保罗·卡卢斯：佛陀的福音 苦修之地宇奴唯拉村 Uruvela, the Place of Mortification

　　Uruvela, the Place of Mortification

　　10．苦修之地宇奴唯拉村

　　The Bodhisatta went in search of a better system

　　and came to a settlement of five bhikkhus

　　in the jungle of Uruvela;

　　and when the Blessed One saw the life of those five men,

　　virtuously keeping in check their senses,

　　subduing their passions, and practising austere self-discipline,

　　he admired their earnestness and joined their company. [1]

　　菩萨继续寻找一个更好的思想体系，他来到位于宇奴唯拉丛林中五个比丘的修行地，他看到这五个人抑止欲望、克制感情，实行严格的自律，过着正直善良的生活。他佩服他们的诚挚认真，便加入了这个团体。 1

　　With holy zeal and a strong heart,

　　the Sakyamuni gave himself up to meditative thought

　　and rigorous mortification of the body.

　　Whereas the five bhikkhus were severe, the Sakyamuni was severer still,

　　and they revered him, their junior, as their master. [2]

　　带着虔诚的热情和一颗坚定的心，释迦牟尼将自己投入到沉思冥想和身体的严格苦修中。尽管五位比丘修行严厉，释迦牟尼却更严厉。他们尊重他，将这位年少者视为他们的导师。 2

　　So the Bodhisatta continued for six years

　　patiently torturing himself and suppressing the wants of nature.

　　He trained his body and exercised his mind

　　in the modes of the most regorous ascetic life.

　　At last, he ate each day one hemp-grain only,

　　seeking to cross the ocean of birth and death

　　and to arrive at the shore of deliverance. [3]

　　这样菩萨在接下来的六年中坚韧地折磨自己身体，压制本性的需求。他在最严酷的苦行禁欲方式中锻炼身体和思想。最后，他每天只吃一粒麻籽，以此寻求跨越生死之海、到达解脱的彼岸。 3

　　And when the Bodhisatta was ahungered,

　　lo! Mara, the Evil One, approached him and said:

　　"Thou art emanciated from fasts, and death is near.

　　What good is thy exertion?

　　Deign to live, and thou wilt be able to do good works."

　　But the Sakyamuni made reply:

　　"O thou friend of the indolent, thou wicked one;

　　for what purpose hast thou come?

　　Let the flesh waste away,

　　if but the mind becomes more tranquil

　　and attention more steadfast.

　　What is life in this world?

　　Death in battle is better to me

　　than that I should live defeated." [4]

　　正当菩萨饥肠辘辘之时，看吧！魔王波旬靠近他，说道：“你因禁食而瘦弱，死亡就要来了。你的努力有何益处？屈尊去生活吧，你将有能力做好工作。”但释迦牟尼回答说：“哦。你这懒惰之友，你这恶魔，你为何来此？只要心灵更宁静，心念更坚定，就让肉体日渐衰亡吧！在这尘世上，生命是什么？对我而言，与其战败投降获生，不如战死在疆场。” 4

　　And Mara withdrew, saying:

　　"For seven years I have followed the Blessed One step by step,

　　but I have found no fault in the Tathagata." [5]

　　魔王退后，说道：“七年间，我步步紧跟在这至福者(指佛陀)身后，但我在如来身上没有发现任何瑕疵。” 5

　　The Bodhisatta was shrunken and attenuated,

　　and his body was like a withered branch;

　　but the fame of his holiness spread in the surrounding countries

　　and people came from great distances to see him

　　and receive his blessing. [6]

　　菩萨身瘦体弱，形销骨立，恰如枯木，但他圣洁的美名传遍了周围国家，人们纷纷从很远的地方来敬拜他，接受他的祝福。 6

　　However, the Holy One was not satisfied.

　　Seeking true wisdom he did not find it,

　　and he came to the conclusion that mortification would not extinguish desire

　　nor afford enlightenment in ecstatic contemplation. [7]

　　然而，这至圣者(指佛陀)对此并不满足。他继续寻找他还没有发现的真正智慧，然后他认识到苦修并不能熄灭欲望之火、并不能带来忘我沉思中的涅槃境界。 7

　　Seated beneath a jambu-tree,

　　he considered the state of his mind

　　and the fruits of his mortification.

　　His body had become weaker,

　　nor had his fasts advanced him in his search for salvation,

　　and therefore when he saw that is was not the right path,

　　he proposed to abandon it. [8]

　　他坐在一棵阎浮树下，思考着自己的心境和他苦修的成果。他的身体日渐消瘦，禁食并没有使他在寻找解脱之道上更进一步，因而当他看到苦修并不是正确之路，他打算放弃苦修。 8

　　He went to bathe in the Neranyjaro river,

　　but when he strove to leave the water

　　he could not rise on account of his weakness.

　　Then espying the branch of a tree and taking hold of it,

　　he raised himself and left the stream.

　　But while returning to his abode,

　　he staggered and fell to the ground,

　　and the five bhikkhus thought he was dead. [9]

　　他到尼连禅河中洗浴，但当他想费力离开水面时，因为虚弱他无法站起来。接着他看到一个树枝，他抓住树枝立了起来，这才出了河水。返回住地时，他步履蹒跚，跌倒在地，五位比丘以为他死了。 9

　　There was a chief herdsman living near the grove

　　whose eldest daughter was called Nanda;

　　and Nanda happened to pass by the spot where the Blessed One had swooned,

　　and bowing down before him she offered him rice-milk and he accepted the gift.

　　When he had partaken of the rice-milk all his limbs were refreshed,

　　his mind became clear agin,

　　and he was strong to receive the highest enlightenment. [10]

　　树林附近住着一位牧羊人，他的大女儿名叫难陀，难陀恰好经过至圣者昏睡之地，便俯下身给了他一些乳糜，至圣者接受了这一礼物。享用了这些乳糜之后，他恢复了体力，思维又一次清晰起来。现在他强壮了，可以接受最高的觉悟了。 10

　　After this occurrence, the Bodhisatta again took some food.

　　His disciples, having witnessed the scene of Nanda

　　and observing the change in his mode of living, were filled with suspicion.

　　They were convinced that Siddhattha's religious zeal was flagging

　　and that he whom they had hitherto revered as their Master

　　had become oblivious of his high purpose. [11]

　　这事之后，菩萨再一次进食。他的追随者目睹了难陀一幕，并注意到了他生活方式的变化，对他有了怀疑。他们确信，悉达多的宗教热情逐渐衰退了，他们迄今所崇敬的、将其作为他们导师的悉达多，已经忘记了他的最高目的。 11

　　When the Bodhisatta saw the bhikkhus turning away from him,

　　he felt sorry for their lack of confidence,

　　and was aware of the loneliness in which he lived. [12]

　　菩萨看到比丘们离开他之后，他遗憾他们缺乏信心，并感到他所住居之地甚为孤寂。 12

　　Suppressing his grief he wandered on alone,

　　and his disciples said:

　　"Siddhattha leaves us to seek a more pleasant abode." [13]

　　他抑制住悲伤，独自在外徘徊，接着他的追随者又说：“悉达多离开我们去寻找更舒适的住所了。” 13