賴以生存的兩條真理（2）

■　心靈小語

賴以生存的兩條真理：一是珍惜周圍的一切；二是放棄慾念，追求心中的美好。

Two　Truths　to　Live　By

Alexander　M。　Schindler

The　art　of　living　is　to　know　when　to　hold　fast　and　when　to　let　go。　For　life　is　a　paradox：　it　enjoins　us　to　cling　to　its　many　gifts　even　while　it　ordains　their　eventual　relinquishment。　The　rabbis　of　old　put　it　this　way：　“A　man　es　to　this　world　with　his　fist　clenched；　but　when　he　dies；　his　hand　is　open。”

Surely　we　ought　to　hold　fast　to　life；　for　it　is　wondrous；　and　full　of　a　beauty　that　breaks　through　every　pore　of　God’s　own　earth。　We　know　that　this　is　so；　but　all　too　often　we　recognize　this　truth　only　in　our　backward　glance　when　we　remember　what　was　and　then　suddenly　realize　that　it　is　no　more。

We　remember　a　beauty　that　faded；　a　love　that　waned。　But　we　remember　with　far　greater　pain　that　we　did　not　see　that　beauty　when　it　flowered；　that　we　failed　to　respond　with　love　when　it　was　tendered。

A　recent　experience　re…taught　me　this　truth。　I　was　hospitalized　following　a　severe　heart　attack　and　had　been　in　intensive　care　for　several　days。　It　was　not　a　pleasant　place。

One　morning；　I　had　to　have　some　additional　tests。　The　required　machines　were　located　in　a　building　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　hospital；　so　I　had　to　be　wheeled　across　the　courtyard　on　a　gurney。

As　we　emerged　from　our　unit；　the　sunlight　hit　me。　That’s　all　there　was　to　my　experience。　Just　the　light　of　the　—how　warming；　how　sparkling；　how　brilliant！

I　looked　to　see　whether　anyone　else　realized　the　sun’s　golden　glow；　but　everyone　was　hurrying　to　and　fro；　most　with　eyes　fixed　on　the　ground。　Then　I　remembered　how　often　I；　too；　had　been　indifferent　to　the　grandeur　of　each　day；　too　preoccupied　with　petty　and　sometimes　even　mean　concerns　to　respon