當我們吃完後，一位滿頭亂髮的年輕的女侍過來收桌子。她停下來旁聽了達賴喇嘛與別人的對話，最後放下了工作，也坐了下來。過了一會兒，當沒人講話時，她對著達賴喇嘛說，"你不喜歡你面前的餅乾嗎?"
As we finished, a young waitress with tangled, dirty-blond hair and a beaded headband began clearing our table. She stopped to listen to the conversation and finally sat down, abandoning her work. After a while, when there was a pause, she spoke to the Dalai Lama. “You didn’t like your cookie?”
"我不餓，謝謝你"
“Not hungry, thank you.”
"我能，嗯，請教你一個問題嗎?"
“Can I, um, ask a question?”
"請啊"
“Please.”
"生命的意義到底是什麼?" 她帶著完全嚴肅的表情說。
She spoke with complete seriousness. “What is the meaning of life?”
在過去一周伴隨達賴喇嘛的時間裡，除了這個之外，所有可能的問題都被人過了。人們好像害怕問這個問題，這個真正的大問題。這問題一出，立即讓桌邊出現一段驚訝後的安靜。
In my entire week with the Dalai Lama, every conceivable question had been asked—except this one. People had been afraid to ask the one—the really big—question. There was a brief, stunned silence at the table.
達賴喇嘛立刻回答了她。"生命的意義就是快樂。" 尊者抬起了手指，身子向前傾，專注地回答她的問題，彷彿全世界就只剩她一人。"這不是一個困難的問題。"生命的意義到底是什麼?"這是一個很容易回答的問題"，"但是，什麼是"快樂"，那才是一個困難的問題"，"金錢? 豪宅? 事業成就? 朋友? 還是..."尊者暫停了一會兒，"慈悲與善良? 這是每個人都應該試著去回答自己的一個問題 : 真正能讓你快樂的是什麼?" 尊者用他特有的強調語氣反問之後，停了下來，面帶笑容地望著她。
The Dalai Lama answered immediately. “The meaning of life is happiness.” He raised his finger, leaning forward, focusing on her as if she were the only person in the world. “Hard question is not, ‘What is meaning of life?’ That is easy question to answer! No, hard question is what make happiness. Money? Big house? Accomplishment? Friends? Or …” He paused. “Compassion and good heart? This is question all human beings must try to answer: What make true happiness?” He gave this last question a peculiar emphasis and then fell silent, gazing at her with a smile.
"謝謝，"女侍說，"謝謝。" 她站了起來，把桌上剩下的杯盤清理了之後，轉身離開
“Thank you,” she said, “thank you.” She got up and finished stacking the dirty dishes and cups, and took them away.
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