累了，就把心事放下來。If you are tired, put it down.

最近認識一位美國籍的出家師父，是個很有趣的事情。

特別是他叫我舉起蕃茄汁跟他說話的經驗。我們約在新竹的一家茶館用英文談論著心經，師父用英文跟我解釋因果、輪迴這些事情，這都還不稀奇。

有趣的事情在後頭呢！

師父一聽完我跟他提到的個人煩惱的時候，他索性要我左手提起他剛買的三罐番茄汁，一邊提著，一邊跟他說話。可想而知，我左手感覺到疲勞的程度，跟時間成了正比。也懊惱著為何師父要我一邊提著三罐蕃茄汁，一邊跟他說話。受不了這樣的酸楚，我自行把左手放下，卻聽到師父跟我說：「Hold it up, and keep talking to me. 」

聽到這樣的話，心理不免起了疑心，我手提的那麼酸，為何不讓我放下手上的重物，輕鬆地與他對談？

約莫過了15分鐘，我的左手實在承受不住了，才聽見師父跟我說：「Now you can put it down.」。

看著我狐疑的臉，師父居然笑了出來。「你不喜歡提著重物跟我說話，為何你卻喜歡帶著煩惱來跟我說話，過著你的生活呢？手酸了，放下就好，對待煩惱，不也是這樣？或是這些煩惱就像是那些番茄汁一樣，是你自己用手把它們給舉起來的呢？」

有趣的經驗，對吧？

最近我開始這樣的練習，一手舉起有重量的東西，一邊想著事情。手酸了，自然會放下手上的東西，看看有一天，我會不會也學到，心累了，就把心事給放下來。

我們能很容易的放下有形的重物，卻很難放下無形的重擔。

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執著的人生會讓自己承擔莫需有的重擔。

所以學習放下執著也就在學習人生自在。

Recently, I came to know an American master who was a monk. The experience has been interesting.

Especially the experience of holding up tomato juice while talking to him. I had an appointment with him at a restaurant to talk about religious matters, life, death & rebirth. These were nothing unusual.

Interesting things then followed!

When Master heard about my personal troubles and unhappiness, he asked me to hold up with my left hand continually the 3 cans of tomato juice he just bought while talking to him. You can imagine that my left hand became more and more tired as the seconds ticked by. I was wondering why Master wanted me to do so. I could no longer bear that and put my left hand down by myself. The Master said, "Hold it up, and keep talking to me."

I began to wonder deeper. My left hand was tired. Why didn't the Master relieve me of this burden while talking to him?

15 minutes later, my left hand was real tired. Then only I heard Master said, "Now you can put it down."

He looked at my dubious face and laughed, "You do not like to hold up something heavy while talking to me. Why then you bring along your troubles and unhappiness to talk to me and while living your life? When your hand is tired, you can simply put it down. Isn't it the same for your troubles and unhappiness? The troubles and unhappiness are analogous to these tomato juice. It is you who hold them with you own hand."

It was an interesting experience, isn't it?

Recently, I started to do this practice. One hand held up something heavy while I did my thinking. When I felt tired, I naturally put it down. I would like to see that one day when my heart felt tired, I would be able to put those those things that troubled me down as well.

We can easily put down something that is real and visible. On the contrary, it is difficult to put down something that is invisible and abstract.

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Stubborn life will hold you down with unnecessary burdens.

Please learn how to put your stubbornness down and feel the freedom life brings.


Secret of Happy Life.pps (530 kb)