Your Goodness Pays in the End
你的善良，不吃亏
文 | 苏心
The other day, my We Chat screen was fully covered with videos and comments of “Beijing Metro Fuckboy Event”.
前几天，满屏都是北京地铁渣男事件的视频和评论。
Some guys thought that fuckboy or scumbag was quite LOW; some pointed out that the onlookers were quite indifferent and some even said, “If I were at the scene, I might have given a roaring shout at the sight of injustice, But what if I got hurt? At times, the kind-hearted people are not well rewarded.”
透过那段视频，有人看到的是那个人的LOW，有人看到的是围观者的冷漠，还有人说：“如果当时自己路见不平一声吼，而被伤害了怎么办？好人有时并不得好报的。”
Today, I post my article here, just focusing on the kindness and the return of kindness.
今天，我写的这篇文章，与那件事并没有什么关联，说的只是善良，以及，善良的回报。
1
上周，我的助理在她们家的小区门口捡了四千元钱，几经周折，找到失主。当然，我今天要说的，并不只是这件事。
一周后，她接到了考研笔试通过的通知，超出分数线三十多分。
我特别为她高兴，用她的照片发了一条朋友圈：这个美丽的姑娘，几天前捡到四千元钱，还给了失主，今早，她和我兴奋地说，她考研笔试通过了。你是吉人，自有天相。你的善良，不吃亏。
下面收获了满屏的赞。可是，也有人来疑惑地和我探讨这件事：苏心姐，你说好人就有好报吗？我怎么不这么认为，如果这样，那些一直善良，却没有得到善报的好人，该怎么解释？
这件事，用几句简单的话，难以一下子说清楚。你付出了善良，或许不会马上回报，但一定会在另外的空间节点，得以弥补。
几年前，我采访过一位本地的企业家，他带我参观他的工厂。在职工宿舍楼后面，竟然发现了几只鸡和一个菜园，有一对老夫妻，悠然地坐在树下乘凉。
我不解，问那位企业家：您的公司里，怎么还有年龄这么大的员工吗？他笑笑，那是我两位长辈，他们无儿无女，老了就在我这养老了。我哦了一声，当时也没放心上。
后来，在一个场合，遇到那位企业家的一位发小，说起他的故事。
在很多年前，这位企业家的父亲，因为成分不好，失去了工作，回到老家，除了几间老房子，一无所有。每天，他家最大的问题，就是明天的早餐在哪里。终于到了山穷水尽，那位企业家的母亲硬着头皮借了好多家，都没借到一粒米。
晚上，一家人在家里发愁，想着明天去哪想办法。有人敲门，进来的一位邻居，背着一袋子米，急急忙忙放下就走了。
企业家的父母，望着那位邻居的背影，感激地对几个孩子说，如果以后你们有了出息，一定要报答人家，滴水之恩不敢忘，何况这是救命之恩。
很多年后，那位企业家成了资产数亿的成功人士，他回到家乡，打听当初给他们家送米的那位邻居下落，以报答当年的恩情。那位邻居已经老了，老两口一辈子无儿无女，生活得很艰难。企业家让人在自己公司的职工公寓，安排了一套房子，把老两口接了过来，颐养天年。
Life resembles an echo: you sow goodness to others and you will reap the same goodness some day. No matter who you are kind to, you are actually kind to yourself in the long run.
生命是一种回声，你把善良给了别人，终会从别人那收获善意。无论你对谁好，从长远来看，都是对自己好。
“Platform Sutra by Sixth Patriarch” has such a punch line, “All happiness can not go without your kindness deep in heart.”
《六祖坛经》上说：一切福田，都离不开心地。
True enough, if you sow a seed deep in your heart, it will blossom and yield fruit some day.
是的。心田上播下善良的种子，总有一天，会开花结果。
2
M, one of my friends, secretly sponsors some high school students from poverty-stricken families every year and the recipients never know who he was because he arranged others for the charitable actions.
我的朋友M，每年都会偷偷资助几个家庭困难的高考生，一直是别人替他联系，他从来不让对方知道自己是谁。
I was quite confused about it and asked him why.
我不解，问他原因。
He said, firstly, it was thus arranged to merely maintain the dignity of the supported children so that they could receive the financial support with dignity. Secondly, he wanted to take a load off their mind so that it was not necessary for them to think of how to reciprocate for his kindness some time.
他说，一是为了维护孩子们的自尊，让他们有尊严地接受帮助。二是不让他们有思想负担，想着以后报答他什么的。
I was even more confused: what are you driving at?
我更加不理解了：那你图什么？
He said: “I am happy and relieved in doing so. These years, my company has been smoothly operated and has gained the fast growth from small to big and from weak to strong. I think all these are closely related to each of my charitable ideas and my good conducts. I have done good deeds to others not to make a name for myself but to have a peaceful mind. So my good deeds are seldom known to others.
他说，快乐和安心。这些年，我的公司一直做得很顺利，有小到大，由弱到强，我觉得这一切都离不开自己的每一个善念，每一次善行。我做点好事，不是为了扬名，只是让自己更心安。所以，我做了好事很少有人知道。
Sounds good! The true kindness is to quietly do good deeds without holding high a banner of kindness; A kind-hearted man is fair and square just like a bright moon after a rainfall and tries to be scrupulously honest even without being noticed; that is to say, any good turns are offered to others without being noticed while the goodwill and kindness is conducted just like a clear stream.
是啊。真正的善良，就是行善而不扯起善良的旗帜；就是风光霁月，暗室不欺；就是积德无需人见，善意匡如清流。
The process of spreading kindness to others makes the well-doer simply delighted and happy deep in heart, so he feels that each cell of his body is surging with joys. In terms of science, the well-doer feels physically healthy, so isn’t it the best return for his kindness?
而行善的过程是满心欢喜和幸福的，心快乐了，每个细胞都会快乐，从科学角度讲，身体也会健康，这是对善良的最好回报，不是吗？
3
In ancient times, there lived a well-doer who enjoyed the meritorious rewards, surrounded by a lot of offspring. His sons and grandsons knelt down in front of his deathbed, saying with one voice, “You are dying, and would you please give us some words which will be pursued by us all along?”
古时候有一位善人，他福报很好，儿孙满堂。他在临终时，儿孙们跪在他床前说：您要离开我们了，最后留点什么话让我们终生奉行吧？
The well-doer said, “keep in mind four words: Learn how to give.”
善人说，你们只需记住四个字：学会吃亏。
The greatest concern given by this well-doer to his sons and grandsons is to let them know: Giving is a blessing. 这位善人，他对儿孙最大的关怀，就是让他们懂得：吃亏是福。
The well-doers, after all, can not suffer any loss at all.
其实，善良的人，根本不会吃亏。
Life is like a large game of chess: If you remain low-profile, you can regain power.
人生是一盘很大的棋，你在这里迂回一下，可能就在那里蓄积了力量。
As a Buddhist saying goes, a debt of gratitude can be readily repaid. Your current sufferings are caused due to every conduct and thought of yours. What you will have in the future will be closely related to your kindness and efforts now.
用佛家的话说——福报在后面。你现在所承受的，都是你起心动念所造。你将来所拥有的，都是你当下举手投足而来。
Free your mind of evil and you will sure be blessed by “the Heaven”, which actually refers to the amicable environment and people around you.
人有善念，天必佑之。这个天，就是你周围的环境和人。
When you see flowers, grass and trees smiling at you, or find you have good affinities with everything around, or find people around you are more and more attached to you, which is the echo of kindness.
当你发现一花一草一木都在对你微笑，当你发现每件事都充满顺缘，当你发现身边的人越来越喜欢你，这就是善良的回音。
Life moves in its own causal circle but it fails to satisfy the selfish greed of anyone. Cherish a clear conscience while offering good deeds to others without caring about gain or loss, and you find fragrance at your heels all the way forward.
生活自有自己的因果循环，它不满足于任何人的私心贪欲。一直善良下去，只问自心，不问得失，一路芬芳，已在你的身后跟随。
★ 中文作者：苏心。
★ 英文翻译：**Andrew Yan (阎成席)**** **资深翻译、知名英语网站专栏作家。
“本译文仅供个人研习、欣赏语言之用，谢绝任何转载及用于任何商业用途。本译文所涉法律后果均由本人承担。本人同意平台在接获有关著作权人的通知后，删除文章。”