百喻經 12 煮黑石蜜漿喻 The Boiled Black Rock - Honey Syrup

12 The Boiled Black Rock - Honey Syrup

12煮黑石蜜漿喻

Once upon a time, a man was boiling black rock-honey syrup, when a rich man came to his house. He thought he would give the syrup to the rich man. He poured a little water into it and put it on a slow fire. He then fanned it with a fan in the hope of cooling it.

A bystander addressed to him, “If you don’t put out the fire below, how can you cool it even though you keep on fanning?” People began to laugh at him.

This is like the heretics who will practice a little mortification by sleeping on thorny brambles without putting out the flames of annoyance. As the five passions are still blazing within them, there is no way for such people to become cool and quiet. As a result, they sardonically laughed at by the wise. Moreover, they will suffer affliction in their present lives and transmigration in the future.

譯文

從前一個愚人在煮黑石蜜，有一位富人來到了他家。當時這愚人便這樣想：如今我應取黑石蜜漿招待這位富人。即在石蜜中放入些水，擱在火上，同時又急急地在火上用扇扇石蜜漿，希望它冷得快些。傍人說道：「下面不熄掉火，上面扇個不停，如何會冷呢?」當時眾人都嗤笑他。

這就好像外道，不去熄滅熾燃著的煩惱之火，而是稍稍修點苦行，臥在荊棘的刺上，用火來烤炙自己的身體，卻祈望求得清涼寂靜的大道，終究是辦不到的，徒然遭受智者的嗤笑。于現在受苦，還殃及將來的解脫。

原典

昔有愚人煮黑石蜜①，有一富人來至其家。時此愚人便作是想：我今當取黑石蜜漿與此富人。即著少水用置火上，即于火上，以扇扇之，望得使冷。傍人語言：「下不止火，扇之不已，云何得冷?」爾時眾人悉皆嗤笑。

其猶外道，不滅煩惱熾燃之火，少作苦行，臥棘刺上，五熱炙身②，而望清涼寂靜之道，終無是處。徒為智者之所怪笑。受苦現在，殃流來劫。

注釋

①黑石蜜：梵文是pataiasarkara，作黑石蜜時，要加入乳、油、面粉、焦土、炱煤之類，和合了，放在鐺中煎煮，于竹甑內盛了，投入水中，水即刻冒出煙來，嗞嗞作響，猶若將熱鐵放入了水中。冷卻凝固後，呈褐色，且堅硬如石，故名黑石蜜。

②五熱炙身：將五體在火上烤炙，是赴火外道的苦行方法。

解說

佛陀初先出家修道時，也曾作苦行，翹一足至二更方休，五熱炙身至二更方休，但後來意識到苦行的結果依然出離不了輪迴，便認為苦行是邪道，不是清淨道。關于外道的苦行，《雜阿含經》卷三十五的記載較詳：「常執須發，或舉手立，不在床坐，或復蹲坐，以之為業。或復坐臥于荊棘之上，或邊緣坐臥，或坐臥灰土，或牛尿涂地，于其中坐臥，或翹一足，隨日而轉。盛夏之日，五熱炙身，或食菜，或食舍樓枷，或食油滓，或食牛糞。或日事三火，或于冬節凍冰親體，有如是等無量苦身法。」(《中華大藏經》第三十三冊第五十八頁)