11月24日

願
許地山 ( 1894~1941 )

南普陀寺裡的大石，雨後稍微覺得乾淨，不過綠苔
多長一些。天涯的淡霞好像給我們一個天晴的信。樹
林裡的虹氣，被陽光分成七色。妻子坐在石上，見我
來，就問：「你從哪裡來？我等你許久了。」

「在這樹蔭底下坐著，真舒服呀！我們天天到這裡
來，多麼好呢 ！」

「為什麼不能？」

「你應當作蔭，不應當受蔭。」

「你願我作這樣的蔭麼？」

「這樣的蔭算什麼！我願你做無邊寶華蓋，能普蔭
一切世間諸有情。願你為如意淨明珠，能普照一切世
間諸有情。願你為降魔金剛杵，能破壞一切世間諸障
礙。願你為多寶盂蘭盆，能盛百味，滋養一切世間諸
飢渴者。願你有六手，十二手，百手，千萬手，無量
數那由他如意手，能成全一切世間等等美善事。」

我說：「極善，極妙！ 但我願做調味的精鹽，滲入
等等食品中，把自己的形骸融散，且回復當時在海裡
的面目，使一切有情得嘗鹹味，而不見鹽體。」

妻子說：「只有調味，就能使一切有情都滿足嗎？」

我說：「鹽的功用，若只在調味，那就不配稱為鹽了。」

──選自《許地山散文》

November 24

Vows
Xu Dishan (1894 - 1941)
English translation: Hsin-Yu Huang

After the rain, I noticed that the rocks in South Putuo Temple were
somewhat cleaner, but had slightly more moss on them. It seemed as if
the red clouds in the faraway sky had sent us a letter of sunniness. The
air in the forest had been divided into a rainbow of seven colors by the
sun. My wife, who was sitting upon one of the rocks, asked upon seeing
me, "Where did you go? I have been waiting for you for so long."

"How comfortable it is, sitting in the shade of this tree! It would be
nice if we could come here every day!"

"Why couldn't we?"

"You should be the shade, instead of enjoying the shade."

"Do you wish that I be this kind of shade?"

"This kind of shade is nothing! I wish that you be a boundless canopy
of treasured flowers that covers all sentient beings in the world. I wish
that you be a pure, bright, well-wishing pearl that shines upon all
sentient beings in the world. I wish that you be the vajra that defeats
and tames the demons, as well as destroys all the hindrances in the
world. I wish that you be an Ullambana bowl of multiple treasures, one
that is filled with all kinds of food to nourish all the hungry and thirsty
beings in the world. I wish that you have six, twelve, hundreds, or tens
of millions, or even innumerable and countless well-wishing hands that
help accomplish all the beautiful and virtuous things in the world."

"Wonderful! Marvelous!" I said. "But I vow to be the fine salt
seasoning that simmers into all kinds of food; I wish to have my body
and bones dissolved and scattered, taking the form I had when I was
still in the sea, thus enabling all sentient beings to taste saltiness without
seeing the salt."

My wife asked, "Is seasoning alone enough to make all sentient
beings content?"

I replied, "If the function of salt is nothing but seasoning, then it is
not eligible to be called 'salt'."

── from Xu Dishan Sanwen (Collection of Prose by Xu Dishan)