《旅途脚印》| 枇杷 ——索达吉堪布

圆容

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枇杷 | Loquat Fruit

厄尔尼诺现象使仲春的天气如同盛夏，天气异常闷热。
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Due to the El Niño effect, the spring weather has turned out to be very hot and humid, almost

: ]; Z7 P1 _1 b5 B& @  }! klike midsummer.

忽见街上一人肩负竹篓，里面装满金黄的果实，在几片叶子的衬托下，晶莹饱满，令人垂
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涎欲滴。从未见过如此之物，向人讨教，方知是枇杷。剥开一颗，放之嘴里，清凉鲜美的

- q* R' t5 Z# z" ?, `1 p汁液溢满口腔。如此美妙之果莫非是天人享用之物？一番讨价还价之后，以不菲的价格换
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; N  u7 i9 q; R得几十余颗。赶快捧回家，作为佐书之“菜”。
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On the street, I caught sight of a vendor carrying a basketful of golden fruit. Embellished with

green leaves, the fruit looked so juicy and fresh, making one’s mouth water. I had never seen

) {, }: P( z; y2 Aanything like it, and learned after inquiring that they are called loquats. I peeled one open and

' `  k) v7 y, W5 M4 vput it in my mouth. A refreshing and delicious juice filled my mouth—yum! Such tasty fruit must
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1 R2 C* ~/ B8 @6 B9 pbe the treat of the god realm! After a little bargaining, I brought dozens at quite a steep price

) m# T- d" _3 {8 ~and hurried home with them, thinking to savor them with my readings.
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翻开《白莲花论》，书中曰：“世上有谁能永享快乐？又有谁会永远受苦？未曾感受痛苦
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9 ~  y, y' I1 X* M的人有多少？得到快乐永远享受的又有几人？”的确，在漫长的人生道路中，既会有快乐

! o2 U: w, M" C) N，也不乏痛苦。无论何种身份，皆会尝尽酸甜苦辣。只有胜不骄，败不馁，坦然面对人生

百味，方为具智之人。法国哲学家拉罗申福科说过：“幸福后面是灾祸，灾祸后面是幸福
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。”古代也有“福兮祸所伏，祸兮福所倚”的说法。

Turning the pages of the Great Biography of Buddha Shakyamuni, the White Lotus, I read this:
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& ~. J; T4 W, }$ q% D2 M6 ]' A“How many people in the world will enjoy everlasting happiness? How many people in the world

: Y0 _! |, A9 \  E6 Y/ ~will suffer endless miseries? How many have never experienced suffering? After attaining

happiness, how many have enjoyed it forever?” Indeed, throughout the journey of life, there will
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( p% y- z3 V$ {9 ?7 d( ?+ C3 Gbe happiness, but suffering will be there as well. Whatever one’s identity is, one is bound to taste

- @. a7 C' _; O. H* othe assorted bitter sweetness of life. A person of wisdom therefore must meet life’s vicissitudes

* r4 Y/ `$ F" E0 s/ c: X" J! ucalmly: neither becoming arrogant with success nor discouraged by failure. The French

) x- D% f. Y/ |% o: u5 fphilosopher La Rochefoucauld says that the happiness and misery of men depend no less on
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9 u; L0 T: i1 j7 ytemper than fortune, mirroring this ancient saying:

Misfortune, that is where happiness depends;

% c  h6 c( X7 B0 j6 D. L$ GHappiness, that is where misfortune underlies.

可见一切都是相对，一切都是无常的。
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& g+ g& t* k; C+ E4 j' RWe can see that all things are but relative. Everything is impermanent.
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无论快乐还是痛苦，当产生强烈的苦乐感时，都应观其本面。这是最有力、最关键的修行

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Therefore, whenever we are seized with intense emotion of pleasure or pain in a happy or sad

moment, we should look squarely at its essence. This is the most crucial, most powerful way of
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practice.

想着想着，不知不觉忘了吃枇杷的事。但我在书里尝到了比枇杷更鲜美的滋味。这才是世

上最鲜美的枇杷，且经久不腐，即使历经百年、千年，也可永久享用。
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While entertaining these thoughts, I forgot completely my plan to enjoy the loquats. Yet from a
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book I have tasted something more delicious than the exquisite fruit. The teaching is the most

9 H& w0 J/ S% Y' q: N0 ]3 b2 Odelectable loquat in the world, it will never rot, and it is ready to be savored even a hundred or a
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: W! V8 ~: P7 V/ Q9 T1 l: z3 T- Jthousand years later.

壬午年三月十一日 　

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9 o8 t5 {# d! H5 f" m11th of March, Year of RenWu
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April 23, 2002