Dhammapada verse #71

猶如搆牛乳，醍醐非速成。愚人造惡業，不即感惡果，業力隨其後，如死灰覆火。

As milk, is evil kamma done,
so slowly does it sour.
Smouldering does it follow the fool
like fire with ashes covered.

☆☆☆

【第71偈的故事】

大目犍連尊者有一次與勒叉那尊者一起到舍衛城化緣。途中他看見一件奇怪的東西，他只是笑笑而不語 (註) 。回到精舍後，他向勒叉那解釋他之所以笑，是因為看見一隻人面蛇身的餓鬼。佛陀也說，在他究竟證悟，成為佛陀當天，也親眼目睹這隻人面蛇身鬼。佛陀說，很久以前，有位辟支佛，人們若要到他的精舍，必須先通過一處田疇。這田疇的主人卻害怕人們來來往往精舍會破壞田疇，就放火燒燬精舍。辟支佛只好搬到別的地方去。辟支佛的信徒知道這件事情後，非常憤怒，就毆打田疇主人致死。也由於惡業的關係，他往生成了人面蛇身的餓鬼。

佛陀總結的說：「惡業雖然不立刻報應，但作惡的人終將自食惡果，沒有人能逃避惡業的報應！」

（註）諸佛和阿羅漢微笑時，不表示幽默，而是為了啟發與他們同行的人發問。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a snake-ghost.

One day, in the midst of a thousand ascetics wearing matted hair, the Venerable Lakkhana and the Venerable Moggallàna the great descended from Vulture Peak with the intention of making an alms-pilgrimage in Ràjagaha. The Venerable Moggallàna, seeing a snake-ghost, smiled. Thereupon Venerable Lakkhana asked him the reason for his smile, saying, “Brother, it is not the proper time for you to ask that question. Wait until we are in the presence of the Buddha and then ask me.” When they had completed their rounds for alms in Ràjagaha and had come into the presence of the Buddha and had sat down, Venerable Lakkhana asked Venerable Moggallàna, “Brother Moggallàna, as you were descending from Vulture Peak, you smiled; and when I asked you the reason for your smile, you said, ‘Wait until we are in the presence of the Buddha and then ask me.’ Now tell me the reason.”

Said the monk, “Brother, I smiled because I saw a snake-ghost. This is what he looked like: his head was like the head of a man, and the rest of his body was like that of a snake. He was what is called a snake-ghost. He was twenty-five leagues in length. Flames started from his head and went as far as his tail; flames started from his tail and went as far as his head. Flames of fire starting from his head played on both sides of his body; flames of fire starting from his sides descended on his body. There are two ghosts, they say, whose length is twenty-five leagues, the length of the rest being three-quarters of a league. But the length of this snake-ghost and of this crow-ghost was twenty-five leagues.”

Moggallàna saw a crow-ghost and he asked the ghost about his former deed. The ghost said, “In a former state of existence I took three mouthfuls of food meant for venerables. As a result of that misdeed, when I died, I suffered torment in the Avãci Hell and thereafter, because the result of my evil deed was not yet exhausted, I was reborn on Vulture Peak as a crow-ghost. Now, because of my deed, I endure this suffering.”

The story of the snake-ghost also was related. Now a certain resident of Benares was plowing a field near the wayside, and the people who passed through his field to see the solitary Buddha, trampled his field. The farmer tried to prevent them from doing this. But he was unable to prevent them. Finally, after the solitary Buddha had entered the city for alms, the farmer broke all his vessels for eating and drinking and set fire to his grass and leaf shelter. Then the people cried out, “Seize him!” They killed him. He was born in the Avãci Hell and later, he was reborn on Vulture Peak as a snake-ghost.

At this point, then, the monk said, “I smiled because I saw a snake-ghost.” Straightaway the Buddha arose and witnessed to the truth of Moggallàna’s statement, saying, “Monks, what Moggallàna says is the truth. I myself saw this very ghost on the day I attained enlightenment. But out of compassion for others, I did not say, ‘As for those who will not believe my words, may it be to their disadvantage.’”

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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

Dhammapada verse #70

愚者月復月，雖僅取（少）食──以孤沙草端；（彼所得功德），不及思法者，十六分之一。

Month after month with blady-grass tip
the fool may take his food;
he’s not worth the slightest bit
of one who Dhamma knows.

☆☆☆

【第70偈的故事】

爾時，佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園，為眾弟子演說此偈，及有關氈布迦尊者的故事：

氈布迦是舍衛城一個富翁的兒子，由於過去所造的惡業，今生俱有獨特的怪癖；當他還是個孩子的時候，他就不睡床上，而必需躺在地上才能安睡，還有，他吃自己的排泄物─糞便。年歲漸長，他的雙親將他送到吉呢─一群赤身裸體的外道苦行者處學道，不久，這些苦行者發現他吃糞的劣癖，立 刻將他逐出。夜裡，氈布迦跑到糞坑去吃人們拉下的糞屎，白天，他只能「金雞獨立」的用一隻腳站著，他說因為雙腳站立會使地面不勝負荷而令地上無法支撐，他還必須隨時張著嘴巴呼吸空氣，以求自活，他說他不需要食物，只要空氣就夠了，事實上他吃不下任何東西─除了糞便。「我從未坐著，也不曾到 床上睡過覺」，他還為此向人自誇自耀，人們以為他修行高超，因此氈布迦 在舍衛城漸漸出了名。很多不知情的人們，都相信他很有道行，常常會有人拿一些珍貴的食物去供養他，氈布迦都拒絕了，他說：「我不吃任何食物，只吸空氣就夠了」 ，人們更感動了，極力勸請他多少吃一些，以免餓壞了身體，氈布迦才故作 姿態地勉強留下一些草葉食物，說道：「現在你們可以走了，你們供養這一 點點就功德無量了」，如此，氈布迦不吃（除了糞屎）、不穿、不睡床舖地 過了五十五年。

有一天，世尊以天眼觀知氈布迦不久應當得度證得阿羅漢果，這一天傍晚，世尊來到氈布迦修行處所，要求借宿一宿，氈布迦指著不遠處山洞內的石塊上，那是他自己修行打坐的地點。佛陀就到石塊上打坐休息。那一天夜裡─初夜、中 夜、後夜，分別都有四大天王、帝釋天王、大梵天王，輪流來向佛陀頂禮膜拜，在這三次禮拜中，森林裡發出無量無邊的光芒，氈布迦一一看得仔細， 隔天清晨，氈布迦走向佛陀詢問夜裏森林發光的事，佛陀告訴他，那是四大 天王、帝釋天王、大梵天王分別來禮拜，氈布迦深受感動，他向佛陀說道： 「您一定是一位至高無上的聖者，所以天界諸神都來向您膜拜，像我，既使嚴謹質樸地苦修了五十五年，除了吸食空氣，不吃不穿任何世上之物，而且僅憑單腳立地，唯恐帶給地面太大的負擔，至今卻從來沒有一位天神來向我禮拜」。

「喔！氈布迦，你欺騙了很多人，卻瞞不過我，我知道這五十五年來，你一直是吃糞自活，而且一直是睡在地上的」。

然後，佛陀告訴氈布迦，在迦葉佛的時候，有一位虔誠的在家居士蓋了一間寺廟供養一位比丘，並供養他的一切吃穿，有一天一位已證阿羅漢果的比丘來到寺院門前，居士看了這位阿羅漢比丘威儀堂堂，恭敬之心油然而生，將這位阿羅漢比丘請入供養，最後又供養一塊布給阿羅漢比丘染做袈裟，原先的這位比丘一看居士對後來的比丘恭敬有加，心中非常嫉妒，後來居士 邀請兩比丘隔天一起到家供養，原先這位比丘心中更加嫉妒了，等居士離去後，先到的比丘就對這位阿羅漢比丘破口大罵：「你何德何行堪受居士供養 的食物，吃糞就夠了，你何德何行堪受供養的袈裟，最好是脫光衣服，你何德何行睡人家供養的床被，睡地皮就夠了……」阿羅漢比丘心下了然，隔天 一大早就不告而別了，原先的比丘一覺醒來，不知阿羅漢比丘已經離去，假意去敲他的房門，聲音卻微弱的唯恐他聽見了醒過來，許久不見阿羅漢比丘 出來，原先的比丘就竊竊私喜的到居士家裡，告訴居士說另一位比丘貪睡未 起，居士心知阿羅漢比丘是位有修持的人，依然為他準備了一份供養的禮物 ，請原先這位比丘帶回轉給阿羅漢比丘，原先這位比丘心中燃燒的妒火更加 猛烈了，就在回家的路上，將居士供養阿羅漢比丘的所有禮物一一丟棄，這位比丘就是氈布迦。

由於過去生中的惡業，所以氈布迦今生遭受吃糞、睡地上以及不穿衣服的因緣果報。氈布迦聽了世尊開示自己過去世的本末因緣之後，內心非常恐懼，並深自懺悔自己過去所造的惡業，也懺悔過去五十五年來欺騙了很多人 ，他雙膝跪在佛陀足下，悔愧交加，佛陀慈祥的摸摸他的頭頂，取了一件衣服為他披上，繼續為他開示法要，最後，氈布迦即於佛前證得阿羅漢道，從此跟隨佛陀的教團，繼續精進。

很快的，氈布迦的徒弟們得知了這個消息，很多人都感到非常驚訝，紛紛趕來佛陀住處拜會佛陀和他們的老師，氈布迦尊者向他的弟子們解釋，他 現在僅僅是佛陀座下的一名弟子，在佛陀的教團裡跟隨佛陀修行，沒有資格 再當他們的老師了。

世尊對前來的氈布迦弟子們說，雖然他們的老師氈布迦，從前過著嚴肅不苟、不吃、不穿的苦修生活，但那些功德不及他現在已經證果的功 德的十六分之一。於是世尊即說偈言：
「愚者月復月，雖僅取少食─以孤沙草端，
彼所得功德，不及思法者，十六分之一」。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Venerable Jambuka.

Jambuka was the son of a rich man in Sàvatthi. Due to his past evil deeds he was born with very peculiar habits. As a child, he wanted to sleep on the floor with no proper bed, and take his own excrement for food instead of rice. When he grew older, his parents sent him to the àjivakas, the naked ascetics. When those ascetics found out about his peculiar food habits they drove him away. In the nights he ate human excrement and in the day time stood still on one leg and kept his mouth open. He used to say that he kept his mouth open because he only lived on air and that he stood on one leg because it would otherwise be too heavy for the earth to bear him. “I never sit down, I never go to sleep,” he boasted and on account of this, he was known as Jambuka, a jackal.

Many people believed him and some would come to him with offerings of choice food. Then Jambuka would refuse and say, “I do not take any food except air.” When pressed, he would take just a little of the food with the tip of a blade of grass and say, “Now go, this little food will give you enough merit.” In this way, Jambuka lived for fifty-five years, naked and taking only excreta.

One day, the Buddha saw in his vision that Jambuka was due to attain arahatship within a short time. So, in the evening, the Buddha went to where Jambuka was staying and asked for some place to spend the night. Jambuka pointed out to him a mountain-cave not far from the stone slab on which he himself was staying. During the first, second and third watches of the night, the Càtummahàràjikà dēvàs, Sakka and Mahàbrahma came to pay homage to the Buddha in turn. On all the three occasions, the forest was lit up and Jambuka saw the light three times. In the morning, he walked over to the Buddha and enquired about the lights.

When told about the dēvàs, Sakka and Mahàbrahma coming to pay homage to the Buddha, Jambuka was very much impressed, and said to the Buddha, “You must, indeed, be a wonderful person for the dēvàs, Sakka and Mahàbrahma to come and pay homage to you. As for me, even though I have practiced austerely for fifty-five years, living only on air and standing only on one leg, none of the dēvàs, nor Sakka, nor Mahàbrahma has ever came to me.” To him, the Buddha replied “O Jambuka! You have been deceiving other people, but you cannot deceive me. I know that for fifty-five years you have been eating excrement and sleeping on the ground.”

Hearing that, Jambuka was horrified and terror-stricken, and repented for having done evil and for having deceived other people. He went down on his knees and the Buddha gave him a piece of cloth to put on. The Buddha then proceeded to deliver a discourse; at the end of which Jambuka attained arahatship and joined the Buddhist Sangha.

Soon after this, Jambuka’s pupils from Anga and Magadha arrived and they were surprised to see their teacher with the Buddha. Venerable Jambuka then explained to his pupils that he had joined the Buddhist Order and that he was now only a disciple of the Buddha. To them, the Buddha said that although their teacher had lived austerely by taking food very sparingly, it was not worth even one-sixteenth part of his present practice and achievement.

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
中文法句出處：《南傳法句經》 了參法師譯
中文故事出處：《法句經的故事》 護法法師譯

Dhammapada verse #69

惡業未成熟，愚人思如蜜；惡業成熟時，愚人必受苦。

When evil kamma’s immature
the fool thinks it is honeyed,
but when the evil has matured
then to the fool comes dukkha.

☆☆☆

【第69偈的故事】

舍衛城裡有位大戶人家的女兒，長得非常漂亮，又溫柔，像朵蓮花，人們因此稱呼她蓮華色。她的美名遠播，很多人向她求婚，其中還包括王子與富翁等，但她卻寧可出家為比丘尼。有一天，她點燃燈火，然後觀火遍（註）就證得阿羅漢果。

後來，她一個人到森林裡去獨居。有一次她外出化緣時，她的表兄難它跑進她的屋舍並躲在床舖下。他一直暗戀她，所以企圖以武力強暴她，等她回來發現難它時，她說：「不要作傻事，不要傷害，不要強暴我。」但他還是強行玷污她，而後揚長而去。由於強暴聖者的嚴重惡行，他必然得長期承受惡報的懲罰。

佛陀知道這件不幸的事後，就請波斯匿王來，向他說明比丘尼住在森林裡修行時會面臨的困難和危險。國王便在城裡為比丘尼興建精舍，此後，比丘尼只住在城市裡。

（註）請參考《清淨道論》上冊 268 頁。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Nun Uppalavaõõà.

Once there was a young daughter of a rich man in Sàvatthi. Because she was so beautiful, with looks so tender and sweet, like a blue lotus flower, she was called “Uppalavaõõà”, the blue lotus. The fame of her beauty spread far and wide and there were many suitors: princes, rich men and many others. Thereupon, the merchant, her father, thought to himself, I shall not be able to satisfy the wishes of all, but I must find some way out of the difficulty.” Now she was in her last existence before attaining Nibbàna and therefore her father’s words were, to her, like oil a hundred times refined sprinkled on her head. Therefore she replied, “Dear father, I’ll become a nun.” So he prepared rich gifts in her honour, and conducted her to the community of nuns where she was admitted.

One day, her turn came to unlock and lock the hall of compassion. After she had lighted the lamp and swept the hall, her attention was attracted to the flame of the lamp. She concentrated on the flame. Her attention on the element of fire, she entered into a state of trance. She attained arahatship.

Some time later, she moved to the Dark Forest (Andhavana) and lived in solitude. While Nun Uppalavaõõà was out on her alms-round, Nanda, the son of her uncle, came to her monastery and hid himself underneath her sofa. Nanda had fallen in love with Uppalavaõõà before she became a nun; his intention obviously was to take her by force.

On her return Nun Uppalavaõõà entered the hut, closed the door, and sat down on the bed, unable to see in the dark because she had just come in out of the sunlight. Hardly had she seated herself on the bed when the youth crawled out from under the sofa and climbed on top. The nun cried out, “Fool, do not ruin me!” But the youth overcame her resistance, worked out his will over her, and went his way. As if unable to endure his wickedness, the great earth burst asunder, and he was swallowed up and reborn in the great Hell of Avãci.

The nun told the other nuns what had happened, and the nuns told the monks, and the monks told the Buddha. Having heard this, the Buddha addressed the monks as follows, “Monks, the simpleton, whoever he may be, whether monk or nun, or lay disciple male or female, who commits an act of sin, acts with as much joy and happiness, with as much pleasure and delight, as though he were eating honey or sugar or some other sweet-tasting substance.” Then he said, “Monks, they that have rid themselves of the corruptions, neither like the pleasures of love nor gratify their passions. For, even as a drop of water which has fallen upon a lotus-leaf does not cling thereto or remain thereon, but crawls over and falls off, precisely so love does not cling to the heart of one who has rid himself of the corruptions.

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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

Dhammapada verse #68

若彼作善業，作已不追悔，歡喜而愉悅，應得受異熟。

But well-made is that kamma
which done brings no remorse,
of which one senses the result
with glad mind and with joy.

☆☆☆

【第68偈的故事】

須瑪那花匠每天早上都要供應頻婆裟羅王茉莉花。

一天早上，在前往王宮的路上，他遇見佛陀與比丘們入城化緣。剎那間，他內心產生強烈的意念，想要用花供養佛陀。他立刻下定決心，不管國王是否因此驅逐他離開國土或是殺害他，他都要獻花供佛。他果真用最虔誠的心供養這些茉莉花。佛陀與比丘們於是在花團錦簇下進城，成千上百的人都出來頂禮問訊。這種場景讓須瑪那整個身心充滿法喜。

須瑪那的妻子向國王說，她丈夫未能將花送至王宮這件事與她無關。然而，事實上，國王很高興須瑪那能用鮮花供養佛陀，國王也利用這次機會供養佛陀和眾多比丘。

供養之後，佛陀一行人回去給孤獨園。國王就召喚須瑪那到王宮來，稱讚他對佛陀的虔誠信念及供養鮮花的勇氣，並大大獎賞他一番。

而在給孤獨園的阿難尊者則問佛陀，須瑪那能從他的供養得到什麼法益？佛陀解釋說，須瑪那不顧身家安危，而用鮮花供養，因此不會墮落四種惡趣。最後，他也一定會止息生命中所有的苦痛。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to Sumana the florist.

A florist, named Sumana, had to supply King Bimbisàra of Ràjagaha with jasmine flowers every morning. One day, as he was going to the king’s palace he saw the Buddha, with a radiating halo of light-rays, coming into town for alms-food accompanied by many monks. Seeing the Buddha in his resplendent glory, the florist Sumana felt a strong desire to offer his flowers to the Buddha. Then and there, he decided that even if the king were to drive him out of the country or to kill him, he would not offer the flowers to the king for that day. Thus, he threw up the flowers to the sides, to the back and over and above the head of the Buddha. The flowers remained hanging in the air; those over the head formed a canopy of flowers and those at the back and the sides formed walls of flowers. These flowers followed the Buddha in this position as he moved on, and stopped when the Buddha stopped. As the Buddha proceeded, surrounded by walls of flowers, and a canopy of flowers, with the six-coloured rays radiating from his body, followed by a large entourage, thousands of people inside and outside of Ràjagaha came out of their houses to pay obeisance to the Buddha. As for Sumana, his entire body was suffused with delightful satisfaction (patti).

The wife of the florist Sumana then went to the king and said that she had nothing to do with her husband failing to supply the king with flowers for that day The king, being a sōtàpanna himself, felt quite happy about the flowers. He came out to see the wonderful sight and paid obeisance to the Buddha. The king also took the opportunity to offer alms-food to the Buddha and his disciples. The king served the congregation of monks with choice food. At the conclusion of the meal the Buddha returned thanks, and surrounded as before by four sides of flowers and accompanied by a great multitude of people shouting in exultation, proceeded to the Monastery.

The king accompanied the Buddha a little way and turned back. Then he sent for the florist and asked him, “What did you say when you honoured the Buddha?” The florist replied, “Your majesty, I surrendered my life to him and honoured him, saying, ‘The king may kill me or banish me from his kingdom.’” The king said, “You are a great man.” So saying, he presented him with eight elephants, eight horses, eight male slaves, eight female slaves, eight magnificent sets of jewels, eight thousand pieces of money, eight women taken from the royal harem, adorned with all the adornments, and eight choice villages. These eight-fold gifts did the king give him.

Venerable ânanda thought to himself, “Shouts of exultation and acclamation have continued all during the day since early morning. What will be the reward of the florist?” The Buddha replied “ânanda, he surrendered his life to me and rendered honour to me. Therefore, because he has immense faith in me, he will not enter a state of suffering but will receive the fruits of his good deed in the world of the gods and in the world of men. One day he will become the solitary Buddha Sumana.”

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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

Dhammapada verse #67

彼作不善業，作已生後悔，哭泣淚滿面，應得受異熟。

That kamma’s not well-made
from which there is remorse,
of which one senses the result
with weeping and a tear-stained face.

☆☆☆

【第67偈的故事】

有一天，幾個小偷在空曠野地分贓。分贓之後，他們就離開了，但卻疏忽地留下一袋子的錢。

當天早上，佛陀用神通觀察世間時，發現在那空曠地附近耕作的一位農夫會在當天領悟佛法，因此在阿難的陪同下前往該地。農夫看見佛陀時，向佛陀問訊，然後繼續耕作。這時候，佛陀看著裝滿錢的袋子向阿難說：

「阿難！看啊！那隻奇毒的蛇。」

阿難也回答：「世尊！是啊！真是隻劇毒的蛇。」

說完後，佛陀與阿難就繼續上路。

農夫聽完佛陀與阿難的對話後，就去檢查是否真有毒蛇，結果發現是一袋子的錢。他拿起袋子，並把它藏起來。這時候，被搶的人也追捕小偷到空地來，他們順著農夫的腳跡找到農夫和錢，就將農夫痛打一頓，並把他抓到國王那裡去，國王也判他死刑。

農夫因此被解送到墳場去，準備受刑，但農夫一直呢喃著：

「『阿難啊！看那毒蛇。』『世尊！是啊！真是隻劇毒的蛇。』」

行刑的人聽見農人一路上都重複這些話，十分困惑，就把農夫解回，交給國王，並報告這件事，國王猜想農夫可能想請佛陀作證。就帶著農夫去找佛陀，佛陀因此向國王說明整件事情的經過，國王聽完後，說：

「這農夫若不祈求佛陀證明他的清白，早就被殺了。」

佛陀如此回答國王的話：「智者不做會令人後悔的事 ！」

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to a farmer who handled poison.

A farmer tilled a field not far from Sàvatthi. One day some thieves robbed the house of a rich man. One of the thieves outwitted his companions and secretly put away a purse containing a thousand pieces of money in a fold of his garment. As the thief departed with his share, the purse dropped out of the fold of his garment, but he did not notice his loss.

That day, early in the morning, the Buddha surveyed the world, and seeing that a certain farmer had entered his net of vision, he considered within himself what would happen.

Early in the morning the farmer went to till his field. The Buddha was also there with the Venerable ânanda. Seeing the Buddha, the farmer went and paid obeisance to the Buddha, and then resumed tilling his field. The Buddha said nothing to him. Going to the place where the purse had fallen and seeing it, he said to the Venerable ânanda, “See, ânanda, a poisonous snake!” “I see, Venerable, a deadly, poisonous snake!” The farmer heard their conversation and said to himself, “I will kill the snake.” So saying, he took a goad-stick, went to the spot, and discovered the purse. “The Buddha must have referred to this purse,” thought he. Not knowing exactly what to do about it, he laid the purse aside, covered it with dust, and resumed his plowing. Later men discovered the theft, and trailed the thieves to the field, and coming to the spot where they had divided their spoils, saw the foot-prints of the farmer. Following his foot steps to the spot where the purse was buried, they removed the earth and picked up the purse. Thereupon they reviled him, saying, “So you robbed the house, and here you are plowing the field!” And having given him a good beating, they took him and censured him before the king.

When the king heard what had happened, he ordered the farmer to be put to death. As the farmer walked along and the king’s men lashed him with whips, he kept repeating the words, “See, ânanda, a poisonous snake!” “I see, Venerable, a deadly, poisonous snake!” Not another word did he utter. The king’s men asked him, “You are repeating words of the Buddha and of the Venerable ânanda. What does this mean?” The farmer replied, “I will say, if I am permitted to see the king.” He told the king, “I am not a thief, your majesty.” The farmer told him the whole story. The king took the farmer to the Buddha, and asked him about this. The Buddha said, “Yes, your majesty, I said just that when I went there. A wise man should not do a deed of which he must afterwards repent.”

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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

Dhammapada verse #66

愚人不覺知，與自仇敵行，造作諸惡業，受定眾苦果。

Fools of feeble wisdom fare
enemies to themselves,
making evil kamma
which is of bitter fruit.

☆☆☆

【第66偈的故事】

痲瘋患者殊帕普達專心聽聞佛陀說法後，很快就領悟佛法，證得入流聖果。當聽法的人群散去時，他追隨佛陀回精舍，這時候，帝釋想測試他對三寶的信心，就出現在他面前，告訴他說：「你不過是個可憐人，人家給你什麼，你就吃什麼，沒有人可依靠。只要你否定三寶，並且說三寶對你沒有任何用處，我馬上就給你巨大的財富。」

殊帕普達回答道：「我決對不是個沒人可依靠的可憐蟲，我具有聖人所有的七聖財：信、戒、慚、愧、聽聞、施和慧。」

兩人對話後，帝釋就到精舍，把他與殊帕普達之間的對話告訴佛陀。佛陀向他解釋說，即使千百個帝釋也很難左右殊帕普達對三寶的信心，使他遠離三寶。一會兒，殊帕普達也來了，他也向佛陀敘說相同的事。但他卻在從祇樹給孤獨園回家的路上，意外死亡。這一意外是一惡靈主導的，該惡靈的某一前世是一位妓女，但被殊帕普達所殺，妓女因此發誓報復。殊帕普達的死訊傳到給孤獨園。比丘問佛陀，殊帕普達往生何處？佛陀說，他已經往生忉利天了，並且說殊帕普達的某一前世曾經毆打一位聖者，所以今生是痲瘋患者，但今生因為已經領悟佛法，於是滌清一切煩惱。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this Verse, with reference to Suppabuddha, a leper.

This religious instruction was given by the Buddha while He was in residence at Vēluvana with reference to the leper Suppabuddha. The story of the leper Suppabuddha is found in the Udàna.

For at that time the leper Suppabuddha, seated in the outer circle of the congregation, heard the Buddha preach the Dhamma and attained the fruit of conversion (Sotapatti Fruition). Desiring to inform the Buddha of the blessing he had received, but not daring to force his way into the midst of the congregation, he waited until the populace had paid obeisance to the Buddha, had accompanied him a little way, and had turned back. Then he went to the Monastery.

At that moment the Sakka king of gods thought to himself, “Yonder leper Suppabuddha desires to make known the blessing he has received in the Religion of the Buddha. I will test him.” So he went to him, poised in the air, and spoke thus to him, “Suppabuddha, you are a poor man, a man afflicted with misery. I will give you limitless wealth if you will say, ‘The Buddha is not the Buddha, the Teaching is not the Dhamma, the Sangha is not the Sangha. I have had enough of the Buddha, I have had enough of the Law, I have had enough of the Order.’” The leper said to him, “Who are you?” “I am Sakka.” “Fool, shameless one, you are not fit to talk to me. You say that I am poor and afflicted. On the contrary, I have attained happiness and great wealth: the seven stores of honourable wealth. They that possess these stores of wealth are not called poor by Buddhas or solitary mendicants. When Sakka heard him speak thus, he left him by the way, went to the Buddha, and told him all the questions and answers. The Buddha said to him, “Sakka, it is not possible, even with a hundred pieces of gold, even with a thousand, to prevail upon the leper Suppabuddha to say, ‘The Buddha is not the Buddha, the Dhamma is not the Dhamma, the Sangha is not the Sangha.’” So Suppabuddha the leper went to the Buddha, and the Buddha received him. And having informed the Buddha of the blessing he had received, he arose from his seat and went his way. Before he had gone very far, he was killed by a young heifer. We are told that this heifer was a female evil spirit who had been a cow in each of a hundred existences, and that as a cow she had killed four youths: Pukkåsàti, a young man of high station; Bàhiya Dàrucãriya; Tambadàñhika, the robber outlaw; and Suppabuddha the leper.

When the news of Suppabuddha's death reached the Jetavana monastery, the bhikkhus asked the Buddha where Suppabuddha was reborn and the Buddha replied to them that Suppabuddha was reborn in Tavatimsa deva realm. The Buddha also explained to them that Suppabuddha was born a leper because, in one of his previous existences, he had spat upon a paccekabuddha.

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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

Dhammapada verse #65

慧者須臾頃，親近於智人，能速解達摩，如舌嘗湯味。

Though briefly one intelligent
might wait upon the wise,
quickly Dhamma he can sense
as tongue the taste of soup.

☆☆☆

【第65偈的故事】

有一天，波婆城的一夥年輕人與一位妓女在林子裡嬉戲，後來在稍事休息的時候，妓女偷拿他們的首飾而逃走了。他們就在林子裡到處找她，卻遇見佛陀，他們於是停止尋找，留下來專心聽佛陀說法。聽完後，他們就出家，加入僧伽並追隨佛陀回祇樹給孤獨園。在精舍裡，他們持律嚴謹，後來當他們聽聞佛陀講解《無始相應經》時，全都證得阿羅漢果。

當其他的比丘談到這些年輕比丘這麼快就證得阿羅漢果時，佛陀解釋說，聰慧的人，雖然只與智者短暫相處，也可以很輕易領悟佛法，就像舌頭明辨湯的味道一樣。

While residing at the Jētavana Monastery, the Buddha spoke this verse, with reference to thirty monks from Pàñheyyaka.

Thirty monks were taught the Dhamma by the Buddha in the Kappàsika Grove. Thirty youths from Pàñheyyaka were, on one occasion, enjoying themselves with a prostitute in a forest. Then the prostitute stole some of their valuable ornaments and ran away. While searching for her in the forest, they met the Buddha. At that time all of them obeyed the command of the Buddha, “Come, monks!” and they received bowls and robes created by supernatural power. Taking upon themselves the thirteen pure practices, they returned after a long time to the Buddha, hearkened to his discourse on the beginningless, and before leaving their seats, attained arahatship.

The monks began a discussion in the Hall of Truth: “On how short a time did these monks perceive the Dhamma!” The Buddha, hearing this, said to them, “Monks, this is not the first time these thirty companions committed sin. They did the same thing in a previous state of existence. But hearing the religious instruction of Venerable Tuõóila in the Tuõóila Jàtaka, they perceived the Dhamma very quickly and took upon themselves the five precepts. It was solely through the merit acquired by this act that they attained arahatship immediately, even as they sat in their seats.”

☆☆☆

English source: "Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada" by Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero
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