法句經 第十二：自己品(自品) 多譯本對讀(段層次) Dhammapada (Dhp.) 12. Attavaggo

〔明法尊者註12-02〕 菩提羅迦王子(Bodhirājakumāra)建了一座王宮，落成典禮時，他邀請佛陀前來祝福，並接受他的供養。他就在餐廳的地板上舖設長的地毯，並暗中許願，如果他們夫妻終究有子息，就請佛陀踏上地毯。當佛陀抵達時，佛陀卻駐足，不踏上地毯，王子就叫人把地毯收起來。佛陀告訴王子，他們夫婦今生不會有兒子，是因為過去世所造惡業的影響。在過去某一世時，王子夫婦是一次船難的生還者，他們被沖上一座荒島，只能吃鳥和鳥蛋為生，連幼鳥也不放過。因為這些惡業，他們今生不可能有子息。如果當時有悔意，他們今生就會有孩子了。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，十二～一、 沒有子息的王子 (偈 157)。

〔明法尊者註12-05〕 住在王舍城的摩訶迦羅(Mahākāla)是須陀洹果的優婆塞，他到祇樹給孤獨園去參加齋戒，天快要亮了，他到精舍附近的池塘去洗臉，小偷把贓物丟在他的面前就逃逸，追趕的人把他當作小偷打死。這些比丘知情後，就回精舍向佛陀報告，佛陀回答他們：「他是在償還過去某一世的惡業。那時候，他愛上一位有夫之婦，而把婦人的丈夫打死。因此，惡有惡報，甚至使人墮落地獄。」

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，十二～五、 死得不是時候的信徒 (偈 161)。

〔明法尊者註12-07〕 有一天，提婆達多跟佛陀說，他日漸衰老，建議他把僧團領導的責任移交給他。佛陀拒絕他。從此以後，他內心痛苦，也企圖殺害佛陀，但都失敗了。後來，他改採其它手段：建議所有的比丘，在一生之中都要遵守以下五條戒律(Vin.Cv.II,197.)：(1)(比丘)應該盡形壽住曠野(阿蘭若)，若到村落就犯罪。(2)應該盡形壽乞食，若受邀請食就犯罪。(3)應該盡形壽著糞掃衣，若受居士衣就犯罪。(4)應該盡形壽樹下住，若住屋就犯罪。(2)應該盡形壽不吃魚肉，若吃魚肉就犯罪。提婆達兜承認他所以提議增設五條戒律是要分裂僧伽。佛陀說：「提婆達兜如此分裂僧團，是非常嚴重的惡行，他將來會為這邪惡的企圖受苦難。」提婆達兜終於率領一群比丘到象頂山。後來，舍利弗尊者和大目犍連尊者前去勸誡跟隨他前去的比丘，其中很多比丘也知過悔改，回來依止佛陀。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，十二～七、 僧團不和的故事 (偈 163)。

〔明法尊者註12-10〕 佛陀宣告︰「四個月後即將般涅槃。」七百位凡夫比丘(puthujjanā bhikkhū)生起悚懼心，來親近佛陀，共商︰「我們該怎麼辦？」有位自利長老(Attadatthatthero阿塔達塔)依然保持正常的作息，不來佛陀的身邊。其他比丘誤解他的心意，便向佛陀報告。自利長老於是恭敬地向佛陀解釋，他對佛陀最崇敬的就是在佛陀般涅槃之前，證得阿羅漢果。佛陀讚歎他：「做得好！尊敬我的比丘，應該像你一樣。只有真正法隨法行(dhammānudhammaṁ paṭipajjantāyeva)的人才是真正尊敬我的人。」(與364偈的 故事--二十五～四、尊重佛陀的方法 同)。

PS: 請參《法句經故事集》，十二～十、 精進的比丘 (偈 166)。

(Ven. Nārada 12-03) Here "welfare" denotes one's ultimate goal, i.e., Nibbāna. Personal sanctification should not be sacrificed for the sake of external homage.

One must not misunderstand this verse to mean that one should not selflessly work for the weal of others. Selfless service is highly commended by the Buddha.

(DLMBS Commentary V157) There was a prince named Bodhirāja. He had built a new palace and invited the Buddha with monks for alms offering. Because the prince had no children, he spread some pieces of cloth on the floor and made a wish that if the Buddha stepped on the cloth, he and his wife would be able to have children.

When the Buddha came, he asked Bodhirāja to remove the cloth. He told him he and his wife could not have children because of evil deeds they committed in the past. The Buddha then related the story to the prince.

He and his wife had been the only survivors of a shipwreck in one of their past existences. They were stranded on an island and ate the birds. They also ate their eggs and small fledglings. They did not even feel a slightest remorse for killing some other living creatures' babies. Because of that, they would not able to have any children in this life.

(DLMBS Commentary V158) There was a monk named Upananda. He was a very good orator. He would preach eloquently about being satisfied with little, about contentment and about austerity, but actually he was very greedy and always took all he could get.

Once he wanted to spend the Rain Retreat in one monastery. When he found out that at the end of the retreat the monks there received only one robe each, he decided to go away. But he left his slippers there. It was similar at the second monastery, where the monks usually got two robes - he did not stay but left his staff. At the third monastery he left his water bottle, but himself left, because three robes that monks received there, did not satisfy him. Finally, he spent the Rain Retreat in the fourth monastery, where he received four robes at the end of the retreat. Because he left his things in three previous temples, he also claimed his share of the robes from them!

So, he set on the way back to his own monastery with ten robes. On the way he met two monks, who could not agree how to divide two robes and a blanket between themselves. Upananda agreed to act as an arbiter. He gave each of them one robe and he himself kept the blanket as a payment for his arbitration.

The monks went to see the Buddha and reported to him what happened. The Buddha reprimanded Upananda with this verse, saying that before one can teach others, he has to act properly - especially in the subject he wants to teach.

(DLMBS Commentary V159) There was a monk named Padhānika Tissa. He has several monks as his students. He taught them how to meditate and told them to be always vigilant and diligent. In the evening he would tell them to keep practicing and then he would go to sleep. At night, just when the monks were about to go to bed, he returned and told them to continue meditating.

The monks were very tired because of lack of sleep. But they were still very obedient and even admired their teacher for being so diligent. Once they went to investigate how he meditates - only to find their teacher asleep! They became dissatisfied and as a result they made very little progress in their meditation.

When they returned to the Jetavana monastery to see the Buddha, they told him about their teacher. The Buddha advised them with this verse, saying that a teacher should first master the subject himself completely and only then attempt to teach others.

(DLMBS Commentary V160) There was a young married woman who wanted to become a nun. She got permission from her husband and entered the Order. She became a pupil of Devadatta, the Buddha's cousin. Before she became a nun, she was already pregnant but did not know about it. When she found out, she asked Devadatta what to do. He sent her back to the lay life. But the woman was not happy and went to see the Buddha. The Buddha sent for Upāli, who was the master of Vinaya, rules of conduct. He further asked the king Pasenadi and the famous lay devotes, Anāthapindika and Visākhā to come and settle the case.

Visākhā examined the young woman and told Upāli that she was already pregnant when she joined the Order. Upāli therefore declared that the woman was pure of any misconduct and could continue her life as a nun. Later the woman gave birth to a son. He was named Kumara Kassapa and king Pasenadi adopted him. At the age of seven, the boy became a novice and when he was eighteen, he received the full ordination. He went to the forest to practice meditation and soon attained Arahantship. He lived in the forest for twelve years and then went back to the monastery.

His mother was very attached to him and whenever she saw him she would run after him calling his name. Kumara Kassapa decided that he should help his mother to get rid of this attachment. Therefore he spoke coolly to her, "How is it possible that you, as a nun, can not cut off even the affection for your son?" The woman reflected, "I have been weeping for twelve years, waiting for my son. Now he speaks so harshly to me! Why should I be attached to him?" Then she realized danger of all attachments and very soon reached Arahanthsip.

The monks then remarked to the Buddha that if the woman had listened to Devadatta's words, neither she nor her son would have reached Arahantship. The Buddha replied with this verse, saying that in striving for the goal one must depend only on himself and not seek others to lean on.

(DLMBS Commentary V161) There was a lay disciple named Mahākāla. Once he spent the night in the monastery, observing the eight precepts and meditating. In the morning, on his way home, he stopped by a pond to wash his face. On the same night some thieves broke into a house and were chased by the owners. The thieves dropped their stolen things in front of Mahākāla and ran away. The owners mistook Mahākāla for a thief and beat him up. Mahākāla died of his injuries. Some monks discovered his body and reported the matter to the Buddha.

The Buddha explained, that in one of his previous lives, Mahākāla fell in love with a certain woman and had beaten her husband to death. He then added this verse, saying that one's own evil deeds surely come back to their doer and fall back on his head.

(DLMBS Commentary V162) Some monks were discussing the subject of Devadatta, the Buddha's cousin, amongst themselves. They summed up all his bad actions: he got the confidence of prince Ajātasattu by unfair means, thus trying to gain fame. He instigated the prince to kill his own father, king Bimbisara and to become the king himself. Devadatta even tried to kill the Buddha for three times.

The monks reported the matter to the Buddha and added that Devadatta was a man without shame and morality. The Buddha then said that Devadatta was trying to kill him in many if the past lives. The Buddha spoke this verse, saying that immoral people will destroy themselves - just like a creeper strangles the tree on which it is spread.

(DLMBS Commentary V163) The Buddha had a cousin Devadatta. He also became a monk but he was vicked. He envied the Buddha and wanted to take his place as the head of the Buddhist community. He went to see the Buddha and suggested, that since the Buddha is getting old, he, Devadatta should from now on be the leader of the Buddhist Order. The Buddha refused. Devadatta then tried to kill the Buddha three times, but he was not successful.

Later Devadatta had another plan. He went to see the Buddha and suggested five new rules for all monks to follow: 1) to live only in forests, 2) to eat only almsfood, 3) to wear only robes they make themselves from discarded pieces of cloth found on rubbish heaps, 4) to sleep under trees, 5) not to eat any meat (including fish).

The Buddha told him that, whoever wants to follow these rules, can do so. But they will not become binding for all the monks, because they are too strict and the Buddha's teaching teaches the Middle Path.

Devadatta was angry and tried to find some more followers. Indeed, he found some young monks who thought the rules of Devadatta were much better than those, introduced by the Buddha.

The Buddha questioned Devadatta about his intentions and the later admitted ha was trying to create a schism in the Community. The Buddha tried to explain him that to create a schism is a very bad deed, but Devadatta did not care. He took his followers and departed for the place called Gayasīsa where he established a new Order. Two prominents disciple of the Buddha, Sāriputta and Moggallana were able to make most of the Devadatta's followers realize their mistake and make them come back to the Buddha.

The Buddha commented the situation with this verse, saying that good and beneficial deeds are very difficult to perform, whereas an evil deed is done very quickly and without any difficulty.

(DLMBS Commentary V164) In Sāvatthi there lived an old woman who was looking after a monk named Kāla. She often expressed her wish to go to the Jetavana monastery to hear the teaching from the Buddha’s own mouth. Three times she told Kāla about her wish and three times he advised her not to go.

However, one day she went to the monastery in spite of his objections. Kāla thought that she would have no more use for him, if she hears the Buddha to speak. So he went to the Buddha and told him not to teach the woman anything deep, because she was very stupid.

The Buddha knew the real reason for Kāla's words and he admonished him with this verse, saying that one who abuses the Teaching, is only destroying himself.

(DLMBS Commentary V165) There was a lay disciple named Cūlakāla. Once he spent the night in the monastery, observing the eight precepts and practicing meditation. In the morning he was returning home and met a group of thieves who were being chased by the owners of the stolen goods. The thieves put their loot in front of Cūlakāla and ran away. The owners mistook Cūlakāla for a thief and started to beat him. Some prostitutes, who were on the way to the river, saw the whole incident and told the people Cūlakāla was innocent. The owners let him go.

When the Buddha was told about this, he replied with this verse and added that Cūlakāla was truly innocent and therefore had nothing to fear.

(DLMBS Commentary V166) Close to the age of eighty, the Buddha declared that he would attain his final Parinirvāna in four months. There were many monks who have not reached the final goal yet and they were very distressed. They wept and kept close to the Buddha all the time. There was a monk, named Attadatta who decided to honor the Buddha by attaining the Awakenment during his lifetime. So he kept alone and practiced diligently. Some other monks did not understand his intention and told Buddha, "Attadatta does not love you, he did not come to pay homage to you! He is egoistic, indeed!" Attadatta explained his behavior, saying that in his opinion the greatest homage to Buddha would be if he attained the Arahantship within the remaining four months of the Buddha's life.

The Buddha approved of this and replied with this verse, saying that in spiritual attainment, one should diligently strive to reach the goal oneself and only then do other things.