編譯：孫開元
一個星期日，紐約國際禪院正在舉行一次大型的法會，德高望重的崇山禪師端坐于禪堂之上。這時，禪院走進來幾位韓國女士，手里拿著裝滿食物和禮品的購物袋。其中一位女士從手提袋中拿出了一大束塑料花，恭敬地把這束花兒插在了佛堂前的花瓶里。
崇山禪師的一位弟子看到了，很不高興，他走到師父面前，說：“她獻的那些花兒太不像話了，都是塑料的，我想把它們從佛堂里拿走，扔到別處去，您看可以嗎？”
崇山禪師回答：“如果你的心是塑料的，那整個世界都會是塑料的?！?/span>
弟子問：“您說的是什么意思？”
崇山禪師答道：“佛說過：'境由心生’，如果你的心是凈的，整個世界都是凈的；如果你的心染了塵土，那整個世界在你看來都是臟的。我們每天都會遇到一些對生活不滿意的人，當他們的心情黯淡時，他們看到、聽到、聞到、嘗到、觸到的一切事物都是黯淡的；當他們快樂時，他們看到的一切事物都是美好的。你喜歡一件東西是執著，不喜歡它也是一種執著。你不喜歡塑料花，這時你的腦子里想的都是塑料花，所以要放下它。塑料花也好，真正的鮮花也好，你不必拘泥于它們的名字和形式。”
弟子說：“可這里是面向所有人的法會，擺放塑料花會讓整個禪堂失色?！?/span>
崇山禪師說：“如果你供奉給佛鮮花，佛會高興；如果有人喜歡塑料花，并把它供給了佛，佛同樣會高興。佛不會看重花兒的名字和形式，只看人的心。那位女子供奉的花兒是塑料的，但她的心是真誠的。所以我們的心要寬廣些，你看那大海，它會接納所有河流的水，哈德遜河、查爾斯河、還有中國的黃河等等；清澈的河、渾濁的河，它都能容得下，所以才成為了廣闊的海洋，我們也應該有大海一樣的胸襟啊?！?/span>
弟子向崇山禪師深施一禮，退了下去。
Plastic Flowers, Plastic Mind
One Sunday, while Seung Sahn Soen-Sa was staying at the International Zen Center
of New York, there was a big ceremony. Many Korean women came, with shopping bags
full of food and presents. One woman brought a large bouquet of plastic flowers, which
she smilingly presented to an American student of Soen-sa's. As quickly as he could,
the student hid the flowers under a pile of coats. But soon another woman found them and,
with the greatest delight, walked into the Dharma Room and put them in a vase on the altar.
The student was very upset. He went to Soen-sa and said, 'Those plastic flowers
are awful. Can't I take them off the altar and dump them somewhere?'
Soen-sa said, 'It is your mind that is plastic. The whole universe is plastic.'
The student said, 'What do you mean?'
Soen-sa said, 'Buddha said, 'When one's mind is pure, the whole universe is pure;
When one's mind is tainted, the whole universe is tainted.' Every day we meet people
who are unhappy. When their minds are sad, everything they see, hear, smell, taste,
and touch is sad, the whole universe is sad. When the mind is happy, the whole universe
is happy. If you desire something, then you are attached to it. If you reject it, you are
just as attached to it. Being attached to a thing means that it becomes a hindrance in
your mind. So 'I don't like plastic' is the same as 'I like plastic'— both are attachments.
You don't like plastic flowers, so your mind has become plastic, and the whole universe
is plastic. Put it all down. Then you won't be hindered by anything. You won't care
whether the flowers are plastic or real, whether they are on the altar or in the
garbage pail. This is true freedom. A plastic flower is just a a plastic flower.
A real flower is just a real flower. You mustn't be attached to name and form.
The student said, 'But we are trying to make a beautiful Zen Center here,
for all people. How can I not care? Those flowers spoil the whole room.'
Soen-sa said, 'If somebody gives real flowers to Buddha, Buddha is happy.
If somebody else like plastic flowers and gives them to Buddha, Buddha is also happy.
Budhha is not attached to name and form, he doesn't care whether the flowers are real
or plastic, he only cares about the person's mind. These women who are offering
plastic flowers have very pure minds, and their action is Bodhisattva action. Your mind
rejects plastic flowers, so you have separated the universe into good and bad, beautiful
and ugly. So your action is not Bodhisattva action. Only keep Buddha's mind. Then you
will have no hindrance. Real flowers are good; plastic flowers are good. This mind is
like the great sea, into which all waters flow— the Hudson River, the Charles River,
the Yellow River, Chinese water, American water, clean water, dirty water, salt water,
clear water. The sea doesn't say, 'Your water is dirty, you can't flow into me.' It accepts
all waters and mixes them and all become sea. So if you keep the Buddha mind,
your mind will be like the great sea. This is the great sea of enlightenment.
The student bowed deeply.
