死亡的看法

Butterfly on Rock 石头上的蝴蝶

The large yellow wings, black-fringed, 这黑边黄色翅膀的大蝴蝶
were motionless 静止不动

They say the soul of a dead person 人们说死人的灵魂
will settle like that on the still face 就像这样停留在死人僵硬的脸上

But I thought: The rock has borne this; 但是我想, 蝴蝶其实是石头生的
this butterfly is the rock’s grace, 它是石头的荣耀
its most obstinate and secret desire 是石头想活起来这倔强而秘密欲望
to be a thing alive made manifest 的宣示

Forgot were the two shattered porcupines 两只打烂的豪猪已经被遗忘
I had seen die in the bleak forest. 我在那阴暗森林里看过它们的死亡
Pain is unreal; death an illusion: 痛苦并不真实，死亡也只是幻觉
There is no death in all the land, 任何地方都不存在死
I heard my voice cry; 我听到我的声音呼喊
And brought my hand down on the butterfly 然后我的手往下捏住蝴蝶的翅膀
And felt the rock move beneath my hand. 感觉到蝴蝶下石头的震撼

IRVING LAYTON (1912)

这首诗的意境和中国讲天人合一，和佛道，和老庄，都有点类似。你到了这个境界，会觉得你的生命和这个世界是合一的。死，只是一种幻化。你变成了另外一种形态。石头幻化出蝴蝶，就像死里面有生命。如果是这样，那其实已经没有真的所谓死。只有变化。佛教所谈