温馨夜读 PART1 04 The Meaning Of Life 生命的意义（在线收听）

[00:00.93]The Meaning Of Life 生命的意义

[00:05.52]Once upon a time there was a young man who used to meditate all day about the meaning of life.

[00:13.72]Most of the time he was pondering about the most important thing in life, 

[00:18.87]because he thought the gravity of important issues 

[00:22.03]could more easily lead people beyond the exterior of existence,

[00:26.19]and disclose to them the reason of things.

[00:29.69]No matter how long he meditated and observed, he could get no result.

[00:34.61]To clear his doubts, he decided to go and see an old sage,

[00:39.09]who lived alone in a far away forest.

[00:42.16]When he finally met the old man,

[00:44.57]the sage asked him what brought him there.

[00:47.30]The young man replied he was searching for the most precious deed

[00:51.46]one person could do to get close to God.

[00:54.52]“What did you do on your way here?” asked the sage.

[00:58.02]The young man thought he did not get the question, and repeated his demand.

[01:03.38]Then the sage asked again: “What did you do on your way here?”

[01:07.43]“I toiled,” said the young man, “because the road up the hill was very steep.

[01:13.22]I gasped and felt very thirsty.

[01:16.29]But I made an effort to patiently endure that troubled walking.”

[01:20.22]“What did you do next?”

[01:22.19]“I meditated, as I do every day.

[01:25.04]Today I pondered about imperturbability, that can be both a virtue and a fault.”

[01:31.38]“What did you do next?”

[01:33.23]“I helped an old man by taking his bundle of wood to his place.

[01:37.72]This meant a long detour on my route, but he was too weak for that burden.”

[01:42.97]“What did you do next?”

[01:45.05]The young man hesitated, then admitted: “I sat on a stone for a moment,

[01:50.95]and played with a marble that my father gave me when I left school.

[01:55.33]I apologize for wasting my time like that.”

[01:58.50]“What action made you feel lighter?” asked the old man.

[02:02.11]The young man, puzzled, looked at the sage.

[02:05.18]“Please answer my question”, the young man said,

[02:08.45]“I came to you with a demand.”

[02:10.75]The sage repeated, as if he had not heard this last objection:

[02:15.02]“What action made you feel lighter?”

[02:17.53]“Playing with the marble,” said the confused young man,

[02:21.47]“I was really free and happy; I had no thoughts, no worries.”

[02:26.61]“That was the best time today,” said the sage, “when you yielded to play.”

[02:31.64]“Play is a light yet serious activity, because then God is near you.

[02:36.78]You go beyond the surface of existence in the very same moment as you rise above it.”