同伴曰：「此水有蟲，戒不許飲。我雖因渴而死，亦不願犯戒以生。」其後果然乾渴亡於途。其飲水比丘得見佛面，頂禮佛足白佛言：「弟子同行某比丘，途中渴死，望佛慈悲救度。」
「同伴曰：」他這個同伴就說了：「此水有蟲」，說這個水裡頭有蟲，意思就是說我不喝。佛以前說過，說佛觀一缽水，八萬四千蟲。那時候也沒有顯微鏡，也沒有什麼鏡，佛就看這水裡頭有很多蟲。所以佛制戒說有蟲的水，比丘不可以飲。因為這個，所以那個比丘就說，因為此水有蟲，「戒不許飲」。這在戒律裡邊是不可以飲這有蟲的水。「我雖因渴而死」，就是我雖然就因渴而死。「亦不願犯戒以生」，我也不願意犯戒來求生，來活者。就是我渴死我也不犯戒，這個意思就這樣。
「其後果然乾渴亡於途」，那他說完這話，喝水那個比丘，也就不講什麼話了，索性把那個水就自己喝完了。所以說其後，在這以後，乾渴亡於途。因為天氣又乾燥，他又渴，就死了。「其飲水比丘」，說喝水這個比丘，「得見佛面」，他去見到佛了。「頂禮佛足」，他向佛就頂禮。「白佛言」：對佛說了。「弟子同行某比丘，途中渴死，望佛慈悲救度。」
佛告飲水比丘：「彼因謹守戒律，信心堅固，至死亡相逼，亦不違尸羅。已承佛威神，先汝而至見佛聞法。」彼乃真信比丘也。
「佛告飲水比丘」：這個飲水比丘以為這個同伴在路中死了，求佛來救度他這個同伴。這是很好的一種心，也是行菩薩道的一部份。那麼佛就告訴喝蟲水這個比丘，說「彼因謹守戒律」，你說在途中死亡那個比丘，他因為不肯犯戒，很謹慎地守持這個戒律。「信心堅固」，他對戒律信心很堅固。這個信，不但信戒律；你信佛堅固也是；信法堅固也是；信僧堅固也是。這都包括在信心堅固內，所以說信之重要。這個信必需要有信心 To believe you must have faith。這一位比丘，他信戒律。「至死亡相逼」，渴得要死了，他也不肯犯戒。「亦不違尸羅」，他不違背戒律，尸羅也就是戒律。「已承佛威神」，他已經承蒙佛的大威神力，佛的神通，把他救到我這來。「先汝而至見佛聞法」，你覺得他死了，他比你先到我這來了。見佛聞法，他也見到佛、聞到法了。「彼乃真信比丘也」，像這沒飲水這比丘，他才是真正地堅信戒律的一個比丘。
你若能懂戒律，
對一切佛法都能深入；
你若不懂戒律，
就像虛空中的雲一樣，
浮浮蕩蕩，
一點根基也沒有。
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Text:
The companion replied, “This water contains bugs and the precepts do not permit drinking such water. I would rather die of thirst than violate the precepts in order to stay alive.” After this incident he died of thirst. When the Bhikshu who had drunk the water reached the place where the Buddha was residing, he bowed and said to the Buddha, “Your disciple was travelling in the company of another Bhikshu who perished of thirst on the road. I hope the Buddha will be compassionate and rescue him.”
Commentary:
The companion replied, “This water contains bugs.” He was in effect saying, “I won’t drink it.” The Buddha had said, “When I look at a bowl of water, I can see 84,000 bugs in it.” Although there were no microscopes or other such devices in those days, the Buddha could see the tiny bugs (germs) in the water. So the Buddha set up a precept that forbids Bhikshus from drinking water with bugs in it. Thus the other Bhikshu said, “The precepts do not permit drinking such water. I would rather die of thirst than violate the precepts in order to stay alive.”
After this incident he died of thirst. After his companion was done speaking, the first Bhikshu didn’t say anything else, but simply drank all the water himself. Because the weather was hot and dry and the second Bhikshu was so thirsty, he died. When the Bhikshu who had drunk the water reached the place where the Buddha was residing, he bowed and said to the Buddha, “Your disciple was travelling in the company of another Bhikshu who perished of thirst on the road. I hope the Buddha will be compassionate and rescue him.”
Text:
The Buddha said to the Bhikshu who had drunk the water, “Because he stringently maintained the precepts and was so firm in his faith that he would not violate the Shila even in the face of death, he received the awesome power of the Buddhas and arrived here before you. He has already seen the Buddha and heard the Dharma. He is a Bhikshu who has true faith.”
Commentary:
When the Bhikshu who had drunk the water with bugs in it asked the Buddha to save his companion, he was doing it out of a good heart and in the spirit of practicing the Bodhisattva Way. The Buddha said to the Bhikshu who had drunk the water, “Because he stringently maintained the precepts and was so firm in his faith... This refers not only to faith in the precepts, but to faith in the Buddha, faith in the Dharma, and faith in the Sangha. So this shows the importance of faith. To believe, you must have faith. This Bhikshu had such faith in the precepts that he would not violate the Shila--the precepts--even in the face of death, he received the awesome spiritual power of the Buddhas, which saved him and brought him here. You thought he died, but he arrived here before you. He has already seen the Buddha and heard the Dharma. He is a Bhikshu who has true and firm faith in the precepts.”
If you understand the precepts, then you can penetrate the entire Buddhadharma.
If you don’t understand the precepts, then you’re like a cloud floating in the sky—
you lack foundation.
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