宋美龄英文演讲引用的一名年轻和尚希望成佛的故事

宋美龄英文演讲引用的一名年轻和尚希望成佛的故事

两千年前，台址近旁有一座古老的佛寺。一名年轻和尚来此修行，他整天盘腿坐禅，双手

合十，口中喃喃念着「阿弥陀佛! 阿弥陀佛! 阿弥陀佛! 」他唱念佛号，日复一日，因为

他希望成佛。

The Father Prior of that temple took a piece of brick and rubbed it against a

stone hour after hour, day after day, and week after week. The little acolyte,

being very young, sometimes cast his eyes around to see what the old Father P

rior was doing. The old Father Prior just kept on his work of rubbing the bric

k against the stone. So one day the young acolyte said to him.“Father Prior,

what are you doing day after day rubbing this brick on the stone”The Father P

rior replied, “I am trying to make a mirror out of this brick.”The young aco

lyte said,“But it is impossible to make a mirror out of a brick, Father Prior

.”“Yes,”said the Father Prior,“and it is just as impossible for you yo acq

uire grace by doing nothing except murmur ''Amita-Buddha'' all day long, day in

and day out.”(Applause.)

寺里的住持于是也跟着拿一块砖去磨一块石头，时时刻刻的磨，一天又一天的磨，一周又

一周的磨。小和尚有时抬眼瞧瞧老和尚在做什么。住持只是一个劲儿拿砖磨石。终于有一

天，小和尚对住持说，「大师，您每天拿这块砖磨石头，到底为什么呢 」住持答道：「我

要用这块砖做镜子。」小和尚说：「可砖块是做不成镜子的呀，大师。」「没错，」住持

说，「就像你成天光念阿弥陀佛，是成不了佛的。」