来源：给孤独园林   作者：如来在家弟子Joe

         非于虚空及海中，亦非深山洞窟中；冀求逃遁恶业者，世间觅无可避处。

选译自南传巴利英译法句经第九品恶品

译于公元2006/6/24八关斋戒日

 那时，佛陀还住在古印度的祇桓精舍里。本篇的缘起是因为有三组从远处来拜访佛陀的比丘，途中遇到一些事件，让他们感到很不可思议，当他们见到佛后所提出的问题，佛陀在本经中也作了翔实的答复。

    第一组比丘在前往拜见佛陀的路上，来到某个村落歇脚，当地村民为供养比丘正忙着准备食物。其中一家不幸发生火灾，大火凌空而烧。一只乌鸦不巧飞进大火之中，活活地被烧死。比丘们看见这般情景，认为世上只有世尊能解释这只乌鸦的业与业果间的关系，他们决定见到佛后一并提出这个疑问。用过餐后，一行人又启程继续赶路。

    第二组比丘也是要拜见佛陀，他们走的是水路，但船在大海中竟停滞不前，船上的乘客决定以人作为献祭，祭祀海神。他们决定用抽签的方式来决定牺牲者，没想到一连三次都抽中船长的妻子，船长悲伤地说：「这么多人不能为这不祥的女人而死。」于是在妻子的颈部绑上沙袋，将她推落海里。经过献祭后，船竟然能行进了，到达岸边后，比丘们又继续赶路，他们决定去问佛，这个女人过去前生究竟造了什么恶业，使她遇此不幸。

    第三组比丘的成员一共有七位，也同样是要拜见佛陀。途中因不谙路线，向人问路，却受人误引来到一处山洞，他们无奈地只好在洞里过一夜。没想到，半夜里从山上滚下一颗巨石，把洞口给堵住了。隔天住在附近的比丘发现了他们，于是发动七个村子的村民赶来帮忙营救，可是他们用尽一切的方法，那颗巨石仍是如如不动。这七名比丘就这样受困在洞内长达七天，他们又饿又累。到了第七天，那颗大石竟奇迹似的自动滑落，七名比丘逃出生天后，又继续赶路，他们决定当面问佛这段业与业果间的关系。

    三组比丘都来到了佛前，他们依序向佛陀叙述所遭遇的经过。

佛陀对第一组比丘解释：过去很久以前，有一个农夫，养了一头牛，但他嫌这头牛又懒又固执，有一次一气之下竟在牛的颈部绑上稻草，把牛活活地烧死。因为这项恶业，农夫死后在地狱承受了一段很长时间的痛苦，转生到人间时，一连七世都死于火灾。

佛陀对第二组比丘解释：过去很久以前，有一个女人养了一只狗，那只狗与她形影不离。一些年轻人取笑她，她感到羞辱与愤怒，把气出在狗身上，在狗的脖子上绑上沙袋，丢进海里。由于这项恶行，她在地狱里受尽折磨，转生到人间时，已连续一百世都被人丢进海里而死。

佛陀对第三组比丘解释：过去很久以前，有七个牧人，因一时顽皮，以泥土封闭蜥蜴的洞穴，过了七天他们才想起这件事，赶到洞前把土掘开，因此恶业，七名比丘会在山洞内受困挨饿七天。

佛陀最后以如下的偈语作总结：

非于虚空及海中，亦非深山洞窟中；冀求逃遁恶业者，世间觅无可避处。

Verse 127

IX (11) The Story of Three Groups of Persons

While residing at the Jetavana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (127) of this book, with reference to questions raised by three groups of bhikkhus concerning three extraordinary incidents.

The first group: A group of bhikkhus were on their way to pay homage to the Buddha and they stopped at a village on the way. Some people were cooking alms-food for those bhikkhus when one of the houses caught fire and a ring of fire flew up into the air. At that moment, a crow came flying, got caught in the ring of fire and dropped dead in the central part of the village. The bhikkhus seeing the dead crow observed that only the Buddha would be able to explain for what evil deed this crow had to die in this manner. After taking alms-food they continued on their journey to pay homage to the Buddha, and also to ask about the unfortunate crow.

The second group: Another group of bhikkhus wore travelling in a boat; they too wore on their way to pay homage to the Buddha. When they were in the middle of the ocean the boat could not be moved. So, lots were drawn to find out who the unlucky one was; three times the lot fell on the wife of the skipper. Then the skipper said sorrowfully, "Many people should not die on account of this unlucky woman; tie a pot of sand to her neck and threw her into the water so that I would not see her." The woman was thrown into the sea as instructed by the skipper and the ship could move on. On arrival at their destination. the bhikkhus disembarked and continued on their way to the Buddha. They also intended to ask the Buddha due to what evil kamma the unfortunate woman was thrown overboard.

The third group: A group of seven bhikkhus were also on their way to pay homage to the Buddha. On the way, they enquired at a monastery whether there was any suitable place for them to take shelter for the night in the neighbourhood. They were directed to a cave, and there they spent the night; but in the middle of the night, a large boulder slipped off from above and effectively closed the entrance. In the morning, the bhikkhus from the nearby monastery coming to the cave saw what had happened and they went to bring people from seven villages. With the help of these people they tried to move the boulder, but it was of no avail. Thus, the seven bhikkhus were trapped in the cave without food or water for seven days. On the seventh day, the boulder moved miraculously by itself, and the bhikkhus came out and continued their way to the Buddha. They also intended to ask the Buddha due to what previous evil deed they were thus shut up for seven days in a cave.

The three groups of travellers met on the way and together they went to the Buddha. Each group related to the Buddha what they had seen or experienced on their way and the Buddha answered their questions.

The Buddha answer to the first group: "Bhikkhus, once there was a farmer who had an ox. The ox was very lazy and also very stubborn. It could not be coaxed to do any work; it would lie down chewing the cud or else go to sleep. The farmer lost his temper many times on account of this lazy, stubborn animal; so in anger he tied a straw rope round the neck of the ox and set fire to it, and the ox died. On account of this evil deed the, farmer had suffered for a long time in niraya. and in serving out the remaining part of his punishment, he had been burnt to death in the last seven existences."

The Buddha's answer to the second group: "Bhikkhus, once there was a woman who had a pet dog. She used to take the dog along with her wherever she went and young boys of the city poked fun at her. She was very angry and felt so ashamed that she planned to kill the dog. She filled a pot with sand, tied it round the neck of the dog and threw it into the water; and the dog was drowned. On account of this evil deed that woman had suffered for a long time in niraya and in serving the remaining part of her punishment, she had been thrown into the water to drown in the last one hundred existences."

The Buddha's answer to the third group: "Bhikkhus, once, seven cowherds saw an iguana going into a mound and they dosed all the seven outlets of the mound with twigs and branches of trees. After closing the outlets they went away, completely forgetting the iguana that was trapped in the mound. Only after seven days, they remembered what they had done and hurriedly returned to the scene of their mischief and let out the iguana. On account of this evil deed, those seven had been imprisoned together for seven days without any food, in the last fourteen existences."

Then, a bhikkhu remarked, "O indeed! There is no escape from evil consequences for one who has done evil, even if he were in the sky, or in the ocean, or in a cave." To him, the Buddha said, "Yes, Bhikkhu! You are right; even in the sky or anywhere else, there is no place which is beyond the reach of evil consequences."

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 127. Not in the sky, nor in the middle of the ocean, nor in the cave of a mountain, nor anywhere else, is there a place, where one may escape from the consequences of an evil deed.

At the end of the discourse all the bhikkhus attained Sotapatti Fruition.

 转自 http://www.charity.idv.tw