【仏教聖典】ほとけ §1-1 偉大な生涯 [2/8]
ほとけ
第１章 史上の仏
第１節 偉大な生涯
2.
しかし、喜びの裏には悲しみもあった。
In the palace of the King, however, delight was followed quickly by sorrow,
マーヤー夫人は間もなくこの世を去り、
for after several days the lovely Queen Maya suddenly died.
太子は以後、夫人の妹マハープラジャーパティーによって養育された。
Her younger sister, Mahaprajapati, became the child's foster mother and brought him up with loving care.
そのころ、アシタという仙人が山で修行していたが、
A hermit, called Asita, who lived in the mountains not far away,
城のあたりに漂う吉相を見て、
noticed a radiance about the castle. Interpreting it as a good omen
城に来たり、太子を見て
he came down to the palace and was shown the child.
「このお子が長じて家にいられたら世界を統一する偉大な王と
なり、
He predicted: "ThisPrince, if he remains in the palace, when grown up will become a great king and subjugate the whole world.
もしまた、*出家して道を修めれば世を救う仏になられるであろう。」と予言した。
But if he forsakes the court life to embrace a religious life, he will become a Buddha, the Savior of the world."
はじめ王はこの予言を聞いて喜んだが、
At first the King was pleased to hear this prophecy,
次第に、もしや出家されてはという憂いを持つようになった。
but later he started to worry about the possibility of his only son leaving the palace to become a homeless recluse.
太子は七歳の時から文武の道を学んだ。
At the age of seven the Prince began his lessons in the civil and military arts,
but his thoughts more naturally tended to other things.
春祭に、父王に従って田園に出、
One spring day he went out of the castle with his father.
農夫の耕すさまを見ているうち、
Together they were watching a farmer at his plowing
すきの先に掘り出された小虫を小鳥がついばみ去るのを見て、
when he noticed a bird descended to the ground and carried off a small worm which had
been turned up by the farmer's plough.
「あわれ、生きものは互いに殺しあう。」とつぶやき、ひとり木陰に坐って静思した。
He sat down in the shade of a tree and thought about it, whispering to himself:
"Alas! Do all living creatures kill each other?"
生まれて聞もなく母に別れ、
The Prince, who had lost his mother so soon after his birth,
今また生きもののかみあう有様を見て、
was deeply affected by the tragedy of these little creatures.
太子の心には早くも人生の苦悩が刻まれた。
This spiritual wound deepened day by day as he grew up;
それはちょうど、若木につけられた傷のように、日とともに成長し、太子をますます暗い思いに沈ませた。
like a little scar on a young tree, the suffering of human life became more and more deeply engrained in his mind.
父王はこの有様を見て大いに愛い、かねての仙人の予言を思いあわせ、
The King was increasingly worried as he recalled the hermit's prophecy
太子の心を引き立てようといろいろ企てた。
and tried in every possible way to cheer the Prince and to turn his thoughts in other directions.
ついに太子十九歳のとき、太子の母の兄デーヴァダハ城主スプラブッダの娘ヤショーダラーを迎えて妃と定めた。
The King arranged the marriage of the Prince at the age of nineteen to the Princess Yashodhara. She was the daughter of Suprabuddha, the Lord of Devadaha Castle and a brother of the late Queen Maya.
