永恒

Keep Going

在我从少年到成年的记忆里，最佩服的人就是依罗喇嘛。

In my memory from early youth to adulthood, the person I respected most is Lama Yulo.

他身材魁梧，永远手持念珠，口诵经咒。他的脸上有一疤痕，是因年轻时走路去拉萨，途中遭遇强盗所致。这不但没有影响他的形象，反而使他显得更加可爱。

He was a man of strong build. His hand perpetually moved the mala beads and his mouth constantly recited mantras. On his face there was a scar left by robbers he encountered when as a young man he was making a trip on foot to Lhasa. This facial mark, instead of being a blemish, in a way made him even more likable.

读小学期间，我一直住在他家。每天天还没亮，他就开始起床，一边念咒，一边磕头。饭后，就开始看书和念诵一天的功课，下午坐禅，晚上念经。十几年来，周而复始，从不间断。

I took room and board at his house when I was attending elementary school. Every day before dawn, he would get up and start to do prostrations and at the same time recite prayers. After breakfast, he would read books and go over his daily Dharma practices. He sat in meditation in the afternoon and recited scriptures in the evening. For over 10 years he kept the same schedule over and over again without interruption.

当时我以为，作为修行人本来就应当这样，所以不足为奇。如今，当我意识到我和我周围的人大多是三天打鱼，两天晒网，心情好的时候就精进，心情不好的时候就散乱的情形，才知道他的毅力的确值得赞叹。

At that time I took it for granted that all practitioners should behave as he did, and felt nothing special about him. But now I see myself and others only doing spiritual practices in fits and starts. We get serious only when we are in good spirits but as soon as our mood falls, we become distracted and lag behind in practice. The glaring contrast makes his perseverance all the more admirable.

到1987年他去世，已念了五亿多心咒。真是不算不知道，一算吓一跳。和他的精进相比，实在令我惭愧。

At the time of his passing at age 87, he had accumulated 500 million mantras, an astonishing number that could remain unrecognized without adding it all up. Comparing my meager diligence with his, I really feel ashamed.

《大乘阿毗达磨论》云：“诸资粮道修行人应精进闻思，诸根调柔，饮食适当，上、下半夜不入眠(意为只睡中夜)。”

In Mahayana Abhidharma Sangiti Shastra it says: “Practitioners on the path of accumulation should endeavor in studying, contemplating, and meditating on the Dharma; to tame the six senses, eat appropriately, and avoid sleeping in the early or late part of the night (that is, to sleep only in the middle section of the night).”

“不积跬步，无以至千里；不积小流，无以成江海。”

Without adding up many little steps, a journey of a thousand miles cannot be accomplished.
Without the pouring together of many tiny streams, there will be no big oceans.

一时的勤奋不算什么，一生的勤奋才是最重要的。

An on-and-off diligence amounts to nothing; only the diligence over a lifetime is what counts.

壬午年三月二十六日　
2002年5月8日　　
书于春光明媚之清晨　

26th of March, Year of RenWu
May 8, 2002
Written on a lovely spring morning