白銀與毒蛇 Silver and snakes
有一次，佛陀和弟子阿難走在路上，佛陀忽然說：「阿難，有毒蛇啊！」阿難以為真的有毒蛇，探頭一看，原來是一堆閃亮白銀，但是阿難也回答：「是的，世尊，是毒蛇！」兩人視若無睹地走過去了。
There was one occasion where Buddha and his follower, Ananda, were walking on the road. All of a sudden, Buddha said: "Ananda, there are poisonous snakes!" Ananda thought that there were actually poisonous snakes, but after he had a look, it was in fact a pile of shiny silver. Nevertheless, Ananda answered: "Yes Master, there are poisonous snakes! " They turned a blind eye to it and kept walking.

後面有一對父子，聽見佛陀說：「毒蛇！」阿難也回說：「毒蛇！」他們起了好奇心，於是也探頭去看個究竟──「哇！那裡是毒蛇？是一饔銀光閃閃的白銀啊！」
Behind them, there were a father and son who over heard what Buddha and Ananda said about the snakes. Their curiosity was aroused and they went to have a look, "Wow! These are not poisonous snakes. This is a pile of shinny silver! "

這對父子動了心，父親告訴兒子：「趕快把它搬回家，我們發財了！」於是父子倆高興地把白銀運回家，並且拿到市集去使用。
The father and son were very excited by what they saw. The father told his son, "Quickly, let’s take it home. We will make a fortune!" They happily went home with the silver and used it in the market.

原來，這些白銀是竊賊從國庫偷出來的，他們暫時藏起銀子，想避過風頭後再拿出來處理，沒想到佛陀和阿難經過該處發現了，又被跟在後頭的那對父子取走。
Little did they know, the silver was stolen from the state treasury. The thieves wanted to hide the sliver for the moment until the heat dies down. They didn’t expect Buddha and Ananda to discover the spoil, let alone having it taken by the father and son.

在城裡，官府已貼出通緝令，要捉拿竊賊。國庫的白銀上面一定都會印上「國銀」二字，那對父子把白銀拿到市集使用時，就被認為是偷國庫的重犯，因此被逮捕了，甚至被判處死刑押赴刑場。當這對父子即將被處決時，父親非常慨嘆的向兒子說：「兒啊！真的是毒蛇，我們現在已經被毒蛇咬了！」
In the city, the officials had already issued a warrant for the arrest of the burglars. The silver had the official seal of “State Currency” imprinted on it and since the father and son were seen using it in the market, they were charged with the offence of stealing from state treasury. So they were arrested and were even given a death sentence and finally led to the execution ground. When the father and son were about to be executed, the father sighed, "My son! They are truly poisonous snakes. We have now been bitten by them."

執刑的人聽到他們的話覺得奇怪，於是報告國王，國王覺得這些話的寓意很深，絕非一般莊稼人能想得出來的，因此就傳令押回，親自審問之後，才知道整個案情經過。國王明白了他們只是撿拾者而非盜犯，就赦免了那對父子。
The executor over heard them and thought it strange. He reported the incident to the King. The King thought that these words had deep meanings which were not thoughts from ordinary farmers, so he summoned them back. The King personally interrogated them and uncovered the full story. The King realised that the father and son simply picked up the sliver, not stealing it, so he set them free.

所謂動心與不動心，端看我們是否起貪念。看到境界而能不動心，對凡夫來說真的是很困難，像那對父子，看到一大饔白銀怎能不動心？而佛陀和阿難看了卻當它是毒蛇，不但不動心，而且還避得遠遠的，這就是凡聖之別啊！
Greed determines whether our hearts are agitated or not by external circumstances. It is very difficult for ordinary people not to be affected by external circumstances.  Like the father and son who saw the pile of silver, how could they resist such temptation?
In contrast, Buddha and Ananda treated it as poisonous snakes. Not only were they not tempted by it, they avoided it by keeping a good distance. This is the difference between ordinary people and saints.

凡夫俗子的心境常被外境所動，被現象的變化牽引得團團轉而落入境界之中。學佛主要就在調伏自心，使心能自主，來去自如。
An ordinary mind is easily affected by external circumstances and drawn into a world of ever changing forms with its tribulations.  The key to studying Buddhism is to tame this ordinary mind and enables it to be spontaneously mindful.

心為什麼會被境界所轉？簡單的說是因為貪念作崇；──貪色的人沉溺於男女色欲，輕者引來家庭不和，重者因而家破人亡。貪財的人著迷於金錢追求，輕者引發內心煩惱，重者導致精神失常，甚至傾家蕩產──經常有許多人因為簽賭大家樂、炒做股票等，在不堪金錢損失或心理壓力過大的情況下，造成種種悲劇。

Why is the ordinary mind so easily affected by external circumstances? Simply, it is the preoccupation with greed. People who covet sex will indulge in sexual desire. Minor indulgence results in family disharmony, whereas over indulgence causes family break up.  People who covet wealth will indulge in pursuing money. It may result in unsettled minds for minor indulgence but they lose their minds and all their possessions when they over indulge. Often a lot people indulge in gambling or speculate in the share market and suffer various kinds of calamities from the inability to cope with losses or stresses.

俗話說：「色不迷人，人自迷，財不害人，人自害。」一個有智慧的人，會把財、色、名、利等誘惑看得較為淡泊。難得生於人間，難得擁有人身，就應該好好發揮身體功能，造福大眾，散播清淨大愛，利益人群，此即菩薩的智慧，佛陀的本懷啊！
As the saying goes: "Sex does not tempt people, people tempt themselves; Money is not harmful, people harm themselves." A wise person will look at the temptations of wealth, sex, and fame lightly. Being fortunate enough to be born as human beings, we should function to benefit the masses, and to spread pure and great love. This is the wisdom of bodhisattvas and the nature of Buddha!


Translated by Julia Wu, edited by Richard Wong, Sydney, Australia