華麗的冒險

 回台灣的這段時間，雖然沒有上班的壓力，仍然在七點左右自動醒來，叔叔和爸爸早已準備好出門運動，或許是想把握這難得的機會，我也加入晨起的行列。

清晨六七點的士林，少了喧囂的車流，多了幾份恬靜。河濱公園裡有很多早起運動的民眾，有五十幾歲的老先生老太太跳土風舞、晨操，也有慢跑、騎單車的中年大叔，延著步道一路逛去，沒有發現隱身公園中的太極拳高手，倒是見到一戶外籍人士家庭野餐，看他們歡樂地交談，在草坪上追逐，忽然興起「在台灣退休養老也不錯」的念頭。

接近晨起散步的終點，到永和豆漿點早餐，一口咬下香Q好吃的素飯糰，配上甜豆漿，實在是人間美味，真想馬上聯絡美國請辭。昔日張翰因莼鱸之思辭官歸里，想不到今天僅因為素飯團和油條豆漿讓我想回台發展，也許異鄉遊子嘴饞的不是那杯珍珠奶茶或油炸臭豆腐，而是在咀嚼消化那份鄉愁吧！

走進傳統市場，感受小販們的熱情，久違的喲喝，斗大的「特價199」舉牌，紐約的中國城可有這番景象？攤販老闆微笑著詢問是否要試吃。我揮手婉拒他的好意，叔叔停步轉身問道：「要不要買些給爺爺？」爸爸回了頭，想一想，建議繼續走下去，找賣蜜糖地瓜的攤子。

「現在到頭七，還有好幾天」。叔叔盤算著：「不如每天準備一樣不同的祭品吧？」

於是我們繞市場一圈，討論著該買什麼：

「爺爺喜歡吃這個。」

「這個順口好咀嚼，爺爺早上都會吃。」

「最近幾年很少嘗，但是以前很喜歡。」

看著叔叔與爸爸交換意見，忽然難抑盈眶熱淚。

多麼想牽著爺爺的手，親口問他想吃些什麼?

樹欲靜而風不止，子欲養而親不待。

看到最近朋友們在台灣努力溫書，精進求法，遂將《阿含經隨身剪輯》翻出來，趁著搭乘地鐵的空閒時間閱讀。

莊老師在序文中寫到：「......假如能有一本隨身手冊，摘錄重要經文，即使在只有五分鐘、十分鐘的空檔裡，能拿出來讀一讀、想一想、反省反省，讓生活落實在佛法的實踐中，經常獲得佛法的滋潤，而將時間、空間的限制，降到最低，......」隨身書籍的便利，已在如今繁忙緊湊的生活中顯現，以當前電子閱讀流行，連Borders這樣老字號的連鎖書店都敵不過，如何讓字字珠磯的經典被大眾接受，讓忙碌的人們更便捷地汲取佛法的智慧，相信會是我們這一代所要努力的方向。

一頁一頁翻來，可見莊老師多年對阿含經的心得，從漢譯的四阿含經中精挑細選出三百一十一頁的剪輯，簡短的經文帶來一次又一次的深省，卷後「一分鐘正思維」摘錄阿含經法語，站牌或月台候車時默默憶念，亦頗有幾分體會。「行住坐臥，眠寢語默，皆正知之。」難嗎?如果，有這樣一本小抄在手，時時刻刻提醒自己，離解脫的彼岸，似乎又近了一步。

離家遠行，總要整裡行囊；上班出門，也要提帶背包。什麼該帶？什麼必備？那個可捨？重拾《阿含經隨身剪輯》提醒了我：忙，不是藉口。閒暇莫空逝，常念正思維，萬般不帶走，唯有法隨身。

《阿含經隨身剪輯》可至網上閱讀

 http://agama.buddhason.org/book/tb/tbi.htm

Inception: A dream within a dream

今早起床，一如往常：梳洗、著衣、拿土司、夾起司、吃早餐看報、進佛堂、出  佛堂，搭公車、轉地鐵。

好像，不是平時搭乘的四號五號線？也不是二號三號地鐵到下城？

走進陌生的電梯，右手無意識地按了樓層，便和同電梯的乘客閒聊。

似乎，真的不對勁。這不是我上班的地方啊！

坐在桌前，登入電腦，準備工作。工作內容倒是沒兩樣，唯一不同的是，我依稀在鍵盤輸了什麼指令，清除所有資料後，一個機械手臂先啟動噴火，然後以鐵鎚重重砸向即將報廢的硬碟，四碎分散的零件隨著輸送帶倒進垃圾處理箱。

「怎樣？公司新買的。帥吧？」一個陌生的同事拍著我的肩膀問起，接著開始交談，整段對話應該有一個小時之久，也走到好幾張桌前介紹其他同事。握了好幾雙手，交換很多張名片後，我抬起頭質疑：「這在那裡？我們公司的名字是什麼？」

猛然驚醒。原來，只是夢。

「奇特的夢」。從床上坐起，僅對剛才的夢境略做思索，便決定置之不理。梳洗、著衣、拿土司、夾起司、吃早餐看報、進佛堂、出佛堂，搭公車、轉地鐵。

一刷工作證步入公司，正想與同事分享奇特的夢境，卻見到夢中的陌生同事站在茶水間揮手。鬧鈴聲驚醒了我，仍然驚魂未定，卻不得不趕緊準備出門，梳洗、著衣、拿土司、夾起司、吃早餐看報、進佛堂、出佛堂，搭公車、轉地鐵。

提筆記錄這段經歷，不由得猜測自己是否仍在夢中？

So last sunday I drop by Sunday class and see how are the class doing. There were more kids than I anticipated. They were taking turns to introduce themsleves. Since I walked in, it was my turn. Thus, I brieftly introduce me and ask them to guess my top 3 cartoon (because everyone was asked to say their name and favorite cartoon before I walk in).

Question: Frank's top 3 favorite cartoon.

Hint#1: There's a dog.....yes a dog in the cartoon. And the dog talks. Yes....the dogs talks....

Kids started to guess something like..."Snoopy", which surprised me cause I never know snoopy talk.

hint#2: There's a van in the cartoon. Yes....a van....ok more hints. Other characters in the cartoon are Velma, Freedy, Daphi, and Shaggy.

I was very surprise to see that no one made the correct guess. But as soon as I announce the answer, a few of them said "Oh Scooby-Doo! I know". Ya well, too late!

Hint # 3: Ok this is a cartoon from Japan. It's a Ninja cartoon. The main character's name is a kind of food from Ramen.

This is such a bad hint for kids I think because none of them guess Naruto. Some of the kids question that Naruto is not a ninja cartoon because they're not ninjas. They use magic (apparently kids think the concept of Chakra is like a magic) so it should be a cartoon about magic.

Hint#3 This cartoon come from a collectable card game...

All the kids started yelling guess like: "Pokemon!" and "Bakugan". But the correct answer is "Yu-Gi-Oh!" Doh, fail~

Talk about Generation Gap. And I haven't even started with cartoon like Tom and Jerry, Looney Toons, and Dragon Ball Z.

So I fill out the TimeSheet for this paid period and realize I took 5 sick leaves for last paid period. That's 5 days off out of 10 work days (2 weeks, 5 work days a week). This came as such a shock because I think I never took that many sick days before. And I was really sick, not like I purposely pretend to be sick and stay at home or something.

2 out of 5 sick days were taken last week since I just got bakc from Taiwan. 3 days were taken this week since I was seriously ill and almost pass out at work. Someone noticed I didn't look too good (in her words, I almost fainted) so I got sent home.

It's a revealation I guess. My body is trying to tell me: hey bud, we're not as young as we used to think. It's true. I begin to notice I cannot have late nights like what we used to have in college, playing games all night and stuff. Even though I feel my mind is growing stronger with each contemplation, my body does not strengthen as easily. I guess it's time to lay down a strict schedule for light exercise and carefully prepared nutrion meal. Time to take that pill and start jogging.

I think for years I try to maintain a healthy mind. It's time to pay more attention on the body before it starts to fall apart.

慈悲偉大的佛陀！
三月十一日，日本本州宮城縣等
沿海地區發生大地震和海嘯了！
您可曾聽到眾生的呼號？
您可曾看到親人的慘痛？
佛陀啊！佛陀！
那是人間地獄發出的哀嚎！
那是娑婆浩劫傳出的聲音！
在那裡，
天搖地動，海嘯驚人，
在那裡，
惡水火劫，滿目瘡痍；
千萬人身陷災區中，
正在恐慌；
他們此時正像迷失的遊子，
　 都在尋找寄住的家園；
他們此時正像驚惶的羔羊，
　 都在尋覓安全的依怙。
慈悲偉大的佛陀！
祈求您的加被，

朋友轉寄給我的，做一點分享。

**********************************

人生最大的悲哀是青春不在,青春痘卻還在。

想當年:

身材就是身材，體格就是體格：

正面山明水秀，側面懸崖峭壁，背面則是柳暗花明。

現在是:

從後面看想犯罪，從旁邊看想撤退，從正面看想防衛。

有道是:

「紅顏多薄命」，我說「熟女不認命」，