Are You Sure?

Observing the mind is a very interesting and also extremely tricky thing. It is just like a magician doing a lot of tricks, and living in a world of make-believe. Sometimes, it makes one believes one is living in a heaven, a wise and the most blessing person; soon enough, dropped into the hell, and one feels like a depressed and foolish guy who just like any ordinary person shares the same defilements of greed, hatred and delusion. One may start to wonder, after all these years of practice, one is back to square one. One has not achieved anything and not wiser, after-all, nothing much has been changed. This sounds familiar experience to most people who are practicing meditation, or observing the mind.

I am not sure, is this a perception or truth? I think the main culprit is the attachment of things in life, it can be in a subtle way of not letting go. This creates and lets the delusion of 'I' continue and operate in the mind. Use the Buddhist term: may be still haven't realized the Anatta or Non-self, (無我) because in life, there are still deep and subtle attachments that mind clings to and still not letting go. May be this is lack of sharp mindfulness that can penetrate through the subtle layer of mind.

The so called 'I' is the medium of attachment that mind identifies with the arising object, and it is affected or involved with the object. If the object makes mind happy, it likes the object and being happy; if the object makes mind sad or angry, it dislikes the object and being sad and angry, and so on. During the process, it is so fast that the illusionary 'I' is formed and created and attached to the object in one go! Then it becomes: 'I am sad', 'I am angry', and so on. This is the nature of mind. The reaction is automatic and due to ignorance, and therefore it is suffering, because it cannot be controlled. This is due to not thoroughly understand how the nature of mind at work . Without wisdom or understanding, so the mind reacts in the habitual pattern. If the object is negative, the reactions include thought, feeling, and emotional things are all in a negative mode, so mind becomes moody. That is how the mind functions in our day to day life not being aware of its constant changing, and live in this kind of deluded mental state without knowing.

If mind can be calm enough, with self-awareness, it can observe that whenever there is an object arises, be it a thought, a person's image or a past event, instantly mind knows there is an object arising, so mind is 'there' to grab or cling to it. Conceptually, we think that mind 'flies over there' or ‘飛蛾撲火', to the object, but in reality it is already there. Mind's nature is to attach or cling to the arising object, no matter what object. Once it is attached, then it is reacted. Mental reaction is also natural and standard; it likes the object, or it dislikes the object, or it reacts with indifference, something in between like and dislike, in a dull or confused state.

Observation with tranquility, mental activities slow down, the mental process can be seen clearer. When sensation or pain, thought or mood change arises, there is always a reflection on the mind or background consciousness. It is like a mirror, reflects everything happening or arising in this mind-body process to the vast background consciousness. Like image playing on a big screen. Due to calmness, it softens the effect and in a detached way of looking at the arising object, so even pain or negative mental feeling is getting bearable. This is a natural process of mind at work. At this state, if mind unmindfully clings to the arising object, then the background consciousness is affected immediately. If it is mindful and with wisdom, the mind knows that it is just a mental creation, take thought as thought, feeling as feeing, as what it is, then mind letting go and not cling to the arising object, immediately the object fading away. The mind is not affected and remains in its calm and peaceful state. It seems so perfect, but question is, is it possible to have this state of mind all the time and apply to the daily life?

In daily life, so long as the mind still reacting to its arising object, then the mind is accumulating defilements all day long and the mind suffers. The genuine wisdom is to develop the 'built-in power', or so called wisdom, to neutralize the mental activity when it is attached and created the suffering, due to the reaction to the mind-body process. With calmness, mind creates space, the developed wisdom or 'the 'built-in power', can neutralize the mental reaction automatically, when mind encounters the arising object. It is done without the conceptual thinking or thought. Thought cannot rescue or save the mind from suffering. Only mindfulness with wisdom is possible to do that. It is also said that it needs to practice with continue mindfulness from moment to moment, day in day out. Is it possible to do that in the ordinary daily life?

From the above understanding, it is very obvious and a good indicator to gauge the practice: as long as mind is reacting to the arising object, whether good or bad, positive or negative object, the mind is definitely not reaching 'there' yet. This is because the mind still involves or 'jumps' to objects and reacts with it. It means the 'I' still follows us all the time, we still cannot see suffering as suffering, or see thing as what it is at that particular moment. Then, the emotion or the mood will take over and control the mind. It means we are still suffering. After all these years, some already practice for 10, 20 or 30 years, we still walk in and out of retreat center to practice every year, in a certain duration of time. It means the mind is still not well equipped and ready to deal with the harsh, stressful and vicissitudes of life? So have to come back again and again. One may say, we have to practice for the whole life! Looks like no other choice, so be patient and just do it!

We spend most parts of our life in society and work place, so the practice must be related to the daily life, it is not only confined to meditation retreat centers. The interaction with the outside world, the society, is the real challenge. The society, family and work place, press our the inner buttons, activate and expose our weaknesses, manifest the defilements to the maximum, and show the 'real' and ugly self, which is concealed and hidden in a conducive environment, like a retreat center. Life is only meaningful and happy when our inner world is relatively calm and peaceful when interacts with the outside world. This is the least expectation and the essential step with the intention for the practice to achieve that. So next time, during the practice when we feel we have 'attained' something, or feel like 'floating in the air', it is time to ask ourselves: "Are you sure?"...

Every Insight You Have Is Born Out of Your Thinking - UG

UG

1. Nature is interested in only two things--to survive and to reproduce one like itself. Anything you superimpose on that, all the cultural input, is responsible for the boredom of man.
2. I think the solution to your real problems is, in any case, not possible for you unless you undergo the sort of biological transformation that has happened to me.
3. You do create me. I don't create you for the simple reason that I don't have any image of myself.
4. All revolutions are nothing but reevaluations of our value systems. You only replace one system with another system.
5. This body is a perfect piece that has been created by nature. In this assemblage of the species of human beings on this planet one being is endowed with the intelligence of an Einstein, another is endowed with the brawn of a Tyson, and someone else is endowed with the beauty of a Marilyn Monroe. I can't conceive any possibility of all the three blooming in one individual--brain, brawn and beauty.
6. Traveling destroys many illusions and creates new illusions for us. I have discovered, to my dismay, if I may put it that way, that human nature is exactly the same whether a person is a Russian, or an American, or someone from somewhere else.
7. We think that thoughts are there inside of us. We think that they are self-generated and spontaneous. What is actually there is what I call a thought-sphere. The thought-sphere is the totality of man's experiences, thoughts, and feelings passed on to us from generation to generation.
8. Boredom is a bottomless pit. As long as you think that there is something more interesting, more purposeful, more meaningful to do than what you are actually doing, you have no way of freeing yourself from boredom.
9. You are not ready to accept the fact that you have to give up. A complete and total surrender. It is a state of hopelessness which says that there is no way out... Any movement in any direction, on any dimension, at any level, is taking you away from yourself. Only if you reject all the other paths can you discover your own path.
10. When belief is not producing the results you expect of that , you introduce what is called faith. That means hope. There is no way you can look at anything without the use of the knowledge that you have of what you are looking at. The talk of intuition and insight is another illusion. Every insight you have is born out of your thinking.

普緹 ： 一位有正義感的法醫 - 2

Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand (普緹)

1. 隨着閱歷的增長，對了解人生也加深。普緹說："我的工作，讓我不斷有機會接觸亡者。我常常反問自己：為什麼他們死得如此悲慘？他們到底發生了什麼事？” 從死者身上，晋緹了解到每個人的因緣業力都不一樣，也同時明白及時行善的道理。“除了父母，出家人，佛陀的教導，我的工作也是我的善知識。這份工作是最能使我真切感悟佛法的。

2. 從工作上，晋緹了解到 "有生必有死" 的道理；從佛法的教導中，她明白 "有死必有生" 的輪迴實像。如果我們了解輪迴是苦的道理，我們就要常常行善培福，同時去除自己內心的雜念。這樣，才能免於受輪迴之苦。與死亡的頻密接觸，讓普緹看透了輪迴之苦，因為世間太多苦難，而無論轉世到天道，或地獄，也免不了受苦。因此她笑稱："最好是不要輪迴了!"

3. 生命脆弱，無常可怕。生命何其脆弱，無常是多麼可怕。普緹從佛法的角度分析，她認為這是業力的因素。我們不知道下一秒將發生什麼事，好比海嘯的災民完全沒預料海嘯的發生一樣。倘若不把握及時行善，就後悔莫及了。

Quoted from Facebook (Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand Fan Club)

Kg Pong - Be a Batman in a Batcave

Kg. Pong of Klian Intan, is a small Thai village, situated at the remote part of Grik district of Perak, Malaysia. Surrounded by high mountains, with green, cool and peaceful environment, is a perfect place for outdoor meditation retreat.

Under the guidance of Meditation Master Ajahn Suk, a free style of meditation practice is adopted. The whole village is surrounded by mountains, one can meditate anywhere under trees. There are natural caves, cemetery, mountainous areas, are all natural places for meditation.

The most impressive and memorable place of meditation is the Batcave, a distance away from Kg. Pong and located at the certain height of a mountain. This is a cool and home of bats. Occasionally at night, could notice the roaming of wild animals in the vicinity. It is a very unusual experience to explore on meditation for the practice at this cave.

Those who like natural environment, outdoor activity, like climbing mountain, enjoy aloneness, deep contemplation, independent and prefer for self practice on meditation, then this is the most suitable place that you are looking for. Want to be a Batman, in a Batcave?

Kg Pong, a Thai village

Monks' rest house

Vicinity of Thai cemetery, an ideal place for practice

A popular place for meditation under trees at cemetery area

The Batcave, serves as a meditation center

A forest monk at front side of a cave

Kg. Pong, a suspended wooden bridge

Ajahn Suk- Meditation Teacher & Forest Monk

平凡

浪花雖巨，但瞬間消失

山洪雖猛，但片刻無蹤

怎能奈何大海，群山毫發呢

只有平凡才是真正的強者

Tide withdraws fast though it strikes hard.

Flood disappears quickly though it comes fast.

They can not do any harm to oceans and mountains.

The commonness is really powerful.

Zen Sixth Patriarch

六祖慧能法師

尊者阿姜查：解脫之鑰 － 1

1. 我们学习佛法的根本原因是要找到超越苦、获得宁静的方法。只有使你从苦中解脱的方法，才是修持的正确方法，而不是其它什么方法。这是因为苦和苦因就在当下。

2. 你在观想苦因时应当了解，我们称为心的这个东西，当它静止时，那是正常状态。一旦它动起来，心也升起反感或追逐它们、 受它们影响。一旦心动，就有了世俗之心，当即沦陷于緣起緣滅的世界。佛陀 教导我们观照的就是这些心的动态。

3. 每当心有动态，它都是无常、苦、非我。佛陀要我们观察和观想这一点。他教导我们观想影 响心的動態。你已经在书里学习、阅读了这个主题，尽管那里说得正确，实际发生时你却跟不上。实际上，没有什么记号告诉你现在是无明、现在是緣起、接下来是意识、现在是名色，等等。

4. 一般来说，你经历苦时，看到的都是结果，也就是心里有苦痛、悲 哀、绝望。你实际上并不知道它从哪里来，那个你从书里是找不到的。书里没有哪里会描述你那个苦的细节与因缘。

5. 因此佛陀教导我们要安住于 “知性”(that which knows)，只观察事物的生灭。一旦训练意识留驻于 “觉知”(awareness)，一旦探索了心，对心与它所形成的真相（reality)，而获得了洞见(insight，),你会 把心看成非我。你会发现一切心理状态与物质状态终究是必须放下的，你会清楚地看到，执取或者给予不必要的重视是愚蠢的。

6. 佛陀教我们了解无常、 苦、非我。因此佛教修持的根本目的，是把它们放下、放到一边。你必须对心与升起的心所确立和保持觉知。实际上心在过去已经习惯于思维的不断繁殖，再加上各 种善恶概念的影响。佛陀教导我们把这一切放下，但是你能够放下之前，必须学习与修行。 考虑八圣道，它是以智慧或者说正见为基础的。

7. 如果你经历不喜欢的事，仍然把反感储存在心里，你必须重头开始修。因为你还有错误; 修 持不圆满。修持达到圆满的地步，心会自动把事放下，要这样对待修持。你在修持时要切实 深入地探索心，获得洞见，自证果报。你真要了解这些东西，必须获 得直观洞见，获得透视事物的亲身理解。

8. 我在个人修持中，内心升起反感的念头时，我问: “为什么有反感?” 升起喜爱的念头时，我 问: “为什么有喜爱?” 这就是禅修之道。我不了解那些精细的理论要点，也没有对心与心所作 详细的分析。我只是始终在对付心中那一点，直到整个解决了反感与欲喜的问题，让它们彻 底消失。不管发生什么，如果我能把心带到一个地步，在那里喜欢与不喜欢终止了，那就超 越了苦。心已经达到无论经历什么都保持宁静的地步。没有执取、粘着......它止息了。这是 你的修持该瞄准的目标。其他人要谈理论，那是他们的事。不过到头来，不管谈了多少，还 得回到这一点开始修。

Training This Mind - Ajahn Chah

TRAINING THIS MIND...

Actually there’s nothing much to this mind. It’s simply radiant in and of itself. It’s naturally peaceful. Why the mind doesn’t feel peaceful right now is because it gets lost in its own moods. There’s nothing to mind itself. It simply abides in its natural state, that’s all.

That sometimes the mind feels peaceful and other times not peaceful is because it has been tricked by these moods. The untrained mind lacks wisdom. It’s foolish. Moods come and trick it into feeling pleasure one minute and suffering the next. Happiness then sadness. But the natural state of a person’s mind isn’t one of happiness or sadness. This experience of happiness and sadness is not the actual mind itself, but just these moods which have tricked it.

The mind gets lost, carried away by these moods with no idea what’s happening. And as a result, we experience pleasure and pain accordingly, because the mind has not been trained yet. It still isn’t very clever. And we go on thinking that it’s our mind which is suffering or our mind which is happy, when actually it’s just lost in its various moods.

The point is that really this mind of ours is naturally peaceful. It’s still and calm like a leaf that is not being blown about by the wind. But if the wind blows then it flutters. It does that because of the wind. And so with the mind it’s because of these moods – getting caught up with thoughts. If the mind didn’t get lost in these moods it wouldn’t flutter about. If it understood the nature of thoughts it would just stay still. This is called the natural state of the mind. And why we have come to practice now is to see the mind in this original state.

We think that the mind itself is actually pleasurable or peaceful. But really the mind has not created any real pleasure or pain. These thoughts have come and tricked it and it has got caught up in them. So we really have to come and train our minds in order to grow in wisdom. So that we understand the true nature of thoughts rather than just following them blindly.

The mind is naturally peaceful. It’s in order to understand just this much that we have come together to do this difficult practice of meditation.

This talk was previously printed as a different translation under the title ‘About this Mind’ - Ajahn Chah

自我醒覺與快樂

深入內心觀察，可以了解到自我醒覺 (self-awareness) 與快樂有直接的關係。常常知道當下身和心的知覺，感覺，那是可以培養的習慣，如起心動念時，心想些甚麼，這些念頭又如何影響當下的心境。

為什麼要培養自我醒覺？是要防止思維像野馬那樣，毫無約束的到處奔跑。心胡思亂想是造成心不平衡，不平靜的主要原因，心不能平靜，即不能快樂。原本的心是平靜的，就像一片藍色的天空；不平靜的心就像一片烏雲，遮住藍色的天空；烏雲散開後又是藍天一片。原本平靜的心，被負面的思維擋住了，就像烏雲擋住了藍色的天空。

要快樂或平靜之心，就要培養自我醒覺，知道心在想甚麼。對任何升起的念頭，都不執著。又如何能自我醒覺？觀察，注意心在想甚麼，常常提醒自己，提高醒覺（awareness) 注意當下的起心動念。這很重要，因為整個身和心的感覺，知覺 (consciousness) 就能決定我們當下的情緒，情感。這是可以自己測試的。

往往長期沈浸在負面思維，就會導致負面的知覺或心態，就這樣，在不知不覺中掉入沮喪，鬱抑的心境。所謂悶悶不樂，鬱郁，是日常生活常見的感覺。

長期的觀察，了解內心的起起伏伏，慢慢的，學會不執著於好或壞的想法。其實，壞或好，就像留在沙灘上的腳印，隨著浪潮的衝擊而消失。那時的心境是超越好或壞，是平靜，快樂而不執著的。

緬甸之旅 - 悲欣交集

在偶然機會觀看一部有關弘一法師的記錄片，片中看到他的絕筆：《悲欣交集》，令人感慨萬千，深深感觸。

人總會在生命的某個階段，面對人生的十字路口，對未來產生迷惑，對過去種種的經歷，感到悲欣交集，徬徨無助。這樣的心態，自然的，引導這顆心，想要更深層次的去了解生命的本質，作心靈方面的探討。每个人對悲欣交集都有各自的體會和感悟，我們都想离苦得乐，灭尽烦恼，殊不知烦恼和快乐，是一體兩面，也是生活的一部分。人生總是離不開悲，歡，離，合，愛，恨的煎熬，受盡苦頭。

問題是如何面對或處理這些內心的垃圾，不必要的煩惱，而不引發一連串的情緒波動所帶來的打擊和痛苦？這就是我長期以來，想要探索，研究的人生課題。很多人都說需要智慧，但智慧是由內心體會而生，而不是外在所給予的。或許修行是親身測試，體會智慧的法門之一吧。聽，也聽多了，讀，也讀夠了，不如親自去體會，測試吧！

修行給一般人的印象是帶有神祕面罩，豐富的宗教色彩。電影看到的，好像修行者都是在深山，與世隔離，看破紅塵，過着與世無爭的生活。其實，修行就在最平凡的日常生活中，當下所發生的點點滴滴。知易行難，說是簡單，容易，做起來是非常困難，因為這是心靈的工作。修行是做心靈改革，觀察這顆不穩定的心，來測試在修行過程中，感受到的經驗，得到的智慧，是否能應用在日常生活中。措此智慧來幫助在生活中，如何能以平常心，不受負面心態的影響下，面對問題，解决問題。例如在生活中，對任何人，事，內心都會起心動念，不管是好念頭，壞念頭，都試試去體會，去觀察，知道自己在想甚麼，做甚麼。

簡單的說：試試去了解，觀察這不起眼，平凡的，卻時時刻刻，都在內心世界不斷的運作，在運作過程中所帶來起伏的喜，怒，哀，樂的情感，如何影響這顆心，這就是修行了！觀看內心的運作，情感的起伏，自我的反應，都是自然界的法則。這樣的內觀法，任何人都可以嘗試，自証，測試，不需要有宗教背景。我始終認為，自然法則，就像地心吸引力，不屬於任何人或宗教的。最重要的是；在發現，了解這些自然定律後，能夠給生命的本質還原，掀開心靈的神祕面紗，給生活帶來意義。

人與世間的生活是分不開的，只有以正確的人生態度，來面對一切，盡應該盡的責任，過應該過的生活，完成還未完成的事情，而不是去逃避現實生活，或應面對的責任。

世界不會因為你的修行而改變，但是，因為修行所感悟到的智慧，確實能重新改變自己，以正確的態度來面對這個世界。這點很重要，要不然修行就失去意義了。修行與日常生活的點點滴滴，是息息相關的。離開生活，放棄或脫離人與人之間的關係，也就是意味着，已經遠離修行的意義了。

由於種種的因素，經朋友的鼓勵，加上強烈的渴望，想要解開對心靈很多的疑問，終於機緣到來，而促成這一次緬甸之旅。緬甸是一個佛教國家，到處都是大小廟宇，修行中心。經當地朋友的指引，來到這一家佔地100 英畝，是本地最大的修行中心。在此見識到現代化的設施，清綠綠的草木，美麗的湖泊，幽靜的環境，真是修行的好地方。原來這裡也是國際有名的修行中心，很多是從美國，歐洲，日本來的男男女女修行者。看到他們認真的修行，令人感動不己。原來這世界，還有這麼多人，為了探討生命，而到緬甸來修行，集合在此，也是緣份吧。

就這樣在緬甸呆了半年，去了兩家修行中心，親身體驗到修行生活，略有收穫。緬甸之旅，也是我人生的轉淚點。

緬甸最大的廟宇，也是仰光的觀光景點

佔地廣闊的修行中心之其中一景：修行用的大廳

修行者步行到餐廳

自助式，現代化餐廳

修行者用餐時間

當地好友，一對夫妻，熱情款待

緬甸可愛的鄉下小女孩

佔地100 英畝的修行中心，處處是青翠的樹木，花卉

26 Nov 2009 - 重生之日，生日快樂

世界向大地微笑，歡迎我們來到這個世界，祝福新生命的開始，重生之日，生日快樂！

自然現象在告訴我們，夕陽下山了，天黑了，鳥兒也飛去了，明天，太陽還會升起來。在黑暗，孤獨，漫長的夜晚，期待明天會更好。有結束就有開始，有開始就有期待，是必然的。同時，別忘了，改變也跟隨而來，就像有白天就有夜晚。在快樂時，也要記得，它也是短暫的，隨之而來的就是失去快樂時的痛苦，不管喜歡與否，這一切都在循環不息中。

稍微觀察日常生活，會發現，改變與期待是我們生活中常常面對的問題。期待每件事情有好的開始，就一直想維持現狀。一旦滿足於現狀後，就不想要改變。卻忘了，有開始就有結束，每件事情都是過程，都會改變，這是不能逃避的。就像有生就有死那樣，是自然的定律。 無常的人生，就把生命推上無數次的期侍和改變，而不斷在輪迴，掙扎，受苦。就這樣無奈的過日子。尤其在親情，愛情的改變，往往令人受到傷害，是最常見，也是最無奈的。

小孩子期待快點長大成大人。年輕人期待找到好的工作，好的情人，好的歸宿。老年人期待健康，富足，快樂的晚年。父母期待兒女成龍成鳳。女人期待嫁給有錢有勢的好男人，而男人期待取個貌美如花，賢妻良母的好女人。

也許現實的生活中，往往我們無法達成願望。一些如願以償的人，卻要永遠維持現況，忘記了生命的本質是不斷的在改變。當現狀改變時，我們拼命要回到原點去，拒絕面對改變的到來。忘了，不論喜歡與否，改變是生活中唯一不變的法則。抗拒這個自然法則，是徒勞無功的，只有延遲掙扎所帶來的痛苦。

這世界沒有理所當然的事（take for granted)，一切都是因果關係，不斷在改變。 從生活中，工作，愛情，親情，去體會，就可以証明了。當一切順利時，覺得是應該的，卻沒有自我醒覺的意識，有快樂也有悲傷，有得到也有失去的時候。對每件事情，不論是工作或感情，只要真心的付出，同時，時時刻刻提醒自己，這是過程，變是本質，沒有一件事情是永遠的。 當改變來臨時，不管是好或壞的結局，只有以平常心來面對它，接受它。只有接受，才能給自己機會重新開始，重新做人。

從另一個觀點來看，接受改變也意味着；一件事情的結束時，就是另一個新機緣的開始。一道門關了，就是開另一道門的時候。不論是工作，親情，愛情，也一樣。其實人害怕失去，也不願意接受改變，也許是習氣所造成的，不論是對人或事，已經習慣過去的種種，突然失去了，造成心靈的空虛。

今天，26-Nov-2009，是特別的日子，來到人生的新哩程碑(milestone)，代表一個生日，重生的日子，也就是一個新生活的開始。祝福有緣人，知音者，在這一天，生日快樂，幸福，健康，萬事如意。特別的日子，帶來特別的意義，給予特別的人，在此與妳分享，共勉。

夕陽西下，燕子歸去，圓滿結束，大地依在，人事已非，因緣無情 - 重生之日，生日快樂...

2012 - 世界末日，生死之別

電影 <2012> 是我好多年後，第一次到電影院看。

地球是否被毀滅？2012 年是人類的末日嗎？也許好奇心吧，就買票湊熱鬧去。果然是一部好電影，而且是影史上最賺錢的電影。

宗教都有記錄到世界末日的預言，但是對我這短暫的生命，那可是太遠的事吧。除了電影的巧妙拍攝所帶來感官的刺激外，我想從兩個層面來思考，反省這部電影所引發的啟示：人類的貪婪給地球帶來無限的破壞，已經到了生死關頭，和人面對死亡時，面對人與人之間關係的無奈。這也反映出，人在平時，對親情，友情，愛情視為理所當然（take for granted)，缺乏敏感度，到生死關鍵時刻，才來後悔，無奈，已來不及了。

其實這部電影的題材及根本的問題是要強調：地球快速暖化，環境污染的嚴重性；如工業污染，生態破壞，發展到今日，地球已無法承受了。隨著2012年的到來，如果人類没有及時醒覺，搶救，而問題就愈來愈嚴重，那麼世界末日即將到來。這倒是實事，看看報紙，如陸續發生的洪水，地震，氣候變熱，等等。回想一下，我們是否有體會到這幾年一個接一個的災難？不是地球給我們的警示嗎？不是地球在抗議嗎？是不是地球生病了，快要被人類毀滅了？

老實說，這部電影描述世界末日所帶來的悲劇，並沒有給我多大的心理衝擊，反而更感人的地方是人與人之間的關係，尤其在生死離別時。電影裡，看到親人，父子，朋友，夫妻，情人，活時因為種種的誤會而沒有及時說出埋在內心多年的感受，愛心，歉疚... 看着死亡的到來時，卻只能無奈，遺憾，內疚的死去。

這也是啟示我們要珍惜，把握活著時，對人對事的真心付出。就算 沒有世界末日的到來，在離開這個世界時也沒有遺憾，內疚。因為我們已經做了該做的事，講了該講的話，內心不再有後悔，憎恨 ，內疚或放不下的事。

難道人在活著時，説聲對不起，表達關心，愛意，有這麼困難把內心的話說出來嗎？為什麼要等到生死關頭呢？人不是會死的一天嗎？

The Way of Chuang Tzu

The Way of Chuang Tzu

The man in whom Tao

Acts without impediment

Does not bother with his own interests

And does not despise

Others who do

He does not struggle to make money

And does not make a virtue of poverty

He goes his way

Without relying on others

And he does not pride himself

On walking alone

While he does not follow the crowd

He won't complain of those who do

Rank and reward

Make no appeal to him

He is not always looking for right and wrong

Always deciding "Yes" or "No"

普緹 ： 一位有正義感的法醫 - 1

Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand (普緹）－ 泰國法醫

最近到我國爲趙明福墜死案，做驗屍的泰國法醫普緹，她對工作的熱誠，專業，勇氣，讓很多人留下深刻印象， 對她非常敬佩。在我國，每天看報紙都是負面新聞。 政府的貪污，無能，腐敗，溺用權力，ISA，打壓人民。造成 那些有良知，有勇氣的人越來越少了。能看到一個善良，有正義感，又有智慧的女人，真的讓人耳目一新。哈，又多了一個 hero，好感動喔！以下是報紙對她點點滴滴的報導，希望能給那些有緣的知音人，一起來分享這份難得一見的真 善 美。也許能喚起人心善良的一面。

1. 普緹勇於對抗強權，追求真相的態度也令她在社會上樹立不少敵人。黑社會分子懸賞高價要取她的人頭。她笑笑說：“我從不感到畏懼，因為我只是找出真相。

2. 1999 年，突然發現自己患上了甲狀腺結腸癌。“當我發現自己患上甲狀腺結腸癌後，一開始覺得很難過，但佛理有言： 生死有命，沒有人可預測自己的未來。” 她說，患癌後她變得更會處理自己的情緒，不輕易生氣，討厭他人，或給自己壓力。因為她深信負面情緒會減低身體的免疫力，導致癌細胞擴散的更快。

3. “死亡”對妳的意義？死亡讓我更懂得如何管理自己的生命。不過，我從不害怕死亡。我享受法醫的生活。身為一名虔誠的佛教徒，我相信因果循環和轉世，但下輩子我不想再轉世為人。死亡也讓我懂得把握機會做好事，天地所有眾生皆按循因果法則來規定，自己所做所為的一切好壞善惡，未來就會形成福禍的報償。

4. 普緹“神祕觸覺”，搜證破案。“你可以說那是第六感吧”。普緹這一次在趙明福命案也觀察到別的法醫所忽略的其他傷勢。

5. 妳一生中獲益最多的事情？一些泰國人認為，壞事纏身是因為自己做了壞事，但我不這麼認為。身為佛教徒，學習如何面對，接受問題，是一個重要的人生道理。若我們可以面對挑戰，就可以學習如何解決問題。這是我一生中獲益最多的。

6. 因為誠懇，所以親切。 普緹風塵僕僕來到我國， 還要接受各別媒體獨家專訪， 她還是樂意答應，不忍心拒人於千里之外。結果，她馬不停蹄地接受多家媒體輪流訪問，而鎂光燈閃個不停，她也沒有怨言，直到她的保驃忍不過說，普緹身體不大好，操勞了一整天，希望攝影師不要一直用閃光燈。普緹笑一笑，繼續訪問。

7. 普緹談到專業時，總是能夠很敬業樂業地說，她沒有悲傷，沒有情緒，因為她的工作必須專業地完成。這就是，簡單，快樂，或像她自己說的，nothing to hide，沒甚麼好隱瞞，因此大家都喜歡接近她。

8. 如果想知道更多普緹的資訊，可以到她的Facebook (Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunand Fan Club)。

總結來說，普緹給我們帶來啟示，給人一個正直，善良，誠懇的印象，是學習的好模範。

India - A Beggar Village

也許跟印度有緣吧，都有機會到印度工作，為了執行工程，在不同地方，陸續的居住了幾年。曾經到過許多景點，大都市，小市鎮，村莊，但是都沒留下甚麼印象。普遍上，印度箅是貧窮的國家，城市或小鎮，都可遇到乞丐求乞。印象深刻的一次，是一個本地司機，帶我到接近河川的一個乞丐大本營。

做乞丐也是一種職業，而且是代代相傳呢。像一般打工仔，他們早上也要”上班 “去，行走到附近的市場，小鎮，廟宇，人潮多的地方去“上班”，行乞。到了下午，天黑前，也是“下班”時間，就回到這個大本營。像一般家庭，他們也有小孩，父母，夫妻，乞丐朋友，一起過着行乞的生活。每當看到天真，可愛的小孩子出來討錢，很不忍心。

可能長期在這樣的環境生活，他們已經習慣了，我反而覺得他們樂天知命，很開心，也很樂觀。今朝有酒今朝醉，把天空當被蓋，月亮當燈光，生活倒是很自在，無憂，且愉快的。感覺到很像活在“當下”的境界，滿足於眼前的一切，也蠻有“禪”的味道呢！也許他們的樂觀，感染了我，而使我一有空，就常去那兒逛逛。閒聊時也發現，有些老婦女，能說不錯的英文，原來她們為了宗教的修練，離開家庭去行乞。或許做乞丐也是一種修道啊！真是活菩薩呢！有眼不識太泰山，失禮！失禮！

本地人告訴我，一些乞丐拿到了錢都會買酒喝，通常給予他們吃好過給錢。鎮上有一家小吃店，有幫人煮百人大餐，而且能通知，安排乞丐在指定地點來吃飯。只要給他一兩個星期的伙食費，小店老板會準備幾百人的大餐，安排在乞丐每天“下班”時，一起排隊來吃飯。啊，看他們開心排隊吃飯，也是件樂事。

想到這些天真，不知明天的印度小孩，真讓人痛心，感慨。我想長遠之計，他們的命運，應該是印度政府的責任吧。孩子不是每個國家的主人翁嗎？令人深思，但卻無奈的事。