這個星期初跟大家重溫歷史
介紹了英格蘭banknotes上的各界人物
下週會轉談輕鬆一點的garden flowers
自家花園 鄰居前庭
園藝商店 植物公園
一踏入春夏季
到處都填滿了鮮艷亮麗的顏色
觀賞之餘 讓我們一起認識不同的花卉品種💜

本週回顧：

從英鎊學歷史：紙鈔上的名人（上）
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4660802940601704&id=1157523670929666&anchor_composer=false

從英鎊學歷史：紙鈔上的名人（下）
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4664489700233028&id=1157523670929666&anchor_composer=false

£5 - Sir Winston Churchill 前英國首相、戰時領袖 邱吉爾
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”

£10 - Jane Austen 女作家 珍·奧斯汀
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”

£20 - Adam Smith 經濟學之父 亞當·史密斯
“The division of labour in pin manufacturing: (and the great increase in the quantity of work that results)”

£20 - J.M.W. Turner 浪漫主義畫家 威廉·泰納
“Light is therefore colour”

£50 - James Watt 發明家 詹姆斯·瓦特 & Matthew Boulton 企業家馬修·博爾頓
“I can think of nothing else but this machine”
“I sell here, Sir, what all the world desires to have-POWER”

從英鎊學歷史：紙鈔上的名人（上）

來了英國以後，我開始習慣不用帶銀包出門，因為比起香港，這裡的contactless payment更為普遍，出外到商店、餐廳消費，全程用手機付款就可以了。雖然現金在實際生活中並不常用，但有時候一紙鈔票也有故事，能帶領我們認識一個地方的歷史。

英鎊（£）的貨幣代碼為GBP（Great Britain Pound），在英格蘭流通的紙幣只有四種面值，分別是£5、£10、£20和£50。所以如果你在市面上找到張價值100鎊的鈔票，有機會是來自蘇格蘭或北愛爾蘭，也有可能是稀有的古董或偽鈔呢。

每張英鎊紙幣的正面（obverse）皆有英女皇的肖像，而背面（reverse）則視乎面值與發行年份，印上了不同範疇及時期的著名人物。

最低面值的£5紙鈔介乎藍綠色之間，主角是前英國首相、戰時領袖邱吉爾（Sir Winston Churchill 1874-1965），肖像下印有的 “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”，中文翻譯成「我能奉獻的別無他物，只有熱血、辛勞、眼淚和汗水」，就是他在1940年、時值二戰期間當選首相後發表演說的名句，大大鼓舞了同盟國對抗納粹德軍的決心。除了是一位擅於軍事與演說的政治家，原來他也出版過數本著作，更曾獲得諾貝爾文學獎。

同樣是文壇傳奇的女作家珍·奧斯汀（Jane Austen 1775-1817）亦「躍然紙上」，在2017年（逝世200週年）開始取代生物學家達爾文，成為橙啡色£10紙幣的重要特徵。不過要留意的是，坐在插圖上的是《傲慢與偏見》的主角Elizabeth Bennet，而引用的語句 “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”，則出自書中另一個不太討喜的角色Caroline Bingley，事實上她根本不愛閱讀，對她來說，書本只是一件用來偽裝的飾品呢。

下集再介紹£20和£50的新舊紙鈔，其中一張更同時印有兩位相關的人物。有機會我也想看看Winston Churchill的回憶錄與Jane Austen的一系列經典，你們也認同怎樣的娛樂也抵不上讀書的樂趣嗎？

《互相尊重的認知》
Understanding Mutual Respect (English version below)

吾有兩位女學生，犯了佛教的「不飲酒」戒。

一位30歲左右的，說是公司聚會，上司一直叫她喝，不好拒絕。吾弟子問她，明明是白領佳人，難不成還得兼職「陪酒小姐」？

這位學生，也因爲飲酒，而多次欺騙老公與公婆，說是在公司加班。

另一位學生是位中年婦女。她受老闆之託，旅行回國時幫老闆買酒。她也說，不懂得如何拒絕老闆。

這位中年婦女與吾皈依同一位根本上師，當代法王蓮生活佛，卻藐視根本上師的教義，忤逆吾的教誨。她從不好好閱讀根本上師的文集與開示，一直祇求吾以風水八字來解決她家人的問題，治標不治本。

因此，她忽略了師佛近期的開示：「拿酒給人喝，犯了不飲酒戒，五百世沒有手。」

（如蚯蚓等動物。）

這兩位學生，同樣的都沒告訴老闆她們的戒律。

妳自己都不尊敬妳的信仰，不會有人尊重妳的信仰。

如果妳不開妳的金口，介紹妳信仰的戒律給他人，他人又怎麼知道妳有這條戒律呢？

如果說出來了，他自然不會叫妳買酒或帶妳去喝酒。

自己要先有守戒的精神。如果妳沒有，妳一定也是爲了不好意思或怕炒魷魚，就這樣犯戒。

這個世界上不是只有一份工作可以做。

如果妳明知故犯，折了這個福，妳認為妳未來還會有好的發展嗎？

我們所要的一切都是建立在德。

天，因爲有德，所以常覆，地有德，所以常載，日月星有德，所以常照。

人要有德，才能夠常順、常旺、常樂。

妳不能說妳怕拒絕，以免什麼會發生在妳身上。東家不打打西家，人要有志氣，要有守戒的精神，才會得善神的擁護。

妳自己都不尊重妳的信仰，試問人家怎麼會尊重妳的信仰呢？他看妳也不過是那種人，可能暗地裡還瞧不起妳，覺得妳外表說妳已皈依，原來妳根本沒有皈依，還是犯戒。

千萬不要這樣做。

做爲一個老闆，一個上司，必須要以德服人。下屬因爲是你的員工，她當然不敢得罪你，冒犯你，因爲她需要這個薪水來養家或過活。就算她爲了順從你，而犯戒，你在她心中的形象一定大打折扣。如果有一天，她有了另外一份工作邀約，她一定不考慮就走，因爲她覺得你是一個敗德的上司，不值得她忠心。

如果她留下來，那必定只有一個原因，因爲她也敗德。敗德的上司 + 敗德的下屬，能做出什麼好成績來？

學佛人，得懂得匡正自己，也匡正別人，所以必須得解釋給妳老闆，或任何不明白的人，妳你爲何會拒絕他做某樣事情，尤其是買賣酒、買賣煙、買賣色情刊物等等。

大家要明白什麼叫戒律，戒律不是有宗教信仰的人，才要守的律法。戒律是一個正人君子的準則，是止惡揚善的基礎，根本沒有分誰應該守。

只要是人，都必須守。走在正道上，沒有過失下，才不會損失我們的福德。

那位中年婦女的老闆，「勸」吾的學生不必執著戒律，佛陀不是說斷執著嗎？

沒有皈依學佛的，千萬不要不懂裝懂，以免斷人慧命，造了殺生業。

佛陀涅槃時，阿難問佛：「佛在世時，我們以佛為師，佛滅度後大眾以何為師呢？」

佛言：「以戒為師。」

喝酒，會亂人本性，生出無量的過失，如酒後駕駛、醉酒打人、儀態盡失、胡言亂語、淫慾熾盛、惡人相近等等。

一位老客人，七旬老翁，生性節儉。一家大小雖是佛教徒，老翁卻酗酒成性。長子乃吾弟子，之前爲了迎合父親要求，常買酒「供養」他。

後來，媳婦（也是吾弟子也）顧及老翁的健康和戒律，阻止先生助紂為虐，也勸其家婆、小姑和弟弟不要買酒，卻惹來老翁辱罵長子：「沒有用！」

事隔數年，老翁喝壞了身體，今年年中入院開刀。吾於心不忍，以玄學來幫助這位老客人能早日康復。

喝酒的人愚癡，送酒的人愚孝。

吾，玳瑚師父，滴酒不沾，任何有酒精的食物，吾也不食。不飲酒者，有何果報？

意念清明，智慧超群，不會精神分裂、不會神智恍惚、不會胡思亂想，更不會被迷惑。

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

2 of my female students flouted the Buddhism precept of abstinence from alcohol.

One of them, in her early 30s, told me that it was a company gathering, and her supervisor egged her to drink. She could not refuse. My disciple asked her, isn't it absurd that as a white-collared employee, she has to "part-time" as a drinking hostess?

This student of mine also lied to her husband and parents-in-laws numerous times, that she was working overtime when, in fact, she was out drinking.

Another student of mine is a middle-aged lady, who was requested by her superior to buy duty-free alcohol on her return from travelling. She also told me that she did not know how to say no to her boss.

This lady, like me, took refuge under the same Root Guru, Living Buddha Lian Sheng. However, she blantantly ignored His Teachings and my reminders. She did not diligently read the Dharma books and discourses from our Root Guru Master, yet always sought my help in Feng Shui and Bazi to solve her family woes. This is not solving the root causes at all.

Hence, she missed out on a recent Dharma discourse by our Root Guru: If you give alcohol to others, you are breaking the precept of abstinence from alcohol, and the consequence is 500 rebirths without limbs.

(Eg. like a millipede)

These 2 students did not tell their superiors of their precepts.

If you do not respect your own faith, nobody will give your faith the due respect too.

If you don't break your silence and let others know about the precepts in your religion, how would others know about your precept on abstinence from alcohol?

If you voice it out, naturally your superior will not ask you to buy alcohol nor bring you along for drinking sessions.

You must first have the spirit to uphold the precepts, lacking which you will be easily swayed by situations such as embarrassment or fear of losing your job, and eventually flouting the precepts.

There is more than one job for you in this world.

If you flout the precepts intentionally, and lose your merits, what good future do you think is left for you?

Our merit and virtues are the source of all that we desire.

The Heavens and Earth have virtues , therefore can encompass all. The Sun, moon and the stars have virtues, hence their never ending radiance.

Man must have virtues, in order to enjoy peace, prosperity and bliss.

You cannot give the excuse that you fear the consequence of saying no. There is always another job out there. A person must have higher aspirations, and the willpower to observe the precepts in order to be blessed by the virtuous gods.

If you do not respect your own faith, how would another person respect it? He will not be impressed, and may even secretly despise you for being a hypocrite in taking refuge, as you are not steadfast in upholding your precepts.

Do not ever do this.

As a boss, as a superior, you must command the respect of your subordinates with your merits and virtues. It is natural that your subordinate will not dare to offend you because she needs the job and salary to make a living or feed their families.

Even if she follow your instructions, at the expense of flouting her precepts, deep in her heart, she will think lesser of you. If one day she receives another job offer, she will not hesitate to leave you because she feel that you are lacking in virtues and unworthy of her loyalty.

If she stays on, then it must be for the reason that she too is lacking in virtues. A non-virtuous superior + a non-virtuous employee, what good result can they produce?

A practicing Buddhist must learn to correct oneself, and others. Therefore, you need to explain to you boss, or any other people who do not understand your rationale, why you refuse to help him/her in certain things such as buying alcohol, cigarettes, R-rated publications, etc.

Everyone must understand what exactly precepts are. It is not applicable solely to people with a religious faith. Precepts are the cornerstone of a upright and righteous human being. They are the foundation of spreading goodness and curbing the non-virtuous in us, and applicable to every one of us

As long as you are human, you should observe the precepts. Walking on the right path, and not committing any sin, will ensure that our merits are not taken away.

The boss of my middle-aged student "advised" her not to be too attached to the precepts. Didn't Buddha proclaim non-attachment? So said the boss.

If one has not taken refuge and properly learn the Dharma, please do not behave like a know-it-all and dish out irresponsible "advice" to others. This grave act of recklessness may destroy the life of wisdom in the listener, akin to the act of killing.

When Lord Buddha was about to enter Nirvana, his disciple, Ananda, asked, "When the Buddha is in this world, He is revered as our Teacher. But when the Buddha enters Nirvana, who should we follow as our Teacher?"

Buddha expounded: "I have already given you the precepts. The precepts are your teacher".

Drinking alcohol will create chaos to the human nature, and countless sins arise, such as drunk driving, drunk fighting, loss of etiquette, blabbering of nonsense, sexual indecency, attracting bad company, etc.

An old client of mine, in his 70s, lives frugally. Together with his wife and children, they are Buddhists. However, the elderly man is an alcoholic.

His eldest son is my disciple. Previously, to make his father happy, he would buy him liquor and beer whenever the elderly man asks for it.

Subsequently, his wife (also my disciple) prevented him from buying alcohol, out of consideration for the elderly man's health and their precepts. They also told the mother and younger siblings to refrain from buying.

However, all the eldest son got was a bellow of "Useless son!" from the elderly man.

A few years later, alcoholism took a toil on the old man and he was warded for an operation in the middle of this year.

I pitied him and helped him towards a smoother recovery with my Metaphysics abilities.

Deluded is the man who drinks.

Ignorant is the filial piety of the children who feed his alcoholism.

I have abstained from intoxicants for over a decade, and neither do I consume food with alcohol in it.

What are the merits from such abstinence?

Beside mental clarity and supreme wisdom, one will not be stricken with schizophrenia, mental disarray, mental disturbance and fall prey to temptations.

主，我願更親近祢
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
詞曲 Lyrics/music: American Folk Song
演唱 Vocal: 史茵茵 Ying-ying Shih
鋼琴編曲/演奏 Piano: 亞歷普洛尼 Alex Pryrodny
攝影作品 Photography: 王思靜 Justine O.

Lyrics 歌詞：
I am weak but thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to thee

我本軟弱主剛強 求主保守離罪網
心靈滿足無憂傷 當我走，求領我近祢旁
主，我願更親近祢 與主相親樂無比
每日同行更親密 親愛主，求祢，懇求祢

Thro' this world of toil and snares
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee
Just a closer walk with thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

經勞苦罪網世界 若我跌倒誰關懷？
若有重擔誰分負？ 親愛主，惟有祢，我救主
主，我願更親近祢 與主相親樂無比
每日同行更親密 親愛主，求祢，懇求祢

I am weak but thou art strong
Jesus keep me from all wrong
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to thee
Just a closer walk with thee
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea
Daily walking close to thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be

Repeat *


本曲收錄在2017年出版之《再見再見》專輯。

《再見再見》專輯榮獲第29屆傳藝金曲獎最佳宗教音樂專輯，另入圍四項大獎，以本曲入圍最佳編曲。

更多《再見再見》專輯的故事：
基督教論壇報報導
https://www.ct.org.tw/1328286
教會公報社報導
https://tcnn.org.tw/archives/32406
博客來專輯介紹
https://www.books.com.tw/products/0020202157