《法句经》摘译

　　The Dhammapada is a collection of 423 Buddhist aphorisms or teachings intended to provide ethical guidance. The poetic and sometimes profound sayings of the Dhammapada, which can be translated as "Way of Truth," are attributed to Buddha, who founded Buddhism in India in the 6th century BC. These writings, part of the sacred Sutra Pitaka, illustrate the Buddhist dhamma, or moral system. The following excerpt deals with the human mind and the consequences of immoral actions.
　　《法句经》是由423段格言或者教训组成的集子，其用意在道德教诲。《法句经》据说都是佛陀所说。佛陀是公元前6世纪时在印度创立佛教的人。《法句经》的语句是诗意的，有时寓意很深刻。作为经藏的一部分，这些文字揭示了佛教的“法”或者道德体系。下面的摘选谈的是人心和不善行为的结果。
　　The Mind CITTAVAGGO 心品
　　33. The mind is wavering and restless, difficult to guard and restrain: let the wise man straighten his mind as a maker of arrows makes his arrows straight,
　　轻动变易心，难让难制服，智者凋直之，如匠搦箭直。
　　34. Like a fish which is thrown on dry land, taken from his home in the waters, the mind strives and straggles to get free from the power of Death.
　　如鱼离水栖，投与陆地上，以此战惊心，摆脱魔境界。
　　35. The mind is fickle and flighty, it flies after fancies wherever it likes: it is difficult indeed to restrain. But it is a great good to control the mind; a mind self-controlled is a source of great joy.
　　此心随欲转，轻躁难捉摸。 善哉心调伏，心调得安乐。
　　36. Invisible and subtle is the mind, and it flies after fancies wherever it likes; but let the wise man guard well his mind, for a mind well guarded is a source of great joy.
　　此心随欲转，微妙极难见。智者防让心，心让得安乐。
　　37. Hidden in the mystery of consciousness, the mind, incorporeal, flies alone far away. Those who set their mind in harmony become free from the bonds of death.
　　远行与独行，无形隐深窟。谁能调伏心，解脱魔罗缚。
　　38. He whose mind is unsteady, who knows not the path of Truth, whose faith and peace are ever wavering, he shall never reach fullness of wisdom.
　　心若不安定，又不了正法，信心不坚者，智慧不成就。
　　39. But he whose mind in calm self-control is free from the lust of desires, who has risen above good and evil, he is awake and has no fear.
　　若得无漏心，亦无诸惑乱，超越善与恶，觉者无恐怖。
　　40. Considering that this body is frail like a jar, make your mind strong like a fortress and fight the great fight against MARA, all evil temptations. After victory guard well your conquests, and ever for ever watch.
　　知身如陶器，住心似城廓，慧剑击魔罗，守胜莫染著。
　　41. For before long, how sad! this body will lifeless lie on the earth, cast aside like a useless log.
　　此身实不久，当睡於地下，被弃无意识，无用如木屑。
　　42. An enemy can hurt an enemy, and a man who hates can harm another man; but a man's own mind, if wrongly directed, can do him a far greater harm.
　　仇敌害仇敌，怨家对怨家，若心向邪行，恶业最力大。
　　43. A father or a mother, or a relative, can indeed do good to a man; but his own right-directed mind can do to him a far greater good.
　　(善)非父母作，亦非他眷属，若心向正行，善业最为大。
　　Evil (PAPAVAGGO) 恶品
　　116. Make haste and do what is good; keep your mind away from evil. If a man is slow in doing good, his mind finds pleasure in evil.
　　应急速作善，制止罪恶心。怠慢作善者，心则喜於恶。
　　If a man does something wrong, let him not do it again and again. Let him not find pleasure in his sin. Painful is the accumulation of wrongdoings.
　　若人作恶已，不可数数作；莫喜於作恶；积恶则受苦。
　　118. If a man does something good, let him do it again and again. Let him find joy in his good work. Joyful is the accumulation of good work.
　　若人作善已，应复数数；当喜於作善；积善则受乐。
　　119. A man may find pleasure in evil as long as his evil has not given fruit; but when the fruit of evil comes then that man finds evil indeed.
　　恶业未成熟，恶者以为乐，恶业成熟时，恶者方见恶。
　　120. A man may find pain in doing good as long as his good has not given fruit; but when the fruit of good comes then that man finds good indeed.
　　善业未成熟，善人以为苦，善业成熟时，善人始见善。
　　121. Hold not a sin of little worth, thinking 'this is little to me'. The falling of drops of water will in time fill a water- jar. Even so the foolish man becomes full of evil, although he gather it little by little.
　　莫轻於小恶，谓“我不招报”，须知滴水落，亦可满水瓶，愚夫盈其恶，少许少许积。
　　122. Hold not a deed of little worth, thinking 'this is little to me'. The falling of drops of water will in time fill a water-jar. Even so the wise man becomes full of good, although he gather it little by little.
　　莫轻於小善!谓“我不招报”，须知滴水落，亦可满水瓶，智者完其善，少许少许积。
　　123. Let a man avoid the dangers of evil even as a merchant carrying much wealth, but with a small escort, avoids the dangers of the road, or as a man who loves his life avoids the drinking of poison.
　　商人避险道，伴少而货多；爱生避毒品，避恶当亦尔。
　　124. As a man who has no wound on his hand cannot be hurt by the poison he may carry in his hand, since poison hurts not where there is no wound, the man who has no evil cannot be hurt by evil.
　　假若无有疮伤手，可以其手持毒药。毒不能患无伤手。不作恶者便无恶。
　　125. The fool who does evil to a man who is good, to a man who is pure and free from sin, the evil returns to him like the dust thrown against the wind.
　　若犯无邪者，清净无染者，罪恶向愚人，如逆风扬尘。
　　126. Some people are born on this earth; those who do evil are reborn in hell; the righteous go to heaven; but those who are pure reach NIRVANA.
　　有人生於(母)胎中，作恶者则(坠)地狱，正直之人升天界，漏尽者登人涅?。
　　127. Neither in the sky, nor deep in the ocean, nor in a mountain-cave, nor anywhere, can a man be free from the evil he has done.
　　非於虚空及海中，亦非人深山洞窟，欲求逃遁恶业者，世间实无可觅处。
　　128. Neither in the sky, nor deep in the ocean, nor in a mountain-cave, nor anywhere, can a man be free from the power of death.
　　非於虚空及海中，亦非人深山洞窟，欲求不为死魔制，世间实无可觅处。
　　Source: The Dhammapada. Translated by Mascaro, Juan. Penguin Books.
　　(来源：J·马斯凯罗所译《法句经》，企鹅图书公司)