Friday, November 4, 2011


Dhammapada verse #61

不得勝我者為友,與我相等者亦無,寧可堅決獨行居,不與愚人作伴侶。

If a wayfarer fails to find
one better or equal,
steadfast he should fare alone
for a fools no fellowship.

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【第61偈的故事】

大迦葉尊者停留在王舍城時,有兩位年輕沙彌追隨他修習。其中一位恭敬、服從又盡責。另一位則付之闕如,每當大迦葉尊者告誡他不可疏忽職責時,他總是覺得受到非常大的侮辱。有一天他到大迦葉尊者的一個信徒家去,騙他們說,大迦葉尊者生病了,他們就交給他特別的食物,請他拿回去給大迦葉尊者吃。但他在半路上就吃掉這些特別的食物。事發之後,大迦葉尊者為這件事告誡他時,他非常生氣。第二天,大迦葉尊者外出化緣時,這頑強、愚蠢的年輕沙彌留在精舍裡,竟然打破所有的鍋子,並且放火燒了精舍。後來,王舍城來的一位比丘向佛陀報告這件事,佛陀說大迦葉尊者最好獨居,也不要和造成這麼多問題的愚人共處一室。

(註)智者出於慈悲心,希望改善愚人的情況時,可以與愚癡的人來往,但不可反而受其污染。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a resident pupil of Venerable Mahàkassapa.

While Venerable Kassapa was in residence at Pipphali Cave, he had two pupils learning under him. One of these performed his duties faithfully, but the other frequently shirked his duties and sought to take credit for work done by the other. For example, the faithful pupil would set out water for washing the face, and a tooth-stick. Knowing this, the faithless pupil would go to the Venerable and say, “Venerable, water for washing the face is set out, and a tooth-stick. Go wash your face.” When it was time to prepare water for bathing the feet and for the bath, he would pursue the same tactics.

The faithful pupil thought to himself, “This fellow is constantly shirking his work and is seeking to take credit for my work. Very well! I will do something about this. So one day, while the faithless pupil was asleep after a meal, he heated water for the bath, poured it into a water-jar, and set it in the back room, leaving only a pint-pot of water steaming in the boiler. In the evening the faithless pupil woke up and saw steam pouring out. “He must have heated water and put it in the bathroom,” he thought. So he went quickly to the Venerable, bowed, and said, “Venerable, water has been placed in the bathroom; go and bathe.” So saying, he accompanied the Venerable to the bathroom. But when the Venerable saw no water, he said, “Brother, where is the water?” The youth went to the room where the fire was kept, and lowering a ladle into the boiler, and perceived that it was empty. “See what the rascal has done!” he exclaimed. “He has set an empty boiler on the brazier, and then went – who knows where? Of course I thought there was water in the bathroom and went and told the Venerable so.” Disappointed, he took a water-jar and went to the bathing-place at the river.

Venerable Kassapa thought, ‘All this time this young fellow has been shirking from his duties and has sought to take credit for work really done by his brother-pupil.” On the following day he refused to accompany the Venerable on his rounds. The Venerable therefore took his other pupil with him to a certain place.

While he was away, the faithless pupil went to the house of a layman who was a supporter of the Venerable. The layman asked him, “Where is the monk?” The Venerable doesn’t feel well, and therefore remained at the Monastery.” “What then should he have, Venerable?” “Give him such and such food,” said the youth, pretending that the monk had told him to ask for it. Accordingly they prepared food such as he asked for, and gave it to him. He took the food, ate it on the way back, and returned to the Monastery.

Now the Venerable had received from his supporter five robes, and these he presented to the youth who accompanied him. The novice dyed them and converted them into under and upper garments for himself. The Venerable admonished the pupil on his behaviour. He resented this advice. The next day, he set fire to the Monastery and ran away. When he died, he was reborn in the Great Hell of Avãci.

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English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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