Dhammapada verse #35
此心隨欲轉，輕躁難捉摸。善哉心調伏，心調得安樂。
The mind is very hard to check
and swift, it falls on what it wants.
The training of the mind is good,
a mind so tamed brings happiness.
☆☆☆
【第35偈的故事】
有一次，六十位比丘分別從佛陀得到禪修觀想的題目後，到一座山腳下的村落去禪修。村長的母親瑪蒂迦瑪塔，供養他們所需的食物，並且為他們興建一座遮雨蓬，方便他們在雨季時仍然可以停留在村落裏。一天，她請求這些比丘指導她禪修觀想。他們就教導她觀想身體的三十二相，並從中去理解色身的無常變化和我執的虛幻。她非常努力的禪修觀想，因而比這些比丘更早證得三果，並且具有超凡的神通力量。
透過她的天眼通，她明白這些比丘尚未證果，也知道他們都有證得阿羅漢果的潛力，但需要足夠的食物，因為脆弱的身體無法使心發揮最佳的功能。所以她提供他們營養的食物，由於有營養的食物和正精進，他們因而正念具足，而證得阿羅漢果。
雨季結束後，他們就回去祇樹給孤獨園，佛陀當時正駐錫在那裡。他們向佛陀報告 說他們身體健康，而且環境良好，也不用擔心食物不足的情形。他們也說瑪蒂迦瑪塔明白他們的心念，而提供非常營養的食物給他們，這些食物在維持色身健康是必要的，而健康的身體是保持精神專注的重要因素。
有一位比丘聽他們說起瑪蒂迦瑪塔的所作所為後，決定也要前去該村落。所以他在 得到佛陀給予的禪修觀想題目之後，就到該村落去。瑪蒂迦瑪塔也供給他想要的一切東西，當他想要某些東西時，瑪蒂迦瑪塔就親身帶這些東西前來給他。有一次，他用完食物後，請教瑪蒂迦瑪塔是否真正能洞察別人的心念，她不直接回答，卻說：「能明白他人心念的人，其言行舉止是如此如此的。」這時候，這比丘想到：「如果我像一般眾生有不純淨的念頭，而她也真的能洞悉他人心念的話，她一定會鄙視我的。」有了這種想法後，他對瑪蒂迦瑪塔有種莫名的害怕而決定回祇樹給孤獨園。他向佛陀報告說，因為害怕瑪蒂迦瑪塔會偵測到他內心不純淨的念頭，所以無法繼續停留在該村落。佛陀告誡他，只要專注在一件事上，那就是調伏內心。佛陀要他再回該村落去。但不可胡思亂想，只要專心禪修觀想就好。這比丘就再度回該村落去，瑪蒂迦瑪塔也一如供養前次比丘們一樣地提供他食物，使他能夠心無牽掛地禪修觀想。所以，在短短的時日後，他也滌清心念而證得阿羅漢果。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a certain monk.
On one occasion, sixty monks, after obtaining a meditation topic from the Buddha, went to Màtika village, at the foot of a mountain. There, Màtikamàtà, mother of the village headman, offered them alms-food; she also built a monastery for them, so that they could stay in the village during the rainy season. One day she asked the group of monks to teach her the practice of meditation. They taught her how to meditate on the thirty-two constituents of the body leading to the awareness of the decay and dissolution of the body. Màtikamàtà practiced with diligence and attained the three maggas (paths) and phalas (fruits) together with analytical insight and mundane supernatural powers, even before the monks did.
Rising from the bliss of the magga and phala she looked with the divine power of sight (dibbacakkhu) and saw that the monks had not attained any of the Maggas yet. She also learnt that those monks had enough potentiality for the attainment of arahatship, but they needed proper food. So, she prepared good, choice food for them. With proper food and right effort, the monks developed right concentration and eventually attained arahatship.
At the end of the rainy season, the monks returned to the Jētavana Monastery, where the Buddha was in residence. They reported to the Buddha that all of them were in good health and in comfortable circumstances and that they did not have to worry about food. They also mentioned Màtikamàtà, who was aware of their thought and prepared and offered them the very food they wished for.
A certain monk, hearing them talking about Màtikamàtà, decided that he, too, would go to that village. So, taking one meditation topic from the Buddha he arrived at the village monastery. There, he found that everything he wished for was sent to him by Màtikamàtà, the lay-devotee. When he wished her to come she personally came to the monastery, bringing along choice food with her. After taking the food, he asked her if she knew the thoughts of others, but she evaded his question and replied, “People who can read the thoughts of others behave in such and such a way.” Then, the monk thought, “Should I, like an ordinary worldling, entertain any impure thoughts, she is sure to find out.” He therefore got scared of the lay-devotee and decided to return to the Jētavana Monastery. He told the Buddha that he could not stay in Màtika village because he was afraid that the lay-devotee might detect impure thoughts in him. The Buddha then asked him to observe just one thing; that is, to control his mind. The Buddha also told the monk to return to Màtika village monastery, and not to think of anything else, but the object of his meditation only. The monk went back. The lay-devotee offered him good food as she had done to others before, so that he might be able to practice meditation without worry. Within a short time, he, too, attained arahatship.
透過她的天眼通，她明白這些比丘尚未證果，也知道他們都有證得阿羅漢果的潛力，但需要足夠的食物，因為脆弱的身體無法使心發揮最佳的功能。所以她提供他們營養的食物，由於有營養的食物和正精進，他們因而正念具足，而證得阿羅漢果。
雨季結束後，他們就回去祇樹給孤獨園，佛陀當時正駐錫在那裡。他們向佛陀報告 說他們身體健康，而且環境良好，也不用擔心食物不足的情形。他們也說瑪蒂迦瑪塔明白他們的心念，而提供非常營養的食物給他們，這些食物在維持色身健康是必要的，而健康的身體是保持精神專注的重要因素。
有一位比丘聽他們說起瑪蒂迦瑪塔的所作所為後，決定也要前去該村落。所以他在 得到佛陀給予的禪修觀想題目之後，就到該村落去。瑪蒂迦瑪塔也供給他想要的一切東西，當他想要某些東西時，瑪蒂迦瑪塔就親身帶這些東西前來給他。有一次，他用完食物後，請教瑪蒂迦瑪塔是否真正能洞察別人的心念，她不直接回答，卻說：「能明白他人心念的人，其言行舉止是如此如此的。」這時候，這比丘想到：「如果我像一般眾生有不純淨的念頭，而她也真的能洞悉他人心念的話，她一定會鄙視我的。」有了這種想法後，他對瑪蒂迦瑪塔有種莫名的害怕而決定回祇樹給孤獨園。他向佛陀報告說，因為害怕瑪蒂迦瑪塔會偵測到他內心不純淨的念頭，所以無法繼續停留在該村落。佛陀告誡他，只要專注在一件事上，那就是調伏內心。佛陀要他再回該村落去。但不可胡思亂想，只要專心禪修觀想就好。這比丘就再度回該村落去，瑪蒂迦瑪塔也一如供養前次比丘們一樣地提供他食物，使他能夠心無牽掛地禪修觀想。所以，在短短的時日後，他也滌清心念而證得阿羅漢果。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a certain monk.
On one occasion, sixty monks, after obtaining a meditation topic from the Buddha, went to Màtika village, at the foot of a mountain. There, Màtikamàtà, mother of the village headman, offered them alms-food; she also built a monastery for them, so that they could stay in the village during the rainy season. One day she asked the group of monks to teach her the practice of meditation. They taught her how to meditate on the thirty-two constituents of the body leading to the awareness of the decay and dissolution of the body. Màtikamàtà practiced with diligence and attained the three maggas (paths) and phalas (fruits) together with analytical insight and mundane supernatural powers, even before the monks did.
Rising from the bliss of the magga and phala she looked with the divine power of sight (dibbacakkhu) and saw that the monks had not attained any of the Maggas yet. She also learnt that those monks had enough potentiality for the attainment of arahatship, but they needed proper food. So, she prepared good, choice food for them. With proper food and right effort, the monks developed right concentration and eventually attained arahatship.
At the end of the rainy season, the monks returned to the Jētavana Monastery, where the Buddha was in residence. They reported to the Buddha that all of them were in good health and in comfortable circumstances and that they did not have to worry about food. They also mentioned Màtikamàtà, who was aware of their thought and prepared and offered them the very food they wished for.
A certain monk, hearing them talking about Màtikamàtà, decided that he, too, would go to that village. So, taking one meditation topic from the Buddha he arrived at the village monastery. There, he found that everything he wished for was sent to him by Màtikamàtà, the lay-devotee. When he wished her to come she personally came to the monastery, bringing along choice food with her. After taking the food, he asked her if she knew the thoughts of others, but she evaded his question and replied, “People who can read the thoughts of others behave in such and such a way.” Then, the monk thought, “Should I, like an ordinary worldling, entertain any impure thoughts, she is sure to find out.” He therefore got scared of the lay-devotee and decided to return to the Jētavana Monastery. He told the Buddha that he could not stay in Màtika village because he was afraid that the lay-devotee might detect impure thoughts in him. The Buddha then asked him to observe just one thing; that is, to control his mind. The Buddha also told the monk to return to Màtika village monastery, and not to think of anything else, but the object of his meditation only. The monk went back. The lay-devotee offered him good food as she had done to others before, so that he might be able to practice meditation without worry. Within a short time, he, too, attained arahatship.
☆☆☆
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
