菩薩的誕生 The Bodhisattas Birth

The Bodhisatta’s Birth

4．菩薩的誕生

There was in Kapilavatthu a Sakya king, strong of purpose and reverenced by all men, a descendant of the Okkakas, who call themselves Gotama, and his name was Suddhodana or Pure-Rice. [1]

在迦毗羅衛國有一位釋迦族的國王，他意志堅定，為臣民所崇敬。這位國王是自稱為喬達摩的奧卡凱斯人的後裔，他的名字是首圖馱那或淨飯。 1

His wife Maya-devi was beautiful as the water-lily and pure in mind as the lotus. As the Queen of Heaven, she lived on earth, untainted by desire, and immaculate. [2]

淨飯王的妻子摩耶夫人，如睡蓮般美麗，似荷花般純潔。她生活在塵世中，卻沒有被欲望玷污，潔白無瑕，像是天國里的王后一樣。 2

The king, her husband, honoured her in her holiness, and the spirit of truth, glorious and strong in his wisdom like unto a white elephant, descended upon her. [3]

她的丈夫因她的聖潔而尊敬她；他對真理的執著態度，像白象一樣的榮耀和強壯，也影響了她。 3

When she knew that the hour of motherhood was near, she asked the king to send her home to her parents; and Suddhodana, anxious about his wife and the child she would bear him, willingly granted her request. [4]

摩耶夫人得知自己即將生產，請求國王送她回到父母身邊。淨飯王關心妻子和即將出生的孩子，欣然同意了她的要求。 4

At Lumbini there is a beautiful grove, and when Maya-devi passed through it the trees were one mass of fragrant flowers and many birds were warbling in their branches. The Queen, wishing to stroll through the shady walks, left her golden palanquin, and, when she reached the giant Sala tree in the midst of the grove, felt that her hour had come. She took hold of a branch. Her attendants hung a curtain about her and retired. When the pain of travail came upon her, four pure-minded angels of the great Brahma held out a golden net to receive the babe, who came forth from her right side like the rising sun bright and perfect. [5]

在藍毗尼有一個美麗的花園，當摩耶夫人經過時，園中林木蔥蔥，鮮花盛開，百鳥啼鳴。王後想在蔭涼處散步，便離開了她的金轎。當她走到園中一棵大無憂樹下時，感到孩子要出生了。她抓住一個樹枝，隨從掛起簾子將她遮住便退下了。陣痛來臨時，偉大梵天的四個純潔天使拉起一個金網去迎接嬰孩，孩子從母親的右脅中出生，像冉冉升起的太陽明亮美麗。 5

The Brahma-angels took the child and placing him before the mother said: “Rejoice, O queen, a mighty son has been born unto thee.” [6]

梵天的天使抱起孩子，將他放在母親面前，說道：「歡喜吧，王後，你生了一個偉大的兒子。」 6

At her couch stood an aged woman imploring the heavens to bless the child. [7]

在王后的臥榻旁站著一位老嫗，她祈求眾天神賜福給這孩子。 7

All the worlds were flooded with light. The blind received their sight by longing to see the coming glory of the Lord; the deaf and dumb spoke with one another of the good omens indicating the birth of the Buddha to be. The crooked became straight; the lame walked. All prisoners were freed from their chains and the fires of all the hells were extinguished. [8]

天地間充滿了亮光。盲人因期盼看到主的榮光而有了視覺；聾人和啞巴相互交談著預示佛陀出世的吉兆；駝背的人身板挺直了；瘸腿的人能行走了；所有的囚徒從他們的鎖鏈中解脫出來；一切地獄之火熄滅了。 8

No clouds gathered in the skies and the polluted streams became clear, whilst celestial music rang through the air and the angels rejoiced with gladness. With no selfish or partial joy but for the sake of the law they rejoiced, for creation engulfed in the ocean of pain was now to obtain release. [9]

天空澄明淨徹，河水清冽透亮。這時，天國的音樂驟然響起，穿徹云霄，天使們因喜悅而歡呼。他們歡呼不是因個人或部分人的原因，而是為他們所喜悅的正道。因為，現在那些陷在苦海中的眾生得到了解放。 9

The cries of beasts were hushed; all malevolent beings received a loving heart, and peace reigned on earth. Mara, the evil one, alone was grieved and rejoiced not. [10]

野獸的嗥叫停下了，所有懷有惡意的生靈有了愛心，平安降臨大地。罪惡之神波旬獨自悲傷，沮喪難耐。 10

The Naga kings, earnestly desiring to show their reverence for the most excellent law, as they had paid honour to former Buddhas, now went to greet the Bodhisatta. They scattered before him mandara flowers, rejoicing with heartfelt joy to pay their religious homage. [11]

那加國諸王熱切地想要表達他們對這最傑出的正道的尊重，就像他們曾經對前世佛所表達的敬意一樣，現在他們向這位菩薩致意。他們在他面前撒滿了曼陀羅花，以此表達他們滿心的喜悅之情，並同時奉獻虔誠的敬意。 11

The royal father, pondering the meaning of these signs, was now full of joy and now sore distressed. [12]

國王揣測著這些跡象的意思，時而滿心高興，時而滿心憂愁。 12

The queen mother, beholding her child and the commotion which his birth created, felt in her timorous heart the pangs of doubt. [13]

王後看著她的孩子和因他出生造成的轟動，心中因疑慮感到陣陣恐慌。 13

Now there was at that time in a grove near Lumbini Asita, a rishi, leading the life of a hermit. He was a Brahman of dignified mien, famed not only for wisdom and scholarship, but also for his skill in the interpretation of signs. And the king invited him to see the royal babe. [14]

那時，有一位哲人阿私陀，他在藍毗尼附近的花園里過著隱士生活。他是一位有著威嚴儀表的婆羅門，不僅學識淵博，充滿智慧，而且能洞察各種跡象，在當地很有威望。于是國王邀請他來看望太子。 14

The seer, beholding the prince, wept and sighed deeply. And when the king saw the tears of Asita he became alarmed and asked: “Why has the sight of my son caused thee grief and pain?” [15]

這位先知一見到太子，便痛哭起來，並深深嘆氣。國王看見阿私陀的眼淚，心中驚慌，便問道：「為何看到我兒子讓你這般悲傷痛苦？」 15

But Asita’s heart rejoiced, and, knowing the king’s mind to be perplexed, he addressed him, saying: [16]

但是阿私陀的心卻在歡呼雀躍，他知道國王仍在困惑之中，于是對國王說： 16

“The king, like the moon when full, should feel great joy, for he has begotten a wondrously noble son. [17]

「像滿月一樣完美的陛下啊！您應該感到非常高興，因為您生了一個極為高貴的兒子。 17

“I do not worship Brahma, but I worship this child; and the gods in the temples will descend from their places of honour to adore him. [18]

「我不崇拜梵天，但是我崇拜這個孩子。廟里的諸神都將從他們榮耀的寶座上走下來崇拜他。 18

“Banish all anxiety and doubt. The spiritual omens manifested indicate that the child now born will bring delliverance to the whole world. [19]

「去除所有的擔心和懷疑吧。這些已出現的靈異徵兆，表明了這孩子的出生將要把整個世界解救出來。 19

“Recollecting that I myself am old, on that account I could not hold my tears; for now my end is coming on and I shall not see the glory of this babe. For this son of thine will rule the world. [20]

「我一想到自己已經老了，因此禁不住流淚。因為我的生命即將結束，我將看不到這嬰孩的榮耀。您的兒子將統治全世界。 20

“The wheel of empire will come to him. He will either be a king of kings to govern all the lands of the earth, or verily will become a Buddha. He is born for the sake of everything that lives. [21]

「他將掌管國家大事，或者會成為王中之王去統治這世上所有的土地，或者他會成為一個佛陀。他之所以生，就是為所有在世上活著的人。 21

“His pure teaching will be like the shore that receives the ship-wrecked. His power of meditation will be like a cool lake; and all creatures parched with the drought of lust may freely drink thereof. [22]

「他的純正教誨將像停泊船只的海岸，他沉思的力量恰似涼爽的湖水，所有口渴難耐的生命都可以自由地暢飲。 22

“On the fire of covetousness he will cause the cloud of his mercy to rise, so that the rain of the law may extinguish it. The heavy gates of despondency will be open, and give deliverance to all creatures ensnared in the self-entwined meshes of folly and ignorannce. [23]

「在貪婪的欲望之火上方，他將生出憐憫的云彩，降下正道的甘霖將火熄滅。他將打開沮喪者的大門，將所有的生命從愚蠢和無知的自縛困境中解救出來。 23

“The king of the law has come forth to rescue from bondage all the poor, the miserable, the helpless.” [24]

「正道之王出現了，他將所有窮困的、痛苦的、無助的人從束縛中解救出來。」 24

When the royal parents heard Asita’s words they rejoiced in their hearts and named their new-born infant Siddhattha, that is, “he who has accomplished his purpose.” [25]

國王夫婦聽了阿私陀的話後內心欣喜萬分，他們將新生兒命名為「悉達多」，意思為「他已經實現了他的目標」。 25

And the queen said to her sister, Pajapati: “A mother who has borne a future Buddha will never give birth to another child. I shall soon leave this world, my husband, the king, and Siddhattha, my child. When I am gone, be thou a mother to him.” [26]

王后對她的妹妹摩訶波闍波提說：「能夠生下一個未來佛的母親將不會再生另一個孩子了。我將離開這個世界，離開我的國王丈夫和我的孩子悉達多。我走之後，你做他的母親吧。」 26

And Pajapati wept and promised. [27]

于是摩訶波闍波提哭泣並答應了她。 27

When the queen had departed from the living, Pajapati took the boy Siddhattha and reared him. And as the light of the moon increases little by little, so the royal child grew from day to day in mind and in body; and truthfulness and love resided in his heart. [28]

王后離開人世之後，摩訶波闍波提帶走了男孩悉達多並養育他。就像月亮之光是一點一點地增多一樣，太子的學識和身體也一天天地增長，真理和愛也在他心中生成。 28

When a year had passed Suddhadana the king made Pajapati his queen and there was never a better stepmother than she. [29]

一年過後，淨飯王立摩訶波闍波提為王后，她是最好的繼母人選。 29