Receiving Retribution in This Life,

　　He Starves to Death in the Palace

　　今世果報　餓死臺城

　　In this life, he was an emperor, and the monkey was reborn to be Hou Jing. Hou Jing led soldiers to attack Nanjing. After Nanjing was taken, he kept Emperor Wu in captivity in the palace and did not provide him with any food. He took all food away, and left the Emperor there to starve to death. In a previous life, the Emperor starved the monkey to death, and in this life the monkey starved him to death. He had to undergo that retribution.

　　所以他今生做了皇帝，這猴子就托生做侯景，這侯景帶著兵，把南京攻下來，將梁武帝 關到臺城裏，又把所有吃的東西都拿走，不給他東西吃，因此梁武帝就餓死在那個地方。他餓死猴子，今生這猴子也同樣把他餓死，就受這種果報。

　　Now before that happened, Patriarch Bodhidharma saw that the Emperor had done so many good deeds that he could have redeemed his offense with the merit and virtue created. However, to do so there must be some conditions. That”s why the Patriarch was not polite to him. But the Emperor thought to himself, "I am an emperor, a great emperor, and you are only a poor monk. You come to my country and are utterly rude to me." So he alienated himself from the Patriarch. Though Patriarch Bodhidharma wanted to save him and brought forth a compassionate mind toward him, the Emperor could not accept him. Because the Emperor made no move to seek help from the Patriarch, there was nothing the Patriarch could do to help him. Thus, the Patriarch left and paid no more attention to the Emperor.

　　因爲達摩祖師本來看他造這麼多的功德，可以將功折罪，但是這也要有一種因緣，所以達摩祖師對他講話也就不客氣。可是梁武帝一想：“我是個大皇帝，啊！你一個窮和尚來到我的國家，對我講話，還這麼不客氣！”所以就對達摩祖師疏遠了。達摩祖師雖然想要救度他，要對他有一種慈悲心，但是他不接受，不向達摩祖師求，那也沒法子了；于是達摩祖師就走了，不管他了。

　　What happened as a result was that after a period of time, Emperor Wu was captured and starved to death in the palace by Hou Jing and his people. Such was the cause and effect. You all think about it. If the Emperor actually had merit and virtue, how could he have starved to death

　　 It was because he did not have merit and virtue that he died of hunger. Patriarch Bodhidharma wanted to save him from his fate by helping him reach an awakening. What a pity that Emperor Wu of Liang”s ego was so big that even Patriarch Bodhidharma could not save him.

　　結果，過了一個時期，梁武帝果然被侯景帶著一些個人馬，把他餓死在臺城裏，這是有這麼一個原因。你們大家想一想，如果他有功德，怎麼會餓死？因爲沒有功德，所以就餓死了。達摩祖師當時本想挽救，不教他餓死，希望他能生一種覺悟心，可惜梁武帝這個吾我太大了，所以就是達摩祖師也救不了他。