[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [雜譬喻經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207) › 1.38 # 雜譬喻經 1.38 雜譬喻經 1.38 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207.1.38) 昔有一大國王，身得重病十二年不差，一切大醫無能治者。時邊方小國統屬大王，有一醫師善能治病，王即召來令治己病，未久之間即蒙除降。王便念欲報此師恩，屢遣使者宣令彼國：「此師治王病差，應有大功宜應賞賜，象馬車乘、牛羊田宅、青衣直人、嚴飾之具，皆給與之。」彼小國王奉宣上命，為設舍宅、高堂重閣，給其師婦衣裳、飲食、珠環嚴具，及象馬牛羊一切備足。師在王邊無有語者，師便思惟：「我治王病大有功夫，未知王當報我與不？」復經數日王轉平復，其師請辭欲還本國，王便聽之，給一羸馬，乘具亦弊。師大歎恨：「我治王病大有功夫，而王不識恩分不相料理，令我空去。」循道愁歎以為永恨。適至本國見有群象，問象子曰：「此誰家象？」象子答曰：「此是某甲師象。」復問象子曰：「某甲師何從得此象？」象子答曰：「某甲師治大王病差，功報所得也。」小復前行見有群馬，問馬子曰：「此誰家馬？」馬子答曰：「某甲師馬。」小復前行見有群牛羊，問群牛羊子曰：「此誰家牛羊？」羊子答曰：「某甲師牛羊。」小復前行見其本舍高堂重閣殊異本宅，問門人曰：「此是誰舍？」門人答曰：「此是某甲師舍。」便入其閤內，見其婦形色豐悅身服寶衣，怪而問曰：「此誰夫人？」直人答言：「此是某甲師夫人。」從見象馬及入舍內，皆知是治王病功報所得，便自追恨，本治王病功夫少也。喻福德也——福德留難，如王病也；醫師喻修福人也；治王病者，喻如行人能修福事也；王病差者，如福德已成也；王宣令賞賜象馬室宅者，言福積於此報成於彼也。夫望速者，常患應遲也。如人少信，有時作福便望朝夕報也，老病死至便謂自然無善報也，得天中陰善應具至，如彼醫師見象馬也。乘此中陰既到天宮，受彼生陰，目見天堂種種嚴飾，乃知追恨往昔不多作也。如彼醫師既見賞賜，恨其治病功夫少也。 > Formerly, there was the king of a great country who fell gravely ill for twelve years without recovering; none of the great physicians could cure him. At that time, in a small border state subject to the great king, there was a physician skilled at curing illnesses. The king summoned him and ordered him to treat his illness, and in no time he was relieved of it. The king thought to repay this physician's kindness, and repeatedly sent envoys to proclaim an order in that state: "This physician has cured the king's illness and has great merit; he ought to be rewarded. Give him elephants, horses, carriages, cattle, sheep, fields, residences, servants, retainers, and adornments—all are to be provided to him." The king of that small state respectfully carried out the superior command, preparing a residence with tall halls and multi-storeyed pavilions for him, providing the physician's wife with clothing, food, drink, pearl rings, and adornments, as well as elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep, all fully prepared. Beside the king, no one spoke of this to the physician. The physician then thought: "I took great pains in curing the king's illness; I wonder whether the king will reward me or not?" After a few more days, the king's health was completely restored. The physician asked to take his leave to return to his home country, and the king permitted it, giving him only a single emaciated horse with worn-out harness. The physician sighed in great resentment: "I took great pains in curing the king's illness, yet the king does not recognize my kindness and has made no arrangements for me, sending me away empty-handed." He walked along the road sighing in sorrow, regarding it as an eternal grievance. Just as he reached his native country, he saw a herd of elephants and asked an elephant-keeper: "Whose elephants are these?" The elephant-keeper answered: "These are the elephants of physician so-and-so." He asked the elephant-keeper again: "Where did physician so-and-so get these elephants?" The elephant-keeper answered: "Physician so-and-so cured the great king's illness, and these were obtained as a reward for his merit." Walking forward a little further, he saw a herd of horses and asked a horse-keeper: "Whose horses are these?" The horse-keeper answered: "Physician so-and-so's horses." Walking forward a little further, he saw a herd of cattle and sheep and asked the shepherd: "Whose cattle and sheep are these?" The shepherd answered: "Physician so-and-so's cattle and sheep." Walking forward a little further, he saw his original residence with tall halls and multi-storeyed pavilions, vastly different from his former house. He asked the doorkeeper: "Whose house is this?" The doorkeeper answered: "This is physician so-and-so's house." He entered within the inner quarters and saw that his wife was well-nourished and radiant, dressed in precious robes. Surprised, he asked: "Whose lady is this?" The retainer answered: "This is physician so-and-so's lady." From seeing the elephants and horses to entering inside his residence, he learned that all this had been obtained as the reward for the merit of curing the king's illness, and he regretted having put in so little effort in curing the king's illness in the first place. This is an analogy for merit: the hindrance of merit is like the king's illness; the physician is like one who cultivates merit; curing the king's illness is like a practitioner who is able to perform meritorious deeds; the recovery from the king's illness is like merit being accomplished; and the king proclaiming the order to bestow elephants, horses, and residences means that merit accumulates here while the retribution is realised there. Those who hope for quick results are always vexed that the response is slow. Like people of little faith, who, upon performing merit on occasion, expect a retribution from morning to evening; when old age, illness, and death arrive, they think there is naturally no good retribution. When one attains the intermediate existence of the heavens, the good response will arrive completely, like that physician seeing the elephants and horses. Riding this intermediate existence, having arrived at the heavenly palace, one receives the existence of birth there, and seeing with one's own eyes the various adornments of the heavenly hall, one then regrets not having performed more in the past, just as that physician, having seen the rewards, regretted that his effort in treating the illness had been so small. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207.1.37) - [Next: 1.39](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207.1.39) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207~en-mt.1.38) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.44.18) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207.1.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.207.1.38) · Pramāṇa