The Trouble Tree 

煩惱樹

There was once a farm owner who hired a mechanic to install the water pipes of the farmhouse. The mechanic's luck has not been good lately. On the first day of work, his car's tire blew out, delaying the work for an hour. Then there's the broken power drill and even his truck broke down.  Eventually, the farm owner had to drive him home after he finished his work.  Upon arriving the house, the mechanic invited the farm owner to go inside with him. At the door, the gloomy-faced mechanic didn't go in right away. He closed his eyes and then stretched out his hands to the branches of a small tree beside the door. When the door opened, the mechanic seemed to change his face all of a sudden, smiling brightly, hugging his two children tightly, and giving his wife an affectionate kiss. At home, the mechanic cheerfully entertained the farm owner. When the farm owner left, the mechanic accompanied him to the car. The farm owner couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, "What's the purpose of your gesture at the door just now?" The mechanic answered readily, "Yes, this is my 'trouble tree'. When I left home to work outbound, I encountered many circumstances, some of which are unpleasant .  But I will not bring troubles into my home cause my wife and children are here. I will temporarily park my issues onto a tree and ask the heavenly ones to take care of them. I will take them away when I go out tomorrow. Surprisingly, when I go to the small tree the next day, most of the "troubles" are gone.”

話說有位農場主人, 僱用了一個技工師傅來安裝農舍的水管。技工的運氣近來不佳。開工的頭一天, 先是因為車子的輪胎爆裂, 耽誤了一個小時。再就是電鑽壞了。最後, 連他開來的那輛載重一噸的老爺車也拋錨了。他收工後, 無法回家。僱主只好開車把他送回家去。到了家門前, 技工邀請僱主進去坐坐。在門口, 這位滿臉晦氣的技工沒有馬上進去。只見他閉目養神了一陣子, 再伸出雙手, 撫摸著門旁一棵小樹的枝丫。待到門打開, 技工一下子好像換了個面孔, 笑逐顏開, 和兩個孩子緊緊擁抱, 再給妻子一個深情的吻。在家裏, 技工喜氣洋洋地招待這位僱主新朋友。僱主離開時, 技工陪他向車子走去。僱主按捺不住好奇心, 問:「剛才你在門口做的動作, 有甚麼用意嗎?」技工爽快地回答:「有, 這是我的『煩惱樹』。我到外頭 工作, 碰碰撞撞。倒楣的事,總是有的。可是煩惱不能帶進門, 這裏有太太和孩子嘛。我就把煩惱暫時掛在樹上, 託老天爺看管着, 明天出門時再拿走。奇怪的是, 第二天我到小樹前去時, 「煩惱」大半都已不見了。

It is true that we work hard for a living, and occasionally encounter some unfortunate or unsatisfactory circumstances; or get scolded by employers, or have arguments with colleagues, so we are upset. Many troubles encountered in life are actually related to one’s moods or emotions, so they are temporary. When the conditions or environments change, the troubles may disappear. We might as well learn from the mechanic, put our troubles outside the door temporarily, and not take them home. In this way, we can enjoy a happy and warm family; and fewer news about family tragedies and violence in the newspapers.

是的, 我們每天在社會上打滾, 為生活奔波勞碌, 偶爾會遇上一些倒楣或不如意的事; 或被僱主責罵兩句, 或與同事產生磨擦, 因而心生煩惱。生活中遇上的許多煩惱, 其實都是與人的心情或情緒有關, 因而是有時間性的。待心情平復下來以後, 煩惱可能就消失了。我們不妨學學這位技工師傅的方法, 把煩惱暫時放在門外, 不把它帶回家去。這樣, 我們可以享受到幸福溫馨的家庭樂; 報章上也少了一些家庭悲劇及暴力的新聞。

The mechanic put aside the troubles and temporarily park them onto a tree, and soon transforms into a different personality - one who went home happily and enjoyed a happy and warm family. This is the consequence of “Altering circumstances with a positive mindset”.

技工師傅把每日累積下來的煩惱放下, 臨時寄存在樹丫上之後, 很快地變成了另一個人-------一個快快樂樂地回家, 享受幸福溫馨的家庭樂的人。這就是「境隨心轉」的效果。