The Crow’s Caw 烏鴉的聲音
有一隻烏鴉，牠經常都叫：「嗄！嗄！嗄！」牠飛到哪裡人家都討厭牠的不好聽的聲音。這隻烏鴉有一天在空中飛、飛、飛，後來停在一顆樹上，遇到了個喜鵲，喜鵲就問牠：「烏鴉你今天要飛到哪去？」烏鴉回答說：「唉！那個地方的人好討厭，一直都嫌棄我，我現在不要住在那個地方，我要飛到另外的地方去。」
喜鵲就對牠說：「烏鴉，你何必飛到別的地方去，你即使是搬到天涯海角，人家還是討厭你的，為什麼？因為你的聲音不好聽，聲音不改變，到哪裡都是一樣的命運。」
閩南語有一句話，形容一個人講話說的都是刻薄傷人的話，叫做「烏鴉嘴」，烏鴉難聽的叫聲，人家怎麼會喜歡呢？佛教的五戒裡，就有戒惡口的律法，要我們學習諸佛菩薩的柔軟愛語，給予眾生希望與信心。經典上說，佛的三十二相之一的廣長舌相，皆是多生累劫常出信心愛語，令眾生入佛知見。
烏鴉能不能變成喜鵲，只要願意改變音聲，就能改變別人對你的看法。一個優秀的藝術家，他能可以畫出山水、人物、花卉，世間一切美好的事物，因此，我們的心也如善巧的工畫師，能化現刀山劍樹的地獄相，也能變化黃金鋪地的極樂界，人只要願意用佛心去繪畫內在的世界，那麼烏鴉也能變成極樂鳥，出和雅音，晝夜念佛念法念僧。
Once upon a time, there lived a crow in a quiet village. Every day, as he flew around the village, he would greet the people with a series of “Caw! Caw! Caw!” But his caws were harsh1 and many were scared2 of him. No matter how much he tried, no one appreciated3 him.
One day, the crow flew high up into the sky. He circled in the air for a while before he got tired and decided to take a rest. He sat on a tree next to a magpie.
The magpie asked, “How are you today?”
“I’m all right...” the crow answered.
“Where are you going today?” the magpie asked again.
The crow sighed and said, “It doesn’t matter where I am going. Nobody likes me.”
“What do you mean?” the magpie asked.
“The people in my village dislike me, they always complain about how terrible4 I sound.”
“Oh, is that right?” the magpie sympathized5.
“Yeah...... that’s why I’m thinking of moving somewhere else since I’m not welcome.”
The magpie then said, “You are a crow, you should be proud of yourself.”
“No, it is because I am a crow, that is the problem! They hate the way I sound,” the crow replied.
“But even if you move to the farthest6 place, there are bound7 to be people who don’t like you,” the magpie responded.
“Oh really… then what can I do?” the crow asked.
“The thing is if you don’t deal with the core8 of the problem, no matter where you go, the problem is still there,” the magpie explained.
“What do you suggest then?” the crow asked.
“Change the way you sound!” the magpie exclaimed9.
“It is in my making! How can I change?” the crow protested10.
“Of course you can change! Running away from your problem does not solve it, you should face it. Find ways to change yourself because change starts from within,” the magpie said passionately.
In the story, whether or not the crow can ever become like the magpie, what is most important is that one is willing to change. By changing oneself and transforming the way we speak, others will change their perspective11 on us.
There is an expression in Taiwanese dialect12 when we refer to somebody’s mouth as a crow’s beak, it is to accuse someone of being a jinx13, or a bringer14 of bad luck. In Chinese culture, when your bad luck makes you think there’s a jinx on you, you are believed to be cursed15. How would anyone like that?
In Buddhism, there are the five precepts, which are:
1) Refrain from killing;
2) Refrain from stealing;
3) Refrain from sexual misconduct;
4) Refrain from lying;
5) Refrain from intake of intoxicants.
The fourth precept—refrain from lying, reminds us to guard our speech. We need to learn from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, learn from their gentle and loving speech which brings hope and faith to all beings. In the Buddhist sutra, it states that the Buddha has thirty-two marks of excellence16, one of them is having a long and broad tongue, which symbolizes that his words can spread far and wide. The reason why the Buddha has a long and broad tongue is because he speaks with loving-kindness and faith for countless eons17 to inspire many people to have the right views.
An outstanding artist can produce phenomenal18 drawings of landscapes19, people, flowers, and all the beautiful things in the world. These drawings are all created from the imagination20 of our complex minds. Therefore, our mind is also like a skilled craftsman, having the ability to transform our anger and ignorance into the knives and swords in hell. In contrast, our minds of goodwill can also manifest as the golden decorations
in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land. As long as we are willing to follow the Buddha’s teachings and use compassionate thoughts and minds to paint our inner world, a crow can definitely become a paradise bird, singing blissful21 music, and resonating22 with the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
VOCABULARY
1. harsh (adj.) 刺耳的
2. scared (adj.) 害怕的
3. appreciated (v.) 欣賞
4. terrible (adj.) 很糟的
5. sympathized (v.) 同情
6. farthest (adj.) 最遠的
7. bound (adj.) 肯定的；極有可能的
8. core (n.) 核心
9. exclaimed (v.) 大聲說
10. protested (v.) 抗議；反對
11. perspective (n.) 觀點；想法
12. dialect (n.) 方言
13. jinx (n.) 不祥的人（或物）
14. bringer (n.) 帶來者
15. cursed (v.) 詛咒
16. marks of excellence (n.) 相好
17. eons (n.) 極長的時期
18. phenomenal (adj.) 非凡的
19. landscapes (n.) 風景；山水
20. imagination (n.) 想像力
21. blissful (adj.) 極樂的；極幸福的
22. resonating (v.) 產生共鳴
星雲大師法語
Dharma Words by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
學習布施，是改造自己慳貪的性格。
嚴持戒法，是改造自己惡性的行為。
修養忍耐，是改造自己瞋恚的惡習。
發心精進，是改造自己懈怠的因循。
修學禪定，是改造自己散亂的思想。
開發智慧，是改造自己愚癡的認知。
To transform greed, learn to be generous.
To transform unwholesome actions, observe precepts strictly.
To transform hatred, practice tolerance.
To transform laziness, vow to be diligent.
To transform discursive thinking, learn to meditate.
To transform ignorance, cultivate wisdom.
容易發怒 Quit Anger
有一位經理非常能幹，又善於領導幹部，就是脾氣大了些，常常得罪人。這個經理知道自己脾氣不好，也很想改掉壞脾氣，可是「江山易改，本性難移」，他始終無法駕馭自己的性情。苦思良久，這位經理下定決心要好好改造自己，於是找來一塊牌子，弄一條繩子掛在胸前，上面寫了「戒瞋怒」三個字，希望從此以後不再生氣。
一天，他繞道經過廠房，突然聽見兩個女工正在細語交談：「我們經理的確長得一表人才，精明能幹，心地善良，就是脾氣太壞了。」經理無意中聽到兩人的對話，禁不住勃然大怒，衝上前去痛罵一頓：「我現在已經很有修養，把瞋心都改了，為什麼你們還要在背後批評我呢？你看這個牌子，上面不是寫了戒瞋怒嗎？」
兩個不甘被罵的女工理直氣壯地說：「如果您沒有生氣，為什麼要責罵我們？」
這時，經理才領悟到自己的魯莽。
這位經理嘴上雖然說得很好聽，但是一聽到別人的批評，瞋心立刻現起，真是「說時容易，做時難」！
人所以患瞋病，就是沒有修養的工夫，遇到逆境現前，瞋心一動，馬上翻臉不認人，多年的朋友可以變成仇人，結髮的夫妻變成冤家聚頭。如果懂得「忍」，了解世間一切都是自他平等、因緣和合的，那麼瞋病便不易生起了。
我們可以換個角度思考，難道一切難以解決的問題，只要生氣就能夠化干戈為玉帛嗎？生氣只會讓事態更為嚴重，所以凡事要仔細思量，不要輕易動怒。佛說：「若以諍止諍，終不能止；唯有能忍，方能止諍。」真是至理名言！
Once upon a time, there was a cheese factory manager named William. He had managed the factory for over ten years and was a proven leader. He was a capable manager, and under his supervision, all were willing and able to perform their tasks. However, William’s only blemish1 was his quick temper2 that often offended3 and upset people.
Every year, William would receive the same feedback regarding his temper from his boss and colleagues during his performance reviews.
As it was brought up time and again, he finally realized that his temperament was something he needed to remedy4, and decided to take action. He tried very hard to stay calm and not fall prey to5 anger for three days. However, as the saying goes, “a leopard cannot change its spots.” He was unsuccessful in controlling his temper.
Disappointed in himself, he thought hard for a whole week. William made up his mind and was determined to transform himself. He brought in a signage board and wrote on it in large, capital letters, “Quit Anger!” Then, he punched6 two holes in the board, tied it with a rope, and wore it like a necklace. Arriving at work each day, William would display the board on his chest. From then on, he hoped this would serve as a constant reminder to himself and others that he shouldn’t get angry.
One day, while on his routine check of the factory, William passed one of the meeting rooms, and saw two staff members talking.At first, he didn’t think much of it, but then suddenly overheard his name being mentioned. One person said, “Indeed, William is talented, capable7, and kind, but if only he didn’t have such a bad temper.” Hearing this, William couldn’t stand it. He barged8 into the room, pointed his finger at his perceived accuser9, and yelled, “How dare you say that about me!? Look at this sign hanging from my neck! Can’t you see that I’ve quit getting angry? I’ve self-cultivated10 and have quit my anger. So why do you all still accuse me behind my back!? Stop judging me!”
After William’s outburst11 and feeling abused, the staff member courageously12 replied, “Clearly, if you had successfully quit your anger, then you wouldn’t yell at us like you just did!”
William was taken aback by the response. He realized he had yet again lost his temper.
This story highlights that making a conscious13 decision to change requires patience. It is so often much easier said than done. Although William proudly said he would quit getting angry, upon hearing others criticize14 him, he could not control himself and let his temper get the better of him.
In daily life, how often do we get angry when things do not go our way or to our liking? How often have we fallen out with someone due to our anger? Even close and old friends can become our enemies, and a loving husband and wife can become foes15.
We tend to get angry easily because we do not have self-cultivation. Self-cultivation is the development of one’s mind or capacities through one’s own efforts. It is the cultivation, integration16, and coordination17 of mind and body. It means to attempt to go beyond normal states of being, to enhance and continuously polish one’s capacities as well as potentials18. If we learn to have tolerance19, to understand that in this world, everything including you and I are equal, that all occurs from many causes and conditions, then anger will not easily arise.
Look at it from another angle, can any problem truly be solved by getting angry? Can we make peace with anger? Anger always makes matters worse, so we must think carefully before we act or respond. If we can change our perspective20 on any situation, then we will not get angry easily. The Buddha once wisely said, “If we stop an argument by arguing with others, it will never end; only with patience can the argument be stopped.”
VOCABULARY
1. blemish (n.) 缺點
2. temper (n.) 脾氣
3. offended (v.) 冒犯
4. remedy (v.) 改善
5. fall prey to (phr.) 深受……折磨
6. punched (v.) 穿孔
7. capable (adj.) 有能力的；能幹的
8. barged (v.) 闖入
9. accuser (n.) 控訴者
10. self-cultivated (v.) 自我修養
11. outburst (n.) 爆發
12. courageously (adv.) 有勇氣地
13. conscious (adj.) 有意識的；自覺的
14. criticize (v.) 批評
15. foes (n.) 敵人
16. integration (n.) 融合；合一
17. coordination (n.) 調和
18. potentials (n.) 潛力；潛能
19. tolerance (n.) 寬容；忍受
20. perspective (n.) 視角；觀點
星雲大師法語
Dharma Words by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
為人所不能為，是丈夫事業；
忍人所不能忍，是聖賢修養。
Doing the impossible is the task of great beings.
Tolerating the intolerable is the cultivation of sages.
有一隻烏鴉，牠經常都叫：「嗄！嗄！嗄！」牠飛到哪裡人家都討厭牠的不好聽的聲音。這隻烏鴉有一天在空中飛、飛、飛，後來停在一顆樹上，遇到了個喜鵲，喜鵲就問牠：「烏鴉你今天要飛到哪去？」烏鴉回答說：「唉！那個地方的人好討厭，一直都嫌棄我，我現在不要住在那個地方，我要飛到另外的地方去。」
喜鵲就對牠說：「烏鴉，你何必飛到別的地方去，你即使是搬到天涯海角，人家還是討厭你的，為什麼？因為你的聲音不好聽，聲音不改變，到哪裡都是一樣的命運。」
閩南語有一句話，形容一個人講話說的都是刻薄傷人的話，叫做「烏鴉嘴」，烏鴉難聽的叫聲，人家怎麼會喜歡呢？佛教的五戒裡，就有戒惡口的律法，要我們學習諸佛菩薩的柔軟愛語，給予眾生希望與信心。經典上說，佛的三十二相之一的廣長舌相，皆是多生累劫常出信心愛語，令眾生入佛知見。
烏鴉能不能變成喜鵲，只要願意改變音聲，就能改變別人對你的看法。一個優秀的藝術家，他能可以畫出山水、人物、花卉，世間一切美好的事物，因此，我們的心也如善巧的工畫師，能化現刀山劍樹的地獄相，也能變化黃金鋪地的極樂界，人只要願意用佛心去繪畫內在的世界，那麼烏鴉也能變成極樂鳥，出和雅音，晝夜念佛念法念僧。
Once upon a time, there lived a crow in a quiet village. Every day, as he flew around the village, he would greet the people with a series of “Caw! Caw! Caw!” But his caws were harsh1 and many were scared2 of him. No matter how much he tried, no one appreciated3 him.
One day, the crow flew high up into the sky. He circled in the air for a while before he got tired and decided to take a rest. He sat on a tree next to a magpie.
The magpie asked, “How are you today?”
“I’m all right...” the crow answered.
“Where are you going today?” the magpie asked again.
The crow sighed and said, “It doesn’t matter where I am going. Nobody likes me.”
“What do you mean?” the magpie asked.
“The people in my village dislike me, they always complain about how terrible4 I sound.”
“Oh, is that right?” the magpie sympathized5.
“Yeah...... that’s why I’m thinking of moving somewhere else since I’m not welcome.”
The magpie then said, “You are a crow, you should be proud of yourself.”
“No, it is because I am a crow, that is the problem! They hate the way I sound,” the crow replied.
“But even if you move to the farthest6 place, there are bound7 to be people who don’t like you,” the magpie responded.
“Oh really… then what can I do?” the crow asked.
“The thing is if you don’t deal with the core8 of the problem, no matter where you go, the problem is still there,” the magpie explained.
“What do you suggest then?” the crow asked.
“Change the way you sound!” the magpie exclaimed9.
“It is in my making! How can I change?” the crow protested10.
“Of course you can change! Running away from your problem does not solve it, you should face it. Find ways to change yourself because change starts from within,” the magpie said passionately.
In the story, whether or not the crow can ever become like the magpie, what is most important is that one is willing to change. By changing oneself and transforming the way we speak, others will change their perspective11 on us.
There is an expression in Taiwanese dialect12 when we refer to somebody’s mouth as a crow’s beak, it is to accuse someone of being a jinx13, or a bringer14 of bad luck. In Chinese culture, when your bad luck makes you think there’s a jinx on you, you are believed to be cursed15. How would anyone like that?
In Buddhism, there are the five precepts, which are:
1) Refrain from killing;
2) Refrain from stealing;
3) Refrain from sexual misconduct;
4) Refrain from lying;
5) Refrain from intake of intoxicants.
The fourth precept—refrain from lying, reminds us to guard our speech. We need to learn from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, learn from their gentle and loving speech which brings hope and faith to all beings. In the Buddhist sutra, it states that the Buddha has thirty-two marks of excellence16, one of them is having a long and broad tongue, which symbolizes that his words can spread far and wide. The reason why the Buddha has a long and broad tongue is because he speaks with loving-kindness and faith for countless eons17 to inspire many people to have the right views.
An outstanding artist can produce phenomenal18 drawings of landscapes19, people, flowers, and all the beautiful things in the world. These drawings are all created from the imagination20 of our complex minds. Therefore, our mind is also like a skilled craftsman, having the ability to transform our anger and ignorance into the knives and swords in hell. In contrast, our minds of goodwill can also manifest as the golden decorations
in Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land. As long as we are willing to follow the Buddha’s teachings and use compassionate thoughts and minds to paint our inner world, a crow can definitely become a paradise bird, singing blissful21 music, and resonating22 with the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
VOCABULARY
1. harsh (adj.) 刺耳的
2. scared (adj.) 害怕的
3. appreciated (v.) 欣賞
4. terrible (adj.) 很糟的
5. sympathized (v.) 同情
6. farthest (adj.) 最遠的
7. bound (adj.) 肯定的；極有可能的
8. core (n.) 核心
9. exclaimed (v.) 大聲說
10. protested (v.) 抗議；反對
11. perspective (n.) 觀點；想法
12. dialect (n.) 方言
13. jinx (n.) 不祥的人（或物）
14. bringer (n.) 帶來者
15. cursed (v.) 詛咒
16. marks of excellence (n.) 相好
17. eons (n.) 極長的時期
18. phenomenal (adj.) 非凡的
19. landscapes (n.) 風景；山水
20. imagination (n.) 想像力
21. blissful (adj.) 極樂的；極幸福的
22. resonating (v.) 產生共鳴
星雲大師法語
Dharma Words by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
學習布施，是改造自己慳貪的性格。
嚴持戒法，是改造自己惡性的行為。
修養忍耐，是改造自己瞋恚的惡習。
發心精進，是改造自己懈怠的因循。
修學禪定，是改造自己散亂的思想。
開發智慧，是改造自己愚癡的認知。
To transform greed, learn to be generous.
To transform unwholesome actions, observe precepts strictly.
To transform hatred, practice tolerance.
To transform laziness, vow to be diligent.
To transform discursive thinking, learn to meditate.
To transform ignorance, cultivate wisdom.
容易發怒 Quit Anger
有一位經理非常能幹，又善於領導幹部，就是脾氣大了些，常常得罪人。這個經理知道自己脾氣不好，也很想改掉壞脾氣，可是「江山易改，本性難移」，他始終無法駕馭自己的性情。苦思良久，這位經理下定決心要好好改造自己，於是找來一塊牌子，弄一條繩子掛在胸前，上面寫了「戒瞋怒」三個字，希望從此以後不再生氣。
一天，他繞道經過廠房，突然聽見兩個女工正在細語交談：「我們經理的確長得一表人才，精明能幹，心地善良，就是脾氣太壞了。」經理無意中聽到兩人的對話，禁不住勃然大怒，衝上前去痛罵一頓：「我現在已經很有修養，把瞋心都改了，為什麼你們還要在背後批評我呢？你看這個牌子，上面不是寫了戒瞋怒嗎？」
兩個不甘被罵的女工理直氣壯地說：「如果您沒有生氣，為什麼要責罵我們？」
這時，經理才領悟到自己的魯莽。
這位經理嘴上雖然說得很好聽，但是一聽到別人的批評，瞋心立刻現起，真是「說時容易，做時難」！
人所以患瞋病，就是沒有修養的工夫，遇到逆境現前，瞋心一動，馬上翻臉不認人，多年的朋友可以變成仇人，結髮的夫妻變成冤家聚頭。如果懂得「忍」，了解世間一切都是自他平等、因緣和合的，那麼瞋病便不易生起了。
我們可以換個角度思考，難道一切難以解決的問題，只要生氣就能夠化干戈為玉帛嗎？生氣只會讓事態更為嚴重，所以凡事要仔細思量，不要輕易動怒。佛說：「若以諍止諍，終不能止；唯有能忍，方能止諍。」真是至理名言！
Once upon a time, there was a cheese factory manager named William. He had managed the factory for over ten years and was a proven leader. He was a capable manager, and under his supervision, all were willing and able to perform their tasks. However, William’s only blemish1 was his quick temper2 that often offended3 and upset people.
Every year, William would receive the same feedback regarding his temper from his boss and colleagues during his performance reviews.
As it was brought up time and again, he finally realized that his temperament was something he needed to remedy4, and decided to take action. He tried very hard to stay calm and not fall prey to5 anger for three days. However, as the saying goes, “a leopard cannot change its spots.” He was unsuccessful in controlling his temper.
Disappointed in himself, he thought hard for a whole week. William made up his mind and was determined to transform himself. He brought in a signage board and wrote on it in large, capital letters, “Quit Anger!” Then, he punched6 two holes in the board, tied it with a rope, and wore it like a necklace. Arriving at work each day, William would display the board on his chest. From then on, he hoped this would serve as a constant reminder to himself and others that he shouldn’t get angry.
One day, while on his routine check of the factory, William passed one of the meeting rooms, and saw two staff members talking.At first, he didn’t think much of it, but then suddenly overheard his name being mentioned. One person said, “Indeed, William is talented, capable7, and kind, but if only he didn’t have such a bad temper.” Hearing this, William couldn’t stand it. He barged8 into the room, pointed his finger at his perceived accuser9, and yelled, “How dare you say that about me!? Look at this sign hanging from my neck! Can’t you see that I’ve quit getting angry? I’ve self-cultivated10 and have quit my anger. So why do you all still accuse me behind my back!? Stop judging me!”
After William’s outburst11 and feeling abused, the staff member courageously12 replied, “Clearly, if you had successfully quit your anger, then you wouldn’t yell at us like you just did!”
William was taken aback by the response. He realized he had yet again lost his temper.
This story highlights that making a conscious13 decision to change requires patience. It is so often much easier said than done. Although William proudly said he would quit getting angry, upon hearing others criticize14 him, he could not control himself and let his temper get the better of him.
In daily life, how often do we get angry when things do not go our way or to our liking? How often have we fallen out with someone due to our anger? Even close and old friends can become our enemies, and a loving husband and wife can become foes15.
We tend to get angry easily because we do not have self-cultivation. Self-cultivation is the development of one’s mind or capacities through one’s own efforts. It is the cultivation, integration16, and coordination17 of mind and body. It means to attempt to go beyond normal states of being, to enhance and continuously polish one’s capacities as well as potentials18. If we learn to have tolerance19, to understand that in this world, everything including you and I are equal, that all occurs from many causes and conditions, then anger will not easily arise.
Look at it from another angle, can any problem truly be solved by getting angry? Can we make peace with anger? Anger always makes matters worse, so we must think carefully before we act or respond. If we can change our perspective20 on any situation, then we will not get angry easily. The Buddha once wisely said, “If we stop an argument by arguing with others, it will never end; only with patience can the argument be stopped.”
VOCABULARY
1. blemish (n.) 缺點
2. temper (n.) 脾氣
3. offended (v.) 冒犯
4. remedy (v.) 改善
5. fall prey to (phr.) 深受……折磨
6. punched (v.) 穿孔
7. capable (adj.) 有能力的；能幹的
8. barged (v.) 闖入
9. accuser (n.) 控訴者
10. self-cultivated (v.) 自我修養
11. outburst (n.) 爆發
12. courageously (adv.) 有勇氣地
13. conscious (adj.) 有意識的；自覺的
14. criticize (v.) 批評
15. foes (n.) 敵人
16. integration (n.) 融合；合一
17. coordination (n.) 調和
18. potentials (n.) 潛力；潛能
19. tolerance (n.) 寬容；忍受
20. perspective (n.) 視角；觀點
星雲大師法語
Dharma Words by Venerable Master Hsing Yun
為人所不能為，是丈夫事業；
忍人所不能忍，是聖賢修養。
Doing the impossible is the task of great beings.
Tolerating the intolerable is the cultivation of sages.
