Dhammapada verse #98
於村落林間，平地或丘陵，何處有羅漢，彼地即可慶。
Whether in town or woods,
whether in vale, on hill,
wherever dwell the Arahats
so pleasing there the earth.
☆☆☆
【第98偈的故事】
離婆達是舍利弗最小的弟弟，也是兄弟中唯一沒有出家的人。他的父母根據當時的習俗，急著要他趕快結婚。所以在離婆達還很年輕時就安排他和一年輕女子成親。婚禮當天，賓客中有位高齡一百二十歲的女士，離婆達看見她時，就明白世事不離生、老、病、死的變化，於是決定像長兄舍利弗一樣出家。他就離開家庭，直接到一處有三十位比丘的精舍去。而舍利弗已經事先請求這些比丘，如果離婆達提出願望時，就讓他成為沙彌，離婆達因此順利成為沙彌。
這些比丘給離婆達一個禪修的題目，他於是離開精舍到遙遠的林子裡去禪修。結夏安居結束時，離婆達就證得阿羅漢果。這時候，舍利弗請佛陀允許他去見離婆達，佛陀說他也要去。所以，佛陀、舍利弗、尸婆離和諸位比丘就一齊前去探視離婆達。
這段路程很長，而且路況不佳，人煙也很少，但天神們供應了所有的必需品。離婆達知道佛陀要來，也預先安排。他運用神通，為佛陀造了一座特別的精舍，並為其他比丘安排適當的居處，使眾人在停留期間能夠安住。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Venerable Rēvata of the Acacia (khadira) Forest.
Rēvata was the youngest brother of the Chief Disciple Sàriputta. He was the only one of the brothers and sisters of Sàriputta who had not left home for the homeless life. His parents were very anxious to get him married. Rēvata was only seven years old when his parents arranged a marriage for him to a young girl. At the wedding reception, he met an old lady who was one hundred and twenty years old, and he realized that all beings are subject to ageing and decay. So, he ran away from the house and went straight to a monastery, where there were thirty monks. Those monks had been requested earlier by Venerable Sàriputta to make his brother a novice monk if he should come to them. Accordingly, he was made a novice monk and Venerable Sàriputta was informed about it.
Monk Rēvata took a meditation topic from those monks and left for an acacia forest, thirty yōjanas (leagues) away from the monastery. At the end of the vassa (rainy season), the novice monk attained arahatship. Venerable Sàriputta then asked permission from the Buddha to visit his brother, but the Buddha replied that he himself would go there. So the Buddha accompanied by Venerable Sàriputta, Venerable Sãvalã and many other monks set out to visit Sàmanēra (novice) Rēvata.
The journey was long, the road was rough and the area was uninhabited by people; but the dēvas looked to all the needs of the Buddha and the monks on the way. At an interval of every yōjana (league), a monastery and food were provided, and they travelled at the rate of a yōjana a day. Rēvata, learning about the visit of the Buddha, also made arrangements to welcome him. By supernatural power he created a special hut for the Buddha and five hundred huts for the other monks, and made them comfortable throughout their stay there.
On their return journey, they traveled at the same rate as before, and came to the Pubbàràma Monastery on the eastern end of Sàvatthi at the end of the month. From there, they went to the house of Visàkhà, who offered them alms-food. After the meal, Visàkhà asked the Buddha if the place of Rēvata in the acacia forest was pleasant. Buddha replied with the above stanzas.
這些比丘給離婆達一個禪修的題目，他於是離開精舍到遙遠的林子裡去禪修。結夏安居結束時，離婆達就證得阿羅漢果。這時候，舍利弗請佛陀允許他去見離婆達，佛陀說他也要去。所以，佛陀、舍利弗、尸婆離和諸位比丘就一齊前去探視離婆達。
這段路程很長，而且路況不佳，人煙也很少，但天神們供應了所有的必需品。離婆達知道佛陀要來，也預先安排。他運用神通，為佛陀造了一座特別的精舍，並為其他比丘安排適當的居處，使眾人在停留期間能夠安住。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Venerable Rēvata of the Acacia (khadira) Forest.
Rēvata was the youngest brother of the Chief Disciple Sàriputta. He was the only one of the brothers and sisters of Sàriputta who had not left home for the homeless life. His parents were very anxious to get him married. Rēvata was only seven years old when his parents arranged a marriage for him to a young girl. At the wedding reception, he met an old lady who was one hundred and twenty years old, and he realized that all beings are subject to ageing and decay. So, he ran away from the house and went straight to a monastery, where there were thirty monks. Those monks had been requested earlier by Venerable Sàriputta to make his brother a novice monk if he should come to them. Accordingly, he was made a novice monk and Venerable Sàriputta was informed about it.
Monk Rēvata took a meditation topic from those monks and left for an acacia forest, thirty yōjanas (leagues) away from the monastery. At the end of the vassa (rainy season), the novice monk attained arahatship. Venerable Sàriputta then asked permission from the Buddha to visit his brother, but the Buddha replied that he himself would go there. So the Buddha accompanied by Venerable Sàriputta, Venerable Sãvalã and many other monks set out to visit Sàmanēra (novice) Rēvata.
The journey was long, the road was rough and the area was uninhabited by people; but the dēvas looked to all the needs of the Buddha and the monks on the way. At an interval of every yōjana (league), a monastery and food were provided, and they travelled at the rate of a yōjana a day. Rēvata, learning about the visit of the Buddha, also made arrangements to welcome him. By supernatural power he created a special hut for the Buddha and five hundred huts for the other monks, and made them comfortable throughout their stay there.
On their return journey, they traveled at the same rate as before, and came to the Pubbàràma Monastery on the eastern end of Sàvatthi at the end of the month. From there, they went to the house of Visàkhà, who offered them alms-food. After the meal, Visàkhà asked the Buddha if the place of Rēvata in the acacia forest was pleasant. Buddha replied with the above stanzas.
☆☆☆
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
