有人来问我关于“真理”的消息1，这倒使我陷入了迷惘，无法作答。

“What’s truth？” someone asked me. I was at a loss for an answer.

如果以佛家的观点来看，真理是无为的真如本体，是用来对照俗世那些有为事相的2。

From the Buddhist point of view， truth is the essence of transcendental nothingness in contrast to our worldly experiences.

假如这种说法是真的，那么，无心出岫的云、自由飘荡的风、美丽开放的花、飞过田野的鸟，到处都是真理。

If this is true， you can find truth where clouds drift mindlessly， where winds blow freely， where beautiful flowers blossom， and where birds fly over open fields.

佛家又说，不生不灭，非有相非无相、诸法的本来为真理3，是用来对照充满生命的、分别的、混乱与执着的红尘世界。假如这种说法是真的，那么在蔚蓝的天空与海洋、在飘浮于空中的草香、在白雪积了又融的山头、在春夏秋冬都翠绿的山林中，也都饱含着真理。

Buddhism also holds that any truth about anything doesn’t involve a cycle of birth and death， that any talk about how it presents itself or refrains from presenting itself is irrelevant， and that what is deemed truth stands in contrast to a lively， diverse， and chaotic world where all mortals are consumed by worldly pursuits. If this is true， you can find truth in the blue skies and blue oceans， in the fragrance of grass floating in the air， at mountain peaks that see snow accumulate and melt periodically， and in mountains that stay green year-round.

可是，到处都在显现的真理，我们是否能够体验与觉知呢？

But while truth is everywhere， are we able to experience and become aware of it？

真理恒存，在偶然的一闪中，唯有能体验者可以相映，正如农夫望着天空的闪电而知其意义。