(8) A RUSTIC STEALS CLOTHES FROM THE PALACE TREASURY
過去之世,有一山羌,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(zé)其所得衣處。山羌答言:“我衣乃是祖父之物。” 王遣著衣,實非山羌本所有故,不知著之,應(yīng)在手者,著於腳上,應(yīng)在腰者,返著頭上。
Once upon a time there was a rustic who stole garments from the palace and then escaped to a remote place. The king sent men to search for him in all directions. Finally, he was arrested and taken to the king who accused him of theft and asked him where he had got the clothes. The rustic answered that they belonged to his grandfather. The king then ordered him to put them on. He did not know how to wear them. He put on his arms what should be worn on his legs. What he ought to have on his waist, he put on his head.
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(yīng)當(dāng)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。”
Seeing this, the king summoned his ministers for consultation on the matter. "If the clothes belonged to your grandfather, you should know how to wear them. How can you wear them in all wrong ways? It's certain that they are not your old clothes. You have stolen them," said the king.
借以為譬:王者如佛,寶藏如法,愚癡羌者,猶如外道。
Figuratively speaking, here the king is like Buddha; the valuable clothes, the Buddhist teachings; the stupid rustic, the heretic.
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。
A heretic, who has eavesdropped on Buddhism, makes it for his own. He then misinterprets it, because he does not know the real meaning of its teachings.
如彼山羌,得王寶衣,不識次第,顛倒而著,亦復(fù)如是。
This heretic is like the rustic who stole the king's valuable clothes without knowing how to wear them properly and put them on in all the wrong ways.
注釋:
?、偕角迹壕幼≡谏搅种校垣C、牧為生的人。
?、谕茖げ兜茫和茖?,打探尋找;捕得,追捕到。
?、鄯ǎ悍鸾痰闹匾碚摲懂?。原始佛教認為:法是貫穿于物質(zhì)世界和精神世界的規(guī)律,一切物質(zhì)世界的現(xiàn)象和人的精神、意識都是法的表現(xiàn)。宇宙間的一切現(xiàn)象既是瞬息萬變的,又是統(tǒng)一的、互相聯(lián)系的。人的認識的根本目的就在于通過自己精神的“反觀內(nèi)照”來認識法,從而得到真正的精神解脫。傳說中佛陀在菩提樹下的成正覺,即大徹大悟的智慧,就是認識了法,從而獲得了徹底解脫的認識。但“法”這一理論范疇并非創(chuàng)自佛教,佛教借用了“法”這個范疇,并賦予了新的含義,使之成為支配自然現(xiàn)象以及人類精神活動的普遍規(guī)律。佛典中所謂“法建世間”的含義充分表現(xiàn)了“法”的重要意義。
?、芊ㄏ啵褐饕辛N含義,分別是指:各種法的特質(zhì);對事物的觀念;諸法的差別與形態(tài);現(xiàn)象存在的形態(tài);事物存在的形態(tài);現(xiàn)象界的事物。本文指一切事物的真實形態(tài),諸法的本性,即真理的特質(zhì)。參見《維摩經(jīng)》、《法華玄義》,羅什譯《小品般若》等。
?、荽蔚冢旱却?、位次,本文指使用的方法。
白話:
很久以前,有一位居住在山林的人,偷了國王倉庫的東西后逃到了遠方。國王知道后,立即派人四處打探尋找,捕獲了山民,把他帶到國王面前。國王馬上追問山民衣物的來源。山民回答:“這衣服是我祖父留給我的。”國王讓他把衣服穿好。由于衣服確實不是他的,所以不知道怎樣穿。應(yīng)該穿戴在手上的,卻套在了腳上,應(yīng)當(dāng)扎在腰上的,卻圍在了頭上。國王見了,確定是賊無疑,召集大臣討論這件事,并說:“如果是你祖父留給你的衣物,你應(yīng)熟悉這些衣物的穿法,為什么上下顛倒,戴在手上的卻穿在腳下?所以不會穿,在于你的衣服肯定是偷來的,而不是你原有的衣物。”
借這個故事作比喻:國王好比佛陀,國庫的財產(chǎn)好比自然與認識的規(guī)律。愚蠢無知的山民,像其他各種思想派別,聽到一些佛教的教義,就認為已經(jīng)掌握了認識自然與現(xiàn)象的規(guī)律,自以為是,但并不能理解它的實質(zhì),就妄加斷言,思維邏輯顛倒,不認識一切事物的真實形態(tài)、本性,以及真理的本質(zhì)意義。這好像山民,得到國王的衣物,不懂怎么使用,上下顛倒地穿戴的道理一樣。
解說:
各教各派的學(xué)說,相互之間有著吸納、融合,自是不可免的,然而需以我為主,有條件地利用,否則便像機關(guān)木人一般,雖能有模有樣地動作,而里面卻沒有自身的主意。
辨析:
這是一個聰明理智的國王和狡黠山民之間答對的傳說故事。山羌(羌,我國南北朝時少數(shù)民族的族名,早在殷周時就雜居中原,原譯文用此譯法,我們理解為山民更加妥當(dāng)。)他取國庫之物,遠逃而去,終被緝拿歸案。國王逮住山民并未嚴加拷打,而是以智取人;山民并未絕望,而是極力狡辯。但是,假的就是假的,是非黑白不容混淆。從這個角度上講,這個故事本身是有認識意義的。至于比喻部分,頗有玄機,其“法”的佛家內(nèi)涵中,具有辯證思維的特質(zhì),學(xué)者應(yīng)認真探究,不應(yīng)一概而論,妄自菲薄。
(摘自《百喻經(jīng)注釋與辨析》荊三隆 邵之茜著)
供您思考:
圣法法師在《百喻經(jīng)故事廣釋》里稱謂“偷來的享受”,他說:“佛陀說法有他的特殊思想和教法。各教有各教的宗旨和教法。佛法用在其他宗教即格格不入,何況邪教,最大不同點就是,佛法說:‘萬有因緣生’。一切眾生的生死苦樂,乃至禍福善惡,都是自作自受。其他教門即一切皆神的操縱和支配。這樣不同的說法能合在一處嗎?”