The Dual Cultivation of Blessings and Wisdom
從前印度有一個羅漢，這位羅漢依印度修行人規矩，每天
都要出去托缽。這天，他走了很多的路還未乞到食物可吃，
缽裡還是空空的。
當他走到王宮的門口，看見一隻大象，滿身掛滿了珍珠瓔珞，顯然已吃得飽飽地，站在王宮的門口。
羅漢看了這隻象，不禁心生感嘆：「修慧不修福，羅漢托空缽；修福不修慧，大象掛瓔珞。」
羅漢心想：「我過去世只注重修智慧、研究經典，但沒有修福德，雖然成了阿羅漢，因為沒福報，所以今天沒人供養我，我的缽裡還是空空的。而這隻大象，牠以往只曉得修福，沒修智慧，所以今世是隻象，因為牠福報大，養在王宮裡，吃得飽飽的，滿身都掛滿了瓔珞珍寶，可是終究是隻大象。」
由此看來，福慧雙修，實在十分重要。我們多生累劫之中，做了很多的好事，種下很多善因，今世才會投生為人，我們實在太幸運了！如同開經偈中，百千萬劫難遭遇。有這樣好的善因緣，應當多持誦大乘經典，不但可以開智慧，還有不可思議的福德。
修學道上共勉
資料來源：心靈甘露(四)，隆門圓通法師著。英文翻譯：張惠平。
The Dual Cultivation of Blessings and Wisdom
Long time ago in India, there was an Arahant who followed the rule of cultivators and went out to beg for alms every day. One day, after walking for a long distance, he did not get any food and his alms bowl was still empty.
When he came to the gate of the palace, he saw an elephant with pearl necklaces hanging all over its body. Obviously this elephant had eaten a big meal.
Seeing this elephant, the Arahant could not help sighing, “An Arahant gets nothing in his alms bowl because he cultivates wisdom but skips cultivating blessings. An elephant has pearl necklaces all over the body because it cultivates blessings but skips cultivating wisdom.”
The Arahant thought to himself, “I focused on the cultivation of wisdom and the study of sutras but did not cultivate blessings in my previous life. Although I have become an Arahant now, no one gives alms to me and my alms bowl is still empty. This is because I have no blessings. This elephant cultivated blessings instead of wisdom in its previous life, so it is just an elephant in this lifetime. Because of great blessings, it is raised in the palace, eats to its heart’s content, and has jewels and necklaces hanging all over its body. But, after all, it is just an elephant.”
From this we can see that it is very important to cultivate both blessings and wisdom. We have done a lot of good deeds and sowed many seeds of goodness in the past kalpas, so we are born human in this life. How lucky we are! As mentioned in the sutra-opening verse, “It is hard to encounter for myriad of kalpas.” With so many good affinities, we should recite the sutras of the Great Vehicle as much as possible. Then we will not only develop our wisdom but also gain incredible blessings.
Let’s encourage each other on the path of cultivation.
Source: Sweet Dew for the Soul (Vol. IV), Written by Master Shih Longmen Yuantong. Translated by Huei Ping Chang.