|
我總是奇怪，懷孕時自己是素食的人，為何會生出兩個小食肉動物？婆婆說：「這是因為妳當初在懷她們時虐待了她們，所以才該在出生後補回來。」周圍的朋友說：「正因為懷孕時不肯吃肉，才導致她們的早產和先天不足，所以只有多吃肉才會讓她們變得正常。」我卻深深地自責，一向忙於工作、賺錢，把孩子丟給美國褓姆養大，不曾有機會調教她們的飲食習慣。
計劃帶她們來萬佛城讀書，最大的障礙竟是因為知道這裏的孩子都吃素！所有的親朋好友，包括先生在內一致反對。再三商量與妥協，終於答應他們每周至少帶孩子去外面的餐館吃二、三頓。先生仍是不放心，追問道：「除了那二、三頓，平日呢？若還是跟在家裏一樣，凡是你親手做的中國菜，尤其是綠色的，堅決一點不沾，怎麼辦？」這下觸痛了心底的自尊，這兩個小ㄚ頭無論你如何威脅利誘，軟硬兼施，不吃就是不吃，一點面子也不給。我不禁有點惱了，聳了聳肩：「放心，餓死之前總會吃的。」
果不其然，住進萬佛城後，結結實實地餓了二、三天，兩個倔強的孩子開始接受麵包加黃油、米飯拌醬油了，但絕對不碰一點兒青菜、豆腐。只好去外面買些奶酪、水果外加維生素，每天連哄帶騙地逼她們吃。據說萬佛城的護法很靈的，就算再借我幾個膽子，還是不敢把肉帶進城的。城裏的老師、廚房的法師個個都著了急，比我這個當媽媽的有過之而無不及。唉，怎麼辦？涼拌！我在心中苦笑，只好去求觀世音菩薩：菩薩啊，都說車到山前必有路，我如今已走到了萬佛城中的妙覺山下，以後的路怎麼走，您看著辦吧！
第三個星期的某個傍晚，和孩子一起作功課，她們正在學英文字母S，課本上有不少以S開頭的圖畫，star(星星)、 sand(沙子)、snow(雪)…，緣緣忽然指著其中的一幅說：「媽媽，書上這個畫錯了，這是小豬豬，pig，不是S開頭的！」我看了看之後，十分肯定地說：「書上沒有錯，這個字是S開頭的！」「為什麼？媽咪！」「因為這裏該填shake(發抖)，妳沒看到這隻小豬豬被放進烤箱裏了嗎？牠馬上就要被燒死了，好怕喲！」「但是，小豬豬好可愛，壞蛋為什麼要殺牠呢？」我馬上回答：「那要問問妳自己啊！妳不是最愛吃 ham(火腿)肉肉嗎？不把小豬豬放進烤箱裏燒死，妳哪有ham可以吃呢？」她一下子愣住了，不一會兒，眼睛裏蓄滿了淚，然後終於哇地一聲哭了出來：「媽咪，緣緣以後再也不要吃ham肉肉了！」我並不想就此放過她，馬上又追問一句：「那雞肉呢？緣緣還愛吃炸雞塊，那也是把小雞放進烤箱裏做出來的！」她一聽，馬上搖頭：「緣緣不吃，緣緣以後再也不要吃肉肉了！」
聽了這話，心裏雖然高興，卻並未把一個五歲孩子的話當真。畢竟，她們是眾所周知的兩個小食肉動物。帶她們來萬佛城，最大的奢望是她們從今以後肯賞臉吃一點我做的青菜而已。過了三天，照常帶她們去麥當勞，不動聲色地，我問：「緣緣，今天要吃炸雞塊還是漢堡包？」不料她竟是一臉地不相信：「媽咪，妳這麼快就忘了嗎？緣緣不要吃肉肉了，我今天就吃炸薯條和可樂！」我見果果幾天來從始至終未發表過什麼意見，想必是不肯吃素的，就問：「那果果呢？炸雞塊還是漢堡包？」不料果果竟也是一臉的堅決：「我跟姐姐一樣，我也要當一個vegetarian(素食者)。」看著她們津津有味地吃著薯條，堅拒著周圍的誘惑，心中的感動真是難以言述。觀世音菩薩啊，您真的是千處祈求千處應，廣大靈感不思議！連這麼小小的請求，您都會讓我如願！
一個星期後，帶她們去聖荷西見她們的奶奶。不料奶奶一聽她們開始吃素了，不僅將我痛斥一番，更一手一個，抱著她的兩個心愛的小孫女，左一句受苦了，右一句小可憐。飯桌上，硬是做出了滿盤滿碗的肉，一定要她們吃。兩個小孩，看著桌上熱氣騰騰、香氣四溢的肉，猶豫了，看看我，我不敢說話，也不敢看她們。畢竟還是孩子，終於還是吃了，一嚐之下，竟是欲罷不能，一下子吃了很多。奶奶高興了，「吃吧，吃吧，再多吃點，瞧把孩子委屈成什麼樣了！」話才說完，不料這時兩個孩子神色一變，相繼大吐特吐起來，這一下，奶奶更心疼了，手忙腳亂地幫著收拾，邊忙邊說：「好了，好了，別吐了，奶奶以後再也不逼妳們吃肉了。算了算了，妳們愛吃什麼就吃什麼罷！」
當晚，兩個孩子睡在我身邊，緣緣忽然開口問：「媽咪，觀世音菩薩是不是生緣緣的氣了？」「是啊，妳自己答應菩薩以後不吃肉了，怎麼又反悔？」兩個雙胞胎又是異口同聲：「媽咪，我們以後真的再也不吃肉肉了！」聽了這話，真讓我心花朵朵開，廣大靈感的觀世音菩薩啊！您所創造的奇蹟，大大地超過了我當初的最大奢望，您居然連我婆婆都一併搞定了。
待續
|
|
It’s fairly strange that two children who were vegetarian in the mother’s womb turned out to be meat eaters after birth. My mother-in-law said, “It’s because you abused them while you were pregnant, so you have to pay them back after they were born.” My friends said, “Their mother’s refusal to eat meat during pregnancy caused them to be born prematurely and underdeveloped. Eating meat is the only way they can become normal.” Since the children were cared for by American babysitters, I deeply blame myself for devoting my time to making a living instead of teaching my children good dietary habits.
The biggest obstacle for bringing the children to study at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas was that the diet here was vegetarian. Everyone including my husband opposed the idea. I conferred and compromised again and again. They finally agreed with the following condition: the children must eat meat at least two or three times a week at restaurants outside of the City. Despite this arrangement, my husband still asked, “Besides those two or three meals, how are you going to handle it? If they act like they do at home and refuse to touch anything green, what are you going to do?” My self-esteem was hurt deep down, for these two little ones would not eat anything no matter how I threatened them with punishment or enticed them with rewards. They didn’t give in for the sake of my self-dignity, and I was frustrated. Shrugging my shoulders, I thought they would eventually eat before they starved to death.
As I had expected, they starved for two or three days after moving into the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Then the two stubborn children started accepting bread with butter and rice with soy sauce. Nonetheless, they adamantly refused to eat vegetables and tofu. I compromised by buying cheese, fruits and vitamins as daily supplements and coaxed them to eat their meals. I had heard that the Dharma-protecting spirits are very efficacious and definitely did not dare to bring meat into the temple. At this time, the teachers and kitchen staff began to panic. They were more concerned about my children than I was. What was I to do? Nothing, I supposed. I could only force a smile. I spoke to Guanshiyin Bodhisattva accusingly, “Bodhisattva, people say when you reach a mountain, there’s always a road. I have now reached the foothills of Wonderful Enlightenment Mountain at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Now, it’s up to you what you want me to do.”
One evening during the third week we were here, I was helping the kids with their homework. They were learning vocabulary words starting with the letter S. There were quite a few pictures for words starting with S, such as stars, sand, snow, and so forth. Pointing to one of the pictures, my daughter Yuan-Yuan suddenly said, “Mommy, this is the wrong picture. The picture shows a pig, which does not start with S.”
I took a look at the picture and said with an affirmative tone, “The book is right. This word does begin with S.”
“Why, Mommy?”
“You should fill in the blank with the word, ‘shake’. Don’t you see that the pig is being placed in an oven. It will soon be burned. Don’t you think it’s scared?”
“But the piglet is so cute. Why do bad guys have to kill them?”
I answered right away, “Well, you have to ask yourself. Isn’t ham your favorite food? If we don’t put pigs in the oven, where does the ham come from?” She was shocked by my words. Soon her eyes filled with tears and she burst out crying, “Mommy, I will never eat ham again!” I did not let her off the hook so easily and followed with such questions as: “What about chicken? You still love fried chicken, which is also prepared by putting chicks in the oven.” As soon as she heard that, she shook her head and replied, “I will not eat chicken, either. I will not eat meat anymore!” Hearing this, I was delighted although I did not take the words of a five-year old seriously. Coming to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the highest expectation I had for them was that they eat some of the vegetables I cooked. After all, everyone knew those two were little cannibals.
Three days later, as part of our routine, I took them to McDonald’s. Without saying much, I asked, “Yuan-Yuan, do you want chicken nuggets or a hamburger today?” To my surprise, she said with disbelief, “Mommy, how can you forget so quickly? I don’t want to eat meat anymore. I am getting French fries and Coke today!” I saw that my other daughter, Guo-Guo, had not voiced any opinion for the past few days. I was sure she would not be willing to become a vegetarian. I asked her, “How about Guo-Guo? Chicken nuggets or a hamburger?” Again, unexpectedly, she said firmly, “I want to be a vegetarian like my sister.” Seeing them eating with great relish and firmly fighting the temptation around them, I felt moved beyond words. Guanyin Bodhisattva, you indeed answer a thousand prayers in a thousand hearts. Your responses are vast, great, and inconceivable. You fulfilled even my little tiny wish!
A week later, I took my daughters to visit their grandmother in San Jose. When the grandmother heard that her little grandchildren had become vegetarians, not only did she scold me harshly, she hugged her dear granddaughters close and sympathized with them. At the dinner table, she impulsively served us dish after dish of meat. The two kids, seeing the delicious, steaming dishes of meat, looked at me with hesitation. I did not dare to make eye contact with them or say anything. They were kids after all. They tasted the meat and could not resist. They gobbled it down quickly. With a happy face, the grandmother said, “Go ahead, go ahead. Eat more. See, how you have made the children suffer.” Right at that moment, the two girls started vomiting madly. Seeing this scene, the grandmother felt even sorrier for the children. She cleaned up after them in a flurry and said quickly, “Alright! Alright! Don’t vomit anymore. I will no longer force you to eat meat. Just forget it. You can eat what you please.”
That night, the kids slept with me on the same bed. Yuan-Yuan suddenly asked me, “Mommy, is Guanyin Bodhisattva mad at me?” “Yes, you promised her that you would not eat meat anymore. Why did you regret and break your promise?” The twins replied in unison, “Mommy, we really will not eat meat anymore!” Upon hearing these words, I was delighted. Homage to Guanyin Bodhisattva of Vast, Great Efficacious Responses! The miracle you created surpassed my original expectation. This time, you even took care of my mother-in-law for me.
To be continued
|
