觀功念恩的奧義

經常計算自己擁有的幸福，到底是一種人生態度，還是盲目樂觀、阿Q精神？

「生活真的如我所看到的那般嗎？」這問題經常在我腦海中盤旋。為了更精準地觀察這個過程，我把我所觀察到的他人的功德和善行，一一記錄在本子上。並在封面寫上大大的「omak」，意思就是「Observe Merits and Appreciate Kindness」。

一天夜裡，我翻開筆記本，試圖寫下今天的觀功念恩，但卻什麼也想不到。我有點驚訝，覺得自己可能在無意間錯過了很多發生在身邊的美好與良善。

過了好一會兒，我終於想起一件事：前幾天，同寢室的法師興奮地告訴我，她擦了我們房裡的窗戶，要我去看看。

我們的窗戶可以看到附近的田野和遠處美麗的森林——這是觀察季節變化和各種鳥類活動的好地方。但夏季的灰塵和雨水，使它處於我們只想拉起窗簾、視而不見的狀態。清理它的工作，並沒有特別指定給任何人，再加上剛過了一個忙碌的夏天，延宕這件事似乎合情合理。

但那位法師非常熱情地打掃了寢室，甚至包括這扇被忽視已久的窗戶。我很驚訝，也很感激，因為我原本認為這件事可有可無。然而，更令我驚訝的是，這件善行飛快地就被我拋諸腦後。每次我進入房間時，窗外的景色常令我情不自禁地佇足窗前，欣賞著被白雪覆蓋的銀色大地。但那天過後，有多少次我會想到我的室友，如此用心、努力地清潔它？一次也沒有！

我深刻地反省到，這就是為什麼要常常觀功念恩的原因了！如果不把他人的功德和善意，刻意地放在心上想，進而成為每日觀察的焦點，就很容易忘失，甚至傾向於關注他人的過失及生命中林林總總的不愉快。這個我每天「視而不見」的小小善行，悄然無聲地提醒我重新審視自己平常的思惟模式，同時也印證了觀功念恩的必要性——請努力專注於周圍的美好。原來美好不是沒有發生，只是我忽略了……

我希望這個發現，能成為一個烙印式的提醒，讓我繼續堅持練習「omak」。擁有一雙隨時發現美的眼睛，便是讓我看見自他美好人生的一扇窗！

【The Secret of OMAK】

Is calculating my blessings really a recipe for a happier life, or simply blind optimism? “Is life really the way I see it?” These questions often circled in my mind. To better observe this process，I keep a record of the merits and kindness of others I had observed in a notebook, on the cover of which I wrote in big letters “omak” , short for “Observing Merits and Appreciating Kindness”.

One night, I flipped open my notebook to write an omak, but nothing came to mind. I was a little surprised. Have I inadvertently missed a lot of beauty and kindness happening around me?

After some time, I finally thought of something: a few days ago, my roommate told me excitedly that she had wiped the window in our room and asked me to go see it.

Our window commanded an amazing view of neighboring fields and forests – a great place to observe the change of seasons and activities of various birds – but the summer dust and rain had left it in a state that badly needed cleaning. The job of cleaning it wasn’t appointed to anyone in particular, plus, it had been a busy summer, so putting it off seemed reasonable enough.

But my roommate had voluntarily cleaned our room, including the much-neglected windows, with such enthusiasm. I was surprised, and grateful, because I originally thought that this matter was dispensable… Nevertheless, I was even more astonished to realize how quickly I had forgotten about this.

Every time I enter the room, I’d often stop by the window to admire the silver earth covered with snow outside. But how many times, since that day, had it crossed my mind that my roommate had, so generously, made an effort to clean it? Almost never!

I reflected deeply and realized that this is why we need to practice “omak”! If we don’t keep the merits and kindness of others in mind, and slowly turn it into the focus of our daily observation, not only would it be easily forgotten, we’d tend to focus on negative and unhappy things. This small act of kindness that I turn a blind eye to every day quietly reminds me to re-examine my thinking patterns. It also substantiated the need to “omak” – it takes an effort to concentrate on the good things around me. Turns out, it’s not that good things don’t happen, just that I’ve ignored them…

I hope that this discovery will always serve as a compelling reminder, a reason, for me to keep practicing “omak”. Having a pair of eyes that can always discover beauty is a window that allows me to cultivate a positive outlook on life!

英文作者：法端
翻譯：聞挈
編輯：聞鎮