T03n0181b_佛說九色鹿經

大正藏第 03 冊 No. 0181b 佛說九色鹿經

佛說九色鹿經

吳月氏優婆塞支謙譯

佛言：「昔者，菩薩身為九色鹿；其毛九種色，其角白如雪，常在恒水邊飲食水草，常與一烏為知識。

「時，水中有溺人隨流來下，或出或沒，得著樹木，仰頭呼天：『山神、樹神、諸天龍神，何不愍傷我也？』鹿聞人喚聲，即走往水邊，語溺人言：『汝可勿怖！汝可騎我背、捉我角，我相負出上岸。』

「鹿大疲極，溺人下地，繞鹿三匝，向鹿叩頭，乞為大家作奴，給其使令採取水草。鹿言：『不用卿也，且各自去，欲報恩者，莫得道我在此間，人貪我皮角，必來殺我。』於是，溺者受教而去。

「爾時，國王夫人夜夢見九色鹿，意欲得其皮角，即託病不起。王問夫人言：『何以不起？』

「夫人答言：『昨夜夢見非常鹿，其毛九種色，其角白如雪，我思得其皮作衣裘、其角作拂柄，王當爲我得之，王若不得，我當死矣。』

「王告夫人：『汝為且起，我作一國王，何所不得？』

「王即便募於國中：『若有能得九色鹿者，當與分國治，賜其金缽盛滿銀粟，賜其銀缽盛滿金粟

現代漢語譯本：佛說：『過去，菩薩曾化身為九色鹿，它的毛有九種顏色，角白如雪。它常在恒河邊飲水吃草，並與一隻烏鴉相識。』 當時，水中有一個溺水的人順流而下，時隱時現，抓住樹木，抬頭呼喊：『山神、樹神、各位天龍神，為何不憐憫我呢？』鹿聽到人的呼救聲，立即跑到水邊，對溺水的人說：『你不要害怕！你可以騎在我的背上，抓住我的角，我揹你上岸。』 鹿非常疲憊，溺水的人下到地上，繞著鹿走了三圈，向鹿叩頭，請求為鹿做奴僕，供其使喚，採集水草。鹿說：『我不需要你，你走吧。如果你想報恩，就不要說我在這裡，人們貪圖我的皮和角，一定會來殺我。』於是，溺水的人聽從教誨離開了。 當時，國王的夫人夜裡夢見九色鹿，想要得到它的皮和角，就假裝生病不起。國王問夫人說：『你為什麼不起來？』 夫人回答說：『昨夜我夢見一隻非常奇特的鹿，它的毛有九種顏色，角白如雪。我想得到它的皮做成衣服，角做成拂塵柄。大王您應當為我得到它，如果得不到，我就要死了。』 國王告訴夫人：『你先起來吧，我作為一國之君，有什麼得不到的呢？』 國王隨即在全國招募：『如果有人能捉到九色鹿，就與他分治國家，賞賜他裝滿銀粟的金缽，賞賜他裝滿金粟的銀缽。』

English version: The Buddha said, 'In the past, the Bodhisattva was once incarnated as a nine-colored deer. Its fur had nine colors, and its antlers were as white as snow. It often drank water and grazed by the Ganges River and was acquainted with a crow.' 'At that time, a person drowning in the water was carried downstream, sometimes appearing and sometimes disappearing, grabbing onto trees, and looking up to the sky, crying out: 'Mountain gods, tree gods, all heavenly dragons, why do you not have mercy on me?' The deer heard the man's cries for help and immediately ran to the water's edge, saying to the drowning man, 'Do not be afraid! You can ride on my back and hold onto my antlers, and I will carry you ashore.' 'The deer was extremely exhausted. The drowning man got off the deer's back, walked around the deer three times, and kowtowed to the deer, begging to be the deer's servant, to be at its service, and to gather water and grass. The deer said, 'I do not need you. You should leave. If you wish to repay my kindness, do not reveal that I am here. People covet my skin and antlers and will surely come to kill me.' Thereupon, the drowning man obeyed and left.' 'At that time, the king's wife dreamt of the nine-colored deer at night and desired to obtain its skin and antlers, so she pretended to be ill and would not get up. The king asked his wife, 'Why do you not get up?' The wife replied, 'Last night, I dreamt of an extraordinary deer. Its fur had nine colors, and its antlers were as white as snow. I desire to obtain its skin to make a robe and its antlers to make a handle for a whisk. Your Majesty should obtain it for me. If you do not, I shall die.' The king told his wife, 'You should get up first. As a king, what is there that I cannot obtain?' The king then issued a recruitment throughout the kingdom: 'If anyone can capture the nine-colored deer, they will share the rule of the kingdom, be rewarded with a golden bowl filled with silver millet, and be rewarded with a silver bowl filled with golden millet.'

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「溺人聞王募重，心生惡念：『我說此鹿可得富貴，鹿是畜生，死活何在？』便語募人言：『我知有九色鹿處。』

「募人便將至王所言：『此人知有九色鹿處。』

「王聞大歡喜，王言：『汝得其皮角來，報之半國。』

「於是，溺人面上即生癩瘡。溺人言：『此鹿雖是畜生，大有威神，王宜多將人兵，乃可得耳。』

「王即大出人兵往恒水邊。烏在樹上遙見王人眾來，疑當殺鹿，即呼鹿言：『且起！王來取汝。』鹿故熟臥不覺，烏復言：『知識且起。王將兵至。』鹿故復不覺，烏便下樹，居其頭上、啄其耳：『知識且起！王兵圍汝數重。』

「鹿方驚起，四顧望視，無復走地，便往趣王車邊。傍人引弓欲射之，王告：『莫射此鹿，此鹿非常，將是天神耶！』鹿即言：『莫射殺我，假我須臾，我有恩於國。』王問：『有何恩？』『我曾活王國中一人。』即長跪，重問王：『誰道我在此？』王言：『車邊癩麵人也。』

「鹿舉頭看此人，眼中淚出，不能自勝：『大王！此人本溺在水中，隨流來下，或出或沒，得著樹木，仰頭呼天：「山神、樹神、諸天龍神，何不愍傷我？」我時不惜此命，自投水中，負此人出，本要誓不相道；人無反覆，不如水中浮木也

溺水的人聽說國王懸賞重金，心中產生了邪惡的念頭：『我說這鹿能帶來富貴，鹿不過是畜生，死活又有什麼關係？』於是就對招募的人說：『我知道九色鹿的所在。』 招募的人便帶他到國王那裡說：『這個人知道九色鹿的所在。』 國王聽了非常高興，說：『你把它的皮和角帶來，賞你半個國家。』 於是，溺水的人臉上立刻生出癩瘡。溺水的人說：『這鹿雖然是畜生，卻有很大的威神，大王應該多帶些人馬，才能捉到它。』 國王立刻派出大批人馬前往恒水邊。烏鴉在樹上遠遠看見國王的人馬來了，懷疑是要來殺鹿，就對鹿喊道：『快起來！國王來抓你了。』鹿仍然熟睡不醒，烏鴉又說：『朋友快起來。國王帶兵來了。』鹿還是不醒，烏鴉就飛下樹，停在它的頭上，啄它的耳朵：『朋友快起來！國王的軍隊已經把你包圍了好幾層。』 鹿這才驚醒，四處張望，沒有可以逃跑的地方，就直接走向國王的車邊。旁邊的人拉弓要射它，國王說：『不要射這鹿，這鹿很不尋常，莫非是天神吧！』鹿立刻說：『不要殺我，給我一點時間，我對國家有恩。』國王問：『有什麼恩？』『我曾經救活了你們國家的一個人。』然後長跪，再次問國王：『是誰說我在這裡？』國王說：『是車邊那個長癩瘡的人。』 鹿抬頭看著那個人，眼中流出淚水，悲傷不已：『大王！這個人本來溺在水中，順著水流漂下來，時而浮出水面，時而沉入水底，抓住樹木，仰頭呼喊：「山神、樹神、諸天龍神，為什麼不憐憫我？」我當時不惜自己的性命，跳入水中，揹著這個人出來，本來發誓不互相透露；人竟然如此反覆無常，還不如水中的浮木啊！』

The drowned man, hearing of the king's heavy reward, conceived an evil thought: 'I said this deer could bring wealth and honor, but the deer is just an animal, what does its life or death matter?' So he said to the recruiter, 'I know where the nine-colored deer is.' The recruiter then brought him to the king and said, 'This man knows where the nine-colored deer is.' The king was overjoyed upon hearing this and said, 'If you bring me its skin and horns, I will reward you with half my kingdom.' Immediately, the drowned man's face broke out in sores. The drowned man said, 'Although this deer is an animal, it has great divine power. Your Majesty should bring more troops to capture it.' The king immediately sent a large number of troops to the bank of the Ganges River. A crow in a tree saw the king's troops coming from afar, suspecting they were there to kill the deer, and called out to the deer, 'Get up quickly! The king is coming to get you.' The deer remained fast asleep, unaware. The crow said again, 'Friend, get up quickly. The king is coming with his troops.' The deer still did not wake up, so the crow flew down from the tree, perched on its head, and pecked at its ear: 'Friend, get up quickly! The king's army has surrounded you several times over.' The deer finally woke up in alarm, looked around, and seeing no place to escape, went directly to the king's chariot. A man nearby drew his bow to shoot it, but the king said, 'Do not shoot this deer. This deer is extraordinary, perhaps it is a celestial being!' The deer immediately said, 'Do not kill me, give me a moment, I have done a service to the kingdom.' The king asked, 'What service?' 'I once saved a man in your kingdom.' Then it knelt down and asked the king again, 'Who said I was here?' The king said, 'It was the man with the sores on his face by the chariot.' The deer raised its head to look at the man, tears streaming from its eyes, unable to contain its grief: 'Your Majesty! This man was drowning in the water, drifting downstream, sometimes surfacing, sometimes sinking, grabbing onto trees, and crying out to the heavens, 「Mountain gods, tree gods, all the dragon gods, why do you not have pity on me?」 At that time, I did not hesitate to risk my own life, jumped into the water, and carried this man out. I had originally sworn not to reveal each other; but man is so fickle, he is not even as reliable as a piece of driftwood!'

「王聞鹿言，有慚愧色：『我民無義。』王即三教其民：『奈何！奈何！受恩反欲殺之？』王即放鹿使去：『下國中，若有驅逐此鹿者，當誅汝五屬。』於是，王便還宮。鹿歸故處。

「是時，國中眾鹿皆來依附，數千為群，永不見害，共飲食水草，不犯人菜谷；從是之後，風雨以時，五穀豐熟，民無疾病，其時太平，畢命化去。」

佛告諸弟子：「菩薩所行，雖處畜生不捨于慈，人獸並度。

「是時夫人者，孫陀利是也；是時烏者，阿難是也；是溺人者，調達是也；時鹿者，我身是也。調達與我世世有怨；阿難有至意得道。」

菩薩更勤苦行波羅蜜，忍辱如是

現代漢語譯本 國王聽了鹿的話，臉上露出慚愧的神色，說道：『我的百姓太不講道義了。』國王隨即三次教導他的百姓：『怎麼能這樣！怎麼能這樣！受了恩惠反而想要殺害它？』國王就放了鹿讓它離開，並說：『在我的國家裡，如果有人驅趕這隻鹿，我就要誅滅他全家。』於是，國王就回宮了。鹿也回到了它原來的地方。 當時，國內的鹿都來依附它，成群結隊，有幾千只，再也沒有受到傷害，它們一起吃喝水草，不侵犯百姓的蔬菜和糧食；從此以後，風調雨順，五穀豐收，百姓沒有疾病，那時天下太平，直到壽命終結才死去。 佛告訴眾弟子：『菩薩所做的事，即使身處畜生道也不放棄慈悲之心，並且普度眾生。』 『當時的那位夫人，就是孫陀利；當時的那隻烏鴉，就是阿難；那個溺水的人，就是提婆達多；當時的那隻鹿，就是我的前身。提婆達多與我世世都有怨恨；阿難則一心向道，最終得道。』 菩薩更加勤奮地修行波羅蜜，忍辱就是這樣。

English version The king, hearing the deer's words, showed a look of shame and said, 'My people are without righteousness.' The king then instructed his people three times, 'How could you! How could you! Having received kindness, you want to kill it?' The king then released the deer and let it go, saying, 'In my kingdom, if anyone drives this deer away, I will execute his entire family.' Thereupon, the king returned to the palace. The deer also returned to its original place. At that time, all the deer in the kingdom came to rely on it, forming groups of thousands, and were never harmed again. They ate and drank together, not infringing upon the people's vegetables and grains. From then on, the weather was favorable, the five grains were abundant, the people had no diseases, and the kingdom was peaceful until their lives ended. The Buddha told his disciples, 'What a Bodhisattva does, even when in the animal realm, is not to abandon compassion, and to liberate all beings.' 'The lady at that time was Sundari; the crow at that time was Ananda; the person who drowned was Devadatta; and the deer at that time was my former self. Devadatta and I have had enmity for many lifetimes; Ananda is single-minded in seeking the path and will attain enlightenment.' The Bodhisattva practiced the paramitas even more diligently, such was his forbearance.

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The Buddha Speaks of the Nine-Colored Deer Sutra