Dhammapada verse #43
（善）非父母作，亦非他眷屬，若心向正行，善業最為大。
What one’s mother, what one’s father,
whatever other kin may do,
the well directed mind indeed
can do greater good.
☆☆☆
【第43偈的故事】
梭儒亞是一位富翁。有一次，他與一個朋友帶著一群僕人搭乘華麗的馬車前去沐浴。當時，摩訶迦旃延尊者正在整飭衣服，準備入城化緣。梭儒亞瞥見尊者金色的皮膚時，內心想到：「這比丘如果是我妻子多好。或者我妻子的膚色能像這樣就好了！」不久，他發現自己的性別神密的變了。他感到非常的羞恥，而決定離開故鄉。這時候，身為女兒身，他用刻有名字的印章向一群準備前往怛剎尸羅城的人懇請，讓他搭便車。這時候，他的親朋好友到處找他，卻遍尋不著。
到達怛剎尸羅城後，那群人中有一個人就向當地一位年輕的富翁提及同來的女性─ 梭儒亞，年輕的富翁發現梭儒亞十分美麗，而且與他的年齡相當，就與他結婚，梭儒亞也因此生了兩個兒子。其實，當初身為男子時，他已經有兩位兒子了。
有一天，故鄉一位富翁的兒子，也是梭儒亞的老朋友來怛剎尸羅城。梭儒亞就請他來家裡，這人感到十分訝異，因為他根本不認識她，就問她是否認識他。她回答是，並垂詢她親朋好友的近況。這人告訴她，有一位富翁神秘失蹤的事。這時候，她才向他透露她就是那位失蹤的富翁，並且把自己因為看見比丘時心中升起錯誤的念頭，性別因而改變，以及與此地年輕富翁結婚的來龍去脈告訴他。這人勸他向摩訶迦旃延尊者請求寬恕。
摩訶迦旃延尊者於是被請來接受供養，供養後，她被帶到尊者面前來解釋一切原委，並懇請尊者寬恕。
當尊者說完：「起來吧！我寬恕你！」之後，梭儒亞馬上恢復男人身份。這時她丈夫說：「朋友！既然你是這兩個男孩的媽，而我是他們的父親，他們真的是我們的兒子，所以你可以繼續住在此地，不要沮喪！」
梭儒亞回答道：「朋友！我首先是男子，後來變成女人，現在又變回男人；同樣地，先是兩個兒子的父親，又是最近兩個兒子的母親。一生中經歷過這兩次性別的轉變後，我已經厭倦世俗生活了，我現在要出家為比丘，並在尊者指導之下修行。以後照顧孩子就是你的責任了，請不要疏忽了！」
說完之後，梭儒亞擁抱、親吻兩個男孩，然後把他們交給他們的父親而出家了。他也向那位協助他找到尊者，並且得到尊者寬恕之後有機會出家，而從事生命中最終目標──止息所有苦痛的年輕人致謝。
摩訶迦旃延尊者於是幫他剃度，使他成為比丘，他於是努力修行，又跟隨尊者到祇樹給孤獨園向佛陀頂禮問訊。
後來，人們常問他究竟比較喜歡身為男人時婚生的兩個兒子或身為女人時親生的兩個兒子。他說比較喜歡親生的兒子。但人們經常問及這個問題，使他感到非常困惑、羞愧，就單獨一人精進修行，並且觀身無常。不久之後，就證得阿羅漢果，同時具有非凡的智慧和神通。人們再問同樣的問題時，他就說自己對任何人都沒有執著。聽他這麼回答的比丘們卻不相信他的話，就向佛陀請教梭儒亞兩種不同回答的涵意。佛陀說：「梭儒亞現在的回答和以前不同，是因為他已經證得阿羅漢果，沒有任何的執著。正確的心念帶給他的喜悅，不是身為父親或母親能夠做到的。」
（註）善: 指十善念，即布施，持戒，修禪定，恭敬，作事，回向功德，隨喜功德，聽法，說法，正直見。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Sōreyya, the son of a rich man of the city of Sōreyya.
On one occasion, Sōreyya accompanied by a friend and some attendants was going out in a carriage for a bath. At that moment, monk Mahàkaccàyana was adjusting his robes outside the city, as he was going into the city of Sōreyya for alms-food. The youth Sōreyya, seeing the youthful complexion of the monk, thought, “How I wish the monk were my wife, so that the complexion of my wife would be like his.” As the wish arose in him, his sex changed and he became a woman. Very much ashamed, he got down from the carriage and ran away, taking the road to Taxila. His companions looked for him, but they could not find him. Sōreyya, now a woman, offered her signet ring to some people going to Taxila, to allow her to go with them in their carriage. Upon arrival at Taxila, her companions told a young rich man of Taxila about the lady who came along with them. The young rich man, finding her to be very beautiful and of a suitable age for him, married her. As a result of this marriage two sons were born; there were also two sons from the previous marriage of Sōreyya as a man.
One day, a rich man’s son from the city of Sōreyya came to Taxila with a caravan of five hundred carts. Lady Sōreyya, recognizing him to be an old friend, sent for him. The man from Sōreyya was surprised that he was invited, because he did not know the lady who invited him. He told the Lady Sōreyya that he did not know her, and asked her whether she knew him. She answered that she knew him and also inquired after the health of her family and other people in the city of Sōreyya. The man from Sōreyya next told her about the rich man’s son who disappeared mysteriously while going for a bath. Then the Lady Sōreyya revealed her identity and related all that had happened, about the wrongful thoughts with regard to monk Mahàkaccàyana, about the change of sex, and her marriage to the young rich man of Taxila. The man from the city of Sōreyya then advised the Lady Sōreyya to ask pardon from the monk. Monk Mahàkaccàyana was accordingly invited to the home of Sōreyya and alms-food was offered to him. After the meal, the Lady Sōreyya was brought to the presence of the monk, and the man from Sōreyya told the monk that the lady was at one time the son of a rich man from Sōreyya. He then explained to the monk how Sōreyya was turned into a female on account of his wrongful thoughts towards the respected monk. Lady Sōreyya then respectfully asked pardon of Monk Mahàkaccàyana. The monk then said, “Get up, I forgive you.” As soon as these words were spoken, the woman was changed back to a man. Sōreyya then pondered how within a single existence and with a single body he had undergone change of sex and how sons were born to him. And feeling very weary and repulsive of all these things, he decided to leave the householder’s life and joined the sangha under the monk.
After that, he was often asked, “Whom do you love more, the two sons you had as a man or the other two you had as a woman?” To those, he would answer that his love for those borne as a woman was greater. This question was put to him so often, he felt very much annoyed and ashamed. So he stayed by himself and, with diligence, contemplated the decay and dissolution of the body. He soon attained arahatship together with the analytical insight. When the old question was next put to him he replied that he had no preference for any one in particular. Other monks hearing him thought he must be telling a lie. When it was reported about Sōreyya giving a different answer, the Buddha said, “My son is not telling lies, he is speaking the truth.”
到達怛剎尸羅城後，那群人中有一個人就向當地一位年輕的富翁提及同來的女性─ 梭儒亞，年輕的富翁發現梭儒亞十分美麗，而且與他的年齡相當，就與他結婚，梭儒亞也因此生了兩個兒子。其實，當初身為男子時，他已經有兩位兒子了。
有一天，故鄉一位富翁的兒子，也是梭儒亞的老朋友來怛剎尸羅城。梭儒亞就請他來家裡，這人感到十分訝異，因為他根本不認識她，就問她是否認識他。她回答是，並垂詢她親朋好友的近況。這人告訴她，有一位富翁神秘失蹤的事。這時候，她才向他透露她就是那位失蹤的富翁，並且把自己因為看見比丘時心中升起錯誤的念頭，性別因而改變，以及與此地年輕富翁結婚的來龍去脈告訴他。這人勸他向摩訶迦旃延尊者請求寬恕。
摩訶迦旃延尊者於是被請來接受供養，供養後，她被帶到尊者面前來解釋一切原委，並懇請尊者寬恕。
當尊者說完：「起來吧！我寬恕你！」之後，梭儒亞馬上恢復男人身份。這時她丈夫說：「朋友！既然你是這兩個男孩的媽，而我是他們的父親，他們真的是我們的兒子，所以你可以繼續住在此地，不要沮喪！」
梭儒亞回答道：「朋友！我首先是男子，後來變成女人，現在又變回男人；同樣地，先是兩個兒子的父親，又是最近兩個兒子的母親。一生中經歷過這兩次性別的轉變後，我已經厭倦世俗生活了，我現在要出家為比丘，並在尊者指導之下修行。以後照顧孩子就是你的責任了，請不要疏忽了！」
說完之後，梭儒亞擁抱、親吻兩個男孩，然後把他們交給他們的父親而出家了。他也向那位協助他找到尊者，並且得到尊者寬恕之後有機會出家，而從事生命中最終目標──止息所有苦痛的年輕人致謝。
摩訶迦旃延尊者於是幫他剃度，使他成為比丘，他於是努力修行，又跟隨尊者到祇樹給孤獨園向佛陀頂禮問訊。
後來，人們常問他究竟比較喜歡身為男人時婚生的兩個兒子或身為女人時親生的兩個兒子。他說比較喜歡親生的兒子。但人們經常問及這個問題，使他感到非常困惑、羞愧，就單獨一人精進修行，並且觀身無常。不久之後，就證得阿羅漢果，同時具有非凡的智慧和神通。人們再問同樣的問題時，他就說自己對任何人都沒有執著。聽他這麼回答的比丘們卻不相信他的話，就向佛陀請教梭儒亞兩種不同回答的涵意。佛陀說：「梭儒亞現在的回答和以前不同，是因為他已經證得阿羅漢果，沒有任何的執著。正確的心念帶給他的喜悅，不是身為父親或母親能夠做到的。」
（註）善: 指十善念，即布施，持戒，修禪定，恭敬，作事，回向功德，隨喜功德，聽法，說法，正直見。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Sōreyya, the son of a rich man of the city of Sōreyya.
On one occasion, Sōreyya accompanied by a friend and some attendants was going out in a carriage for a bath. At that moment, monk Mahàkaccàyana was adjusting his robes outside the city, as he was going into the city of Sōreyya for alms-food. The youth Sōreyya, seeing the youthful complexion of the monk, thought, “How I wish the monk were my wife, so that the complexion of my wife would be like his.” As the wish arose in him, his sex changed and he became a woman. Very much ashamed, he got down from the carriage and ran away, taking the road to Taxila. His companions looked for him, but they could not find him. Sōreyya, now a woman, offered her signet ring to some people going to Taxila, to allow her to go with them in their carriage. Upon arrival at Taxila, her companions told a young rich man of Taxila about the lady who came along with them. The young rich man, finding her to be very beautiful and of a suitable age for him, married her. As a result of this marriage two sons were born; there were also two sons from the previous marriage of Sōreyya as a man.
One day, a rich man’s son from the city of Sōreyya came to Taxila with a caravan of five hundred carts. Lady Sōreyya, recognizing him to be an old friend, sent for him. The man from Sōreyya was surprised that he was invited, because he did not know the lady who invited him. He told the Lady Sōreyya that he did not know her, and asked her whether she knew him. She answered that she knew him and also inquired after the health of her family and other people in the city of Sōreyya. The man from Sōreyya next told her about the rich man’s son who disappeared mysteriously while going for a bath. Then the Lady Sōreyya revealed her identity and related all that had happened, about the wrongful thoughts with regard to monk Mahàkaccàyana, about the change of sex, and her marriage to the young rich man of Taxila. The man from the city of Sōreyya then advised the Lady Sōreyya to ask pardon from the monk. Monk Mahàkaccàyana was accordingly invited to the home of Sōreyya and alms-food was offered to him. After the meal, the Lady Sōreyya was brought to the presence of the monk, and the man from Sōreyya told the monk that the lady was at one time the son of a rich man from Sōreyya. He then explained to the monk how Sōreyya was turned into a female on account of his wrongful thoughts towards the respected monk. Lady Sōreyya then respectfully asked pardon of Monk Mahàkaccàyana. The monk then said, “Get up, I forgive you.” As soon as these words were spoken, the woman was changed back to a man. Sōreyya then pondered how within a single existence and with a single body he had undergone change of sex and how sons were born to him. And feeling very weary and repulsive of all these things, he decided to leave the householder’s life and joined the sangha under the monk.
After that, he was often asked, “Whom do you love more, the two sons you had as a man or the other two you had as a woman?” To those, he would answer that his love for those borne as a woman was greater. This question was put to him so often, he felt very much annoyed and ashamed. So he stayed by himself and, with diligence, contemplated the decay and dissolution of the body. He soon attained arahatship together with the analytical insight. When the old question was next put to him he replied that he had no preference for any one in particular. Other monks hearing him thought he must be telling a lie. When it was reported about Sōreyya giving a different answer, the Buddha said, “My son is not telling lies, he is speaking the truth.”
☆☆☆
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
