1月26日

白玉還須妙手磨
佛光星雲 ( 1927~ )

《增一阿含經》說:「小孩以啼哭為力，女人以
嬌媚為力，國王以威勢為力，羅漢以少欲為力，比
丘以忍辱為力，菩薩以大悲為力。」忍辱就是堅強、
穩固、磨練，所謂「黃金還要洪爐煉，白玉還須妙
手磨」，一件藝術品須經雕刻師的精雕細琢，才能
永世流傳；梅花須經霜雪的洗禮，才能芳香撲鼻。
人的一生如果不經過寒霜雨雪，反而難成大器，因
此孟子說:「天將降大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志，
勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所為，
所以動心忍性，增益其所不能。」可見一個人要想
成功立業，必須忍人所不能忍、行人所不能行。

──選自《人間佛教論文集》

January 26th

A Skilled Hand to Turn out a Jade Bracelet
Venerable Master Hsing Yun (1927 - , Fo Guang Shan)
English translation: John Balcom

According to the Ekottarikagama (Gradual Discourses
of the Buddha), “A child’s strength is in its tears, a
woman’s strength is in her charm, a king’s strength is
in his power and influence, an arhat’s strength is in his
paucity of desire, a monastic’s strength is in patience,
and a bodhisattva’s strength is in compassion.” Patience
is strong, stable, and tempering. It takes a skilled hand
to turn out a jade bracelet, and only a patient artist can
produce a lasting work of art. Only when plum blossoms
are cleansed by frost and snow will they be fragrant.

If a person does not experience and patiently bear
with life’s difficulties, they will never truly be numbered
among the outstanding. Mencius said, “That is why when
heaven is going to place a great responsibility on a man,
it will test his resolve, exhaust his body, make him suffer
from hunger and hardship, and frustrate his efforts. In
this way his patience and endurance are developed, and
his weaknesses overcome.” Clearly, if a person is to be
successful, he must endure the unendurable and do the
undoable.

── from Of Benefit to Oneself and Others