Buddhism for children 5 to 7 years old (bi-lingual English-VietNamese)

Phat hoc cho thieu nhi

■ ■

tip 5 toi 7 tuoi

Buddhism for children
from 5 to 7 years old

Preface

The present publication constitutes the first out of four
textbooks on Buddhism devised for children between
five and seven years of age. The primary aims of these
textbooks are to help young pupils to acquire the
essential knowledge about the life of the Buddha, his
fundamental teaching and the historical development
of Buddhism. The information is basically factual,
although it places a marked emphasis on the salient
character of Buddhist morality and its constructive
attitude towards people and society.

Buddhism for Key Stage One provides an introduc-
tion to the basic concept of the Triple Gem, namely
the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. These three
elements constitute the three pillars of Buddhism.
The Buddha is the founder and teacher, the Dharma
represents the Buddha's teachings, and the Sangha
denotes the Buddhist community as a whole, living in
accordance with the Buddha's teachings. In addition
to these three elements covered in separate chapters,
the textbook also includes ten selected Buddhist stories,
which are to serve as additional aids to help the pupils
gain a better grasp of Buddhist principles and see their
application in various contexts.

The accompanying Pupil's Workbook contains
various types of exercises based on standard teaching
methods. They are intended for revision purposes and
should be used at the discretion of the teacher. The

English grammar and vocabulary are adapted to the level
of an average pupil of Key Stage One. However, some
pupils may need further assistance with the reading of
this book. All Buddhist terms, printed in blue, (which
are hyperlinked in this PDF) are listed in the glossary.

The subjects covered in this and the remaining
issues of this series are in accordance with the syllabus
prescribed in the UK by the revised National Curriculum

in 1994.

This textbook is produced by the Buddhist Educa-
tion Foundation. It is a charitable organisation which
aims to promote the education of Buddhism in this
country.

The authors of the text are Jing Yin and Ken Hudson.
Jing Yin is a Buddhist monk from China. He studied
Buddhism in China and Sri Lanka. Currently he is in
his final year of his Ph.D. programme at the School of
Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He
is being supervised by Dr T. Skorupski, who has also
been consulted in matters relating to this textbook. Ken
Hudson has taught in Australia, Canada and England for
more than 20 years. Liu Yanfeng, a professional artist,
has done the illustrations.

We would appreciate receiving feedback from both
teachers and pupils about this first edition with a view
to improving the material for the next edition

President
The Buddhist Education Foundation (UK)

Lai noi dau

Trfch lai djch gia la cw si Hoang Phipac Dai; Phap
danh Dong An:

"Cuon sach nay dipac djch nguyen van ti> tac
pham Buddhism key stage one cua Jing Yin Ken
Hudson. Toi djch cuon sach nay vol cac ly do :

- Dao Phat dipac truyen ba rong rai cho moi
ngum Dae biet la cac em thieu nhi. NhCmg
mam non cho tucmg lai mai sau. Cac em can
phai hieu biet Dao Phat.

- Day la mon qua thanh kfnh dang len Dlpc Phat,
mong ngai ban phuac lanh cho moi ngipai; cho
gia dlnh toi; cho ban be; cho tat ca moi ngum "

Contents

Preface 5

The Buddha 9

The Dharma 27

The Sangha 37

The Triple Gem 42

Buddhist Stories 47

Wild Deer Park

No killing 48

The Moon is Looking at You

No stealing 50

The Buddha and Rahula

No lying 52

7

Muc luc

■ ■

Lai noi dau 5

Phat 9

Phap 27

Tang 37

Tarn bao 42

Truyen Phat giao 47

NhCmg con huu hoang dai trong cong vien
Khong sat hai 48

Mat trang dang nhin chung ta
Khong trom cap 50

Olfc Phat va Rahula

Khong noi doi 52

The Young Deer that Played Dead

Respecting Teachers 54

The Buddha Threading the Needle

Helping each other 56

The Crippled Man & the Blind Man

Helping each other 58

The Fishmonger's

Making good friends 60

The Fox and the Otters

Do not be selfish 62

The Snake's Head and

Do not fight with each other 64

The Cleaning Woman

Clean mind 66

8

Hwu con thoat chet
Phai kinh trong thay, co giao 54

D(vc Phat xau kirn
Giup da nguai khac 56

Mot nguai dan ong bj que chan
va mot nguai dan ong bj mu
Giup da nguai khac 58

Ci>a hang ban ca
Lam ban vai nguai tot 60

Con Cao va hai con rai ca
Khong dugc ich ky 62

Oau va duoi ran

Khong dugcdanh nhau 64

Nguai dan ba don ve sinh
Phai co tarn hon trong sang 66

The Buddha

Tian Tan Buddha Statue in Po Lin Monastery Hong Kong

Buddhism is the teachings of the Buddha.
He was a wise teacher. His teachings help
people to live wisely and happily. Today,
more than 500 million people in the world
follow his teachings. In this unit, we are
going to tell you the story of the Buddha.

9

Twang Phat Thien Thai a tu vien Polin, HongKong

Dlpc phat la ngipai sang lap ra Oao Phat. Ngai la
mot bac thay thong thai. Lai day cua ngai giup cho
moi ngupai giac ngo va hanh phuc. Ngay hom nay,
co han 500 trieu ngipai tren the giai nghe theo lai
day cua Ngai. Trong bai giang nay, cac thay se ke
cho cac con nghe cau chuyen ve Dlpc Phat.

V

<

*

About 2,600 years ago, there lived a great
king named Suddhodana. He had a pretty
wife called Maya. They lived at the bottom
of the Himalayan Mountains in northern
India.

10

Vao khoang 2600 nam tripac day, co mot ong
vua tot ten la Tjnh Phan con goi la Vipang Oau
Da Na ( Suddhodana). Ong co Hoang hau la ba
Ma-da ( Maya ). Vua va hoang hau song a gan
dvtai day nui Hy ma lap san (Himalaya) a phfa
bic An Do.

One night, Queen Maya had a wonderful
dream. She saw a huge white elephant come
into her room. It was holding a lotus flower.
The elephant blew its trunk as it was walk-
ing round her bed three times.

11

Mot dem, hoang hau Ma Da trai qua giac ma
that dep. Hoang hau nhln thay mot con voi tring
rat to di vao phong ngu cua ba. Con voi mang
theo mot canh hoa sen. Voi tung voi cua no khi
di ngang qua giipang cua hoang hau ba Ian.

In the morning, the king asked his wise
men about the queen's dream. They said,
"Oh Kingl A great son will be born to Queen
Maya." The king and queen were very happy
with this news.

12

Sang horn sau, Olpc vua hoi cac nha tien tri cua
ngai ve giac ma cua hoang hau. Ho noi, "Tau
Olpc vua, Hoang hau se sinh ha mot quy ti> tai
(Jlpc song toan ". Nha vua va hoang hau rat hanh
phuc vai tin nay.

Queen Maya gave birth to Prince Siddhartha
in a pretty royal park. It was the full-moon
day of May. All the trees were in flower. The
bees were humming around the fresh flow-
ers. The birds were singing sweetly. Everyone
was happy because a prince had been born.

13

Hoang hau Ma-Da sinh ha thai ti> Tat Oat Da
(Siddhartha). Luc nay, tren trai, hoa quang chieu
sang mupai phipang. Tat ca cay, co deu dam
hoa ket trai. NhCmg con ong, keu vo ve lipgn
quanh nhOng canh hoa tipai thim. NhCpng con
chim cat tieng hot ngot ngao. Moi ngupai ai cung
hanh phuc v] thai ti> duac sinh ha.

The prince was very kind. He never hurt
anything, not even the smallest animals.

14

Thai ti> rat tot bung. Ngai khong bao gia lam ton
thipcmg bat clp ai, tham chf la con vat nho be
nhat.

One day, his cousin shot a swan. It fell to the
ground and was badly hurt. The prince felt
sorry for it. He picked it up and looked after
it. He knew that all animals wanted to live.
They did not want to die.

15

Mot ngay kia, ngipai em ho cua Ngai dung cung
ten bin mot con thien nga. Con thien nga rai
xuong dat va bj thipcmg rat nang. Thai ti> cam
thay rat xot xa cho con chim. Ngai nhat con chim
len va cham soc no can than. Ngai biet ring tat
ca moi con vat deu muon song. Chung khong
muon chet.

In the palace, the prince had many teach-
ers. He was a very good student. His father
wished that one day he would become a
great king.

16

Trong cung dien, Thai ti> da dipac hoc vol nhieu
thay giao. Ngai la mot hoc tro xuat chung. Cha
cua Ngai mong ring co ngay Ngai se tra thanh
vi vua vT dai.

The prince grew up to be a strong, handsome,
young man. He married a beautiful girl. They
lived happily together.

17

Thai ti> Ian len va tra thanh mot chang trai manh
khoe, khoi ngo, tuan tu. Ngai lap gia dlnh vol co
gai xinh dep. Ho song vai nhau rat hanh phuc.

One day, when the prince visited a village,
he saw four people: one sick, one old, one
dead and a holy man. The first three made
him very sad. The holy man made him think
about what it meant to be happy.

18

Mot ngay no, khi thai ti> di tham mot ngoi lang.
Ngai thay bon ngipai : Mot ngipai bj 6m, mot
ngipai gia, mot ngupai chet va mot vj tu si. Ba
ngipai dau tien khien cho ngai buon. Vi tu si lam
cho Ngai suy nghT ve each thipc de dat dupac
hanh phuc.

At the age of twenty-nine, the prince gave
up his palace life. He left his family to find a
way to make everyone happy.

19

Vao luc 29 tuoi, Thai ti> da ti> bo cuoc song
trong cung dien. Ngai rai gia dlnh de tlm con
duang lam cho moi ngipai hanh phuc.

For the next six years, he went from place
to place. He learnt from many wise teachers.
He had a lot of hardship, but he did not give
up. He kept looking for a way to get rid of
sadness in the world. He became wiser day
by day.

20

Trong 6 nam tiep theo, Ngai di ti> nai nay den
nai khac. Ngai hoc dao ti> nhieu vj thay thong
thai. Ngai trai qua nhieu gian kho, nhimg ngai
van khong ti> bo con dipang tu hanh cua mmh.
Ngai van mot mire tlm kiem con dipang de loai
bo sir buon phien trong the giai. Ti> ngay nay
qua ngay khac, Ngai tra nen thong thai.

At last, he sat under a huge Bodhi Tree. He
meditated over and over on these questions,
"Why do people suffer? How can I help them
to be happy? "

21

Cuoi cung, ngai ngoi dipai goc cay bo-de Ian. Ngai
ngoi thien ngay qua ngay, ty hoi mmh " tai sao
con ngucyi lai kho, co each nao ngai giup cho moi
ngipai dipac sung sipang khong ? "

At the age of thirty-five, he found a way for
people to end their pain and sadness. From
then on, he was called the Buddha.

22

Vao luc 35 tuoi, Ngai tlm ra con duang de moi
nguai cham dipt kho dau. Roi ti> do, Ngai dipac
goi la Dlpc Phat.

The Buddha first told his ideas to five monks,
"There are problems in all our lives. These
problems come from being selfish. If we get
rid of being selfish, we could be wise and
happy.' 1

23

Olpc Phat dau tien giang ve dao ly cho 5 de ti>
dau tien cua Ngai, " Co nhCpng van de trong
cuoc song cua tat ca chung ta. NhCpng van de
nay no xuat phat ti> su^ fch ky. Neu chung ta ti>
bo fch ky, chung ta se tra nen thong thai va
hanh phuc. "

For the next forty-five years, many people,
rich and poor, young and old, came to lis-
ten to the Buddha's teachings, "We should
always think about what we do. If we do good,
good things will happen to us. If we do bad,
bad things will happen to us."

24

Trong 45 nam tiep theo, nhieu ngipai giau va
ngheo, nguai gia va tre deu den de nghe Olpc
Phat giang day. " Tai sao chung ta phai luon
nghT ve cai chung ta lam, Neu chung ta lam dieu
tot, dieu tot se den vol chung ta, neu chung ta
lam deu xau, th] dieu xau se den vai chung ta ".

At the age of eighty, the Buddha passed away.

25

Vao luc 80 tuoi, Olpc Phat nhap Niet ban.

The Dharma

The main teachings of the Buddha are:

— Do NOT Do Bad

— Do Good

— Keep Your Mind Clean

Monks & nuns from Fa Yue Buddhist Monastery in Birmingham,
UK teaching Dharma to school children

Dharma is the teachings of the Buddha. It
teaches us how to live wisely and happily.
It tells us how to face and solve problems.
When we follow the Dharma, it brings much
happiness and peace.

27

PHAP

NhCmg lai day cua Olpc Phat bao gom :

— Khong lam dieu xau

— Nen lam dieu tot

— Gift cho tarn hon cao thipang

Hlnh ben : sip va slp ni a tu vien Fa-Yue,
Birmingham, Anh quoc dang giang Phap cho tre
em.

Phap la nhCpng bai giang cua Olpc Phat. Day cho
chung ta each song trf tue va hanh phuc. Phap
giup cho chung ta biet lam the nao de doi mat va
giai quyet cac van de trong cuoc song. Khi
chung ta lam theo Phap, Phap se giup chung ta
hanh phuc va thanh than.

Do NOT Do Bad

Killing animals and being cruel to them is
bad. Like us, animals do not want to get
hurt. We should not harm them; not even
just for fun.

28

KHONG LAM DIEU XAU

Giet hai sue vat va tho bao vol chung la dieu
xau. Giong nhu chung ta, sinh vat khong muon
bj ton thuemg. Chung ta khong nen lam hai
chung; tham chf chi vol muc dfch vui dua.

Do NOT Do Bad

1 1

Stealing is bad. People who have their money
or things stolen will be very sad. Those who
steal will be punished for it.

29

KHONG LAM DIEU XAU

An cip la dieu xau. NhCmg ngwai bj mat cip tien
va do vat se rat dau kho. V] vay nhCmg nguai an
cip se phai bj trimg trj.

Do NOT Do Bad

Telling lies is bad. Telling lies even for fun
may get people into trouble. We should
always tell the truth.

30

KHONG LAM DIEU XAU

Noi doi la dieu xau. Noi doi tham chf vai muc
dfch dua gian cung co the lam cho ngipai khac
gap ric roi. Chung ta phai luon luon noi that.

Do GOOD

We should respect our parents and teachers.
They are ready to help us and give us good
advice. They deserve our respect.

31

LAM DIEU TOT

Chung ta phai kfnh trong cha me va thay co
giao. NhCmg nguai da sin long giup da chung
ta va cho chung ta nhCmg lai khuyen tot. Ho
dang dwac chung ta kfnh trong.

Do GOOD

We should help one another. Everyone needs
help at times. Helping each other will make
everybody happy.

32

LAM DIEU TOT

Chung ta phai giup da ngipai khac. Moi nguai
can duac giup da dung luc. Giup da moi nguai
se lam cho ho hanh phuc.

Do GOOD

We should make friends with good people.
They will help us to become better people.
It is best to keep away from people who do
bad.

33

LAM DIEU TOT

Chung ta phai lam ban vol nhCmg nguoi tot. Ho
giup chung ta tro thanh nguoi tot. 06 la each tot
nhat de tranh xa nhCmg nguoi xau.

Keep Your Mind Clean

Selfish thoughts make your mind unclean.
When people are selfish, they only think
about themselves. No one likes selfish people.
We should not have selfish thoughts.

34

G\lf CHO TAM HON TRONG SANG

Ich ky trong suy nghT lam cho tarn hon ban
khong trong sang. Khi con nguai fch ky, ho chi
nghT den ban than ho. Khong mot ai thfch nguai
fch ky. Chung ta khong nen co suy nghT fch ky.

Keep Your Mind Clean

Don't be greedy as it makes your mind
unclean. When a greedy boy eats too much,
he gets ill and feels terrible. In the same
way, wanting too much of anything, such
as toys and games, is not good for us. We
should not have greedy thoughts.

35

G\lf CHO TAM HON TRONG SANG

DCmg tham lam v] no lam cho tarn hon ban tra
nen khong trong sang. Khi mot cau be tham lam
an qua nhieu thipc an, cau ta se cam thay kho
chju. Cung giong nhup vay, muon qua nhieu thip,
nhiF muon co qua nhieu do chai va chai qua
nhieu do chai se khong tot cho chung ta. Chung
ta khong nen co nghT tham lam.

Keep Your Mind Clean

Angry thoughts make your mind unclean.
When we lose our temper easily, we upset
other people. Then no one wants to be our
friend and we will be sad. So we should not
have angry thoughts.

36

G\lf CHO TAM HON TRONG SANG

Suy nghT gian dfr lam cho tarn hon ban khong
trong sang. Khi do chung ta de mat blnh tinh,
chung ta se cau kinh vai nguai khac. Trong khi
khong mot ai muon ban be chung ta va chung ta
se dau buon. V] vay chung ta khong nen co thai
do gian dw.

The Sangha

Monks & nuns from Amaravati Buddhist Monastery,
Hemel Hempstead, U.K.

The Sangha is a group of monks or nuns.
They practise the Dharma. They hope that
the Buddha's teachings can help to make
people become happier and wiser. They
want everyone to live a good and happy life.

37

TANG

Tang la ten goi chung cho cac tu si nam va tu si
nCp. Ho thyc hanh Oao Phat. Cac Tang hy vpng
lai day cua Olpc Phat co the giup cho con ngupai
tra nen hanh phuc va trf tue han. Cac Tang
muon moi ngupai song vai cuoc song hanh phuc
va an lanh.

Men can become monks. Monks usually get
up at 5 o'clock in the morning. They study
the Buddha's teachings after breakfast. Some-
times, they teach Dharma to people in the
afternoon. In the evening, they meditate. They
keep their minds clean and have kind hearts.

38

Dan ong co the tra thanh nhCmg vj tu si nam.
NhCmg tang thipang day luc 5 gia sang. Tang
hoc lai day cua Olpc Phat sau bOa an sang. Ooi
khi, Tang day Phap cho moi ngupai vao buoi
chieu. Trong buoi toi, Tang thien djnh. Tang giCp
tarn hon trong sang va co trai tim yeu thuang.

Women can become nuns. They also shave
their heads. They usually wear robes of
brown, yellow or grey. They live simple lives
and work hard for the happiness of people.
They are wise and cheerful, just like the
monks.

39

Phu nCp co the tra thanh cac tu si nu\ Ho cung
phai cao dau. Ho luon mac ao choang mau da,
vang hoac mau xam. Cac tu si nCp song cuoc
song dan gian va lam viec cham chi de mang lai
hanh phuc cho moi ngupai. Ho thong thai va vui
ve, giong nhu cac tu si nam.

[Daddy is doing meditation,,

it helps him to relax after

a hard day's work.

People who are not monks or nuns can also
study the Buddha's teachings. They are called
lay people. They respect the Buddha, the
Dharma and the Sangha. They are friendly
and peaceful to everybody.

40

Moi ngipai khong phai la tu si nam va tu si nCp
cung co the hoc lai day cua Olpc Phat. Ho dwac
goi la cac dao hOu. Ho ton tha Olpc Phat, Phap
va Tang. Ho vui ve va hoa dong vai moi ngupai.

you get angry with someone
upsets vou, then vou will
er even more yoursel

When lay people have problems, they go
to monks and nuns for advice. To thank
them for their good advice, lay people offer
monks and nuns food and clothing as a sign
of respect. They treat monks and nuns as
special people.

41

Khi cac dao hCm gap ric roi, ho tlm den cac tu si
nam va tu si nfr de xin lai khuyen. De cam an
ve nhCmg lai khuyen day, ho thipang cung
dipang cho tang thipc an va ao quan nhip la bieu
hien cua sir kfnh trong. Ho coi nhCmg vj tang
nhip nhCmg ngircyi dac biet.

The Triple Gem

The Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha are
called the Triple Gem. The Triple Gem is
very special to Buddhists. They pay respect to
the Buddha, learn the Dharma, and follow the
advice of the Sangha. By doing this, Buddhists
believe they can become wise and happy.

42

TAM BAO

Phat, Phap va Tang duac goi la Tam Bao ( Ba
ngoi bau ) . Tam bao la vat quy gia cua dao
Phat. Chung ta phai nguang mo va kfnh trong
Dlpc Phat, hoc Phap va lam theo lai day cua
tang. Bai v] lam nhiF vay, ho co the thong thai va
hanh phuc.

The Buddha is the first gem for Buddhists.

- He is the founder of Buddhism.

- He found the Truth.

- He is the most honoured person in Buddhism.

- He represents wisdom.

- He taught us how to find happiness
through wisdom and love.

43

Dlpc Phat la ngoi bau thip nhat cua dao Phat

- Ngai la ngipai sang lap ra dao Phat.

- Ngai la ngipai tlm ra chan ly

- Ngai la ngipai dwac ton kfnh nhat trong dao
Phat.

- Ngai la nguai the hien slf thong thai.

- Ngai day cho chung ta lam the nao de hanh
phuc thong qua trf tue va tlnh thipcmg.

Sutras

The Dharma is the second gem for Buddhists.

- It is the teachings of the Buddha.

- It shows the Truth.

- It helps us to gain happiness.

44

Phap la ngoi bau thip hai cua dipc Phat

- Phap la lai day cua Olpc Phat

- Phap chi ra chan ly.

- Phao giup cho con ngupai dat dipac hanh
phuc.

.

■...

The Sangha is the third gem for Buddhists.

- It is a group of monks or nuns.

- It represents purity.

- It sets a good example for Buddhists to follow.

45

Tang la ngoi bau thip ba cua dao

- Tang bao gom cac tu si nam va tu si nCp

- Tang dai dien cho sir dipc hanh.

- Tang la tarn guang sang ve Olpc Phat.

Buddhist Stories

Some of the Buddha's teachings are very
deep and difficult to understand. So when
the Buddha was alive, he often used stories
to help people to understand his teachings.
The following ten stories will help you under-
stand better his teachings in this book.

47

NHUNG CAU CHUYEN PHAT GIAO

■ ■

Lai day cua Olpc Phat rat y nghTa nhumg kho
hieu. V] vay khi Olpc Phat tai the, Ngai thupang
dung nhOng mau chuyen de giup ngupai hieu
hem ve lai day cua Ngai. Mipai mau chuyen sau
day se giup chung ta hieu hem ve lai day cua
Ngai trong tap sach nay.

Wild Deer Park

No killing

Oh,, No! I've been hit!
I musr ^et back to see my baby.

A long ^ \| time ago, there was a beauti-
ful forest. \ I Many deer lived there. One
day, a king VI took his men there to hunt.
The king ^ shot an arrow and hit a
mother deer. She ran away in pain. Later
the king found her hiding in some bushes
with her baby deer. Even though she was
bleeding and had tears in her eyes, she still
fed her baby with milk. She soon died.

The king felt very sorry. He picked up
the baby deer and said to it, "I will now care
for you." He then broke his bow in two. He
said, "III never hunt again"

To remember that day, he named the
forest Wild Deer Park.

Like people, animals also have feel-
ings. We should not kill them for
fun or sport. It is unkind and selfish.

48

Nhung con hincu hoang dai trong cong vien

Lai day : Chung ta khong sat sinh

Thai xua, co mot khu rCmg dep. Nhieu con
huau den sinh song tai day. Mot ngay kia, Nha
vua dan theo nhCmg nguai hau den do de san
thu rCmg. Nha vua bin cung ten va trung phai
mot con hipau me. Hipau me bo chay trong dau
dan. Sau do, Nha vua, tlm thay hipau me In
nap trong bui cay vai hipau con ben canh. Cho
du, hipau me bi chay mau va nupac mit dam dla,
nhupng hu^au me van cho hipau con bu. Khong
bao lau, hipau me chet.

Nha vua cam thay hoi han, Nha vua be hu^au
con len va noi vai no " Ta se cham soc cho
ngupai". Ngay sau do, Nha vua be gay cung ten
lam doi. Nha vua noi " ta se khong bao gia lam
bi thipang ai Ian nCpa".

Oe nha den ngay do, Nha vua dat ten cho khu
rCmg la Cong vien cua nhCmg con hipau hoang
dai.

Lai day : Gidng nhip loai ngwai, con vat
cung cam thly scy hai. Chung ta khong nen
gilt hai con vat. D'iku do khong tdt va that ich

ky-

How could I have
been so cruel?

49

The Moon is Looking at You

No stealing

Once there was a very poor family. They
often went to their neighbour's garden to
steal some vegetables.

One night, the father took along his little
son into their neighbour's garden to steal
some carrots. While the father was pulling
out some carrots, his little boy stood beside
him. Suddenly, his son whispered, "Daddy,
someone is looking at us"

The father became afraid. He quickly
looked around but he could not see anyone.
"Where? Who?" he asked.

The son pointed at the sky, "There, Daddy.
It's the moon. The moon is looking at us."

The father was shocked by what his son
said. He thought that nobody could see what
he was doing at night. His son's words made
him feel ashamed.

He threw the carrots down and took his
son by the hand. They both walked back
home in the moonlight. After that he never
stole anything again.

If we steal, people will know.

50

Mat trang dang nhin chung ta

Chung ta khong dugc an cap

Ngay kia, co mot gia dinh rat ngheo. Ho thuang di
den vuan nha hang xom de an trom hoa qua,

Mot dem no, nguai cha dan theo 6(va con trai nho di
vao vuan nha hang xom de an trom it ca rot. Trong
khi nguai cha dang nho vai cu ca rot, cau con trai
dimg ben canh ong ay. Dot nhien, nguai con trai thi
tham, " Cha ai, co ai dang nhin chung ta". Nguai cha
tra nen sg hai. Ong ay nhin quanh nhimg khong thay
ai. " O dau, Ai da nhin vay ?" Ong ay hoi nguai con.

Nguai con trai chi vao bau trai," 06, Thu^a cha, mat
trang da nhin thay chung ta."

Nguai cha da simg sot khi nghe con minh noi. Ong
ay da nghT khong mot nguai nao co the nhin thay
nhCmg gi ong da lam toi nay. NhCmg lai noi cua nguai
con trai lam ong xau ho.

Ong ay nem nhCmg cu ca rot xuong dat va nam tay
nguai con trai. Ca hai tra ve nha trong anh trang
dem. Sau do, ong ta khong bao gia an cap vat gi
nCna.

N§u chung ta an dip, mpi nginyi se biit.

51

The Buddha and Rahula
No lying

Rahula, the only son of the Buddha, became
a monk. He was the youngest in the Sangha.
All the monks loved and spoiled him. Rahula
did whatever he liked. Sometimes he told
lies just for the fun of it.

One day, the Buddha said to Rahula,

"Please bring me a basin of water. I want to

wash my feet" He washed his feet in the

basin of water and asked Rahula, "Would

you drink this water?"

52

Dlfc Phat va Rahula

■

Khong noi doi

Rahula la nguai con trai duy nhat cua Olpc Phat,
da tra thanh tu si. Rahula la ngucyi nho tuoi nhat
trong cac Tang. Tat ca cac tang deu yeu thu^ang
va da chlu chuong Rahula qua doi. Rahula lam
bat clp dieu g] ma Rahula thfch. Doi khi, Rahula
noi doi de dua cat ai do.

Mot ngay kia, Olpc Phat noi vol Rahula, " Hay
mang cho ngai mot chau nLPac. Ngai muon ri>a
sach doi chan cua ngai." Ngai da ri>a doi chan
cua ngai trong chau nLPac va hoi Radula, " Lieu
con co muon uong hit nLPac nay?".

"No, it's dirty !" Rahula replied.

Then the Buddha asked Rahula to throw
the water away.

The Buddha told Rahula, "When water
gets dirty, no one wants it. It is the same for
those who tell lies, no one cares for them
anymore."

Tears of shame come to Rahula's eyes.
He never told another lie.

We should always tell the truth.

53

"Khong, nipac nay da bj da bin!" Rahula tra lai.

Olpc Phat yeu clu Rahula bimg chau nipac dem
do.

Olpc Phat noi vai Rahula," Khi nu^ac da bj da
bin, khong mot ngipai nao muon dung no. No
giong nhip nhCmg cau chuyen ma ngipai ta da
bja dat, khong mot ngipai nao quan tarn den
chung nOa."

NhCmg giot nipac mit xlu ho da chay tren ma
cua Rahula. Tip do, Rahula khong bao gia noi
doi dieu gl.

Chung ta phai ludn ludn noi that

The Young Deer that Played Dead
Respecting Teachers

A wise deer taught all the young deer how to
escape from the hunters. One of them was a
very good pupil. He was never bad in class. He
also thanked the teacher after every lesson.

One day, this young deer was caught in
a trap. The others ran away in fright. They
ran to tell his mother. She cried when she
heard about this.

The teacher comforted her, "Dorit worry.
Your son is such a good pupil, he will come
back safely."

54

Hlpcu con thoat chet

Phai kfnh trong thay, co giao

Mot con hipau thong thai da day cho tat ca
nhCmg con huau con lam the nao de tron thoat
khoi nhCmg ke di san thu. Mot huau con trong
nhom hoc rat ngoan va gioi. Hipau con khong
bao gia lam dieu xau trong lap. Hipau con luon
cam an thay giao cua mlnh sau moi gia hoc.

Ngay kia, hipau con nay da bi sap bay cua
nhCpng ke san thu ri>ng. NhCpng con hipau khac
chay tan loa trong hoang sa. Chung chay ve
bao cho me cua huau con biet tin. Huau me
khoc khi nghe tin ve hipau con cua mmh bi sap
bay.

Thay giao tran an hu^au me, " Xin di>ng lo ling,
Hipau con la mot dipa hoc rat gioi, Hipau con se
biet each tra ve an toan."

As he was caught in the trap, the young
deer remembered what the teacher had
taught him. He pretended to be dead by
sticking out his tongue and lying still. This
made the hunter believe that the deer was
really dead. When the hunter was preparing
to cook the deer, it jumped up and ran away
like the wind. His friends were so happy to
see him back. They thanked the wise teacher
for teaching him so well.

Being a good pupil brings great

rewards.

I must run quickly!
\\v teacher's

trick worked!

55

Luc hipau con bj sap bay, hipau con da nha den
lai thay giao day. Hipau con gia va chet bing
each ngimg tha, va nim yen bat dong. Nguai di
san thay vay, tipang hipau da chet that. Khi
ngipai di san chuan bj lam thjt hipau, Hipau non
nhay len va bo chay nhanh nhip gio. Ban be cua
hipau con rat vui khi gap lai hipau con. Ho cam
an ngipai thay thong thai da day cho ho nhCmg
bai hoc co (ch.

C6 gang hoc gioi de nhan phln thinyng.

The Buddha Threading the Needle
Helping each other

Anuruddha was a very good pupil, but he
was blind. He did not feel sorry for himself
because he was blind and kept up with his
practice.

One day, he felt a hole in his robe. He
tried to mend it, but found it very difficult.
He could not even thread the needle. The
Buddha came to his room to thread the
needle for him. "Who is threading the needle
for me? " Anuruddha asked.

"It is the Buddha" the Buddha replied
while he was mending the robe. Anuruddha
felt really happy and was moved to tears.
Always help those who need it.

56

Dlfc Phat xau kim

■

Giup da ngiFai khac

Anuruddha la mot ngiFai tu hanh rat gioi, nhiFng
bj mu hai mit. Anuruddha khong cam thay mac
cam ve ban than mmh v] mac du bj mu nhiFng
van tup mmh sinh hoat hang ngay.

Mot ngay kia, Anuruddha cam thay ao choang bj
rach. Anuruddha co ging va lai cho rach ay,
nhupng rat kho khan. Anuruddha tham chf khong
the xau chi qua cay kim. Dlfc Phat den phong va
xau kim giup cho Anuruddha. Anuruddha hoi " Ai
da xau kim cho toi vay?"

"Dlfc Phat da xau kim giup con." Dlfc Phat dap
trong khi Anuruddha dang va lai cai ao choang.
Anuruddha cam thay hanh phuc va xuc dong rai
niFac mit.

Luon giup do? nhung diiu ma ngipai khac cln

57

The Crippled Man & the Blind Man
Helping each other

_ >_

A crippled man and a blind man were left
alone in a house. A fire broke out. Both were
very scared. The blind man could not see the
way out. The crippled man could not walk
to it.

58

Mot nginyi dan ong bj que chan
va mot nginyi dan ong bj mu

Chung ta hay giup da nguai khac.

Mot ngipai dan ong que chan va mot ngipai dan
ong mu hai mit bj bo rai trong mot ngoi nha.
Chang may ngoi nha bj hoa hoan. Ca hai deu
hoang sa. Ngupai bj mu khong the thay dipang
de di. Ngupai bj que khong the ty di ra khoi can
nha.

To the kft> more to

the right/ straight ahead.

That's it/ we're out!

^?

43

They decided to help each other. The blind
man carried the crippled man on his back.
The crippled man told the blind man where
to go. Together, they got out of the burning
house.
If we help each other, we will all win.

59

Ho quyet djnh giup da Ian nhau. Nguai mu cong
nguai que tren lung. Ngipai que chi cho nguai
mu dipang di. Cung vol nhau, ho thoat ra khoi
can nha bj boc chay.

Niu chung ta giup do> lln nhau chung ta se
cung nhau chiln thing.

The Fishmonger's
Making good friends

The Buddha and Ananda were begging in a
city. They passed a fishmonger's. The Buddha
said, "Ananda, touch the rope where the fish
are hanging and smell your fingers"

Ananda did this and said, "It smells
awfull"

60

CCpa hang ban ca

Cac con phai lam ban vol nguai tot.

Olpc Phat va Ananda dang di khat thyc trong
mot thanh pho. Ho di qua mot ci>a hang ban ca.
Olpc Phat noi," Ananda, hay dung tay sa vao
cuon day dang xau ca kia roi ngi>i tay con xem
sao."

Ananda lam theo va noi, " Mui cua no that la
kinh tarn!"

The Buddha said, "This is the same with
making friends, if you mix with bad people,
you will become bad. This is like the smell
from the rope in the fishmonger's"

Next, they passed a spice shop. The
Buddha said, "Ananda, touch the spice
wrapper and then smell your fingers"

Ananda did this and said, "My fingers
smell very nice."

The Buddha said, "This is the same with
making friends. If you mix with good people,
you will be a good person. This is like the nice
smell you got from the spice wrappers."

If you mix with good and honest

people, you will be a good person.
If you mix with lazy and bad

people, you will be a bad person.

61

Olpc Phat noi," Oieu nay giong nhup ket ban, neu
con lam ban vol nguai xau, con se tra nen xau
xa. No giong nhup mui hoi cua sol day thCmg
trong ci>a hang ca.

Tiep den, Olpc Phat va Ananda di qua mot tiem
ban gia vi. Olpc Phat noi, "Ananda, dLPa tay sa
vao nhCpng goi gia vi roi ngi>i tay con xem."

Ananda lam theo va noi," Tay cua con rat thorn,"

Olpc Phat noi," Oieu nay giong nhLP con ket ban.
Neu con lam ban vol nhCpng ngLPai tot, con se
tra thanh ngLPai tot. No giong nhLP mui tham tren
tay con khi tiep xuc tCp nhCpng goi gia vi vay."

N§u chung ta kit ban tdt va chan thanh,
chung ta se tra thanh ngu'd'i tdt.

WW WW

Neu chung ta ket ban v&\ ngu'd'i lipdi bieng va xau
tfnh, chung ta se trd thanh ngu'd'i xlu.

The Fox and the Otters

Do not be selfish

A fox's wife wanted to eat some fresh fish.
The fox tried to find some for her near the
river. He saw two otters at the river dragging
along a big fish. Both wanted the best parts
of the fish. The fox watched them for a short
time. Then he went up to ask if he could
divide the fish for them. The otters were
delighted.

62

Con Cao va hai con rai ca

Cac con khong dipac fch ky

Va cua cao muon an mot ft ca turn Cao co tlm
ca tuai cho va tren khuc song gan do. Cao nhln
thay hai con rai ca dang gianh nhau mot con ca
to tai ba song. Ca hai ai cung muon mmh dupac
huang phan ca tot nhat. Cao quan sat hai con
rai ca dang gianh nhau mot luc. Roi cao di den
va hoi lieu cao co the giup chung chia ca dupac
khong. Hai con rai ca vui ve nhan lai.

The fox divided the fish into three pieces. He
gave the head to one otter and the tail to the
other. While the otters were thinking how
the fox would divide the best part of the fish,
the fox ran away with it. The otters had only
themselves to blame for being so selfish.
Do not be selfish, share with others.

63

Cao chia ca lam ba phan. Cao dua phan dau
cho con rai ca nay, con khuc duoi dua cho con
rai ca kia. Trong khi hai con rai ca dang suy
nghT, cao se chia phan ca ngon nhat nhip the
nao, cao da bo chay vai phan ca ngon nhat tren
tay. Ca hai con rai ca chi biet trach mlnh v] da
qua tra nen fch ky.

Khong dtno'c ich ky, hay chia phln cho
nhCnig ngwai khac.

The Snake's Head and Tail

Do not Sight with each other

The snake's tail had a fight with its head. The
tail said, "You have led me for so long. Now
it's time for me to lead you. 11

The head said, "I should be the leader.
I have eyes and a mouth. 11

The tail said, "You need me to move.
Without me, you can't go anywhere. 11

Then the tail grabbed a tree branch and
would not let go. The snake's head gave up
and let the tail be the leader. The head did
not want to help the tail. The tail could not
see where it was going. Then, it fell into a
fire pit. The snake was burnt to death.
It hurts both sides when you quarrel.

64

Dau va dudi ran

Cac con khong dipac danh nhau

Dudi rin da danh nhau vol dau rin. Duoi rin
noi, " Nguai da dan ta di qua lau roi. bay gia
den lupp't ta se dan nguai di."

Dau rin noi," Ta la chi huy, ta co mit va co
mieng."

Duoi ring dap lai," Ngu^ai can ta de bo, neu
khong co ta, ngipai khong the di den bat k] nai
dau."

Khong may duoi rin bi mic ket trong canh cay
va khong the thoat ra dupac. Dau rin ti> choi
giup da va de cho duoi rin chi huy. Dau rin
khong muon giup da duoi rin. Duoi rin khong
the nhln thiy dipang de di. Roi rin rai vao dam
li>a. Rin bi chay den chet.

Se lam ton thtFcng ca hai niu chung ta tranh cai
nhau.

Watch out!
There's a fire pit.

65

The Cleaning Woman
Clean mind

A woman worked very hard cleaning the
streets. As her clothes were dirty and smelly,
all the people ran away from her when they
saw her. When the Buddha talked to her
nicely, the people were surprised.

^ -, r^

66

Nginyi dan ba don ve sinh

Cac con phai co tarn hon trong sang

Mot ngucyi dan ba lam cong viec don ve sinh
duang pho rat nang nhoc. V] vay ao quan cua
ba rat da bin va hoi ham, tat ca moi ngupai deu
xa lanh neu trong thay ba. Khi thay Olpc Phat noi
chuyen vai ba rat vui ve, moi ngupai rat doi ngac
nhien.

They asked the Buddha, "You always ask us
to be clean. Why are you talking to this smelly
woman? "

The Buddha replied, 'Although this
woman is smelly, her mind is clean. She is
polite and she works hard for others. Some
people look clean and tidy, but their minds
are full of bad thoughts*."

Having a clean mind is more impor-
tant than wearing clean clothes.

67

Ho hoi Olpc Phat, "Ngai luon yeu cau chung con
phai sach se. Tai sao Ngai lai chuyen tro vol
ngiKyi dan ba hoi ham nhu vay?"

Olpc Phat tra lai, "Cho du ngupai dan ba do hoi
ham, nhupng tarn hon cua ba ta rat trong sang.
Ba ta le phep va lam viec rat vat va de quet don
sach se con dupang cho ngum Mot vai ngwai
trong rat sach se va tipam tat nhupng tarn hon ho
chipa day y nghT xau xa!"

Co mot tarn hdn trong sang la quan trong
hon nhiiu so vai mac ao quln sach dep.

May the Merit and virtue,

accrued from this work,

adorn the Buddha's pureland,

repay the four great kindnesses above,

and relieve the suffering of those on the three

paths below,

may those who see or hear of these efforts

generates Bodhi Mind,

spend their lives devoted to the Buddha

Dharma, the Land of Ultimate Bliss

Nguyen dem cong dipc nay,
trang nghiem Phat Tinh Do,
tren den bon an nang,
du^ai giup ba dipang kho,
moi ngwai thay nghe dipac,
deu phat long Bo Oe,
het mot bao than nay,
sinh qua coi Cu^c Lac.

Minh-Khong

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