报刊选读 Towards greater spiritual wealth

　　There is no doubt that human relationships are much cooler in our metropolis today as compared with the days of the kampung, probably as a result of people's mind being increasingly focused on money and personal gains. Contrary to many urbanites' profession that money is not their top priority, the “money first” mindset makes itself felt in their words and deeds all the time.

　　We hear these sayings repeatedly： “Money is not everything, but without it you can do nothing”； “money makes the mare go”； “money keeps buddies together”, and “no money, no family”。 This sounds like a terrible world indeed！

　　While many are becoming preoccupied with “I”, “me”, and“mine”, words for our fellow humans are disappearing from their vocabulary. The love once cherished in the heart of many has been chilled in this cold world, and warm-hearted persons are a rare species now.

　　Let's imagine a family that is sustained by nothing but money. Predictably, its members cannot be of one heart in dealing with life's adversities. Such a family resembles a house built on sand, likely to collapse any moment. By contrast, a family welded together by love will endure a storm just like a structure firmly based on a solid rock.

　　Life abounds in examples. Stories in the press about lawsuits between family members over disputed properties are not news anymore. In our forefathers' time, however, family members helped and cared about one another although most people lived in poverty and hardship. They left their native countries for faraway Singapore because they wanted to earn a better living for their families back home by toiling alone in this strange land.

　　What prompted them to make such a sacrifice, one may ask？ Rather than the pressure from the circumstances at home then, as many would suggest, our ancestors did what they did out of love for their families and concern about their homeland. Many men and women today, with all their higher education, lack this spirit and can hardly acquire it.

　　People can live in harmony with one another only when they regain that simple and basic love, which alone will bless them with the endearing closeness of family life that can be found even in a small house, rather than a stately mansion complete with limousines. Then, even though you were to lose all you have overnight, you would be sure of heartening support from bona fide friends.

　　Such love will not be found until people give serious thoughts to the meaning of life. I wish that everybody would find such an affection. Then a gracious society would become a reality for Singapore. May our lost spiritual wealth be recovered soon. Translated by Allen Zhuang

　　建设更美好的精神生活

　　在国家昂然步入建国34周年之际,我们的的确确看到人民现在的物质生活比独立前富裕得多了,但精神生活却似乎相对的变得比以前贫乏。

　　在新加坡这个大都会里,人与人之间的关系无疑比在乡村时代冷淡多了。这或许与人们开始注重“钱”途和个人利益有关。虽然很多都市人都异口同声的赞同钱不是最重要的东西,但在他们日常生活中却无时无刻的表现出以钱为首的心态。

　　这些话都是我们常听到的：“钱不是万能,但没钱却是万万不能”

　　：“有钱能使鬼推磨”：“有钱就有朋友,没钱什么都没了”：“有钱家就和谐,没钱家就破裂”……这是一个多么可怕的情景。

　　人处处在想的就是“我、我、我”,“你”和“他”已经在很多人的人生字典里逐渐的消失了。许多人心里所原有的爱已经在这冷酷的世界冻结了。要找到有像热浪般爱心的人已经不多了。

　　试想如果一个家庭只靠钱来维持关系,这家庭必定不能一同面对生活中的困难。这家庭有如一栋以沙为根基的房子,随时会倒塌。如果一个家庭是以爱为中心,这家就像建立在坚固的磐石上,风吹雨打都不会倒。

　　其实,我们在现实生活中已经看到许多的例子了。报章上为了争夺家产而闹上法庭的报道已不是什么大新闻了。我们的祖先那个时代多数是属于贫穷的大家庭。那时,他们的生活非常的辛苦,但却能彼此帮助,彼此照顾。为了让家人能有更好的生活,离乡背井来到新加坡工作赚钱。

　　他们为什么能作这么多的牺牲呢？或许许多人会说当时的情况迫使他们必须离开家乡,但更重要的动力是因为他们爱自己的家人和关心他们的家乡。这种精神是现在许多受过高等教育的现代人所没有,也很难学会的。

　　人唯有找寻到那最原始,最单纯的爱,才能和平相处。就算没有大房子、大汽车,你也能在小房子里享受那亲密的家庭生活。就算在一夜之间变得一无所有,你也会有真诚的朋友在旁扶持。

　　人只有认真的思考人生意义时才能寻找到这爱。但愿人人都能寻找到这爱,这样,要使新加坡变成优雅社会就不是天方夜谭了。愿你早日寻回这无价之宝。