Dhammapada verse #126
有人生於（母）胎中，作惡者則（墮）地獄，正直之人昇天界，漏盡者證入涅槃。
Some find birth within a womb,
evil-doer quicken in hell,
good-farers to the heavens go,
the Unpolluted wholly cool.
☆☆☆
【第126偈的故事】
從前，舍衛城裡有位首飾工匠，他每天都供養一位已經證得阿羅漢果的比丘。有一天，這首飾工匠正在處理一塊肉時，憍薩羅國波斯匿王派遣一位使者送來一顆紅寶石，請他加以切割、修飾後再送還國王。首飾工匠就用沾染鮮血的手拿取紅寶石，把它放在桌子上，然後到屋子裡洗手。這時候，工匠的寵物鳥以為染有血跡的紅寶石是塊肉，就當著比丘的面，用嘴把紅寶石挑起來，並且吞下肚子。工匠洗手出來後，發現紅寶石不見了，就問妻子和孩子們說：「紅寶石那裏去了？」他們都說沒有拿紅寶石。最後，工匠詢問比丘，比丘也說沒拿紅寶石，但工匠卻不滿意比丘的回答。他認為既然其他外人，只有比丘在場，所以只有比丘才有可能拿走紅寶石。他告訴妻子，他要鞭打比丘，比丘才會認罪。
但他妻子回答說：「過去十二年來，這比丘一直是我們的宗教老師，而且我們也從來沒看見他做任何壞事，不要譭謗他。寧可接受國王的懲罰，也不可譭謗修行的人。」
但工匠卻聽不進去她的勸告。他找出一條繩子，把比丘綁緊，然後，用棍子毒打，比丘因此頭破血流。這時，寵物小鳥看見血，以為又是肉，想要再吃，就飛到比丘身邊。但這時候工匠怒不可遏，使盡全力一踢，剛好踢中小鳥，當場死亡。比丘看見小鳥倒地，就說：「請看看小鳥是否已死？」工匠魯莽地說：「你也會像小鳥一樣死掉。」比丘確定小鳥死了，就輕聲說道：「弟子，是這小鳥吞下紅寶石的！」
工匠聽見比丘這麼說，就把小鳥的腹部切開，果真在小鳥的胃裡發現紅寶石，這時候他才明白自己犯下大錯，因而顫慄害怕。他懇求比丘原諒，請他以後繼續來他家化緣。比丘回答他說：「這不是你的錯，也不是我的錯。這是我們累世以來所結的業緣，這只是我們輪迴的債而已，我對你沒有絲毫恨意。事實上，這是因為我進入居士家的後果，從今以後，我再也不進任何人的家，我只會站在門口。」
不久之後，比丘因為傷重而不治，但已證得涅槃。這小鳥卻往生成工匠的兒子。工匠死後，墮入地獄。而工匠妻子由於當時善心對待比丘，死後往生到某一天界。
（註）眾生若墮入四惡趣，受報之後，仍可能因為過去的善業往生善趣。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Venerable Tissa.
Once, there was a gem polisher and his wife in Sàvatthi; there was also a Venerable (senior monk), who was an arahat. Every day, the couple offered alms-food to the Venerable. One day, while the gem polisher was handling meat, a messenger of King Pasēnadi of Kōsala arrived with a ruby, which was to be cut and polished and sent back to the king. The gem polisher took the ruby with his hand which was covered with blood, put it on a table and went into the house to wash his hands. The pet crane of the family, seeing the blood stained ruby and mistaking it for a piece of meat, picked it up and swallowed it in the presence of the Venerable. When the gem polisher returned, he found that the ruby was missing. He asked his wife and his son and they answered that they had not taken it. Then, he asked the Venerable who said that he did not take it. The gem polisher was not satisfied. As there was no one else in the house, the gem polisher concluded that it must be the Venerable who had taken the precious ruby: so he told his wife that he must torture the Venerable to get admission of theft.
But his wife replied, “This Venerable had been our guide and teacher for the last twelve years, and we have never seen him doing anything evil; please do not accuse the Venerable. It would be better to take the king’s punishment than to accuse a noble one.” But her husband paid no heed to her words; he took a rope and tied up the Venerable and beat him many times with a stick. As a result of this, the Venerable bled profusely from the head, ears and nose, and dropped on the floor. The crane, seeing blood and wishing to take it, came close to the Venerable. The gem polisher, who was by then in a great rage, kicked the crane with all his might and the bird died instantaneously. Then, the Venerable said, “Please see whether the crane is dead or not,” and the gem polisher replied, “You too shall die like this crane.” When the Venerable was sure the crane had died, he said, softly, “My disciple, the crane swallowed the ruby.”
Hearing this, the gem polisher cut up the crane and found the ruby in the stomach. Then, the gem polisher realized his mistake and trembled with fear. He pleaded with the Venerable to pardon him and also to continue to come to his door for alms. The Venerable replied, “My disciple, it is not your fault, nor is it mine. This has happened on account of what has been done in our previous existences; it is just our debt in saüsàra; I feel no ill will towards you. As a matter of fact, this has happened because I have entered a house. From today, I would not enter any house; I would only stand at the door.” Soon after saying this, the Venerable expired as a result of his injuries.
Later, the monks asked the Buddha where the various characters in the above episode were reborn, and the Buddha answered, “The crane was reborn as the son of the gem polisher; the gem polisher was reborn in Niraya (Hell); the wife of the gem polisher was reborn in one of the dēva worlds; and the Venerable, who was already an arahat when he was living, attained Parinibbàna.”
但他妻子回答說：「過去十二年來，這比丘一直是我們的宗教老師，而且我們也從來沒看見他做任何壞事，不要譭謗他。寧可接受國王的懲罰，也不可譭謗修行的人。」
但工匠卻聽不進去她的勸告。他找出一條繩子，把比丘綁緊，然後，用棍子毒打，比丘因此頭破血流。這時，寵物小鳥看見血，以為又是肉，想要再吃，就飛到比丘身邊。但這時候工匠怒不可遏，使盡全力一踢，剛好踢中小鳥，當場死亡。比丘看見小鳥倒地，就說：「請看看小鳥是否已死？」工匠魯莽地說：「你也會像小鳥一樣死掉。」比丘確定小鳥死了，就輕聲說道：「弟子，是這小鳥吞下紅寶石的！」
工匠聽見比丘這麼說，就把小鳥的腹部切開，果真在小鳥的胃裡發現紅寶石，這時候他才明白自己犯下大錯，因而顫慄害怕。他懇求比丘原諒，請他以後繼續來他家化緣。比丘回答他說：「這不是你的錯，也不是我的錯。這是我們累世以來所結的業緣，這只是我們輪迴的債而已，我對你沒有絲毫恨意。事實上，這是因為我進入居士家的後果，從今以後，我再也不進任何人的家，我只會站在門口。」
不久之後，比丘因為傷重而不治，但已證得涅槃。這小鳥卻往生成工匠的兒子。工匠死後，墮入地獄。而工匠妻子由於當時善心對待比丘，死後往生到某一天界。
（註）眾生若墮入四惡趣，受報之後，仍可能因為過去的善業往生善趣。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Venerable Tissa.
Once, there was a gem polisher and his wife in Sàvatthi; there was also a Venerable (senior monk), who was an arahat. Every day, the couple offered alms-food to the Venerable. One day, while the gem polisher was handling meat, a messenger of King Pasēnadi of Kōsala arrived with a ruby, which was to be cut and polished and sent back to the king. The gem polisher took the ruby with his hand which was covered with blood, put it on a table and went into the house to wash his hands. The pet crane of the family, seeing the blood stained ruby and mistaking it for a piece of meat, picked it up and swallowed it in the presence of the Venerable. When the gem polisher returned, he found that the ruby was missing. He asked his wife and his son and they answered that they had not taken it. Then, he asked the Venerable who said that he did not take it. The gem polisher was not satisfied. As there was no one else in the house, the gem polisher concluded that it must be the Venerable who had taken the precious ruby: so he told his wife that he must torture the Venerable to get admission of theft.
But his wife replied, “This Venerable had been our guide and teacher for the last twelve years, and we have never seen him doing anything evil; please do not accuse the Venerable. It would be better to take the king’s punishment than to accuse a noble one.” But her husband paid no heed to her words; he took a rope and tied up the Venerable and beat him many times with a stick. As a result of this, the Venerable bled profusely from the head, ears and nose, and dropped on the floor. The crane, seeing blood and wishing to take it, came close to the Venerable. The gem polisher, who was by then in a great rage, kicked the crane with all his might and the bird died instantaneously. Then, the Venerable said, “Please see whether the crane is dead or not,” and the gem polisher replied, “You too shall die like this crane.” When the Venerable was sure the crane had died, he said, softly, “My disciple, the crane swallowed the ruby.”
Hearing this, the gem polisher cut up the crane and found the ruby in the stomach. Then, the gem polisher realized his mistake and trembled with fear. He pleaded with the Venerable to pardon him and also to continue to come to his door for alms. The Venerable replied, “My disciple, it is not your fault, nor is it mine. This has happened on account of what has been done in our previous existences; it is just our debt in saüsàra; I feel no ill will towards you. As a matter of fact, this has happened because I have entered a house. From today, I would not enter any house; I would only stand at the door.” Soon after saying this, the Venerable expired as a result of his injuries.
Later, the monks asked the Buddha where the various characters in the above episode were reborn, and the Buddha answered, “The crane was reborn as the son of the gem polisher; the gem polisher was reborn in Niraya (Hell); the wife of the gem polisher was reborn in one of the dēva worlds; and the Venerable, who was already an arahat when he was living, attained Parinibbàna.”
☆☆☆
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
