可憐 How Pitiful

可憐

How Pitiful

當今時代的人早已解決了溫飽，但卻總給人一種「飢不擇食」的感覺，孔雀肉、馬肉、蠍子肉、老鼠肉、狗肉……甚至還有賣人肉包子的傳說，不管是真是假，如果這些殘忍的惡習繼續下去，總有一天會像斑足國王一樣啖食人肉的。

People nowadays have long managed the basic needs of food and clothing. But the kind of meats some humans consume—that of peacock, horse, scorpion, rat, or dog, you name it—gives the impression of insatiability that 「a hungry man will refuse no food.」 So much so that buns made of human flesh are rumored to be on the market. Although the allegation is dubious, the propagation of such savage habits is bound to bring about the day of human flesh eating, like that of king Kalmasapada.

偶爾路經一狗肉店，里面賓客如云，個個都滿面油光、神采奕奕，他們打著腥臭的飽嗝，忙著與同伴猜拳行令，沒有任何人去注意蹲在門口鐵籠里的那只黑狗。

By chance I walked by a packed canine steakhouse. The greasy-faced patrons were erupting with excitement; burping stinky breaths, they preoccupied themselves with a drinkers』 wagering game. It』s no surprise that no one paid any attention to the black dog locked up in the cage at the storefront.

它蜷縮著強壯的身軀，可能因為知道自己即將面臨宰殺的命運吧，眼里湧著瑩瑩的淚，以哀怨的神情目視著過往的人群。冷漠的人們都在忙著為衣食而奔波，何有閒暇為一條狗而駐足呢？

The dog, perhaps aware its imminent fate of being slaughtered, curled up its muscular body and, with tearful eyes, stared at passersby with grief and resentment. But crowds were indifferent; they just rushed about for their own survival needs. How could anyone care to spare time to halt for one dog?

這也是前世之因所獲之果啊！經云：「若人不恭敬，疑惑四偈師，將成百世狗，復轉腫瘤者。」 在業力面前誰也無能為力，我想這條狗也許就是前世辱罵了自己的上師，故而遭此厄運的。

This can only be the effect of actions in previous lives! The scripture says: 「Disrespect and distrust to teachers—even to the one who transmits a four-line Dharma—will cause the student to be reborn as dogs for a hundred lives, followed by being inflicted with tumors.」 When facing the consequences of karma, everyone is powerless. I gather this dog must have slandered his teachers in previous lives and is now facing this predicament.

藏地大德麥彭仁波切也說：「佛說如若不恭敬，僅賜一句法上師，百世連續轉為狗，復轉生于劣種中。」當然，轉世為狗尚有其他原因，但除了佛菩薩為了度化眾生，而發願轉世為狗以外，其他淪落為狗的遭遇，都是因為身語意所造的惡業而致的。

Mipham Rinpoche, the great luminary of Tibet, also says: 「The Buddha teaches that if one lacks respect to the teacher who imparts down to a single Dharma verse, one will be reborn as dogs for a hundred lives consecutively, followed by rebirth in low castes.」 Of course, there are other causes for a dog rebirth. For expedient purposes, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas may aspire to be born as dogs to benefit beings. But other than that, the non-virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind are the main causes of downfall as dogs.

無論轉世為狗，還是辱罵上師，都是十分可憐的。

To be reborn as a dog or to slander the teacher, either way, it』s quite a pity!

壬午年正月二十七日 2002年3月10日 書于鼓浪嶼

27th of January, Year of RenWu March 10, 2002 Written at Gulangyu