The Invitation～Oriah Mountain Dreamer來自印地安長老的ㄧ段話

一篇朋友傳來的詩，是生命的課題，直指人心，要細品。

來自印第安長老的禮物：

你靠什麼謀生，我不感興趣。
我想知道你渴望什麼？
你是不是敢夢想你心中的渴望。

你幾歲，我不感興趣。
我想知道你是不是願意冒看起來像傻瓜的危險，
為了愛，為了你的夢想，為了生命的奇遇。

什麼星球跟你的月亮平行，我不感興趣。
我想知道你是不是觸摸到你憂傷的核心，
你是不是被生命的背叛開敞了心胸，
或是變得枯萎，因為怕更多的傷痛。

我想知道你是不是能跟痛苦共處，不管是你的或是我的，
而不想去隱藏它、消除它、整修它。

我想知道你是不是能跟喜悅共處，不管是你的或是我的，
你是不是能跟狂野共舞，讓激情充滿了你的指尖到趾間，
而不是警告我們要小心，要實際，要記得做為人的侷限。

你跟我說的故事是否真實，我不感興趣。
我想要知道你是否能夠為了對自己真誠而讓別人失望，
你是不是能忍受背叛的指控，而不背叛自己的靈魂。
我想要知道你是不是能夠忠實而足以信賴。

我想要知道你是不是能看到美，雖然不是每天都美麗，
你是不是能從生命的所在找到你的源頭，
我也想要知道你是不是能跟失敗共存，
不管是你的還是我的，而還能站在湖岸，對著滿月的銀光吶喊
「是啊！」

你在哪裡學習？學什麼？跟誰學？我不感興趣。
我想要知道，當所有的一切都消逝時，是什麼在你的內心支撐著你。

我想要知道你是不是能跟你自己單獨相處，
你是不是真的喜歡做自己的伴侶，在虛空的時刻裡...

THE INVITATION - by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare
to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love,
for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon.
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow,
if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled
and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own,
without moving to hide or fade it or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine your own:
if you can dance with the wildness and let the ecstasy
fill you to the finger and toes without cautioning us
to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true.
I want to know if you can disappoint others to be true to yourself:
if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul.

I want to know if you can be faithful and therefore be trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see the beauty even when it is not pretty every day,
and if you can source your life from Its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine,
and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of
the full moon, "Yes!"

It doesn't interest me to know where you live,
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair,
weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.

It doesn't interest me who you are,
or how you came to be here,
I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself,
and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.