梵天的請求 Brahmas Request

Brahma’s Request

14．梵天的請求

The Blessed One having attained Buddhahood while resting under the shepherd’s Nigrodha tree on the banks of the river Neranyjara, pronounced this solemn utterance: [1]

當至福者在尼連禪河岸上牧羊人的菩提樹下休息時已悟道成佛，他說了這些嚴肅的話語： 1

“How blest in happy solitude Is he who hears of truth the call! How blest to be both kind and good, To practice self-restraint to all! How blest from passion to be free, All sensuous joys to let pass by! Yet highest bliss enjoyeth he Who quits the pride of ‘I am I.’ [2]

「那在愉快的獨處中聽見真理召喚的人是多麼幸福啊！

踐行自制，為善行仁的人是多麼幸福啊！

讓一切感觀的愉悅都遠去吧！

離開感情獲得自由是多麼幸福啊！

凡放棄傲慢的『我是我』的人，

會享有至高的喜樂。 2

“I have recognized the deepest truth, which is sublime and peace-giving, but difficult to understand; for most men move in a sphere of worldly interests and find their delights in worldly desires. [3]

「我已經認識到了最深的真理，它是神聖、平和但卻難以理解，因為絕大多數世人癡迷于世俗名利，只在世俗欲望中尋找快樂。 3

“The worldling will not understand the doctrine, for to him there is happiness in selfhood only, and the bliss that lies in a complete surrender to truth is unintelligible to him. [4]

「俗人不會理解這佛法，對他而言只有在自我中才有幸福，喜樂在真理的信奉者心中，俗人難以知曉這喜樂。 4

“He will call resignation what to the enlightened mind is the purest joy. He will see annihilation where the perfected one finds immortality. He will regard as death what the conqueror of self knows to be life everlasting. [5]

「那些對覺悟之心而言是至純喜悅的事，俗人則稱之為隱退。完美之人找到不朽之處，俗人則將其看作毀滅。自我的戰勝者所知道的永恆生命，俗人則認其為死亡。 5

“The truth remains hidden from him who is in the bondage of hate and desire. Nirvana remains incomprehensible and mysterious to the vulgar whose minds are beclouded with worldly interests. Should I preach the doctrine and mankind not comprehend it, it would bring me only fatigue and trouble.” [6]

菩提樹旁的佛陀，泰國吞武里Sangkrachai 寺壁畫摹本。

「束縛在仇恨和欲望之中的人，真理在他面前隱匿了。心靈被俗世名利蒙蔽的俗人，涅槃對他是難以理解和神秘莫測的。如果我宣講佛法，眾人卻不理解，這只能使我疲憊不堪，困難重重。」 6

Mara, the Evil One, on hearing the words of the Blessed Buddha, approached and said: “Be greeted, thou Holy One. Thou hast attained the highest bliss and it is time for thee to enter into the final Nirvana.” [7]

邪惡者波旬聽到福者佛陀的話，走過來說道：「祝賀你，聖者。你已經獲得了至高的喜樂，現在是你進入最後涅槃的時候了。」 7

Then Brahma Sahampati descended from the heavens and, having worshipped the Blessed One, said: [8]

接著梵天薩哈穆潘提從天界降下，他向至福者致敬，說道： 8

“Alas! the world must perish, should the Holy One, the Tathagata, decide not to teach the Dharma. [9]

「唉，如果至聖者如來決定不教授佛法，那麼世界必將毀滅。 9

“Be merciful to those that struggle; have compassion upon the sufferers; pity the creatures who are hopelessly entangled in the snares of sorrow. [10]

「可憐那些在痛苦中掙扎的人吧，同情那些苦難者吧，憐憫那些糾纏在悲傷之網中的眾生吧。 10

“There are some beings that are almost free from the dust of worldliness. If they hear not the doctrine preached, they will be lost. But if they hear it, they will believe and be saved.” [11]

「有一些人幾乎要脫離世俗的欲望了。如果他們聽不到你宣講的教義，他們會迷失方向。但如果他們聽到了，將會信奉並得到拯救。」 11

The Blessed One, full of compassion, looked with the eye of a Buddha upon all sentient creatures, and he saw among them beings whose minds were but scarcely covered by the dust of worldliness, who were of good disposition and easy to instruct. He saw some who were conscious of the dangers of lust and wrong doing. [12]

至福者心中充滿了同情，他以佛眼觀看一切有情眾生，他看到其中一些人的心靈幾乎沒有被俗世的欲望所遮掩，他們性情良善，易于教誨。他看到一些人已經意識到了欲望和惡行的危險性。 12

And the Blessed One said to Brahma Sahampati: “Wide open be the door of immortality to all who have ears to hear. May they receive the Dharma with faith.” [13]

接著至福者對梵天薩哈穆潘提說道：「對一切有耳聆聽的人打開不朽之門吧。願他們有信心接受佛法。」 13

And the Blessed One turned to Mara, saying: “I shall not pass into the final Nirvana, O Evil One, until there be not only brethren and sisters of an Order, but also lay-disciples of both sexes, who shall have become true hearers, wise, well-trained, ready and learned, versed in the scriptures, fulfilling all the greater and lesser duties, correct in life, walking according to the precepts - until they, having thus themselves learned the doctrine, shall be able to give information to others concerning it, preach it, make it known, establish it, open it, minutely explain it, and make it clear - until they, when others start vain doctrines, shall be able to vanquish and refute them, and so to spread the wonder-working truth abroad. I shall not die until the pure religion of truth shall have become successful, prosperous, wide-spread and popular in all its full extent - until, in a word, it shall have been well proclaimed among men!” [14]

然後至福者轉向波旬，說道：「邪惡者，我現在不進入最後的涅槃，直到不僅僧團的眾位兄弟姊妹，而且俗家男女弟子都成為真正的聞道者、有了智慧、接受了好的教導、願意學習、精通佛經、履行所有大大小小的職責、正確生活、按正確認識行事之時，直到他們自己學會佛法、能夠向有心學佛的人提供消息、宣講教義、使人知曉佛法、建樹佛法、傳播佛法、詳細解說並闡明佛法之時，直到當他人宣傳虛妄學說，他們能夠擊敗駁斥這些虛妄之人，並因此將這創造奇蹟的真理(指佛法)傳遍天下之時，我才進入最後的涅槃境界。直到關于真理的純粹宗教變得成功、繁榮、在所有的領域內都廣為傳播之時，總之，直到佛法在人們中得到很好地傳布之時，我的生命才將終結。」 14

Then Brahma Sahampati understood that the Blessed One had granted his request and would preach the doctrine. [15]

梵天薩哈穆潘提明白了佛陀已經接受了他的請求，他將會宣傳佛法。 15