百喻經 9 嘆父德行喻 Praising the Father』s Virtuous Conduct

9 Praising the Father』s Virtuous Conduct

Once there was a man who praised his father』s virtue to the multitudes saying, 「My father is humane and kind. He harms no one and he never steals. He speaks directly and truthfully and he also practices giving.」

Hearing this, the stupid man said, 「My father is more virtuous than yours.」

The group then asked him, 「What is your father』s virtuous conduct? Please tell us about his deeds.」

「When he was young he severed all sexual desire, 「the stupid man replied.

The others said, 「If your father cut off sexual desire when he was young, how did he beget you?」 Then they laughed uproariously.

This is like ordinary ignorant people of the world who wish to praise the virtue of others but who are unrealistic and end up being ridiculous. They are like the stupid man who, although well-intentioned in wishing to praise his father, made an absurd mistake.

9嘆父德行喻

譯文

過去有一個人，在眾人中讚嘆自己父親的德行，說：「我的父親為人仁慈，不傷害他人，不偷盜，不說謊，而且還施行布施。」這時有個愚人聽了這番話，便說：「我父親的德行，還要超過你的父親。」眾人問道：「有什麼德行，請說說他的事蹟。」愚人答道：「我父親從小以來，就斷絕了淫欲，一直都沒接觸女人。」眾人說道：「若是斷絕了淫欲，卻如何生出你來?」大受當時人的嗤笑。

好比世間的無智之徒，想稱讚某人的德行，不懂得恰如其分，反而招致詆毀。如那個愚人，存心想讚嘆父親，卻言過其實，世間無智之徒也是如此。

原典

昔時有人于眾人中嘆己父德，而作是言：「我父慈仁，不害不盜，直作實語，兼行布施。」時有愚人，聞其此語，便作是①言：「我父德行復過汝父。」諸人問言：「有何德行，請道其事。」愚人答曰：「我父小來斷絕淫欲，初無染污。」眾人語言：「若斷淫欲，云何生汝?」深為時人之所怪笑。

猶如世間無智之流，欲讚人德，不識其實，反致毀呰②，如彼愚者，意存③嘆父，言成過失，此亦如是。

注釋

①「是」字後，《麗藏》有「念」字，衍，今據宋、元、明三藏刪。

②呰：音此，詆毀。

③「存」，《麗藏》作「好」，形似有訛，今從宋、元、明三藏改。

解說

名實相當，方能完美地達到目的。