百喻經 54 蛇頭尾共爭在前喻 The Snake Whose Head and Tail Had an Argument

54 The Snake Whose Head and Tail Had an Argument

54蛇頭尾共爭在前喻

Once there was a snake whose tail told its head, 「I should be in front.」 The head told the tail, 「I』ve always led the way. Why do you want to make the sudden change?」 When the head led the way, the tail twisted its way around a tree and refused to budge. And when the tail was allowed to lead, the snake fell into a fiery pit and was burned to death.

The same situation applies to teachers and students. The disciples insist that they should lead, since their teachers are too old. But these youths do not observe the precepts and commit many infractions of the rules. As a result they mutually drag each other to the hells.

譯文

譬如有一條蛇，尾對頭說：「我應在前面。」頭答尾道：「我一直在前面，為何突然要變換位置呢?」頭依然在前面，想行去，尾纏住了樹，無法去了。就依尾在前面，不久墮落火坑中，燒爛而死。

師徒之間也是這樣，說師父年老了，卻總是在前面主持著，也應讓我輩年少的作引導的首領。這些年輕人不熟習戒律，時時有所違犯，于是師徒彼此都牽連著，墮入于地獄中。

原典

譬如有蛇，尾與頭言：「我應在前。」頭語尾言：「我恆在前，何以卒爾?」頭果在前，其尾纏樹，不能得去。放尾在前，即墮火坑，燒爛而死。

師徒弟子亦復如是，言師耆老每恆在前，我諸年少應為導首。如是年少不閒①戒律，多有所犯，因即相牽入于地獄。

注釋

①閒：同嫻，熟。

源流

《雜譬喻經》(比丘道略集、鳩摩羅什譯)第二十五則：昔有一蛇，頭尾自相與諍。頭語尾曰：「我應為大!」尾語頭曰：「我亦應大!」頭曰：「我有耳能聽，有目能視，有口能食，行時最在前，是故可為大。汝無此術，不應為大。」尾曰：「我令汝去，故得去耳，若我以身遶木三匝三日而不已?」頭遂不得去求食，飢餓垂死。頭語尾言：「汝可放之，聽汝為大。」尾聞其言，即時放之。復語尾言：「汝既為大，聽汝在前行。」尾在前行，未經數步，墮火坑而死。

此喻僧中或有聰明大德上座能斷法律，下有小者不肯順從，上座力不能制，便語之言：「欲爾隨意。」事不成濟，俱墮非法，喻若彼蛇墜火坑也。

同前第二十六則：昔有捕鳥師，張羅網于澤上，以鳥所食物著其中。眾鳥命侶，競來食之。鳥師引其網，眾鳥盡墮網中。時有一鳥，大而多力，身舉此網與眾鳥俱飛而去。鳥師視影，隨而逐之。有人謂鳥師曰：「鳥飛虛空，而汝步逐，何其愚哉!」鳥師答曰：「不如是告。彼鳥日暮，要求(扌＋西)宿，進趣不同，如是當墮。」其人故逐不止。日以轉暮，仰觀眾鳥，飜飛爭競，或欲趣東，或欲趣西，或望長林，或欲赴淵。如是不已，須臾便墮，鳥師遂得次而殺之。(《大正藏》第四冊第五二八頁)