百喻經 16 灌甘蔗喻 Watering with Sugar

16 Watering with Sugar

16灌甘蔗喻

Once there were two people who cooperated in plating a crop of sugar cane. They made a pact with each other: 「The one who comes up with the better crop will be rewarded, while the one who doesn』t do as good a job will be severely punished.」

At that time, one of the two thought to himself, 「Sugar cane is extremely sweet. If I crush the sugar cane and obtain juice and irrigate the plants with sugar-cane juice, then the sweetness of this crop will certainly excel that of my partner』s.」

Thereupon, he crushed his sugar cane and used their juice to irrigate his own plants, hoping that they will become even more succulent and sweet-tasting. But, instead he damaged the seeds and lost his entire crop.

People of the world are like this farmer. Wishing to pursue wholesome blessings, they rely on their own wealth and influence to oppress the people and usurp and confiscate others』 wealth and possessions. They conduct themselves in this way in their pursuit of blessings, hoping for riches and wholesome rewards. They fail to realize that. They will reap a terrible retribution. They are like the man who squeezed sugar cane juice on his sugar cane plants and ended up losing both the juice and the plants.

譯文

從前有兩個人一起種甘蔗，立下誓約：「種得好的，有賞：種得不好的，定當重罰他。」這時其中一個想道：甘蔗極甜，若是壓取了甘蔗汁，還用來澆灌甘蔗樹，必定異常地甘美，就能勝過他。即刻壓甘蔗，拿汁來灌溉，冀望滋味更加甘美，結果反而敗壞了種子，所有的甘蔗都統統死光了。

世人也是如此，想要求得善福，卻是憑恃自身的豪貴，運用關系，挾持勢力，來脅迫老百姓，陵奪他們的財物，拿來作布施用。本來是期望求得善果，卻不知將來反而因此而遭殃，就如壓甘蔗汁來灌溉一樣，汁水與種子，彼此都失掉了。

原典

昔有二人共種甘蔗，而作誓言：「種好者，賞；其不好者，當重罰之。」時二人中，一者念言：甘蔗極甜，若壓取汁，還灌甘蔗樹，甘美必甚，得勝于彼。即壓甘蔗，取汁用溉，冀望滋味，反敗種子。所有甘蔗一切都失。

世人亦爾，欲求善福，恃己豪貴，專①形挾勢，迫脅下民，陵奪財物，以用作福。本期善果，不知將來反獲其殃，如壓甘蔗，彼此都失。

注釋

①專：據、用。

解說

只求目的實現，不問手段好壞，自是不對的。

關于兩者俱失，可與第二十五則(水火喻)、第三十二則、第七十五則、第八十八則(獼猴把豆喻)、第九十七則(為惡賊所劫失氎喻)比看。