Dhammapada verse #72
愚夫求知識，反而趨滅亡，損害其幸福，破碎其頭首。
Truly to his detriment
skill is born to the fool;
ruined is his better nature
and scattered are his wits.
☆☆☆
【第72偈的故事】
有一次，大目犍連尊者與勒叉那尊者一齊外出化緣時，看見一隻人面蛇身的餓鬼。佛陀說，這隻人面蛇身鬼的名字是沙提枯達。它在某一個過去世時，擅於投擲石頭。有一天，他請求他的老師允許他練習投擲，老師警告他練習時不可以打到牛或人，否則一定要賠償牛主人或人的親戚，所以要他另外找目標練習。
後來，沙提枯達發現一位修行人在外化緣，他心想這是個理想的目標，因為修行人沒有親戚、沒有保護人，也不是牛，不必負責賠償。他就向這修行人投擲石頭，修行人因此喪失性命。社會大眾知道這件事情後，非常憤怒，也殺死他。由於他的惡業，他死後墮落到悲慘的惡道 (註) 中，並且要受很長時間的苦。今生，則變為人面蛇身的餓鬼，而且他的頭時時刻刻受赤紅鎯頭的錘打。
佛陀說：「愚人的技術只會傷害自己，而沒有任何益處。」
While residing at the Vēluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a snake-ghost named Saññhikåña.
Once upon a time, there lived in Benares a cripple who was an adept at the art of slinging stones. He used to sit at the city-gate under a certain banyan-tree, sling stones, and cut the leaves of the tree. The boys of the city would say to him, “Make an elephant for us, make a horse for us;” and he would make every animal they asked him to. As a reward he received from them food both hard and soft. One day, as the king was on his way to the pleasure-garden, he came to this place. The boys left the cripple within the shoots of the banyan-tree and ran away. Now it was noon when the king stopped and went in among the roots of the tree, and his body was overspread with the chequered shade.
“What does this mean?” said he, looking up. Seeing leaves cut in the forms of elephants and horses, he asked, “Whose work is this?” On being informed that it was the work of the cripple, he sent for him. Happy with the cripple’s service the king gave him the eight-fold gifts, and four fine large villages, north, east, south, and west of the city.
Now a certain man, observing the worldly prosperity won by the cripple, thought to himself, “This man, born a cripple, has won great prosperity through this art. I also ought to learn this art.” He learnt it.
Now at that time a solitary Buddha named Sunetta resided in a shelter of leaves and grass near the city. When the man saw him enter the city through the gate for the purpose of receiving alms, he thought to himself, “This man has neither mother nor father. If I hit him, I shall have no penalty to pay; I will try my skill by hitting him.” So aiming a stone at the right ear of the solitary Buddha, he let fly. The stone entered the solitary Buddha’s right ear and came out of his left ear. The solitary Buddha suffered intense pain, was unable to continue his alms round, and returning to his shelter of leaves through the air, passed into Nibbàna.
The people said, “This wicked fellow says that he hit the Private Buddha. Catch him!” And straightaway they beat him and then and there killed him. He was reborn in the Avãci Hell. Until this great earth was elevated a league, during all that time he suffered torment. Thereafter, because the fruit of his evil deed was not yet exhausted, he was reborn on the summit of Vulture Peak as a sledge-hammer ghost.
後來，沙提枯達發現一位修行人在外化緣，他心想這是個理想的目標，因為修行人沒有親戚、沒有保護人，也不是牛，不必負責賠償。他就向這修行人投擲石頭，修行人因此喪失性命。社會大眾知道這件事情後，非常憤怒，也殺死他。由於他的惡業，他死後墮落到悲慘的惡道 (註) 中，並且要受很長時間的苦。今生，則變為人面蛇身的餓鬼，而且他的頭時時刻刻受赤紅鎯頭的錘打。
佛陀說：「愚人的技術只會傷害自己，而沒有任何益處。」
While residing at the Vēluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a snake-ghost named Saññhikåña.
Once upon a time, there lived in Benares a cripple who was an adept at the art of slinging stones. He used to sit at the city-gate under a certain banyan-tree, sling stones, and cut the leaves of the tree. The boys of the city would say to him, “Make an elephant for us, make a horse for us;” and he would make every animal they asked him to. As a reward he received from them food both hard and soft. One day, as the king was on his way to the pleasure-garden, he came to this place. The boys left the cripple within the shoots of the banyan-tree and ran away. Now it was noon when the king stopped and went in among the roots of the tree, and his body was overspread with the chequered shade.
“What does this mean?” said he, looking up. Seeing leaves cut in the forms of elephants and horses, he asked, “Whose work is this?” On being informed that it was the work of the cripple, he sent for him. Happy with the cripple’s service the king gave him the eight-fold gifts, and four fine large villages, north, east, south, and west of the city.
Now a certain man, observing the worldly prosperity won by the cripple, thought to himself, “This man, born a cripple, has won great prosperity through this art. I also ought to learn this art.” He learnt it.
Now at that time a solitary Buddha named Sunetta resided in a shelter of leaves and grass near the city. When the man saw him enter the city through the gate for the purpose of receiving alms, he thought to himself, “This man has neither mother nor father. If I hit him, I shall have no penalty to pay; I will try my skill by hitting him.” So aiming a stone at the right ear of the solitary Buddha, he let fly. The stone entered the solitary Buddha’s right ear and came out of his left ear. The solitary Buddha suffered intense pain, was unable to continue his alms round, and returning to his shelter of leaves through the air, passed into Nibbàna.
The people said, “This wicked fellow says that he hit the Private Buddha. Catch him!” And straightaway they beat him and then and there killed him. He was reborn in the Avãci Hell. Until this great earth was elevated a league, during all that time he suffered torment. Thereafter, because the fruit of his evil deed was not yet exhausted, he was reborn on the summit of Vulture Peak as a sledge-hammer ghost.
☆☆☆
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
