百喻經 47 貧人能作鴛鴦嗚喻 The Poor Man Who Feigned the Crow of a Mandarin Duck

47 The Poor Man Who Feigned the Crow of a Mandarin Duck

47貧人能作鴛鴦嗚喻

Once upon a time, in a certain foreign country, the people were celebrating one of their special holidays. All the women wore blue lotus flowers on their hair as ornaments. A woman said to her husband, a poor man, 「If you can find me a blue lotus, I will remain your wife. Otherwise, I will leave you.」

The husband was skilled at crowing like a mandarin duck. He then went to the king』s pond and started to crow like a mandarin duck, intending to steal a blue lotus. He was caught by the warden of the pond, who asked him, 「Who are you?」

With a slip of the tongue, the poor man answered, 「I』m a duck.」 Thereupon he was arrested and brought before the king. On his way the poor man again crowed like a duck. The warden said to him, 「You didn』t crow properly before. What』s the use of crowing now?」

Stupid people of the world are like this, too. Throughout their lives they cruelly harm others with many evil deeds, refusing to regulate their minds to do good. Only at the end of their lives do they claim, 「I wish to cultivate good acts.」 But the guardians of the hells will take them before King Yama. Even if they wish to cultivate good they are too late, just like that foolish man who crowed like a duck when he was on his way to see the king.

譯文

從前外國的習俗，在節慶之日裹，所有婦女都佩戴優鉢羅華作為裝飾。

有一個窮人，妻子對他說：「你若是能得來優鉢羅華與我佩戴，就做你的妻子；若是不能得到，我便離開你了。」她丈夫先前很能摹仿鴛鴦的叫聲，便跨進國王的池沼，一邊作鴛鴦的鳴聲，一邊偷優鉢羅華。這時守池人問道：「池中的是誰?」這窮人失口答道：「我是鴛鴦。」守池人將他捉牢了，帶到國王處去，走到半道上，窮人又抑揚有致地作起鴛鴦的鳴聲來。守池人說：「你先前不叫，現在叫有什麼用?」

世上的愚人也是這樣，終身殺生害命，作種種惡業，不調節心行，以使它朝善的方向發展，待到命終時，方說：「如今我想修行善業。」獄卒依然把他帶去，付與閻羅王處治。雖是想修行善業，也已經晚了。就好像那個愚人，快到國王那兒了，才作起鴛鴦叫來。

原典

昔外國法，節①慶之日，一切婦女盡持優鉢羅華②，以為鬘③飾。

有一貧人，其婦語言：「爾若能得優缽羅華來用與我，為爾作妻；若不能得，我舍爾去。」其夫先來常善能作鴛鴦之鳴，即入王池，作鴛鴦鳴，偷優鉢羅華。時守池者而作是問：「池中者誰?」而此貧人失口答言：「我是鴛鴦。」守者捉得，將詣王所，而于中道復更和聲作鴛鴦鳴。守池者言：「爾先不作，今作何益?」

世間愚入亦復如是，終身殘害，作眾惡業，不習④心行⑤，使令調善，臨命終時，方言：「今我欲得修善。」獄卒將去，付閻羅王⑥。雖欲修善，亦無所及已。如彼愚人，欲到王所，作鴛鴦鳴。

注釋

①「法節」，《麗藏》作「節法」，誤，今據宋、元、明三藏改。

②僵鉢羅華：梵文Utpala就是青蓮華，葉子狹長，近下處稍圓，向上漸漸尖起來，很像佛眼。

③鬘：梵文Soma譯音的簡稱，將花朵貫串起來，作為裝飾，佩戴在頭上或身上。

④習：調節。

⑤心行：心，念念遷流不已，或念善，或念惡，所以叫做心行。

⑥閻羅王：梵文Yama-raja：主管生死罪福之業，役使鬼卒追攝罪人，捶拷治罰，決斷善惡。