原文 Original text
繁體 Traditional
Reader's edition
爭功之詰 The Question of Credit
國王道：「你才說龍王不在家，不曾有雨；他走上去，以靜功祈禱，就雨下來，怎麼又與他爭功，何也？」国王道：「你才说龙王不在家，不曾有雨；他走上去，以静功祈祷，就雨下来，怎么又与他争功，何也？」
逐句解 Line by line
國王道：「你才說龍王不在家，不曾有雨；
国王道：「你才说龙王不在家，不曾有雨；
The king said, “You said just now that the Dragon Kings were not at home and there was no rain;
不在家: 不 = bú before 在 (4th tone). 不曾有雨: 不 = bù before 曾 (2nd tone).
他走上去，以靜功祈禱，就雨下來，怎麼又與他爭功，何也？」
他走上去，以静功祈祷，就雨下来，怎么又与他争功，何也？」
he went up, prayed by the practice of stillness, and the rain came down at once — how is it you again vie with him for the credit? Why is that?”
以靜功祈禱 “by the discipline of stillness.” 爭功 “to contend for the merit.”
The king puts the obvious objection: the immortals declared the gods absent, the monk prayed and it rained — on what ground do they now claim the credit? His even-handed question keeps the contest honest for a moment longer, and forces Tiger-Power into the elaborate rationalization of the next passage.