《旅途脚印》| 光阴——索达吉堪布

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光阴——索达吉堪布

世人喜欢以光阴比喻时间，而我更喜欢把它想象成一条一去不复返的河流。
9 m8 o$ p% _5 K. |) i8 J- }2 m& Y4 b% VPeople like to think of time in terms of day and night. For me, I prefer to imagine it as a river of
# ]: A+ I( s/ }" G7 E孔子走到河边说：“逝者如斯。”
At the bank of a river, Confucius says: “The passage of time is just like that.”
: ~/ W, P  E+ }7 w: p" o哲学家赫拉克利特说：“你不能两次踏入同一条河流。”
" [7 e* B/ m4 s! O- s2 B* _1 zThe philosopher Heraclitus says: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”
7 C  E3 u! n$ R. O- y2 U1 F; |' s奥修说：“生命在流动，它是一条河流。”
" N% f! O! l/ s8 L7 pAnother wise man says: “Life is on the move; it is a river.”
# w1 a) K% \. R3 ?4 W7 M* p7 q先哲们都以此强调时光的珍贵。的确，曾经如同河流般消失了的时光，永远不复回归。无
' V( f% A- h# t论它是辉煌还是暗淡，幸福还是忧伤。人的生命在即生中只有一次，以什么样的方式度过
这段光阴，值得我们深深地思索。
! n6 R! h3 T2 R/ _+ A" ^The sages all emphasize the preciousness of time. Indeed, as a rushing river, time will never
1 ]/ y3 h! H* dreturn once it’s gone, no matter whether it has been splendid or obscure, happy or sad. In this
life, we humans can live only once; thus it is important to ponder deeply how to spend the time
+ w9 o% s( C3 |) f2 Y今天一位骄傲的知识分子问我：“您老是强调要我们背诵经论。但我总觉得修行人应以发菩
提心、调服烦恼、观修禅定为主。理论上的东西，了解其大概就行了，何必一一背诵？浪
0 I  g; B% C3 q费很多时间呢？”他说得有道理，但我知道他每天“节约”的时光，并不是用来做他所说的重
" i! v$ o; g+ W1 D2 \* i大要事，而是用于散乱、闲聊、痴睡等无义之事。我回答他说：“你说得有道理。如果你的
时间真用于发菩提心、修禅定，我当然随喜。但你是否整天都修禅定而没有时间背诵呢？
不是吧。”一句话仿佛使他恍然大悟。他说：“我明白了。其实我嘴上说的好听，实际上并
没有好好珍惜时间。从今天起，我要从散乱中至少抽出半个小时背诵。”听了他的告白，我
很感欣慰。不仅仅是他，如果所有的修行人每天哪怕抽出十分钟，背诵一个偈子，记下一
  E5 ]& F4 b4 P" Y9 k, a) ?$ p段公案，一定会有所裨益的。
A pompous intellect said to me today: “You always emphasize that we should memorize the
sutras and shastras. Yet I think a Dharma practitioner’s main concerns should be cultivating
bodhichitta, overcoming confused emotions, as well as practicing concentration and meditation.
As to the theoretical aspects, a rough understanding should suffice. Why waste time memorizing
. s& H- a0 {' _them line by line?” He had some points there. But I knew the time he so “saved” had not been
used properly on the crucial tasks he mentioned, but rather on worthless activities such as
. h1 A4 e* Q; |( T4 M: e7 Sdistractions, gossiping, and slumber. I replied: “What you said makes sense. I would rejoice for
* r& ^' m0 }) {sure if you were to really use your time in cultivating bodhichitta or sitting in meditation. But is it
- p! s6 h$ j. V5 ~because you are sitting in meditation all day long that you have no time for recitation and
% r. d& E, z0 @5 Pmemorization? Not quite so, correct?” Hearing this, he seemed to see the light at once and said:
“I understand now. I am just a big talker; in fact, I have not devoted my time to practice. From
* M2 }1 s; N, Q. ~$ w$ anow on I will save time from distractions to memorize stanzas for at least 30 minutes.” Hearing
his confession, I was quite pleased. This case applies not only to him, but also to all practitioners;
' f+ G) ]: l' `it is definitely beneficial to find time every day, even if it’s only 10 minutes, to memorize one
4 p. G% \' E6 Zstanza or note down a koan.
鲁迅先生也说：“我不是什么天才，只不过是把别人喝咖啡的时间用来看书和写作了而已
: S6 V  H) C5 H+ F9 D5 y# B。”世间的名人懂得对光阴的珍惜，却不知道用于修行；修行的人懂得修行，却往往不知道
) b' F5 b* y8 q8 M2 G# oMr. Lu Xun said once: “I am no genius; I only make full use of time. When people are having
coffee, I’d rather be reading or writing.” Famous people in the world value time highly but know
3 V  _! G! c, }7 R( I% c# k' vnot to use it on spiritual growth; spiritual seekers know Dharma practices but usually do not
既然我们无法使时光倒流，如何使人生过得完美，不致临死之时为虚度年华而悔恨，就应
当如海绵挤水一样挤出每一分、每一秒，做有意义的事，而不应散乱度日。
So long as we are unable to turn time backward, we should try to live our lives perfectly.
+ T' d7 d, _  E) sOtherwise on our deathbed we will be overcome with remorse for having wasted our precious
$ G+ `" L6 Y. C0 U5 ctime. Let us make use of every minute, every second, like squeezing out water from a wet
sponge, on meaningful activities; let us not squander our time on distractions.
% O: o* U2 \, J! \. g壬午年二月初六　　
) d5 r/ d& ]' @. H* {) T! f2002年3月20日
6th of February, Year of RenWu
* f% F' I0 j' Z% f, B  N; l0 QMarch 20, 2002