從愛心出發

以前悠樂有一位國王，他比較獨裁也比較唯我獨尊。這位國王很討厭朝廷裡的一位官，因為那位官比較正直，常常進言一些規勸國王的話，所以國王比較討厭他。

有一天，國王和很多文武百官一起坐龍船出海遊玩。那些貪污的官專門拍國王的馬屁，也很討厭那位正直的官，所以大家想辦法嘲諷他，講很多無聊諷刺的話。終於國王受不了了，他問那位忠臣：「聽說你很博學，那你應該知道一個公民的職責是什麼吧？」那位正直的官說：「應該忠君愛國，這個道理誰都知道，不一定要博學才能曉得。」

這個國王聽了之後又更討厭了！於是接著說：「如果你是忠君的話，是不是國王叫你死，你就要死？」這位國王要設計圈套讓他掉進去。那位忠臣馬上說：「是的！陛下！」然後國王就說：「好！我現在命令你死，你趕快跳海自盡吧！」結果他馬上就跳下去了！

這個人是不是比屈原還厲害？（大眾答：是）不是！這麼無聊！死幹什麼？（師父笑）

然後文武百官在那邊哭得要死！掉幾滴鱷魚的眼淚：「好可憐啊！人死了啦！唉呀！那麼好的一個人，死得好！唉！」（師父及大眾笑）大家都在那邊亂哭亂鬧，然後把那個塑膠花都丟下去海裡，向這位忠臣送別。

那位忠臣好像聽到大家哭得很傷心，於是又冒出水面來（師父及大眾笑）。他好像捨不得死，所以又跑上船去了，全身都溼得像落湯雞一樣。國王說：「啊！你沒死啊！」他說：「有啦！本來已經死了，但是下去就碰到屈原在下面。」國王說：「咦！屈原怎麼會在下面呢？」他說：「是啊，他本來就是淹死在那裡嘛，整個海都是他的啊！（師父笑）他的靈魂到處亂跑，他看我下去，馬上就來接了！然後還跟我聊天，叫我上來。」

國王說：「他怎麼叫你上來呢？我命令你死，他為什麼叫你上來？」他說：「那個屈原罵我一大堆，他說我是笨蛋！因為屈原在世的時候碰到昏君，所以他才要自盡。我現在碰到好的國王，為什麼要死呢？（師父及大眾笑並鼓掌）我覺得他罵得很對，所以我沒辦法死，就跑上來了！」

聽到了哦？這樣才好。如果他死的話，我會打他！（師父笑）我會不給他解脫！

這是悠樂真實的故事，好像悠樂的官比較聰明一點（師父笑），比較會保護自己，而且比較知道怎麼勸國王。不應該用那種很嚴肅的辦法嘛！整個世界那麼多人，你勸不了一個國王，又何必死呢？也許等一下那個國王就死了！（師父笑）你等他死了以後，再侍候別的國王嘛，把你的才華和聰明智慧侍候國家，而不是侍候一個國王啊！

如果國王很好的話，我們就侍候他、尊重他，把全部的才華貢獻給他。如果國王不好的話，我們就保留上帝所給我們的才華和智慧。因為上帝送才華和智慧給我們，不是送給那個國王；送給我們，是為了讓我們侍奉國家、侍奉這個世界。如果國王不會用人的話，那我們等一下找別人嘛！

我們的目的是侍候國家、侍奉人民，給人民安樂，不是侍候一個國王，讓他讚嘆我們。比方說我們有一隻很漂亮的孔雀，然後勉強牠嫁給一隻癩蛤蟆，然後那隻癩蛤蟆嫌牠不好，不要娶牠，那我們會傷心地把那隻孔雀殺掉嗎？會嗎？（大眾答：不會）這樣太無聊了！所以不管做任何事，如果我們在不對的時間、不對的場合做，也沒用，智慧是在這裡。如果說你很聰明，然後做什麼都衝動，那就不好了啦！

Once there was a King in Au Lac who was a tyrant and also was very arrogant. This King disliked very much an official in the royal government. This official was very honest, and often counseled the King in a straight forward manner. Therefore, the King disliked him very much!

One day, the King and all the top civil and military officials went to the ocean in a dragon boat to sightsee. Those corrupted officials were good at overly pleasing the King. They also very much disliked the honest official, and came up with ways to ridicule him, making lots of nonsensical sarcastic remarks. Finally, the King was fed up, so he asked the honest official: “I heard that you are a learned person, so you must know what the duty of a citizen is.” The honest official replied: “One must be loyal to the King and love the country. Everyone knows that, and it does not take a learned person to know it.”

Hearing those words, the King was even more disgusted with the official. So he continued to ask: “Suppose that you are a loyal minister. Does that mean that if the King wants you to die, you will die?” The King was planning a trap for the official to fall into. The loyal minister replied immediately: “Yes, your Majesty.” Then the King said: “All right. Now I command you to die! Quickly jump into the ocean and kill yourself!” As a result, the official quickly jumped off the boat.

Is this person more serious than Qu Yuan*? (Audience answer: “Yes.”) No! It’s nonsense! Why die? (Master laughs.)

Then, all the civil and military officials on the boat started to cry loudly, squeezing out a few drops of crocodile tears: “It’s so pitiful that he died! My God! Such a good person, good to die! Oh!” (Master and audience laugh.) Everyone was crying and making chaotic noise. They threw some plastic flowers into the ocean to see the loyal minister off.

It seemed that the loyal minister heard everyone’s sad crying, so he emerged from the water. (Master and audience laugh.) He seemed to not want to die. He climbed up onto the boat, looking like a wet bird. The King said: “Oh, you didn’t die.” The minister said: “Yes, I must have been dead already. But when I was down there I came upon Qu Yuan.” The King said: “Really, how could Qu Yuan be down there?” He said: “Yes, Qu Yuan was originally drowned there. The whole ocean is his! (Master laughs.) His soul was moving around everywhere. He knew I was going down, and quickly came to see me. Then he was chatting with me, and told me to go up.”

The King said: “How could he tell you to come up? I commanded you to die. Why did he tell you to come up?” The official said: “Qu Yuan scolded me so much. He said I was stupid! When Qu Yuan was alive, he met a bad King. So, he had to commit suicide. But now I have a good King. Why should I die? (Master and audience laugh and applaud.) I felt that his reprimand was reasonable. I could not die, so I came up here!”

Did you hear that? This ending is good. If he had died, I would have beaten him up! (Master laughs.) I would not liberate him!

This was a true Aulacese story. Maybe Aulacese officials were a little smarter. (Master laughs.) They knew better how to protect themselves and how to counsel their King. It’s not necessary to use the serious ways! There are so many people in the world. If you can not convince a King, why should you die? Maybe after a while the King will die. (Master laughs.) If you can wait until his death, you can serve another King. You should devote your talent, intelligence and wisdom to the country, not just to the King.

If the King is good, we serve him and respect him, and contribute all our talent to him. If the King is not good, we should reserve our talent and wisdom given by God, because God gives the talent and wisdom to us, not the King. God gives us the talent and wisdom so we can serve the country, and serve the world. If a King does not know how to utilize people, we can wait and find another one.

Our purpose is to serve the country, serve people, and give people peace and happiness. It is not to serve a King, and allow the King to judge us. For example, we have a very beautiful peacock. Then we make her reluctantly marry a toad. But the toad says that she is not good, and does not want to get married to her. So should we feel so sad and kill the peacock? Should we? (Audience answer: “No.”) It’s nonsense! So no matter what we do, if we do it at a wrong time or a wrong occasion, there is no use. This is wisdom. If you are very smart, but do things in a hasty way, it won’t be good.

* Qu Yuan (340 BC - 278 BC) was a Chinese official in Chu dynasty. He committed suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of that era. His death is commemorated on Dragon Boat Festival.