百喻經 52 伎兒作樂喻 The Musician

52 The Musician

52伎兒作樂喻

Once there was a musician. He played music before a king who promised to pay him a thousand coins. Afterwards he asked the king for the money, but the king refused to give it to him and said, 「Just as the music you played only served to please me momentarily, so too, the money I planned to give to you would only serve to please you for a little while.」

Worldly rewards are the same way. Although one may enjoy a small amount of pleasure in the human or heavenly realms, this pleasure is not true and actual. Impermanent and subject to destruction, it is like the music that gives only temporary pleasure and cannot last long.

譯文

譬如樂師在國王面前演奏，國王許諾給他一千個錢。事後向國王去索要，國王不肯給他。國王說：「你方才演奏的音樂，聽著快樂，過後就沒了：我許諾給你錢，也讓你聽著快樂，過後就沒了。」

世間的因果報應也是這樣。生在人中或是天上，雖是享受到少許的快樂，卻也是並不實在的，都是易逝而不常住，倏忽間敗滅了的，就像那音樂和許諾，無法長久地留住著。

原典

譬如伎兒王前作樂，王許千錢。後從王索，王不與之。王語之言：「汝向作樂，空樂我耳；我與汝錢，亦樂汝耳。」

世間果報亦復如是。人中天上，雖受少樂，亦無有實，無常敗滅，不得久住，如彼空樂。

源流

《大智度論》卷九十二：譬如人有一子，喜在不淨中戲，聚土為谷，以草木為鳥獸，而生愛著。人有奪者，瞋恚啼哭。其父知已：「此子今雖愛著，此事易離耳，小(稍)大自休。」何以故?此物非真故。(《大正藏》第二十五冊第七O七頁)

《高僧傳》卷二：如昔狂人令績師績綿，極令細好。績師加意，細若微塵，狂人猶恨其粗。績師大怒，乃指空示曰：「此是細縷。」狂人曰：「何以不見?」師曰：「此縷極細，我工之良匠猶且不見，況他人耶?」狂人大喜，以付織師。師亦効焉，皆蒙上賞，而實無物。(《大正藏》第五十冊第三三O頁)