GOSHO 上野殿御返事（須逹長者事）The Wealthy Man Sudatta 3

月(がっ)氏(し)国にす(須)達長者と申せし者は七度貧になり、七度長者(ちょうじゃ)となりて候いしが、

In India there was a wealthy man called Sudatta. Seven times he became poor, and seven times he became a wealthy man.

In India there was a wealthy man called Sudatta. He became poor seven times and became rich seven times.

最後の貧の時は万民皆に(逃)げうせ、死にをはりて、ただめ(婦)おと(夫)こ二人にて候いし時、五升の米あり五日のかつ(糧)てとあて候いし時、迦葉(かしょう)・舎利(しゃり)弗(ほつ)・阿難・羅睺(らご)羅(ら)、釈迦仏の五人、次第(しだい)に入らせ給いて五升の米をこ(乞)ひとらせ給いき。

During his last period of poverty, when all the people had fled or perished and only he and his wife remained, they had five measures of rice that would nourish them for five days. At that time, five people—Mahākāshyapa, Shāriputra, Ānanda, Rāhula, and Shakyamuni Buddha—came one after another to beg for the five measures of rice, which Sudatta gave them.

When he became destitute for the last time, all his servants died or ran away from his estate leaving only his wife and him. The couple had only five sho of rice between them. They were counting in this rice to last them for the next five days. But, when the five priests, Kashyapa, Shariputra, Ananda, Rahula, and Shakyamuni Buddha, visited them one by one begging for food, Sudatta and his wife offered all their rice to them.

其の日より五天竺(てんじく)第一の長者となりて、祇園(ぎおん)精舎(しょうじゃ)をばつくりて候ぞ。

From that day on, Sudatta was the wealthiest man in all India, and he built Jetavana Monastery.

Due to the merit of his actions, from that day on Sudatta became the richest man in all of India and built the Jetavana Monastery.

これをもつて、よろづを心へ(得)させ給へ。

From this, you should understand all things.

From these examples you should understand everything.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　つづく　Next

　　　現在の祇園精舎

解説　　　　目次　Index