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百喻经之三九: 见他人涂舍喻

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§39 见他人涂舍喻

(39) house painting

昔有一人,往至他舍,见他屋舍墙壁涂治,其地平正,清净甚好。便问之言:“用何和涂,得如是好?”

once upon a time, there was a man who went to another man's house, which had just been painted, and the floor made even. it was nice and clean. he asked the host, "with what paint did you make the wall so white and beautiful?"

主人答言:“用稻谷[麥弋],水浸令熟,和泥涂壁,故得如是。”

the host replied, "i mixed rice bran with water and day. the beauty is the result."

愚人即便而作念言:“若纯以稻[麥弋],不如合稻而用作之,壁可白净,泥治平好。”

to himself, the guest said, "it would be better if he had used rice grain instead of bran. the wall would be more smooth and more beautiful."

便用稻谷和泥,用涂其壁。望得平正,返更高下,壁都坼裂,虚弃稻谷。都无利益,不如惠施,可得功德。

he then used his own formula on his own house. the walls turned out to be concave and convex with cracks on them. the stupid man thus wasted all his rice grain. it had better have done alms-giving to obtain any merits.

凡夫之人,亦复如是。闻圣人说法,修行诸善,舍此身已,可得生天,及以解脱,便自杀身,望得生天及以解脱。徒自虚丧,空无所获,如彼愚人。

so are the common people. those who have heard the saints preaching that people who do good deeds may go to heaven after death and consequently get deliverance, commit suicide to get there. they merely 1ose their lives in vain without getting anywhere just like that stupid man with his paint.

注释:

  ①[麥弋]:音弋,碎麦壳或稻壳。

白话:

从前有一个人,到别人家去,见那屋舍的墙壁涂治得平平正正,清净美观,便问道:「用什么和混了涂,竟然这么好?」主人答道:「将碎稻谷壳浸在水中,使它软和了,再和泥涂壁,就成这个样子了。」愚人就想:倘若纯粹用稻壳,不如与稻米和合著一起用,壁可白净,也可涂得平正好看。便用稻谷和著泥来涂壁,祈望著更平正一些,不料反而是高高低低的,墙壁都坼裂开来,白白地耗费了稻谷,一点益处都没有,还不如惠施,倒是件功德事。
  
世上的人也是这样,听圣人说法,讲修行种种善业,到这命终了,便可以生到天上去,得到解脱,于是就自杀了,祈望能生到天上,得到解脱。徒然地使自己丧失了生命,一无所获,就如那愚人一样。

这故事比喻∶误解佛法的意义,或自作聪明,修行不如法,往往会弄出毛病,无益有损,譬如凡夫听了圣人说法,修行诸善,等到此身死去后,可得生天,或者得到解脱。他竟断章取义地自杀了身体,望得生天,结果徒自丧命,对修道却毫无所得,犹如上面说的那个愚人一般。

供您思考:

圣法法师在《百喻故事广释》中说:台湾有一句俗话:‘有样看样,无样自己想。’看样——学人家的最多只能赶得上时代。自己想有的人能发明更多更好更理想的事物来。可是大多都是弄巧成拙,闹出笑话,自作聪明岂不是变成了自取耻辱吗?

从前有一位喜欢到处游历的人,有一天来到很久没有见面的朋友家里,这位朋友的家无论墙或壁都是光滑美丽,这位游历的人非常欣慕,就问朋友说:‘你能告诉我粉刷这墙壁的材料是什么吗?’朋友说:‘这有什么不可以呢?我是用稻谷磨成粉,再加上粘性的泥土,用水搅拌后粉刷,刷成这样光滑美丽。’

这位游历的人很喜欢,心里想我回去也应该将自己的房屋粉刷一番才好!’回家以后便去准备稻谷、粘泥等原科,心里想‘稻谷磨成粉已经这样美丽,如果将完整的稻谷搅拌泥土,粉在墙壁岂不是更好、更高贵和美丽呢?’

于是将稻谷搅拌泥土后,便往墙壁粉刷,可是当他将稻谷粉刷到墙上的时候不但不见光滑平整,反而将原来的墙壁弄得粗糙难看,到处都是疙瘩,而且很快就开始破裂剥蚀,这不是弄巧成拙吗?

有些外道,闻古圣贤的言教,修诸善法将来可以生天,或成圣成贤。可是经他们的思索之后,结论是:‘人死了以后既然可以升天,还要花那么多的工夫去行善修行干什么?于是他们为了早点升天,便去自杀,他们想,自杀就可免花那么多工夫行善修行,才是最直接升天的捷径。

谁知他们自杀不但不能得到升天,反而徒增自杀的痛苦,并造了杀业之罪,将受地狱果报。这不是像用稻谷粉墙壁,不但没有使墙壁光滑美丽,而且使原来的墙壁更丑陋,更难看。且浪费稻谷、浪费金钱又浪费苦工么!

本文标题:百喻经之三九: 见他人涂舍喻 - 英语故事_英文故事_英语小故事
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