Rhymes and Reasons：John Denver的一首歌

So you speak to me of sadness

And the coming of the winter

Fear that is within you now

It seems to never end

And the dreams that have escaped you

And the hope that you've forgotten

You tell me that you need me now

You want to be my friend

And you wonder where were going

Wheres the rhyme and wheres the reason

And its you cannot accept

It is here we must begin

To seek the wisdom of the children

And the graceful way of flowers in the wind

For the children and the flowers

Are my sisters and my brothers

Their laughter and their loveliness

Could clear a cloudy day

Like the music of the mountains

And the colours of the rainbow

Theyre a promise of the future

And a blessing for today

Though the cities start to crumble

And the towers fall around us

The sun is slowly fading

And its colder than the sea

It is written from the desert

To the mountains they shall lead us

By the hand and by the heart

They will comfort you and me

In their innocence and trusting

They will teach us to be free

For the children and the flowers

Are my sisters and my brothers

Their laughter and their loveliness

Could clear a cloudy day

And the song that I am singing

Is a prayer to non believers

Come and stand beside us

We can find a better way

一個青年法師的剃度

禮拜二的上午，雲林古坑的山間天氣晴明，三十五歲的表哥剃度出家了。

前一個晚上八點鐘，是僧團二十五名行者的前行儀典。農曆年的初二，表哥寫過一封簡短的公開信給他所有的家人。前行前兩個小時，舅媽一家到來，捎著信。我的母親，表哥的小姨揭了信，開頭的一句寫下自己出家的第一個原因，為的是要救父母。除了舅媽一家外的家族親屬傳著看，我也看了，看過後心內一陣酸楚，好似表哥的心情我全能感受。我知道，表哥和我是同一種人，喜歡望心裡頭藏事兒的，差別是我沈默，他卻用了活潑。入夜了，前行在三十分鐘內結束，肅穆莊嚴。我們的車開往鄰路更上頭的山區，月明星稀。

後方觀禮的父母暨家屬，兩翼旁側的淨人團隨唱剃度儀軌的唱誦偈，一層又一層，辭親，賜衣、賜缽，終至禮成。許多母親淚聲咻咻，惹得眾人潸然。受戒發願的剃度者專心致志，聽大師傅講法，瓊漿仙樂。褪墨黑色的海青改茶紅色的僧衣，披袈裟。正式出家後午供用齋懇親，大家夥兒在一樓大殿裡圍坐一團。大家夥兒問不下口，怕哭，犯了殊勝；對初剃度僧人的業果也不好，令起煩惱心。我有小外甥女黏著玩，可以忍，表姊不時進進出出，怕是去外頭落淚，母親堅持著問了好多問題，請法師開釋，而大舅舅媽相對是沈默的。午後二時，依規定的時間懇親得結束，道別時我望見表哥掙扎扭曲的臉，他還得為人世間的割捨多點修習。

性哲法師剃度換出家身去修行，希望成就自己的願。我的耳邊，有大悲精舍傳來的回向：

上供功德殊勝行，無邊勝福皆回向。

普願沈溺諸有情，速往無量光佛剎。

十方三世一切佛，一切菩薩摩訶薩。

摩訶般若波羅密。

自己的房間．桃園．2009

剽竊Sherrie Levine

“I am interested in making a work that has as much aura as its reference. For me the tension between the reference and the new work doesn't really exist unless the new work has an artistic presence of its own. Otherwise, it just becomes a copy, which is not that interesting." -- Sherrie Levine, 1993

母姊會

陰錯陽差，老天用風雨成全，讓本該沒有我的一年一度的母姊會又有了我。

可歎不過半天好日，濃雲遮起黛藍的天，港口裡邊作雷作雨地響，急沒停的雨水使勁兒落，濡溼家族人們的玩興。

就是有相機，我隨處地拍，看溪澗林間，看翻修成餐廳的南庄大戲院，也看新竹南寮漁港的雨中即景，也看緩慢的遊覽車窗，及窗內外的一切。

黑透了的七點鐘，卡啦OK聲斷續，疲憊的雨粒佈滿沾惹住靛青天色的玻璃窗，綠色的遊覽車迷惘打轉，總是繞不到夜間燈火熒熒的尚青海鮮餐廳。

自己的房間．台北．2009