福善書院

靈鳥裝死　巧出樊籠

方法教會了，這小鳥就說：「好了！我現在明白什麼是出籠計了！」於是，當牠看見主人遠遠地走來了，登時就把這方便法用出來，腿也伸直，眼睛也閉上了，就等著主人來親近牠。

這主人天天回來都要來看一看、玩一玩牠，這是他最心愛的一隻小鳥，可以和他談話，又可以給他消愁解悶，所以回來總要先看看這隻鳥。這主人一看，哇！簡直就要哭起來了！怎麼這小鳥躺在籠子裏

頭，不動彈了？啊！他比死了兒子都焦急，若兒子死了，他恐怕都沒有看得那麼重要。

The Smart Bird, Pretending to Be Dead,
Cleverly Escapes the Cage

Mastering the method taught, the little bird chirped, "All right! Good method! Now I understand how to get out of the cage!" When the bird saw his owner approaching in the distance, he applied the expedient method. Sticking his legs out straight and closing his eyes, he waited for his owner to come close.

Every day when the owner came home, he always played with this bird that he was so fond of. Talking to it would cheer him up. And so, as usual, upon his return, he first

went to check on his bird. But this time when he looked in the cage he was shocked. He practically burst into tears. Why? His little bird lay on the floor of the cage, unmoving. He couldn't have been more upset if his own son had died. In fact, it's likely that this bird meant even more to him than his son!

生死自由　真出籠計

於是就把籠門打開，將小鳥拿出來放到手上，還是熱呼呼地沒有涼，因為牠是裝死，所以身上的暖氣不會沒有的。這主人把小鳥放在手裏轉著看，嗯！不動了，翻過 來看，掉過來看，看來看去，看牠真像死了似地，但身體還是熱的，只是不喘氣了。於是就把手打開看看。噢！把手一開，你說這隻鸚鵡怎麼樣？牠精神就來了， 噗！噗！飛了！這隻小鳥的出籠計靈了！ 可是我們現在都在籠子裏呢！我們這個出籠計怎麼辦？我們人哪，你不要自以

為是自由的，不要誤解自由，說我願意吃就吃，我願意喝酒就喝酒，願意做什麼就做什麼，我不守規矩也可以，這就是自由。這叫誤解自由，真正的自由，要能生死 自由，我願意飛到天空就飛到天空，我願意鑽到地裏就鑽到地裏；你若有這個本事，才是自由，就像那隻小鳥。

Freedom over Birth and Death Comes
When We Truly Escape Our Cage

The owner pulled open the cage door and gently placed the little bird in his hand. It was still warm, not yet cold. In fact, because the bird was only pretending to be dead, of course it retained its body warmth. The owner peeked at the little thing, turning his hand this way and that. The bird didn't even quiver. Whatever angle he viewed it from, the bird appeared to be really dead. Its body was still warm; only its breath seemed to have stopped. Slowly he open his hand... PHLLRTTPHLRTTPHLRTT! The bird broke loose from his hand and flew away! It had escaped from the cage! 

But we are still in a cage right now! How do we escape? As to human beings, you shouldn't think you are free. Don't misinterpret freedom, saying, "I am really free. If I want to eat, I eat; if I want to drink alcohol, I drink alcohol. I can do anything I please. I can ignore the rules if I want to! That's what I call freedom!" That's a misinterpretation of freedom. To be truly free, you must be free of birth and death, and then if you wish to fly into space, you can fly into space, and if you wish to burrow into the earth, you can burrow into the earth. If you can do that, you will gain the kind of freedom that the little bird gained.

十殿閻君　請師喝茶

那麼神光法師把印度來的和尚打掉了兩顆牙，這和尚也沒反擊他，以為這回是得到好處，勝利了，連外國和尚都打著了。可是打了外國和尚，這時，十殿閻君就來找 神光法師說：「法師，你的壽命今天該盡了，我們是十殿閻君，現在要請你去開會，喝喝茶，到那兒研究研究你的問題。」

神光法師一聽，喔！看見這十個都是黑臉的人，說他們是十殿閻君，要請他到閻羅王那兒喝茶──請他到陰司去──就說：「噢！

怎麼？我還要死嗎？我也要死嗎？」

十殿閻君說：「你不死？你有什麼本事，想不死啊？」

神光法師說：「我講經講得天花亂墜，地湧金蓮；講得這樣好，還不能了生死嗎？我還要死嗎？」

十殿閻君說：「你當然要死囉！」

誰能不死　閻君亦拜

神光法師說：「那麼在這世界上誰能不死？世界上到底有沒有人生死了了？」 十殿閻君說：「有！世界上有了生死的。」

神光法師說：「是哪一個？你可以告訴我嗎？我想跟他學一學這個了生死的法。」

十殿閻君說：「哪一個呀？就是剛才被你打掉兩顆牙的黑臉和尚，他就可以不死。他呀！閻羅王不單管不了他，還要天天拜他，向他叩頭頂禮，恭敬他。」

神光法師說：「噢！他就是了生死的和尚！這樣好了，我先不跟你們去，我去找這黑臉和尚，先跟他學了生死的法門。你們可不可以等一等呢？我現在是真心想了生死的，你們同閻羅王講一講，給我一點時間，讓我去學這個法門。」

十殿閻君說：「可以啦，你真有誠意，這也未嘗不可，我們可以方便你，可以通融通融。」

於是就沒有抓他到閻羅王那兒去喝茶。因為閻羅王也好喝茶，你們知道嗎？所以你們好喝茶的人哪，小心一點，哈哈！

Even the Venerable Yamas Will Bow to
Whoever Is Free from Death

Dharma Master Shen Guang asked, "Who in this world is free from death? Is there anyone in this world who has really ended birth and death?"

"There is," the Yamas of the Ten Courts replied. "There's someone in this world who has ended birth and death."

"Who?" asked Dharma Master Shen Guang. "Please tell me so that I can follow him to learn the way to end birth and death."

The Yamas of the Ten Courts replied,   "Which one? He is the black-faced monk;