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| Contents Preface 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 |
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Hundred Parables Sutra 百喻經
1 - 10
(一)愚人食鹽喻
Parable 1. The Stupid Man and The Salt
昔有愚人至於他家，主人與食，嫌淡無味。主人聞已更為益鹽。既得鹽美，便自念言：「所以美者，緣有鹽故，少有尚爾，況復多也？」
愚人無智，便空食鹽，食已口爽，返為其患。譬彼外道聞節飲食可以得道，即便斷食，或經七日，或十五日，徒自困餓，無益於道，如彼愚人，以鹽美故而空食之，
致令口爽，此亦復爾。Once there was a stupid man who paid a visit to a friend. When the host gave him something to eat, he complained that the food was tasteless, so the host added a bit of salt. The stupid man tried the food again and found it much improved. He thought, “If a little salt improves it this much, then more salt would make it even better.”
Then he ate only salt and his mouth became raw and he became sick.
This is like those non-buddhists who, upon hearing that fasting can enable one to attain the Way, fast for seven or fifteen days; they end up hungry and distressed while attaining nothing beneficial to the Way. They are just like the stupid person, who ate the plain salt, thinking that if salt enhanced foods’ flavors so much, eating plain salt would be even more delicious. His mouth ended up raw. This is just like that.
(二)愚人集牛乳喻
Parable 2. The Stupid Man Tries To Store Up Milk
昔有愚人，將會賓客，欲集牛乳，以擬供設，而作是念：
我今若豫於日日中 取牛乳，牛乳漸多，卒無安處；或復酢敗，不如即就牛腹盛之，待臨會時當頓取。作是念已，便捉牸牛母子，各繫異處。却後一月，爾乃設會，迎置賓客；方牽牛來欲取乳，而此牛乳即乾無有。時為眾賓，或瞋或笑。
愚人亦爾，欲修布施，方言：
「待我大有之時，然後頓施。」未及聚頃，或為縣官、水、火、盜賊之所侵奪，或卒命終，不及時施。彼亦如是。
Once there was a stupid man who was going to have some guests and decided to store up some milk for them. He thought, “If I milk the cow every day beforehand, there will be too much milk and not enough space to store it. It will probably spoil. It would be better to leave it in the cow. I’ll milk the cow right before the guests arrive.”
Then he separated the cow from its calf and tied them up. A month later, when he actually had the gathering, he tried to milk the cow, but found that the milk had run dry. Some guests scoffed at him and others laughed.This is like stupid people who want to give alms all at once and say that they will wait until they possess great wealth. Usually, before they can accumulate enough money, it is seized by the government, lost in a fire or flood, or taken by robbers. Or else they may even die before they get around to giving. They are just like that stupid man who tried to store up milk.
(三)以梨打頭破喻
Parable 3. The Pears and The Broken Head
昔有愚人，頭上無毛。時有一人，以梨打頭，乃至二、三，悉皆傷破。
時此愚人，默然忍受，不知避去。
傍人見已，而語之言：「何不避去？乃往受打，致使頭破。」
愚人答言：「如彼人者，憍慢恃力，癡無智慧。見我頭上，無有髮毛，謂為是石，以梨打我，頭破乃爾。」
傍人語言：「汝自愚癡，云何名彼以為癡也？汝若不癡，為他所打，乃至頭破，不知逃避。」
比丘亦爾，不能具修信、戒、聞、慧，但整威儀，以招利養，如彼愚人，被他打頭，不知避去，乃至傷破，反謂他癡。此比丘者，亦復如是。
Once there was a bald-headed, stupid man. When someone threw pears at his head causing injuries to him, he stupidly remained silent and did not dodge them. Seeing this, bystanders said, “Why didn’t you get out of the way? Why did you not save yourself from getting hurt?”
The stupid man replied, “That person was just showing off his strength, but he was stupid and had no wisdom. He thought my bald head was a rock!”
The bystanders said, “You are the stupid one! How could you call him stupid? If you were not stupid, then why did you let him injure you? Why did you not get out of the way?”
This is like a bhikshu who, unable to cultivate faith, precepts, learning, or wisdom, merely maintains an awesome appearance to attract support and offerings. Such a bhikshu is like that stupid man who received blows to his head without running away, and then called the attacker stupid.
(四)婦詐稱死喻
Parable 4. The Wife Plays Dead
昔有愚人，其婦端正，情甚愛重。婦無直信，後於中間，共他交往；邪婬心盛，欲逐傍夫，捨離己婿，於是密語一老母言：
「我去之後，汝可齎jī一死婦女屍，安著屋中，語我夫言，云我已死。」
老母於後伺其夫主不在之時，以一死屍置其家中。
及其夫還，老母語言：「汝婦已死。」夫即往視，信是己婦，哀哭懊惱。
大𧂐薪油燒取其骨。以囊盛之，晝夜懷挾。
婦於後時，心厭傍夫，便還歸家，語其夫言：「我是汝妻！」
夫答之言：「我婦久死，汝是阿誰？妄言我婦。」
乃至二三猶故不信，如彼外道，聞他邪說，心生惑著，謂為真實，永不可改；
雖聞正教，不信受持。Once upon a time, there was a stupid man who was very much in love with his beautiful wife. However, his wife was unfaithful to him and had an affair with another man. Burning with deviant passion, she sought to leave her husband and be with her lover. She secretly instructed an old woman, saying, “After I leave, put a dead woman’s corpse in my room and tell my husband I am dead.”
The old woman waited until the husband was not at home and then placed a woman’s corpse inside the house. When he returned, she told him his wife was dead.
The husband saw the corpse and believed it to be his wife. He grieved, wept and prepared much firewood and oil for the cremation. He gathered the remains in a bag and carried them with him day and night.
Later, the wife grew tired of her lover and returned home, saying to her husband, “I am your wife.”
The husband replied, “My wife died long ago. Why do you falsely claim to be my wife?” He refused to believe her even after her repeated explanations.
This is like those of non-buddhist paths who learn deviant teachings and whose minds give rise to delusion and attachment. They claim that the teachings are true and they refuse to change. Afterwards even when they hear the orthodox teaching, they do not believe, accept, or uphold it.
(五)渴見水喻
Parable 5. Seeing Water and Getting Thirsty
過去有人，癡無智慧，極渴須水，見熱時焰，謂為是水，即便逐走，至辛頭河。
既至河所，對視不飲。
傍人語言：「汝患渴逐水，今至水所，何故不飲？」
愚人答言：「君可飲盡，我當飲之。此水極多，俱不可盡，是故不飲。」
爾時眾人，聞其此語，皆大嗤笑。譬如外道，僻取其理，以己不能具持佛戒，
遂便不受，致使將來，無得道分，流轉生死；若彼愚人，見水不飲，為時所笑，
亦復如是。Long ago there was a stupid, unwise man who was extremely thirsty and in need of water. Seeing a mirage, he mistook it for water and ran after it until he reached the Indus River. When he arrived at the river, he just stood there and stared at it, without drinking.
Bystanders asked, “You were so thirsty and desperate for water. Now you have found water, why don’t you drink it?”
The stupid man replied, “If I could drink it all, I would drink it. But there is so much of it I could never drink it all. Therefore, I’m not going to drink any of it.”
Hearing this, the crowd laughed loudly. This is like those non-buddhists who stubbornly hold to their views: incapable of upholding the Buddha’s precepts, thus they refused to receive any of them. Because of this, they have no share in future enlightenment, but turn and flow in birth and death. They are like the man who was being laughed at because he saw the water but refused to drink.
(六)子死欲停置家中喻
Parable 6. The Dead Son Remains in the House
昔有愚人，養育七子，一子先死。時此愚人見子既死，便欲停置於其家中。自欲棄去。
傍人見已，而語之言：「生死道異，當速莊嚴，致於遠處，而殯葬之。云何得留，自欲棄去？」
爾時愚人，聞此語已，即自思念：若不得留，要當葬者，須更殺一子，停擔兩頭，乃可勝致。於是，便更殺其一子，而檐負之，遠葬林野。時人見之，深生嗤笑，怪未曾有。
譬如比丘，私犯一戒，情憚改悔，默然覆藏，自說清淨。
或有知者，即語之言：「出家之人，守持禁戒，如護明珠，不使缺落。汝今云何，違犯所受，欲不懺悔？」
犯戒者言：「苟須懺者，更就犯之，然後當出。」
遂便破戒，多作不善，爾乃頓出，如彼愚人，一子既死，又殺一子。今此比丘，
亦復如是。Once there was a stupid man who had seven children. One child died young. Seeing this, the man wished to leave the corpse in the house and move out himself.
Observing this, a bystander said, “Birth and death are separate paths. You should quickly conduct a proper funeral and bury the corpse in a far away place. How can you leave the corpse here and move out yourself?”
Hearing this, the stupid man thought to himself, “If I’m not going to leave the corpse here, but bury it instead, I should kill another child to hang at the other end of a long pole. Then I can carry them both off to be buried.”
And so he proceeded to kill another child. Then he put both corpses on the ends of a long pole and took them off to be buried in the forest. People who saw this were shocked at such a strange occurrence.
This is like a Bhikshu who secretly breaks one precept and is afraid to repent and reform. He keeps silent about it and hides his mistake, insisting to himself that he is pure. Then someone discovers his misdeed and says, “Those who have left home should keep the precepts flawlessly like guarding precious pearls. Why do you now not wish to repent having broken a precept?”
The violator says, “As long as I am going to repent, I might as well break some more precepts and then confess them all at once.”
Then he casually breaks the precepts and does many bad deeds, and ends up being expelled from the Sangha. That bhikshu is like the stupid man who, since one of his children had died, killed yet another.
(七)認人為兄喻
Parable 7. Claiming Another as One’s Elder Brother
昔有一人，形容端正，智慧具足，復多錢財，舉世人間，無不稱歎。時有愚人，見其如此，便言我兄。所以爾者，彼有錢財，須者則用之。是故為兄。見其還債，言非我兄。
傍人語言：「汝是愚人，云何須財名他為兄，及其債時復言非兄？」
愚人答言：「我以欲得彼之錢財，認之為兄；實非是兄。若其債時，則稱非兄。」
人聞此語，無不笑之。
猶彼外道，聞佛善語，貪竊而用以為己有；乃至傍人，教使修行，不肯修行，
而作是言：「為利養故，取彼佛語，化道（道 大正藏；導 龍藏）眾生，而無實事，
云何修行？」猶向愚人，為得財故，言是我兄；及其債時，復言非兄。此亦如是。
Long ago there was a man, both handsome and wise. He was also wealthy and of good repute. Seeing this, another man claimed that man to be his elder brother. He did this, of course, because he wanted access to his money.
Then, when the wealthy man went into debt, the man denied that he was his elder brother. A bystander said, “You are a stupid man. Why did you call him your elder brother when you needed the money and then deny this when he went into debt?”
The stupid man replied, “When I want some of his money, I say he is my elder brother, but he is not really my brother. So when he is in debt, I admit he is not my brother.”
Hearing this, there were none who did not laugh.
This is like those non-buddhists who hear the Buddha’s good words, greedily usurp them, and take them as their own. When people try to teach those externalists to cultivate, however, they want no part of it. Instead they protest, “Those teachings were spoken out of a desire for profit. There is really nothing to those teachings. What need is there to cultivate?”
They are like the stupid man who called another his elder brother in order to get his money and then denied it later when the man went into debt.
(八)山羗偷官庫喻
Parable 8. The Rustic Steals from the Palace Treasury
過去之世有一山羗，偷王庫物而遠逃走。爾時，國王遣人，四出推尋，捕得將至王邊。王即責其所得衣處。
山羗答言：「我衣乃是祖父之物。」
王遣著衣，實非山羗；本所有故，不知著之。應在手者，著於脚上。應在腰者，
返著頭上。王見賊已集諸臣等，共詳此事而語之言：「若是汝之祖父已來所有衣者，應當解著，云何顛倒，用上為下。以不解故，定知汝衣，必是偷得；非汝舊物。」
借以為譬，王者如佛，寶藏如法，愚癡羗者，猶如外道。竊聽佛法著己法中。
以為自有。然不解故布置佛法迷亂上下，不知法相，如彼山羗得王寶衣。不識次第，顛倒而著，亦復如是。
Once upon a time, there was a country bumpkin who stole items from the king’s treasury and ran far away. The king sent men to search for him in the four directions. They apprehended him and brought him before the king. The king accusingly asked, “Where did you get those clothes?”
The rustic man said, “These clothes belonged to my grandfather.”
The king ordered him to prove it by putting them on, but the rustic did not know how to wear them. He put on his arms what should have been on his legs; he put on his head what should have been on his back. Seeing he must surely be the thief, the king called his ministers for a consultation. Then he said to the rustic, ”If these clothes really belonged to your grandfather, you would know how to wear them. Why did you get them all mixed up? Since you didn’t know how to put them on, they certainly can’t be your own clothes. You must have stolen them.”
In this parable the king is like the Buddha. The precious treasury is like the Dharma. The stupid rustic is like those of externalist ways who eavesdrop on the Buddhadharma and then take it as their own. Because they misinterpret it, they get it all mixed up and fail to understand the marks of Dharma. This is like the rustic who didn’t know how to wear them and put them on upside down.
(九)歎父德行喻
Parable 9. Praising the Father’s Virtuous Conduct
昔時有人，於眾人中，歎己父德而作是言：「我父慈仁，不害不盜；直作實語，兼行布施。」
時有愚人，聞其此語，便作是念言：「我父德行，復過汝父。」
諸人問言：「有何德行？請道其事。」
愚人答曰：「我父小來，斷絕婬欲，初無染污。」
眾人語言：「若斷婬欲，云何生汝？」
深為時人之所怪笑；猶如世間，無智之流。欲讚人德，不識其實，反致毀呰，
如彼愚者，意好歎父，言成過失，此亦如是。Once there was a man who praised his father’s virtue to the multitudes saying, “My father is humane and kind. He harms no one and he never steals. He speaks directly and truthfully and he also practices giving.”
Hearing this, the stupid man said, “My father is more virtuous than yours.”
The group then asked him, “What is your father’s virtuous conduct? Please tell us about his deeds.”
“Ever since childhood, he was free of sexual desire without any defilement,” the stupid man replied.
The others said, “If your father cut off sexual desire when he was young, how did he beget you?”
Then they laughed uproariously.
This is like ordinary ignorant people of the world who wish to praise the virtue of others but who are unrealistic and end up being ridiculous. They are like the stupid man who, although well-intentioned in wishing to praise his father, made an absurd mistake.
(一○) 三重樓喻
Parable 10. The Three-Storied House
往昔之世，有富愚人，癡無所知；到餘富家，見三重樓，高廣嚴麗，軒敞踈朗，心生渴仰，即作是念：
我有財錢，不減於彼，云何頃來，而不造作如是之樓？」
即喚木匠，而問言曰：「解作彼家，端正舍不？」
木匠答言:「是我所作。」
即便語言：「今可為我，造樓如彼。」
是時木匠，即便經地，壘lěi墼jī作樓。愚人見其，壘墼作舍，猶懷疑惑，不能了知。
而問之言：「欲作何等？」
木匠答言：「作三重屋。」
愚人復言：「我不欲下二重之屋；先可為我作最上屋。」
木匠答言：「無有是事。何有不作最下重屋，而得造彼第二之屋？不造第二，云何得造第三重屋？」
愚人固言：「我今不用下二重屋；必可為我作最上者。」
時人聞已，便生怪笑，咸作此言：「何有不造下第一屋而得上者？」
譬如世尊，四輩弟子，不能精勤，修敬三寶，懶惰懈怠，欲求道果，而作是言：
「我今不用餘下三果；唯求得彼阿羅漢果。」亦為時人之所嗤笑，如彼愚者，等無有異。
In the old days, there was a rich man who was stupid and ignorant. One day he went to another rich man’s home. The house was a three-storied structure. Being struck with admiration of the imposing, spacious, and well-lit building, he said to himself, “I am no less rich than he. Why don’t I immediately build a house like this one?”
Thereupon he sent for a carpenter and said, “Can you construct a house as imposing as that one?”
The carpenter replied, ”I built that one!”
The rich man said, “Now you may build a house like that for me.”
The carpenter first began to level the ground. Afterwards he began to lay foundation stones and then drive piles for walls. When the carpenter was laying the stones and building the wall supports, the stupid man asked, “What are you doing now?”
The carpenter replied, “I’m building a three-storied house.”
The stupid man went on, “I don’t want the two lower floors. Build me the third floor first.”
The carpenter answered, “There is no such thing. If I don’t start with the first floor, how can I build the second? If I don’t build the second, how can I build the third?”
The stupid man insisted, “I don’t need the two lower floors; build only the top floor.”
Hearing those words, people laughed sardonically. They all said, “How can one not build the lower floors, yet build the top floor?”
This is like some of the Buddha’s disciples who, being unable to practice earnestly or to revere the Three Jewels, are lazy and lax in seeking the fruits of the Way and say, “We don’t seek the first three stages below, but seek only the fruit of Arhatship.” They become objects of ridicule just like that stupid man.
Contents Preface 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50