可怜

How Pitiful

当今时代的人早已解决了温饱，但却总给人一种“饥不择食”的感觉，孔雀肉、马肉、蝎子肉、老鼠肉、狗肉……甚至还有卖人肉包子的传说，不管是真是假，如果这些残忍的恶习继续下去，总有一天会像斑足国王一样啖食人肉的。

People nowadays have long managed the basic needs of food and clothing. But the kind of meats some humans consume—that of peacock, horse, scorpion, rat, or dog, you name it—gives the impression of insatiability that “a hungry man will refuse no food.” So much so that buns made of human flesh are rumored to be on the market. Although the allegation is dubious, the propagation of such savage habits is bound to bring about the day of human flesh eating, like that of king Kalmasapada.

偶尔路经一狗肉店，里面宾客如云，个个都满面油光、神采奕奕，他们打着腥臭的饱嗝，忙着与同伴猜拳行令，没有任何人去注意蹲在门口铁笼里的那只黑狗。

By chance I walked by a packed canine steakhouse. The greasy-faced patrons were erupting with excitement; burping stinky breaths, they preoccupied themselves with a drinkers’ wagering game. It’s no surprise that no one paid any attention to the black dog locked up in the cage at the storefront.

它蜷缩着强壮的身躯，可能因为知道自己即将面临宰杀的命运吧，眼里涌着莹莹的泪，以哀怨的神情目视着过往的人群。冷漠的人们都在忙着为衣食而奔波，何有闲暇为一条狗而驻足呢？

The dog, perhaps aware its imminent fate of being slaughtered, curled up its muscular body and, with tearful eyes, stared at passersby with grief and resentment. But crowds were indifferent; they just rushed about for their own survival needs. How could anyone care to spare time to halt for one dog?

这也是前世之因所获之果啊！经云：“若人不恭敬，疑惑四偈师，将成百世狗，复转肿瘤者。” 在业力面前谁也无能为力，我想这条狗也许就是前世辱骂了自己的上师，故而遭此厄运的。

This can only be the effect of actions in previous lives! The scripture says: “Disrespect and distrust to teachers—even to the one who transmits a four-line Dharma—will cause the student to be reborn as dogs for a hundred lives, followed by being inflicted with tumors.” When facing the consequences of karma, everyone is powerless. I gather this dog must have slandered his teachers in previous lives and is now facing this predicament.

藏地大德麦彭仁波切也说：“佛说如若不恭敬，仅赐一句法上师，百世连续转为狗，复转生于劣种中。”当然，转世为狗尚有其他原因，但除了佛菩萨为了度化众生，而发愿转世为狗以外，其他沦落为狗的遭遇，都是因为身语意所造的恶业而致的。

Mipham Rinpoche, the great luminary of Tibet, also says: “The Buddha teaches that if one lacks respect to the teacher who imparts down to a single Dharma verse, one will be reborn as dogs for a hundred lives consecutively, followed by rebirth in low castes.” Of course, there are other causes for a dog rebirth. For expedient purposes, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas may aspire to be born as dogs to benefit beings. But other than that, the non-virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind are the main causes of downfall as dogs.

无论转世为狗，还是辱骂上师，都是十分可怜的。

To be reborn as a dog or to slander the teacher, either way, it’s quite a pity!

壬午年正月二十七日　
2002年3月10日 　
书于鼓浪屿

27th of January, Year of RenWu
March 10, 2002
Written at Gulangyu