Dhammapada verse # 26 ~ 27
暗鈍愚癡人，耽溺於放逸，智者不放逸，如富人護寶。
Foolish folk of little wit
in heedlessness indulge,
the one who’s wise guards heedfulness
kin to the greatest wealth.
莫耽溺放逸。莫嗜愛欲樂。警覺修定者，始得大安樂。
Don’t indulge in heedlessness!
Don’t come near to sexual joys!
The heedful and contemplative
attains abundant bliss.
☆☆☆
【第26,27偈的故事】
在某個特定的日期，舍衛城會慶祝斑爛那卡達慶典。慶典期間，許多年輕人用灰土和牛糞塗揉身體，並且在城內到處閒蕩、喧嘩，而成為大家頭痛的人物。他們停留在居民家門口，直到居民給他們錢才肯離去。
當時，舍衛城裡有很多的佛教信徒。這些信徒便送信給佛陀，請佛陀在七天之內，不要進城，而由信徒們直接把供養品送到精舍。同時，他們也儘量留在家中。第八天，慶典結束後，佛陀和眾多比丘受邀到城內說法。當信徒告訴佛陀那些年輕人在慶典期間的幼稚舉止時，佛陀說那些人因為無明，所以舉止缺乏尊嚴與莊重的氣息。
佛陀接著勸誡信徒們不可渾渾噩噩的過日子，也不可以沉溺於感官慾樂，應該時時正念現前，這樣才可以獲得幸福，證得究竟喜悅的涅槃。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, in connection with the Bàla Nakkhatta festival – the festival of simpletons.
On a certain date there was a simpletons’ festival celebrated in Sàvatthi, and on the occasion of this foolish holiday, folk used to smear their bodies with ashes and cow-dung and for a period of seven days go about uttering all manner of coarse talk.
At this time people showed no respect for kinsfolk or friends or monks when they met them, but stood in the doorways and insulted them with coarse talk. Those who could not endure the coarse talk would pay the holiday-makers a half or a quarter or a penny, according to their means, and the holiday-makers would take the money and depart from their houses.
Now at this time there were in Sàvatthi five million Noble Disciples, and they sent word to the teacher, “Venerable, let the Buddha refrain for a period of seven days from entering the city with the congregation of monks; let him instead remain at the monastery.” And, for a period of seven days the noble disciples caused food to be prepared for the congregation of monks at the monastery and sent it to them, but did not themselves leave their houses.
On the eighth day, however, when the festival was at an end,they invited the congregation of monks to be their guests, escorted them into the city, and gave abundant offerings. And having seated themselves respectfully on one side, they said to the Buddha, “Venerable, we have spent the past seven days unpleasantly. Our ears were about to burst from hearing the coarse talk of foolish folk. No one showed any respect for anybody else, and for this reason we did not permit you to enter the city. We ourselves did not go out of the house.”
The Buddha listened to what they said, and then replied, “In this manner unintelligent men conduct themselves. But they who are intelligent preserve heedfulness as their greatest treasure, and by so doing at last attain the attainment of the great Nibbàna.”
☆☆☆
中文法句出處：《南傳法句經》 了參法師譯
中文故事出處：《法句經故事集》 達摩難陀長老著 周金言譯
