Dhammapada verse # 137 ~ 140
若以刀杖害，無惡無害者，十事中一種，彼將迅速得。
Whoever forces the forceless
or offends the inoffensive,
speedily comes indeed
to one of these ten states:
極苦痛失財，身體被損害，或重病所逼，或失心狂亂。
Sharp pain or deprivation,
or injury to body,
or to a serious disease,
derangement of the mind;
或為王迫害，或被誣重罪，或眷屬離散，或破滅財產。
Troubled by the government,
or else false accusation,
or by loss of relatives,
destruction of one’s wealth;
或彼之房屋，為劫火焚燒。癡者身亡後，復墮於地獄。
Or one’s houses burn
on raging conflagration,
at the body’s end, in hell
arises that unwise one.
☆☆☆
【第137 ~ 140偈的故事】
有一次，一些尼犍子苦行者企圖殺害大目犍連尊者，他們認為若除去大目犍連尊者，就可以打擊佛陀的名聲。他們就僱請殺手去王舍城附近的卡拉斯拉殺害大目犍連尊者。但是當殺手們包圍精舍的兩個月內，大目犍連尊者都運用神通，所以殺手們都無法得逞。第三個月，殺手們再度包圍精舍，大目犍連尊者突然想起他尚未償還過去某一世所種下的惡業(註2)，就不再運用神通了。這些殺手們也因此逮到大目犍連尊者，加以毒打，並且把他丟棄在草堆中，以為他已經死了，然後揚長而去。這時候，大目犍連尊者運用禪定能力，復甦過來，並且到祇樹給孤獨園向佛陀做最後的頂禮。但由於受傷太重，他自知即將入滅，就告訴佛陀說自己行將入滅。佛陀請他向比丘說法，因為這將是比丘們聽聞大目犍連尊者說法的最後一次機會了。大目犍連尊者就開始說法，說完之後，他向佛陀最後頂禮，然後離去，不久，就入滅了。
大目犍連尊者死於殺手的消息像野火般傳了出去。阿闍世國王下令調查，並且逮捕到兇手們，處以死刑。比丘們對大目犍連尊者的入滅感到十分傷心，不知道為什麼像大目犍連尊者這樣的人怎麼會死於殺手的手中。佛陀就解釋道：「比丘啊！從大目犍連尊者今生所過的清淨生活看來，他不應該死於非命。但某一前世，他卻曾對兩眼失明的雙親犯下滔天大罪。他本是孝順的兒子，但結婚後，太太卻毒化他的心靈，要他除去父母，他就用車子把兩眼全都失明的父母載到森林裡去，並且打死他們，卻讓父母以為這是其他小偷所作的罪行。因此，他累劫受苦，今生－－他最後的一世才會死於殺手手中。傷害無辜的人，一定會受到比自己所犯罪行更多苦痛。」
註 1：指阿羅漢。
註 2：只要他們的肉體還存在，阿羅漢也會因為他們過去世所犯的重要惡報而受報，佛陀後來罹患痢疾，也是由於過去餘業的業報。但雖然無法免除過去的業報，證得阿羅漢果後，他們就不再造業。
While residing at the Jãtavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to Venerable Mahà Moggallàna.
Once upon a time the heretics met together and said to each other, “Brethren, do you know the reason why the gifts and offerings to the Buddha have waxed great?” “No, we do not know; but do you know?” “Indeed we do know; it has all come about through one Venerable Moggallàna. For Venerable Moggallàna goes to heaven and asks the deities what deeds of merit they performed; and then he comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men receive such and such glory.’ Then he goes to hell and asks also those who have been reborn in hell what they did; and comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men experience such and such suffering.’ Men listen to what he says, and bring rich gifts and offerings. Now if we succeed in killing him, all these rich gifts and offerings will fall to us.”
“That is a way indeed!” exclaimed all the heretics. So all the heretics with one accord formed the resolution, “We will kill him by hook or by crook.” Accordingly they roused their own supporters, procured a thousand pieces of money, and formed a plot to kill Venerable Moggallàna. Summoning some wandering thieves, they gave them the thousand pieces of money and said to them, “Venerable Moggallàna lives at Black Rock. Go there and kill him.” The money attracted the thieves and they immediately agreed to do as they were asked. “Yes, indeed,” said the thieves; “we will kill the Venerable.” So they went and surrounded the Venerable’s place of abode.
The Venerable, knowing that his place of abode was surrounded, slipped out through the keyhole and escaped. The thieves, not seeing the Venerable that day, came back on the following day, and again surrounded the Venerable’s place of abode. But the Venerable knew, and so he broke through the circular peak of the house and soared away into the air. Thus did the thieves attempt both in the first month and in the second month to catch the Venerable, but without success. But when the third month came, the Venerable felt the compelling force of the evil deed he had himself committed in a previous state of existence, and made no attempt to get away.
At last the thieves succeeded in catching the Venerable. When they had so done, they tore him limb from limb, and pounded his bones until they were as small as grains of rice. Then thinking to themselves, “He is dead,” they tossed his bones behind a certain clump of bushes and went their way. The Venerable thought to himself, “I will pay my respects to the Buddha before I pass into Nibbàna.” Accordingly he swathed himself with meditation as with a cloth, made himself rigid, and soaring through the air, he proceeded to the Buddha, paid obeisance to the Buddha, and said to him, “Venerable, I am about to pass into Nibbàna.” “You are about to pass into Nibbàna, Moggallàna?” “Yes, Venerable.” “To what region of the earth are you going?” “To Black Rock, Venerable.” “Well then, Moggallàna, preach the Law to me before you go, for hereafter I shall have no such disciple as you to look upon.” “That will I do, Venerable,” replied Venerable Moggallàna. So first paying obeisance to the Buddha, he rose into the air, performed all manner of miracles just as did the Venerable Sàriputta on the day when he passed into Nibbàna, preached the Dhamma, paid obeisance to the Buddha, and then went to Black Rock forest and passed into Nibbàna.
Immediately the report spread all over South Asia. “Thieves have killed the Venerable.” Immediately King Ajàtasattu sent out spies to search for the thieves. Now as those very thieves were drinking strong drink in a tavern, one of them struck the other on the back and felled him to the ground. Immediately the second thief reviled the first, saying, “You scoundrel, why did you strike me on the back and fell me to the ground?” “Why, you vagabond of a thief, you were the first to strike Venerable Moggallàna.” “You don’t know whether I struck him or not.” There was a babel of voices crying out, “’Twas I struck him, ’Twas I struck him.”
Those spies heard what the thieves said, captured all the thieves, and made their report to the king. The king caused the thieves to be brought into his presence and asked them, “Was it you that killed the Venerable?” “Yes, your majesty.” “Who, pray, put you up to it?” “The naked ascetics, your majesty,” The king had the five hundred naked ascetics caught, placed them, together with the five hundred thieves, waist-deep in pits which he had dug in the palace-court, caused their bodies to be covered over with bundles of straw, and then caused the bundles of straw to be lighted. When he knew that they had been burned, he caused their bodies to be plowed with iron plows and thus caused them all to be ground to bits.
The monks began a discussion in the hall of truth: “Venerable Moggallàna met death which he did not deserve.” At that moment the Buddha approached and asked them, “Monks, what are you saying as you sit here all gathered together?” When they told him, he said, “Monks, if you regard only this present state of existence, Venerable Moggallàna indeed met a death which he did not deserve. But as a matter of fact, the manner of death he met was in exact conformity with the deed he committed in a previous state of existence.” Thereupon the monks asked the Buddha, “But, venerable, what was the deed he committed in a previous state of existence?” In reply the Buddha related his former deed in detail.
The story goes that once upon a time in the distant past a certain youth of good family performed with his own hand all of the household duties, such as pounding rice and cooking, and took care of his mother and father also. One day his mother and father said to him, “Son, you are wearing yourself out by performing all of the work both in the house and in the forest. We will fetch you home a certain young woman to be your wife.” The son replied, “Dear mother and father, there is no necessity of your doing anything of the sort. So long as you both shall live I will wait upon you with my own hand.” In spite of the fact that he refused to listen to their suggestion, they repeated their request time and again, and finally brought him home a young woman to be his wife.
For a few days only she waited upon his mother and father. After those few days had passed, she was unable even to bear the sight of them and said to her husband with a great show of indignation, “It is impossible for me to live any longer in the same house with your mother and father.” But he paid no attention to what she said. So one day, when he was out of the house, she took bits of clay and bark and scum of rice-gruel and scattered them here and there about the house. When her husband returned and asked her what it meant, she said, “This is what your blind old parents have done; they go about littering up the entire house; it is impossible for me to live in the same place with them any longer.” Thus did she speak again and again. The result was that finally even a being so distinguished as he, a being who had fulfilled the Perfection, broke with his mother and father.
“Never mind,” said the husband, I shall find some way of dealing with them properly.” So when he had given them food, he said to them, “Dear mother and father, in such and such a place live kinsfolk of yours who desire you to visit them; let us go thither.” And assisting them to enter a carriage, he set out with them. When he reached the depths of the forest, he said to his father, “Dear father, hold these reins; the oxen know the track so well that they will go without guidance; this is a place where thieves lie in wait for travellers; I am going to descend from the carriage.” And giving the reins into the hands of his father, he descended from the carriage and made his way into the forest. As he did so, he began to make a noise, increasing the volume of the noise until it sounded as if a band of thieves were about to make an attack. When his mother and father heard the noise, they thought to themselves, “A band of thieves are about to attack us.” Therefore they said to their son, “Son, we are old people; save yourself, and pay no attention to us.” But even as his mother and father cried out thus, the son, yelling the thieves’ yell, beat them and killed them and threw their bodies into the forest. Having so done, he returned home.
When the Buddha had related the foregoing story of Venerable Moggallàna’s misdeed in a previous state of existence, he said, “Monks, by reason of the fact that Venerable Moggallàna committed so monstrous a sin, he suffered torment for numberless hundreds of thousands of years in hell; and thereafter, because the fruit of his evil deed was not yet exhausted, in a hundred successive existences he was beaten and pounded to pieces in like manner and so met death. Therefore the manner of death which Venerable Moggallàna suffered was in exact conformity with his own misdeed in a previous state of existence. Likewise the five hundred heretics who with the five hundred thieves offended against my son who had committed no offense against them, suffered precisely that form of death which they deserved. For he that offends against the offenseless, incurs misfortune and loss through ten circumstances.”
大目犍連尊者死於殺手的消息像野火般傳了出去。阿闍世國王下令調查，並且逮捕到兇手們，處以死刑。比丘們對大目犍連尊者的入滅感到十分傷心，不知道為什麼像大目犍連尊者這樣的人怎麼會死於殺手的手中。佛陀就解釋道：「比丘啊！從大目犍連尊者今生所過的清淨生活看來，他不應該死於非命。但某一前世，他卻曾對兩眼失明的雙親犯下滔天大罪。他本是孝順的兒子，但結婚後，太太卻毒化他的心靈，要他除去父母，他就用車子把兩眼全都失明的父母載到森林裡去，並且打死他們，卻讓父母以為這是其他小偷所作的罪行。因此，他累劫受苦，今生－－他最後的一世才會死於殺手手中。傷害無辜的人，一定會受到比自己所犯罪行更多苦痛。」
註 1：指阿羅漢。
註 2：只要他們的肉體還存在，阿羅漢也會因為他們過去世所犯的重要惡報而受報，佛陀後來罹患痢疾，也是由於過去餘業的業報。但雖然無法免除過去的業報，證得阿羅漢果後，他們就不再造業。
While residing at the Jãtavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to Venerable Mahà Moggallàna.
Once upon a time the heretics met together and said to each other, “Brethren, do you know the reason why the gifts and offerings to the Buddha have waxed great?” “No, we do not know; but do you know?” “Indeed we do know; it has all come about through one Venerable Moggallàna. For Venerable Moggallàna goes to heaven and asks the deities what deeds of merit they performed; and then he comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men receive such and such glory.’ Then he goes to hell and asks also those who have been reborn in hell what they did; and comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men experience such and such suffering.’ Men listen to what he says, and bring rich gifts and offerings. Now if we succeed in killing him, all these rich gifts and offerings will fall to us.”
“That is a way indeed!” exclaimed all the heretics. So all the heretics with one accord formed the resolution, “We will kill him by hook or by crook.” Accordingly they roused their own supporters, procured a thousand pieces of money, and formed a plot to kill Venerable Moggallàna. Summoning some wandering thieves, they gave them the thousand pieces of money and said to them, “Venerable Moggallàna lives at Black Rock. Go there and kill him.” The money attracted the thieves and they immediately agreed to do as they were asked. “Yes, indeed,” said the thieves; “we will kill the Venerable.” So they went and surrounded the Venerable’s place of abode.
The Venerable, knowing that his place of abode was surrounded, slipped out through the keyhole and escaped. The thieves, not seeing the Venerable that day, came back on the following day, and again surrounded the Venerable’s place of abode. But the Venerable knew, and so he broke through the circular peak of the house and soared away into the air. Thus did the thieves attempt both in the first month and in the second month to catch the Venerable, but without success. But when the third month came, the Venerable felt the compelling force of the evil deed he had himself committed in a previous state of existence, and made no attempt to get away.
At last the thieves succeeded in catching the Venerable. When they had so done, they tore him limb from limb, and pounded his bones until they were as small as grains of rice. Then thinking to themselves, “He is dead,” they tossed his bones behind a certain clump of bushes and went their way. The Venerable thought to himself, “I will pay my respects to the Buddha before I pass into Nibbàna.” Accordingly he swathed himself with meditation as with a cloth, made himself rigid, and soaring through the air, he proceeded to the Buddha, paid obeisance to the Buddha, and said to him, “Venerable, I am about to pass into Nibbàna.” “You are about to pass into Nibbàna, Moggallàna?” “Yes, Venerable.” “To what region of the earth are you going?” “To Black Rock, Venerable.” “Well then, Moggallàna, preach the Law to me before you go, for hereafter I shall have no such disciple as you to look upon.” “That will I do, Venerable,” replied Venerable Moggallàna. So first paying obeisance to the Buddha, he rose into the air, performed all manner of miracles just as did the Venerable Sàriputta on the day when he passed into Nibbàna, preached the Dhamma, paid obeisance to the Buddha, and then went to Black Rock forest and passed into Nibbàna.
Immediately the report spread all over South Asia. “Thieves have killed the Venerable.” Immediately King Ajàtasattu sent out spies to search for the thieves. Now as those very thieves were drinking strong drink in a tavern, one of them struck the other on the back and felled him to the ground. Immediately the second thief reviled the first, saying, “You scoundrel, why did you strike me on the back and fell me to the ground?” “Why, you vagabond of a thief, you were the first to strike Venerable Moggallàna.” “You don’t know whether I struck him or not.” There was a babel of voices crying out, “’Twas I struck him, ’Twas I struck him.”
Those spies heard what the thieves said, captured all the thieves, and made their report to the king. The king caused the thieves to be brought into his presence and asked them, “Was it you that killed the Venerable?” “Yes, your majesty.” “Who, pray, put you up to it?” “The naked ascetics, your majesty,” The king had the five hundred naked ascetics caught, placed them, together with the five hundred thieves, waist-deep in pits which he had dug in the palace-court, caused their bodies to be covered over with bundles of straw, and then caused the bundles of straw to be lighted. When he knew that they had been burned, he caused their bodies to be plowed with iron plows and thus caused them all to be ground to bits.
The monks began a discussion in the hall of truth: “Venerable Moggallàna met death which he did not deserve.” At that moment the Buddha approached and asked them, “Monks, what are you saying as you sit here all gathered together?” When they told him, he said, “Monks, if you regard only this present state of existence, Venerable Moggallàna indeed met a death which he did not deserve. But as a matter of fact, the manner of death he met was in exact conformity with the deed he committed in a previous state of existence.” Thereupon the monks asked the Buddha, “But, venerable, what was the deed he committed in a previous state of existence?” In reply the Buddha related his former deed in detail.
The story goes that once upon a time in the distant past a certain youth of good family performed with his own hand all of the household duties, such as pounding rice and cooking, and took care of his mother and father also. One day his mother and father said to him, “Son, you are wearing yourself out by performing all of the work both in the house and in the forest. We will fetch you home a certain young woman to be your wife.” The son replied, “Dear mother and father, there is no necessity of your doing anything of the sort. So long as you both shall live I will wait upon you with my own hand.” In spite of the fact that he refused to listen to their suggestion, they repeated their request time and again, and finally brought him home a young woman to be his wife.
For a few days only she waited upon his mother and father. After those few days had passed, she was unable even to bear the sight of them and said to her husband with a great show of indignation, “It is impossible for me to live any longer in the same house with your mother and father.” But he paid no attention to what she said. So one day, when he was out of the house, she took bits of clay and bark and scum of rice-gruel and scattered them here and there about the house. When her husband returned and asked her what it meant, she said, “This is what your blind old parents have done; they go about littering up the entire house; it is impossible for me to live in the same place with them any longer.” Thus did she speak again and again. The result was that finally even a being so distinguished as he, a being who had fulfilled the Perfection, broke with his mother and father.
“Never mind,” said the husband, I shall find some way of dealing with them properly.” So when he had given them food, he said to them, “Dear mother and father, in such and such a place live kinsfolk of yours who desire you to visit them; let us go thither.” And assisting them to enter a carriage, he set out with them. When he reached the depths of the forest, he said to his father, “Dear father, hold these reins; the oxen know the track so well that they will go without guidance; this is a place where thieves lie in wait for travellers; I am going to descend from the carriage.” And giving the reins into the hands of his father, he descended from the carriage and made his way into the forest. As he did so, he began to make a noise, increasing the volume of the noise until it sounded as if a band of thieves were about to make an attack. When his mother and father heard the noise, they thought to themselves, “A band of thieves are about to attack us.” Therefore they said to their son, “Son, we are old people; save yourself, and pay no attention to us.” But even as his mother and father cried out thus, the son, yelling the thieves’ yell, beat them and killed them and threw their bodies into the forest. Having so done, he returned home.
When the Buddha had related the foregoing story of Venerable Moggallàna’s misdeed in a previous state of existence, he said, “Monks, by reason of the fact that Venerable Moggallàna committed so monstrous a sin, he suffered torment for numberless hundreds of thousands of years in hell; and thereafter, because the fruit of his evil deed was not yet exhausted, in a hundred successive existences he was beaten and pounded to pieces in like manner and so met death. Therefore the manner of death which Venerable Moggallàna suffered was in exact conformity with his own misdeed in a previous state of existence. Likewise the five hundred heretics who with the five hundred thieves offended against my son who had committed no offense against them, suffered precisely that form of death which they deserved. For he that offends against the offenseless, incurs misfortune and loss through ten circumstances.”
☆☆☆
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
