丁志春講於2024年8月24日晚 萬佛城大殿

諸佛菩薩，宣公上人，諸位尊敬的法師及各位善知識，阿彌陀佛。我的中文名是丁志春，法名親志，目前在萬佛城男校擔任中文教師一職。這是我第三次在萬佛殿與在座各位結法緣，上一次是今年的二月。半年時間雖不甚長，但發生的事情真不少，今天我藉此機會跟大家分享這段時間我的教學經歷和心得，如果還有時間可稍微談談暑期的經歷。我的分享有任何不如法之處，務必請任何時候遇見我，就指正我。

All Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, VM, DMs, and all good advisors, Amitofo!

My name is Dale, and my Dharma name is Qin Zhi. I’m currently a Chinese teacher at the Boys’ School. This is my third time tying dharma affinities with all of you at the Buddha Hall. The last time was in February this year. Although half a year is not very long, a lot has happened since then. Today I will take this opportunity to share with you some of my teaching experiences and insights during this period. If there is time left, I would like to talk a little bit about my summer experience. If I say anything wrong or improper, please feel free to correct me.

這半年，在我的教學中發生了的一些有意思的事，這些事很難與他人分享，但今天在大殿裡說出來，藉此向佛菩薩、向上人對我人生的指引表達深深的感恩。

去年除了小學五六年級和初中外，我還帶高中的AP中文班，班上的孩子大多來自台灣和中國，中文基礎良好，因此我們先用兩個月時間學習東漢許慎的《說文解字》中的540部首；爾後學了三皇五帝到東晉這一段古代歷史。在上半學年和下半學年交替之期，則與孩子們練習朗誦他們所選擇的古詩詞，幫助他們準備校內的詩詞比賽，在準備和比賽之中，我和孩子們都收穫了無限的喜悅和對詩詞的熱愛。這些都結束後，我才開始教授AP中文的內容和考試技巧，為五月初的AP統考作準備。

In the past few months, some interesting things have happened in my teaching. It is difficult to share them with others, but I will tell them in the Buddha Hall today to express my deep gratitude to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and VM for their guidance.

Last year, in addition to elementary school and junior high, I also taught AP Chinese in high school. Most of the students in my class were from Taiwan and China and had a good foundation in Chinese.

We first spent two months studying the 540 radicals in “Shuowen Jiezi” written by Xu Shen of the Eastern Han Dynasty around 100 CE.

Later, we learned about the ancient history from the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, which is the history before 470 CE.

Between the fall and spring semesters, we practiced reciting ancient poems chosen by the students, helping them prepare for the school poetry competition. During the preparation and competition, the children and I gained a lot of joy and love for poetry.

After all of this was over, I started teaching AP Chinese content and exam techniques for the AP exam in early May.

AP中文中有很大一部分涉及中國傳統文化，比如中國的傳統建築和傳統養生理念，那這就一定會講到寺院建築及中國功夫，因此這兩者的交集就在落在少林寺這個主題上。我希望帶給孩子們一些現實的內容，不希望他們認為傳統大都是用不上的老古董，於是在詳細講完中國寺院建築佈局，介紹了少林寺和少林功夫之後，又介紹了一位從小學習少林功夫，並在德國建立的歐洲少林寺的出家人釋恆義給學生們。這位法師年齡大概四十來歲（不確定），亞洲人，出生成長於德國，說德文和英文。

A large part of AP Chinese involves traditional Chinese culture, such as traditional Chinese architecture and healthcare, so a notable thing we discussed was temple architecture and Chinese Kung Fu, which intersected at the Shaolin Temple. I hoped to bring some realistic content to the children, since I didn’t want them to think that these traditions are old and antiquated. Therefore, after explaining the architectural layout of Chinese temples in detail and introducing the Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Kung Fu, I also introduced a person who has studied Shaolin Kung Fu since childhood, whose name is Shi Heng Yi. He is a monk of the European Shaolin Temple established in Germany. He is around forty years old, Asian, born and raised in Germany, and he speaks German and English.

我們一起看了一段恆義法師2020年受TED邀請而作的時長18分鐘的演講，題目是5 Hindrances to Self-mastery障礙自我掌控的五個方面。演講以他的童年生活開始，他成長在一個亞洲家庭。亞洲家庭似乎有兩個共性：一是孩子不跟長輩頂嘴；二是家庭對孩子未來職業的預期大都傾向於醫生、工程師和律師三個方面。在父母的安排下，他從四歲起就未間斷地過著上學、學少林功夫和回家這樣三點一線的簡單生活。為了達成父母的期待，他獲得了一系列父母認為重要的證書和學歷。學習了對外在客觀知識及事物的認知之後，他意識到缺失了一塊內容，那就去認識自己。而他從四歲開始接觸的身心靈兼修的少林功夫，給予他尋求真理的力量，從而最終沒有走向就業市場去掌握世界，而是繼續他的修行，成為了一個出家人。

We watched an 18-minute TEDtalk that Master Heng Yi gave in 2020, titled 5 Hindrances to Self-Mastery. The speech began with his childhood, growing up in an Asian family. Asian families almost always have two things in common: first, children do not talk back to their elders; second, families tend to expect that their children will become doctors, engineers, or lawyers in the future. Starting from when he was four, his parents arranged for him to live an extremely simple life of going to school, learning Shaolin Kung Fu, and going home. In order to fulfill his parents’ expectations, he obtained a series of certificates and academic diplomas that his parents considered important. After learning about external objective knowledge, he realized he was missing something— that is knowing about self, who am I? The physical, mental, and spiritual Shaolin Kung Fu he had been practicing since the age of four gave him the power to seek the truth. In the end, he did not enter the job market or master the world, but continued his practice and became a monk.

恆義法師被TED邀請分享的話題是這一生什麼才是重要的。法師以一個想登上山頂卻始終沒有付諸行動的人的故事作譬喻，描述了五種障礙我們看清真相的心境，它們是：第一，感官慾望這一正向情緒；第二，厭惡這種負面情緒；第三，遲鈍/消沉這種禁錮自己的情緒；第四，焦躁不安，這種令心無處安放的情緒；第五，懷疑猶豫，類似遇事猶疑不決的心態。在分析了這五種心境是如何作用而障礙我們的心性之後，這位法師便提出消除它們的四個步驟：首先，認識並發現自己處於什麼樣的狀態；其次，學會接受、承認並允許一切的發生；然後，觀察你的情緒和狀態並問自己：為什麼會出現這種情況？如果我停留在這種狀態下，會造成什麼後果？

DM Heng Yi was asked to share a few words on what was important in this life under the slogan of “High, Higher, Highest.” The master used the story of a person who was intended to reach the top of the mountain but never took action as an analogy to describe the five hindrances, which are describing different states of the mind. In those states of mind, it becomes very hard to see clearly and therefore engage in the right decisions. The first is Sensual Desire, which is a positive emotion; Second is ill-will/aversion, which is a negative emotion; Third, dullness/heaviness—used similarly in Buddhism, which is described as “imprisonment”; Fourth, restlessness, a state of unsettled mind; Fifth, skeptical doubt, which is closely related to a state of mind that is based on indecisiveness. After knowing the five hindrances, what are we going to do about them? You need to align and structure your life in such a way to prevent them from arising. Therefore, DM Heng Yi gave four steps to remove the 5 hindrances: Recognize in what state of the mind that you are finding yourself in. Afterwards, learn to accept, acknowledge, and allow the situation or a person to be the way it is, to be the way they are. Investigate your emotional and mental state and ask questions. Why did it come up? What is going to be the consequence if I remain in this state?

最後一個步驟英文叫作non-identification，我找不出恰當的中文詞彙去翻譯，但理解它是一種撕去把自己定義為某種人事物的標籤的行為，因而是一種可以付諸實踐的練習，那就是對自己說：我不是這個身體，我不是這個頭腦，我不是我的情緒，這樣三句話。法師最後總結說，為了給我們的生活帶來意義，帶來價值，我們需要認識和把控自己，不讓那些虛幻的心緒來障礙自己看清人生的真相。其實，這一生什麼才是重要的，這個問題，這位法師並沒有給出標準答案，而是給出了方法。當你運用這個方法後，澄清了自己的心，離真理更接近，最終將領悟到什麼才是自己這一生最要緊的事。人與人不同，在這個問題上是沒法借鑒的，因此也就不可能有統一的標準的答案。說了這麼多，接下來是我的個人體驗。

And ultimately, non-identification. I can’t find the appropriate Chinese translation, but it is an act of tearing off labels and therefore an exercise that can be put into practice: I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not my emotions. The master finally concluded that in order to bring meaning and value to our lives, we need to learn and master ourselves and not let the hindrances stop us. What is important in this life? The master did not give a standard answer, but gave a method. When you use this method and clarify yourself, you will naturally be able to see the truth and know what is the most important thing in your life. Everyone is different and there is no way to copy others, so it is impossible to have a unified standard answer. Having introduced so much information, next is my personal experience that I want to share.

視頻是英文的，沒有中文字幕。我擔心這些國內長大的孩子不能完全聽懂，因此又簡單重複了五個障礙和四條途徑，並著重強調了那個“撕標簽”的三句話：我不是這個身體，我不是這個頭腦，我不是我的情緒。不過課也就上到這裡，我沒什麼能力幫助他們更深入理解。但那天晚上，熟睡之中我卻發現自己以英文在念這三句話，重複幾遍之後，突然一切就靜下來了。

The video is in English without Chinese subtitles. I was afraid that these children who grew up in China would not be able to fully understand, so I simply repeated the five hindrances and the four steps of solution, and also emphasized the three sentences of non-identification: I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not my emotions. The class ended here, and I didn’t have much opportunity to help them understand more deeply. But that night, while I was sleeping, I found myself reciting these three sentences. After repeating a few times, the world suddenly became quiet.

五年前我剛搬來萬佛城就在大殿分享我的經歷，講到自己大學時，一天晚上在宿舍聽到其他同學講老師教她們六字大明咒的事情，當晚，在噩夢中我不自覺地念誦六字大明咒，突然世界就乾乾淨淨、清清靜靜，從而周圍的一切那麼的清晰。那種清淨跟這次我的體驗到的清淨是一致的。這樣的清淨，在打坐時能體驗到。但學生們不會明白的，因此我也就沒跟他們進一步分享。

When I first moved to Ukiah five years ago, I shared my experience in the Buddha Hall and talked about my university. At that time, one night in the dormitory, I heard other students talking about the Six Character Great Bright Mantra that the teacher taught them. That night, in my nightmare, I unconsciously recited the mantra, and suddenly the world became clean and tranquil, and the surroundings became clear. That kind of purity is consistent with the purity I experienced this time. This kind of purity can also be experienced during meditation, but I did not share it with my students.

當然我的這種體驗有如盲龜浮木，並不恆常。卻令我發現，這三句話的確能幫助我們止息頭腦的遊戲，直接進入清明的狀態。而當心清明了，一切就清晰起來，人生什麼才是重要的，答案就會現前。其實自從十年前我第一次來Ukiah，看到萬佛城的山門那一剎那，我就踏上尋找我人生使命的歷程。在這個過程中，我迷惘過，八萬四千法，到底哪個才是我該走的路，可就在被無形的手推著前行的過程中，我在逐漸認識自己。

Of course, my experience was like a blind turtle who encountered a piece of driftwood with a hole in it and just happened to stick its head into it, which is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But I discovered that these three sentences of non-identification can indeed help us stop playing mind games, and lead individuals to a state of clarity. And when the mind is clear, everything becomes clear. With this clarity, you may find out what is important in your life. In fact, ever since I first came to Ukiah ten years ago and saw the entrance gate of CTTB, I began to embark on the journey of finding my mission in life. During this process, I was confused as to which of the 84,000 dharmas was the right path for me to take. But in the process of being pushed forward by invisible hands, I gradually got to know myself more and more.

還有一件事是發生在這之後。AP中文在中國傳統文化部分還涉及傳統服飾。我便歷朝歷代地去講服飾的變化，講到漢朝時，一定不會錯過1972年在湖南長沙馬王堆漢墓出土一件只有49克的素紗襌衣。這件襌衣的照片網上很多，我還找到一集製作得特別棒的講漢代服裝的視頻，都是根據馬王堆出土文物來介紹的。其中講到這件素紗禪衣時，這樣描述：紗是非常輕薄的絲織品，素紗就是未經染色的紗，襌衣是指沒有襯裡的衣。可這麼薄這麼透的衣服具體是怎麼穿的呢？有人說它是罩在別的衣服外面，這樣裡面衣服的顏色花紋就像籠罩了一層薄霧，特別地好看。

Another thing happened after this. AP Chinese also covers traditional costumes. I talked about the changes and trends in clothing in each dynasty.  When it came to the Han Dynasty, a notable event was the 1972 discovery of three Han dynasty tombs in Changsha city in Hunan province. From these tombs, a garment called the “Plain Gauze Gown” was uncovered, which is only 49 grams. There are many photos of this gown on the Internet, and I also found a particularly well-made video about Han Dynasty clothing, all based on the cultural relics unearthed in these tombs. When talking about this plain gauze gown, it described it like this: “Gauze was a very thin textile. Plain gauze means an undyed gauze. Gown means clothing without an inner layer. How was a piece of clothing as thin as this one worn? Some say it was worn over other clothing, thus the colors and images underneath look as though they are covered with a thin fog and it looks quite beautiful.”

當視頻看到這裡，我突然想起《中庸》一文最後部分有關於這種服裝的作用的文字，並不是為了美觀，完全是君子之風的體現。可我就是想不起那句話怎麼說來著，還問了班裡一位會背《中庸》的學生，但他不了解文意。於是我想回家查書吧，而且我一定不會忘記去查的，可是放學後忙到該睡覺了也並沒有想起來。那段時間，我的二女兒臨睡前會拿出古文讀上一段，那天雖然拿的不是《中庸》，但她拿到書還沒打開，卻說了四個字：“衣錦尚絅”，然後又重複了一遍。這四個字正是白天課上我話到嘴邊又說不上來的四個字。第二天我便將中庸這一段跟孩子們分享。

When we watched this video, I suddenly remembered that the last part of the article Zhong Yong, “The Doctrine of the Mean” is about the function of this kind of clothing. It is not for beauty, but completely reflects the style of a person of noble character. But I just couldn’t remember how to say that sentence. I even asked a student in the class who could recite “Zhong Yong”, but he didn’t understand the meaning. So I told myself to check the book at home, and I thought I would definitely not forget. But I was so busy after school that when bedtime came, I didn’t think about it. During those days, my second daughter would take out a book of classic Chinese literature every night to read for a while. Although the book she picked up that day was not “Zhong Yong”, before she opened it, she said four words: Yì Jin Shang Jiong, and then she repeated it again. These four words are exactly the words that I thought of during class but could not recall. The next day I shared the text and explanation with the students.

原文是：詩曰：「衣錦尚絅」，惡其文之著也。故君子之道，闇然而日章；小人之道，的然而日亡。君子之道，淡而不厭、簡而文、溫而理……這句話沒引用完整，但讀到這裡便已經能把古人為什麼在華美的錦衣外面要罩一件如雲如霧的薄紗衣原因講明白了。其實原因是為了避免錦衣花紋太矚目。為什麼要這樣做呢？這體現的是君子爲人的道理，那就是外表黯然無色而内心美德反而更彰明；小人的爲人之道在於，外表光鮮，隨著時間的推移，他的內在卻日漸黯淡。君子爲人的道理還在於外表素淡卻不使人嫌惡，外表簡樸而内含文采，外表温和而内有條理……當我們在課上講到這裡的時候，整個教室鴉雀無聲，但我彷彿能聽到這些孩子內心被震懾的聲音，君子的美好，實在是由內而外的。讓孩子沉靜在一種遐想中，原來自己的潛能無限，把自心調和了，外在氣質也就跟著變化。

The original text is translated as this: It is said in the Book of Poetry, “Over her embroidered robe she puts a plain single garment,” intimating a dislike to the display of the elegance of the former. Just so, it is the way of the superior man to prefer the concealment of his virtue, while it daily becomes more illustrious, and it is the way of the inferior man to seek fame, while he daily goes more and more to ruin. It is characteristic of the superior man, appearing insipid, yet never to produce satiety; while showing a simple negligence, yet to have his accomplishments recognized; while seemingly plain, yet to be discriminating.

This sentence is not quoted in full, but after reading this, you can already understand why the ancients wore a thin gauze dress as light as mist over their gorgeous brocade clothes. After we talked about this in class, the whole classroom turned silent for a while, but I seemed to be able to hear the sound of silence from the bottom of their hearts. The beauty of a superior man really comes from the inside out. This allows the students to sink into a state of reverie, realizing that their potential is limitless. By harmonizing their minds, their external temperament will also change.

此後那一個學年剩下的時間還發生一些有趣的事情，但沒時間分享了。我如是如實地在這裡講述，正是想表達對於諸佛菩薩和上人的引領的感恩。哪怕我不自覺，哪怕我忘記了，都會以各種方式來喚醒我，提醒我，這是對我的每一點用心和付出的回應。

過去的已經過去，新的一學年開始了，只要我們一心為了學生，令他們在萬佛城的學校過得幸福，過得充實，身心健康成長，在智、仁、勇三方面得以發展，那有趣的故事就一定還會續寫。“知者不惑，仁者不憂，勇者不懼”，我希望自己和學生們都在萬佛城成長爲這樣的人。

There were more interesting things that happened during the rest of the school year, but I don’t have time to share them. I tell you all these things here to express my gratitude for the guidance of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and VM. Even if I am not aware of it, even if I have forgotten it, it will wake me up in various ways and remind me that these things are a response to my every effort.

The past is the past, and a new school year has begun. As long as we are dedicated to the students, they can live a happy and fulfilled life in our school, grow up healthily in body and mind, and develop in wisdom, benevolence, and courage, and interesting stories will continue to be written. “The wise are not confused, the benevolent are not worried, and the brave are not afraid.” I hope that both my students and I will grow up to be such people in the CTTB.

剩下一點時間我想打個廣告。今年暑假在我受戒期間，我的大女兒周源，也就是旁邊這位給我翻譯的高中四年級學生，去了DRBU在Sudhana Center舉辦的為期兩周的青年營，主題是沉思哲學，這是DRBU第一次辦這樣的夏令營活動。周源去的那天身體不適，有些低燒，我本來是很擔心她不適應的，但第三天她寫來了郵件，告知她這幾天過得好極了，雖然有點太忙，以至於她沒有足夠的時間去完成她在其他大學選修的網課，但這個青年營既好玩又吸引人。我讀到這些的那一刻，心頭的石頭落地了，此後一周多都過得極其輕鬆自在。周源從八歲開始每年都參加女校的夏令營，直到疫情來臨，現在她大了，女校夏令營是參加不了了，但能去體驗一下法大的活動，多麼難能可貴。以後14歲以上的孩子，暑假依舊能來來萬佛城的法大，家長們依舊可以暫時放下一切到在萬佛城修行。十年前的我，便是通過女校夏令營，走進萬佛城，走進佛法，後來走進男校，走進自心的。

I have a little time left and I want to make an ad. During my ordination this summer, my eldest daughter Zhou Yuan, the senior high school student next to me who is translating, went to a two-week youth camp organized by DRBU at the Sudhana Center. This was the first time DRBU had hosted a youth camp of this sort, and the theme was contemplative philosophy. The day Zhou Yuan went there, she had a low fever. I was worried that she wouldn’t adapt, but on the third day she wrote an email telling me that she had a great first few days. Although she was a little too busy, and there was not enough time to complete the online courses she was taking at other universities, this youth camp was fun and engaging. The moment I read this, I felt relieved. Zhou Yuan has participated in the girls’ school summer camp every year from when she was eight up until the pandemic. Now that she is older and cannot attend the girls’ school summer camp, it is so valuable to be able to experience the activities at DRBU. In the future, children over 14 years old can still come to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas during summer vacation, and parents can continue to practice here. Ten years ago, it was through the summer activities in the Girl’s School that I entered the CTTB, entered Buddhism, and later entered the Boys’ school and entered inner self.

今晚的分享就到這裡，願我的分享能利益眾生。如果有不如法的地方，請任何時候見到我，就來提醒我。

My speech for tonight ends here. May this sharing bring benefit to all beings. If there is anything not in accordance with the Dharma, please remind me whenever you see me. Amitofo.