活在當下
        每年學期初的時段,總是忙得不可開交,每天都過著營營役役的日子,好像與時間競賽般,完全沒有喘息的空間,真是十分充實。但我認為如何忙碌,總也要擠點時間騰出空間,喝一口茶,讓自己保持一種清靜的心靈,希望能達至所謂的「寧靜致遠」心境。幾經辛苦才等到十二月的來臨,悠閒的冬季假期可讓自己稍作歇息,給予自己少少的私人空間,做自己喜歡的事情。這幾天的假期,我可專心地處理家務,而花最長時間就是整理家中書櫃,從書櫃中找出多本違忘已久的書本,其中更是我最喜歡閱讀的書籍,包括李綽芬教授著作的心靈小品系列,如《心無罣礙》、《活在當下》及《心耕》等,每本書都以一些生活上的小故事,以佛教的主要理念和價值觀,帶出人生哲理,對我來說算是日常忙碌生活中的心靈雞湯,「雞湯」可讓我暫忘煩惱,我決定利用這個假期好好重溫李教授的著作,為自己心靈打打氣吧!

 
        其中一則內容簡單卻又顯出大智慧的小故事,想與大家分享:在一所醫院病房內,同時住進了兩位鼻子不適的病人,正在等待化驗結果期間,病人甲說:「如果我得到癌症,我會立即去旅行、閱讀所有莎士比亞作品及成為北京大學的一名學生。」病人乙也不約而同地有著同一個想法。不一會,化驗結果出來了,病人甲得了鼻癌,而病人乙只是鼻息肉疾病,於是病人甲列了一張告別人生的計劃表,共二十七條,他在這張生命的清單後面這樣寫道:「我的一生有很多夢想,現在上天給的時間已不多,為了不讓自已遺憾地離開這個世界,我打算用生命的最後幾年去實驗剩下的二十七個夢。」同時,病人乙則治療鼻息肉問題後,很快便出院了。當年,病人甲就辭掉了公司的職務,去了想去的地方旅遊,又以驚人的毅力通過了成人考試,成為北京大學的學生,這期間,他一一完成訂下來的夢想,現正實現出版一本書的夙願,總之生活是過得挺有意義。有一天,病人乙在報上看到病人甲寫的一篇散文,就急不及待地打電話去問病人甲的近況,病人甲說:「我真的無法想像,要不是這場病,我的生命該是多麼的乏味,多謝它,是它提醒了我,應活在當下,把握時間,去做自己想做的事,去實現自己想去實現的夢想。現在我才體會到甚麼是真正和有意義的生命和人生。你的生活也過得好嗎?」 可是,病人乙因感到非常慚愧而沒有回答,因為當他知道自己不是得到癌症後,就把自己所說的一切,早已放諸腦後,人生頓時失去目標,每天都過著百無聊賴的生活。這段小故事說明活在當下的重要,大抵意思是珍惜並善用每一個時刻,專注地做好每一個時刻該做的事,做人做事能專注,雜念和煩惱自會減少,甚至往往能帶來出人意表的好成果。
 
        最近學校於地下走廊位置加建了「薪火相傳」板,板內收集了不同屆別校友的近況,各校友於畢業後在各行各業大展所長、發光發熱及適時回饋社會,讓我感受到他們能珍惜並善用每一個時刻,能好好活在當下,享受真正的生命及人生。同學們,我很欣慰看見你們能承傳學長們勇於嘗試及樂於挑戰的精神,過去幾個月於各方面的學習及活動亦取得不錯的成果,例如:積極參與職業英語課程、利用VR (Virtual Reality 虛擬實境) 科技協助有需要的長者、積極參與各項社區義工服務、於開放日熱情有禮地招待來賓、積極參與朗誦及學界比賽並獲取佳績、於藝趣嘉年華展示自己多個月來的心血結晶及女童軍連奪七年優秀隊伍殊榮等等,你們積極及認真的參與,值得師長們的讚賞。我希望同學們於新的一年亦為自己定下目標,效法學長們的努力奮鬥精神,珍惜並善用每一個時刻;專注及堅持地做好所訂下來的目標,專心致志,心無旁騖,真正活在當下,相信最後得到的成果定必遠超你自己的想像。
 
 
 
 
 
                 
 

3 January 2019

 

     I was so busy at the beginning of each school term that it was not easy for me to spare any free time every day. However hard it was, I found that it was a must to calm down myself to reach the stage of ‘still waters run deep’. Not until December did I take a break during the vacation. I also made use of this spare time to do what I wanted to do. For example, I focused on doing chores and spent most of my time tidying up my bookshelves, through which I found my long-lost books and some of them were my most favourite. They included: ‘The Mind without Hindrance’, ‘Living in the Moment’ and ‘Heart Tilling’ written by Professor Lee Chack Fan. Each of them helped me relax myself from hustle and bustle everyday life through the concepts and values of Buddhism. To boost myself, I made up my mind reading through Professor Lee’s books!

 

     Let me share with you a simple story with great wisdom: inside a hospital ward, there were two patients suffering from nose discomfort. While 

waiting for the laboratory results, patient A said, ‘if I were diagnosed with cancer, I would go for a trip at once, read all Shakespeare’s works and become a student of Beijing University’; whereas, patient B had the same thought. In a while, according to the results, patient A suffered from nasal cancer, but patient B merely had nasal polyps. Hence, patient A drafted 27 items in his will. At the back of his will wrote: ‘in my life, I have many dreams. As time is precious, I don’t want to feel regretful before dying. Thus, I plan to fulfil my remaining 17 dreams within my last several years.’ Simultaneously, patient B was soon discharged from hospital after healing his nasal polyps. That year, patient A quitted his job and travelled to the places he had wanted. With amazing perseverance, he passed through the exams for adults and became a student of Beijing University. During this period, he actualized his dreams one by one. He was now publishing his book as his last wish. Overall, he was leading a meaningful life. One day, no sooner had patient B read a prose written by patient A than he rushed to ring him up and ask what he was doing. Patient A said, ‘Unexpectedly, I would have led a boring life had it not been for the disease. Because of it, I’m reminded to make the best use of my time and do what I want to do to actualize my dreams in the past. Not until now have I experienced a real and meaningful life. How’s your life?’ However, patient was too shameful to reply. As he understood that he did not suffer from cancer, he forgot everything and got lost in life. Every day, he led a meaningless life. This short story illustrates the importance of living in the present. Probably, it means that we should treasure every moment and focus on doing the right thing at the right time. When we focus, the outcome can be surprisingly good because of fewer distractions in our mind.

     Recently, there have been the boards of ‘Passing On’ established along the corridor on the ground floor at school. These boards show the present situations of our alumni who develop their potentials in different fields and pay back to society. They are the walking examples of ‘living in the moment’ as they all make the best of their precious time and enjoy their living. I appreciate our alumni for their courage and spirit. In the few months, you performed quite well in every aspect of learning and activities. For example, you played an active role in Vocational English Program, assisted the elderly by Virtual Reality (VR) technology, participated in voluntary services, served our guests on Open Day enthusiastically, partook in Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival and achieved success, showcased your own work at Standard Chartered Arts in the Park and won the Best Team Awards for 7 years consecutively and so on.  Your active participation is worthy of our teachers’ praises. I hope all will set your own goals for the coming year, learn from your alumni and make use of every moment; accomplishing the goals with focus and perseverance as well as living in the moment, you will achieve more than you can imagine.

 

 

                 

                       

 

 

 

 

佛教葉紀南紀念中學 Buddhist Yip Kei Nam Memorial College
訪客人次: 6389007
地址: 香港新界青衣長青邨
Address: Cheung Ching Estate, Tsing Yi, N.T., Hong Kong
電話(Tel): 2495 3363
傳真(Fax): 2433 9009
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