(84) DOGS WERE BEATEN WHEN THE LUNAR ECLIPSE HAPPENED
昔阿修羅王見日月明凈,以手障之。無智常人,狗無罪咎,橫加于惡。
Once upon a time, there was a king of Asuras who covered the moon with his hands when he thought it too bright. However, the stupid men laid the blame on innocent dogs, which were sometimes unjustly beaten.
凡夫亦爾。貪嗔愚癡,橫苦其身,臥荊棘上,五熱炙身,如彼月蝕,枉橫打狗。
This is also held to be true with the people at large. They often suffer from the desires, anger and ignorance. But they want to destroy them by sleeping on thorns and their bodies are burning with the five pains just like the dogs were beaten when the lunar eclipse happened.
注釋:
?、侔⑿蘖_:六道之一,八部眾之一,十界之一。印度最古諸神之一,系屬戰(zhàn)斗一類之鬼神,經(jīng)常被視為惡神,而與帝釋天爭斗不休,致出現(xiàn)修羅場、修羅戰(zhàn)等名詞。
?、谖鍩嶂松恚汗庞《韧獾揽嘈兄弧<雌貢裼诹胰罩?,而于身體四方燃火之苦行。行此苦行之外道,即稱五熱炙身外道。
源流:
《樓炭經(jīng)》卷五:阿修倫天王名羅呼,其體高二萬八千里,以月十五日立海中央,海水裁(才)至其齋(肚臍),低頭窺須彌羅寶泰山及四方上鎮(zhèn),以指覆日月,天下晦暝,或覆日,以晝?yōu)橐梗^日月蝕,時(shí)厄光明也。
《長阿含經(jīng)》卷二十:有大阿修羅王名曰羅呵……月十五日入海中央化其形體,下水著齋,上窺須彌,指覆日月。日月天子見其丑形,皆大恐懼,無復(fù)光明。游矚之時(shí),有自然風(fēng),吹門開閉,吹地令凈,吹華分散……忽自念言:我有威德神力如是,而置忉利王及日月諸天行我頭上。誓取日月,以為耳珰。漸大瞋忿,加欲捶之。(參見《大正藏》第五十三冊第二三八至二三九頁)
白話:
從前阿修羅王見日月明凈,就伸手將它遮障住,于是日月就蝕了。無知的人以為是天狗把月吃了去,出于直覺的反應(yīng),就逐狗而打,其實(shí)狗沒有罪咎,是人把惡橫加在它身上。
凡夫也是這樣,貪欲、瞋恚、愚癡,卻讓自己的身體平白地受苦行的折磨,臥在荊棘的刺上,身體用火來烤,就好像月亮蝕了,平白無故地打狗一樣。