昭慧法師=Ven. Chao Hwei; Joan Baez; 非暴力=Non-violence; 越戰=Vietnam War; 人權運動=Civil Rights
摘要
菩薩思想出自大乘經典，經典中菩薩的不可思議境界讓人讚嘆、景仰、感動，但不免也有過疑惑：太超現實了吧？我們何曾在世間見過？直到認識昭慧法師一生的行誼，才打破原本對菩薩不切實的想像。複雜的人心、複雜的因緣，形成了複雜的世間、複雜的善惡，「救苦救難」不是救一個人出離水火、盜賊那麼簡單，需要倫理的判準、需要無礙的辯才、更需要堅強的意志與無比的勇氣，才可能在反對、阻攔、毀謗中克竟其功。 而在今年的疫情中，又見識到另外一位了不起女人 -- Joan Baez，她以一個歌手的身分，從事非暴力社會運動，影響60年代美國的音樂及美國社會至深，稱之為傳奇亦不為過。粗略的研究她的生平後，除了升起無比的敬佩之心，也發現了昭慧法師與 Joan Baez 的相似。 本文將先略述 Joan Baez的生平，再從她們的相似處，勾勒出現實版人間菩薩的面貌：勇敢、無我與智慧。而本文的目的也不在比較這兩位人間菩薩，而是從其高度相似的思想根源，學習菩薩行者應該具有的思想觀念與智慧，以及超凡的人格特質中，學習如何鍛鍊自己。
The Bodhisattva thought originates in the Mahayana sutras. The acts of the Bodhisattvas in the sutras are respected, admired, and moving, but there are also doubts: Is this too surreal? Have we ever seen it in the world? It wasn't until I knew Master Chao-hwei and what she did, that the original unrealistic imagination of Bodhisattvas were put into perspective. Complicated human minds and complex causes form a complex world and good and evil are complex terms. "Saving hardship" is not as simple as saving a person out of water, fire or from thieves. It requires ethical judgment, unimpeded debate, and a strong will. Only with great courage can a Bodhisattva overcome opposition, obstruction and slander. This year, with COVID-19 bringing a challenging pandemic, I came across the history of an amazing woman, Joan Baez, who was engaged in non-violent social movements as a singer. She had a profound impact on American music and American society in the 1960s. It's not an exaggeration to call her a legend. When researching her life, in addition to my heart filling with immense admiration, I also discovered similarities between her and Master Chao-hwei. This article will first outline the life of Joan Baez, and from their similarities, outline aspects of an alive Bodhisattva: bravery, selflessness and wisdom. Beyond this comparison, the objective of the article is to convey the idea and wisdom of a bodhisattva practitioner may be improved, illustrated by the highly similar ideological roots, as well as the extraordinary personality traits of Master Chao-hwei and Joan Baez. They are two examples of ideals from which bodhisattva practitioners can learn how to improve themselves.
