纖塵芥蒂啟禍端，陳年積帳一朝翻；
何若心開忘牽引，落葉泛流襯遠帆。
跋
世間爭端往往起於毫末，而一發致於無可收拾。究其根本，是彼此心中不斷編織之「我如何」、「你如何」及「他如何」，亦即佛法所謂之「我相」、「人相」。若能放開心眼及於芸芸眾生，體會種種悲歡離合之無奈與辛酸，頓覺個人之遭遇渺不足道，而不復計執於點點滴滴。際遇昇沈輾轉皆如落葉泛流，漸遠漸逝，惟是遠帆的陪襯，聊供遙望之興。
一九九八年十一月四日
養和齋 於加州
 |
Without Notions of You and Me Yutang Lin
Tiny dust of irritation could lead to disastrous
chaos;
Complaints accumulated in years are outpoured at once!
Open the mind to forget about entangling would be easier;
Fallen leaves floating behind waves of a faraway sail.
Comment:
Worldly strife is often triggered by hairlike matters, and yet resulting in unredeemable consequences. The root of all such disharmony is the unceasing knitting of "how I am," "how you are," "how she is,"; and "how he is" in peoples minds. In Buddhist terminology, the root of our sorrows is the notions of "self" and "people." If one could open ones mind to encompass all sentient beings, and to empathize the bitter and helpless feelings involved in all sorts of tragic or joyful events and the separation or union of beings, then one would at once realize the minuteness of ones personal history and no longer be interested in hairsplitting details. Ups and downs, twists and turns of ones experiences are all like fallen leaves floating on a river, further and further away and fading into oblivion. They are only the embellishment of a faraway sail, adding interest to a view from afar.
Written in Chinese: November 4, 1998
Translated: August 29, 1999
El Cerrito, California
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