The Dharma of Menial Tasks

　　劳作的佛法

The practice here is not really that difficult, although some people do not like to do it. In the early days of WatBa Pong, there was no electricity, no large meeting hall or dining room. Now that we have them, we have to take care of them; conveniences always give rise to complications.

　　在这里修行其实并没有那么困难──虽然有些人并不喜欢。早期的巴蓬寺没有电，没有大型的殿堂或斋堂。现在，我们已经有了，就应该好好照顾──种种的方便往往会带来问题。

We each have various responsibilities in the monastery. Taking care of huts and bathrooms is important. Simple things are important, like cleaning the hall and washing bowls for elder monks, keeping huts and toilets clean. What is dirty, beginning with the body, we should recognize as such, but we should still keep them clean.

　　在寺院里，我们每一个人都有职事。照顾茅蓬与浴室很重要。一些简单的工作也很重要，例如：清扫殿堂、帮较长的僧侣洗钵、保持茅蓬和厕所的乾净。是脏的──首先从我们的身体开始，我们应该要知道，可是，仍应该保持它们的整洁。

This is not crude or menial work; rather, you should understand that it is the most refined. Each activity done fully, mindfully, for its own sake, is an expression of our practice, of our Dharma.

　　这并不是粗重或卑贱的工作，相反地，你应该了解，这是最细致的。将每一个工作都圆满地、正念地做好，它的目的，是一种修行与佛法的表现。