..續本文上一頁 Dharma Master

　　"

　　「是真的！」潘舍卡法師說：「真誠忏悔的力量是不可思議的。每一次當我見到一個例子時，它總是再一次地令我驚奇。」

　　"It”s true," Panthaka said. "The power of sincere repentance is indeed inconceivable. Every time I see it, it amazes me anew."

　　有好多次，我計劃著如何報複那個人。」摩诃都塔繼續說著：「我決意要以牙還牙來折磨他。最後他終于落在我的手裏了，可是當我看見他躺在路上，緊抓著懷裏的珠寶，臉上那種認命等死的神情時，我下不了手！法師！我感覺好像在折磨自己的兄弟一樣。」

　　"I plotted many times how I would have my revenge on that man," Mahaduta continued. "I intended to torture him, just as he had me tortured. And he did fall into my hands at last. But when I saw his face as he lay there on the road, clutching his jewels to his chest, resigned to his death, I couldn”t do it, Dharma Master. I felt as if I would be torturing my own brother."

　　「所有的人都是兄弟。」潘舍卡法師說：「在過去世，一切男子都曾是你的父親，一切女人都曾是你的母親。而且不管是善緣或是惡緣，你和這個人都有著特別密切的關系。」

　　"All men are brothers," Panthaka said. "Every man has been your father in some life past, and every woman your mother. And with this man you have affinities that are especially strong, both for good and for evil."

　　摩诃都塔點點頭：「您說的沒錯，那天我搶走他的珠寶和金子，可是卻放了他和他的保镖們。我把他的金子分給手下，使他們不會注意到我刻意製止那場暴力。不過他的珠寶，仍然被我藏在山洞內。不曉得爲什麼，我一直不願意和它分開；不只是因爲王冠不好脫手，我總覺得有某些理由，讓我必須把它保存好──我一直不明白那是爲什麼？現在我感到很欣慰！」

　　Mahaduta nodded. "It must be so. I took his jewels and his gold that day, but I let him and all his bodyguards go. His gold I gave to my men, so they wouldn”t mind my calling off the violence. But his jewels I have with me still, hidden in a crevice in my cave. For some reason I couldn”t part with them. It wasn”t only that a crown like that would be hard to dispose of. I also felt that I had to save them for something. I didn”t know for what. Now I”m glad I did."

　　摩诃都塔頓了一下，然後對潘舍卡法師說：「法師！請幫我做這件事。我的山洞就在我們上面半哩路遠的小溪邊，一棵大杉木的後面──您從這條路，就可以看到那棵杉木寬闊的樹頂了。潘杜的王冠和珠寶就在洞口左邊的一道直縫裏。您必須把手直直地伸進去，然後再向右邊彎，您都記得了嗎？」

　　Mahaduta paused a moment, then turned to Panthaka. "Do this for me, Dharma Master. My cave is behind a tall cedar by the stream a half-mile above us. You can see the broad top of the cedar from the road. Pandu”s crown and his jewels are in the vertical crevice just to the left of the entrance. You must reach straight in, then up to the right. Can you remember that

　　"

　　「我記住了！」

　　"I can."

　　「您不要自己一個人去，叫潘杜帶叁十個武裝人員一起去。我的手下人數減少了，再加上我已不在，他們會失去勇氣的，所以潘杜應該可以輕易地應付他們。告訴潘杜我對不起他，希望他能再富裕起來，也希望那些曾經被我掠奪財富與歡樂的人都富裕快樂。如果我還能活著，或者我還有來生，我都發願要效法尊貴的法師您，去救度那些因自己愚癡的行爲，而陷在業網中的人。」

　　"Don”t go there yourself. Tell Pandu to come with thirty armed men. My men are fewer now, and without me they will lose heart. Pandu will overcome them easily. Tell Pandu I”m sorry. I wish him to have his wealth again. I wish all men wealth and happiness, all the wealth and happiness that I have taken from them. If I live, or in my next life, I vow to be like you, Venerable Dharma Master, and be a helper of men caught in the web of sorrow they have created by their own foolish deeds."

　　摩诃都塔精疲力竭地向後仰，但並非感覺傷口疼痛，而是已走到人生的盡頭了。突然一抹歡樂的笑意浮上他的臉龐，他擡起手來指著上方：「看！佛陀躺在他的臥具上，將要入涅槃了！他的弟子，那些大阿羅漢們，都圍立在佛陀的身邊。啊！他在對我笑！」摩诃都塔的臉上綻放出快樂的光芒。

　　Exhausted, Mahaduta fell back. He now felt no pain from his wounds, but his life was ebbing away. Suddenly a joyous smile swept into his face. He raised his hand, pointing upward. "See! The Buddha is there on his couch, about to enter Nirvana. His disciples, the great Arhats, are standing around him. See! He is smiling at me!" Mahaduta”s face was bright with happiness.

　　「他降臨到世間來，我們衆生是多麼有福報啊！」

　　"What a wonderful blessing to us that he came into the world!"

　　「是的！那是一種福報。」潘舍卡法師說：「佛陀因悲憫衆生而出現于世，以便教導我們一件大事：生死問題。他開導我們對人生諸苦的覺醒；他指示我們私欲是衆苦的根源；他教導我們追隨他，朝正道去修行，才能了苦；他教導我們用戒定慧來息滅貪瞋癡。他經過多生累劫的修行與布施，已經息滅一切私欲了，而以慈悲喜舍做爲我們的模範。如果人人都能皈依佛陀，這世界就不會像現在一樣地貧窮險惡了。」

　　"Yes, it was a blessing," Panthaka said. "He appeared in the world out of compassion for living beings, in order to instruct us in the one great matter: the problem of birth and death. He taught us to awaken to the suffering…

《懸命的蜘蛛絲 Spider Thread》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…