Dhammapada verse #113
若人壽百歲──不見生滅法，不如生一日──得見生滅法。
Though one should live a hundred years
not seeing rise and fall,
yet better is life for a single day
seeing rise and fall.
☆☆☆
【第113偈的故事】
波她卡娜是舍衛城中一位富翁的女兒，十分美麗，父母又對她愛護有加。但她卻愛上家裡的一位男僕，和他私奔到離舍衛城很遠的一個村子去。後來，她懷孕了，當分娩日子快到的時候，她好幾次請求丈夫允許她回家生產，但她丈夫每次都害怕遭到他丈人的毒打而拒絕她的懇請。有一天，她趁丈夫不在家的時候，悄悄出發回娘家去。但是，她丈夫卻追上她，請她回家去，但她加以拒絕。這時候，她分娩的時刻到了，就在附近的草叢中產下一子，然後與丈夫一起回家。
她再度懷孕的時候，也希望回家生產，但丈夫也加以拒絕。產期快到了，她只好又悄悄地帶著大兒子，出發回舍衛城的娘家。當丈夫追上她時，她產前劇痛加速，即將分娩，這時候天又下著大雨，丈夫急忙去找了個較穩當的地方。當他正在整理場地時，卻被一條劇毒的蛇咬到，當場死亡。這時候，波她卡娜已經生下孩子。第二天，她四處尋找丈夫，卻發現丈夫的屍首，她內心非常悲傷，認為丈夫的死都是自己害的，而十分內疚，就繼續回舍衛城找父母。
但由於下了一整夜的雨，溪水上漲，她無法一次帶二個兒子過河，就把大兒子安置在河這岸，先帶初生嬰兒渡河，並且把他放在對岸，然後自己再渡河折返這岸。當她正在河中央時，一隻在嬰兒上空盤旋的老鷹，以為嬰兒是塊肉，波她卡娜急忙大聲嘶喊，想嚇走老鷹，但老鷹仍然俯衝直下，奪走她的嬰兒。而在這岸的大兒子聽見母親在河中喊叫，以為母親在叫他，就自行邁向河中，但不幸地被強烈的河水沖走。波她卡娜一天之內喪夫又連喪二子。
她放聲慟哭：「小兒子被老鷹奪走，大兒子被河水沖走，丈夫被毒蛇咬死。」然後她遇見一位來自舍衛城的人，她淚眼盈眶的打聽她父母的消息，這人告訴她，昨晚的暴雨使她父母的房子全部倒塌，她父母和唯一的哥哥全部罹難，並且已經火化了。聽到這悲慘的消息，她徹徹底底地崩潰，完全瘋了。甚至不知道身上的衣服已經掉落地上，身子半裸，仍然滿街狂奔，嘶聲哭喊：「可憐的我啊！老天啊！」
這時候，正在祇樹給孤獨園講經說法的佛陀看見她在外面，就運用神通使她前來加入聽法大眾中。當人群看見她走過來時卻想阻止她前進：「不要讓這瘋女人進來！」但佛陀制止他們。當她走到可以聽見佛陀說話的距離時，佛陀告訴她控制自己的心念，使心平穩下來，等她回神過來，才驀然察覺自己的裙子不見了，就安靜的蹲下來，並接下別人遞來的一布塊，遮掩自己。她接著向佛陀訴說她不幸的遭遇─兩個兒子、丈夫、父母和唯一的兄弟全都罹難的經過。
佛陀安慰她：「波她卡娜，不要恐懼！你已經安止於一位可以真正保護並指引你的人了，在過往的生死輪迴中，你為兒子、丈夫、父母、兄弟所流過的眼淚已經夠多了。」佛陀進一步向她說《無始相應經》（此經討論無窮盡的生死輪迴）， 這時候她如釋重擔而漸漸平穩下來，佛陀又說，人不應該過度擔憂逝世的人，反而應該清淨自己，精進努力，俾能證入涅槃。聽完佛陀的說法後，波她卡娜明白生命的無常，而對可以引領人們解脫生死輪迴的佛法建立信心。
從此以後，她就出家為比丘尼。有一天，她用壺中水洗腳，當她第一次潑水時，水只向前流了一下子就消失了；她第二次潑水時，水比第一次的時候更往前流動了一段距離，才消失不見；而第三次潑出去的水流動的距離更長，當她看著這三次的潑水所造成不同的流動情形時，恍然明白眾生生命的三個階段（前世、今生、來世）。這時候，在祇樹給孤獨園的佛陀透過神通，知道她的想法，便放光，告誡她：「波她卡娜，妳的想法正確，妳已經確實明白五蘊的實相了，如果有人長命百歲，但卻不明白五蘊無常，苦、空的道理，也是枉費一生的。」波她卡娜不久就證得阿羅漢果。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Patàcàrà.
Patàcàrà was the daughter of a rich man from Sàvatthi. She was very beautiful and was guarded very strictly by her parents. But one day, she eloped with a young male attendant of the family and went to live in a village, as a poor man’s wife. In due course she became pregnant and as the time for confinement drew near, she asked permission from her husband to return to her parents in Sàvatthi, but her husband discouraged her. So, one day, while her husband was away, she set out for the home of her parents. He followed her and caught up with her on the way and pleaded with her to return with him; but she refused. It so happened that as her time was drawing so near, she had to give birth to a son in one of the bushes. After the birth of her son she returned home with her husband.
Then, she was again with child and as the time for confinement drew near, taking her son with her, she again set out for the home of her parents in Sàvatthi. Her husband followed her and caught up with her on the way; but her time for delivery was coming on very fast and it was also raining hard. The husband looked for a suitable place for confinement and while he was clearing a little patch of land, he was bitten by a poisonous snake, and died instantaneously. Patàcàrà waited for her husband, and while waiting for his return she gave birth to her second son. In the morning, she searched for her husband, but only found his dead body. Saying to herself that her husband died on account of her, she continued on her way to her parents. Because it had rained incessantly the whole night, the Aciravati River was in spate; so it was not possible for her to cross the river carrying both her sons. Leaving the elder boy on this side of the river, she crossed the stream with her day-old son and left him on the other bank. She then came back for the elder boy. While she was still in the middle of the river, a large hawk hovered over the younger child taking it for a piece of meat. She shouted to frighten away the bird, but it was all in vain; the child was carried away by the hawk. Meanwhile, the elder boy heard his mother shouting from the middle of the stream and thought she was calling out to him to come to her. So he entered the stream to go to his mother, and was carried away by the strong current. Thus Patàcàrà lost her two sons as well as her husband. So she wept and lamented loudly, “A son is carried away by a hawk, another son is carried away by the current, my husband is also dead, bitten by a poisonous snake!” Then, she saw a man from Sàvatthi and she tearfully asked after her parents. The man replied that due to a violent storm in Sàvatthi the previous night, the house of her parents had fallen down and that both her parents, together with her three brothers, had died, and had been cremated on one funeral pyre. On hearing this tragic news, Patàcàrà went stark mad. She did not even notice that her clothes had fallen off from her and that she was half-naked. She went about the streets, shouting out, “Woe is me!”
While the Buddha was giving a discourse at the Jētavana Monastery, he saw Patàcàrà at a distance; so he willed that she should come to the congregation. The crowd seeing her coming tried to stop her, saying “Don’t let the mad woman come in.” But the Buddha told them not to prevent her coming in. When Patàcàrà was close enough to hear him, he told her to be careful and to keep calm. Then, she realized that she did not have her skirt on and shamefacedly sat down. Someone gave her a piece of cloth and she wrapped herself up in it. She then told the Buddha how she had lost her sons, her husband, her brothers and her parents. She later became a nun and attained liberation.
她再度懷孕的時候，也希望回家生產，但丈夫也加以拒絕。產期快到了，她只好又悄悄地帶著大兒子，出發回舍衛城的娘家。當丈夫追上她時，她產前劇痛加速，即將分娩，這時候天又下著大雨，丈夫急忙去找了個較穩當的地方。當他正在整理場地時，卻被一條劇毒的蛇咬到，當場死亡。這時候，波她卡娜已經生下孩子。第二天，她四處尋找丈夫，卻發現丈夫的屍首，她內心非常悲傷，認為丈夫的死都是自己害的，而十分內疚，就繼續回舍衛城找父母。
但由於下了一整夜的雨，溪水上漲，她無法一次帶二個兒子過河，就把大兒子安置在河這岸，先帶初生嬰兒渡河，並且把他放在對岸，然後自己再渡河折返這岸。當她正在河中央時，一隻在嬰兒上空盤旋的老鷹，以為嬰兒是塊肉，波她卡娜急忙大聲嘶喊，想嚇走老鷹，但老鷹仍然俯衝直下，奪走她的嬰兒。而在這岸的大兒子聽見母親在河中喊叫，以為母親在叫他，就自行邁向河中，但不幸地被強烈的河水沖走。波她卡娜一天之內喪夫又連喪二子。
她放聲慟哭：「小兒子被老鷹奪走，大兒子被河水沖走，丈夫被毒蛇咬死。」然後她遇見一位來自舍衛城的人，她淚眼盈眶的打聽她父母的消息，這人告訴她，昨晚的暴雨使她父母的房子全部倒塌，她父母和唯一的哥哥全部罹難，並且已經火化了。聽到這悲慘的消息，她徹徹底底地崩潰，完全瘋了。甚至不知道身上的衣服已經掉落地上，身子半裸，仍然滿街狂奔，嘶聲哭喊：「可憐的我啊！老天啊！」
這時候，正在祇樹給孤獨園講經說法的佛陀看見她在外面，就運用神通使她前來加入聽法大眾中。當人群看見她走過來時卻想阻止她前進：「不要讓這瘋女人進來！」但佛陀制止他們。當她走到可以聽見佛陀說話的距離時，佛陀告訴她控制自己的心念，使心平穩下來，等她回神過來，才驀然察覺自己的裙子不見了，就安靜的蹲下來，並接下別人遞來的一布塊，遮掩自己。她接著向佛陀訴說她不幸的遭遇─兩個兒子、丈夫、父母和唯一的兄弟全都罹難的經過。
佛陀安慰她：「波她卡娜，不要恐懼！你已經安止於一位可以真正保護並指引你的人了，在過往的生死輪迴中，你為兒子、丈夫、父母、兄弟所流過的眼淚已經夠多了。」佛陀進一步向她說《無始相應經》（此經討論無窮盡的生死輪迴）， 這時候她如釋重擔而漸漸平穩下來，佛陀又說，人不應該過度擔憂逝世的人，反而應該清淨自己，精進努力，俾能證入涅槃。聽完佛陀的說法後，波她卡娜明白生命的無常，而對可以引領人們解脫生死輪迴的佛法建立信心。
從此以後，她就出家為比丘尼。有一天，她用壺中水洗腳，當她第一次潑水時，水只向前流了一下子就消失了；她第二次潑水時，水比第一次的時候更往前流動了一段距離，才消失不見；而第三次潑出去的水流動的距離更長，當她看著這三次的潑水所造成不同的流動情形時，恍然明白眾生生命的三個階段（前世、今生、來世）。這時候，在祇樹給孤獨園的佛陀透過神通，知道她的想法，便放光，告誡她：「波她卡娜，妳的想法正確，妳已經確實明白五蘊的實相了，如果有人長命百歲，但卻不明白五蘊無常，苦、空的道理，也是枉費一生的。」波她卡娜不久就證得阿羅漢果。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Patàcàrà.
Patàcàrà was the daughter of a rich man from Sàvatthi. She was very beautiful and was guarded very strictly by her parents. But one day, she eloped with a young male attendant of the family and went to live in a village, as a poor man’s wife. In due course she became pregnant and as the time for confinement drew near, she asked permission from her husband to return to her parents in Sàvatthi, but her husband discouraged her. So, one day, while her husband was away, she set out for the home of her parents. He followed her and caught up with her on the way and pleaded with her to return with him; but she refused. It so happened that as her time was drawing so near, she had to give birth to a son in one of the bushes. After the birth of her son she returned home with her husband.
Then, she was again with child and as the time for confinement drew near, taking her son with her, she again set out for the home of her parents in Sàvatthi. Her husband followed her and caught up with her on the way; but her time for delivery was coming on very fast and it was also raining hard. The husband looked for a suitable place for confinement and while he was clearing a little patch of land, he was bitten by a poisonous snake, and died instantaneously. Patàcàrà waited for her husband, and while waiting for his return she gave birth to her second son. In the morning, she searched for her husband, but only found his dead body. Saying to herself that her husband died on account of her, she continued on her way to her parents. Because it had rained incessantly the whole night, the Aciravati River was in spate; so it was not possible for her to cross the river carrying both her sons. Leaving the elder boy on this side of the river, she crossed the stream with her day-old son and left him on the other bank. She then came back for the elder boy. While she was still in the middle of the river, a large hawk hovered over the younger child taking it for a piece of meat. She shouted to frighten away the bird, but it was all in vain; the child was carried away by the hawk. Meanwhile, the elder boy heard his mother shouting from the middle of the stream and thought she was calling out to him to come to her. So he entered the stream to go to his mother, and was carried away by the strong current. Thus Patàcàrà lost her two sons as well as her husband. So she wept and lamented loudly, “A son is carried away by a hawk, another son is carried away by the current, my husband is also dead, bitten by a poisonous snake!” Then, she saw a man from Sàvatthi and she tearfully asked after her parents. The man replied that due to a violent storm in Sàvatthi the previous night, the house of her parents had fallen down and that both her parents, together with her three brothers, had died, and had been cremated on one funeral pyre. On hearing this tragic news, Patàcàrà went stark mad. She did not even notice that her clothes had fallen off from her and that she was half-naked. She went about the streets, shouting out, “Woe is me!”
While the Buddha was giving a discourse at the Jētavana Monastery, he saw Patàcàrà at a distance; so he willed that she should come to the congregation. The crowd seeing her coming tried to stop her, saying “Don’t let the mad woman come in.” But the Buddha told them not to prevent her coming in. When Patàcàrà was close enough to hear him, he told her to be careful and to keep calm. Then, she realized that she did not have her skirt on and shamefacedly sat down. Someone gave her a piece of cloth and she wrapped herself up in it. She then told the Buddha how she had lost her sons, her husband, her brothers and her parents. She later became a nun and attained liberation.
☆☆☆
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
