The Self-respect of the Buddhist and the Taoist佛道自尊

The Self-respect of the Buddhist and the Taoist佛道自尊

从前,有一座寺庙,里面供奉着两座泥像,左边是道祖太上老君像,右边是佛祖释伽牟尼像。

In the past, there were two clay idols in a temple. On the left was the idol of Tai Shang Lao Jun, the founder of Taoism, and on the right the idol of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

从前,有一座寺庙,里面供奉着两座泥像,左边是道祖太上老君像,右边是佛祖释伽牟尼像。

In the past, there were two clay idols in a temple. On the left was the idol of Tai Shang Lao Jun, the founder of Taoism, and on the right the idol of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

一天,有个和尚看见庙中的这两座像,心里很不髙兴,说:

One day, a monk saw the two idols in the temple. He was displeased and said:

“我们佛法广大无边,怎么能让佛祖屈居在老君的右边呢?”

“Our Buddhist doctrine is vast and limitless. How can we condescend to allow the founder of Buddhism to be placed on the right side of Tai Shang Lao Jun?”

于是,和尚动手把佛像搬到了老君像的左边。

So the monk moved the Buddhist idol to the left side of the Lao Jun idol.

不久,来了个道士,看见这种情形很是气恼,说:“我们道教至高无上,怎么能让老君像屈居在佛像的右边呢?”

Shortly afterwards, there came a Taoist priest. When he saw the situation, he felt offended and said:“Our Taoist doctrine is the highest and unsurpassed. How can we condescend to allow the Taoist idol to be placed on the right side of the Buddhist idol?”

于是,道士立刻动手把老君像搬到了佛像的左边。

So the Taoist priest moved the Lao Jun idol to the left side of the Buddhist idol at once.

就这样,和尚和道士不停地搬来搬去,最后竟将这两座泥像都搬碎了。

Thus, the monk and the Taoist priest kept on moving the idols back and forth until the idols were broken into pieces m the end.

*选自清朝石成金的《传家宝·笑得好》

*Selected from the book Cherished Traditions by Shi Chengjin of the Qing Dynasty

【生词与短语 New Words & Expressions】

1.佛道自尊 [fó dào zì zūn]  The Self- respect of the Buddhist and the Taoist

2.泥像 [ní xiàng]  n. clay idol; clay statue

3.道祖 [dào zǔ]  n. founder of Taoism

4.太上老君 [tài shàng lǎo jūn]  (deity name) TaiShang Lao Jun(founder of Taoism)

5.佛祖 [fó zǔ]  n. founder of Buddhism

6.释伽牟尼 [shì gā móu ní]  (deity name) Sakyamuni (founder of Buddhism)

7.佛法 [fó fǎ]  n. Buddhist doctrine

8.气恼 [qì nǎo]  a. angry; offended

9.至髙无上 [zhì gāo wú shàng]  (idiom) the highest and unsurpassed

10.碎 [suì]  v. break into pieces