百喻經 58 二子分財喻 Two Sons Share Their Inheritance
58 Two Sons Share Their Inheritance
58 二子分財喻
At one time, in the country of Malaya, there lived a Kshatriya. He fell gravely ill and knew his final hour was at hand. He ordered his two sons, 「After my death, divide my wealth and possessions fairly between the two of you.」
After his death, the two sons complied with their father』s instructions and divided his wealth. But the elder brother complained that the younger brother had an unfair share of the inheritance.
A foolish old man said to him, 「I will teach you how to divide evenly your father』s wealth. Break each item into two parts. For instance, cut the garments into two parts. You can also break everything else—plates, bottles, bowls, dishes, money, and so forth—into two parts, and divide them equally between the two of you.」
Others laughed at this method. This is like externalists who answer all questions with the one-sided approach of theories that split things into categories There are four ways to answer questions:
1)Giving an absolute answer. For instance, 「All beings are subject to death.」
2)Answering by splitting things into categories. For instance, if asked whether those who die will be born again, the answer is split into categories, such as: 「those who have ended love and desire will not be reborn; those who have love and desire will be reborn.」
3)Answering by turning the question around. For instance, if someone asks, 「Are human beings the most supreme?」 You should turn the question around and ask, 「Are you referring to the three evil paths or the realm of the gods? If you are referring to the three evil paths, then I would say that human beings are supreme. If you are referring to the realm of the gods, then I would say that human beings are not up to them.」
- Not answering the question. For instance, if someone asks one of the fourteen types of tricky questions, *such as whether the world has a limit of not, or whether human beings have a beginning and end or not.
Externalists are deluded but are convinced they are wise. They break down the four ways of answering questions by only using the approach of splitting things up into categories. This is just like the stupid man who advised the two brothers to divide their fortune by breaking everything into two.
- The fourteen tricky questions of the externalists to which the Buddha gave no answer.
譯文
從前摩羅國有一位剎帝利，得了重病，知道必定要死了，便吩咐兩個兒子：「我死之後，好好地分財物。」兩位兒子依循父親的遺教，在父親死後，把財物分作兩份。哥哥說弟弟分得不公平。這時有一位蠢老頭說：「我教你們分物，必定能分得平等。他就把眼前的所有物品都破作兩份。如何破呢?就是衣裳在中間剪開，盤瓶也從中間敲開，所有甕壜也砸開，錢也鑿開。」他們按照蠢老頭的分法，就把所有財物都弄破了，分作兩份。如此分物，人人嗤笑。
這就好比各類外道偏于修習分別論。論門其實有四種：有決定答論門，譬如一切人都必當死的，這就是決定答論門。死了必定會輪迴再生，這應分別開來說，愛著斷盡了的人，出離了輪迴，不會再受生，依然有愛著的人，必定有下一生，這叫做分別答論門。倘若有問人是最優勝的麼?就應反問道你是相對于三惡道還是相對于諸天來說的?若是相對于三惡道來說，人確實是最優勝的：若是相對于諸天來說，人必定是不如的，諸如此類的命題，叫做反問答論門。若是外道的十四個問難，譬如問世界及眾生有邊際無邊際、有終始無終始之類的問題，常人是無法了解的，所以佛棄置而不答，以不答為答，就叫置答論門。各類外道愚癡，卻自以為有智慧，把這四種論破毀了，形成為一種分別論，就比如愚人分錢物，把錢都鑿破為兩段。
原典
昔摩羅國①有一剎利②，得病極重，必知定死，誡勅二子：「我死之後，善分財物。」二子隨教，于其死後，分作二分。兄言弟分不平。爾時有一愚老人言：「教汝分物；使得平等。現所有物破作二分。云何破之?所謂衣裳中割作二分，盤瓶亦復中破作二分，所有甕瓨③亦破作二分，錢亦破作二分。」如是，一切所有財物盡皆破之，而作二分。如是分物，人所嗤笑。
如諸外道偏修分別論。論門有四種：有決定答論門，譬如人一切有皆死，此是決定答論門。死者必有生，是應分別答，愛盡者無生，有愛必有生，是名分別答論門。有問人為最勝不?應反問言汝問汝問三惡道，為問諸天?若問三惡道，人實為最勝；若問于諸天，人必為不如，如是等義，名反問答論門。若問十四難④，若間世界及眾生有邊無邊，有終始無終始如是等義，名置答論門。諸外道愚癡，自以為智慧，破于四種論，作一分別論，喻如愚人分錢物，破錢為兩段。
注釋
①摩羅國：梵文Malaya-dasa這個國家的中央有摩羅耶山，在南天竺境域，所以國家以此為名。摩羅耶Malaya，是除垢的意思，因為這座山出產白旃檀香，進去後人變得香潔，所以叫除垢。提數dasa，是中央的意思。
②剎利：即剎帝利，意指王族及大臣，是印度四大種姓之一。婆羅門所編的《梨俱吠陀》卷十已敘四姓的來源：婆羅門(祭司)是布盧沙(人)的嘴；兩臂成為剎帝利(王者)；他的兩腿就是吠舍(平民)；從兩足生出首陀羅(勞動者)。而佛經中敘述四姓的時候，總將釋迦牟尼佛所自出身的剎帝利放在首位。
③瓨：短頭長身的壜。
④十四難：乃對于外道以顛倒之見來問難之十四種事，而佛則舍置不答。十四種事指：㈠世間是恆常?㈡世間是無常?㈢世間亦是恒常亦是無常?㈣世間非恆常非無常?㈤世間有邊?㈥世間無邊?㈦世間亦有邊亦無邊?㈧世間非有邊非無邊?㈨如來死後還存在?㈩如來死後不存在?(十一)如來死後亦存在亦不存在?(十二)如來死後亦非存在亦非不存在?(十三)命(我)和身體是同一物?(十四)命(我)和身體是不同一物?