Dhammapada verse # 143 ~ 144
以慚自禁者，世間所罕有，彼善避羞辱，如良馬避鞭。
Where in the world is found
one restrained by shame,
awakened out of sleep
as splendid horse with whip?
如良馬加鞭，當奮勉懺悔。以信戒精進，以及三摩地，
善分別正法，以及明行足，汝當念勿忘，消滅無窮苦。
As splendid horse touched with whip,
be ardent, deeply moved,
by faith and virtue, effort too,
by meditation, Dhamma’s search,
by knowledge, kindness, mindfulness;
abandon dukkha limitless!
☆☆☆
【第143 ~ 144偈的故事】
舍利弗尊者有一次遇見年輕的卑盧提卡穿著破舊的衣服向人乞討食物。舍利弗尊者出於一片慈悲心，就建議他不如出家為比丘。卑盧提卡於是把破舊的衣服和乞討的盤子放在一棵樹下，而出家為比丘了。從此以後他不用擔憂衣服和食物。但是，有的時候，他對比丘的生活不滿，而想還俗。每次這種念頭生起的時候，他就到那棵樹下，並且譴責自己：「不知羞恥的人，你難道還想穿上這件破舊的衣服，拿著這盤子，到處去乞討嗎？」如此自責之後，他的情緒就和緩下來，然後再回精舍去。
過了兩、三天，當他又對比丘生活不滿時，他就又到那棵樹下，同樣又譴責自己，並且回想過去卑下的生活 之後，才再度回精舍。這樣的情形發生好幾次，每次其他的比丘問他去那裏，他都回答說，他去找他的老師 (註)。也因為集中心念，觀想以前破舊的衣服，所以他確實清楚五蘊的實相，而證得阿羅漢果。證果之後，他就不再前往那棵樹下去。其他比丘發覺他不再前去那棵樹時，就問他：「你為什麼不再去找你的老師呢？」
他回答他們：「我以前去找老師，是因為有需要。但現在，已經不需要了。」
這些比丘聽完他的回答後，就去請教佛陀：「世尊！卑盧提卡是否真的已經證得阿羅漢果？」
「比丘們！卑盧提卡比丘以前雖然和他的老師有所連繫，但現在已經完全沒有任何連繫了。因為他善於自我調適，分別正確與錯誤的因，同時，明察諸法實相，他已經是阿羅漢了，所以就不再執著於過去的老師了。」佛陀如是向他們解釋。
備註：
此處的老師指的是卑盧提卡的舊衣服和乞討的缽，它們使他具有深刻的羞恥感，因此使他努力修行，所以可稱之為他的老師。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to Venerable Pilōtikatissa.
Once, Venerable ânanda saw a shabbily dressed youth going around begging for food; he felt pity for the youth and made him a sàmanēra. The young novice monk left his old clothes and his begging plate on the fork of a tree. When he became a monk he was known as Pilōtikatissa. As a monk, he did not have to worry about food and clothing as he was in affluent circumstances. Yet, sometimes he did not feel happy in his life as a monk and thought of going back to the life of a layman. Whenever he had this feeling, he would go back to that tree where he had left his old clothes and his plate. There, at the foot of the tree, he would put this question to himself, “Oh shameless one! Do you want to leave the place where you are fed well and dressed well? Do you still want to put on these shabby clothes and go begging again with this old plate in your hand?” Thus, he would rebuke himself, and after calming down, he would go back to the monastery.
After two or three days, again, he felt like leaving the monastic life of a monk, and again, he went to the tree where he kept his old clothes and his plate. After asking himself the same old question and having been reminded of the wretchedness of his old life, he returned to the monastery. This was repeated many times. When other monks asked him why he often went to the tree where he kept his old clothes and his plate, he told them that he went to see his teacher. Thus keeping his mind on his old clothes as the subject of meditation, he came to realize the true nature of the aggregates of the khandhas, such as anicca, dukkha, anatta, and eventually he became an arahat. Then, he stopped going to the tree. Other monks, noticing that Pilōtikatissa had stopped going to the tree where he kept his old clothes and his plate, asked him, “Why don’t you go to your teacher any more?” To them, he answered, ‘When I had the need, I had to go to him; but there is no need for me to go to him now.” When the monks heard his reply, they took him to see the Buddha. When they came to his presence they said, “Venerable! This monk claims that he has attained arahatship; he must be telling lies.” But the Buddha refuted them, and said, “Monks! Pilōtikatissa is not telling lies, he speaks the truth. Though he had relationship with his teacher previously, now he has no relationship whatsoever with his teacher. Venerable Pilōtikatissa has instructed himself to differentiate right and wrong causes and to discern the true nature of things. He has now become an arahat, and so there is no further connection between him and his teacher.”
過了兩、三天，當他又對比丘生活不滿時，他就又到那棵樹下，同樣又譴責自己，並且回想過去卑下的生活 之後，才再度回精舍。這樣的情形發生好幾次，每次其他的比丘問他去那裏，他都回答說，他去找他的老師 (註)。也因為集中心念，觀想以前破舊的衣服，所以他確實清楚五蘊的實相，而證得阿羅漢果。證果之後，他就不再前往那棵樹下去。其他比丘發覺他不再前去那棵樹時，就問他：「你為什麼不再去找你的老師呢？」
他回答他們：「我以前去找老師，是因為有需要。但現在，已經不需要了。」
這些比丘聽完他的回答後，就去請教佛陀：「世尊！卑盧提卡是否真的已經證得阿羅漢果？」
「比丘們！卑盧提卡比丘以前雖然和他的老師有所連繫，但現在已經完全沒有任何連繫了。因為他善於自我調適，分別正確與錯誤的因，同時，明察諸法實相，他已經是阿羅漢了，所以就不再執著於過去的老師了。」佛陀如是向他們解釋。
備註：
此處的老師指的是卑盧提卡的舊衣服和乞討的缽，它們使他具有深刻的羞恥感，因此使他努力修行，所以可稱之為他的老師。
While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke these verses, with reference to Venerable Pilōtikatissa.
Once, Venerable ânanda saw a shabbily dressed youth going around begging for food; he felt pity for the youth and made him a sàmanēra. The young novice monk left his old clothes and his begging plate on the fork of a tree. When he became a monk he was known as Pilōtikatissa. As a monk, he did not have to worry about food and clothing as he was in affluent circumstances. Yet, sometimes he did not feel happy in his life as a monk and thought of going back to the life of a layman. Whenever he had this feeling, he would go back to that tree where he had left his old clothes and his plate. There, at the foot of the tree, he would put this question to himself, “Oh shameless one! Do you want to leave the place where you are fed well and dressed well? Do you still want to put on these shabby clothes and go begging again with this old plate in your hand?” Thus, he would rebuke himself, and after calming down, he would go back to the monastery.
After two or three days, again, he felt like leaving the monastic life of a monk, and again, he went to the tree where he kept his old clothes and his plate. After asking himself the same old question and having been reminded of the wretchedness of his old life, he returned to the monastery. This was repeated many times. When other monks asked him why he often went to the tree where he kept his old clothes and his plate, he told them that he went to see his teacher. Thus keeping his mind on his old clothes as the subject of meditation, he came to realize the true nature of the aggregates of the khandhas, such as anicca, dukkha, anatta, and eventually he became an arahat. Then, he stopped going to the tree. Other monks, noticing that Pilōtikatissa had stopped going to the tree where he kept his old clothes and his plate, asked him, “Why don’t you go to your teacher any more?” To them, he answered, ‘When I had the need, I had to go to him; but there is no need for me to go to him now.” When the monks heard his reply, they took him to see the Buddha. When they came to his presence they said, “Venerable! This monk claims that he has attained arahatship; he must be telling lies.” But the Buddha refuted them, and said, “Monks! Pilōtikatissa is not telling lies, he speaks the truth. Though he had relationship with his teacher previously, now he has no relationship whatsoever with his teacher. Venerable Pilōtikatissa has instructed himself to differentiate right and wrong causes and to discern the true nature of things. He has now become an arahat, and so there is no further connection between him and his teacher.”
☆☆☆
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
