百喻經 26 人效王眼瞤喻 The KingS Blinking Habit Is Imitated

26 The King’S Blinking Habit Is Imitated

26人效王眼瞤喻

Once upon a time, there was a man who wanted to please the king. He asked the others how to do it and was told, “If you want to please the king, you should imitate him.”

He then went to the palace where he saw the king blinking. Thereupon, he imitated and the king asked him, “Do you have sore eyes? Is the wind disturbing your eyes? Why are you blinking?”

He replied, “Not at all on seeing your Majesty, I want to be just like you to please your Majesty.”

Upon hearing those words, the king got very angry. The man was punished by hard blows and sent into exile.

So are the people at large. They wish to approach Buddha, king of the Law, to achieve advancement. Once there, Buddha reveals to them his human weaknesses for the welfare of all mankind. When they sometimes hear of using incorrect phrases in his teachings, they may be unable to understand Buddha and they start to ridicule and defame him. They imitate all his weaknesses. For this reason, they lose the benefit they have got from Buddhism forever and fall into Three Evil Paths of Transmigration accordingly.

This is just like the story of the man imitating the king’s blinking habit. Our being born as human beings must be attributed to the practice of a good religion from former lives. We should take good care of our beings and improve our virtue and do good deeds. We are sometimes cheated by the heretics, vicious men and seductive women, who said, “You should believe us that you will be reborn, after this life, in the Brahman Heaven and enjoy longevity and happiness, if you practice ascetics by jumping into the fire or rocks now.”

This is just like the story of the poor man burning his clothing.

譯文

從前有一個人，想討國王的歡喜，就問他人：「如何才能得國王的歡心?」有人說道：「你想討國王的歡喜麼，他的形相，你應該仿效。」此人這就到國王那兒去，見國王眼皮眨巴眨巴，于是也仿效著眨巴眨巴。國王便問他：「你是病了?還是著了風了?怎麼眼皮眨個不停?」此人答道：「我眼沒病，也沒著風，想要討得大王的歡喜，見大王眼皮眨巴，所以也學著眨巴。」國王聽了這話，就勃然大怒，即刻令人對他施行種種懲罰，並趕出國去。

世人也是這樣，想要親近佛陀，求得順理益己的善法，來使自己的德行增長。既已親近了佛陀，卻不懂得如來法王為了大眾的緣故，佛陀用種種善巧權便的方法來引導世人進入佛法之中，不免顯出一些闕失短處來，或是聽到佛法有字句不正的地方，就譏諷毀謗起來，學它的不是之處。由于這個緣故，便永遠在佛法中失掉了修行的順益，墮落于地獄、餓鬼、畜生三惡之中，如那個愚人一樣。

原典

昔有一人，欲得王意，問余人言：「云何得之?」有人語言：「若欲得王意者，王之形相，汝當效之。」此人即便往至王所，見王眼瞤，便效王瞤。王問之言：「汝為病耶?為著風耶?何以眼瞤?」其人答王：「我不病眼，亦不著風，欲得王意，見王眼瞤，故效王也。」王聞是語，即大瞋恚，即便使人種種加害，擯令出國。

世人亦爾，于佛法王欲得親近，求其善法，以自增長。既得親近，不解如來法王為眾生故，種種方便，現其闕短，或聞其法，見其字句不正，便生譏毀，效其不是。由是之故，于佛法中永失其善，墮于三惡，如彼愚人，亦復如是。

解說

此則可與第五十七則比看。《雜阿含經》卷十四：如賣針人，至針師門，欲求賣針，終不可售。(《中華大藏經》第三十三冊第一三九頁)