9. AN ARM FOR A LIFE

　　It was a clear, sunny day. The weather was beautiful.

　　The Buddha was walking through a forest when he saw a huge eagle chasing a dove. Just as the eagle was about to swoop down and catch it, the dove spotted the Buddha and went to his side for safety. The Buddha protected it from the eagle. The eagle perched on a nearby branch and said, "You can save the dove,but that means you're starving me. You're really mean."

　　The Buddha kindly said, "Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll get it for you."
　
　　The eagle replied, "I eat meat."
　
　　The Buddha took out a knife and cut a piece of meat from the flesh of his own arm. He gave it to the eagle, but the eagle complained, "There's more meat on a dove than that," so the Buddha sliced off another piece from his arm, but he was getting down to the bone where there's not much meat. Finally he had cut all the meat off his arm, but there still wasn't as much as the weight of the dove.

　　The eagle asked the Buddha, "Are you sorry you've ruined your own arm?"
　
　　The Buddha answered, "I am not in the least bit sorry. My mission is to save all living things. What difference does a bit of flesh off my arm make?"
　
　　The eagle sneered, "You're just saying that to sound good."

　　The Buddha said, "If my words are the sincere truth, may my arm grow back as good as new." When the Buddha made this oath, the flesh on his arm did grow back, just like new.

　　When the eagle saw this, he flew up into the sky and revealed his true shape: he was the Emperor of Heaven! He had heard that the Buddha was kind,so he had come to test him. He showed his deepest respect to the Buddha and then flew away, singing great praises for the Buddha's mercy.

　　Before long, everyone knew that the Buddha had cut away his own arm in order to save a dove.

9. 一臂易一命

　　这天风和日丽，天气真好。

　　佛陀正走过一片树林，忽然他看见一只巨鹰正在追一只鸽子。老鹰正要猛扑鸽子，鸽子认出佛陀，躲到他身边。佛陀护起鸽子。那只老鹰停在附近的一枝树枝上，说道：“你救了鸽子，就意味着要让我饿肚子。你真卑鄙！”
　　佛陀慈祥地说，“告诉我你想吃什么，我都会给你。”

　　老鹰答：“我想吃肉。”

　　于是佛陀拿出一把刀子，从他自己的手臂上割下一块肉。他把这块肉给了老鹰， 但是老鹰还是抱怨， “ 鸽子肉比这多多了 。”因此佛陀又从他的手上割下一块肉，但是已经快切到骨头了，肉更少了。最后他把整个手臂的肉都割了下来，但是这还是不如鸽子重。

　　老鹰问佛陀:”你伤了自己的手臂不后悔吗?”

　　佛陀回答道：“一点也不。我的使命就是要拯救所有的生灵。我的手上少了一点肉又有什么关系呢？”

　　老鹰讥笑他：“说起来好听。”

　　佛陀说，“如果我的话真实不虚，就让我臂上的肉重新长出来吧。”当佛陀发了这个誓愿后，他手上的肉重新长了出来，犹如新生。

　　老鹰看完后，飞上天空，现出原形：它原来是梵天！他听说佛陀很慈悲，于是特地来考验一下佛陀。他向佛陀表达了他心底的敬意，然后唱着赞美佛陀慈悲的歌飞走了。

　　不久以后，人人都知道佛陀曾刮臂救鸽。