百喻經 18 就樓磨刀喻 Sharpening the Knife Upstairs

18 Sharpening the Knife Upstairs

18就樓磨刀喻

Once there was a poor man who worked for the king. After months had passed, his body became thin and emaciated. Out of pity for him, the king gave him a dead camel. The poor man immediately started to flay the camel. Finding his knife too blunt, he went about looking for a whetsone to grind it. He found one upstairs. After he had sharpened his knife, he came downstairs to skin the camel. This he did repeatedly, running up and down the stairs, to sharpen his knife. The process became so toilsome that he couldn』t manage to go up and down the stairs any more. He ended up dragging the entire carcass of the camel up the stairs, so he could sharpen his knife next to it. Everybody laughed at him.

This person』s behavior is like that of deluded people who break the precepts, and who expend plenty of money to cultivate blessings in hope of being reborn in the heaven. These people are like the man, who, because he liked to sharpen his knife, dragged the entire camel upstairs. The effort was tedious; but the results were minimal.

譯文

從前有一個人，貧窮困苦，替國王做事情，日子久了，身體羸瘦。國王見了，很是憐愍，便賜給他一頭死駱駝。貧人得了，就開始剝皮，嫌刀鈍，尋磨刀石想磨利，就在樓上覓得一塊磨刀石。刀磨利了，便下樓來剝。如此這般，數次往來磨刀，後來逐漸覺得勞苦起來，怕身體吃不消了，無法這樣上上下下的，于是就把駱駝懸吊到樓上去，便可以就石磨刀了。深遭眾人的嗤笑。

猶如愚人毀壞禁戒，大肆積取錢財，拿這些錢來修福行善，祈望來世生于天上，就像懸吊駱駝上樓去磨刀一樣，費用功夫很多，所得的益處卻極少。

原典

昔有一人，貧窮困苦，為王作事，日月經久，身體羸瘦。王見憐愍，賜一死駝。貧人得已，即便剝皮，嫌刀鈍故，求石欲磨，乃于樓上得一磨石。磨刀令利，來下而剝。如是數數往來磨刀，後轉勞苦，憚不能數上，懸駝上樓，就石磨刀。深為眾人之所嗤笑。

猶如愚人毀破禁戒，多取錢財，以用修福，望得生天。如懸駝上樓磨刀，用功甚多，所得甚少。

解說

此則可與第四十三則比看。