保罗·卡卢斯：佛陀的福音 频婆娑罗王 King Bimbisara

　　King Bimbisara

　　8．频婆娑罗王

　　Siddhattha had cut his waving hair

　　and had exchanged his royal robe for a mean dress of the colour of the ground.

　　Having sent home Channa, the charioteer,

　　together with the noble steed Kanthaka,

　　to king Suddhodana to bear him the message that the prince had left the world,

　　the Bodhisatta walked along on the highroad with a begger's bowl in his hand. [1]

　　悉达多剪去了他的卷发，用他的王族贵袍换了一件土色的朴素衣服。他将车夫车匿和战马犍陟差回家里，让车匿捎信给净饭王，说太子已舍弃了尘世。之后他手中托着乞讨用的钵盆，沿着大路朝前走。 1

　　Yet the majesty of his mind was ill-concealed under the poverty of his appearance.

　　His erect gait betrayed his royal birth and his eyes beamed with a fervid zeal for truth.

　　The beauty of his youth was transfigured by holiness and surrounded his head like a halo. [2]

　　然而在悉达多贫困的外表下，他高贵的心灵时时能显现出来。他笔直的步伐泄露了他的王族出身，他的双眼因对真理的炙热情感而奕奕发光。他年轻英俊的形象因圣洁而有所改变，他的头好似被光环环绕。 2

　　All the people who saw this unusual sight gazed at him in wonder.

　　Those who were in haste arrested their steps and looked back;

　　and there was no one who did not pay him homage. [3]

　　所有看到这不寻常情景的人都好奇地盯着他看。那些匆匆赶路的行人停住脚步，回头看他，所有的人都向他致敬。 3

　　Having entered the city of Rajagaha,

　　the prince went from house to house silently waiting till the people offered him food.

　　Wherever the Blessed One came, the people gave him what they had;

　　they bowed before him in humility and were filled with gratitude

　　because he condescended to approach their homes. [4]

　　太子进入王舍城后，静静地从一家走到另一家，等着人们给他施舍食物。无论他走到哪里，人们都倾其所有施给他，因为他屈尊降贵来到他们家中，他们在他面前都谦卑地鞠躬致意，心中充满感激之情。 4

　　Old and young people were moved and said:

　　"This is a noble muni!

　　His approach is bliss.

　　What a great joy for us!" [5]

　　王舍城的老老少少都出来了，他们说：“这真是一个高贵的觉悟者！他的到来是福气。对我们来说是多么欢欣啊！” 5

　　And king Bimbisara, noticing the commotion in the city,

　　inquired the cause of it,

　　and when he learned the news sent one of his attendants to observe the stranger. [6]

　　频婆娑罗王发现城里骚乱，便询问原因，他听说这事之后就派随从去观察这个陌生人。 6

　　Having heard that the muni must be a Sakya and of noble family,

　　and that he had retired to the bank of a flowing river

　　in the woods to eat the food in his bowl,

　　the king was moved in his heart;

　　he donned his royal robe,

　　placed his golden crown upon his head

　　and went out in the company of aged and wise counsellors

　　to meet his mysterious guest. [7]

　　频婆娑罗王听说这个觉悟者是释迦族人并出自贵族家庭，住在树林里河堤旁，吃的是钵盆中的食物，国王的心被深深感动了。他穿上王袍，头戴金冠，在年老睿智的幕僚陪同下去见这位神秘的访客。 7

　　The king found the muni of the Sakya race seated under a tree.

　　Contemplating the composure of his face

　　and the gentleness of his deportment,

　　Bimbisara greeted him reverently and said: [8]

　　国王看到释迦族的觉悟者坐在一棵树下，他面色沉静，举止优雅，频婆娑罗王怀着敬意欢迎他，说道： 8

　　"O samana, thy hands are fit to grasp the reins of an empire

　　and should not hold a beggar's bowl.

　　I am sorry to see thee wasting thy youth.

　　Believing that thou art of royal descent,

　　I invite thee to join me in the government of my country

　　and share my royal power.

　　Desire for power is becoming to the noble-minded,

　　and wealth should not be despised.

　　To grow rich and lose religion is not true gain.

　　But he who possesses all three,

　　power, wealth and religion,

　　enjoying them in discretion and with wisdom,

　　him I call a great master." [9]

　　“出家人，你的手该去掌握王国的统治权而不该用来端乞丐的钵盆。看到你浪费青春，我感到很遗憾。我相信你是王族后代，我邀请你和我一起管理我的国家，分享我的王权。渴望权力才能具有贵族精神，不应鄙视财富。富裕但没有宗教就没有真正的收获。然而拥有权力、财富和宗教全部三者并能随心所欲、明智地享受它们的人，我称他为伟大的导师。” 9

　　The great Sakyamuni lifted his eyes and replied: [10]

　　伟大的释迦牟尼抬起眼睛，回答道： 10

　　"Thou art known, O king, to be liberal and religious,

　　and thy words are prudent.

　　A kind man who makes good use of wealth

　　is rightly said to possess a great treasure,

　　but the miser who hoards up his riches will have no profit. [11]

　　“噢，国王，你是自由和有宗教信仰的，你的话是睿智的。公正地说，一个能够很好利用财富的人拥有一大笔宝藏，但是吝啬鬼守着他的财富将毫无益处。 11

　　"Charity is rich in returns;

　　charity is the greatest wealth,

　　for though it scatters,

　　it brings no repentance. [12]

　　“施舍是回报的财富；施舍是最伟大的财富，因为尽管财富散尽也不会带来对罪的悔恨。 12

　　"I have severed all ties because I seek deliverance.

　　How is it possible for me to return to the world?

　　He who seeks religious truth, which is the highest treasure of all,

　　must leave behind all that can concern him or draw away his attention,

　　and must be bent upon that one goal alone.

　　He must free his soul from covetousness and lust,

　　and also from the desire for power. [13]

　　“我因为寻求解脱，已经斩断了所有的束缚，我怎么能再回到俗世中去？宗教真理是世界上最高的财富，寻找它的人必须将所有干扰和妨碍他专心修行的事情置之度外，必须专注精进于一个目标。他的心灵必须远离贪念和欲望，也要远离对权力的渴求。 13

　　"Indulge in lust but a little,

　　and lust like a child will grow.

　　Wield worldly power

　　and you will be burdened with cares. [14]

　　“稍稍沉溺于欲望，欲望将如小孩子一般成长起来。掌握俗世的权力必将担负种种烦恼。 14

　　"Better than sovereignty over the earth,

　　better than living in heaven,

　　better than lordship over all the worlds,

　　is the fruit of holiness. [15]

　　“和地上的统治权、天堂的生活、俗世的贵族身份相比，圣洁的果实要更为美好。 15

　　"The Bodhisatta has recognized the illusory nature of wealth

　　and will not take poison as food. [16]

　　“菩萨已经认识到了财富的虚假本质，不会将毒药当成食物服用。 16

　　"Will a fish that has been baited still covet the hook,

　　or an escaped bird love the net? [17]

　　“上钩的鱼儿还会垂涎鱼钩吗？自由的鸟儿还会喜欢罗网吗？ 17

　　"Would a rabbit rescued from the serpent's mouth go back to be devoured?

　　Would a man who has burnt his hand with a torch take up the torch

　　after he had dropped it to the earth?

　　Would a blind man who has recovered his sight desire to spoil his eyes again? [18]

　　“逃脱蛇口的野兔还会返回再被吞食吗？被火把烧着手的人扔掉火把后还会再捡起火把吗？恢复视力的盲人还会再一次弄瞎他的眼睛吗？ 18

　　"The sick man suffering from fever seeks for a cooling medicine.

　　Shall we advise him to drink that which will increase the fever?

　　Shall we quench a fire by heaping fuel upon it? [19]

　　“发高烧的病人寻找退烧药，我们让他喝升高体温的药吗？我们靠添柴来灭火吗？ 19

　　"I pray thee, pity me not.

　　Rather pity those who are burdened with the cares of royalty

　　and the worry of great riches.

　　They enjoy them in fear and trembling,

　　for they are constantly threatened with a loss of those boons

　　on whose possession their hearts are set,

　　and when they die they cannot take along

　　either their gold or the kingly diadem. [20]

　　“我请你不要怜悯我。去同情那些担负王室烦恼的人和因巨富而担忧的人吧。他们在恐惧和担忧中享受，因为财富和权力占据了他们的内心，他们时时担惊受怕，害怕财富和权力会丢失散尽。而当他们死去时，却带不走他们的金子和王权。 20

　　"My heart hankers no vulgar profit,

　　so I have put away my royal inheritance

　　and prefer to be free from the burdens of life. [21]

　　“我的心灵追求的不是这些普通利益，因此我不要王位继承权，更愿意从对生命的重负中解脱出来。 21

　　"Therefore, try not to entangle me in new relationships and duties,

　　nor hinder me from completing the work I have begun. [22]

　　“因而，不要试图将我卷入新的关系和责任中，也不要阻止我完成我已经开始的工作。 22

　　"I regret to leave thee.

　　But I will go to the sages who can teach me religion

　　and so find the path on which we can escape evil. [23]

　　“很遗憾我要离开你了。我要到那些能教我宗教知识的哲人那里，去找到躲避罪恶的正道。 23

　　"May thy country enjoy peace and prosperity,

　　and may wisdom be shed upon thy rule

　　like the brightness of the noon day sun.

　　May thy royal power be strong

　　and may righteousness be the sceptre in thine hand." [24]

　　“愿贵国平安繁荣，愿智慧如明亮的正午之日，引领辅佐你的统治。愿王权强大，愿你手中的权力正义公道。” 24

　　The king, clasping his hands with reverence,

　　bowed down before Sakyamuni and said:

　　"Mayest thou obtain that which thou seekest,

　　and when thou hast obtained it, come back, I pray thee,

　　and receive me as thy disciple." [25]

　　国王带着敬意紧紧握住释迦牟尼的手，向他鞠躬，说道?“愿你得到你所寻找的，你得到它之后，我请求你回来，收我做你的信徒。” 25

　　The Bodhisatta parted from the king in friendship and goodwill,

　　and purposed in his heart to grant his request. [26]

　　菩萨心中同意了他的请求，在友好的气氛中告别了国王。 26