When the Buddha sat beneath the Bodhi tree, many troubles came to test him. We call these troubles Mara （魔羅，生命中的困難） — the doubts and fears that try to pull us off the path. The Buddha did not fight them with anger, and he did not run away. He met them with a calm, steady heart, walking the Middle Path （中道） — not too tight, not too loose.
當佛陀坐在菩提樹下時，許多煩惱前來考驗他。我們把這些煩惱稱為「魔羅（Mara）」（魔羅，生命中的困難）——也就是那些想把我們拉離正道的疑惑與恐懼。佛陀沒有用憤怒去對抗它們，也沒有逃跑。他以平靜、穩定的心去面對它們，走在「中道（Middle Path）」（中道）上——不太緊，也不太鬆。
After his awakening, the Buddha did not keep his peace for himself. He set an intention: to teach with compassion (Mettā) so that others could find the same freedom. To follow him, students take Refuge （皈依） — they choose his teaching as their guide, like a traveler choosing the North Star.
在覺悟之後，佛陀沒有把這份平靜只留給自己。他立下了一個「發心（intention）」：以「慈悲（Mettā）」去教導，好讓其他人也能找到同樣的自在。為了跟隨他，學生們會「皈依（Refuge）」（皈依）——他們選擇以他的教導為引導，就像旅人選擇北極星一樣。
Refuge is not only words. It becomes real the moment we turn loving-kindness into action — even toward a stranger we may never see again. When we help with humility, expecting nothing back, our kind act is pure. That is Mettā in motion: a promise kept, one small kindness at a time.
皈依不只是說說而已。當我們把慈心化為「行動」的那一刻，它才變得真實——即使是對一個我們可能再也見不到的「陌生人（stranger）」。當我們以「謙卑（humility）」去幫助，不求任何回報時，我們的善行就是「純淨的（pure）」。那就是行動中的慈悲：一個被守住的承諾，一次一個小小的善意。