Dhammapada verse #128
非於虛空及海中，亦非入深山洞窟，欲求不為死魔制，世間實無可覓處。
Neither in sky nor surrounding by sea,
nor by dwelling in a mountain cave,
nowhere is found that place in earth
where one’s by death not overcome.
☆☆☆
【第128偈的故事】
善覺王是提婆達兜的父親，也是佛陀的丈人。他基於兩個原因對佛陀十分反感，第一、佛陀拋棄他的女兒耶輸陀羅，捨棄世間，第二、他的兒子提婆達兜認為佛陀是他的對頭。
有一天，他知道佛陀要來化緣，就喝醉酒，擋住佛陀前來的路。當佛陀和比丘前來時，他拒絕讓路，反而派人告訴佛陀：「我無法讓路給佛陀，因為佛陀比我年輕太多了。」這時候佛陀和比丘發現路被擋住了，就轉回頭。他卻又派人秘密跟隨佛陀，看佛陀怎麼說，然後回報給他。
佛陀轉身的時候告訴阿難：「善覺王因為拒絕讓路給佛陀，已經造下惡業，不久就要受到業報。
當善覺王知道佛陀的預測時，誓言採取特別的預防措施，以證明佛陀的話是錯誤的。他要求他的侍衛加強保護，執勤時要更機警。
佛陀知道善覺王的措施時說：「比丘們！不管善覺王是否住在尖頂高塔，高高的天上、海洋或山洞，他都無法逃避所作惡業的業報。」
七天後進餐的時候，善覺王鍾愛的一匹馬不知何故受到驚嚇而大聲嘶鳴，並且憤怒地踢腿。王聽見馬驚惶的聲音時，忘了要格外小心的事，而想要親自去照顧愛馬，就往門外走去，但卻跌落樓梯而摔死了，並往生惡趣。
不管多麼努力，愚蠢的善覺王仍然逃避不了所作惡業的業報。
While residing at the Nigrōdhàràma Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to King Suppabuddha.
King Suppabuddha was the father of Dēvadatta and father-inlaw of Prince Siddhattha who later became Gōtama Buddha. King Suppabuddha was very antagonistic to the Buddha for two reasons. First, because as Prince Siddhattha he had left his wife Yasōdharà, the daughter of King Suppabuddha, to renounce the world; and secondly, because his son Dēvadatta, who was admitted into the Order by Gōtama Buddha, had come to regard the Buddha as his arch enemy. One day, knowing that the Buddha would be coming for alms-food, he got himself drunk and blocked the way. When the Buddha and the monks came, Suppabuddha refused to make way, and sent a message saying, I cannot give way to Samana Gōtama, who is so much younger than me.” Finding the road blocked, the Buddha and the monks turned back. Suppabuddha then sent someone to follow the Buddha secretly and find out what the Buddha said, and to report to him.
As the Buddha turned back, he said to ânanda, “ânanda, because King Suppabuddha refused to give way to me, on the seventh day from now he will be swallowed up by the earth, at the foot of the steps leading to the pinnacled hall of his palace.” The king’s spy heard these words and reported to the king. And the king said that he would not go near those steps and would prove the words of the Buddha to be wrong. Further, he instructed his men to remove those steps, so that he would not be able to use them; he also kept some men on duty, with instructions to hold him back should he go in the direction of the stairs.
When the Buddha was told about the king’s instructions to his men, he said, “Monks! Whether King Suppabuddha lives in a pinnacled tower, or up in the sky, or in an ocean or in a cave, my word cannot go wrong; King Suppabuddha will be swallowed up by the earth at the very place I have told you.”
On the seventh day, about the time of the alms meal the royal horse got frightened for some unknown reason and started neighing loudly and kicking about furiously. Hearing frightening noises from his horse, the king felt that he must handle his pet horse and forgetting all precautions, he started towards the door. The door opened of its own accord, the steps which had been pulled down earlier were also there, his men forgot to stop him from going down. So the king went down the stairs and as soon as he stepped on the earth, it opened and swallowed him up and dragged him right down to Avãci Hell. Thus, no matter how hard he tried, the foolish king was unable to escape the effects of his evil kamma.
有一天，他知道佛陀要來化緣，就喝醉酒，擋住佛陀前來的路。當佛陀和比丘前來時，他拒絕讓路，反而派人告訴佛陀：「我無法讓路給佛陀，因為佛陀比我年輕太多了。」這時候佛陀和比丘發現路被擋住了，就轉回頭。他卻又派人秘密跟隨佛陀，看佛陀怎麼說，然後回報給他。
佛陀轉身的時候告訴阿難：「善覺王因為拒絕讓路給佛陀，已經造下惡業，不久就要受到業報。
當善覺王知道佛陀的預測時，誓言採取特別的預防措施，以證明佛陀的話是錯誤的。他要求他的侍衛加強保護，執勤時要更機警。
佛陀知道善覺王的措施時說：「比丘們！不管善覺王是否住在尖頂高塔，高高的天上、海洋或山洞，他都無法逃避所作惡業的業報。」
七天後進餐的時候，善覺王鍾愛的一匹馬不知何故受到驚嚇而大聲嘶鳴，並且憤怒地踢腿。王聽見馬驚惶的聲音時，忘了要格外小心的事，而想要親自去照顧愛馬，就往門外走去，但卻跌落樓梯而摔死了，並往生惡趣。
不管多麼努力，愚蠢的善覺王仍然逃避不了所作惡業的業報。
While residing at the Nigrōdhàràma Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to King Suppabuddha.
King Suppabuddha was the father of Dēvadatta and father-inlaw of Prince Siddhattha who later became Gōtama Buddha. King Suppabuddha was very antagonistic to the Buddha for two reasons. First, because as Prince Siddhattha he had left his wife Yasōdharà, the daughter of King Suppabuddha, to renounce the world; and secondly, because his son Dēvadatta, who was admitted into the Order by Gōtama Buddha, had come to regard the Buddha as his arch enemy. One day, knowing that the Buddha would be coming for alms-food, he got himself drunk and blocked the way. When the Buddha and the monks came, Suppabuddha refused to make way, and sent a message saying, I cannot give way to Samana Gōtama, who is so much younger than me.” Finding the road blocked, the Buddha and the monks turned back. Suppabuddha then sent someone to follow the Buddha secretly and find out what the Buddha said, and to report to him.
As the Buddha turned back, he said to ânanda, “ânanda, because King Suppabuddha refused to give way to me, on the seventh day from now he will be swallowed up by the earth, at the foot of the steps leading to the pinnacled hall of his palace.” The king’s spy heard these words and reported to the king. And the king said that he would not go near those steps and would prove the words of the Buddha to be wrong. Further, he instructed his men to remove those steps, so that he would not be able to use them; he also kept some men on duty, with instructions to hold him back should he go in the direction of the stairs.
When the Buddha was told about the king’s instructions to his men, he said, “Monks! Whether King Suppabuddha lives in a pinnacled tower, or up in the sky, or in an ocean or in a cave, my word cannot go wrong; King Suppabuddha will be swallowed up by the earth at the very place I have told you.”
On the seventh day, about the time of the alms meal the royal horse got frightened for some unknown reason and started neighing loudly and kicking about furiously. Hearing frightening noises from his horse, the king felt that he must handle his pet horse and forgetting all precautions, he started towards the door. The door opened of its own accord, the steps which had been pulled down earlier were also there, his men forgot to stop him from going down. So the king went down the stairs and as soon as he stepped on the earth, it opened and swallowed him up and dragged him right down to Avãci Hell. Thus, no matter how hard he tried, the foolish king was unable to escape the effects of his evil kamma.
☆☆☆
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
