Zhixue Great Love Farm lies at the foot of Liyu Mountain in Shoufeng Township, Hualien County, eastern Taiwan. The farm serves as the “rice bowl” of the Jing Si Abode, the Buddhist convent founded by Master Cheng Yen and the spiritual home of Tzu Chi volunteers worldwide. Spanning 12 hectares and leased from the Taiwan Sugar Corporation, the farm has been cultivated using eco-friendly practices since 2016, earning organic certification.

坐落於花蓮縣壽豐鄉鯉魚山腳下的志學大愛農場，是靜思精舍的「糧倉」，也是全球慈濟人的「糧倉」。12公頃田地，是精舍向台糖承租，從2016年開始規畫，以友善方式耕作，獲有機認證。

   荒地成良田 Turning wasteland into fertile fields

Volunteer Gan Qing-wen (甘清文), from Taichung, recalled the challenges he and other volunteers encountered while preparing and cultivating the land. “The waterway was overgrown like a jungle,” Gan said, “and blockages upstream had dried up the water supply.” To resolve this, 28 Taichung volunteers worked together to clear the 420-meter-long (1,378-foot-long) ditch, restoring water flow from the Mugua River to irrigate the farm. The physically demanding task pushed the volunteers, many of whom were no longer young, to their limits, requiring frequent rests. But their hard work paid off—with the water supply restored, the land became well-irrigated. They named the restored waterway “Water Guan Yin” for its resemblance to the Guan Yin Bodhisattva.

臺中志工甘清文回想2019年，農場有溝無水，草比稻子高，28位志工清理長達420公尺的圳溝，終於找到源頭，從木瓜溪引來溪水灌溉，志工敬稱這條形狀如一尊觀世音菩薩像的水道為「水觀音」；水脈一通，水田水源充足。

   挲草了！Weeding with heart
志學農場距離精舍約半小時車程，為讓後輩的常住眾更了解農場的運作與收成、體驗務農辛勞，這兩年八位主責師父也帶領大家加入「挲草」（閩南語：跪行田間除草）的行列。

To avoid bending over while weeding, volunteers invented a tool: a long stick with a skimmer at one end to press the barnyard grass into the earth. This method not only removes the weeds, but also helps rice seedlings take root and improves soil aeration, thereby strengthening the seedlings and making them more resilient to wind and rain.

插秧後一星期左右，就要開始「挲草」。一般農田大多使用慣行農法，透過農藥除病蟲害、遏阻雜草生長；有機農法不施農藥、化肥，所以容易滋生「稗子」，形似水稻的雜草，必須及時拔除。

為了不用彎腰挲草，志工發明了長長的「漏勺」，將稗子壓入泥中，一方面除草，同時也幫秧苗扎根、增加含氧量，讓它能承受風雨，穩健成長。

   農禪智慧

Consequently, weeds like barnyard grass, which resembles rice, grow easily and must be removed promptly.

證嚴上人講述《法華經‧譬喻品》，提到「稗子」看起來和秧苗幾乎一樣，如何分別？用手摸，稗子的葉子光滑，稻葉則有一點點粗糙感；「要有經驗，要會選擇；若稗子不拔卻將稻子拔掉，就麻煩了。」

稗子的種子細小緊密，發育得比稻子更快，落入土裏就快速成長。上人再強調，拔掉稗子，田裏的養分會讓稻子成長得更漂亮，「好的朋友是善知識，就像稻子，共同分享這片天地，相互增長；惡知識就像稗子，無益這塊土地，還會占領善種成長的空間。」

"A farmer must treasure every good seed to reap a nourishing harvest," said Venerable Master Cheng Yen. "In the same way, we must stay away from unwholesome influences. The moment negative thoughts—like weeds—start to grow, pull them out before they take root. Tend to your inner garden, so only goodness may flourish."

「耕耘土地的農夫，要好好珍惜善種子，收獲有益的資糧。」證嚴上人說，大家要懂得「捨惡知識慎勿近」，「一發現對心田、善種有損的雜草，就要趕快除掉，好好護住善念，不讓惡念生起。」

摘錄自：慈濟月刊第698期
封面照片：釋德倩
攝影：甘清文、釋德倩
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