..續本文上一頁y and medical science have no understanding of the underlying causes, and so cannot treat the victims of such diseases in an ideal manner. The Buddhadharma alone provides the ultimate medicine, the special formula for resolving difficulties and averting disasters!

　　這條毒蛇由瞋心所持，發奮修煉，繼而成精。它的法術日益增進，久而能通天徹地，總以惱害庶民爲樂。時下，類似這條蛇的事，不知多少，希望它們趕快生忏悔心，無複妖孽，禍害民間。

　　As for the snake, it was driven by hatred and cultivated energetically until it became a spirit. When it developed the ability to penetrate the heavens and earth, it took delight in troubling multitudes of people. There are many cases similar to this snake. We hope it will soon repent and will never harm people again.

　　後來到了宋朝的時候，這蛇已變成毒龍，在大江裏翻風覆雨，殺害無數的漁民或渡船人。這個時候，那地方的人民，生活在恐懼驚怖、焦急萬分之中。

　　By the Song Dynasty [960-1279 A.D.], the snake had turned into a venemous dragon that dwelt in a large river and stirred up violent storms which killed countless fishermen and ferry passengers and caused people to live in great fear and anxiety.

　　幸好得到某位法力高強的聖僧，特來營救。他手持著錫杖，站在岸旁，大聲呵斥毒龍。毒龍聞聲，勃然大怒，于是使出本領，現數千丈的巨蟒身。然而這法師由金剛叁昧力所持，毫無怖畏，于是用鈎召法、降伏法，經過叁天叁夜的生死苦戰，終于把毒龍折伏。

　　Fortunately, a sage, a monk of formidable Dharma powers, came to the rescue. Grasping his tin staff, the monk stood on the shore and called out loudly to the venemous dragon. Hearing his voice, the dragon flew into a rage and displayed its powers: It appeared in the body of a giant python, tens of thousands of feet long. Aided by the power of Vajra-Samadhi, the Dharma Master was not daunted in the least. Employing the Dharmas of Hooking and Subduing, he battled with the dragon for three days and nights and finally subdued it.

　　邪不勝正，毒龍的惡術被破，無奈之下，只好投降。法師爲它說法：一切皆苦、空、無常、無我，唯有業隨身，並谏彼應生慈悲心，以法術來裨益衆生，不可加害生靈。彼蛇聞法後，恍然有覺，得清淨眼。法師遂授以叁皈五戒，命它到某山洞去修行，不要再擾亂人民，毒龍欣然從命。從宋朝到現在，已有數百年曆史，這條龍至今已成天龍八部之一，神通變化自如。

　　After its evil powers were defeated, the venomous dragon had no choice but to surrender. The Dharma Master taught the dragon that everything is characterized by suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and lack of self; only karma follows us. He urged the dragon to be compassionate and to use its powers to benefit living beings instead of harming them. After hearing the Dharma, the dragon suddenly had an awakening and attained the pure Dharma eye. The Dharma Master transmitted the three refuges and five precepts to it, and told it to cultivate the Dharma in a certain mountain cave and never trouble people again. The dragon gladly did as it was told.

　　(編按：這個時候，女界有比丘尼說：「數星期前，我們見到這條蛇在喜舍院女界佛堂附近。因爲怕是響尾蛇，所以把它放在罐子裏，還用堅硬的木板蓋上，預備把蛇送到較遠的樹林釋放，以免擾害住衆。誰知一轉過頭來，打開鐵罐，這蛇已經不在，按理說它是沒有法子跑的。原來它有神通，難怪！」)

　　[Editor”s Note: A Bhikshuni reports, “Several weeks ago, we saw this snake at Joyous Giving House (nuns” quarters), near the women”s Buddha Hall. Fearing that it was a rattlesnake, we put it in a can with a firm wooden lid, and planned to set it free farther away in the woods, so that it wouldn”t bother the residents. Who would have thought that when we opened the can, the snake was gone! Logically, there was no way it could have escaped. No wonder it”s said to have spiritual powers!”]

　　這條蛇我老早就認識它，二十多年前在香港大嶼山慈興寺，它常到廟上聽經。雖然不曾惱害任何人，但是衆生都害怕它的蛇形。一次有人也把它放到鐵罐內，運送到幾哩外的山林處，擬釋放之，孰料打開罐子一看，蛇已不翼而飛！而今，佛法傳到西方，它亦不憚遠渡重洋，來美國護法。

　　I”ve known this snake for a long time. More than twenty years ago, it would come to Cixing (Flourishing Kindness) Monastery on Lanto Island in Hong Kong [a monastery founded by the Venerable Master] to listen to Sutra lectures. Although the snake never harmed anyone, people were scared because it was a snake. Once someone caught it in a metal can and took it into a forest several miles away to set free, but when that person opened the can, the snake was gone! Now that the Buddhadharma has come to the West, the snake has also crossed the ocean, undaunted by the distance, and come to America to protect the Dharma.

　　學佛的衆生要深信因果，不要種惡因，否則會結惡果；若種善因，一定會結善果。因果是絲毫不爽的，殺人之父，人亦殺其父；殺人之兄，人亦殺其兄。不要爲了得到好處，而不擇手段去殺人。你若害人，到最後反而是害了你自己。上天有好生之德，天不願任何人做惱害衆生的事，所以不要錯因果。所謂：

　　Living beings who study Buddhism should believe deeply in cause and effect. If we don”t plant bad causes, we naturally won”t receive a bad retribution. If we plant good causes, we will certainly receive a good retribution in the future. The law of cause and effect is clear, and it never fails. If you kill someone”s father, that person will kill your father. If you kill someone”s brother, that person will kill your brother in turn. You shouldn”t kill people just to gain benefits. Harming others merely harms yourself in the end. The heavens cherish life and do not want living beings to harm each other. Therefore, you should not go against the law of cause and effect. As it”s said,

　　「一失足成千古恨」

　　Once you lose your footing, you will regret it forever.

《蛇來聽法 A Snake Comes to Hear the Dharma》全文閱讀結束。