百喻經 24 種熬胡麻子喻 Planting Cooked Sesame Seeds

24 Planting Cooked Sesame Seeds

24種熬胡麻子喻

Once there was a fool who ate raw sesame. He found that it was not as tasty as cooked sesame. Then he came to the following conclusion, 「I should plant cooked sesame seeds. Then I will reap a tasty harvest.」 Thereupon he cooked the sesame and planted them in the ground. Of course, the sesame never sprouted.

People of the world act in the same way. Because they are discouraged by the idea that Bodhisattvas have to throughout many aeons engage in ascetic discipline that is hard to practice, they arrive at this notion, 「I should become an Arhat and swiftly put an end to birth and death. To practice this path is quite easy.」 But, afterwards, when they try to pursue the Bodhisattvas』 fruition, they never attain it, just as cooked sesame seeds could never grow. Stupid people commonly act this way.

譯文

從前有個愚人，生吃胡麻子，覺得味道不美，炒了吃，味美，便想：不如炒了再種，而後就能得味美的胡麻子了。于是就炒了來種，永遠失掉了生長出來的因。

世人也是這樣，由于菩薩過去時長期修行，專就困難之處做苦行之事，世人以為這不順當怡樂，便想道：不如成為阿羅漢，速速斷離生死之道，永入涅槃，這功效很容易達到。而後來再想求佛果，畢竟是不可能了。就如那焦了的種子，不再有生長的因了。世間的愚人，也是這樣斷滅了精進的因。

原典

昔有愚人，生食胡麻子，以為不美，熬①而食之為美，便生念言：不如熬而種之，後得美者。便熬而種之，永無生理。

世人亦爾，以菩薩曠劫修行，因難行苦行，以為不樂，便作念言：不如作阿羅漢，速斷生死，其功甚易。後欲求佛果，終不可得。如彼焦種，無復生理。世間愚人，亦復如是。

注釋

①熬：炒。

源流

《菩提資糧論》卷四：如被燒種子，雖置地中，水澆日暖，終不能生。(《中華大藏經》第二十九冊第四六八頁)

《法苑珠林》卷二十三：事等破瓶，義同焦種，亦如多羅(綿)，既斷，寧可重生。析石已離，終無還合。(《大正藏》第五十三冊第四十五頁)