MASTER XIN ENDS A DROUGHT

　　辛法師解除旱災

　　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.

　　辛法師，是一個有著高深的智慧和強大法力的法師，只有刻苦修行才能做到這樣。因為他明智，所以他很仁慈；因為他法力大，所以他很寬厚。

　　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.

　　有一次他看見一個漁翁拿著一只籃子。他看了一看籃子，發現里面都是烏龜。他知道買這些烏龜的人都會把它們吃掉。"可憐的烏龜，"他想，"你們一定不想死吧？"所以他拿出錢包，把整籃烏龜都買了下來，然后放到一個放生池里。

　　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.

　　幾年后，出現了一場可怕的旱災。農夫們心急如焚，因為如果不下雨，他們的莊稼就長不好，那么他們就可能餓死。那時的人都體驗過饑荒危害，因為這事經常發生。每當出現旱災，就會有很多人吃不飽。人們只好靠草根樹皮維持生命，許多人就這樣餓死了。

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

　　有時候剛出現旱災的苗頭時，農夫們會供奉牛羊來求雨，但是往往沒什么效果。

　　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！"

　　這一回，一個農夫忽然想到，"讓我們求辛法師幫忙吧。他法力無邊，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."

　　這一群人就趕去廟里，求辛法師幫忙求雨。他只是靜靜地笑了，然后說，"當然，沒問題。我會為了你們祈雨的，但是你們要先幫我一個忙。從現在開始直到典禮前，你們所有人都不許殺生，你們必須吃素。否則，我也沒辦法了。"

　　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.

　　當然，即使對那些自私的、無肉不歡的人來說，吃素也比什么都沒的吃要好，而且人人都很敬重辛法師，所以他們都答應他們不會殺生吃肉或者別的什么動物產品。

　　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，所有的鄉民都帶著水果和香到廟里來了。辛師父正在等著他們。當每個人都來了以后，他點了一些香，開始祈禱："嗡，達呀他，娑羅娑羅……"

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

　　"他說的我一個字都聽不懂。"有人說。

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

　　"你覺得這會管用嗎？"一些人問他們的鄰居。

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

　　還有許多人說，"如果他真的辦成了的話，從今以后，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.

　　法師不斷祈禱。在第一枝香燒完前，空中就烏云密布，傾盆大雨落在干涸的土地上。所有人都虔誠地跪著，他們不知道自己的臉上究竟是雨水還是高興的淚水了。

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