悉达多悟到了什么 名著精读:《悉达多》-沙门(3)

名著精读:《悉达多》-沙门(3)  

And Govinda mumbled a verse to himself
a verse from an Upanishad:

He who ponderingly
of a purified spirit
loses himself in the meditation of Atman
unexpressable by words is his blissfulness of his heart.

But Siddhartha remained silent. He thought about the words which Govinda had said to him and thought the words through to their end.

Yes
he thought
standing there with his head low
what would remain of all that which seemed to us to be holy? What remains? What can stand the test? And he shook his head.

At one time
when the o young men had lived among the Samanas for about three years and had shared their exercises
some news
a rumour
a myth reached them after being retold many times: A man had appeared
Gotama by name
the exalted one
the Buddha
he had overe the suffering of the world in himself and had halted the cycle of rebirths. He was said to wander through the land
teaching
surrounded by disciples
without possession
without home
without a wife
in the yellow cloak of an ascetic
but with a cheerful brow
a man of bliss
and Brahmans and princes would bow down before him and would bee his students.

This myth
this rumour
this legend resounded
its fragrants rose up
here and there; in the towns
the Brahmans spoke of it and in the forest
the Samanas; again and again
the name of Gotama
the Buddha reached the ears of the young men
with good and with bad talk
with praise and with defamation.

It was as if the plague had broken out in a country and news had been spreading around that in one or another place there was a man
a wise man
a knowledgeable one
whose word and breath was enough to heal everyone who had been infected with the pestilence
and as such news would go through the land and everyone would talk about it
many would believe
many would doubt
but many would get on their way as soon as possible
to seek the wise man
the helper
just like this this myth ran through the land
that fragrant myth of Gotama
the Buddha
the wise man of the family of Sakya. He possessed
so the believers said
the highest enlightenment
he remembered his previous lives
he had reached the nirvana and never returned into the cycle
was never again submerged in the murky river of physical forms. Many wonderful and unbelievable things were reported of him
he had performed miracles
had overe the devil
had spoken to the gods. But his enemies and disbelievers said
this Gotama was a vain seducer
he would spent his days in luxury
scorned the offerings
was without learning
and knew neither exercises nor self-castigation.

The myth of Buddha sounded sweet. The scent of magic flowed from these reports. After all
the world was sick
life was hard to bear--and behold
here a source seemed to spring forth
here a messenger seemed to call out
forting
mild
full of noble promises. Everywhere where the rumour of Buddha was heard
everywhere in the lands of India
the young men listened up
felt a longing
felt hope
and among the Brahmans' sons of the towns and villages every pilgrim and stranger was wele
when he brought news of him
the exalted one
the Sakyamuni.

The myth had also reached the Samanas in the forest
and also Siddhartha
and also Govinda
slowly
drop by drop
every drop laden with hope
every drop laden with doubt. They rarely talked about it
because the oldest one of the Samanas did not like this myth. He had heard that this alleged Buddha used to be an ascetic before and had lived in the forest
but had then turned back to luxury and worldly pleasures
and he had no high opinion of this Gotama.

"Oh Siddhartha
" Govinda spoke one day to his friend. "Today
I was in the village
and a Brahman invited me into his house
and in his house
there was the son of a Brahman from Magadha
who has seen the Buddha with his own eyes and has heard him teach. Verily
this made my chest ache when I breathed
and thought to myself: If only I would too
if only we both would too
Siddhartha and me
live to see the hour when we will hear the teachings from the mouth of this perfected man! Speak
friend
wouldn't we want to go there too and listen to the teachings from the Buddha's mouth?"