什么是最大的财富？什么是最大的快乐？什么最为长寿？
绝对不敢轻视老年人
Never slight the elderly
“什么是最大的财富？
“What is the greatest wealth?
什么是最大的快乐？
What is the highest joy?
什么是第一美味？
What is the most savored taste?
什么最为长寿？”
What lives the longest?”
“信用是最大的财富；
“Trust is the greatest wealth;
修正法是最大的快乐；
practicing the authentic path is the highest joy;
诚实语是第一美味；
an honest word is the most savored taste,
法身慧命最为长寿。”
and dharma body with wisdom essence lives the longest.”
《杂宝藏经》中讲过这样一个故事：
The Sutra of Miscellaneous Treasures tells this story:
往昔，印度波罗奈国流传着一个陋习：
Long ago, in the ancient state of Benares, a rather horrible custom was practiced.
当父母年老时，就将他们活埋，以节省食粮来养活子息。
When parents reached an old age, children would bury them alive in order to save resources for the descendants.
时间一久，竟成了这个国家的法律。
As time went on, somehow this tradition became a set law of the country.
有个大臣非常孝顺，对这条法律实在不能认同，总希望有一天能够改正它。
There was a minister who was a very devoted and pious son. He found it difficult to concur with this law and had always wished to rectify it some day.
后来这个大臣的父亲老了，他便偷偷在地下建了一座密室，将父亲藏在里面，每天以上好的饮食供养父亲。
When this minister’s father grew old, he built a secret chamber underground, hid his father there and served him fine food every day.
他这份孝心，感动了天神现身前来相助。天神手中拿了一卷纸，来到波罗奈国王的面前，对他说：
The minister’s obedience to his father impressed a heavenly god, who then presented himself in front of the king with a scroll in his hand, saying,
“这张纸上有四个问题，如果七日内能解答出来，我就拥护你和你的国家；如果答不出来，我就把你的头劈成七块！”
“Written on this scroll are four questions. If you can give the correct answers in seven days, I promise to protect you and your country. On the other hand, should you fail, I’ll chop your head into seven pieces!”
说完，就立刻消失了。
Having thus spoken, the god disappeared right away.
国王紧急召集群臣共同商议，然而，大家望着纸上的四个难题，绞尽脑汁还是束手无策。
Panicked, the king called his chamber members for an emergency meeting. However, they could only scratch their heads over these questions and came up with nothing.
随着期限一天天逼近，国王急如热锅上的蚂蚁，
When the deadline was approaching, the king was as nervous as a cat on hot bricks.
于是他将问题昭告天下，凡是能够找到答案的人，就能得到最大的奖励——不论有什么要求，国王都会答应。
He then posed the questions to all of his subjects with a grand promise: To the person with the correct answers, he would grant whatever he or she wished for.
天神到底给了国王什么难题呢？
What were the questions the heavenly god asked?
“什么是最大的财富？什么是最大的快乐？什么是第一美味？什么最为长寿？”
They were these: “What is the greatest wealth? What is the highest joy? What is the most savored taste? What lives the longest?”
大臣见到这四个问题，立即跑回家询问密室中的父亲。
When the minister saw these questions, he ran home and asked his father in the secret chamber.
果然，父亲一一给了圆满的答案：
Sure enough, his father imparted the perfect answer to each of the questions:
“信用是最大的财富；修正法是最大的快乐；诚实语是第一美味；法身慧命最为长寿。”
“Trust is the greatest wealth, practicing the authentic path is the highest joy, an honest word is the most savored taste, and dharma body with wisdom essence lives the longest.”
大臣将答案告诉国王，国王顺利通过了天神的考验。
The minister submitted the answers to the king, who was then able to pass the test.
国王高兴极了，便问他：“这些答案是你自己想的吗？还是谁教你的呢？”
The king was thrilled and asked the minister, “Did you come up with the answers yourself, or were you assisted by someone else?”
大臣坦白道：“请大王饶恕，我违反了国法，把父亲私藏在家中，是他回答这四个问题的。”
The minister confessed, “Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness. I contradicted the state law: I have been hiding my old father away secretly in my home. In fact, it was he who answered these questions.”
接着他又说：“既然您得到了想要的答案，我别无所求，只希望大王能废除‘活埋年老父母’这条法律。”
He continued, “Now that Your Highness has the correct answers, I have no other wish but to ask you to banish the law of burying one’s aging parents alive.”
国王听后深受感动，不仅废除了这条法律，还另加了一条：“凡是不孝顺父母的人，将治以重罪。”
The king was deeply moved. Not only did he banish the horrible law but also established a new one, “Anyone who fails to observe filial piety to their parents will be punished severely.”
所以，人老了，千万不能认为他们就糊涂了，什么事情都不跟他们商量。
So, we should not regard older people as befuddled and neglect to seek their counsel on various affairs.
老人有丰富的人生阅历，思想比较成熟，有些老人还有佛法的修证境界，
The elders are generally mellow and rich with life’s experiences; some have even attained realization in their Dharma practices.
因此，我们一定不能轻视老年人。
Therefore, we must never slight older people.
藏地有句俗话说：“老年人是个宝，如果某地老年人多，说明那个地方有福气。”
A saying in Tibet goes: “Old folks are gems; a region that has many elders is said to be well-blessed.”
索达吉堪布《做，才是得到》
Khenpo Sodargye《Achieve by Doing》
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