提要俗語說：「小隱隱於野，中隱隱於市，大隱隱於朝。」意思是，看破紅塵隱居於山林只是形式，真正要修心達到「物我兩忘」的心境，反而能在最世俗的市井、官場，排除嘈雜的干擾，自得其樂，找到內心的平靜。



There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who painted the best picture of peace. Many artists tried.

The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare.

Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture.

Do you know why?

Because, " explained the King, " peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."



從前有一個國王，提供獎品邀請藝術家們畫出「真正的寧靜」。吸引許多畫家嘗試。

國王看完了所有的畫，只留下兩件真的很喜歡的作品，他準備在兩者之間選出優勝者。

其中的一幅畫，是一片寧靜的湖泊，湖是一面完美的鏡子，倒映四周群山與周圍的一切，湖的上方是藍天白雲。所有的人看到這幅畫，都認為它是一個完美的寧靜畫面。

另外的一幅畫也有山。但這些山都是崎嶇不平，而且光禿禿的。

禿山上面是烏雲密布的天空，暴雨傾盆、雷電交加。山下的另一邊，一條白練似的的瀑布傾洩而下。乍看之下，一點都不寧靜。但國王再仔細看了看，發現瀑布後面，有株從岩石裂縫長出的灌木叢。鳥媽媽在那兒築巢，準備養育她的小寶寶。儘管在那洶湧的水流間，鳥媽媽仍心滿意足、安適地坐在她的巢中，多麼完美的寧靜畫面。

哪幅畫能贏得獎品？國王選擇了第二幅。知道為什麼嗎？

國王解釋：「因為寧靜並不意味在一個沒有噪音、麻煩事或必須辛勤工作地方；寧靜意味儘管身處各種紛擾當中，心中依然保持平靜，這才是真正的寧靜。」