10月12日

沙原隱泉
余秋雨 ( 1946~ )

樹後有一陋屋，正遲疑，步出一位老尼。手持懸項
佛珠，滿臉皺紋布得細密而寧靜。我想問她為何孤身一
人，長守此地?什麼年歲，初來這裡？終於覺得對於佛
家，這種追問過於鈍拙。

茫茫沙漠，滔滔流水，於世無奇。惟有大漠中如此一
灣，風沙中如此一靜，荒涼中如此一景，高坡後如此一
跌，才深得天地之韻律，造化之機巧、讓人神醉情馳。
以此推衍，人生、世界、歷史，莫不如此。給浮囂以寧
靜，給躁急以清冽，給高蹈以平實，給粗獷以明麗。惟
其這樣，人生才見靈動，世界才顯精緻，歷史才有風韻。
然而，人們日常見慣了的，都是各色各樣的單向誇張。
連自然之神也粗粗糙糙，懶得細加調配，讓人世間大受
其累。

因此，老尼的孤守不無道理。當她在陋室裡聽夠了一
整夜驚心動魄的風沙呼嘯，明晨，即可借明靜的水色把
耳根洗淨。當她看夠了泉水的湛綠，抬頭，即可望望燦
然的沙壁。

山，名為鳴沙山；泉，名為月牙泉。皆在敦煌縣境內。

──選自《文化苦旅》

October 12

Hidden Desert Spring
Yu Qiuyu (1946 - )
English translation: William Chong, Tian Qing, and Miao Guang

Behind the tree was a humble dwelling, from which, as I
hesitated, emerged an old Buddhist nun. Chanting beads in her
hands and a densely wrinkled but peaceful face. I intended to
ask why she was alone, and why she made this place her eternal
abode. How old was she upon her first arrival? Eventually,
I found such inquisitions for a Buddhist practitioner too blunt
and awkward.

Boundless deserts and surging rivers are no miracles to
the world. Except for this particular bay amidst the heaps of
sands, this quietude in the sandstorms, this scenery within the
desolation, and this drop behind the high slopes. Only these
can embody deeply the rhythms of heaven and earth. Only such
ingenious creations can make hearts enchanted.

In this line of reasoning, the same should be applied to life,
the world, and history. Remedy the hustle and bustles by a
measure of serenity, restlessness by calmness, extravagance by
simplicity, and coarseness by finesse. Only by doing so would
life be spiritual, and only by doing so would the world appear
refined, and history tasteful. However, in our daily lives, we
are accustomed to all sorts of single-sided extremes. Even the
forces of nature are so vulgar that they neglect to make fine
adjustments to the environment, thus burdening the world.

As such, the nun’s solitary watch becomes reasonable.
Having listened to an entire night of howling desert wind from
inside her humble room, her sound faculties are immediately
cleansed by the quiet morning springs. Having seen enough
verdancy in the spring, what greets her eyes immediately upon
raising her head would be the splendid sand cliffs.

The mountain, known as Mount Mingsha; the spring, known
as Yueya Spring, both of which are located in the Dunhuang County.

── from Wenhua Kulu (The Agonized Journey of Culture)