Turning 36

Birthdays are great reminders for everyone; reality check, milestone check and most importantly the value of our existence - our purpose in life. Life has its ups and downs, its glorious and defeating times, its moments of clarity and confusion and regardless of whether life has been a bed of roses for us, depends on our projection of thoughts, acceptance of reality and expectations of what life and death means.

Translating from a reading by Khepo Sodargye, I find it exceptionally meaningful to be fortunate enough to be able to think and articulate certain concepts with my Chinese background, nothing to do with ethnicity but the depth and connotations some words, in fact many words possess. Nonetheless. I will translate it and I find that as I translate, I learn and discover more.

苦才是人生，痛才是經歷，累才是工作，變才是命運，

繁才是世情，簡才是生活，獨才是成熟，忍才是歷練，

容才是智慧，靜才是修養，常才是大智，忘才是福氣，

舍才是得到，做才是擁有，學才是知識，謙才是提升，

執才是成功，惜才是佈道，愛才是慈悲，戒才是加持，循才是超脫，念才是當下。

Only with suffering, there is life,

Only with pain, there is experience,

Only with fatigue, there is work is done,

Only with change, there is destiny turned,

Complexity is worldly affairs,

Simplicity is real living,

Loneliness is maturity,

Forbearance is true practice,

Only with acceptance, there is wisdom,

Only with silence, there is culture,

Only with consistency, there is intellect,

Only with forgiveness, there is abundance,

True gift is from giving,

Ownership is from doing,

Knowledge is from learning,

Accession is from humility,

Only with persistence, there is success,

Only with appreciation, there is sermon,

Only with compassion, there is love,

Only with discipline, there is blessing,

Methodism is transcendence,

Mindfulness is the present.

生命的魅力在於“靜”。外表的寧靜給人以美，內心的寧靜給人以

慧。外表寧靜，因安穩而給人靜穆之美，因無爭給人以祥和之美。內

心寧靜，因淡泊而不受誘惑，因凝神而思遠，因鎮定而從容，因而智

慧常在。靜，不是單純的平靜，而是人生沉澱在靈魂深處的智慧，是

人生最美的狀態。

心靈有家，生命才有路。我們要學會和外界獨處，和生命獨處，

和自己獨處。學會獨處的人，心胸才能夠豁達；學會獨處的人，心智

才能夠成熟；學會獨處的人，才能領悟到生活的深邃。獨處是靈魂生

長的必要空間，獨處讓我們內心充實起來。我們的內心就是在無數個

獨處中漸漸堅強起來。獨處，讓內心更強大。

一念苦，一念樂，一念得，一念失，我們的心在苦樂得失間無數

次的來與去，會有疲倦的時候，我們要時常護理好自己的內心，心平

靜了，才能聽見自己的聲音。心清淨了，才能看見萬物的清澈，心放

下了，才不被他物所負累，心明瞭了，才不因外境而迷離。如果，人

生是一個劇場，這個導演不在別處，只在心裏。

為人處事靠自己，背後評說由他人。有時我們太在意在耳邊的聲

音，決策優柔寡斷，行動畏首畏尾，最終累了心靈，困了精神。就算

你做得再好，也會有人指指點點；

即便你一塌糊塗，亦能聽到讚歌。

能夠拯救你的，只能是你自己，不必糾結於外界的評判，不必掉進他

人的眼神，不必為了討好這個世界而扭曲了自己。

人生的最大遺憾莫過於錯誤地堅持了不該堅持的東西，輕易地放

棄了不該放棄的東西，每一個人都有自己的理想，都有那個期望達到

的目標，或許有這麼一天我能夠成為一名教師，或許有那麼一天我能

實現自己的理想，達到自己的目標！生活還在繼續，不要忘記微笑地

對待每一天，不要忘記珍惜餘下的每一天