English
English version: Without asking whether one is foolish or wise, everyone praises him as a good person. In reality, he has no real talent or learning, yet people consider him intelligent, and he also gains a reputation for courage and strength. Even if he is ugly and old, young and strong women enjoy being near him. King Ajatasattu (Ajatasattu, a personal name) heard of his wealth and immediately sent people to take his treasures. What they took were all dead people (corpses); they threw the corpses back into the house, but found that they were real gold. Dipankara (Dipankara, a personal name) knew that the king wanted these treasures, so he used the golden head, hands, and feet to offer to the king. After the king obtained them, he took them back to the palace. Afterwards, Dipankara (Dipankara) thought in this way and spoke this verse: 'The five desires (pañca kāmaguṇa, referring to the five desires of form, sound, smell, taste, and touch) are extremely frivolous and restless, like lightning, poisonous snakes, and poisonous insects. Glory and happiness cannot last long, and (I) immediately develop a sense of disgust.' Immediately, he gave away the treasures to everyone, renounced the household life in the Buddha's Dharma to seek the path, diligently cultivated, and attained the fruit of Arhat (Arhat, a saint who has exhausted all afflictions and attained liberation). Although he attained the fruit of the path, the treasures transformed from these corpses often followed him. A bhikkhu (bhikkhu, a Buddhist monk) asked the Buddha (Buddha): 'Dipankara (Dipankara) bhikkhu, due to what cause and condition, has his finger had light since birth? Due to what cause and condition, does he suffer such poverty? And due to what cause and condition, do the treasures transformed from these corpses often follow him?' The Buddha (Buddha) told the bhikkhu (bhikkhu): 'Listen attentively, and I will tell you about his past life. Dipankara (Dipankara) bhikkhu, in the distant past, was born into the family of a wealthy householder in the country of Varanasi (Varanasi, an ancient Indian city). As a child, he was riding in a carriage outside, playing until late, and (found that) the door was closed. He shouted loudly to open the door, but no one responded. After a long time, his mother came to open the door for him, and he angrily scolded his mother, saying: 'Is the whole family carrying dead people? Or are robbers robbing us? Why is no one opening the door for me?' Because of this karma, he fell into hell after death, and the remaining retribution of hell caused him to suffer poverty after being reborn as a human. The cause and condition of the shining finger, the cause and condition of the corpses turning into treasures, I will explain to you in more detail. Ninety-one kalpas (kalpa, a unit of time) ago, there was a Buddha named Vipassi Buddha (Vipassi Buddha). After Vipassi Buddha (Vipassi Buddha) entered Nirvana (Nirvana, a Buddhist term referring to liberation), the Buddha's Dharma remained in the world. Dipankara (Dipankara) at that time was a wealthy householder, and his family was very rich. He went to the pagoda temple and respectfully prostrated himself. Seeing that one finger of a clay statue was broken and falling off, he repaired the finger and covered it with gold leaf. After the repair was completed, he made a vow, saying: 'I offer incense, flowers, music, and the merit of repairing the Buddha statue' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
缘，持此功德愿生天上人间，常得尊豪富贵，假令漏失寻还得之，使我于佛法中出家得道。’以治佛指故，得是指光及死尸宝聚。以恶口故，从地狱出，得贫穷果报。” 佛说是灯指因缘经时，诸天人民散众天华、作天伎乐供养已讫，便还天宫。 以是因缘，少种福业于形像所得是福报，乃至涅槃形像尚尔，况复如来法身者乎。能于佛法如说修行，如此功德不可限量，若欲生天人中受诸快乐，应当至心听法。以恶口因缘受大苦报，应畏众苦，远离恶口诸不善业。以此观之，一切世人富贵荣华不足贪着，于诸人天尊贵不应喜乐。当知贫穷是大苦聚，欲断贫穷不应悭贪。是以经中言贫穷者甚为大苦。 灯指因缘经 现代汉语译本：'以此功德，我愿往生天上或人间，常能获得尊贵、豪门和富裕，即使有所遗失也能寻回，使我能在佛法中出家并证得道果。'因为医治佛指的缘故，得到了佛指的光芒以及死尸化为宝聚的果报。因为恶语伤人的缘故，从地狱出来后，得到了贫穷的果报。 佛陀宣讲《灯指因缘经》时，诸天人民散布各种天花，演奏天上的音乐进行供养完毕后，便返回天宫。 因为这个因缘，哪怕只是在佛像前种下微小的福业，也能得到如此大的福报，乃至最终涅槃成佛，佛像尚且如此，更何况是如来的法身呢？如果能够按照佛法如实修行，这样的功德是不可估量的。如果想要往生天界或人间享受各种快乐，应当至诚地听闻佛法。因为恶语伤人的因缘会遭受巨大的苦报，应当畏惧各种痛苦，远离恶语等各种不善的业。由此看来，世间一切的富贵荣华都不值得贪恋，对于人天界的尊贵也不应该欢喜。应当知道贫穷是巨大的痛苦聚集，想要断除贫穷就不应该悭吝贪婪。因此经中说贫穷是非常大的痛苦。 《灯指因缘经》
English
English version: 'By this merit, may I be reborn in the heavens or among humans, constantly attaining honor, wealth, and nobility. Even if something is lost, may I find it again, enabling me to renounce the world and attain enlightenment within the Buddha's Dharma.' Because of healing the Buddha's finger, one obtained the light from the Buddha's finger and the transformation of corpses into treasures. Because of harsh speech, after emerging from hell, one received the karmic result of poverty. When the Buddha finished expounding the 'Sutra on the Causes and Conditions of the Lamp-Finger,' the gods and people scattered various celestial flowers and played celestial music as offerings, and then returned to their celestial palaces. Because of this cause and condition, even planting a small seed of blessed deeds before an image of the Buddha can result in such great blessings, even to the point of attaining Nirvana. If even an image is like this, how much more so is the Dharmakaya (Dharma body) of the Tathagata (Thus Come One, another name for the Buddha)? If one can practice according to the Dharma as taught, such merit is immeasurable. If one desires to be reborn in the heavens or among humans to enjoy various pleasures, one should listen to the Dharma with utmost sincerity. Because of the causes and conditions of harsh speech, one will suffer great retribution. One should fear all suffering and stay away from harsh speech and all unwholesome deeds. From this perspective, all worldly wealth and glory are not worth clinging to, and one should not rejoice in the honor and nobility of the realms of gods and humans. One should know that poverty is a great accumulation of suffering, and if one wishes to end poverty, one should not be stingy or greedy. Therefore, the sutra says that poverty is a very great suffering. Sutra on the Causes and Conditions of the Lamp-Finger --------------------------------------------------------------------------------