..續本文上一頁aduta had jumped down from his seat, heaved at the horse cart, and tilted it into the ditch. Bags of rice slid off into the mud. The farmer ran yelling up to Mahaduta, but fell silent when he realized that the tall slave had twice his strength. Grinning wickedly, Mahaduta raised his fist; it was plain that he would have enjoyed giving the farmer a beating, if he”d thought his master had time for it.

　　可是，當這個奴隸爬回車座，舉起馬缰時，比丘卻下車，並轉身對潘杜說：「我現在要下車了！我欠了你一段搭便車的費用，除了幫助那位被你欺負的不幸農夫外，我還有什麼更好的方式來償還你呢？因爲在前一生，這農夫是你的親戚，所以你們彼此的業，牽扯得比較牢一些；但是你剛才的所作所爲，使你日後也要受到同樣的傷害，或許我助他一臂之力，可以減輕你欠他的這份債。」

　　As the slave climbed back onto his seat and took up the reins, the Bhikshu stepped down onto the road. Turning to Pandu, he said, "I am rested now, and I am in your debt for the hour”s ride you have given me. What better way could I have to repay you than to help this unfortunate farmer whom you have wronged

　　 By harming him, you have made sure that some similar harm will come to you. Perhaps by helping him I can lessen your debt. Since this farmer was a relative of yours in a previous life, your karma is tied to his even more strongly."

　　珠寶商非常驚愕，他一向不習慣被人責罵，即使是慈悲地數落也不曾有過，而這位比丘竟然這樣對他！更令他反感的是：他──潘杜──這麼個有錢的珠寶商，居然曾經是一個米農的親戚！「那是不可能的！」他對那拉達法師說。

　　The jeweler was astonished. He was not accustomed to being scolded, not even kindly, as the Bhikshu had done. He was even more taken aback by the notion that he, Pandu the rich jeweler, could ever have been related to a rice farmer. "That”s impossible," he said to Narada.

　　那拉達法師微笑著說：「有時最聰明的人，反而看不透人生最基本的真理。不過我會試著保護你，讓你不致于因爲剛才的所作所爲而受到傷害。」受到這番話的刺激，潘杜便揮手叫奴隸駕車上路。

　　Narada smiled and said, "Sometimes the smartest people fail to recognize the basic truths about life. But I will try to protect you against the injury you have done to yourself." Stung by these words, Pandu raised his hand and signaled for his slave to drive on.

　　農夫聞法　了悟因果

　　Hearing the Dharma, the farmer comprehended

　　the law of cause and effect.

　　這時農夫狄發拉早已回到路旁坐下，繼續修理車軸的控製楔子。那拉達法師向他點頭致意後，便開始去把馬車拉出深溝。狄發拉跳起來幫忙，這時他猛然發現，這位外型瘦小的比丘，竟然有如此驚人的力氣。

　　Devala, the farmer, had already sat down by the side of the road again to work at repairing his linchpin. Narada nodded to him and began heaving the horse cart out of the ditch. Devala jumped up to assist, but then he saw that the Bhikshu had far more strength than anyone might have expected from a man with his slight frame. The cart was upright again even before Devala had crossed the road.

　　「這位比丘一定是位聖者！」農夫自言自語地說：「冥冥之中，一定有護法善神在幫助他。或許他能告訴我，爲什麼我今天的運氣會這麼糟？」

　　"This Bhikshu must be a sage," the farmer thought silently. "Invisible Dharma-protecting gods and spirits must be helping him. Maybe he can tell me why my luck has turned for the worse today."

　　他們兩個人合力把摩诃都塔推落溝裏的米袋搬回馬車上。當狄發拉再坐下來修理車軸的控製楔子時，他問：「尊貴的法師！您可否告訴我，爲什麼剛才那位傲慢的富商與我素不相識，卻這麼不公平地對待我？這世界豈不是沒啥意思，沒有公理可言了嗎？」

　　The two men reloaded the bags of rice that Mahaduta had dumped into the ditch, and then as Devala sat down with his linchpin again, he asked, "Venerable Dharma Master, can you tell me why I had to suffer such an injustice today from that arrogant rich man whom I have never seen before

　　 Is there no sense or fairness in this life

　　"

　　那拉達法師說：「今天你所遭所遇，並非真的不公平，而是報應；因爲在前世，你就曾經這樣傷害過這位珠寶商。」

　　Narada answered, "What you suffered today wasn”t really an injustice. It was an exact repayment for an injury you inflicted upon this jeweler in a previous life."

　　農夫點點頭說：「以前我也聽人說過這種道理，只是不曉得該不該相信？」

　　The farmer nodded. "I have heard people say such things before, but I have never known whether to believe them."

　　「這並不是複雜到令人難以置信的事！」比丘說：「我們現在做什麼事，將來就得到什麼果報，善有善報，同樣地，惡也有惡報。惡劣的行爲將導致惡劣的性格與不幸的人生。你所想、所說和所做的一切，不但會造成你的個性，並且會種下未來的種子；這就叫做因果定律，業力定律。」

　　"It”s not too complicated a thing to believe in," the Bhikshu said. "We become what we do. By doing good things, a person naturally becomes good, and good things naturally h…

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