從愛心出發

編號：DVD784 日期：2007.02.22 地點：福爾摩沙西湖 性質：國際禪五 用語：英文

很久很久以前，在蘇格蘭一處風景秀麗的鄉村，有一隻很漂亮、很漂亮的綿羊，他除了會咩咩叫之外，從來不會吵鬧打擾別人，也不曾傷害任何人。他做好自己分內的事，按時生產羊毛，而且只吃一點點草原上的草；他十分知足，是隻美好、溫和的綿羊。

有一天，快接近聖誕節了，那隻綿羊的主人對他太太說：「親愛的，聖誕節就要到了，我們來把那隻漂亮的羊宰了，當作聖誕大餐吧！」

哇！那隻綿羊聽到這番話，差點心臟病發作。「噢！咩…！我慘了！」怎麼辦？他只是隻羊罷了，即使他想拿任何武器，也沒有手指頭可拿。他只有一顆非常單純的心，腦子裡除了青青草原、宜人氣候、悠悠白雲、綠草如茵、清澈流水，其他什麼都不想。因為在羊兒的世界，他們的字典裡可沒有像「爭鬥」、「戰爭」、「仇恨」、「殺戮」、「謀害」等這類字眼。他絞盡腦汁想辦法，卻不知道該怎麼辦才好，最後他決定逃跑。他從不曾離開這片山丘和草原，到別的地方去，但是他太害怕了，不得不逃命。

他一直跑、一直跑，直到迷了路，不知自己身在何方。他站在那裡，正想著接下來該何去何從時，突然看到小山丘後面出現一對巨大的尖角朝他逼近，越來越近、越來越近。原來是隻大水牛，有一雙黑色的大眼睛和牛角，大大的嘴巴淌著口水，他一邊朝著綿羊跑來，一邊還嚼著昨夜的晚餐。綿羊看了有點害怕，但大水牛說：「哞！我不會傷害你的！哞！別走！」綿羊站著不動，問道：「你到這裡做什麼，牛哥？」水牛氣喘吁吁地說：「你知道嗎？那個農夫一直餵我吃上等的草、喝上等的水，原來是打算今天把我宰了，當作聖誕大餐。我不知所措，所以就逃跑了。我一直跑、一直跑，不知跑了多遠，現在很累，希望這裡安全了。哞、哞、哞！」

水牛跑得差點累垮了，久久驚魂未定。綿羊等他定下神來，才說：「牛哥，我與你處境相同，我也是從主人那裡逃跑出來的，因為他們打算把我宰了，當作聖誕大餐。我想我們應該同心協力，一起去找個地方落腳，彼此互相照顧，你覺得如何？」水牛說：「哞！好主意！我們走吧！」現在他們有了伴，覺得安全多了。於是這兩個好兄弟儘可能地一直走，他們不睡覺，也不敢休息，在水邊不敢逗留太久，路上也不敢吃太多草，只是隨便吃個三明治什麼的，喝點果汁，然後又繼續走。

過了些時候，他們看到一隻小鵝氣喘吁吁地跑過來，一邊叫著：「嘎、嘎、嘎！噢！嘎、嘎、嘎！」然後他停下來，昏倒在他們的腳邊。綿羊和水牛只得拿了些水噴灑在那隻鵝的臉上，他才清醒過來。他們問他：「鵝兄弟，你怎麼了？有麻煩嗎？」「是的，嘎！我有麻煩，麻煩可大了！嘎、嘎、嘎！」（師父與大眾笑）「你遇到什麼麻煩呢？」鵝回答說：「那些飼養我的人打算把我宰了，當作聖誕晚餐。我不知道我現在在哪裡，也不知道該怎麼辦才好，我六神無主，你們能幫我嗎？告訴我該怎麼辦。你們塊頭比較大，請保護我，別讓那些人把我宰了！」水牛和綿羊就說：「別擔心！別擔心！我們會照顧你的。你看起來很累，何不去河邊喝點水，再吃點水果，這些水果是我們從附近森林帶來的。」水牛說：「然後你可以騎在我的背上，抓住我的角，我來載你。既然你那麼累，就不要再長途步行了。」

是的，團結力量大！鵝很高興，他喝了些泉水，吃了些水果，然後跳到牛背上，他們就一起上路了。過了很久，他們又遇見誰了呢？另一隻慌慌張張的動物，原來是雞。「咯、咯、咯、咯、咯！」她上氣不接下氣地跑過來，一邊拍著翅膀，一頭撞上了他們三個。他們問她說：「妳怎麼了？雞妹妹，妳有麻煩嗎？需要幫忙嗎？」「是啊！咯、咯、咯、咯！我很需要幫忙，我急需援助！那些餵養我的人想要把我當作聖誕大餐吃了，我只好趕快逃命。救命啊！救命啊！咯、咯、咯！」

其他三個就說：「別擔心！我們三個也遇到同樣的問題，妳何不加入我們？如果妳很累，就跳上小羊哥的背上，我們會帶妳遠離危險。我們要去一個沒有人煙的地方，那裡充滿愛與和平，沒有人會傷害我們。好！我們走吧！」那兩隻大的讓兩隻有翅膀的弟妹騎在背上，然後就上路了。

過了不久，又有一隻動物向他們跑過來，這回是隻豬。「呼嚕！咕嚕！救命啊！救命啊！」這隻豬氣喘吁吁地一直跑，一頭撞上他們四個。同樣的故事也發生在豬身上：「我本來很高興地吃著晚餐，然後無意中聽到我的主人說要把我給殺了，當作聖誕大餐，慶祝最仁慈的耶穌基督的誕生。我搞不懂他們究竟跟耶穌基督這位明師學到了什麼，竟然要把我宰了來感謝祂？所以我只好逃命了！我不知道要往哪裡去、要怎麼保護自己，以免被人類追殺，我不曉得該何去何從，才能遠離人類。現在我很苦惱，請幫幫我！我好久沒吃東西，已經累壞了，再這樣下去，我就死路一條了！」

水牛為豬感到很難過，就說：「別擔心，小兄弟，我們也有同樣的問題，不過現在已經想出好的解決方法了。我們要團結在一起，這樣就沒有人會欺負我們了。所以我們最好聯合起來，團結力量大，又可以互相保護。請加入我們的行列吧！這裡有些剩下的水果和一些水，請吃點東西、喝點水，讓自己堅強起來，我們就一起上路囉！」於是豬就加入他們的陣容。

過了一會兒，他們又遇到另外一隻動物，猜猜看是什麼？是隻中國狗。他也在逃命，一路上一直汪汪叫，差一點就撞上水牛。他們把他攔下來問：「你要跑到哪裡去？」狗說：「啊！我必須逃離我的主人，不然他們會把我殺了！」其他的動物說：「為什麼他們要殺你呢？」「喔！他們認為我太老了，再也不能工作了，所以他們要殺了我，把我的肉拿去當作聖誕大餐。」

噢，天啊！這是什麼種類的聖誕大餐？雞說：「咯、咯、咯、咯！這可不妙。你就加入我們吧！我們已經逃離人類的手掌心，我們要去找個非常和平、安全的地方安頓下來，然後蓋一個動物村。所以跟我們一起走吧！我們很強大，跟我們在一起，可以更壯大聲勢。別擔心！這裡有一些食物和水，現在先吃點東西，我們不會有事的！」

動物朋友合力找到避風港

他們就一直走、一直走，來到一個村莊外圍，看到一棟房子。房子雖很破舊，不過還像個樣，所以大家都停下腳步。老狗說：「我們最好先躲起來，看看四周有沒有人，再進一步行動。」鵝說：「好，我飛到樹梢上，看看房子裡面的情況如何。如果有人或有什麼動靜，我們再想想看該怎麼辦。」

動物們就躲到後面的樹林去，鵝則飛到樹梢去一探究竟。他先眺望四周，沒看到任何房子和人。然後他端詳面前這棟房子，聽到了一些聲響，裡面有人吵鬧的聲音。剛開始他有點發抖，不過想到自己是躲在高處，藏在樹葉後面，他就比較有安全感。他從破損的屋頂裂縫看進去，發現有六個小偷正忙著分贓；那裡有一大堆金銀財寶、鑽石、紅寶石、翡翠等各種奇珍異寶，還有高級餐具、珍珠、項鍊等等，簡直可以媲美國王的財富。接著鵝就下來告訴大家說：「我們應該等到天黑時再進去。我們如此這般…，你這樣做，還有你那樣做，這樣我們就可以把他們嚇跑。」他們計劃周詳。

水牛待在前門附近，綿羊待在側門，老狗在另一邊的側門，鵝在後門，雞則待在後門的另一邊。他們各就定位，一起行動。突然間，他們一起發出巨大聲響，聲音聽起來十分怪異。小偷們正忙著分贓，突然聽到這麼恐怖的聲音，全都嚇得拔腿就跑，衝進森林裡！然後動物們就進去屋裡了，他們說：「現在應該沒事了，這棟房子是我們的了。」不過老狗說：「如果他們回來怎麼辦？」鵝說：「不用擔心，我有個計畫。」他拍拍翅膀，把油燈都吹熄了，四周變得一片漆黑。他說：「好，牛哥，你守前門；羊守後門；狗守右門；雞守左門；豬留守在中間的桌子底下。」

小偷們跑到森林後，不再聽到任何聲響，也沒有人在後面追他們，他們就想：「喔！也許我們只是自己嚇自己，我們回去看看有誰在裡面。」然後他們就慢慢地、偷偷摸摸地、躡手躡腳地回到屋子裡；不過動物們早有準備。當那個賊老大走進去時，發現裡面黑漆漆一片，什麼動靜也沒有。冷不防地，水牛踢了他屁股一腳，把他從前門踢到後門。後門那邊，綿羊也用頭往他的肚子撞過去。接著他跑到右邊，狗也在他的腿上留個齒痕當紀念。然後他跑到左邊時，雞就啄他，又拍翅膀嚇他。在一陣混亂中，所有動物一起跺腳，同時又叫又吼的。

賊老大很害怕，掙扎著要出去，但每次他撞上一隻動物，就領到一個「紀念品」。最後他們把他逼到前門口，他就沒命地逃跑了。他跑回森林後，就告訴那些正在等候的部下說：「唉呀！我們最好趕快逃！我不知道房子裡究竟是什麼東西，那棟房子一定是鬧鬼了，一群妖魔鬼怪在裡面作亂。我們趕快逃吧，免得他們來把我們的魂勾走。」於是一夥小偷全都跑走了。動物們就留下來，把珠寶平分了。

之後，每隻動物都蓋了一棟又大又漂亮的房子住。他們也漸漸變得越來越繁榮富足，而且蓋了一座很漂亮的動物村，村邊有一條美麗的溪流，水源充足，可供大家使用，還有一座森林，裡面綠蔭處處，可以讓他們遮蔭避暑，還有足夠的水果和各種青草、植物可以維生。從此以後，他們就一起過著幸福快樂的生活（大眾鼓掌）。以後又有更多動物加入，他們的村子就變得越來越大。即使有人剛好經過，也會趕快跑走，他們知道最好別招惹這個村莊，因為它現在已經變得很強大了。

愛護動物

這就是這群聰明、漂亮又無辜的動物的故事。我真的希望…（大眾鼓掌），我們真的希望有一天動物不再對我們避之唯恐不及，而可以像我們的家人朋友一樣和我們在一起，包括狗、貓、鳥、鴨、雞、鵝、豬等等。我們希望每一種動物跟我們在一起時，都會很有安全感，並感受到人類的友誼和愛，再也不必像以前那樣逃開。假如我們就是那隻豬、那隻牛或是那隻鵝，我們做何感想？我們會像那樣感到徬徨無助。動物真的就像人類一樣，他們有靈魂、有領悟力，他們了解的比我們還多；他們了解我們的語言，而我們卻不了解他們的語言。所以誰比較聰明？真的！如果你們有養狗、養豬或養鵝的話，就知道了，就連他們都懂。 

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/ch/news/193/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Story of a Happy Animal Village

Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai, International 5-day retreat, Hsihu, Formosa, 
February 22, 2007 (Originally in English)

A very long, long time ago in Scotland, there was a very, very, very beautiful sheep who lived in a very, very beautiful countryside. Apart from saying “Baahh, baaahh,” he never made any noise or disturbed or did any harm to anyone. He minded his own business; he produced his wool on time, and he just ate a little grass in the meadow. He was a perfectly contented, wonderful, peaceful sheep.

One day, near Christmas time, the husband or so-called owner of the sheep talked to the wife and said, “Hey, darling, Christmas is coming. We’re going to have to kill that beautiful sheep of ours for Christmas Eve dinner.”

Wow! The sheep heard that and he almost had a heart attack. “Oh! Baaahhh! Poor me.” What could he do? He was just a sheep; he did not have fingers to grab any weapon, even if he wanted to. He had only a very simple pure mind, just to think of nothing but the nice meadow, beautiful weather, nice white clouds, green grass and clean water. That was all he could think about, because in the sheep's world there is no such vocabulary like “fight,” “war,” “hatred,” “killing” or “murdering” – nothing like that in the dictionary of the sheep's world. So he tried to think but didn’t know what to do. He decided to run away. He had never been away from the surrounding hills and meadows; he had never been anywhere, but he was so afraid that he had to run for his life.

So he kept running, running and running, until he didn’t know where he was anymore. Lost, he stood there, wondering what to do next and where to go. Suddenly, he saw appearing from behind the little hills two big vicious horns, coming up and up, up and up, higher and higher. And there it was: A big buffalo, with black, big eyes, big horns, a big mouth and big drooling, as he was still chewing his last night's dinner while running. And he was running towards the sheep! The sheep was a little scared, but the buffalo said, “Oh! Mouuuh, I won’t harm you. Mouuuh, no, no, I won’t harm you. Mouuuh; don’t move.” So the sheep didn’t move but said, “What are you doing here, brother Buff?” The buff said, puffing, “You know what? The farmer has been feeding me all this time good grass and good water, so that he can kill me today for Christmas. I didn’t know what to do, so I had to run away! I’ve been running and running, I don’t know how far already, and I’m so tired. I hope I’m safe here. Mouuuh, mouhhh, mouhhhh.”

And then he almost collapsed on his feet, and he was panting for a long time. So the sheep waited until he calmed down and then said, “Brother Buff, I am in the same situation. I also ran away from my keeper because they planned to kill me for Christmas Eve dinner. So I think we should join together, me and you, and we will go find somewhere else to stay and we’ll look after each other. What do you think?” And the buffalo said, “Yes! Mouuuh. Good idea! Let's go!” Together they felt much safer and better. So the two buddies kept walking as far as possible. They didn’t sleep or dare to take a rest. They didn’t stay too long at the stream water, and they didn’t eat too much grass on the way. They just grabbed a sandwich or something quickly, and drank a little juice on the run.

After a while, they found a little goose that came running up, panting and panting, and said, “Quack, quack, quack! Oh, quack, quack, quack!” Then he stopped and almost dropped dead at their feet. The sheep and the buffalo had to go and get some water and sprinkle it on the goose's face. And then he woke up. They said: “Brother Goose, what's wrong with you? Are you in trouble?” “Yes, yes, quack, I’m in trouble. I’m in big, big trouble. Quack, quack, quack!” (Master and everyone laugh) “So what is the trouble?” The goose said, “The ones who have been feeding me all this time, they want to slaughter me for Christmas Eve dinner. I don’t know where I am anymore, or what to do. I’m at a loss. Can you help me? Tell me what I am to do since you are bigger. Protect me from these people!” So the buffalo and the sheep said, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. We’ll take care of you. You look so tired. Why don’t you go to the stream, drink a little bit of something and eat a little bit of these fruits here that we have brought from the forest nearby.” The buffalo said, “And then you can go on top of my back and hang onto my horns. I will carry you. You don’t have to go too far since you are so tired.”

The goose was so happy. Yes, together we are something or someone. So he drank some spring water, ate some fruit and hopped on top of the buffalo. Then, together they were going on their way. After a long while, what did they see again? Another panicking one, a chicken! “Pok, pok, pok, pok, pok!” He came running, panting, flapping his wings and bumping into the three. So they said, “What is the matter with you, sister Chick? Are you in trouble? Are you in need of help?” “Oh yes! Pok, pok, pok, pok... I need it so much! I need help; I need it right now! The ones who keep feeding me, they want to eat me for Christmas dinner. I have to run for my life. Help! Help! Pok, pok, pok...”

So the three of them, again, said, “Don’t worry! The three of us have the same problem. Why don’t you join us? And if you are too tired, jump on top of brother Sheep and then we’ll both carry you far away from your danger. We’re going together to where there are no humans, where there is no one to harm us, but only peace and love among us. Okay, so let's go!” So the two big animals carried the two winged brother and sister on their backs and they were well on their way.

After a little while, there came another running creature again towards them. This time it was a pig. “Groooon, grooooon, help! Help!” The pig was running and panting and bumped into the four. And then the same story was told again: “I was happily eating my dinner, and then I overheard my keepers saying that they were going to slaughter me for Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of the most compassionate Jesus Christ. I wonder what they have learned from the Master Jesus Christ. But they are thanking Him and want to slaughter me to give thanks. So I had to run for my life and I don’t know where I’m going now. I don’t know how to protect myself from these humans or where to go to be far away from them. I’m in distress. Please help me! I haven’t eaten for a long time, and I’m very exhausted. If I continue like this, I will die.”

So the buffalo felt very sorry for the pig and said, “Oh, don’t worry, brother, we also have the same problem you do, but we have a better solution. We are going together as a herd so no one can attack us alone. It is better if we unite and stand together; we’ll be powerful and we’ll protect each other. So, please join us. Here, we have a little fruit left over and we have some water for you. Please eat and drink; make yourself strong and we’ll be on our way.” So, voila! The pig joined them.

After a while, they encountered another one. Imagine who it was! A Chinese dog who was also running, barking, “Wouf, wouf, wouf!” all the way. After he also almost ran into the buffalo, they stopped him and asked, “Where are you running?” And the dog said, “Oh, I have to run away from my owners because they are going to kill me!” The other animals said, “Why are they going to kill you?” “Oh, they think I’m too old now and I can’t work anymore, so they want to kill me and by the way they can eat my flesh, for Christmas dinner.”

Oh dear God, what a dinner! So the chicken said, “Pok, pok, pok, pok! That's no good. You just join us, yes? We are already going away from humans and we’re going to find a very peaceful, safe place for all of us to settle down and make an animal village. So just come with us. We’re strong, we’re big, and together we are even stronger. Don’t worry about it. Now take a little bit of food that we have for you here and some water, and then we’ll be okay!”

The Friends Find Sanctuary Together

So they were going, going, going and then when they got to the edge of a village, they saw one house. It was a very broken down house, but it was still a house. Everyone stopped. And the dog said, “We’d better hide first to see if there's anyone around before we proceed further.” And the goose said, “Okay, I will fly up to the top of the tree to see what's going on in that house, if there are any humans or if anything is going on, and then we will see what to do.”

Everyone retreated into the woods behind, and the goose flew up to the top of the tree and looked. First he looked far and near but didn’t see any houses yet and no humans in sight. Then he looked into the house in front of him, and he heard something. There were some human noises inside. At first he was shuddering a little bit, but he was very high and hiding behind the foliage, so he felt a little bit safe. He looked through the crack of the broken roof and saw six thieves busy dividing loot among them. There was a lot of gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, emeralds - all kinds of precious stones, precious utensils and precious necklaces, and pearls, all worth a king's fortune. So the goose flew down to tell everyone. He said: “We should wait until it becomes dark and then we can go inside. I will do this and you will do that, and then you can do this and you do that, and then we will scare them away.” So they made a plan.

The buffalo stayed near the front entrance; the sheep stayed at the side door and the dog at the other side door. The goose stayed at the back door and the chicken on the other side of that door. They were all together. Suddenly, they made different noises but in a big togetherness and then it sounded very weird. The thieves were so concentrated on their thieving money that when they suddenly heard such a terrible noise like that, they all ran! They ran away into the forest. So then all the animals entered the house, and they said, “This should be okay; this will be our house.” But the dog said, “What if they come back?” The goose said, “Don’t worry. I have a plan.” So he flapped his wings to turn off all the oil lamps. It became dark and he said, “Okay: Buffalo brother, you guard the front door. Sheep, guard the back door. The dog is on the right door, the chicken on the left door and the pig in the middle under the table.”

Now, after the thieves went into the forest, they didn’t hear anything anymore. No one was chasing after them, and they thought, “Oh, maybe we’ve just been scared of nothing. Let's go back to see who is there.” So they slowly, quietly and secretly tiptoed back into the house. But the animals already had a plan. As the chief of the thieves went inside, it was all dark. He heard nothing, but he entered and suddenly the buffalo kicked him in the “behind” so that he went from the front to the back door. And then there, the sheep also used his head to nudge the thief in the stomach. And then, as he ran to the right side, the dog also gave him a little “teeth souvenir” on his leg. Running to the left side, the chicken pecked him, flapping wings and altogether very noisy. The animals were stamping their feet, barking and shouting, all at the same time.

So the chief was very afraid. He was trying hard to get out, but every time he bumped into an animal, he got another “souvenir.” Finally they edged him out to the front door, and he ran for his life. After he ran back to the forest, he told his waiting subordinates, “Oh! We better run! I don’t know what's in there, but the house must be haunted by many ghosts and devils. Let's run quick before they come and take our souls!” So they all ran away, while the animals stayed in the house, dividing the treasure between themselves.

After that, each one built a big, beautiful house. Slowly, they also got more and more prosperous and made an animal village, which was very beautiful. It was next to a beautiful stream, with a lot of water for everyone and a forest with enough shade and shadow to protect themselves and enough fruit and all kinds of grass and herbs for them to survive. And they lived together, happily ever after. (Applause) More animals also joined them later, and their village expanded. It got bigger and bigger all the time. It was so big that even if any human happened to pass by, they ran away. They knew they better not mess with this village, because it had become very strong now.

Master: Love the Animals

So that is the story of the smart, beautiful, innocent animals. I do hope. (Applause) We together do hope that one day the animals do not have to run away from us, but can stay with us like our domestic friends: the dogs, the cats, the birds, the ducks, the chickens, the geese and the pigs. We hope that every kind of animal will feel safe with us and will feel the friendship and love from humans, and will never have to run away like that again. Suppose it is us who are the pig; suppose it is you who are the buffalo or you who are the geese, how would we feel? We would feel helpless like that, and they are really like human beings. They have a soul, and they have understanding. They understand more than we do; they understand our language, and we don’t understand theirs. So who is more clever? Really! You know that already, if you have dogs, pigs or geese; even they understand it. 

http://www.godsdirectcontact.org.tw/eng/news/193/