During my 2 weeks volunteering stay at
Sadhana Forest, Auroville. I gotta know Jonathan, a young guy from Canada. Jonathan
always talked with a gentle smile, and had very sincere eye contact. When I
first met him, I thought he was around 25, as he was very mature and had his
own standpoints and thoughts. However, when I found out he was only 21, I knew
he must have a very special life story.
Jonathan shared with me a few paths in his
life which made him who he is now.
Jonathan has been a Vegan since 11 years
old. He felt like killing an animal is equal to killing a human being. His dad
was always a Vegan too, although his mom was a meat eater. However, he believed
it is a matter of choice, it was easy for him to have that change cos he always
wanted to be one. In his school days, he was being told by his peers he could
not be a Vegan forever. They found him weird cos they never heard of the term
Vegan before. Jonathan felt pressured eating food which were non vegan. However,
he would always say no, he believed in telling why he didn’t eat meat. He found
there were blessings with him, as he could stand for himself and stuck to his
belief, no matters what was told. He was happy cos he was no longer
participating in hunting any animals. Moreover, he saw qualities and blessings
he got from being a Vegan, especially perseverance. It paved his path a lot,
especially in situations when his friends got into drugs, but not him.
When Jonathan was 18, he thought of going
to business and being an entrepreneur. He started a Segway Touring business
with his friends. He was really into it. The business went so well and he could
really save up money. However, there were some bureaucracy appeared caused by other
rich guys from the nearby tour companies, he learnt that it wasn’t the path he
wanted anymore. The rich people wanted so much in their lives, houses,
properties, helicopters, it was a never ending game. At the end these people
weren’t happy. Since then his belief started to change.
Jonathan was not a religious person before.
One day he met a Shaman and slowly learned about God. Under supervision from
the Shaman, he also took Salvia, a psychedelic medicine made from natural plant,
and was invented by the native Canadian people thousands of years ago. They use
the medicine as a means to help people and made them realizing things. Salvia
is very popular in the West but some people use it for fun. However, after
Jonathan took the medicine, he discovered himself and started to see things
differently. The effect lasted only 5 minutes but it changed his life. He has
become more grateful to what was happening in his life, how pure and beautiful
it is to be good to people and do good things to the world. He realized he is a
lot more than what he thought he was. Everything in the world is beautiful and
amazing. He could learn from everyone and everything, even animals, trees, and
rocks. They are all parts of lives. It was really an amazing influence.
Less than 1 year ago, Jonathan broke up with
his girlfriend, even though they were together for 5 years. His greed and pride
inside were developing, and he didn’t know what was happening. The broke up
made him realized so much and he was finally waken up. He felt the broke up was
beautiful and he was grateful it happened. If not, he would never be where he
is now. It humbled him, and he learnt to be more open-minded and honest with
himself, and be more willing to learn and grow.
Jonathan also took part in Vipassana
Meditation. It was such an amazing experience to him. Until now, he follows the
advised practice from the course, to practice Vipassana Meditation every
morning and night. It makes his days more productive, his mind more in peace.
He feels so much better, as it heals his body and mind. There was a huge change
of belief in his life after he attended the course. Life was always amazing but
he just didn’t realize where he was before, now he could realize all of them.
Jonathan’s dream is to be humble and
grateful, never stop learning and growing, and to become a better person.
Everyday is an amazing day. Everything around him is given to him as a gift. He
feels really happy he is living, his future is still unfolding. Every second to
him is a new opportunity. He could learn, grow and improve forever, which make
him feel so good inside of him. Life is infinite, open his heart, and be honest
with himself, because everything around can be gone the next day.
Sometimes Jonathan got bad feelings or felt
stressed too, he learnt to just see and realize, not to react with anger or
impatience. Just like what Vipassana taught, everything is impermanent. Even
though sometimes there may be darkness, it will become bright again. There
isn’t anything but present. One can only be in the present. It doesn’t mean one
doesn’t think of the past or future. Instead, there is really no need to worry
about the future.
Jonathan is really interested in meeting a
Guru. He has been researching and found one in Nepal. He likes him a lot and
would like to meet him there. However, if it happens it happens. To him,
anything can be a Guru, mountain or human, all are parts of nature. Most
importantly, it comes from within. There are lessons everywhere, people would keep
on having sufferings till they learnt the lessons. He dreamt someday he could
reach self-realization, realize who he is, not in words, but to see his
oneness, see from ego, and be harmony with the true self.
Jonathan was in charge of the gardening
section during his volunteering stay in Sadhana Forest. He shared with me why
he likes gardening so much. Take a seed and plant it you will get fruit. You take
care of a plant, a plant will care for you too. Nurture and love are in return.
Gardening develops one’s patience, compassion, love, kindness, empathy, and generousity.
These are all the qualities that make people rich inside.
Jonathan gave me a book in exchange, “The
Art of Living – Vipassana Meditation”. He wrote some words to the next person
receiving this book:
To
whomever may hold this book,
May
your life be flourished with real peace, real love and real harmony. May this
book help in your own realization and grow your spirit through humbleness. May
God bless you.
Also
if interested, you might like the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Jonathan
from Kelowna, Canada
15 May 2014
written in Haputale, Sri Lanka
夢想專訪6 – 加拿大素食者的自我實現夢
「學做一個謙遜和感恩的人，永遠不停止學習和成長，做一個越來越好的人。每一天都是美好的，身邊所有東西都是禮物」
在曙光村環保森林(Sadhana
Forest, Auroville)做義工的期間，我認識了來自加拿大的男生Jonathan。每次跟他聊天，他的臉上總掛著温柔的笑容和真摰的眼神。第一次跟他接觸，覺得他為人成熟，有主見有立場，我猜他應該有25歲。後來，卻發現原來他只有21歲。於是，我更加有興趣採訪這個男生，了解他的故事。
Jonathan跟我分享了他生命中幾件影響他最深遠的事情，成就了現在的這個他。
自小的素食者
十一歲的時候， Jonathan已成為一位維根(Vegan)素食者，他一直覺得殺害動物跟殺害人類沒有分別，他爸爸也是一名維根素食者，媽媽則吃肉食。不過，他相信這是一個選擇的問題，對他來說，改吃素食完全沒有難度，因為他一直都想茹素。在學校的時候，他的同學奚落他，覺得他是怪人，說他不可能一生不吃肉食的。對於被迫吃肉食，他覺得很難受，不過，他寧願跟同學解釋自己不吃肉食的原因也不會妥協，能夠堅持自己的信念和立場，他覺得是一種福氣，也為自己從此不再參與任何殺生活動而高興。成為一位素食者之後，他覺得自己最大的得著是學會了堅持，成長期間的同輩都有濫藥的壞習慣，但因為他有自己的堅持，因此沒有受到朋輩的不良影響。
經一事 長一智
十八歲的時候，Jonathan打算從商當企業家，更和朋友一起開始了一門「賽格威」(Segway)電動代步車生意。他把全副心機放在生意上，生意做得很好也能賺錢。可是好景不常，鄰近較富裕的旅行社官商勾結，給他們添麻煩，令他的生意最終不能繼續。但這件事情，卻令他發覺從商其實也不是自己想走的路，有錢人想要的東西太多了，住大屋、賺大錢、買直升機，永遠沒有停止的渴求，最終這些人卻還是不快樂，自此之後，自己的信念也產生了改變。
迷幻裏的自我成長
從前Jonathan並不是一個宗教虔誠的人，有一天，他遇到了一位薩滿巫醫(Shaman)，慢慢開始認識上帝。透過這位巫醫，他更吃了一種名為Salvia的迷幻藥，那是一種由植物提煉的藥物，幾千年前由加拿大的部落土著研製的，他們用這種藥物幫助人們去認清事情。在西方國家，這種藥物很流行，當然，也有些人用它來作社交娛樂之用。那一次，Jonathan吃了這種藥物，對生命卻因此有了全新的體會，五分鐘的藥物影響，卻改變了他的一生，對於生命中的東西他更加感恩知足，也發覺自己其實充滿能力的。他更加相信助人為快樂之本，世間上的東西都是很美好和了不起的，他可以從任何人和任何東西身上學習，動物、樹木，甚至石頭也可以，因為全部東西都是生命的一部份。那次經驗，對他來說真的是一次很了不起的影響。
分手快樂
一年前Jonathan跟一起五個年頭的女朋友分手了。現在回想起來，他發覺自己的貪婪和傲慢越來越嚴重，那時候的他已經不知道自己到底發生甚麼事。分手令他覺悟了很多，完完全全地清醒了，那次分手很美麗，他很感恩它的發生，否則，他永遠都不會成長，他學會了謙遜和虛心，要對自己誠實，要願意學習和成長。
內在的心靈修行
Jonathan也參與過內觀課程，那是一次很了不起的經驗。直至現時為止，他一直跟從課程的教誨，每天早上和傍晚花時間打坐靜修。他覺得自己的日子更加有果效，心境更平靜，他感覺很好，因為真的能夠治療他的身心靈。上了內觀課程之後，他的信念亦有了很大的轉變，生命其實一直都很美好，只是自己沒有發覺而已，現在的他通通都能夠意識到了。
現在他的夢想是要學做一個謙遜和感恩的人，永遠不停止學習和成長，做一個越來越好的人。每一天都是美好的，身邊所有東西都是給他的禮物，他很高興自己活在世上，自己的將來逐漸呈現，每一分每一秒都是嶄新的機會。可以永遠學習、成長、改善，他內心感覺很良好。生命是無限的，打開心窗，對自己誠實，因為，身邊每一樣東西都有可能一瞬即逝。
當自己有時候有負面情緒和壓力，他會嘗試只作觀察，不作憤怒或不耐煩的回應，就像內觀課程所教導，所有東西都是暫時性的，就算天有不測之風雲，陽光始終會再次到來的。人們只能活在當下，但那不代表人們不用思考過去和未來，相反，[HYL1] 過於擔憂反而無補於事。
他真的很希望能夠遇見一位精神領袖，他一直在找資料，找到了一位居住在尼泊爾的領袖，他很希望能夠拜會他，不過，會發生的事始終會發生，他亦不會刻意強求。對他來說，任何東西都可以是精神領袖，群山還是人類，都是大自然的東西，最重要的，是發自內心，到處都有學習的機會。人們的苦難會重複出現，直至他們學會當中的教訓為止，他希望有一天自己也能夠達到自我實現的境界，找到自己的身份，不是用言語去表達，而是從自我中找到那份統一完整，達致內心和睦。
散播愛心的種子
在環保森林做義工期間，Jonathan是負責圓藝部的，他跟我分享了他喜歡園藝的原因。散播種子、用心耕種有一天會得到果實，當你照顧一棵植物，植物也會照顧你，孕育和愛護是相輔相成的。一分耕耘，一分收穫，園藝發展人們的耐性、愛心、仁慈、同理心、大方慷慨，這些都是豐富人們內在修為的素質。
最後Jonathan送給我一本名叫「生活的藝術 - 內觀靜修」(The Art of Living – Vipassana Meditation)的書本作交換禮物，他在書中還寫了以下的文字：
給手持這本書的你：
希望你的生命充滿真正的平安、仁愛與和睦，希望這本書能夠幫助你自我實現，透過謙遜達致靈性的成長，願主祝福你。
還有，若果你感興趣的話，也可參考「拉瑪那．馬哈希」(Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi)的教導。
來自加拿大基隆那市的Jonathan上
15/05/2014
寫於斯里蘭卡哈普特莱山城
