(２１)“佛陀的業止息了嗎？”

　　21) “Did the Buddha bring about the cessation of his kamma

　　”

　　如果有人問這個問題，我們不要因太粗心或太輕率地回答而亵渎了佛陀。事實上，我們根本貶損不了佛陀，但我們的語言卻可能貶抑他的價值。

　　IF ASKED THIS, we must be sure not to degrade the Buddha by answering carelessly or recklessly. In fact we can never really vitiate the Buddha, but our words may belittle his worth.

　　佛陀的業已完全止息——“業盡”，他超越一切業，煩惱也已蕩然無余，正是這個事實成就他的德望，令他聲名遠播。

　　The Buddha must have brought about the complete cessation of his kamma because he wiped out the mental defilements, which is the meaning of “ending kamma”. He transcended every kind of kamma, and it was this very fact that made him famous, that constituted his glory.

　　聖人瞿昙已成爲Sabbakammakkhayam-patto,即是成功止息所有業的人，這個消息傳遍全印度，也遍及其他教派和宗教的擁護者，例如婆羅門波婆梨(Bavari)就派遣十六位上首弟子，向佛陀請法[譯注一]或考驗佛陀，因爲聖人瞿昙已止息所有業的消息，令當時的印度人充滿仰慕(泰本巴利藏第２５冊，５２５頁)。佛陀成功止息所有業的德行傳到每個角落，人們對這一點非常感興趣，現在的我們對“佛陀止息了業”也要特別關注。

　　The sage Gotama had become a sabbakammakkhaya.-patto, that is, one who has succeeded in bringing about the cessation of all his kamma. The news of this event spread through India until it reached the adherents of other sects and religions. For instance, a certain brahmin called Bavari sent sixteen disciples to the Buddha, to ask him questions and obtain knowledge from him. Others came to test him. Because of the news that the sage Gotama had become a sabbakammakkhaya.-patto, had achieved the complete cessation of his kamma, people in India at that period were full of admiration. They were overjoyed at hearing the words “sabbakammakkhaya.- patto”. It was for just this reason that people became so interested in the Buddha.

　　We too ought to follow the example of the Buddha and set about the task of putting an end to kamma.

　　[譯注一]依經集注(Suttanipata Atthakatha)所說，博學的婆羅門波婆梨(Bavari)聽到佛陀的名聲，派十六位上首弟子到佛陀那兒求法，他們到達後就各各發問，佛陀則一一爲他們解答，全部問答內容即經集第五章彼岸道品(Parayana-vagga)。如其中有位阿耆多便問佛陀：“河流到處流，什麼能防禦河流？什麼能遮止河流？”佛陀回答：“世界一切的瀑流，念是它們的防禦，我說諸流的防護，當以智慧來遮止。”後來他們都成爲佛陀的弟子。