生与死的故事～乞讨芥菜籽 The story of life and death - Begging for mustard seeds

幸福之旅的第60天,星期四，电疗结束后恢复期第14天。老公的情况感觉得到一直在改进中。。。内心真的觉得很感恩与欣喜！这场病痛来得突然，也许真的带给我们身心不少的苦，但也让我和老公对生命有了更深的体认！

上人说的故事和大家分享~

佛陀在世时，有一位母亲因为孩子一出生没多久就往生了，所以痛不欲生，乃至发狂。When the Buddha was alive, there was once a mother who gave birth to a child. Unfortunately the child died shortly after birth. Because of this, the mother became too mournful which drove her mind close to insanity.

她抱着孩子到处去求，希望孩子可以再復活，最后求到了佛陀面前，佛陀看到这位母亲已经无法冷静了，只好告诉她：「你的孩子能救活，但是你要先去付出、尽心。」She would carry her child’s body with her to search for anyone who would be able to bring back her dead child. Finally, she came forth to Buddha for help. The Buddha saw her mind was out of control and agreed to help revive the child, but with the condition that she must agree to go any lengths to complete the tasks that would come before her in the journey.

她听到佛陀这样说，心中燃起一丝希望，不论是怎样的付出，怎样的尽心，她都愿意。When she received this good news from Buddha, a light of hope appeared within. She thought to herself, “I would put in all my effort and do anything to achieve the tasks set before me.”

佛陀就说：「那么你去向从来没有死过人的家庭讨芥菜子。」芥菜子在印度是很普遍的，所以这位已经发狂的母亲听到这样，就把孩子放在佛陀面前，挨家挨户去找芥菜子。Buddha said to her, “Very well then, you shall ask for some mustard seeds from someone who has never suffered a death in the family.”  The mustard seed is a very common food in India so she immediately accepted the task. She laid down her dead child’s body in front of the Buddha and began to enquire at every household in the town for some mustard seeds.

在讨芥菜子之前，她就先问：「请问你的家庭有死过人吗？」结果，芥菜子家家都有，只是家中从来没有人往生的，怎么找都找不到。When she came to each household, she would always ask, “Have you ever lost someone in your family before?” Although every family she came across had mustard seeds, but she had not found one family that had not lost someone before.

从日出一直到日落，她双手空空，带着非常惨淡的心情，来到佛陀面前。佛陀很慈祥地问：「有没有找到呢？」这位母亲悲伤的回答：「芥菜子家家都有，只是找不到不曾死过人的家庭。」She spent all day searching, but her hands were still empty of mustard seeds. With a heavy heart, once again, she came before the Buddha. The Buddha gently asked, “Did you find the mustard seeds?” “No,” she replied in sorrow, “Everyone has mustards seeds, but not one family have had not experienced bereavement.”

佛陀就说：「人生有生必有死，生命无常，没有长短的固定。因缘来人间，因缘而消散，何必苦苦追求呢？」
Buddha said, “To be born and to die are the laws of nature. Life is impermanent; the length of life can be variable. The chance to be born as a human and to live as one, has come at great affinity, so why continue to seek for life, when has already come to an end of a chapter?”

她听到佛陀慈祥而沈静的开导，心就静下来了，终于明白生命是无法强求的。既然人已经往生，不放弃也无奈。
The Buddha’s words of wisdom had enlightened her and she finally came to understand that she cannot have everything to her heart’s desires in life. She realized that the child has already left this world; it is wise to accept the truth and move on with her life.

「贪生畏死」是人之常情，只是「人生自古谁无死」？Being afraid of death and having the desire to continue to live a long-lasting life is common human nature, but every life comes to an end, doesn’t it?

我们从来没有听过「保命畏死」的人就不会死，只一味想保护自己的生命，难道就有长生不死的人吗？完全没有。所以说生死是很自然的。People have tried to avoid dying, but none have ever succeeded. It doesn’t matter how hard you try to preserve and protect yourself, we will always need to face death in the end. So therefore, death is a very natural thing.

我们若能觉悟，生命是随着分秒时日消逝而抹灭的话，就会知道要利用生命，在人间多造福业，多修慧命。
If only we could understand that life diminishes as time goes on, and time never wait for us. Then we would live life to the fullest, add meaning to our impermanent life by doing good deeds to create good karma, give kind blessings and gather great wisdom.

什么叫做福业？利益人群，功益社会即是。这在现代名词叫做福祉，也就是造福地方。What is good karma? It is a way in which we can benefit and improve the people and the society. The common word used is “welfare” which means to aid or promote well-being ‘for the common good’.

我们若能透彻了解生命的价值，有朝一日，在生死的关头，能够安心，懂得放下，就不会有生死挣扎的痛苦。If we are able to understand of the true meaning of life, in the matter of life and death, we will see the situation from a broader perspective. We can peacefully rise above the concept and let go of all our worries, there will be no struggle between the pain of life and death.

早餐：

1.冰糖红枣汁+老行家的纯燕窝1匙

2.现榨苹果果红萝卜汁

午餐：

1.白粥+小菜

晚餐：

1.牛肉汤面

2.红枣银耳汤

3.萝卜排骨汤

晚点：

1.南瓜萝卜糕+鱼丸汤

2.速养疗1包(左旋麸醯鞍酸)

3.冰糖红枣汁+老行家的纯燕窝1匙