百喻經 57 蹋長者口喻 Putting His Foot In the Elder』s Mouth

57 Putting His Foot In the Elder』s Mouth

57蹋長者口喻

Once there was a very wealthy elder. His attendants tried to court his favor by paying him all manner of deference. Whenever the elder spat, his attendants would rub it with their feet. Among them was a foolish man, who could not catch up with the others in rubbing the spit, and so he said to himself, 「Whenever he spits on the ground, others rub it with their feet. Next time he spits, I』ll be the first one to do so.」

So when the elder coughed and was about to spit up, that foolish man thrust up his foot and kicked the elder』s mouth, injuring the elder』s lips and breaking his teeth. The elder asked him, 「Why did you do that?」 The foolish man answered, 「Whenever you spit falls to the ground, those who fawn on you are quick to rub it with their feet. Although I wish to serve you, I』ve always fallen behind. Therefore, I thought that by raising my foot to your mouth when you were about to spit, I would be able to please you.」

There is a right time for doing things. If the right time has not yet arrived, then even if people apply all their energy, they will only get into trouble. For this reason, people of the world should be aware of when is the right and wrong time.

譯文

從前有位大富翁，左右的人都想取得他的歡心，竭盡恭敬之能事。富翁吐痰時，左右侍奉的人馬上用腳蹋掉。有一個愚人，趕不上機會去蹋，便想道：「若是吐在地上，眾人即刻蹋掉了。還是趁他想吐的時候，我搶先蹋掉他。」于是長者正咳著要吐的時候，這愚人飛起一腳，蹋在長者口上，踢破了唇，折斷了齒。富翁問愚人道：「你為何蹋我的口?」愚人答道：「長者若是痰出口落地，左右討好的人捷足先蹋了。我雖是想蹋，總是趕不及。所以，痰要出口之際，抬腳先蹋，希望得您的歡心。」

大凡事物都須時機，時機未熟，強行去做，反而得到苦惱。因此，世人應當知曉是時機與不是時機。

原典

昔有大富長者，左右之人欲取其意，皆盡恭敬。長者唾時，左右侍人以腳蹋卻。有一愚者，不及得蹋，而作是言：「若唾地者，諸人蹋卻。欲唾之時，我當先蹋。」于是長者正欲咳唾，時此愚人即便舉腳蹋長者口，破唇折齒。長者語愚人言：「汝何以故蹋我唇口?」愚人答言：「若長者唾出口落地，左右諂者已得蹋去。我雖欲蹋，每常不及。以是之故，唾欲出口，舉腳先蹋，望得汝意。」

凡物須時，時未及到，強設功力，反得苦惱。以是之故，世人當知時與非時。

源流

《雜譬喻經》(比丘道略集、鳩摩羅什譯)第十四則：外國小人事貴人，欲得其意，見貴人唾地，競來以足蹹去之。有一人不大健剿，雖欲蹹之，初不能得。後見貴人欲唾，始聚口時，便以足蹹其口。貴人問言：「汝欲反耶，何故蹹吾口?」小人答言：「我是好意，不欲反也。」貴人問言：「汝若不反，何以至是?」小人答言：「貴人唾時，我常欲蹹唾。唾才出口，眾人恆奪我前，初不能得，是故就口中蹹之也。」此喻論議時，要須義出口，然後難也。若義在口，理未宣明，便興難者，喻若就口中蹋之也。(《大正藏》第四冊第五二五頁)