The Magic of Patience 耐心的魔力
A story about kindness
一個關於仁慈的故事
A Jataka Tale
佛本生傳中的一個故事
Translated by Yingrik Drubpa
翻譯：央瑞智巴上師
Illustrated by Rosalyn White
圖示：羅莎琳・懷特
Once upon a time deep within a jungle in the far-off land of India, there lived a Great Being in the form of a wild buffalo, the inside he had a gentle and wise heart.
曾幾何時在遙遠的印度叢林深處，住著一個以野生水牛為色身的偉大生命，它的內心當中充滿輕柔與智慧。
In the same jungle hoed a mischievous monkey whose life’s goal was to tease the buffalo, which he did day and night.
在同一個叢林中也住著一個淘氣的猴子，好像它生活的目的就是戲弄這頭水牛，無論晝夜它都會去捉弄。
Whenever the buffalo was about to feed on some tasty green grass, the monkey liked to play a trick on him. “Try and eat! Try and eat! Even though I am sitting right under your feet!”
無論何時水牛正準要備享用一些可口的綠草，猴子就會興沖沖地玩它的把戲，“嘗試來吃吧！嘗試來吃吧！即使我坐在在你的腳下！”
When the buffalo went to the river to take a refreshing bath, the monkey played a different prank on him:”Don’t slip and fall! Don’t dip and fall! Even though you cannot see at all!”
每當水牛前往河裡要來一個清爽的沐浴時，猴子又開始在它身上玩不同的惡作劇，“不要滑倒啊！不要滑倒啊！即使你看不清了！”
When the buffalo was getting ready to take a well deserved nap, the mischievous monkey would jump up and down on his back, to keep him from dozing off. “Give me a ride! Give me a ride! Or my stick will beat you hide!”
而當水牛正準備好想當然地打個盹兒時，調皮的猴子就會在它的背上上下下跳躍，不讓它打瞌睡，“騎著送我一程，騎著送我一程！不然將用我的棍子揍到你躲起來！”
Still the buffalo was never harsh with the monkey, and never even tried to frighten him away. He patiently endured the monkey’s antics and always treated him kindly.
儘管如此，大水牛卻從來沒有苛刻過小猴，甚至從沒有試圖把它嚇走，它耐心地忍受著猴子滑稽的戲弄，總是對它仁慈有加。
One day a magical forest sprite caught sight of the monkey playing his antics and became angry. “O great buffalo, why do you put up with this silly game? What are you thinking? Are you afraid of this monkey? Have you become his slave? Does he perhaps know some terrible secret about you that he threatens to tell? The strongest lions fear your wrath! Even elephants step out of your path! With these hooves of yours, you could crush him to bits! With these horns of yours, you could shred him to strips!”
有一天，一個神奇的森林精靈瞧見了猴子耍弄它的惡作劇，並因此很生氣。說到：“啊！偉大的野生水牛，你為什麼要容忍這種無聊的戲弄呢？你到底在想什麼呀？難道你害怕這只猴子不成？你不是成了它的奴隸吧？或許，是否它知道關於你的一些駭人聽聞的秘密，並在威脅你要把這些事情說出去？就連最強悍的獅子也害怕你的威嚴！甚至大象都會踏出你要行走的路徑！以你的這些蹄子，你可以把猴子踏成小碎片！有了你的這對犄角，你可以把它的皮撕裂成條帶。”
“O forest sprite,” the buffalo replied, “anger never leads to happiness. In fact, the monkey is doing me a great favor by giving me an opportunity to overcome my anger and practice patience. By learning to be kind, I am protecting myself as well as others. How peaceful I feel inside when I am patient. Anger would only upset my heart; I might even hurt someone and feel sorry later.”
“啊！森林精靈，”大水牛答道，“憤怒從來不曾引向幸福。事實上，猴子正在幫我極大的忙，讓我有機會戰勝我的怒火並修行寬容心。通過學習保持仁慈心，我已經在保護自己和其他眾生。當我持續保持耐心時自己內心的感受是如此的安詳，而憤怒只會擾亂了我的心思，我還可能會作出傷害他眾，後來又感到後悔難過的事情。”
The forest sprite still don’t understand. “Really! This rascal’s tricks will only worsen if you don’t wise up fast and teach him a lesson!”
森林精靈還是不明白地說：“真的！如果你不放聰明點給它一個教訓的話，這個搗蛋鬼的技倆只會快速惡化！”
“Believe me, my friend, it is better to be patient. Who knows if patience may awaken his inner feelings? You may be right, he is a silly monkey. But just like all creatures, he possesses a true heart.”
“相信我，我的朋友，倒不如有點耐心好了。說不定耐心可能還會喚醒小猴子內心的善良感受呢？也許你是對的，它是一只無聊的蠢猴子。可是，就像所有的生命，它也擁有一顆真正的心。”
The forest sprite was amazed. Even though he was familiar with all manner of magic and spells, he had not yet figured out how to handle a tease. “Patience! What is that? It must be a magical charm! Could you teach me how to do it? Show me quickly! Show me now!”
森林精靈很驚訝，儘管它熟悉所有方式的魔法和咒語，它還沒有掌握面對挑釁時該如何處理的妙方。“那什麼是耐心啊？它一定具有魔幻的魅力！你能教導我如何做到這一點嗎？趕緊給我看！現在就展示給我吧！”
“To practice patience,” replied the buffalo, “you need help from a real rascal. It’s no use practicing on gentle and kind creatures who require no patience at all. No, what you need is a real monkey. Would you like to use mine? “
“要實踐耐心，”水牛答道，“你需要一個真正無賴的幫助。對著一個柔順和善良不引起任何不耐煩的生命來修行耐心是沒有意義的。不，你需要的是一只真正的猴
子，你想用我的那個嗎？”
“Monkey! That tease? If he tried his silly tricks on me, I’d show him some of mine!”
“猴子！是戲弄你的那個？倘若它設法對我實施那些愚蠢技倆，我會顯示一些顏色給它看的！”
“Well, you see how hard it is to have patience. But please keep trying, for it is indeed like a magical charm.”
“好了，你瞧保持耐心是多麼不容易。不過，請繼續努力練習，因為它切實像是一種神奇的魅力。”
The buffalo continued, “I learned to be patient by thinking about the monkey. One day his teasing will surely get him in trouble. Sooner or later he will anger some quick-tempered creature who will give him a bad scare or a serious beating. Poor monkey! And I imagined how lonely he must be. None of the animals want him around, and everyone pushes him away. Poor monkey! Then I thought about how confused he is. He relies on bad qualities instead of good ones, turning all his cleverness and energy into foolish tricks. I feel sorry for the monkey and do not wish to cause him even more misery.”
水牛繼續說：“我思考了那只猴子後便學會了保持耐心，想到有一天它的戲謔習氣一定會給它帶來麻煩，遲早它會激怒一些性情急躁的動物而使自己遭遇一次糟糕的恐嚇或嚴重的毆打。可憐的猴子，我能想像它那時該會是有多麼孤獨啊，沒有任何動物想要與之相依為伴，每個都要驅逐它。可憐的猴子！然後我又想到它是多麼的糊塗啊，它內心依存的是破壞性的品質而不是建設性的，把它所有的聰明才智和精力投入到了愚蠢的把戲中，我替猴子感到難過並且不願意給它添加更多的痛苦。”
“Imagine!” said the forest sprite. “If I learn to think it through the way you do, then maybe I will learn patience too.”
“想像一下！”森林精靈說：“若我通過思考你處事的有關啟示並學習耐心，可能我也會學得安忍。”
And off flew the forest sprite, eager to practice this wonderful charm called patience.
然後，森林精靈飛失而去，急切地去學修這個奇妙的魔力叫“耐心”。
Just then the monkey, who had been hiding in the trees listening to every word, come up to the buffalo and said, “O dear buffalo, I did not know I had such a good friend. In fact, I did not think I had any friends at all. How kind and strong you are to be patient with a naughty monkey like me. Please forgive me for teasing you and playing mean tricks, and let me be your friend.”
就在這時的猴子，其實一直躲在樹叢中聽了對話中的每一個字，便走出來對水牛說：“啊！尊敬的水牛，我並不知道我有這樣一個好朋友。事實上，我不認為自己有什麼朋友可言，你是如此仁慈與堅強地保持耐心善待像我這樣一只頑皮的猴子，請原諒我過去故意戲耍和捉弄你，並且讓我今後成為你的良友。”
If you think of all beings as your friends, tricks and teasing can do you no harm, for your heart is protected by patience and patience works like a charm!
如果你視一切眾生為你的朋友，面對戲耍和嘲弄時對你不會產生任何傷害，你的內心被耐心保護著，耐心的運作有如此奇妙的魅力！