先是堂姪女因乳癌病逝, 繼而弟婦之兄長因肝癌去世。年初堂弟亦於美國因肺癌而病亡, 未幾一位多年舊同事心臟病發猝亡, 然後另一堂兄又病故, 接着慈父見背, 數周前弟婦的弟弟又因腦癌病逝｡
七位亡故的親人當中有我那百齡高壽仙逝的老父､有終生致力社會工作的堂姪女(死後捐出遺體作醫學研究)､有薄有名氣的珠寶設計師､有早年負笈留美苦讀而至兒孫滿堂的堂弟､有中途離職自立門戶而業有所成的舊同事､有從卑微電工學徒做起而撫育兩子一女成為大學生的堂兄､有雙學位兒科醫學博士｡目睹親友相繼謝世, 有的英年早逝, 只覺蒼天弄人, 生命何其脆弱, 苦難又何其令人感覺無助｡ 再放眼世界, 大災難事故中(如恐怖襲擊､鬧市炸彈､飛機失事､天災人禍)不明不白而無辜喪命､無分長幼貧富的死者, 當中又有多少壯志未酬､願望未遂的亡魂｡或許生死禍福是自然的規律, 也是無可抗拒的事實吧｡
十七世紀英國散文家、詩人、劇作家以及政治家約瑟夫·艾迪生(Joseph Addison)有一篇發人深省的散文。實在讓人感悟出人生中的營役､爭奪､攻訐､仇恨､貪婪､患得患失之虛誕與無謂｡
< Joseph Addison的原文>
｢When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies
in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes
out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts
with compassion; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves, I consider the
vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow; when I see kings
lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by
side, or the men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I
reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and
debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that
died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great Day when
we shall all of us be contemporaries, and make our appearance together.｣
Joseph Addison的原文簡潔動人, 發人深省｡ 我試以文言文意譯:
｢偉人塚前, 妒羨之心盡滅; 閱美人墓誌銘, 則六欲消融。觀為人父母者含哀亡兒墳前, 吾心戚戚。復見父母塋墳, 思一己之來日無多, 概又知哀逝者之無益。王侯爭霸終歸土, 競逐機心墜泥涂, 逐鹿群雄今何在?人間紛擾何其無聊｡ 思之亦悵然訝然。碑碣縱橫, 卒年滿目, 或昨日, 或百年。當知大去之日, 爾我皆成同輩, 無分少長。｣
邯鄲呂翁祠聯: ｢睡至二三更時，凡功名都成幻境。想到一百年後，無少長俱是古人。｣思之亦覺其真切, 對利令智昏者、汲汲於非分的貪求者，不失為一帖“去欲”的清醒劑。豁達開懷未必人人可以做到, 但人生短暫, 太執着於成敗得失以至活得不安穩, 終是無益｡其實做人不必太多機心｡ 生活豐儉由人, 衣服無需特選日子穿著, 遊樂不必擇日而行, 會友隨興以赴, 適逢美景當盡心欣賞;
常懷感恩之心, 己所不欲勿施於人; 赤子之心不可失; 謹記｢平生不作皺眉事, 世上應無切齒人｡｣ 這些聽來似是陳腔濫調, 但除此又如何?
王羲之<蘭亭集序>有云:｢…情隨事遷，感慨係之矣。向之所欣，俯仰之間，已為陳跡，猶不能不以之興懷；況脩短隨化，終期於盡…雖世殊事異，所以興懷，其致一也。｣ 壽夭上天註定, 人生不滿百, 何必常懷千歲之憂? 人生一世, 積極地好好活在當下, 珍惜眼前, 就此而已｡
祝大家身體安康, 出入平安, 生活愉快!
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