Dhammapada verse #122
莫輕於小善！謂『我不招報』，須知滴水落，亦可滿水瓶，智者完其善，少許少許積。
Think lightly not of goodness,
‘It will not come to me’,
for by the falling of water drops
a water jar is filled.
The sage with goodness fills himself,
he soaks up little by little.
☆☆☆
【第122偈的故事】
從前，舍衛城中有一男子聽完佛陀的說法後，大受感動，決定信受奉行。在那次的說法中，佛陀勸人不僅自己要布施，更要勸導他人也布施，因為如此，所獲得的功德會更大。這男子就邀請佛陀和眾多比丘第二天到他家接受供養。他接著告訴每戶街坊鄰居，明天要供養佛陀和眾多比丘，希望他們能隨份供養。這時候，有一位名字叫做畢拉潘達卡的富翁，看著這男子家家戶戶去穿梭時，心裡咕嚕著：「這討厭的傢伙！怎麼不估量自己的能力，獨自供養比丘就好了，卻要央求大夥兒跟他一齊供養呢？」所以他就要這男子拿缽來，然後放進一些米、奶油和蜂蜜。這男子把富翁供養的這些東西單獨放，不和其他人的供養品混淆。富翁不曉得為什麼他的供養品要單獨放，他懷疑這男子如此做，是要別人知道身為富翁的他，卻小氣地只布施這麼少的東西，好羞辱他，所以就派人跟著去看個究竟。
這男子把富翁布施的東西分成一小部分一小部分，然後將它們放入裝有其它供養品如米、咖哩和甜肉的各個壺罐中。這樣子，富翁就可以獲得較多的功德。富翁的僕人回去報告男子的處理方法時，富翁不知道這男子的意圖。第二天，他攜把刀子前去供養的地方，只要這男子敢公開他供養的東西這樣少，他就要殺了這男子。
但這男子向佛陀說：「尊者！這次的供養布施，是大家共同供養的。任何人供養的多少無關緊要。每個人都虔誠、慷慨供養。所以，希望所有人都獲得相同的功德。」
富翁聽完這男子的話後，明白自己誤會別人了，就請這男子原諒：「朋友！請原諒我對你心懷惡意。」佛陀聽到富翁的表白後，告誡富翁：「即使非常細微的善行，也不可以輕視。如果經常做小小的善行，它也會變成巨大的善業。」
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Bilàlapàdaka, a rich man.
Once, a man from Sàvatthi, having heard a discourse given by the Buddha, was very much impressed, and decided to practice what was taught by the Buddha. The exhortation was to give in charity not only by oneself but also to get others to do so and that by so doing one would gain much merit and have a large number of followers in the next existence. So, that man invited the Buddha and all the resident monks in the Jētavana Monastery for alms-food the next day. Then he went round to each one of the houses and informed the residents that alms-food would be offered the next day to the Buddha and other ‘monks and so to contribute according to their wishes. The rich man Bilàlapàdaka seeing the man going round from house to house disapproved of his behaviour and felt a strong dislike for him and murmured to himself “O this wretched man! Why did he not invite as many monks as he could himself offer alms, instead of going round coaxing people!” So he asked the man to bring his bowl and into this bowl, he put only a little rice, only a little butter, only a little molass. These were taken away separately and not mixed with what others had given. The rich man could not understand why his things were kept separately, and he thought perhaps that man wanted others to know that a rich man like him had contributed very little and so put him to shame. Therefore, he sent a servant to find out.
The promoter of charity put a little of everything that was given by the rich man into various pots of rice and curry and sweetmeats so that the rich man may gain much merit. His servant reported what he had seen; but Bilàlapàdaka did not get the meaning and was not sure of the intention of the promoter of charity. However, the next day he went to the place where alms-food was being offered. At the same time, he took a knife with him, intending to kill the chief promoter of charity, if he were to reveal in public just how little a rich man like him had contributed.
But this promoter of charity said to the Buddha, “Venerable, this charity is a joint offering of all; whether one has given much or little is of no account; each one of us has given in faith and generosity; so may all of us gain equal merit.” When he heard those words, Bilàlapàdaka realized that he had wronged the man and pondered that if he were not to own up his mistake and ask the promoter of charity to pardon him, he would be reborn in one of the four lower worlds (apàyas). So he said, “My friend, I have done you a great wrong by thinking ill of you; please forgive me.” The Buddha heard the rich man asking for pardon, and on inquiry found out the reason. So, the Buddha said, “My disciple, you should not think lightly of a good deed, however small it may be, for small deeds will become big if you do them habitually.
這男子把富翁布施的東西分成一小部分一小部分，然後將它們放入裝有其它供養品如米、咖哩和甜肉的各個壺罐中。這樣子，富翁就可以獲得較多的功德。富翁的僕人回去報告男子的處理方法時，富翁不知道這男子的意圖。第二天，他攜把刀子前去供養的地方，只要這男子敢公開他供養的東西這樣少，他就要殺了這男子。
但這男子向佛陀說：「尊者！這次的供養布施，是大家共同供養的。任何人供養的多少無關緊要。每個人都虔誠、慷慨供養。所以，希望所有人都獲得相同的功德。」
富翁聽完這男子的話後，明白自己誤會別人了，就請這男子原諒：「朋友！請原諒我對你心懷惡意。」佛陀聽到富翁的表白後，告誡富翁：「即使非常細微的善行，也不可以輕視。如果經常做小小的善行，它也會變成巨大的善業。」
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Bilàlapàdaka, a rich man.
Once, a man from Sàvatthi, having heard a discourse given by the Buddha, was very much impressed, and decided to practice what was taught by the Buddha. The exhortation was to give in charity not only by oneself but also to get others to do so and that by so doing one would gain much merit and have a large number of followers in the next existence. So, that man invited the Buddha and all the resident monks in the Jētavana Monastery for alms-food the next day. Then he went round to each one of the houses and informed the residents that alms-food would be offered the next day to the Buddha and other ‘monks and so to contribute according to their wishes. The rich man Bilàlapàdaka seeing the man going round from house to house disapproved of his behaviour and felt a strong dislike for him and murmured to himself “O this wretched man! Why did he not invite as many monks as he could himself offer alms, instead of going round coaxing people!” So he asked the man to bring his bowl and into this bowl, he put only a little rice, only a little butter, only a little molass. These were taken away separately and not mixed with what others had given. The rich man could not understand why his things were kept separately, and he thought perhaps that man wanted others to know that a rich man like him had contributed very little and so put him to shame. Therefore, he sent a servant to find out.
The promoter of charity put a little of everything that was given by the rich man into various pots of rice and curry and sweetmeats so that the rich man may gain much merit. His servant reported what he had seen; but Bilàlapàdaka did not get the meaning and was not sure of the intention of the promoter of charity. However, the next day he went to the place where alms-food was being offered. At the same time, he took a knife with him, intending to kill the chief promoter of charity, if he were to reveal in public just how little a rich man like him had contributed.
But this promoter of charity said to the Buddha, “Venerable, this charity is a joint offering of all; whether one has given much or little is of no account; each one of us has given in faith and generosity; so may all of us gain equal merit.” When he heard those words, Bilàlapàdaka realized that he had wronged the man and pondered that if he were not to own up his mistake and ask the promoter of charity to pardon him, he would be reborn in one of the four lower worlds (apàyas). So he said, “My friend, I have done you a great wrong by thinking ill of you; please forgive me.” The Buddha heard the rich man asking for pardon, and on inquiry found out the reason. So, the Buddha said, “My disciple, you should not think lightly of a good deed, however small it may be, for small deeds will become big if you do them habitually.
☆☆☆
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
