法句譬喻經護戒品第二
The Dhammapada: Chapter on Guarding Virtue, Chapter 2
昔佛在舍衛國祇桓精舍，為諸天人宣演經法。時羅閱祇國有二新學比丘，欲往見佛。二國中間曠無人民，于時旱熱泉水枯竭，二人飢渴熱暍呼吸，故泉之中有升餘水，而有細蟲不可得飲。二人相對曰：「故從遠來欲望見佛，不圖今日沒命於此也。」一人言曰：「且當飲水以濟吾命，進前見佛，焉知其餘也。」一人答曰：「佛之明戒，仁慈為首，殘生自活見佛無益；寧守戒而死，不犯戒而生也。」一人即起極意快飲，於是進路。一人不飲遂致殞命，即生第二忉利天上，思惟自省即識宿命持戒不犯，今來生此。信哉福報其不遠矣。即持華香下到佛所，為佛作禮却住一面。其飲水者道路疲頓經日乃達，見佛神德至尊巍巍，稽首禮畢涕泣自陳：「我伴一人於彼命終，感其不達，願佛知之。」佛言：「吾已明矣。」佛以手指曰：「今此天人則汝伴也，全戒生天又先至矣。」於是世尊披胸示之。「汝觀我形，不奉我戒，雖云見我，我不見汝也；去我萬里奉行經戒，此人則為在我目前。」
Once the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove monastery in the city of Śrāvastī, teaching the Dharma to devas and humans. At that time, in the kingdom of Rājagṛha, there were two newly ordained monks who wished to go and see the Buddha. Between the two kingdoms lay a vast, uninhabited wilderness. It was a time of drought and intense heat; the springs had dried up. The two monks, parched and exhausted from the heat, came upon a former spring that held about a liter of water, but it was teeming with tiny creatures, making it undrinkable.
Facing each other, they said, "We came all this way hoping to see the Buddha. We never imagined we would perish here today."
One said, "Let's just drink the water to save our lives, then go on to see the Buddha. What happens after that, we'll worry about later."
The other replied, "The Buddha's clear precept is that compassion comes first. To take life to preserve our own—what good would seeing the Buddha be then? I would rather uphold the precept and die than break it and live."
The first monk immediately rose, drank the water eagerly to his satisfaction, and then continued his journey.
The other monk did not drink and consequently died. He was immediately reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Reflecting and examining himself, he remembered his past life and how he had upheld the precept without breaking it, which led to his birth here. "Truly," he thought, "the reward of merit is not far off." He took flowers and incense, descended to where the Buddha was, paid homage, and stood to one side.
The monk who had drunk the water arrived exhausted after many days on the road. Seeing the Buddha's majestic and sublime spiritual virtue, he bowed his head in reverence. With tears, he reported, "My companion died back there. I grieve that he could not reach you. May the Buddha know of this."
The Buddha said, "I am already aware of it." Pointing with his finger, he said, "This deva here is your companion. By keeping the precept whole, he was reborn in heaven and has even arrived before you."
Then the World-Honored One bared his chest and showed it to him, saying, "Look upon my form. If you do not uphold my precepts, though you may say you see me, I do not see you. But one who, even ten thousand miles away, practices the sutras and precepts—such a person is right before my eyes."
於是世尊即說偈言：
Then the World-Honored One spoke these verses:
「學而多聞， 持戒不失， 兩世見譽，
所願者得； 學而寡聞， 持戒不完，
兩世受痛， 喪其本願。 夫學有二，
常親多聞， 安諦解義， 雖困不耶。」
Learning with extensive study, upholding precepts without fail, Praised in both this life and the next, What you wish for is attained; Learning with little study, Upholding precepts incompletely, Suffering in both this life and the next, Losing your original aspiration. There are two kinds of learning: Always staying close to extensive study, Peacefully and truly understanding the meaning, Even when hard-pressed, not going astray.
於是比丘聞偈慚怖，稽首悔過嘿思所行。天人聞偈心意欣悅，逮得法眼，天人眾會莫不奉行。
Hearing this verse, the monk felt shame and fear. He bowed his head in repentance, silently reflecting on his actions. The heavenly being, upon hearing the verse, felt joy in his heart and attained the Dharma Eye. All the heavenly beings and the assembly revered and practiced it.