The Bodhisatta's Renunciation

7．菩萨出家

It was night.
The prince found no rest on his soft pillow;
he arose and went out into the garden.
"Alas!" he cried, "all the world is full of darkness and ignorance;
there is no one who knows how to cure the ills of existence."
And he groaned with pain. [1]

深夜，太子在他的软枕上无法入眠。他起身出屋走到花园中。他喊道：“唉！整个世间都充满了黑暗和愚昧，无人知道如何治疗生存的病症。”于是他因痛苦而呻吟。 1

Siddhattha sat down beneath the great jambu-tree and gave himself to thought,
pondering on life and death and the evils of decay.
Concentrating his mind he became free from confusion.
All low desires vanished from his heart and perfect tranquillity came over him. [2]

悉达多坐在大阎浮树下陷入冥想，开始沉思生命、死亡以及衰老之罪。他集中思想，摆脱了困惑。所有微弱的欲念从他的心中消失，代之以完全的宁静。 2

In this state of ecstacy he saw with his mental eye
all the misery and sorrow of the world;
he saw the pains of pleasure and the inevitable certainty of death
that hovers over every being;
yet men are not awakened to the truth.
And a deep compassion seized his heart. [3]

在这种出神状态中，他用自己的心灵之眼看到了世间所有的苦难和悲哀；他看到了快乐的痛苦和每一个生命都必须不可避免地面临死亡。然而世人不明白这一真理。现在，他心中充满了深深的同情。 3

While the prince was pondering on the problem of evil,
he beheld with his mind's eye under the jambu-tree
a lofty figure endowed with majesty, calm and dignified.
"Whence comest thou, and who mayest thou be?" asked the prince. [4]

正当太子沉思罪恶的问题时，他以心灵之眼看到了在阎浮树下有一个高贵的身影，这身影看起来庄重、平静、威严。太子问道：“你从哪里来？你是哪位？” 4

In reply the vision said: "I am a samana.
Troubled at the thought of old age, disease, and death
I have left my home to seek the path of salvation.
All things hasten to decay;
only the truth abideth forever.
Everything changes, and there is no permanency;
yet the words of the Buddhas are immutable.
I long for the happiness that does not decay;
the treasure that will never perish;
the life that knows of no beginning and no end.
Therefore, I have destroyed all worldly thought.
I have retired into an unfrequented dell to live in solitude;
and, begging for food, I devote myself to the one thing needful." [5]

影子回答：“我是一个出家人。因困惑于老、病、死的问题，我离开自己的家以寻求解脱之道。所有的事物都匆匆走向腐朽，只有真理才可永存。任何事物都在变化，没有永恒，然而诸佛的话语是不变的。我渴望不会衰退的幸福，不会消亡的财富，渴望了解无始无终的生命。因此，我毁坏了世间所有的思想。我隐退到人迹罕见的幽谷，独自生活，乞讨食物，我将全身心都投入到必须做的一件事中。” 5

Siddhattha asked: "Can peace be gained in this world of unrest?
I am struck with the emptiness of pleasure and have become disgusted with lust.
All oppresses me, and existence itself seems intolerable." [6]

悉达多问：“这喧嚣的尘世能有和平吗？我对快乐感到空虚，对欲望感到恶心。所有这些使我烦恼，生存本身似乎无法忍受。” 6

The samana replied:
"Where heat is, there is also a possibility of cold;
creatures subject to pain possess the faculty of pleasure;
the origin of evil indicates that good can be developed.
For these things are correlatives.
Thus where there is much suffering, there will be much bliss,
if thou but open thine eyes to behold it.
Just as a man who has fallen into a heap of filth
ought to seek the great pond of water covered with lotuses, which is near by:
even so seek thou for the great deathless lake of Nirvana
to wash off the defilement of wrong.
If the lake is not sought, it is not the fault of the lake.
Even so when there is a blessed road
leading the man held fast by wrong to the salvation of Nirvana,
if the road is not walked upon,
it is not the fault of the road, but of the person.
And when a man who is oppressed with sickness,
there being a physician who can heal him,
does not avail himself of the physician's help,
that is not the fault of the physician.
Even so when a man oppressed by the malady of wrong-doing
does not seek the spiritual guide of enlightenment,
that is no fault of the evil-destroying guide." [7]

这位出家人回答道：“哪里有热，哪里就可能有冷；承受痛苦的生物拥有快乐的能力；恶的来源表明善也可以生成。因为这些事情都是相互关联的。因此，假如你睁开眼睛观察，你就会看到，哪里有更多的苦难，哪里就有更多的幸福。正如掉入一堆污秽之物的人应该寻求附近飘有莲花的大水池一样，即便如此，你寻求涅槃这不死的伟大之湖去洗涤谬见之污秽。如果没有找到湖，过错不在湖。即便如此，当有一条福路能引导坚持谬见的人走向涅槃的拯救时，如果人没有走上路，过错不在路，而在人。当一个人身患重病时，有一个医生可以治愈他，他没有寻求医生的帮助，过错不在医生。即便如此，当一个人行为不端却不寻求精神教化的导师时，过错不在驱除罪恶的导师。” 7

The prince listened to the noble words of his visitor and said:
"Thou bringest good tidings,
for now I know that my purpose will be accomplished.
My father advises me to enjoy life and to undertake worldly duties,
such as will bring honour to me and to our house.
He tells me that I am too young still,
that my pulse beats too full to lead a religious life." [8]

太子聆听这位访者的哲理之言后，说道：“你带来了好消息，因为现在我知道了我将要实现我的目标。我父亲希望我享受生命并承担尘世的责任，如此可以给我和我们家庭带来荣誉。他告诉我我还太年轻，我的感情太充沛以至不能过宗教生活。” 8

The venerable figure shook his head and replied:
"Thou shouldest know that for seeking a religious life no time can be inopportune." [9]

这庄严的身影摇摇头，回答道：“你应该明白，追求过一种宗教的生活在任何时间都是适合的。” 9

A thrill of joy passed through Siddhattha's heart.
"Now is the time to seek religion," he said;
"now is the time to sever all ties
that would prevent me from attaining perfect enlightenment;
now is the time to wonder into homelessness and, leading a mendicant's life,
to find the path of deliverance." [10]

悉达多的心因喜悦而发抖，他说：“现在是寻求宗教的时候了，现在是斩断阻碍我达到完美涅槃境界的所有束缚的时候了，现在是离开家庭、过隐士生活并寻找解脱之道的时候了。” 10

The celestial messenger heard the resolution of Siddhattha with approval. [11]

这位天国的使者听了悉达多的决定后，很赞同他。 11

"Now, indeed," he added, "is the time to seek religion.
Go, Siddhattha, and accomplish thy purpose.
For thou art Bodhisatta, the Buddha-elect;
thou art destined to enlighten the world. [12]

他又说：“现在，确实是寻求宗教的时候了。悉达多，去吧，去实现你的目标。因为你是菩萨，是被选中的佛陀，你注定要教化这世界。 12

"Thou art the Tathagata, the great master,
for thou wilt fulfil all righteousness and be Dharmaraja, the king of truth.
Thou art Bhagavat, the Blessed One,
for thou art called upon to become the saviour and redeemer of the world. [13]

“你是如来，伟大的导师，因为你将完成所有正义之举，成为法王，真理之王。你是世尊，被赐福的，因为你被召为世界的拯救者和赎罪者。 13

"Fulfil thou the perfection of truth.
Though the thunderbolt descend upon thy head,
yield thou never to the allurements that bequile men from the path of truth.
As the sun at all seasons pursues his own course, nor ever goes on another,
even so if thou forsake not the straight path of righteousness,
thou shalt become a Buddha. [14]

“去完成真理的圆满。尽管霹雳降临在你头上，你也永不向欺骗人们远离真理之路的诱惑物屈服。正如太阳四季都依循他自己而不是其他的路线运行一样，确是如此，如果你不放弃正义的正道，你就会成为一位佛陀。 14

"Persevere in thy quest and thou shalt find what thou seekest.
Pursue they aim unswervingly and thou shalt gain the prize.
Struggle earnestly and thou shalt conquer.
The benediction of all deities, of all saints,
of all that seek light is upon thee,
and heavenly wisdom guides thy steps.
Thou shalt be the Buddha, our Master, and our Lord;
Thou shalt enlighten the world and save mankind from perdition." [15]

“坚持你的寻求，你将找到你所要追寻的。不要改变你追寻的目标，你将得到报偿。充满激情地去努力，你便会有收获。你会得到所有神祇、圣人以及寻求光明之人的祝福，神圣的智慧将带领你前进。你将成为佛陀，我们的导师，我们的主；你将教化这世界，将把人类从毁灭中拯救出来。” 15

Having thus spoken, the vision vanished,
and Siddhatta's heart was filled with peace.
He said to himself: [16]

影子说完这些话后便消失了。悉达多心中充满宁静。他对自己说： 16

"I have awakened to the truth
and I am resolved to accomplish my purpose.
I will sever all ties that bind me to the world,
and I will go out from my home to seek the way of salvation. [17]

“我已经意识到了真理，我决定实现我的目标。我将斩断把我和尘世捆在一起的束缚，我将离开家庭寻求拯救之道。 17

"The Buddhas are beings whose words cannot fail:
there is no departure from truth in their speech. [18]

“诸佛的话语不会落空：他们的言词句句都是真理。 18

"For as the fall of a stone thrown into the air,
as the death of a mortal,
as the sunrise at dawn,
as the lion's roar when he leaves his lair,
as the delivery of a woman with child,
as all these things are sure and certain -
even so the word of the Buddhas is sure and cannot fail. [19]

“因为正如抛在空中的石头要落地，凡人要死亡，黎明太阳要升起，狮子离开巢穴要咆哮，女人要分娩，正如所有这些事情确凿无误，确是如此，诸佛的话语真实无疑，不会落空。 19

"Verily I shall become a Buddha." [20]

“这是真的，我将成为一个佛陀。” 20

The prince returned to the bedroom of his wife to take a last farewell glance
at those whom he dearly loved above all the treasures of the earth.
He longed to take the infant once more into his arms and kiss him with a parting kiss.
But the child lay in the arms of his mother
and the prince could not lift him without awakening both. [21]

太子回到他妻子的卧室，他要向妻儿做最?的告别，他们是世界上珍宝中他最挚爱的。他渴望再一次将婴儿抱在怀里，给他一个离别的亲吻。但是孩子躺在妈妈的臂弯里，太子要抱起他必定要惊醒母子俩。 21

There Siddhattha stood gazing at his beautiful wife and his beloved son,
and his heart grieved.
The pain of parting overcame him powerfully.
Although his mind was determined,
so that nothing, be it good or evil, could shake his resolution,
the tears flowed freely from his eyes,
and it was beyond his power to check their stream.
But the prince tore himself away with a manly heart,
suppressing his feelings but not extinguishing his memory. [22]

悉达多凝视着他美丽的妻子和可爱的儿子，他心中悲苦难过。离别的痛苦强烈地冲击着他。尽管他心中已经有了决定，没有任何事情(不管是好的还是坏的)能动摇他的决心，他还是无力阻止眼泪在脸上恣意奔流。但是太子还是抑制住他的感情，将对以往的记忆藏在心底，勇敢坚毅地忍痛离去。 22

The Bodhisatta mounted his noble steed Kanthaka,
and when he left the palace, Mara stood in the gate and stopped him:
"Depart not, O my Lord," exclaimed Mara.
"In seven days from now the wheel of empire will appear,
and will make thee sovereign over the four continents and the two thousand adjacent islands.
Therefore, stay, my Lord." [23]

菩萨跨上他那匹名贵的战马犍陟，当他离开王宫时，魔王波旬站在门口阻拦他，他喊道：“我的主，不要离开，从现在起七日之内，帝国的权柄将会出现，你将统治四大洲和邻近的两千个岛屿。所以，留下来吧，我的主。” 23

The Bodhisatta replied:
"Well do I know that the wheel of empire will appear to me;
but it is not sovereignty that I desire.
I will become a Buddha and make all the world shout for joy." [24]

菩萨回答道：“我很清楚帝国的权柄要归于我，但那不是我想要的权力。我将成为一位佛陀，让整个世界因快乐而欢呼。” 24

Thus Siddhattha, the prince, renounced power and worldly pleasures,
gave up his kingdom, severed all ties, and went into homelessness.
He rode out into the silent night,
accompanied only by his faithful charioteer Channa. [25]

这样，太子悉达多，放弃了尘世的权力和欢乐，放弃了他的王国，斩断了所有的束缚，成了无家之人。他向黑暗中驶去，陪同他的只有他信赖的车夫车匿。 25

Darkness lay upon the earth,
but the stars shone brightly in the heavens. [26]

黑暗降临大地，但星星在天空中闪亮。 26