遭病勿馁 林钰堂
身罹重疾意消沈，自闭不振病更深；
转念迈进来奋斗，经历风霜梅绽香！
跋
佛友来示，其友人罹癌症而沮丧，不知如何慰勉。平日易谈：“有生必有死，当利用余生努力念佛，求生极乐”，或“人体被侵害，亦大自然中食物链之一环”等达观之论以自勉。遇到无心修行之患者，真不知如何劝起。
世间少有十分健康者，一般人的身体状况都要靠种种保健、治疗的努力以谋求平衡与进步。这些努力都需要身心两方面的配合才能有效。因此，遭遇疾病时，心理上要振作起来，积极从事于治疗及复健。若是心中放弃、沮丧、自闭，则不只是使病况加重，更易感染周遭的亲友们，使皆陷入绝望的阴影中。我为许多人祈祷，因而得以亲见许多在重病里奋斗的例子。他们靠着信佛、念佛、拜佛来撑过长期的孤苦，一步一步的安渡开刀、化疗、骨髓移植等折磨。他们的家庭也因为团结奋斗而更亲密。
对深陷病苦中的人，任何言说可能都太空洞、无助。上述的劝慰或许可以试试。至少，对还没面临重病的人，这是提供了一条有益的思路。
二○○○年五月十九日
养和斋 于加州
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Not to Yield to Sickness Yutang Lin
The body burdened with severe illness, the spirit sinks low.
Remaining lifeless and closed within just makes it worse.
Changing attitude toward bold struggle and improvement,
Plum blossom weathers snowstorms to spread its fragrance.
Comment:
A Buddhist friend wrote me, saying that his friend who got cancer was very depressed, and yet he had no idea of how to comfort the patient. In ordinary time we as Buddhist could easily remind ourselves of lofty ideas such as "Death is certain to life, hence we should make good use of the remaining time to chant 'Amitabha' diligently in order to attain rebirth in the Utmost Joy Pureland," or "Human bodies being attacked by sickness is just one chain in the universal food chain of nature." Now in the face of a patient, who has no interest in religious practices, it is beyond our knowledge as to where to start to talk to him.
In the world there are but few who are in perfect health. Ordinary people's physical conditions are maintained and improved through efforts made in health care and medical treatment. All such efforts would be effective only with one's physical and mental cooperation. Therefore, when one falls sick, one should drum up the spirit to actively engage in healing and therapeutic processes. If one were to give up the fight, become depressed and closed, then not only would it render the illness more difficult to treat but also cast the shadow of despair over the surrounding relatives and friends. Over the years I have prayed for many people in all kinds of illness. Consequently I have witnessed many examples of struggling through severe illnesses. Relying on faith in Buddha, chanting Buddha's name and prostration to Buddha, many have passed their lonely days of suffering, and step by step they have safely gone through the ordeal of surgical operations, chemotherapy, spinal marrow transplant, etc. Struggling together through such ordeal only brought their loved ones closer.
To people who are waist-deep in the suffering of illness anything verbal could be just vain and helpless. Nevertheless, the above thoughts could help change their attitude toward how to face the illness. At least, the above thoughts could help people to adopt a positive attitude before they ever encounter severe sickness.
Written in Chinese and translated on May 19, 2000
El Cerrito, California
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