The king could not bear seeing his people suffering from famine. One day, he told his ministers “Are the people starving and rioting because I have not cultivated enough virtue? I want to pray to God with my utmost sincere heart and I am willing to sacrifice my life to plead God for rain.”
經過了七天虔誠的求雨,依然是烈日當空,連一片雲也沒有。國王不斷的苦思,要如何才能讓人民得救?既然虔誠的心求不到雨,只好另想辦法了。
After seven days of sincere prayer for rain, the sun was still scorching without a cloud insight. The king kept pondering over how he could save his people. Since he couldn’t get rain through sincere praying, he had to think of other ways.
國王於是把江山和地位全部付託給朝中大臣,帶了幾位親信來到大海邊。他在岸邊的石頭上再次虔誠的禱告:「凡是人民一切的業力,我都願意擔當,我願意奉獻身心,捨身救全國的人民。」國王立願化身大魚,讓人民得以暫時充飢維持生命。禱告完後,他馬上縱身跳入海中。
The king entrusted the running of his country including his own position to the ministers and brought along a few confidants with him to the seashore. He prayed sincerely again on a rock by the seashore, “I am willing to shoulder all the karma created by my people and sacrifice my own life to save my people”. The king vowed to transform into a big fish to sustain his people’s lives for the time being. After praying, he immediately jumped into the sea.
全國人民聞訊後都非常的悲痛,那些動亂的民眾也為之平息下來。不久之後,在海中央浮出了一條很大的魚,這條魚大如山丘,隨著海浪飄流到海灘上。當時岸邊有五個人正在修船,他們發現這條魚突然從海中浮出又漂到岸邊,覺得很奇怪,馬上跑到魚的身邊,似乎感到魚在和他們說話。
The people were deeply grieved with the news and those involved in rioting also quiet down. Not long after, a huge fish, as big as a hill, floated up in the middle of the sea and was washed ashore by the waves. At that time, there were five people fixing a boat on the beach. They discovered this fish which was suddenly washed ashore and thought it was strange. They immediately ran to the fish as if the fish was beckoning to them trying to tell them something.
魚說:「請你們到村中告訴每一戶人家,要他們來此割魚肉充飢。」魚接著又說:「我累生累世修行,捨身救度眾生,現在眾生有難,我當然要救。只要你們能幫我完成心願,叫村民來此割我的肉維生,將來我若修行成道,首先要度的就是你們五個。」
The fish said, “Please return to the village and inform each household to come and take my flesh for food.” The fish also said, “I have cultivated over many lifetimes and have vowed to sacrifice myself to save all living beings. Now people are suffering and I need to save them. As long as you can help me fulfill my wish by calling the villagers to take my flesh, the five of you will be the first to be saved when I attain Buddhahood.”
這是佛陀過去生中的一段故事。這個故事給我的啟示很大:我常常想,這種捨身救眾生的精神多麼偉大呀!感恩佛陀大慈大悲的愛,他生生世世來人間,任何地方有苦,他就化現成什麼身形去救度。佛陀這分精神,就是我心中常常湧現的「愛的活泉」。
This is a story in one of Buddha’s past lives. I often reflect on this story and felt that such a spirit of self-sacrificing oneself to save living beings is truly remarkable. I am grateful to the Buddha for his great compassionate love for continually returning to the human realm. Wherever there is suffering, he will transform into any form to relieve the sufferings. Such Buddha spirit is the live fountain of love that constantly springs from my heart.
Translated by Liz Chen, Edited by Richard Wong, Sydney, Australia