法句譬喻經 10: On carelessness (thoughtlessness)
Texts from the Buddhist Canon commonly known as Dhammapada, with accompanying narratives 10
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On carelessness (thoughtlessness)
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In days of old there were five hundred merchants, who, after a voyage on the deep, were returning to their homes, when in traversing certain deep and dangerous passes the evil spirits so bewildered them that, being unable to find their way out, they at last were exhausted from want of food and lay down and died, leaving their treasures scattered about the mountains. At this time a certain Shaman, who was practising austerities in that neighbourhood, seeing the valuables lying about, thought thus with himself—"I have been exercising myself in self-denial for these seven years past, and have failed to reach my aim. I will take these valuables and go home again.” Then Buddha, recognising the condition of this Shaman, and knowing that he would arrive at deliverance, caused the appearance of a Bhikshunī, with a head-dress adorned with jewels. On seeing her, the Shaman was astonished, and said, “How is it that you, a Bhikshunī, are thus adorned?” To which she replied, “But how is it that you, a Shaman, are also in possession of wealth and jewels, which are forbidden to one of your calling?"—and then she added these lines, and said:
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“A Bhikshu diligently adheres to the rules (of his calling). A man who is careless and negligent in these, accumulates much sorrow. He who carefully attends to little matters, arrives at great results; he who accumulates evil actions must enter the fiery pit. But guarding the precepts, then one's happiness increases, and the gladness consequent upon it, as the contrary neglect of them leads to remorse and bitterness of heart. The Bhikshu who is able to get rid of all remnants of worldly attachment (the three worlds), this one is verily near to Nirvāna.”
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Then the Bhikshunī re-appearing in the glorious form of Buddha, the Shaman, filled with astonishment and fear, fell down at his feet, and repenting of his carelessness and ignorance, vowed to amend his life and follow his duty with anxious care. On this the World-honoured one forthwith recited these gāthās:
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“Although a man may have heretofore been careless, yet if afterwards he is able to govern and restrain himself, this man becomes illustrious in (or illumines) the world, and the more he reflects the more resolved will he become (to use self-restraint). A man may have done many things wrong, but if he recovers himself and atones for the evil by doing good, this man becomes illustrious in the world, and the more he reflects the more virtuous he will become. The man who in the prime of life leaves his home and perfectly tutors himself in the doctrine of Buddha, this man shines out in the world as the moon when it bursts from a cloud. The man who in times past has done wickedly, but afterwards halts in his career and offends no more—that man shines out in the world as the moon when it emerges from the cloud.”
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On hearing these lines, the Shaman again prostrated himself at the feet of Buddha, and returning to his solitary seat underneath a tree, applied himself sedulously to practise self-government and contemplation, and thus recovered the ground he had lost, and attained the fruit of Rahatship.
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Translated from the Chinese by Samuel Beal, 1878.
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Texts from the Buddhist canon, commonly known as Dhammapada, with accompanying narratives
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Published by Trübner & Co, Ludgate Hill, London, 1878.
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Translated by the Shamans Fā-Kheu and Fā-Lih, of the Western Tsin Dynasty.
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Original book can be downloaded at https://archive.org/details/textsfrombuddhis00beal.
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Prepared for SuttaCentral by Yasoj and Ven. Vimala.
Linked texts (1)
- 法句譬喻經 — Classical Chinese