Dhammapada verse #106
月月投千（金）──供犧牲百年，不如須臾間，供養修己者，彼如是供養，勝祭祀百年。
Month by month for a hundred years
a thousand one might sacrifice,
but if for only a moment one
might honour the self-developed,
such honour were better by far
than century of sacrifice.
☆☆☆
【第106偈的故事】
舍利弗的叔叔是一位婆羅門，有一次，舍利弗問他，有沒有做過任何的功德。他的叔叔回答說，他每個月供養裸身的苦行者，希望將來能往生梵天。舍利弗告訴他說，他的老師們並不了解往生梵天的方法。說完後，舍利弗更引領叔叔去見佛陀，並請求佛陀開示確實可以使人往生梵天的佛法。
佛陀向舍利弗的叔叔說：「供養一湯匙的食物給真正的聖人，比你供養那些不值得供養的人更好。」
While residing at the Vēluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a bràhmin, who was the maternal uncle of Venerable Sàriputta.
Venerable Sàriputta once went to his uncle and said, “Bràhmin, do you ever do a single good deed?” “I do, Venerable.”
“What do you do?” “Month after month, I give alms to the value of a thousand pieces of money.”
“To whom do you give this money?” “To the naked ascetics, Venerable.”
“And what do you hope to gain thereby?” “I hope to gain the world of Brahma.”
“But is this the way to reach the World of Brahma?” “Yes, Venerable.”
“Who told you so?” “My teachers told me so, Venerable.”
“Bràhmin, neither you nor your teachers know the way to the World of Brahma. The Buddha alone knows the way thereto. Come with me, and I will ask him to tell you the way to the world of Brahma.”
So Venerable Sàriputta took his uncle with him, went to the Buddha, and told him all about it, saying, “Venerable, this Bràhmin said so and so. Be so good as to tell him the way to the World of Brahma.”
The Buddha asked, “Bràhmin, are you correctly reported?” “Yes, Venerable.”
“Bràhmin, though you should give alms in this way for a hundred years, yet were it far more fruitful for a man, with believing heart, for but a single instant to look upon my disciple or to bestow upon him a mere spoonful of boiled rice.”
佛陀向舍利弗的叔叔說：「供養一湯匙的食物給真正的聖人，比你供養那些不值得供養的人更好。」
While residing at the Vēluvana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a bràhmin, who was the maternal uncle of Venerable Sàriputta.
Venerable Sàriputta once went to his uncle and said, “Bràhmin, do you ever do a single good deed?” “I do, Venerable.”
“What do you do?” “Month after month, I give alms to the value of a thousand pieces of money.”
“To whom do you give this money?” “To the naked ascetics, Venerable.”
“And what do you hope to gain thereby?” “I hope to gain the world of Brahma.”
“But is this the way to reach the World of Brahma?” “Yes, Venerable.”
“Who told you so?” “My teachers told me so, Venerable.”
“Bràhmin, neither you nor your teachers know the way to the World of Brahma. The Buddha alone knows the way thereto. Come with me, and I will ask him to tell you the way to the world of Brahma.”
So Venerable Sàriputta took his uncle with him, went to the Buddha, and told him all about it, saying, “Venerable, this Bràhmin said so and so. Be so good as to tell him the way to the World of Brahma.”
The Buddha asked, “Bràhmin, are you correctly reported?” “Yes, Venerable.”
“Bràhmin, though you should give alms in this way for a hundred years, yet were it far more fruitful for a man, with believing heart, for but a single instant to look upon my disciple or to bestow upon him a mere spoonful of boiled rice.”
☆☆☆
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
