美文欣賞：財富與幸福真的有關係嗎？

So, is it that we have been thinking in the wrong way all along?

　　所以，是不是我們一直以來思考問題的方向都錯了呢?

　　Don』t care too much about money, because money can only interfere with your pursuit of happiness. The irony is that people think they will be happy when they have money.

　　不要太在意金錢，因為金錢只會對你追尋幸福的過程造成干擾。最諷刺的是，人們以為自己擁有金錢就會幸福。

　　In fact, money has nothing to do with happiness. If you are happy and have money, you can use money in exchange for happiness.

　　事實上金錢與幸福毫不相干。如果你感到幸福，同時又擁有金錢，你可以用金錢來換取幸福。

　　However, if you are not happy but have money, then your money can only bring you more misfortune, as money is only a neutral force.

　　然而如果你沒有感到幸福，卻擁有金錢，那麼你的金錢只能換來更多的不幸。因為金錢只是一種中性的作用力。

　　Please do not get me wrong. I am not against money. I have no objection to anything. But money is just a means. Money will allow you to move forward with your current lifestyle, no matter how good or bad it is.

　　請別誤會：我並非反對金錢。我沒有反對任何東西。但是金錢僅僅是一種手段。金錢會讓你按照已有的生活模式向前邁進，無論你此時的生活模式是好是壞。

　　But people still keep chasing money as if money can bring them happiness. Whenever they realize that they can find money at another crossing road of life, they will immediately reverse their lifestyle and change their way of life.

　　可是人們還是不停地尋求金錢，似乎金錢能帶給他們幸福似的。任何時候，如果他們發現在生活之路的另一個岔路口上可以找到金錢，他們就會立刻扭轉自己的生活模式，改變自己的生活道路。

　　But once these people find money, they immediately lose themselves because they are ready to change themselves for money.

　　可是這些人一旦找到了金錢，卻會立刻迷失自我，因為他們已經準備好了為金錢而改變自己。

　　This is the common secular way of life in this world. Remember, I call them secular not because they have money, but because they have changed their life goals for money. It goes the same for people who are poor.

　　這就是世俗中芸芸眾生的生活方式。記住，我稱其世俗並非因為他們擁有金錢，而是因為他們為了金錢而改變了自己的生活目標。對一文不名的人來說同樣如此——或許他們僅僅是貧窮。

　　Poverty does not necessarily mean that the spirit is noble, and wealth is not necessarily equal to money worship. The true money worship lifestyle is to let money over everything.

　　貧窮並不等於精神高尚，而富貴也並不等於拜金主義。真正的拜金主義生活方式是讓金錢凌駕於一切之上。

　　As to the lifestyle that does not worship money, money is only seen as a means: happiness, joy, and your individual dignity are placed higher than money. You know who you are, where your goals are, and you won』t get distracted.

　　而非拜金主義的生活方式，是將金錢僅僅視作一種手段：幸福、快樂和你的個體尊嚴都是高於金錢的。你知道自己是誰，知道自己的目標在何處，你不會受到旁騖的干擾。

　　If you can do this, you will find Zen in your life.

　　能夠如此，你就會發現，你的生活忽然有了一種禪意。