百喻經 8 山羗偷官庫衣喻 The Rustic Steals from the Palace Treasury

8 The Rustic Steals from the Palace Treasury

8山羗偷官庫衣喻

Long ago there was a country bumpkin who stole items from the king』s treasury and ran far away. The king sent men to search for him in the four directions. They apprehended him and brought him before the king. The king accusingly asked, 「Where did you get those clothes?」

The rustic said, 「These clothes belonged to my grandfather.」

The king ordered him to prove it by putting them on, but the rustic did not know how to wear them. He put on his arms what should have been on his legs; he put on his head what should have been on his back. Seeing he must surely be the thief, the king called his ministers for a consultation. Then he said to the rustic, 」If these clothes really belonged to your grandfather, you would know how to wear them. Why did you get them all mixed up? Since you didn』t know how to put them on, they certainly can』t be your own clothes. You must have stolen them.」

In this parable the king is like the Buddha. The precious treasury is like the Dharma. The stupid rustic is like those of externalist ways who eavesdrop on the Buddhadharma and then take it as their own. Because they misinterpret it, they get it all mixed up and fail to understand the marks of Dharma. This is like the rustic who know how to wear them and put them on upside down.

譯文

過去，有一個山羗族人，偷了國王庫藏中的衣物，逃得遠遠的。當時國王派人四處推問追尋，捕捉到了那個山羗族人，將他帶至國王面前，國王就責問他衣物是從那兒來的。山羗答道：「我這些衣物都是祖父輩留傳下來的。」國王命他穿上這些衣裳。確實不是他原本所有，因而不知道怎樣穿，應該套進手中的，卻穿到腳上去了，應該系在腰間的，反卻戴到頭上去了。王見罷這番情景，便招集眾臣共同商量此事，而後對那山羗族人說：「若是你的祖父輩以來就有的衣服，便應當懂得如何穿著，卻為何會上下顛倒呢?這是不懂穿著的緣故，因此可斷定你這些衣服必是偷得的，不是你舊時就有的。」

藉這來譬喻：國王好比是佛，寶藏好比是佛法，愚癡的山羗人好比是外道，竊聽了佛法，便把它放到自己的學說中去，當作是自己所有的，然而由于不懂佛法的緣故，使用佛法的時候，便迷亂了上下，不明了諸法的種種殊別之相。一如那位山羗人，偷得國王的寶衣，卻不識穿戴的上下次第，顛倒而穿，外道也是如此。

原典

過去之世，有一山羗①，倫王庫物而遠逃走。爾時國王遣人四出推尋，捕得，將至王邊，王即責其所得衣處。山羗答言：「我衣乃是祖父之物。」王遺著衣。實非山羗本所有故，不知著之，應在手者著于腳上，應在腰者返著頭上。王見賊已，集諸臣等共詳此事，而語之言：「若是汝之祖父已來所有衣者，應當解著，云何顛倒用上為下?以不解故，定知汝衣必是偷得，非汝舊物。」

藉以為譬：王者如佛，寶藏如法，愚癡羗者猶如外道，竊聽佛法②，著己法中，以為自有，然不解故，布置佛法，迷亂上下，不知法相③。如彼山羗，得王寶衣，不識次第，顛倒而著，亦復如是。

注釋

①山羗：西北古族名。

②法：此處指道、理、義、軌則。

③法相：諸法(宇宙萬有)一性殊相，種種殊別之相，從外觀即可見出，所以叫做法相。這兒是指外道不懂得佛理，無法藉此來分析種種殊別之相，以見出那根本的一體的性來。

解說

各教各派的學說，相互之間有著吸納、融合，自是不可免的，然而需以我為主，有條件地利用，否則便像機關木人一般，雖能有模有樣地動作，而里面卻沒有自身的主意。