6月6日

永恆的盟約— 讀豐子愷的《護生畫集》
席慕蓉 ( 1943~ )

一套《護生畫集》放在案頭，看一眼就有一眼的
酸熱，翻一回就有一回的柔情；感動我的地方是
從第一集到第六集之間的五十年時光和所有的滄桑。

五十年的歲月裡，一個藝術家大半生的時間，都是
為了還一個許下的心願而努力；努力地搜集材料、
努力地搆思、作畫、配詩；所為無他，只因為曾經
答應過一句話:「世壽所許，定當遵囑。」只因為
要向他年輕時就跟隨著的老師表達他的敬意與愛
意，於是，從卅一歲畫到七十八歲。想一想，大半
生的時間，都在為了實踐一個永恆而美麗的盟約，
在升平時代，已經是一件不太可能的事情了，更何
況是身在五十年來的中國，那個我們都知道的歷經
千劫百難的中國。

在這一本書裡，一個佛教徒的溫和慈悲的心腸顯
現到了極點，一個藝術家的熱烈天真的胸懷到了最
後最高的境界。這套畫的最後終於能夠出版，並且
能夠放在我們這麼多中國人的案頭，應該也可以算
做是一個神話般的奇蹟了吧？要怎樣來形容這些人
的努力呢？我想，這世間一定有些事是我們所無法
了解，最後恐怕也只有相信，是有一種超乎一切之
上的力量在安排著我們所有的一切了吧。

──選自《有一首歌》

June 6

An Everlasting Oath: Reading Feng Zikai's Life Protection Murals
Xi Murong (1943 - )
English translation: Zhi Yue

A set of Life Protection Murals sits upon my desk. At each glance,
my eyes would well up with tears, and each reading arouses such tender
sentiments within me. What touches my heart is the fifty whole years of
ups and downs contained from the first volume to the sixth.

For five decades, half of the artist's life, he has dedicated his efforts
to the same aspiration and promise. He has painstakingly collected
materials as well as carefully considered, painted, and written
accompanying poetic verses. All of these are for nothing but to keep
his promise, "For however long I am able to live, I shall uphold your
words." This is all out of his wish to express admiration and respect for
the teacher who he had followed from ages thirty-one to seventy-eight.
Come to think of it, a great half a lifetime has been dedicated to the
fulfillment of his everlasting and beautiful oath. It is already an unlikely
feat in an era of peace and prosperity, let alone fifty years of living in
China with its difficulties and turbulences which we all know of.

The book contains the ultimate portrayal of a Buddhist's loving
kindness and compassionate intentions, the highest level of works
from the artist's enthusiastic and innocent heart. The series was finally
published and placed upon the desks of so many Chinese people─it
should also be counted as a fabulous miracle, right? How else can the
efforts of these people be described? I think this world is certainly
something that we cannot understand. Perhaps the only solution is faith,
that there is a power beyond us, which determines everything.

── from You Yishou Ge (There is a Song)