《旅途脚印》| 荷花——索达吉堪布
荷花 | Lotus Flower
背井离乡来到这座南方城市，孑然一身、举目无亲之感时常涌上心头。
Here I am in this southern city, far away from my hometown. All by myself in a strange land, I am often engulfed by a feeling of loneliness, having no friend or kin to turn to.
只有每日独对门前的一泓荷塘，眼见荷叶从才露尖尖角，到如今已是满眼碧绿。荷花袅袅娜娜地开着，紫红、粉红、乳白……艳丽的色彩猝然跃入视野，令人陶醉、令人痴迷。正当我沉醉于这如诗如画的景致当中时，忽然发现角落有一朵荷花低着头，显得那么憔悴而忧伤，仿佛满眼的春光都与它毫无关联。
Only the lotus pond facing the front door greets me every day. No sooner have I seen the lotus leaves as barely pointed buds than they become a full panel of lush green. Lotus flowers of a riot of color—deep red, pink, creamy white—all blossom gracefully and shapely, utterly enchanting and mesmerizing to the eyes. As I was feasting on this poetic and picturesque scenery, I suddenly noticed a lotus flower at one corner. Its head drooped low as if overladen by sorrow and weariness, the spectacular spring affected her not even a dint.
“小荷花，你为什么伤心啊？”
“Little lotus flower, why are you so sad?”
“昨天有一颗露珠，与我十分投缘，我非常珍爱它，但它却被今天的阳光抢走了。一想起我们在一起的幸福时光，将从此一去不复返，就使我陷入痛苦深渊而难以自拔。我多么地憎恨阳光啊！他为什么抢走我的小露珠？”
“There was a dew drop yesterday, we got along so well and I cherished it very much, but today, the sun snatched my dew drop away. Thinking the blissful occasions we had together are gone forever, I am immediately flung into a pit of suffering and have no way to extricate myself. Oh how I hate the sun! Why should he plunder my little dew drop?”
听了小荷花的倾诉，我不知能做点什么。也许麦彭仁波切能给它一些加持吧。
So the little lotus flower bared her soul to me, I was at a loss as to what to offer. Perhaps she could use some of Mipham Rinpoche’s blessings.
我给小荷花念诵并讲解了我最喜欢的麦彭仁波切教言中的一段文字：“愚者认为诸苦乐，皆从他缘而产生，恒时散于取舍境，贪嗔浪涛杂念中。智者了知诸苦乐，悉皆来源于自身，恒时向内观自心，审视自己不放逸。”
Finding my most favorite passage from Mipham Rinpoche’s teachings, I read it and explained the meaning to the little lotus flower: “The fools, thinking that all happiness and suffering are caused by external factors, are forever distracted in wanting and rejecting. Disturbing waves of craving and aversion carry them away. The wise, knowing that the source of all happiness and suffering is the self, always reflect inward and guard against indolence.”
听完我的讲解，小荷花终于释然。放下了对露珠的贪心，对阳光也不再起嗔念，并且皈依佛门。看着小荷花一天天成熟起来，虽然日见枯萎，即将凋零，却充实而自信。我看在眼里，喜在心头。三宝的加持真是不可思议啊！
After listening to my explanations, the little lotus flower finally felt better. She relinquished her clinging to the dewdrop and no longer held a bitter grudge against the sun. What’s more, she took refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddhism and grew inwardly day-by-day. Even though she was drooping and withering, she felt confident and enriched. Witnessing her transformation, I was filled with joy. How inconceivable are the blessings of the Three Jewels!
一天，就在我即将离去之时，小荷花斩钉截铁地告诉我：“我一定好好修持佛法！”
On the day when I was ready to leave, the little flower declared to me with a firm resolution: “I will definitely study and practice to my best the Buddha’s teachings!”
其实，小荷花就是每天给我打针的何医生，小露珠是她的男朋友，而阳光是她的姐姐。
In reality, the little lotus flower is Dr. He, who gives me injections every day, the dew drop her boyfriend, and the sun her sister.
从这个故事里，人们能否找到自己的影子呢？
Can people find their own images in this story?
壬午年正月二十八日
2002年3月11日
于厦门174医院
28th of January, Year of RenWu
March 11, 2002
At the Xiamen 174 Hospital