百喻經 33 斫樹取果喻 Hacking A Tree Down For Fruit

33 Hacking A Tree Down For Fruit

33斫樹取果喻

Once upon a time, there was a king who had a tremendously gigantic and beautiful tree. It always produced excellent fruit with fragrance and sweetness. One day the king told a guest who was visiting his palace, “Wouldn’t you like to pluck some of the fruits?”

The man replied, “I wish to have some, but how Call I get them, the tree is so tall and large.”

The king then ordered to have the tree hacked down to get the fruit. In this context, all hard efforts were made in vain. The king still tried to revive the tree, which had withered and died.

So are the people at large.

Buddha, the king of the Law, possesses a “tree of keeping commandments” which bears wonderful fruit. It gives people happiness and makes their wishes come true. To get the fruit, one has to observe all commandments. Those who do not know how to do good deeds by expedient means, do wrong things in breaking commandments instead. This is just like the king who ordered to have the tree hacked down and the unable to make it grow again. Those who break commandments are just like that.

譯文

從前有位國王，擁有一棵好樹，長得高大，樹冠寬廣，將要結出香而甜美的好果子來。這時有一個人來到了國王居住的地方。國王對他說：「這棵樹上將結美果了，你想吃嗎?」這人就答道：「這棵樹高大寬廣，雖然想吃，怎麼才能夠摘得到呢?」于是就斲斷了樹，期望摘到果子。卻一無所獲，徒然地勞苦了一番。後來想栽回去，樹已枯死，毫無生機。

世上的人也是這樣。如來法王有一棵持戒樹，能結出好果子來。心內湧出了渴求滿足的快樂來，想要得到那果子，那麼，就應當持受戒律，修行種種功德。世上的人不會運用權便的智慧，反而破了戒，如那個伐了樹還想種活的人一樣，什麼都得不到。破戒的人，也是這樣。

原典

昔有國王，有一好樹，高廣極大，當生勝果，香而甜美。時有一人來至王所。王語之言：「此之樹上將生美果，汝能食不?」即答王言：「此樹高廣，雖欲食之，何由能得?」即便斷樹，望得其果。既無所獲，徒自勞苦。後還欲豎，樹已枯死，都無生理。

世間之人亦復如是。如來法王有持戒樹，能生勝果。心生願樂，欲得果食，應當持戒，修諸功德。不解方便，反毀其禁，如彼伐樹，復欲還活，都不可得。破戒之人，亦復如是。

解說

持受禁戒，修行功德，都是趣向于一切真理的無上智慧的津梁，雖則不是最終的目標，卻是通向最終目標不可或缺的方法，因而必須固守，且日日精進，以求獲得勝果。