放生故事:辛法师解除旱灾

　　MASTER XIN ENDS A DROUGHT

　　辛法师解除旱灾

　　Master Xin was a monk with the deep wisdom and great powers that can be earned only by carefully developing your behavior. Because he was so wise， he was merciful. Because he was so powerful， he was lenient.

　　辛法师，是一个有着高深的智慧和强大法力的法师，只有刻苦修行才能做到这样。因为他明智，所以他很仁慈；因为他法力大，所以他很宽厚。

　　Once he saw an old fisherman with a basket. He looked in the basket and saw that it was full of turtles. He knew that whoever bought the turtles would eat them. "Poor turtles，" he thought， "You wouldn't like to die， would you？" So he got out his wallet and bought the whole basketful， and let them go in a Free Life Pond.

　　有一次他看见一个渔翁拿着一只篮子。他看了一看篮子，发现里面都是乌龟。他知道买这些乌龟的人都会把它们吃掉。"可怜的乌龟，"他想，"你们一定不想死吧？"所以他拿出钱包，把整篮乌龟都买了下来，然后放到一个放生池里。

　　A few years later， there was a terrible drought. All the farmers were worried， because if it didn't rain， their crops wouldn't grow， and they might starve to death. People then knew all about starving to death， because it happened so often. When there was a drought， there would be so many hungry people that they couldn't all be fed. People would eat weeds and bark to stay alive， and many people would die.

　　几年后，出现了一场可怕的旱灾。农夫们心急如焚，因为如果不下雨，他们的庄稼就长不好，那么他们就可能饿死。那时的人都体验过饥荒危害，因为这事经常发生。每当出现旱灾，就会有很多人吃不饱。人们只好靠草根树皮维持生命，许多人就这样饿死了。

　　Sometimes when a drought began， the farmers would sacrifice cows and goats for rain， but that usually didn't do much good.

　　有时候刚出现旱灾的苗头时，农夫们会供奉牛羊来求雨，但是往往没什么效果。

　　This time， one of the farmers first had a good idea. "Let's ask Master Xin for help. He's so powerful， he ought to be able to do something！"

　　这一回，一个农夫忽然想到，"让我们求辛法师帮忙吧。他法力无边，一定能做些什么的！"

　　A whole crowd went to the temple and asked Master Xin to bring rain. He smiled quietly， and told them， "Sure， no problem. I'll pray for rain for you， but you have to help first. From now until our ceremony， none of you can kill any thing.Until then， all of you have to eat only vegetarian food. Otherwise， it won't work."

　　这一群人就赶去庙里，求辛法师帮忙求雨。他只是静静地笑了，然后说，"当然，没问题。我会为了你们祈雨的，但是你们要先帮我一个忙。从现在开始直到典礼前，你们所有人都不许杀生，你们必须吃素。否则，我也没办法了。"

　　Well， even for some selfish people who can't go without meat， vegetarian food beats no food at all， and everybody respected Master Xin anyway， so they all promised they wouldn't kill anything or eat any meat or animal products.

　　当然，即使对那些自私的、无肉不欢的人来说，吃素也比什么都没的吃要好，而且人人都很敬重辛法师，所以他们都答应他们不会杀生吃肉或者别的什么动物产品。

　　On the day of the ceremony， all the local people came to the temple with offerings of fruit and incense. Master Xin was waiting for them. When everybody was ready， he lit some incense and began to pray： "Om！ Dajrta salo salo……"

　　祈雨那天，所有的乡民都带着水果和香到庙里来了。辛师父正在等着他们。当每个人都来了以后，他点了一些香，开始祈祷："嗡，达呀他，娑罗娑罗……"

　　"I can't understand a word he's saying，" someone said.

　　"他说的我一个字都听不懂。"有人说。

　　"Do you really think this is going to work？" some of the people asked their neighbors.

　　"你觉得这会管用吗？"一些人问他们的邻居。

　　Many people said， "If he really pulls this one off， I'm going to become a vegetarian from now on."

　　还有许多人说，"如果他真的办成了的话，从今以后，我愿意吃素。"

　　The Master kept praying， and before the first stick of incense had burned down， the clouds opened up and poured rain on the thirsty earth. All the people knelt in respect， and you couldn't tell if their faces were wet from the rain or from their tears of gratitude.

　　法师不断祈祷。在第一枝香烧完前，空中就乌云密布，倾盆大雨落在干涸的土地上。所有人都虔诚地跪着，他们不知道自己的脸上究竟是雨水还是高兴的泪水了。