一生如葉　　　林鈺堂簡繁轉換 - 繁體

 

 

從嫩芽漸長　到完全成形
再漸漸枯萎或病壞　終究凋零
人生的　生老病死
不就像一片葉子的經歷

植物種類繁多
葉子也形形色色各異
人間的品類文化也是千殊萬異
個人就是繫於某種特色的人際樹上
一片片的葉
因此也是形形色色各異

葉子離不開樹　一離便化無
個人難脫人際關係之繫縛
若能掙脫　卻有開悟之機緣
　　　　　或得契入本來無縛之開闊

人生雖如葉　卻不一定會像葉之究竟腐朽
非絕望的一生　要靠修持佛法實現

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　三日前漫步尸林時思及此喻
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　二○一四年一月九日
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　養和齋　　　於加州

Life Like a Leaf

 

Yutang Lin

 

 

From a tender shoot gradually develops
        Till fully in shape
And then gradually withers or deteriorates
        Until eventually fallen off
Isn't the birth, getting old, sick and death
        Of our human life
Similar to the transition that a leaf goes through

Plants are so rich in varieties
And leaves are of all sorts of shapes and colors
Among humans there are also all kinds of
Characters, propensities and cultural upbringings
Each individual is like a leaf dangling on
A tree of human relationships of some particular sort
And hence we are also of so many varieties

A leaf cannot leave the tree
        It will decompose into nothing if it leaves
An individual could hardly escape the grasp of human relationships
If one can escape therefrom
        Then there is the opportunity for awakening
        Perhaps one may merge into the openness
        Of originally boundless

Even though life is like a leaf
        It need not eventually decompose like a leaf
A life that is not hopeless
        Need be realized through Dharma practices

 

Three days ago while walking in the cemetery I thought of this analogy.
January 9, 2014
El Cerrito, California