88.快樂的螃蟹 Happy Crabs

88.HAPPY CRABS

　　Liang Tuian was a doctor who really wanted to relieve suffering, not only among human beings, but among all living creatures as well. He was a vegetarian,of course.

　　One fall, his friend Chi Feite sent him two baskets of crabs, “to be washed down with liquor.” Gourmets know that autumn crabs and liquor are an unbeatable combination. But Liang did a strange thing. He didn’t take the crabs to the kitchen, he took them to the shore and let them go in the little stream near his house.

　　Another guest, who had come from Huzhou, said, “You are really a nice man.You remind me of Zhang Fengweng, from my humble hometown. For generations, he and his family have been vegetarians, and never killed anything.

　　“In reward for their kindness, many of the family have won high positions in the government, with power and fame.

　　“I predict that as a result of your kindness, one day in the future your esteemed son will reach a lofty position in the imperial service, just as the sons of the Zhang family have.”

　　Liang smiled and said, “Good deeds are something we’re supposed to do, they are not something we do hoping for rewards. If I have ever done any good, it has not been with the hopes of gaining some rewards for myself or my family. Don’t you think those crabs look happier there in the stream than they would boiling in a pot? That’s reward enough for me.”

　　When Liang’s son, Zhiqing, grew up, he passed the imperial examinations with flying colors, and was appointed to govern Gaozhou. When he was sent to govern Min county, he was pleased to meet again his best friend, the scholar Zhang, who was serving in the county government there. It turns out that this scholar was the son of Zhang Fengweng, and was also a vegetarian.

　　Zhang stayed at the Liang’s for a month. He was delighted to see that no animal products were ever served at family meals. At formal dinners, almost all of the dishes were vegetarian. At most there might be some dried duck, but Zhang noticed that his friend Liang Zhiqing never ate any of it.

　　Liang was also impressed with his friend Zhang. Zhang was honest and hard working. He lived simply and ate simply, too. He ate a light breakfast and got to the office early to begin his day. He never got to the office late, like some important officials did, and he never procrastinated on any official duties.

　　Think about that. If everybody were a vegetarian; if everybody ate simple foods; if everybody did his duty faithfully, without fuss, pomp, or corruption; if everybody were fair and honest: wouldn’t that be a wonderful world to live in?

　　If you want to live in such a wonderful world, start building it yourself! You can’t ask others to be kind and honest if you aren’t first.

88.快樂的螃蟹

　　梁退安是一個大夫，他非常想幫助眾生解除痛苦，不光是人，還有其他一切生物。當然，他是一個吃素的人。

　　一年秋天，他的朋友遲非特送給他兩筐螃蟹，叫他用來下酒吃 。美食家都知道，秋蟹配黃酒，再好也沒有。但是梁退安的做法卻讓大家很驚奇。他並沒有把螃蟹送到廚房，他來到了附近的小溪邊，然 後把螃蟹放生了。

　　另一位來自湖州的朋友對梁退安說，「你真是一個好人。你讓我想起了一個人，張奉翁，他是鄙人的同鄉。他全家都吃素，從來不殺生。

　　「善有善報，他家有許多人都在朝中做大官，權高名重。

　　「像你這樣的好人一定有好報的，我猜想貴公子總有一天也會像張家的孩子一樣在朝中做大官的。」

　　梁退安微笑著說道，「這些善事都是應該做的，我們並不期望回報。我做好事從來就不指望給我或家人帶來任何好處。難道你不覺得，那些螃蟹在河里要比在鍋里更快樂嗎？這對我來說就是很好的回報。」

　　後來他的兒子梁至清長大了，他在科舉考試中名列前茅，被委任到皋州做官。當梁至清來到岷縣上任時，他很高興地又遇見了他最好的朋友張秀才。他也在縣衙里做事。後來梁至清才知道，張秀才正是張奉翁的兒子，並且也吃素。

　　張秀才在梁家住了一個月。他欣喜地發現，平時的一日三餐當中從來沒有葷腥。而正式的宴席中，大多數也是素菜。最多會有一些薰鴨，不過張秀才注意到，他的朋友梁至清一點也不吃。

　　而張秀才也給梁至清留下了深刻的印象。他為人厚道，做事勤快。他的生活和飲食也非常簡樸。他早飯總是吃得很簡單，然後就早早地來到府衙開始一天的工作。他從來就不像一些大官那樣遲到，更不會延誤公務。

　　想想看，如果每個人都吃素，每個人都衣食簡樸，每個人都盡忠職守，從不懈怠、虛夸和腐敗，每個人都公正誠實，那麼這個世界該會多麼美好？

　　如果你想生活在這樣一個美妙的世界里，那麼就開始塑造新的自我吧！如果你不對別人友善、真誠，那你又怎能讓別人這樣對你呢？