提 要
宿命論者認為命運「註定」不可以改寫，但也有人相信，命運雖由天（或神）註定，但可預測、也可以不同方式改變命運。
不論是否相信命運註定，也姑且不論因果報應，行善絕對是正確的，累積福德未必讓自己受益（也不該有這種要求回報的想法）。但形成善的循環，讓一己之力造福眾人，感覺無比美好。
There once lived a merchant in a village in Orissa. One morning, he was taking a stroll by the seaside. Some distance away, he saw a man squatting on the beach and filling a cup with sand. "What is he doing?" the merchant wondered.
He walked towards the man and watched him. The man filled the cup, turned around and emptied the contents on a large heap of sand behind him. Then he again turned towards the sea and began filling the cup with sand.
This went on for a while. As the merchant watched, the man continued to fill the cup with sand and empty it behind him.
Finally, curious and puzzled the merchant went up to the man and asked, “Who are you, oh good man?” “And what are you doing?”
The man continued to fill the cup and replied, “I am Bidhata, I am fate! I am measuring out the food each man is to receive today.”
The merchant was even more curious now, “Can you really do that?” he asked. “Yes!” Bidhata nodded. If i miss out on even a single person, he or she will have to go hungry today!”
“Do you mean to say that if you don’t keep aside my measure of food for today, I will have to go hungry?” the merchant asked, mockingly. “That’s right!” said Bidhata. “Then, I challenge you to withhold my afternoon meal for today!” said the merchant. “As you wish!” said Bidhata, smiling.
The merchant then went to the market, brought a squash and took it home. “Cook this for lunch,” he said to his wife. “Hah! That Bidhata! Let me see how he withholds my afternoon meal from me.” And so thinking, the merchant left for his workplace.
By noon, he was backing home and sat down to eat. As soon as his wife served the squash, the merchant thought, “I challenged Bidhata to withhold my lunch, but he couldn’t succeed! Poor Bidhata.....” And he began to laugh, “Hahahahaha!”
At the very moment, the merchant’s wife thought that he was laughing at the way the food had been prepared. She was upset and she starting shouting at the merchant. They had a quarrel and finally, the merchant got up and stormed out of the house. It was only when he calmed down that he realized how Bidhata had succeeded in making him forego his lunch.
解 說
在印度東部奧里薩邦的一個村莊裡住著一個商人。一天早上，他到海邊散步，走了一段路之後，他看見一個男人蹲坐在沙灘上，用杯子裝沙、填滿一杯又倒掉。「他在做什麼呢？」商人不禁好奇。
他走向那個男人、觀察他。那人裝滿了杯子、轉過身，把杯裡的沙倒在他身後高高的一大堆沙上，然後他面向大海，再開始把沙子裝滿杯子。
這繼續了一段時間。商人看著那男人，繼續用沙子填滿杯子、把它倒在身後。
終於，好奇又困惑的商人走向那個男人，問：「你是誰啊，好人，」「你在幹什麼？」
那人繼續填滿杯子、手沒停地回答他：「我是比哈塔，我是命運！我正在計算今天每個人將得到的食物。」
商人更好奇了，「你真的可以這麼做嗎？」他問。「是！」比哈塔點點頭：「如果我少算了一個人，他或她今天就必須餓肚子！」
「你的意思是說，如果你今天不計算我食物的量，我就會餓著嗎？」商人語帶嘲弄地問，「對啊！」比哈塔說。「那麼，我挑戰你，今天別給我午飯吃！」商人說。「如你所願！」比哈塔笑著說。
然後商人到市場買了一個南瓜帶回家。「用這個當午飯。」他對妻子說。「哈哈！比哈塔！讓我看看他如何不給我午飯吃。」想著想著，商人離開家，到工作的場所去了。
到了中午，商人回到家，坐下等飯吃。當妻子端出南瓜料理時，商人就想，「我挑戰比哈塔 不給我午飯，但他沒有成功！可憐的比哈塔……」他開始得意地笑，「哈哈哈哈哈！」
在那一瞬間，商人的妻子認為他在嘲笑她料理食物的方式。她非常不開心，於是開始對商人大聲咆哮。他們激烈地爭吵，最後，商人起來，一陣風似的衝出房子。當他冷靜下來時才意識到，比哈塔成功地讓他放棄了自己的午餐。
WOW! 原來如此
Squatting
「Squatting」是「蹲坐、擅自占用」，例如：
Squatting down, the two students started to have a chat.（兩個學生蹲下，接著就聊起來了。）
Groups of gleaners had squatted in the sun on every square.（在每處都有一群一群拾穗的人，在太陽下蹲著。）
You can’t wander around squatting on other people’s property.（你不能這樣到處亂闖，擅自占用別人的財產。）
mockingly
「mock」是（為取笑而）模仿，「mockingly」是「嘲笑、奚落」，例如：
Those housewives would mock him to their husbands.（那些家庭主婦會在丈夫面前奚落他。）
Those who mock history will be mocked by history.（凡嘲弄歷史的人，終將被歷史所嘲弄。）
“Isn’t that sweet?” The rich peasants answered mockingly.（『真是甜蜜啊！』富農語帶譏笑地回答。）
withhold
「withhold」是「抑制、阻擋，或隱瞞、保留」，例如：
It’s never wise to withhold evidence.（藏匿證據是不智之舉。）
You are no friend if you withhold from me the truth.（如果你不告訴我真相，你就不夠朋友。）
Most antelopes can withhold their young for weeks, even months.（多數羚羊能夠把分娩期延後幾周、甚至幾個月。）