 |
|
 |
| Contents Preface 1-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 |
| 61-70 71-80 81-90 91-100 < Previous |
Hundred Parables Sutra 百喻經
91 - 100
(九一)貧兒欲與富等財物喻
Parable 91. A Poor Man Longing to be Just Like a Rich One
昔有一貧人，少有財物。見大富者，意欲共等。不能等故，雖有少財，欲棄水中。
傍人語言：「此物雖尠，可得延君性命數日，何故捨棄，擲著水中？」世間愚人，亦復如是：雖得出家，少得利養，心有悕望，常懷不足。不能得與高德
者等，獲其利養；見他宿舊，有德之人，素有多聞，多眾供養，意欲等之；不能等故，心懷憂苦，便欲罷道，如彼愚人，欲等富者，自棄己財。Once upon a time, there was a destitute man who had almost nothing to his name. However, after seeing a rich man, he wanted to be like him. But he couldn't, so he ended up wanting to throw everything he owned into the river. Bystanders said to him, “Although you have very little, what you do have can still provide you with the necessities of life for a few days, so why would you want to throw it into the river?”
The fools of the world are also like this: Although they have left the householder’s life, they have received few offerings from others, so in their hearts they always feel like they lack something. They cannot reach the same level as highly virtuous ones, in terms of the offerings they receive. When they see their senior fellow practitioners who are virtuous and erudite, and who receive many offerings from the great multitude, longing arises in their hearts. They want to be like that. Because of this, their hearts are full of worry and suffering, and they even want to cease cultivating the Way. They are like that fool who wanted to be like a rich man but who ended up throwing away all his wealth.
(九二)小兒得歡喜丸喻
Parable 92. A child Receives Happiness Pills
昔有一乳母，抱兒涉路；行道疲極，眠睡不覺。時有一人，持歡喜丸，授與小兒。
小兒得已，貪其美味，不顧身物。此人即時，解其鉗鏁、瓔珞、衣物，都盡持去。
比丘亦爾，樂在眾務，憒閙之處，貪少利養；為煩惱賊奪其功德、戒寶瓔珞，如彼
小兒，貪少味故，一切所有，賊盡持去。Once upon a time, there was a breastfeeding mother. She carried a child while traveling. Walking down the road, she became extremely fatigued. She fell asleep and did not wake up. As she slept, a person came along carrying ‘happiness pills’ and gave some to the child. After consuming them, the child yearned for their delicious taste and neglected his physical safety and the safety of his possessions. The person immediately took advantage of the child, taking the necklace off his neck, as well as everything else: jewelry, clothes, etc.
Bhikshus are also like this: They delight in taking on many duties at the monastery and like to stay in busy places. They are full of greed for small offerings, and that is why they are robbed by the thieves of afflictions who take their merit and virtue, and who also take the ‘necklaces’ of their precious precepts. They are like this child who desired the taste of the happiness pills, and was then robbed of everything by a thief.
(九三)老母捉熊喻
Parable 93. An Old Woman Catching A Bear
昔有一老母，在樹下臥，熊欲來搏。爾時老母遶樹走避。熊尋後逐，一手抱樹，欲捉老母 。老母得急，即時合樹，捺熊兩手。熊不得動，更有異人，來至其所。老母語言：「汝共我捉，殺分其肉。」
時彼人者，信老母語，即時共捉；既捉之已，老母即便捨熊而走。其人後為熊所困 ，如是愚人，為世所笑。凡夫之人，亦復如是：
作諸異論，既不善好。文辭繁重，多有諸病。 竟不成訖，便捨終亡。後人捉之，欲為解釋。不達其意，反為其困，如彼愚人，代他捉熊，反自被害。
Once upon a time, there was an old woman sleeping under a tree, and a bear came over, trying to attack her. Awakened and scared, the old woman circled the tree to avoid the snatch of the bear. The bear kept chasing her, with one hand grabbing the tree, and the other trying to catch her. The old woman hugged the tree, throwing her two hands around to press the paws of the bear against the tree. This (effectively) prevented it from moving again.
Then there came a man, and the woman yelled at him, “Come! Help me catch and kill the bear. We will share the meat.”
That person believed what she said, and came to help her by pressing the bear’s paws hard against the tree, preventing it from moving. Then the old woman let go of the bear and ran away. As a result, it turned out that the man became stuck in the same situation where he had to face the bear’s attack alone. Such a foolish person became an object of ridicule.
Ordinary people in the world are also like this: They establish various unique theories, without bringing the doctrines to perfection; their theories are not only incomplete, but also wordy with numerous errors. Before they can make their theories perfect, they die, giving up on their endeavors. People of future generations pick up what they had done, trying to make commentaries on their works but failing to understand the meanings, and thus become stuck. They are just like that foolish person, who tried to help the woman catch the bear, but ended up being a victim of the bear.
(九四)摩尼水竇喻
Parable 94. Mani: Pearl or Ditch?
昔有一人，與他婦通。交通未竟，夫從外來。即便覺之，住於門外。伺其出時，便欲殺害。婦語人言：「我夫已覺，更無出處；唯有摩尼(胡以水竇名为摩尼)，可以得出。」
欲令其人，從水竇出。其人錯解，謂摩尼珠。所在求覓，而不知處。即作是言：
「不見摩尼珠，我終不去。」須臾之間，為其所殺。凡夫之人，亦復如是：有人語言：「生死之中，無常、苦空、
無我，離 斷常二邊，處於中道；於此中過，可得解脫。」凡夫錯解，便求世界有邊、無邊，及以眾生有我、無我；竟不能觀中道之理，
忽然命終，為於無常之所殺害，墮三惡道，如彼愚人，推求摩尼，為他所害。Once upon a time, there was a man who had an affair with someone’s wife. One time, in the middle of their affair, the woman’s husband was just about to come in from outside, and quickly discovered what was going on. The husband stayed outside the house instead of coming right in, awaiting for a chance to kill this adulterer.
The woman also knew that her husband had come back, and said to her lover, “My husband discovered us; there is no way out for you now. Only through this mani (in Indian language meaning either ‘pearl’ or ‘ditch’) can you go out.”
The woman was trying to help her lover seek an outlet, but the man misunderstood her, thinking that she meant a mani-pearl and he was supposed to find it. He said, “Before seeing this mani-pearl, I will not go.”
Very soon, he was killed by the husband.
Ordinary people in the world are also like this: Someone says, “Samsara is impermanent, suffering, empty, and devoid of a self; only by staying free from the two kinds of extreme views (permanentism and nihilism) and staying in the Middle Path can one find liberation.”
Ordinary people get it wrong; they start to seek out if the world has an end, has no end,…as well as start to find out if living beings have a self or do not have a self. They thus fail to contemplate the Middle Path’s principles; suddenly their lives end, and they fall into the three paths of misery. They are just like the foolish person who insisted on finding the mani-pearl and ended up being killed.
(九五)一鴿喻(二鴿喻 ——乾隆大藏經)
Parable 95. Two Doves
昔有雄雌二鴿，共同一巢。秋果熟時，取果滿巢。於其後時，果乾減少，唯半巢在。
雄瞋雌言：「取果勤苦，汝獨食之，唯有半在？」雌鴿答言：「我不獨食，果自減少。」
雄鴿不信，瞋恚而言：「非汝獨食，何由減少？」
即便以觜，啄雌鴿殺。未經幾日，天降大雨，果得濕潤，還復如故。雄鴿見已，
方生悔恨：「彼實不食，我妄殺他！」即悲鳴，命喚雌鴿：「汝何處去？」
凡夫之人，亦復如是：顛倒在懷，妄取欲樂，不觀無常；犯於重禁，悔之於後，
竟何所及；後唯悲歎，如彼愚鴿。Once upon a time, there were two doves, male and female, who built a nest and dwelt together. When the fruits ripened in autumn, they picked enough fruits that filled up the nest. But later, due to the drying effect, the fruits in the nest reduced in volume by half. The male dove said to the female one in an angry tone, “We worked hard to gather the fruits, but you ate them alone, leaving only half for me.”
The female dove replied, “I haven’t been eating at all, they just reduce by themselves.”
The male dove didn’t believe her answer, saying angrily. “If you did not take them alone, then why is there less of it?”
Then he pecked the female to death with his beak. Several days later, there came a heavy rain that moistened the fruits making them swell back to their original size. Upon seeing what had happened, the male dove regretted it, saying, “She indeed did not eat the fruits; I killed her recklessly.” He then cried out, calling for the female dove, “Where have you gone?”
Ordinary people in the world are also like this: They have deviant views in their minds, recklessly pursuing pleasure; thus they fail to contemplate on impermanence, and break the major precepts, only then do they regret, but to no avail. In the end, they can just lament and sigh. They are just like the foolish male dove.
(九六)詐稱眼盲喻
Parable 96. A False Claim of Blindness
昔有工匠師為王作務，不堪其苦，詐言眼盲，便得脫苦。有餘作師聞之，便欲自壞其
目，用避苦役。有人語言：「汝何以自毀，徒受其苦？」如是愚人，為世人所笑。凡夫之人， 亦復如是：為少名譽，及以利養，便故妄語，
毀壞淨戒。身死命終，墮三惡道，如彼愚人，為少利故，自壞其目。Once upon a time, there was a craftsman who rendered his service to his king; but the workload was too heavy that went beyond what he could endure. Thus, he falsely claimed to be blind so that he could not be enlisted to the king’s labor. When the rest of the craftsmen learned this, they also wanted to damage their eyes so as to avoid the conscripted labor for the king. Someone told them, “Why would you harm yourself? You will end up wasting your effort.”
Such foolish ones become objects of ridicule for the world.
Ordinary people in the world are also like this. For the sake of little fame and gain, they dare to make false claims and break the pure precepts; after they die, they fall into the three paths of misery. They are just like these foolish craftsmen who ruin their own eyes in order to have a petty gain.
(九七)為惡賊所劫失氎喻
Parable 97. Robbed by Bandits and Lost the Cotton Cloak
昔有二人，為伴共行曠野。一人被一領氎，中路為賊所剝。一人逃避，走入草中。
其失者先於氎頭，裹一金錢。便語賊言：「此衣適可直一枚金錢。我今求以一枚金
錢而用贖之。」賊言：「金錢今在何處？」
即便氎頭解取示之，而語賊言：「此是真金。若不信我語，今此草中，有好金師，
可往問之。」賊既見之，復取其衣。如是愚人，氎與金錢，一切都失。自失其利，復使彼失。凡夫
之人，亦復如是：修行道品，作諸功德。為煩惱賊之所劫掠，失其善法，喪諸功德。
不但自失其利，復使餘人，失其道業。身壞命終，墮三惡道，如彼愚人，彼此俱失。Once upon a time, there were two people traveling together in the wilderness. Each of them donned a cloak made from fine cotton. On the way, they encountered the bandits, and one of them was robbed of his cloak, while the other managed to run away, and hid in the grass.
The robbed one had a gold coin in the collar of the cloak, so he talked to the bandits, “This cloak is worth one gold coin, and now I ask for it to be redeemed for one gold coin.”
The bandits said, “Where is the gold coin?”
The person then opened up the collar of the cloak to show the gold coin to the bandits, saying, “This is real gold. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask the skilled goldsmith hiding in the grass now. ”
The bandits went into the grass and found the other runaway, and took that person’s cloak too. Such a foolish person suffered a double loss of the cloak and the gold coin; not only did he suffer a loss, but he also caused the other one to suffer a loss too.
Ordinary people in the world are also like this: They cultivate various factors of enlightenment, doing many deeds of merit and virtue; but they are robbed by the bandits of afflictions and lose their Dharma of goodness, and their merit and virtue; not only do they lose their own merit and virtue, they cause others to lose their cultivation too. Their bodies perish; they die, falling into the three paths of misery. Such foolish ones suffer losses and cause others to suffer losses too.
(九八)小兒得大龜喻
Parable 98. A Child Caught A Big Tortoise
昔有一小兒，陸地遊戲，得一大龜。意欲殺之，不知方便，而問人言：「云何得殺？」
有人語言：「汝但擲置水中，即時可殺。」
爾時小兒信其語故，即擲水中。龜得水已，即便走去。凡夫之人，亦復如是：
欲守護六根，修諸功德，不解方便，而問人言：「作何因緣，而得解脫？」邪見、外道、天魔、波旬，及惡知識，而語之言：「汝但極意六塵，恣情五欲；
如我語者，必得解脫。」如是愚人，不諦思惟，便用其語，身壞命終，墮三惡道，如彼小兒，擲龜水中。
Once upon a time, there was a child who caught a big tortoise on the ground while playing. The child wanted to kill the tortoise, but had no idea how. He asked others how he could kill it. Someone told him, “All you need to do is to throw the tortoise into the water and it will die.”
The child believed this, and threw the tortoise in the water. But the tortoise immediately swam away.
Ordinary people in the world are also like this: Originally they want to guard their six sense faculties well and cultivate various deeds of merit and virtue, but they don’t know the appropriate method. They ask other people about the causes and conditions for liberation, but they only end up being swayed by teachings of wrong views, adherents of the non-buddhist paths, celestial demons, Pāpīyas, or other bad mentors, who tell them, “All you need to do is to indulge in the pleasures of the six sense objects. Let loose your five desires. Just do as I say, and you will attain liberation.”
Foolish people who do not ponder carefully will quickly adopt such teachings. They ruin their bodies and die, falling into the three paths of misery. They are just like the child who threw the tortoise into the water.
此論我所造 ，合和喜笑語。
多損正實說， 觀義應不應。
如似苦毒藥， 和合於石蜜。
藥為破壞病， 此論亦如是。
正法中戲笑， 譬如彼狂藥。I compile this sutra-sastra,
in which truth is mixed with a humor
Which might spoil the teachings for some.
What’s important is that the moral be true.
The teaching is like bitter medicine
Coated with honey.
A medicine dispels illnesses:
This sastra has the same effect.
Sharp wit combined with Proper Dharma
Is like honey-coated medicine.佛正法寂定， 明照於世間。
如服吐下藥，以酥潤體中。
我今以此義，顯發於寂定。
如阿伽陀藥， 樹葉而裹之。The Buddha’s Proper Dharma and tranquil samādhi
Are like a bright light shining in the world;
In the same way, as one takes a purgative medicine,
Or eats butter to nourish oneself,
So am I using these humorous words
To reveal tranquil samādhi.
It is like Agada medicine,
Which comes wrapped in leaves.取藥塗毒竟，樹葉還棄之。
戲笑如葉裹， 實義在其中。
智者取正義， 戲笑便應棄。After applying the medicine to dispel the illness
One is supposed to discard the leaves.
My playful joking is like those leaves:
The meanings are the medicine contained within them.
Wise ones will grasp the actual meanings,
And discard the playful joking elements.
尊者僧伽斯那造作《癡花鬘》竟So ends the Venerable Samghasena’s Śastra of Garland of Delusion (The Hundred Parable Sutra)