法語 11 — 故事二：《The Broken Cup and the Breath Before Words》

本週法語如下。

所謂「靜則一念不生，動則萬善圓彰」，要堅住正念， 心無善念不起，口無善言不說，身無善事不行，靜也靜得，動也動得，修善而不執著善，回歸無念。相信這個道理，具足信心，這一生修行絕對不會退轉。

“When at rest, rest all thoughts; when in action, perfect all actions.” We must abide in right mindfulness: think only good thoughts, say only kind words, do only good deeds.  Rest when it is time to rest; act when it is time to act.  Practice good deeds without attachment, and then return to the state of no-thought.  With confidence and commitment in this teaching, we will always make progress in our practice.

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請 AI 用英文寫了與法語相關的故事。希望姊弟倆也能參與，領導大家一起反思，開啟智慧。

🏠 Story 2: The Broken Cup and the Breath Before Words

Setting: Home / Parent-Teen Conflict

It was a stormy Friday evening, and thunder rumbled just outside the living room window. Emma, a mother of two, had just finished wiping down the kitchen counter when she heard a loud crash from upstairs. Something fragile. Something ceramic.

She rushed up and found her teenage daughter, Lily, standing stiff in the hallway, wide-eyed, next to the shattered pieces of Emma’s favorite hand-painted teacup—the one her grandmother gave her, the one Emma had always placed high on the shelf.

Lily looked terrified. "I was just trying to dust… I didn’t mean to—"

Emma felt the surge rise in her chest: that sharp heat of anger, disappointment, loss. Her hand clenched around the staircase rail. Words like “I told you not to touch it!” and “Why can’t you be more careful?” were already forming on her tongue.

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📣 (Pause here for discussion)
👉 What do you think Emma will do? What would you do in her shoes?
👉 Would you let the emotion out immediately, or pause? Why?

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Emma closed her eyes for a brief second. She felt her pulse in her neck. The memory of her grandmother’s soft hands holding the cup surfaced… and then faded.

In that pause, she took a slow, deep breath.

Then, gently, she opened her eyes and said, “I know you didn’t mean to break it.”

Lily looked up, blinking.

Emma continued, “It meant a lot to me. I’m sad. But I’m more grateful you’re okay. Let’s clean it up together.”

Lily knelt down beside her, silent for a while. Then she whispered, “I’m really sorry, Mom. I’ll be more careful. Thank you for… not yelling.”

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✨ Reflection
In that single breath of stillness, Emma chose understanding over anger. She let the thought of blame pass without feeding it. She acted with love, not because she suppressed her feelings, but because she recognized what mattered more.

"Be still when stillness is needed. Act when action is needed."
Compassion is not weakness—it’s clarity born from pause.

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