交谈

Nice Chatting

闽南佛学院后面有一座小山，其高度虽不能与雪域的名山相提并论，但于此地也可算是登高望远之绝佳胜地，当地人称之为五老山。登上山巅，整个厦门市区一览无余。令人顿生“登五老而小闽”之感。

A small hill called Wu Lau Mountain by the locals rises behind Minnan Buddhist Academy. Though lacking the imposing height of those in the Tibetan snow land, it nonetheless is considered a great local spot to hike in order to enjoy a panoramic view of the area surrounding it. Once at the peak and seeing the whole of Xiamen city, it’s easy to feel that “up on the Wu Lau, the Min Province is shrunken.”

山上树林繁茂、绿草丛生、鸟儿啁啾、春虫呢喃，真乃一修行之好去处。

This hill is lush with dense trees, green with grass, and vibrant with the twittering of birds as well as the chirping of insects. It’s an excellent place to do spiritual practice.

半山腰有一“那兰若处”，为当地人时常拜望之胜地。我与济群法师的交谈处就选择于此。济群法师培养了大批僧才，其培养的僧尼与知识分子已遍布各地。为广弘佛法所作之努力，也受到同道的认同。与之交谈，深感惬意。

Halfway to the mountaintop is the Arinya Place, a sanctuary visited often by local residents. It is also where Dharma Teacher Jiqun and I have planned to meet and chat with each other. Dharma Teacher Jiqun has long endeavored in spreading the Buddhadharma and is well-respected in Buddhist circles for his accomplishment. He has trained many monks, nuns, and lay professionals who are now carrying out Dharma activities in many places. It’s a great pleasure to have a chance to talk with him.

一边品着闽南人最喜欢的“功夫茶”，一边交流心得。我谈到了藏地依止上师的方式、传统以及前辈大德依止上师的感人事迹。感人之处，不免令其赞叹不已。我又谈到了闻思修行不可偏废的重要意义。他感慨道，在五浊兴盛之今世，通过闻思修行建立正知正见，消除烦恼非常重要。他的观点令我有“伯牙子期”之感。的确，佛法的真正目的是为了消除烦恼，若不能将佛法运用于实际生活，融入自己的相续，其他一切形象上的建道场、造佛像都是空谈。只可惜人们往往不明其理，真是令人叹息。

Sipping Kung Fu tea, the chosen beverage of Min people, we exchanged our thoughts and experiences. I mentioned the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, its way of following spiritual teachers, and the many heart-rending stories of past great masters in this regard. We paused to admire some of the most inspiring ones. I also stated the central role of listening to, pondering, and meditation on the teachings; none of them can be spared. He agreed with a sigh that, indeed in this time of five degenerations, it’s crucial for people to work on these three wisdom tools in order to establish the right view and uproot afflictive emotions. His words lent me the feeling akin to Boya meeting his soul mate Ziqi. Certainly, the real purpose of Buddhism is to empower people to overcome confused emotions. Unless Buddha’s teachings are infused into one’s own minds and applied to daily activities, all other feats such as building temples and erecting statues are but superficial and meaningless. Regrettably, very few people grasp this truth. It‘s a shame!

不知不觉，日已偏西。我不得不起身告辞，但愿此生我们还能有缘再次促膝长谈。只怕世事无常，此愿难遂了！

Without us noticing it, the sun was already setting in the west. It’s time for me to take leave and to wish for another heart-to-heart talk while we are still around. But with impermanence pervading all places, I am afraid this wish may not come true!

壬午年三月十四日 　
2002年4月26日

14th of March, Year of RenWu
April 26, 2002