Cherish Your Blessings

知福、惜福

Once upon a time, there was a king who was depressed all day long, so he sent his minister to seek for ways to happiness.  One day, upon arriving at a poor village, he heard a farmer singing happily.

從前有個國王，整日鬱鬱寡歡，於是派了個大臣四處找尋快樂的方法。有一天，大臣走過一個貧窮的村落時，聽到一個農夫快樂地歌唱。

The minister asked the farmer: “Are you happy?”

大臣問農夫: 你很快樂嗎？

The farmer replied: “I have not been unhappy for even a day.”

農夫回答: 我沒有一天不快樂。

The minister asked again: “Have you ever had an unhappy moment?”

大臣又問: 你可曾有過不快樂的時刻？

The farmer replied: “Once I was unhappy because I have no shoes to wear, until one day I met a man in the street with no feet at all.”

農夫答道: 我曾因為沒有鞋子而不快樂，直到有一天我在街上遇到一個沒有腳的人。

In life, when there is happiness, there are also unhappy moments. One of the most common reason is that something is unsatisfactory, or things go against one's wishes. When there is a gap between reality and one's own expectations, people may become very unhappy and even distressed. Buddhism identifies this feeling of unhappiness as “suffering of not getting what one wants”.

人生在世，有快樂的時候，也有不快樂的時候。不快樂的原因很多，其中較常見的一個是遇上不如意的事，或事與願違，現實與自己心中的期望出現了差距時，人就可能會變得很不快樂，乃至苦惱。佛教稱這種不快樂的感覺為［求不得］苦。

To counteract the “suffering of not getting what one wants”, Buddhism has taught us to cherish our blessings, appreciate everything we have including our careers and lives. This way we will not be led by our endless desire and become unhappy and not at ease.

佛教對治［求不得］苦的方法，是要我們在積極進取，不斷求進步的同時，還應懂得知福惜福，懂得珍惜眼前的一切，珍惜眼前的事業和生活，身在福中要知福。這樣才不會被無窮無盡的慾望牽著鼻子走，因而活得不快樂，不自在。