追逐

Crazy Pursuits

站在都市五光十色的街头，我看见世间八法的彩虹。

Standing at the corner of a dazzling city street, what appears in front of me is the rainbow of the eight worldly preoccupations.

透过红灯绿酒，映出人们的一脸倦容。为了五花八门的目标，熙熙攘攘的大街上，人潮汹涌的股市上，推杯换盏的酒桌上，尔虞我诈的生意场上……到处都是寻求的身影。世人对金钱和妙欲享受的追逐，已到了难以控制的程度。

The glaring lights of the high life expose everyone’s weary looks. Chasing after their desires, the seekers rove everywhere—the hustling and bustling streets, the stock exchange floor, parties with wining and dining, cutthroat business dealings, etc. People’s pursuit of money and pleasure has been so fervent that it is almost out of control.

骑自行车的向往摩托车，有摩托车的渴望汽车，然后是沙漠王子、奔驰……；住一室一厅的想换五室二厅，住五室二厅的又野心勃勃地为别墅而奔波，拥有别墅的，更梦想着：春天，推开窗户就能欣赏东京街头千树万树樱花开的盛景；夏天，足不出户就能享受阿尔卑斯山的习习凉风；秋天，在自家的花园里，便能观赏日内瓦湖的清凉月影；冬天，走出房门便能踩在夏威夷海滩细软的金沙上面……；对金钱的贪婪也到了无以复加的地步，有一万想十万，然后是一亿，反正是多多益善……

A person who owns a bicycle dreams of a motorcycle, while one who owns a motorcycle desires an automobile. Then the car has to be upgraded to a Land Cruiser, a Benz… A one-bedroom, one-living room apartment has to be replaced by a five-bedroom, two-living room condo. Having lived in the five-bedroom, two-living-room place, one gets busy to add a villa. In addition to the villa, one keeps on dreaming: In spring, I shall open my window to the spectacular cherry blossoms in Tokyo; in summer, I could enjoy the cool breezes from the Alps right at my doorstep; in autumn, I shall marvel at the moon’s reflection in Lake Zurich leisurely in my own backyard; in winter, I easily walk out from my patio onto a Hawaiian beach of fine sand…. The greed for money, likewise, is just at its extreme—owning $10,000 makes one want to have $100,000, and then to $100,000,000 and so on. Anyway, “the more, the better” can never be wrong.

追求的方向令人眼花缭乱，追求的对境也是令人难以企及。然而，却从未有人考虑过贪欲的副作用，不知道这一切完全是作茧自缚。要知道，欲望的沟壑永远也无法填平。只能令自己为之所囿。忙忙碌碌，徒增烦恼。然而，不论如何苦心经营，风光一世，到头来也不过“一抔净土掩风流”而已。

The courses of pursuit make one dazed while the goals get harder for one to reach. Yet, few have thought through the untoward effects of craving; people don’t see that they are becoming ensnared in a web of their own spinning. It should be understood that the pit of desire could never be filled to the top; it only buries oneself. Endless toil and drudgery only pile up defilement. No matter how painstakingly one has schemed or how glorious one’s life has been, in the end there is nothing left but a pile of earth over ashes of splendor.

《圣经》中也记载，亚当因为有了欲望而不得不离开伊甸园，以辛勤劳作维持生计。夏娃不得不付出生孩子的痛苦代价。可见痛苦是人们咎由自取的结果，没有欲望也就没有痛苦。

The Bible tells the story of how Adam was forced to leave the Garden of Eden after he became desirous. He then had to make a living with hard labor. Eve had to pay the price by going through the pain of childbirth. Hence suffering is no one’s fault but one’s own. If there were no desire, there would be no suffering.

心宽何须室大，智渊何求财多？千百年来，为了追逐享受，人们付出了沉重的代价，实在应该记取这一惨痛教训。

Who needs a big house when one’s mind is spacious? Who needs a lot of money when one is rich in wisdom? Since time immemorial, humans have paid dearly for chasing after pleasure. Isn’t it about time that we take lessons from bitter experiences?

无垢光尊者在600多年前就知道人们的这一病患，留下了《大圆满心性休息》，希望精疲力竭的人们能依此而得以休憩。前辈大德凝聚着智悲精华的教言，如何不被我们白白浪费，的确是值得深思的问题。

Longchen Rabjam, a sage living 600 years ago, clearly saw this affliction of humans. He left us Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind; hoping that our weary and exhausted souls could find some respite therein. A teaching like this condenses all the wisdom and compassion of sublime masters. We need to think carefully about how not to squander this precious treasure.

壬午年三月初一　　
2002年4月13日 　
——书于一落英缤纷之樱花树下

1st of March, Year of RenWu
April 13, 2002
Under a cherry tree with falling flower petals flying around.