Buddha Threading the Needle

佛陀穿針

Do not under-estimate the merit of good deeds, no matter how insignificant they seem. Little drops of water can make a mighty ocean.
莫輕少善，以莫輕少善，以為無福；水滴雖微，漸盈大器

Anuruddha was a dedicated monk. He devoted himself to chanting the scriptures, often staying up all night. Because of overwork, he became blind. Although he was sad, he did not lose hope but instead studied more diligently. One day, his clothes had a hole in them, so he mended them himself. Later, the thread came off and he could not see, so he was in great distress. Knowing the difficulty of Anuruddha, the Buddha came to his room and took the thread and threaded the needle for him.
阿那律是一位精進的修道者。他專心誦讀經文，時常通宵不睡覺。因為過度疲勞，所以眼睛瞎了。他雖然傷心，卻不頹喪，反而更勤奮學習。有一天，他的衣服穿了一個洞，便自己動手縫補。後來線脫了，他又看不見，十分狼狽。佛陀知道阿那律的困難，便來到他的房中，替他取線穿針。

"Who threaded the needle for me?" Anuruddha asked.
“是誰替我穿針呢？”阿那律問。

"It was the Buddha who threaded the needle for you." The Buddha answered while mending the torn hole. Anuruddha was touched that he shed tears.
“是佛陀為你穿針。”佛陀一面回答，一面為他縫補破洞。阿那律感動得流下淚來。

"It is our duty to have compassion for others and to help others."
“同情別人，幫助別人，是我們應有的責任。”

The Buddha set a good example for everyone. Knowing this, the disciples were very touched and all encouraged each other to help each other and serve the public.
佛陀教訓大家說。佛陀以身作則，給大家一個好榜樣。弟子們知道了，十分感動，都互相勉勵，互相幫助，為大眾服務。