9月2日

人生這回事
莫言 ( 1955~ )

世界上的事情，最忌諱的就是個十全十美，你看那天
上的月亮，一旦圓滿了，馬上就要虧厭；樹上的果子
一旦熟透了，馬上就要墜落。凡事總要稍留欠缺，才能
持恆。

凡事總有限度，一旦過度，必受懲罰，這是樸素的人
生哲學，也是自然界諸多事物的規律。據說印度人為捕
捉猴子，製作一種木籠，籠中放著食物。猴子伸進手去，
抓住食物，手就拿不出來。要想拿出手來，必須放下食
物，但猴子絕對不肯放下食物。猴子沒有「放下」的智
慧。人有「放下」的智慧嗎？有的人能抵擋金錢的誘惑
但未必能抵擋美女的誘惑，有的人能抵擋金錢美女的誘
惑，但未必能抵擋權力的誘惑，人總是會有一些捨不得
放下的東西，這就是人的弱點，也是人的豐富性所在。

佛光山是個讓人感覺溫暖的地方，當外面十分寒冷的
時候，來到這裡，能感覺到溫暖；當外面紅塵滾滾，
非常炎熱的時候，來到這裡，能感覺到清涼。

這裡應該是我們第一個家。原來的家安置的是我們的
肉體，在這個家可以安置我們的精神。一個人能找到可
以安放精神的慧命之地，遠比找到安放身體更為重要。
假使一個人的精神能有所寄託，那麼一個人的行為皆能
有所準則，都會符合基本道德。

──選自〈文學家的夢想〉等

September 2

This Thing Called Life
Mo Yan (1955 - )
English translation: Miao Guang

                                   I
In this world, it is a taboo to be perfect in every way.
For example, once the moon in the sky is full, it will soon
decrescent. Once the fruits on a tree ripen, they will drop
and fall. In order to persist, there must always be room
for deficiency.

                                   II
There is a limit to everything; once the line is crossed,
punishment is inevitable. This is a simple philosophy
of life, and also a law which applies to many things
in nature. It is said that Indians catch monkeys with
a special wooden cage, inside which food is placed.
Monkeys would then reach for the food, but once they
grab onto it, they will not be able to retract their hands
unless they let go of the food. Yet monkeys refuse to let
go, as they lack the wisdom to do so. Nonetheless, do
human beings have such wisdom? Some may be able to
resist the temptations of money and lust, but still cave in
to the temptations of power. There are always things that
people are unable to let go of. Such are their weaknesses,
and also what makes humanity so profound.

                                   III
Fo Guang Shan is a place that gives a feeling of warmth.
Coming to this place on a cold day, one will feel
the warmth; if it were on a scorching hot day, one will
feel the coolness.

This place should be our foremost home. The original
homes we live in are houses for our physical bodies,
while this particular home is one for our spirituality.
It is far more important to find a spiritual home than a
physical home. When a person finds spiritual solace, then
all his actions will be based on a standard, ensuring that
he is in accordance with the fundamentals of morality.

── from Wenxuejia De Mengxiang (A Writer's Dream) and others