..续本文上一页 Dharma Master

　　"

　　「是真的！」潘舍卡法师说：「真诚忏悔的力量是不可思议的。每一次当我见到一个例子时，它总是再一次地令我惊奇。」

　　"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，我计划着如何报复那个人。」摩诃都塔继续说着：「我决意要以牙还牙来折磨他。最后他终于落在我的手里了，可是当我看见他躺在路上，紧抓着怀里的珠宝，脸上那种认命等死的神情时，我下不了手！法师！我感觉好像在折磨自己的兄弟一样。」

　　"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。」潘舍卡法师说：「在过去世，一切男子都曾是你的父亲，一切女人都曾是你的母亲。而且不管是善缘或是恶缘，你和这个人都有着特别密切的关系。」

　　"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."

　　摩诃都塔点点头：「您说的没错，那天我抢走他的珠宝和金子，可是却放了他和他的保镖们。我把他的金子分给手下，使他们不会注意到我刻意制止那场暴力。不过他的珠宝，仍然被我藏在山洞内。不晓得为什么，我一直不愿意和它分开；不只是因为王冠不好脱手，我总觉得有某些理由，让我必须把它保存好──我一直不明白那是为什么？现在我感到很欣慰！」

　　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."

　　摩诃都塔顿了一下，然后对潘舍卡法师说：「法师！请帮我做这件事。我的山洞就在我们上面半哩路远的小溪边，一棵大杉木的后面──您从这条路，就可以看到那棵杉木宽阔的树顶了。潘杜的王冠和珠宝就在洞口左边的一道直缝里。您必须把手直直地伸进去，然后再向右边弯，您都记得了吗？」

　　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

　　"

　　「我记住了！」

　　"I can."

　　「您不要自己一个人去，叫潘杜带三十个武装人员一起去。我的手下人数减少了，再加上我已不在，他们会失去勇气的，所以潘杜应该可以轻易地应付他们。告诉潘杜我对不起他，希望他能再富裕起来，也希望那些曾经被我掠夺财富与欢乐的人都富裕快乐。如果我还能活着，或者我还有来生，我都发愿要效法尊贵的法师您，去救度那些因自己愚痴的行为，而陷在业网中的人。」

　　"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后仰，但并非感觉伤口疼痛，而是已走到人生的尽头了。突然一抹欢乐的笑意浮上他的脸庞，他抬起手来指着上方：「看！佛陀躺在他的卧具上，将要入涅槃了！他的弟子，那些大阿罗汉们，都围立在佛陀的身边。啊！他在对我笑！」摩诃都塔的脸上绽放出快乐的光芒。

　　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.

　　「他降临到世间来，我们众生是多么有福报啊！」

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

　　「是的！那是一种福报。」潘舍卡法师说：「佛陀因悲悯众生而出现于世，以便教导我们一件大事：生死问题。他开导我们对人生诸苦的觉醒；他指示我们私欲是众苦的根源；他教导我们追随他，朝正道去修行，才能了苦；他教导我们用戒定慧来息灭贪瞋痴。他经过多生累劫的修行与布施，已经息灭一切私欲了，而以慈悲喜舍做为我们的模范。如果人人都能皈依佛陀，这世界就不会像现在一样地贫穷险恶了。」

　　"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…

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