Fable (4)
寓言(四)
1 Practice is a long way to go whose effect emerges with the efforts of the man of practice.
修行是一條漫長的道路，其效果是隨著修行者的努力而逐漸浮現的。
2 Yan Chengziyou followed Nanguo Ziqi to practice for many years. Recalling the way of practice, he told Nanguo Ziqi, “At the beginning of practice, I liked to lead a quiet and leisure life that trends to be simple and plain. I didn’t like to stay with others.
顏成子游跟隨南郭子綦修行已經有許多年了。他回顧過去多年修行之路時，對南郭子綦說：「我剛跟隨老師修行時，起居好閒靜處，生活趨向簡單樸素，不喜歡跟人整天混在一起。
3 Later I changed and I was not so independent and isolated. I found that it is easier to practice when I do as Rome does.
後來我變得不是那麼特異獨行，非得離群索居不可。我發現入境隨俗，會使修行更容易。
4 When I came to get alone with others by following the concept that all sharpness is blunted, all tangles untied, all glare tempered, all dust smoothed. I went smoothly in the environment as if fish were in water, I made friend with tree, grass and animal. I found myself very free and easy. Then my thought and concept became more and more mature, possessing of system comprehension of Tao that I practice. People from far place came and learnt from me and expected me to impart the way of non-action to them.
我以『挫其銳，解其紛，和其光，同其塵』的修養與人和睦相處，當我在環境中如魚得水般通行無阻時，我與大自然的一草一木、牛、馬、狗、豬等也都成為朋友，我覺得自己好自由、好自在。這時我的觀念、思維都漸趨成熟，修行的道有系統的瞭解，社會大眾開始老遠跑來跟我學習，希望我傳授他們無為之道。
5 Then, I attained the related theurgy. In the state of Samadhi, I could communicate directly with god, ghost and Bodhisattva in the other space of world. Aided by Bodhisattva and Buddha in communication, I made a great progress in the speed and depth of practice. From Arhat through self-enlightened one, then, Excellent Vajrambrosia Kundali, Bodhisattva, Buddha and finally reached Nirvana.
這時我有了相應的功夫，在三昧狀態時我能直接與神鬼菩薩等另一個空間溝通，由溝通中得到佛菩薩等的加持，修行的進度大幅加深、加快，由阿羅漢，辟支佛最後成就為菩薩，佛，到達無餘涅盤大妙之境。
顏成子游謂東郭子綦曰：「自吾聞子之言，一年而野，二年而從，三年而通，四年而物，五年而來，六年而鬼入，七年而天成，八年而不知死、不知生，九年而大妙。