早在自己還很小的時候，就已深刻地體會到這個世界充斥著各種苦難。讀幼稚園時，因為手臂乃至腿部，布滿了嚴重的濕疹，又癢又痛，我覺得自己既醜陋又異於常人；當時有一個男孩甚至對其他同學說我得了痲瘋病，要大家小心，不要跟我一起玩。

　　成年之後，我更加確信人生是由一連串隨機、卻又充滿著苦痛的事件所組成，沒有人可以改變；即便是快樂的情境，當中往往也摻雜著苦。這種感覺跟著自己大半輩子：像是舉行派對或家庭聚會時，雖然歡樂，但結束後，每個人終究會離開。又如身旁的親友，不是搬家就是逝世；連疼愛的女兒也帶著我最寶貝的孫子，一起搬走了。

　　正式開始學佛時，我已經六十多歲了。四聖諦的道理，讓我終於了解一切事物都有其因緣果報；人生的苦，並非如我所想，是隨機而無法解釋的事件。藉由佛法，我們不但可以認清原因，並且可以扭轉結果！

　　一切的苦，皆源自於錯誤的知見與無明煩惱。一直以來，我希望所愛的人能一直留在身邊；希望每一個幸福時刻，都能永久地封存起來而不會改變。過度的貪愛與執著，讓自己這一生深受其害。幸而，四聖諦教會了我：只要放下執著，不但能體會到心靈的平靜，更能與摯愛的家人建立更好、更緊密的關係。

　　而這帖讓我們得以離苦得樂的處方箋就是——八正道。透過薰修佛法，讓我們有了正知見，了解到生死的本質是無常、是空性。因此，依循著佛法的道理，學習減少欲望並無懼地敞開心胸關懷他人。相信只要始終堅定地依正道而行，一定能夠去除妄想執著，契悟人人本具、本自清淨的心性。最終，可以得到真正的自在！

　　（When I was a very young child, I can remember being keenly aware that the world was full of suffering. When I was very young, I had horrible eczema which covered my arms and sometimes legs. It itched and burned and made me feel that I was ugly and different. I remember a little boy who told the other kids in my kindergarten class that I had leprosy and that it was not safe to play with me.

　　By the time I became an adult, I was convinced that life was a series of random, sometimes painful, events that we could do nothing about. I spent most of my adult life feeling that even the wonderful things that I experienced were laced with hardship and suffering. After the party or the family reunion, everyone went home. People moved or died. My dear daughter grew up and moved away and my heart of hearts, my dear grandson, went with her.

　　I had my first formal introduction to Buddhist practice when I was more than sixty years of age. I learned through the Four Noble Truths that the suffering in life isn’t just a series of cruel, random, and unexplainable acts. There are causes to our suffering and we can learn what they are. Not only can we learn about the causes, we have the power to change the results.

　　The causes of suffering are our false views, ignorance and affliction. It was excessive desire and attachment that caused my suffering. I had done this all of my life. I wanted everyone I loved to be within an arm’s reach. I wanted every happy moment to be held eternally in a state of suspended animation. But the Four Noble Truth taught me that I could know peace and have a better, more loving relationship with my dear family if I just loosened my grip.

　　We are given a prescription that allows us to liberate from suffering and attain joy—the Eightfold Path. Following the Path, we learn to understand the temporal, empty nature of birth and death; we learn to desire less, to love fearlessly with an open heart. Through persistent practice, we will be able to let go of the ignorance and attachments that cause us to suffer and realize our true self that is open and unencumbered by attachments, and finally be utterly free! ）