曼谷街道引起的思考【漫步心灵之路】

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华灯初上，车流不息——当你看着河流上的那座桥时，你看到了什么呢？仅仅是一座有车驶过、有灯亮起的桥吗？

还是你看见了一座很大的建筑上人来人往，人们以各自的节奏匆匆前行，奔向各自的目的地？人们全都享受着他人奇迹般创造出的复杂工程所带来的便利——桥梁、电力系统、交通工具。抑或是你是否只是把这视为一条可以自由过河的通道？

如果人类不去创造发明，那么他们将会浑身湿透地过河——这是一件很危险的事。实际上，要是从来没有人提出“桥”这个概念的话，你甚至可能都没有过河的想法。如果那里没有一座桥，你也就只能看见一条河。

这个世界有太多神奇的事物，我们得不知疲倦地去领略它们的魅力。这个多层次的世界值得我们永远层层向内探索。当你看见桥的时候如果你只是看见一座桥，这说明你并没有认真地去看它。如果一条河流你永远只看见它本身，那你甚至不清楚河流到底是什么。

我想让你看看你面前的街道。

这条街上所有的人，没有一个主动选择存在于这个世界上。他们知道生命的浮层下隐藏着一个令人痛苦的真相，一个基本的事实，但是他们仍然坚守于此，无畏无惧，承受着生命之重。

人生在世，总要找一些事情去做。一个人始终都得做点转移注意力的事，才不会被无所事事的痛苦与暗藏消极的想法消磨掉意志。倘若你看一看身边的人，你会发现人们急于充实他们的思想、忙着四处奔波来避免自己被内心深处虚无的存在主义的深渊所吞噬。看见那个人了吗？他虽然步履匆匆，但其实并不知道自己究竟要去哪。他只是暂时知道这会儿可能是要回家休息，而且他明天依然会重复这个过程。但这并不意味着他知道自己最终要去往何方。

有没有注意到那些正在聊天的人？他们忙着交谈，让新闻趣事把他们带去另一个地方，这样自己便可以暂时逃离眼下生存的困境。人与人的交流让原有的思想变得有序起来，把毫无意义的对话变成一件让人分心并能迅速填补空虚感的事。这种聪明的把戏在一个极其简单的世界里比比皆是。

这会儿他们坐在桌边喝着东西，从现实中逃离。每个人都在寻找宁静卸去盔甲，因此才有人营造出这样轻松的氛围，以使同样受困于生活的芸芸众生能暂时摘下冰冷的面具。坐在这里喝水的时候，他们沉浸在一些既实用又治愈的交流中。人们依赖环境与话语，来增加自己在现实中的存在感，并期待拥有对未来有益的收获。为了生存，他们让自己终日繁忙，永远处于辛苦工作的状态里。

但如果生命和人本身都是虚无的，那为什么他们依然要去充实一切？如果存在即虚无，虚无本身就是虚无，那就没有什么事值得反抗了。

但想到这里，一瞬间所有的事情都简单起来以至于你会怜悯微不足道的人类。看上去，对于人们而言，复杂是简单的解药，就像充实是空虚的解药。这意味着简单和空虚对于一般人来说并无好处。

　　

昼夜之间街上的人，不论高矮胖瘦，男女老少，全都和谐相处，尽管他们来自不同的地方——我们很难发现谁曾犯过罪或者互相伤害过。一条流浪狗也沉浸在这个场景中，吐着舌头，对周围的一切浑然不觉，它自己也很忙。

周围的人从不停下步伐。精心策划生活的大事件，抑或不经意的探寻生活中的小点滴，这都是人们尽力生活的表现。他们的手里拿满了一整天努力得来的东西——人们当然很擅长收集东西。人们手里和兜里都是满的——你能找到一个两手空空的人吗？每个人都很好地抓着自己的东西，正如那些目不转睛地盯着烤架上滋滋作响的肉的猫，它们是不会轻易放弃自己的东西的。

人们可以和陌生人坐在一起吃饭，而不用担心被那些想要偷他们食物的流氓撕碎。在一个信任并不常见的世界里，这个举动令人印象深刻。人类是一个文明的群体，完全不同于那些每晚聚集在阴暗巷弄里的野猫。相比之下，人们保有更高层次的温和与节制，尽管他们内心深处永远进行着激烈的心理斗争。

令人钦佩的是，人们似乎知道怎样在没有具体认识自我的情况下自我管理。每天早上起床后他们试图让生活井井有条，尽管他们并不理解生活。我觉得这真的很奇怪。既然连水都不知道是什么，又为什么要划船呢？我们是该把这看成是勇敢呢还是愚蠢呢？这是很幼稚和令人迷惑的行为。不过无论如何我都想说这还是相当可爱的……

树上挂满了色彩斑斓的灯笼——我们当中的一个人手中杰出的艺术品，那个爬上树枝把它们挂在那儿的人对此也做了点贡献。不过这是一件很有趣的事——有这么多地方为什么偏要把灯笼挂在树上呢？

对我们来说，这些闪烁着光芒的东西会让我们想起星空。我们之所以喜欢星辰和它所代表的一切，是因为它们有着触不可及的美，并且代表着希望。星辰是浩瀚夜空中动人的存在。但对我们而言，这并不够。因为贪婪，我们甚至想要伸手可摘星辰。所以街边的流浪狗至今无法理解为什么这些贪婪的两条腿动物不会偷走烧烤架一旁越堆越多的鱼和虾。贪婪和自律在人的身上同时显现……猫也不明白究竟什么导致了人类如此明显的矛盾。

显然，在制作灯笼的过程中，灯笼的发明者完全沉寂在一些神秘的东西中。全身心地投入到某件事的“构建与“改进”中能让一个人很容易逃到一个简单快乐的乌托邦中。一个人把注意力从自己身上和现实生活以及可能的灾难中移开，让他们的头脑和灵魂有片刻时间适当地互相接洽——如同神奇而又超脱尘俗的力量整合了我们体内的一切东西，让它们连成一条线。尽管我们不能完全理解那让人上瘾、安心的感觉，但我们却热情地去尝试获得，尝试紧紧抓住它们。我们都在四处找寻这珍贵的、具有救世主般功能的珍贵金属，希望能用它建造更多的东西。我们知道它确确实实地存在，但是它们存在于哪里呢？也许深藏在爱、热情和美之中，又或许只是深藏在有意义的专注之中。做灯笼的人在那里找到了它，不然灯笼就不会存在了。

但这其实还没能解释灯笼为什么挂在树上。如你所见，它们被有意、小心地挂在那里。挂灯笼的人知道他在做什么，同时他也是一个欺骗者——只要灯笼点亮了夜空，它们就会让人们短暂地脱离当下沮丧的存在，吸引人们把注意力放在明亮的灯笼旁边，而不是沉浸在其他幽深黑暗的地方。“黑暗的深渊”通常仅仅是一个简单的警示，一个无处不在的生存工具，提醒我们世界不是一个令人满意的地方，不过只需要一些简单细碎的美好就可以战胜我们心中蛇行缠绕的贪婪。挂灯笼的人深谙此道，所以他让你瞬间遗忘现实。美本身就可以转移注意力，暗示观赏的人他们很好地活在当下，从而感到安心——这就是为什么人们追求美。美好的事抚平灵魂，驱赶内心的毒蛇，这也是同样为什么人们创造美。美是一种礼物，于此就是来自灯笼发明者和悬挂者的礼物。人们其实挺善良的不是吗？通常来讲，十分慷慨——因为这两个词本是同根。

环顾四周，美遍及每一个角落。只要用心，你会发现所有的事情都暗含美感，至少它们背后都有些动人的故事。

记得要学会透过现象看见本质。穿过这座桥，去看见壮丽的风景；透过人群，看见人性；审视自我，看见现实。从当下跳脱出来，到世界到远方去，然后再回头看，你就会理解你的处境。复杂是毒蛇的巢穴，而简化一切毒蛇就会溜走。

后记：

所以，不知你有没有发现，其实生活和世界都很简单。人们也是简单的生物——除非你不是人。但人们被过多地卷入复杂的思维和活动中了，不知不觉地就在思绪万千中迷失自我，让思维变得狭隘。所以我们才要去旅行。

旅行给我们了一些时间去打破思维定式、改变一成不变的行为，让我们对自己的境遇有更清晰的认识。当局者迷，旁观者清，如果要认清一些东西我们就需要稍微脱离它一会儿，就好像我们觉得星星璀璨美好是因为我们并不生活在上面。

我们在酷热的盛夏里怀念冬天大飞雪满地，没过几个月又在冻得发抖的寒冬想念夏天青葱的草地——只有我们和一些事情保持了距离，才会感受到那些习以为常最终被我们忽视的美。旅行给了我们机会重整生活与思想，有意地去往崭新的地方放松一下，能让我们理解自己的实际情况，到底是什么让我们潜意识里心事重重、这些事情是不是真正对我们和生活有益。

旅行让我们有机会从外审视自己，更多地去解自己是谁、正在做什么，未来又要去哪——这些问题我们始终都无法找到一个确定的答案，但依旧值得我们通过不断地探索尝试让答案渐渐清晰。时至今日，我也不知道是否有一种比拾起行囊走向未知更好的办法，能让我们在世界中多了解自己。构建人生的秩序，重寻生命的意义，是一个人能从中得到最好的治愈。

走在异国他乡的街道，能让我们更好地走进内心。

(写于曼谷的 Banglamphoo区 和湄南河的街道上。)

中文翻译：宋元明清，经常和我们一起背包旅行的大学生，关注 TheKeyLand 为了看到她更多的写作和文章。

　　

              — Original English Version —

Story – Wandering the Streets of the Mind

When you look at that bridge over the river, elegantly lit up at night; a stream of cars and busses trundling across, what do you see? Solely a bridge with cars and lights on top?

Or do you see a great structure teeming with the movement of human beings? All in rhythm with one another, all going somewhere. All reaping the benefits of miraculous creations of other human beings - the complex engineering feats of bridges, electricity and vehicles. Do you see the subsequent free passage to cross the river as you please?

If humans did not invent, then traversing a river would be a wet and risky task. In fact, if the idea of bridges was never conceived, then you probably would have no good reason to even consider crossing to the other side at all. If there was no bridge, then you would only see a river.

The world is laden with amazing things. You should never get tired of looking at them. Just as it is a world of many layers. And you should never get tired of looking beneath them. If you look at a bridge and all you see is a bridge, then you are not looking properly. If you look at river and only see a river, then you do not even know what a river is.

                                 •

I want you to observe a few things around you:

All of these people, none of them chose to exist. They know that right beneath the surface layers lies a painful truth; the fundamental truth, but they are still here bearing the burden of life. And, so, they are brave.

And while these people exist, they need things to do. One always needs things to catch his attention, so as not to be obliterated by the misery of idleness and thoughts of negative potentialities. Look at them all occupying their minds. Look at them moving around ed on relieving themselves from the empty abyss within. That one is hurrying, but he doesn’t know where he’s going. He knows where he is momentarily going, maybe home to rest, so that he can repeat the process again tomorrow. But that doesn’t mean he knows where he’s going.

Look at those ones chatting together over there. Engaged in the exchange of words so that the dilemma of existence is temporarily suspended; the new, intriguing information taking them to other places. The exchange allowing old thoughts to be ordered, the verbiage being a distraction to rush in and momentarily fill the void. Smart little tricks abound for navigating an impossibly simple world.

See them sitting at the tables having their drinks; distracted from the present, while in the present. Their rigid defence shields briefly lowered by a cheery atmosphere; the décor having been carefully laid out by another being of the same characteristics. While seated and being rehydrated, these ones are indulging in something of both technical and medicinal value – the exchange of ideas. They are relying on environment and discourse to not only enrich their existence in the coming moments, but are also anticipating that the gains will be beneficial in the future. In order to survive, they keep themselves very, very busy, toiling away, toiling after and toiling for.

But if life itself is empty, and people themselves too, are empty beings, then why do they aim to fill everything? If existence is emptiness, and emptiness itself is empty, then there should be nothing to defend against.

But, on that very thought, suddenly everything seems so simple that it makes you feel a sense of pity and meaninglessness for the poor little human beings. It seems that for humans, complexity is the antidote to simplicity, just as fulfilment is to emptiness. That is to imply that simplicity and emptiness seem to be poisonous for the average human being…

                                •

All these people around, on the streets, night and day. Tall ones, short ones. Big ones, small ones. Ones we call men and others we call women. All existing harmoniously in the street together, despite coming from different places – it is quite hard to spot them committing misdemeanours or doing wrong to each other. A stray dog happily takes part in the show with its tongue hanging out, even more oblivious to all the goings-on. It keeping itself well occupied too. 

Watch everyone shuffling around; they do not stop. A constant flow of intentional movement, orchestrated happenings, distractive inquiry and inquest. Their hands always full of stuff; all that they have collected from throughout the day. People sure are good at finding things. All of the people have things in their hands and pockets – can you see even one that isn’t clutching something? They hold on to their stuff well too. Eying the meat sizzling on the barbecue, the cat agrees that they do not give up their stuff easily.

They can even sit down to eat and drink together amongst strangers without the fear of getting ripped to shreds by some rogue people that want to steal their meals. This is an impressive act of trust in a world not well-known for such occurrences. Humans are a civilised gang. Can’t be said for the feral bunch of tom cats out the back of the building when they get together each night. Humans, by contrast, manage to maintain great levels softness and restraint, despite the eternal battles raging in the depths within them.

Rather admirably, they also seem to know how manage themselves without knowing what those selves really embody. Every morning, they come out from under their blankets and try to manage their lives while not understanding what life even is. That is very odd, if you ask me. Why would you try rowing a boat if you did not even know what water was? Shall we say they are brave, or say that they are stupid? It is very naïve and confusing . I would say it is rather cute, though anyhow...

                                •

Look up at the trees that are full of colorful lanterns - a praiseworthy bit of artistry by the one of us that made them. Another good bit of work by the one that climbed the branches to hang them there. Funny thing to do though - why, of all places, would you put such things in a tree? 

To us people, some sparkles up there remind us of the stars and we like stars because they are both beautiful and unattainable and we like everything they represent. They represent hope. Stars are something nice in the middle of vast nothingness. But, for us, that is not enough. We need stars that we can get our hands on too, because we are a greedy bunch. The stray dogs on the street side agree; they still do not quite comprehend why not even one two-legged rascal is yet to run off with the ever-growing stack of fish and shrimps accumulating on the sides of the barbecues. Greed and self-discipline on display at the same time… Even the cats have no idea what to make of us and our overt inconsistencies….

Surely, the inventor of the lanterns was wholly absorbed in something mystical while he was making them. One easily escapes into a simple blissful state while being fully engrossed in the ‘construction’ or ‘improvement’ of something. The ing of one’s attention away from himself and life’s perceived realities and potential catastrophes, allows the mind and soul a moment to properly engage with each other - as if a magical otherworldly energy is integrating everything within us, pulling it all into line. It is that addictive, reassured feeling that none of us really understands, but passionately tries to attain and hold onto. We are all moving around in search of this precious metal, this rare-earth mineral, with saviour-like properties, hoping to build even more with it. We know it exists; it is truly alive. But where does it dwell? Maybe, only deep inside of love, passion and beauty. Or maybe only within the depths of meaningful concentration. The lantern maker would have found it there. If he did not, then the lanterns would not exist.

　　But that doesn’t answer, though, why the lanterns found themselves dangling in a tree. As you can see, they were intentionally and carefully placed up there. The hanger knew what he was doing; he too, being a fellow deceivable human being. As long as the lights are illuminated in the night sky, they will momentarily distract people from the underlying dismay of existence. It is better for the people to have their attentions hanging up there alongside the bright lanterns, rather than wallowing in the dark depths somewhere else. 'The dark depths' usually being nothing but a mere a simple  state, that ever-present survival tool, that reminds us that the world is a less than satisfactory place. But that snake we raise in our souls can be outdone by simple acts of beauty. The hanger knew that. He moved you from fear to forgetfulness within a striking second. Beauty itself is a distraction that implies to the looker that he is surviving the moment quite well - and that is why people seek it; they want to be reassured by it. Beauty calms the soul and quells the snake. And equally so, that is why people create it. Beauty is a gift and, in this case, a gift from the inventor and the hanger. People are rather kind, don’t you think? Generally quite generous – hence the two words being from the same root. 

Look around. Beauty is everywhere. Look closer, and you will see that everything has beauty in it. Or at least there must be some in the story behind it.

And remember to look properly at everything. Look past the bridge and you will see magnificence. Look past the people and you will see humanity. Look past yourself and you will see reality. Step out, go afar, then turn around and look back from the outside and you will understand your situation. Complexity is the snake’s nest; simplify it and the snake will slither away.

                                 •

Following note:

So, life and the world are simple concepts, don’t you see? And people are simple creatures too – if you aren’t one. But people get overly involved in their thoughts and activities, and then unknowingly allow their minds to stray and retract. That is why travel is good for us.

Travel gives us some time to break away from our conventional thoughts and actions, allowing for some more clear-minded reflection on our situation. To understand something, we have to have time to be disconnected from it, just as we know stars to be beautiful, but only because we do not live on them.

We can decipher how beautiful a field of powder-white snow is while we suffer in the harsh summer’s months, then a few months later begin to ponder our admiration for summer’s green pastures while we shiver in the winter chill. Travel gives us an opportunity to order our lives and our thoughts. Exposure to different environments allows us to consciously reel ourselves in a bit, while we determine what our situation actually is, what is subconsciously keeping us preoccupied and whether any of it is really of benefit to us and to life itself.

Travel gives you a chance to see yourself from the outside; to know a little more about what you are, what you are doing and where you are going. These are questions with answers that none of us are entirely certain of, but it is still worth attempting to find a little more clarity through exploration. At present, I still do not know of any better way to learn more about yourself in accordance with the world than to throw on a backpack and walk off into the unknown. To order and make sense of that, is the best therapy one can get.

Walking the streets of another land helps us to walk the streets of the mind.

(Written from the streets of Bangkok’s Banglamphoo District and the Chao Phraya River.)