of what ethics is, because it is a case of going beyond the rule. The rule was one thing, but people saw what the principle behind it was, and they were courageous enough to follow that principle.

　　这桩事是关于什么是道德的一个好例子，因为它超越了规矩；规矩是一回事，人所见到规矩后面的道义是什么，又是另外一回事。这些学生都很有勇气，能见义而勇于去行其道。

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　　编按：阿比纳博士原籍前南斯拉夫 ，生于佛教家庭，笃信佛教。获贝 尔格勒南斯拉夫大学东方事务学硕 士；土耳其伊斯坦堡大学土耳其事务学博士。现任美国万佛城法界佛教大学校长，教授「佛教宗教观」一课；并任加州柏克莱法界宗教研 究院主任、研究教授。

　　Editor”s note: Dr. Akpinar originally came from the former Yugoslavia and was born a Buddhist. She holds an M. A. in Oriental Studies from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and a Ph.D. in Turkish Studies from the University of Istanbul, Turkey.

　　She is President of Dharma Realm Buddhist University at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas and teaches a course called "A Buddhist View of Religion". She is also Director/Research Professor of Institute for World Religions in Berkeley, California.

《透过教育弘扬佛法 Propagation Of Buddhism Through Education》全文阅读结束。