..续本文上一页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，当这个奴隶爬回车座，举起马缰时，比丘却下车，并转身对潘杜说：「我现在要下车了！我欠了你一段搭便车的费用，除了帮助那位被你欺负的不幸农夫外，我还有什么更好的方式来偿还你呢？因为在前一生，这农夫是你的亲戚，所以你们彼此的业，牵扯得比较牢一些；但是你刚才的所作所为，使你日后也要受到同样的伤害，或许我助他一臂之力，可以减轻你欠他的这份债。」

　　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."

　　珠宝商非常惊愕，他一向不习惯被人责骂，即使是慈悲地数落也不曾有过，而这位比丘竟然这样对他！更令他反感的是：他──潘杜──这么个有钱的珠宝商，居然曾经是一个米农的亲戚！「那是不可能的！」他对那拉达法师说。

　　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.

　　那拉达法师微笑着说：「有时最聪明的人，反而看不透人生最基本的真理。不过我会试着保护你，让你不致于因为刚才的所作所为而受到伤害。」受到这番话的刺激，潘杜便挥手叫奴隶驾车上路。

　　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.

　　农夫闻法　了悟因果

　　Hearing the Dharma, the farmer comprehended

　　the law of cause and effect.

　　这时农夫狄发拉早已回到路旁坐下，继续修理车轴的控制楔子。那拉达法师向他点头致意后，便开始去把马车拉出深沟。狄发拉跳起来帮忙，这时他猛然发现，这位外型瘦小的比丘，竟然有如此惊人的力气。

　　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.

　　「这位比丘一定是位圣者！」农夫自言自语地说：「冥冥之中，一定有护法善神在帮助他。或许他能告诉我，为什么我今天的运气会这么糟？」

　　"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."

　　他们两个人合力把摩诃都塔推落沟里的米袋搬回马车上。当狄发拉再坐下来修理车轴的控制楔子时，他问：「尊贵的法师！您可否告诉我，为什么刚才那位傲慢的富商与我素不相识，却这么不公平地对待我？这世界岂不是没啥意思，没有公理可言了吗？」

　　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

　　"

　　那拉达法师说：「今天你所遭所遇，并非真的不公平，而是报应；因为在前世，你就曾经这样伤害过这位珠宝商。」

　　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."

　　农夫点点头说：「以前我也听人说过这种道理，只是不晓得该不该相信？」

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

　　「这并不是复杂到令人难以置信的事！」比丘说：「我们现在做什么事，将来就得到什么果报，善有善报，同样地，恶也有恶报。恶劣的行为将导致恶劣的性格与不幸的人生。你所想、所说和所做的一切，不但会造成你的个性，并且会种下未来的种子；这就叫做因果定律，业力定律。」

　　"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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