英語故事：磨磚成鏡
In the Tang Dynasty, there was a Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) Temple on the Southern Mountain of Hengshan. The temple was stately and solemn, with incense1 smoke curling all around.
One day, the eminent2 Monk3 Huai Rang of the Chan sect4 strolled into the temple hall and saw Monk Ma Zu sitting calm and upright on a rush cushion, with his palms put together and his eyes closed in deep meditation5.
Knowing that Ma Zu aspired6 to become a Buddha7, Huai Rang smiled to himself. He picked up a brick at random8, squatted9 on his heels and began to grind it noisily.
Ma Zu was vexed10 by the noise. He opened his eyes to find that it was his own master grinding a brick. He asked: "Master, what are you doing?"
Huai Rang replied: "I am grinding the brick to make a mirror."
Ma Zu laughed and said: "Can a brick be ground into a mirror?"
"If a brick cannot be ground into a mirror," replied Huai Rang, "then can you become a Buddha by sitting in deep meditation?"
Ma Zu was rather displeased11, and said: "What do you mean?"
Huai Rang explained: "For example, an ox pulls a cart, but the cart doesn't move. Now, you say, should you whip the ox or push the cart?"
Ma Zu hummed and hawed but couldn't answer.
At this moment, Huai Rang said to him seriously: "You learn to sit in meditation in order to become a Buddha. In fact, it relies on wisdom and comprehension of the mind to become one, not at all on sitting.
"As for a Buddha, he has no fixed12 appearance, so the mind cannot fix on any single object. If you try to learn Buddhism13 by sitting in meditation, that would amount to throttling14 a Buddha. If you obstinately15 dwell on external appearance, you will never comprehend the real Buddhist16 doctrine17."
唐朝時，南岳衡山上有一座觀音廟，廟宇莊嚴(yán)，香火繚繞。
有一天，禪宗高僧懷讓踱進佛殿，一眼看到馬祖和尚正端坐在蒲團上，靜心合掌，閉目禪定。
懷讓知道馬祖一心想成佛，暗自好笑。他隨手揀來一塊青磚，蹲在地上嘩啦嘩啦地磨了起來。
馬祖聽得心煩，睜眼一看，原來是自己的師傅在磨磚。馬祖問：“師傅，你在做什么?”
懷讓回答：“磨磚做鏡。”
馬祖笑著說：“難道磚頭也能磨成鏡子嗎?”
懷讓答道：“磚頭不能磨成鏡子，難道你坐禪就能成佛嗎?”
馬祖很不高興，說：“你這是什么意思?”
懷讓解釋說：“打個比方說，牛拉車，車不動。你說，應(yīng)該打牛還是推車?”
馬祖支支吾吾答不上來。
這時候，懷讓認(rèn)真地對他說：“你學(xué)坐禪是為了成佛，其實，成佛靠的是心靈的穎悟，根本不是坐著能解決的。”
“而佛呢，沒有固定的相貌，所以心不能停留在任何一種事物上。你想坐禪學(xué)佛，也就是殺佛。你固執(zhí)著外相，就永遠不能領(lǐng)悟到真正的佛理。”
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收聽單詞發(fā)音
1 incense
v.激怒;n.香，焚香時的煙，香氣
參考例句：
This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.這項提議會激怒環(huán)保人士。
In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他們通常點香驅(qū)蚊。
2 eminent
adj.顯赫的，杰出的，有名的，優(yōu)良的
參考例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我們正期待一位著名科學(xué)家的來訪。
He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一個杰出的中國公民。
3 monk
n.和尚，僧侶，修道士
參考例句：
The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下來的和尚。
Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。
4 sect
n.派別，宗教，學(xué)派，派系
參考例句：
When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16歲的時候加入了一個宗教教派。
Each religious sect in the town had its own church.該城每一個宗教教派都有自己的教堂。
5 meditation
n.熟慮，(尤指宗教的)默想，沉思，(pl.)冥想錄
參考例句：
This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.這個恬靜的花園適于冥想。
I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打斷了你的沉思。
6 aspired
v.渴望，追求( aspire的過去式和過去分詞 )
參考例句：
She aspired to a scientific career. 她有志于科學(xué)事業(yè)。
Britain,France,the United States and Japan all aspired to hegemony after the end of World War I. 第一次世界大戰(zhàn)后，英、法、美、日都想爭奪霸權(quán)。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》
7 Buddha
n.佛;佛像;佛陀
參考例句：
Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.幾個婦女跪在佛像前祈禱。
He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.為了圖吉利他一直保存著這尊佛像。
8 random
adj.隨機的;任意的;n.偶然的(或隨便的)行動
參考例句：
The list is arranged in a random order.名單排列不分先后。
On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.經(jīng)抽查，發(fā)現(xiàn)肉變質(zhì)了。
9 squatted
v.像動物一樣蹲下( squat的過去式和過去分詞 );非法擅自占用(土地或房屋);為獲得其所有權(quán);而占用某片公共用地。
參考例句：
He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在腳印旁仔細(xì)地觀察。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》
He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上與一個人談話。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》
10 vexed
adj.爭論不休的;(指問題等)棘手的;爭論不休的問題;煩惱的v.使煩惱( vex的過去式和過去分詞 );使苦惱;使生氣;詳細(xì)討論
參考例句：
The conference spent days discussing the vexed question of border controls. 會議花了幾天的時間討論邊境關(guān)卡這個難題。
He was vexed at his failure. 他因失敗而懊惱。 來自《現(xiàn)代漢英綜合大詞典》
11 displeased
a.不快的
參考例句：
The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高興了，瞪了我一眼。
He was displeased about the whole affair. 他對整個事情感到很不高興。
12 fixed
adj.固定的，不變的，準(zhǔn)備好的;(計算機)固定的
參考例句：
Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你們倆選定婚期了嗎?
Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目標(biāo)一旦確定，我們就不應(yīng)該隨意改變。
13 Buddhism
n.佛教(教義)
參考例句：
Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右傳入中國的。
Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。
14 throttling
v.扼殺( throttle的現(xiàn)在分詞 );勒死;使窒息;壓制
參考例句：
This fight scarf is throttling me. 這條束得緊緊的圍巾快要把我窒息死了。 來自《簡明英漢詞典》
The latter may be used with bypass or throttling valves in the tower water pipework circuit. 近來，可采用在冷卻塔的水管系統(tǒng)中設(shè)置旁通閥或節(jié)流閥。 來自辭典例句
15 obstinately
ad.固執(zhí)地，頑固地
參考例句：
He obstinately asserted that he had done the right thing. 他硬說他做得對。
Unemployment figures are remaining obstinately high. 失業(yè)數(shù)字仍然頑固地居高不下。
16 Buddhist
adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒
參考例句：
The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前頂禮膜拜。
In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。
17 doctrine
n.教義;主義;學(xué)說
參考例句：
He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣揚他的教義。
The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教議會開會考慮更改教義。
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