延參法師走紅:這個和尚有點萌

Most of us would hardly relate the word “Cute” to the image of a Buddhist monk. But Yancan has the guts to tell people that he is just that. The name of his new book This Monk Is a Bit Cute gives you some idea.

大多數人很難將“萌”這個詞同僧人的形象聯繫到一起。但是，延參法師卻有勇氣向世人宣告“這個和尚有點萌”，從他新書的名字——《這個和尚有點萌》上來看，我們便可略知一二。

Yancan, the abbot of Panlong Temple in Handan, Hebei, first rose to online prominence in late June, when a video of him being harassed by monkeys near E’Mei Mountain was uploaded to the Internet. He drew a large following on his Sina Weibo, with his posts being forwarded thousands of times.

延參法師是河北邯鄲蟠龍寺的主持，今年六月底，他因一段“峨眉山猴子戲弄法師”的視頻而一躍成爲網絡紅人。延參法師在新浪微博擁有衆多粉絲，他的微博轉發量達上千次之多。

For over 20 years, the Zen monk has passed on his knowledge through sermons and lectures. But the power of the Internet has given Yancan a new means through which to spread his wisdom.

二十多年以來，延參法師一直通過佈道和講座來傳授知識，而網絡的力量讓他找到了一個傳播智慧的新途徑。

“I’ve published four books before, but I found that today’s young people are not interested in reading the great truth. They like to learn and read in a fast and simple way,” Yancan said during his book tour in Shenzhen on Nov 3.

11月3日，延參法師在深圳籤售新書時表示：“我之前出過四本書，但是我發現現在的年輕人都不太愛看大道理，他們喜歡便捷的學習閱讀方式。”

“So I thought, why don’t I write something that can be finished in, like, 30 minutes and make people happy and learn at the same time?”

“於是，我就想，我爲什麼不寫點兒好比半個小時內就能看完、寓教於樂的東西呢？”

The book, which is a record of interesting conversations Yancan had with his young disciples, is very much like the posts on his Sina Weibo account–humorous, light-hearted and often reflecting a Buddhist interpretation of common life issues, ranging from the pains of growing up, to dealing with the national college entrance exams.

該書記錄了延參法師和徒弟們在現實生活中的幽默對話，像極了他的微博風格——輕鬆幽默，卻常常會在日常生活中傳達出佛教哲理；他的微博內容十分廣泛，涉及從成長的煩惱到如何應對高考。

“Life inspires me, and then I write what comes to my mind,” the monk said.

延參法師說：“生活賦予我靈感，我想到什麼就會寫下來。”

While Yancan’s positive approach and humorous demeanor have charmed the public, he has also been criticized. Among the complaints is the notion that Buddhist monks should not be heavily involved in the secular world.

儘管延參法師本人積極的心態和幽默的舉止深受大衆喜愛，但同時也不乏批評的聲音。有人指責道，佛教中人不應過多地捲入世俗活動中。

“I only hope to shore up positive energy on the Web, where people vent too much anger and frustration,” Yancan said. “Isn’t it a good thing? Everybody laughs and no one gets hurt.”

延參法師說：“現在人們常常會上網泄憤、吐槽，我只是想傳播正能量。這樣不好嗎？人們開懷大笑，沒人會損失什麼。”

“I am duty-bound to propagate Buddhism. I don’t reject the Internet or TV, because the new age needs us to change.”

“我有義務傳播佛教，我不會排斥網絡或電視這些媒介，因爲我們也需要與時俱進做出相應改變。”

Yancan also encourages people to change their view of Buddism, because “cuteness is part of the Buddhist culture”.

延參法師同時鼓勵人們換一個視角看佛教，因爲“萌也是佛教文化的一部分。”

“Buddhism advocates a life attitude that’s optimistic, philosophic and cute,” Yancan said. “Monks provide the spiritual support for people, so we must have a cute spirit ourselves.”

延參法師說：“佛教推崇一種積極、賢明、賣萌的人生態度，僧人爲世人提供精神支持，因此我們自己得有賣萌的精神。”