酷我-北美枫

[fanfan]

A Well-Sweep*

Once upon a time in ancient China, every farmer dug a well and used an ordinary bucket to draw water from the well for irrigating his farm. One day, a smart farmer invented a labour-reducing device called a “well-sweep” to facilitate drawing water from the well. The news broke out and spread at a stunning speed for miles and miles, and within a short period of time it eventually reached each corner of China. Almost every farmer happily adopted this new mechanical device to ease the pain of labouring in the farm.

A farmer, Hsueh-chuang, still used an ordinary bucket to draw water from his well as his ancestors did for thousands years. One day, a fellow villager, seeing this, asked Hsueh-chuang why he did not use a well-sweep. “It is labour-reducing and can help you do more work and earn more money.” he emphasized. Hsueh-chuang patiently answered, “I know it is labour-reducing and for this very reason I do not want to use this new device. What I’m afraid of is that the use of such a cunning contrivance will lead one to a cunning heart and thus to a soul.”


Note:

A well-sweep is a device that helps with the chore of fetching water from an old-fashioned open well. It is basically an adapted seesaw; on one end is the water bucket, and one can pull down on the other end to lift a full bucket up out of the well.
_________________
Don't imitate me;
it's as boring
as the two halves of a melon.

[[FAFAFA]]

A Well-Sweep*

Once upon a time in ancient China, every farmer dug a well and used an ordinary bucket to draw water from the well for irrigating his farm. One day, a smart farmer invented a labour-reducing device called a “well-sweep” to facilitate drawing water from the well. The news broke out and spread at a stunning speed for miles and miles, and within a short period of time it eventually reached each corner of China. Almost every farmer happily adopted this new mechanical device to ease the pain of labouring in the farm.

A farmer, Hsueh-chuang, still used an ordinary bucket to draw water from his well as his ancestors did for thousands years. One day, a fellow villager, seeing this, asked Hsueh-chuang why he did not use a well-sweep. “It is labour-reducing and can help you do more work and earn more money.” he emphasized. Hsueh-chuang patiently answered, “I know it is labour-reducing and for this very reason I do not want to use this new device. What I’m afraid of is that the use of such a cunning contrivance will lead one to a cunning heart and thus to a soul.”


Note:

A well-sweep is a device that helps with the chore of fetching water from an old-fashioned open well. It is basically an adapted seesaw; on one end is the water bucket, and one can pull down on the other end to lift a full bucket up out of the well.
_________________
Don't imitate me;
it's as boring
as the two halves of a melon.

[ericcoliu]

[[ericcoliu]]

[星子]

It sounds like the story in Liao-Fan's Four Lessons.

It was very popular in old time. It taught how to change fate by doing good deeds.
_________________

[[ANNA]]

It sounds like the story in Liao-Fan's Four Lessons.

It was very popular in old time. It taught how to change fate by doing good deeds.
_________________

[Lake]

[[Lake]]

[星子]

了凡四训这本书，是中国明朝袁了凡先生所作的家训，教戒他的儿子袁天启，认识命运的真相，明辨善恶的标准，改过迁善的方法，以及行善积德谦虚种种的效验；并且以他自己改造命运的经验来「现身说法」；读了可以使人心目豁开，信心勇气倍增，亟欲效法了凡先生，来改造自己的命运；实在是一本有益世道人心，转移社会风气不可多得的好书。

开头所以先谈「立命之学」，是为了勉励世人奋发向上，不要自暴自弃，因为人生的气数，虽由前生造因而定，但命运的好坏，却随着此生心性之状态而改变，因此以立命之说开宗明义。
　　
第二篇接着讲「改过之法」，是因为一般人，都自认自己是无过失之人，而不知改过行善，试想不知改过之人，就像漏了底的容器，行善也收不到效果。
　　
为人若诸恶不改，众善奉行，则功过相抵，等于没作。若诸恶不改，只略行数善，则就只见祸不见福。因此说：改过是立命的下手工夫，人若知过能改，但不晓得行善的道理，也是徒劳无益，因此第三篇接着谈「积善之方」，淋漓尽致的分析行善的道理与方法。
　　
初学行善之人，难免会像穷小子忽然变成暴发户，会有傲慢天下，藐视一切的骄傲作风，因此末篇以「谦德之效」，叮咛「满招损，谦受益」的道理。人能谦虚为怀，则行善惟恐不足，才能使「立命」收到效果，而达致改造命运的目的。
　　
总而言之，「了凡四训」，虽曰「四训」，其实是一气呵成的一篇「立命道理」，确确实实是人生之「至理名言」。

印光大师说：「圣贤之道，唯诚与明。」这两句话把世出世间教育的精髓一语道破。人生在世都被命运所支配，如果知道事实真相，即可主宰命运。

这次经由净宗学会的推动，将这部宝典拍成电影，让更多人能接触了凡四训，以明辨因果的道理，改造自己的命运。



个人觉得第一集不错，讲了很多关于人生的态度！后两集就有一些迷信的东西了！
_________________

[[ANNA]]

了凡四训这本书，是中国明朝袁了凡先生所作的家训，教戒他的儿子袁天启，认识命运的真相，明辨善恶的标准，改过迁善的方法，以及行善积德谦虚种种的效验；并且以他自己改造命运的经验来「现身说法」；读了可以使人心目豁开，信心勇气倍增，亟欲效法了凡先生，来改造自己的命运；实在是一本有益世道人心，转移社会风气不可多得的好书。

开头所以先谈「立命之学」，是为了勉励世人奋发向上，不要自暴自弃，因为人生的气数，虽由前生造因而定，但命运的好坏，却随着此生心性之状态而改变，因此以立命之说开宗明义。
　　
第二篇接着讲「改过之法」，是因为一般人，都自认自己是无过失之人，而不知改过行善，试想不知改过之人，就像漏了底的容器，行善也收不到效果。
　　
为人若诸恶不改，众善奉行，则功过相抵，等于没作。若诸恶不改，只略行数善，则就只见祸不见福。因此说：改过是立命的下手工夫，人若知过能改，但不晓得行善的道理，也是徒劳无益，因此第三篇接着谈「积善之方」，淋漓尽致的分析行善的道理与方法。
　　
初学行善之人，难免会像穷小子忽然变成暴发户，会有傲慢天下，藐视一切的骄傲作风，因此末篇以「谦德之效」，叮咛「满招损，谦受益」的道理。人能谦虚为怀，则行善惟恐不足，才能使「立命」收到效果，而达致改造命运的目的。
　　
总而言之，「了凡四训」，虽曰「四训」，其实是一气呵成的一篇「立命道理」，确确实实是人生之「至理名言」。

印光大师说：「圣贤之道，唯诚与明。」这两句话把世出世间教育的精髓一语道破。人生在世都被命运所支配，如果知道事实真相，即可主宰命运。

这次经由净宗学会的推动，将这部宝典拍成电影，让更多人能接触了凡四训，以明辨因果的道理，改造自己的命运。



个人觉得第一集不错，讲了很多关于人生的态度！后两集就有一些迷信的东西了！
_________________

[Champagne]

In my view, the lesson in this sudden fiction is that with the least interference the natural order will prosper, and that Hsueh-chuang prefers what is within to what is without.
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[[Champagne]]

In my view, the lesson in this sudden fiction is that with the least interference the natural order will prosper, and that Hsueh-chuang prefers what is within to what is without.
_________________
I'm Champagne,
Bottled poetry with sparkling joy.

[fanfan]

Thank all of you for reading and commenting on my piece.

My piece is my literary reflection on one interesting story recorded in Heaven and Earth of Chuang-tze: the use of such a cunning contrivance will lead one to a cunning heart and thus to a soul, as ericcoliu stresses, in which Tao will not dwell.

What follows is the story upon which my piece is based:

<莊子,天地篇, 11>:
子貢南遊於楚，反於晉，過漢陰，見一丈人方將為圃畦，鑿隧而入井，抱甕而出灌，搰搰然用力甚多而見功寡。子貢曰：“有械於此，一日浸百畦，用力甚寡而見功多，夫子不欲乎？”為圃者卬而視之曰：“奈何？”曰：“鑿木為機，後重前輕，挈水若抽，數如泆湯，其名為槔。”為圃者忿然作色而笑曰：“吾聞之吾師：‘有機械者必有機事，有機事者必有機心。’機心存於胸中，則純白不備；純白不備，則神生不定；神生不定者，道之所不載也。吾非不知，羞而不為也。”子貢瞞然慚，俯而不對。

<Chunag-Tze, Heaven and Earth, 11>
Zi-gong had been rambling in the south in Chu, and was returning to Jin. As he passed (a place) on the north of the Han, he saw an old man who was going to work on his vegetable garden. He had dug his channels, gone to the well, and was bringing from it in his arms a jar of water to pour into them. Toiling away, he expended a great deal of strength, but the result which he accomplished was very small. Zi-gong said to him, 'There is a contrivance here, by means of which a hundred plots of ground may be irrigated in one day. With the expenditure of a very little strength, the result accomplished is great. Would you, Master, not like (to try it)?' The gardener looked up at him, and said, 'How does it work?' Zi-gong said, 'It is a lever made of wood, heavy behind, and light in front. It raises the water as quickly as you could do with your hand, or as it bubbles over from a boiler. Its name is a shadoof.' The gardener put on an angry look, laughed, and said, 'I have heard from my teacher that, where there are ingenious contrivances, there are sure to be subtle doings; and that, where there are subtle doings, there is sure to be a scheming mind. But, when there is a scheming mind in the breast, its pure simplicity is impaired. When this pure simplicity is impaired, the spirit becomes unsettled, and the unsettled spirit is not the proper residence of the Dao. It is not that I do not know (the contrivance which you mention), but I should be ashamed to use it.'
_________________
Don't imitate me;
it's as boring
as the two halves of a melon.

[[FAFAFA]]

Thank all of you for reading and commenting on my piece.

My piece is my literary reflection on one interesting story recorded in Heaven and Earth of Chuang-tze: the use of such a cunning contrivance will lead one to a cunning heart and thus to a soul, as ericcoliu stresses, in which Tao will not dwell.

What follows is the story upon which my piece is based:

<莊子,天地篇, 11>:
子貢南遊於楚，反於晉，過漢陰，見一丈人方將為圃畦，鑿隧而入井，抱甕而出灌，搰搰然用力甚多而見功寡。子貢曰：“有械於此，一日浸百畦，用力甚寡而見功多，夫子不欲乎？”為圃者卬而視之曰：“奈何？”曰：“鑿木為機，後重前輕，挈水若抽，數如泆湯，其名為槔。”為圃者忿然作色而笑曰：“吾聞之吾師：‘有機械者必有機事，有機事者必有機心。’機心存於胸中，則純白不備；純白不備，則神生不定；神生不定者，道之所不載也。吾非不知，羞而不為也。”子貢瞞然慚，俯而不對。

<Chunag-Tze, Heaven and Earth, 11>
Zi-gong had been rambling in the south in Chu, and was returning to Jin. As he passed (a place) on the north of the Han, he saw an old man who was going to work on his vegetable garden. He had dug his channels, gone to the well, and was bringing from it in his arms a jar of water to pour into them. Toiling away, he expended a great deal of strength, but the result which he accomplished was very small. Zi-gong said to him, 'There is a contrivance here, by means of which a hundred plots of ground may be irrigated in one day. With the expenditure of a very little strength, the result accomplished is great. Would you, Master, not like (to try it)?' The gardener looked up at him, and said, 'How does it work?' Zi-gong said, 'It is a lever made of wood, heavy behind, and light in front. It raises the water as quickly as you could do with your hand, or as it bubbles over from a boiler. Its name is a shadoof.' The gardener put on an angry look, laughed, and said, 'I have heard from my teacher that, where there are ingenious contrivances, there are sure to be subtle doings; and that, where there are subtle doings, there is sure to be a scheming mind. But, when there is a scheming mind in the breast, its pure simplicity is impaired. When this pure simplicity is impaired, the spirit becomes unsettled, and the unsettled spirit is not the proper residence of the Dao. It is not that I do not know (the contrivance which you mention), but I should be ashamed to use it.'
_________________
Don't imitate me;
it's as boring
as the two halves of a melon.

[Lake]

fanfan,

I know where the story is leading to and I respect each individual's choice of life; but if people all do as what the story tells, we won't be living in this world, we won't be able to communicate right here, on the internet. According to the old man's philosophy, I would think even digging up a well is a cunning act, isn't it? It is doubtful that keeping a pure mind is against creativity... Maybe, I missed the point here.

Cheers,

[[Lake]]

fanfan,

I know where the story is leading to and I respect each individual's choice of life; but if people all do as what the story tells, we won't be living in this world, we won't be able to communicate right here, on the internet. According to the old man's philosophy, I would think even digging up a well is a cunning act, isn't it? It is doubtful that keeping a pure mind is against creativity... Maybe, I missed the point here.

Cheers,

[fanfan]

[[FAFAFA]]

[星子]

I agree with Lake.

I don't think Tao's way is good for the world.

Sometimes something must be done in a new way.
_________________

[[ANNA]]

I agree with Lake.

I don't think Tao's way is good for the world.

Sometimes something must be done in a new way.
_________________