罗希妮的故事 The Story of Roshni

在释迦摩尼说法的年代，印度民族是以婆罗门教为普遍信仰，种姓制度涵盖社会群体。种姓制度也是传统印度最重要的社会制度与规范。

In the olden days in India when Buddha was giving teachings to the public, Brahmanism which upholds caste system was a general belief among the people. Traditional Indian caste system is also the most important social institutions and norms.

话说有一对虔诚的乡下老夫妇，在当时的社会是属于地位低下的首陀罗阶级。老夫妇一家是为高等阶级的地主种田。

In a village there was an old couple who belonged to the lowest caste, the Shudra caste.  The old couple worked as paddy farmers to their landlord who was of higher caste. 

一天，当老夫妇各自提着便当往田地干活的途中，巧合遇上了一位刚刚出定，面容庄严的出家人经过。老先生即刻对老太太提议两人共用一个便当，让出一个来布施做供养那位路过的出家人。老太太欢喜的同意了。

One day, as the old couple was walking toward the paddy fields with each carrying own lunch box; they came across a solemn monk who had just rouse from an extensive meditation. The old man suggested to the old lady that they shared a lunch box so that another one could be offered to the monk. The old lady joyfully agreed.

那位出家人其实是位有神通的阿罗汉。看见贫穷的老夫妇跪在路旁给自己布施便当，很是高兴，就跟他们说：“你们供养我以后，你们会得到大福报。”

The monk was indeed an Arahant who had gained supernatural power. He was pleased upon seeing the poor old couple kneeling down by the roadside offering him their lunch box. He thus said to them: “you gave and therefore you shall be given.”

供养出家人过后老夫妇欢喜的回到田地里工作。当老先生正在卖力的锄地时，意外的挖出一箱黄金。其实那箱黄金早就埋在田里了，只是他们都不会挖掘到 – 尚若没那个因缘。但是因为他们供养了刚出定的阿罗汉，而就此结了缘。

The old couple happily proceeded to the paddy fields after the incident. When the old man was busy plowing the ground, he unexpectedly dug out a crate of gold. The gold had long been buried there since time immemorial, but they could never be able to get it should there be no merits. Nevertheless since they had done offerings to the Arahant, they thus earned the merits.

老实的老夫妇没有私自霸占那箱黄金，而是把它完整的交还给他们的地主。婆罗门教主人相信因果，觉得既然自己从来都没发现田地里埋了一箱黄金，所以认为那应该是老夫妇的福报。就把那箱黄金回送给老夫妇了。

The old couple was honest people that they did not seize the crate of gold for themselves; instead they submitted the crate to their landlord. The landlord whom was a Brahmanism follower, believed in Karma, he had insight that the gold should belong to the old couple as he had all the while never discovered it.

老夫妇也因此变得非常富有。当地的国王很快就得知这个拾金不昧的消息，国王要奖励这对诚实又善良的老夫妇，和表扬那位好心的地主。国王要为老夫妇改变原有卑微的奴隶身份，所以就认他们的女儿罗希妮为自己的妹妹。老夫妇也因此而提升了身份变成了贵族。

The old couple had become very rich people. The king soon learnt about their story and was very impressed by their honesty and their kind landlord. The king wanted to compliment them; he wanted to raise the status of the old couple. The king made their daughter Roshni, his majesty’s foster sister. The old couple thus had elevated status - the members of the royal family.

罗希妮本来就是一位美丽的女子。现在她的身份也提升为国王的妹妹，是有资格嫁给贵族富家子弟。所以她不久后就嫁给了当地一位富有的男子。因为自己过去是奴隶，嫁入富家的罗希妮在家里还是自己勤劳又认真的做家务。也没有雇佣婢女。

Roshni was indeed a pretty young lady. With her raised status as the foster sister of the king, she was eligible to marry any bachelor from prominent families. Not long after she was married to a spinster from a rich family. In view that she was originally slave, she did not employ servant for herself, and she did all household chores by herself.

罗希妮尽全力当一位勤奋又体贴的好妻子。只是她一直没忘记自己目前的福报都是因为她父母曾经供养过一位出家人。所以她跟丈夫要求，只要有出家人到来，允许她抽出时间去做布施。她还强调绝不拿丈夫的金钱做供养，而是用她父母给她的金钱。丈夫见她如此虔诚，也就答应了。

Roshni was a hardworking and caring wife. She always bore in mind of her miraculous fortune which was due to her parents who had once offered food to a monk. While keeping up with household chores, she requested her husband to allow her some personal time to do offerings whenever there were monks came to their place. She pledged to him that she would only use her own money for offerings. Her husband could not resist her fervent requests and thus given in to her.

有一次，释迦摩尼佛带了两百多位阿罗汉，来到罗希妮居住的地方结夏安居三个月。慈悲的佛陀希望当地的居民可以借此机会听闻佛法和种福田。罗希妮得知后非常欢喜，她即刻把握机会，决心要亲自伺候佛陀和他的僧团三个月。为了不影响对丈夫的饮食起居和作息，罗希妮恳求丈夫允许她回家乡找一位女仆代替在家伺候丈夫。但丈夫还没答应她的安排，罗希妮已从家乡带回一位非常漂亮又勤劳的女仆。因此罗希妮也就有机会亲自供养佛陀和他的僧团三个月。

There was a time when Buddha arrived with a group of over 2 hundred monks for their 3 months summer retreat at the city where Roshni was residing.  Buddha wanted to give opportunities for the local people to learn about Buddha teachings and sow good deeds.  Roshni soon learnt about the news and wanted to take the opportunity to offer services to Buddha and his disciples throughout the 3 months duration.  However, in order to ensure that all household duties were taken care of during her absence, she pleaded to her husband to let her employ a servant from her hometown to take care of the chores.  Not long before her husband could resist her request, Roshni was backed from her hometown taking along with her a very pretty young servant.  The husband eventually accepted the arrangement, and Roshni was thus permitted to offer services at Buddha’s summer retreat.

罗希妮全心全意的做供养三个月后，终于证得初果，整个脸相都改变了。但是，当她回到自己家时，那位漂亮的女仆已经对她起了坏念头。女仆嫉妒同是奴婢出身的罗希妮变成了富贵的大夫人，她觉得自己也可以取代罗希妮嫁给她的丈夫 - 只要她把罗希妮除掉。其实那女仆已经和罗希妮的丈夫有暧昧关系了。女仆在伺候男主人的三个月里已经暗地里勾引他了。

After the 3 months was over, Roshni in the end attained Sotapanna.  She returned home with a renewed complexion. However now, the servant whom Roshni employed during her absence had developed evil intention toward her. The servant was jealous at Roshni, knowing that she was born a servant, yet had the opportunity to be elevated to a rich man’s wife. The servant wanted to get rid of Roshni and take over her place as the mistress of the house. In fact the servant had already seduced her master during her 3 months duration serving at the house.

一天，女仆趁着罗希妮正在忙着煮滚水时，想要借机会让她毁容。女仆假意上前帮忙，却趁机把滚水泼洒在女主人的脸上。眼看着女仆把滚水泼向自己的脸，已经证得初果的罗希妮并没生起嗔恨心，反而起了悲怜心，深感同情女仆为了嫉妒心而向自己泼滚水。罗希妮一直以来都非常感恩那位女仆帮助她成就了三个月种大福田，因此心想就算为此而牺牲自己的性命也心甘情愿。

One day, as Roshni was buzy heating water in the kitchen, the servant took the chance to do away with her mistress. She approached Roshni and pretended to extend a helping hand, however instead of helping she spilled the boiling water toward her mistress’s face. Roshni who had attained Sotapanna, was not agitated nor annoyed seeing the wicked act of her servant, she instead empathized at her for having deluded by her jealousy. Roshni had always been deeply grateful for her servant, without whom she would not be able to participate at the earlier summer retreat.  Therefore she would not hesitate to sacrifice her own life for that servant.

心念的力量让人出乎意料，罗希妮一心念恩的心念让滚烫的水在快被泼到脸上时，即刻变成凉水。女仆惊讶的发现罗希妮并没被滚水烫伤，因此很不甘心，以为热水不够烫，所以就把自己的手伸进水锅里搅，结果她的手反而被烫伤。妒火中烧，女仆又想再次加害女主人，但这次被在旁边的男工人看到，赶过来把她抓起来打。

                                             

The power of mind is unpredictable. Roshni who was engrossed with profound gratitude, unknowingly transformed the boiling water into cold water before the water sopping her face. The servant was saddened seeing her mistress not injured, she quickly plunged her hand into the pot to find out if the water was really hot. The water was indeed boiling hot that it burnt her hand, which further aggravated her anger. Again she wanted to spill the remaining water towards her mistress.  Her malicious act was however noticed by the male servant nearby who promptly came over to stop her and beaten her badly.

女仆被打伤了，罗希妮不但不怨恨她的女仆，反而把那位愤怒的男工支开，把受伤的女仆带到房里帮她敷伤，不断地安慰她，说她只是因为一时冲动而干了傻事。女仆被宽宏大量的罗希妮感动的无地自容。她惭愧的跪在地上向女主人忏悔。罗希妮告诉女仆别向自己跪，因为那是没办法忏悔的。她建议女仆亲自向佛陀忏悔。

Roshni soon stop the beating and brought the injured servant to her room and personally treated her wounds, while kept on consoling her that she was just being impulsive and misled by that. The servant was deeply moved by Roshni’s magnanimity and regretted her own foolish acts. She shamefully knelt down in front of her mistress and repented her sins. However Roshni told her servant that it would not be of much help to kneel at her mistress, instead she told her servant to repent to Buddha in person.

当时佛陀刚好结夏安居完毕，功德无量。罗希妮亲自为女仆准备了大量的供养物，然后带着她去见佛陀，并告诉女仆趁这个机会好好供养佛陀做个大功德主。慈悲的罗希妮希望女仆也能像自己的父母一样因为供养过出家人而从此改变身份。

It was already the end of the summer retreat for Buddha and his followers. On behalf of her destitute servant, Roshni prepared some large quantity of materials as offerings, after which she personally led her to meet Buddha. She told her servant to take the opportunity to do offerings and be a generous benefactor. Kind Roshni wanted her servant to have the same opportunity as her parents, to be raised caste after having done offering to a monk.

接受供养后的佛陀向大众宣布这次真正的大功德主是罗希妮。大众都为此而感到迷惑，因为他们只看见女仆做供养。 佛陀就趁机会教育大众，当着大家面前问罗希妮当她看着女仆把滚水泼向自己时，心里是什么感受。罗希妮说她当时一点都不感到生气也没有怨恨，而且对女仆感恩都来不及，因为心里一直都记得女仆帮助她成就种大福田。佛陀听后就赞叹罗希妮是因为心里没有恨，滚水也都变凉水。不但没有嗔恨女仆，还带着她来向佛陀证得大功德。

After receiving the offerings, Buddha announced to the public that there were in fact 2 benefactors. Apart from the servant, Roshni was the benefactor behind the scenes. The public was puzzled because they witnessed just the servant did the offerings. Buddha thus took the opportunity to educate those present. In front of the audiences, Buddha asked Roshni what was in her mind upon seeing her servant pouring hot water toward her face. Roshni told Buddha that she was not at all annoyed; instead she was always deeply grateful for her assistance during her absence from home, without which she would not be able to attained Sotapanna. Buddha praised after hearing from Roshni that it was due to devoid of hatred that her willpower transformed the boiling water into cold water, and escaped the injuries. Compassionate Roshni not just did not hate her servant; she even brought her to meet Buddha and wanted her to sow merits.

女仆一直跪在佛陀面前忏悔，所以就证的初果。罗希妮的悲心让她成功的把自己的贪欲和嗔恚心完全断除，因此而证的三果阿那含，佛陀更是为这件事赞叹。

The servant repented all along while kneeling down in front of Buddha, she eventually attained Sotapanna. Roshni with her great compassion had successfully eliminated all her greed and anger, she thus attained Anagami. Buddha greatly praised the incident.

所以修行其实不一定要长时熏修，只要有正确的心念，生活上的一些机会教育也可以成就大功德。

Practicing Buddha teachings is therefore not necessary required long term training, with the right mind; daily lives offer plenty of opportunities for education that would lead to attaining great merits.