空 Empty Space

〖空〗

人們響往涅槃，不過，一旦你告訴他們那兒空無一物時，心里馬上起第二想。但那兒什麼也沒有，空無一物。看看這兒的屋頂和地板；屋頂代表「有」，而地板也代表「有」，你可以站在屋頂上，也可以站在地板上，但是，在屋頂和地板之間的空間卻無處可站。沒有「有」的地方，就是「空」的所在；直接地，涅槃即是「空」。人們一聽到這兒便退卻不想去了。他們怕會見不著自己的孩子和親戚。

這就是為什麼當我們祝福在家人的時候，會說：「祝你們長壽、美麗、健康、快樂。」他們就會很高興，可是，一旦你談起「放下」和「空」時，他們便不想聽了。但你是否見過一個外表美麗、體力充沛或非常或非常幸福的老人？沒有！然而我們卻說：「長壽、美麗、健康、快樂。」他們也非常歡喜。他們執著「有」，執著生死輪迴。他們歡喜站在屋頂和地板上面，很少有人敢「站」在中間的「空」間。

Empty Space

People want to go to Nibbana but when you tell them that there is nothing there, they begin to have second thoughts. But there’s nothing there, nothing at all! Look at the roof and floor here. Think of the roof as a “becoming” and the floor as a “becoming”, too. You can stand on the roof and you can stand on the floor, but in the empty space between the roof and the floor there is no place to stand. Where there is no becoming, that’s where there’s emptiness, and to put it bluntly, we say that Nibbana is this emptiness. People hear this and they back up a bit. They don’t want to go. They’re afraid that they won’t see their children or relatives. That’s why whenever we bless the laity by wishing them long life, beauty, and strength, they become very happy. However, if we start talking about letting go and about emptiness they don’t want to hear about it. But have you ever seen a very old person with a beautiful complexion, or a lot of strength, or a lot of happiness? No! But we wish them long life; beauty, happiness and strength, and they are all pleased. They’re attached to becoming, to the cycle of birth and death. They prefer to stand on the roof or on the floor. Few are they who dare to stand in the empty space between.