文／明．張岱（1597 ~ 1679）

想余生平，繁華靡麗，過眼皆空，五十年來，總成一夢。今當黍熟黃梁，車旅蟻穴，當作如何消受？遙思往事，憶即書之，持向佛前，一一懺悔……「莫是夢否？」一夢耳，唯恐其非夢，又唯恐其是夢，其為痴人則一也。余今大夢將寤，猶事雕蟲，又是一番夢囈。

──選自《陶庵夢憶》

Preface to Dreams of Tao An (Excerpt)

Zhang Dai (1597 - 1679 , Ming Dynasty)

English translation: Ven. Miao Guang

Looking back upon my life, all the ostentatious prosperity and extravagance have now become as transient and ephemeral as fleeting clouds. Everything across these fifty years has all ended as dreams. Now, that the millet in the dream is cooked*, and the cart has already returned from the ant hill**, how will such days be spent? As I look back into the past, I shall write down all that I remember, and then take them to the Buddha and repent. Could this be a dream? I fear that a dream may not be a dream, yet still a dream. What a foolish man! Now that I am about to have a big awakening, I shall show off my unskilled ability [in putting things in words]. Perhaps it is just another moment of somniloquy.

── from Tao An Meng Yi

(Dreams of Tao An)

*Reference to Huangliang Yimeng (Yellow Millet Dream)

**Reference to Nanke Yimeng (Dream of Nanke)