大方便佛報恩經 2.19

2.19

「是時轉輪聖王前後導從，案行國界，見諸眾生受斯苦惱，愍而哀傷，而作是言：『夫為王者，王領國土，攝諸眾生。雖以十善導化，果得如是微妙五欲，而不免生老病死，無常敗壞。當知我雖以正法治國，無益於物。若無益於物，云何名為大轉輪王？云何復名為大慈父？云何復名為大醫王？云何復名為大導師？夫大導師者，導以正路，示涅槃徑，使得無為，常得安樂。我等今者名不稱行。譬如有人渴乏垂命，東西馳走，求索冷水。遙見空井，心生歡喜，而作是念：「今我此身，便為更生。何以故？若不得水，命去不遠。今見好井，必其望得，清淨冷水，濟我虛渴運急之命。」作是念已，馳犇往趣，往到井上，脫所著衣，舉著一處。入井取水而不得水，唯見毒蛇、守宮、蝮蠍百足之屬，瓦礫、荊棘及諸草穢。爾時渴人失本願故，既不得水，眾毒螫身，尋欲出井。其井朽故，陷墜嶔巖。其朽故井深一箭道，既無梯隥、繩索、杖木。雖復踴身上升，勢不能高，氣力羸惙，還墮井底，為諸毒蛇之所唼食。命未斷頃而作是言：「我若先知此井無水，尚不眼視，而況往取。今日苦毒，為井所誤。」』

"At that time, the wheel-turning sage king, preceded and followed by his retinue, inspected his realm. Seeing all sentient beings undergoing such anguish, he was filled with pity and sorrow, and spoke these words: 'As a king, I govern the realm and gather in all sentient beings. Although I have guided and transformed them through the ten virtues, resulting in their obtaining such sublime five desires, they still do not escape birth, old age, sickness, and death, impermanence and destruction. It should be known that although I have governed the country according to the saddharma, it has been of no benefit to living beings. If it is of no benefit to living beings, how can I be called a great wheel-turning king? How can I be called a great compassionate father? How can I be called a great king of physicians? How can I be called a great guide? A great guide leads by means of the correct path, reveals the road to nirvāṇa, enables them to attain the unconditioned, and allows them always to attain peace and happiness. We at present have names that do not match our deeds. For example, suppose a person dying of thirst runs east and west seeking cold water. Seeing an empty well from afar, their heart rejoices, and they think: "Now my body will be revived! Why? If I do not get water, death is not far off. Now that I see a good well, I can certainly hope to get pure, cold water to relieve my extreme thirst and save my precarious life." Having thought this, they run swiftly toward it. Arriving at the well, they take off the clothes they are wearing and set them aside. Entering the well to fetch water, they find no water at all, but see only poisonous snakes, geckos, vipers, scorpions, centipedes, and the like, as well as rubble, thorns, and assorted foul weeds. At that time, because the thirsty person has lost their original wish, having failed to get water while various poisons sting their body, they immediately wish to get out of the well. But the well is decayed, dilapidated and steep. The decayed well is an arrow-shot deep, and there are no ladders, ropes, or wooden staffs. Although they leap up to climb out, they have no strength to reach high; their vigor exhausted, they fall back down to the bottom of the well and are bitten and eaten by the poisonous snakes. Before their breath is cut off, they say: "If I had known beforehand that this well had no water, I would not have even looked at it, much less gone to draw from it. Today's bitter suffering is entirely due to being deceived by this well!"'