雜譬喻經 1.62

1.62

昔佛在世時，有五百力士俱為沙門，共在一處坐禪誦經。有不善賊盡奪諸沙門衣鉢蕩盡，唯有泥洹僧在。是賊去後，諸沙門輕著泥洹僧，俱詣佛所具白此意，佛語諸沙門言：「汝何不大喚？」諸沙門答言：「佛未聽，是故不敢喚。」佛語諸比丘：「汝若不敢喚者，賊當日剝汝衣，誰當能常給者？從今日後，聽汝見賊來時大喚，捉杖塼石恐怖令去，但莫至誠傷害之耳。」人之所重者身也命也財也，此三事皆不足惜、不可輕也。不足惜者，以其非常敗壞無有堅固，愚惑惜之以為我物，貪愛悋惜起不善因緣，後墮惡道，故不足惜也。不可輕者，以有身故遇值賢聖，擎跪曲拳承迎禮拜，後得金剛寶身不可毀壞，故曰不可輕也。命不足惜者，人為命故殺生、強盜、婬妷，口犯四過，心生貪恚邪見，後墮地獄，故曰不足惜也。而亦不可輕者，以有命故值遇聖賢，得聞法言精義入神盡壽修行，後得寶命無量無窮，故曰亦不可輕也。財不足惜者，以財是五家之分——盜賊、水、火、縣官、惡子——，五家忽至一旦便盡，故曰不足惜也。不可輕者，遇良福田持用布施，種種供養無所遺惜，後得寶財四大藏，周窮濟乏求得無盡，故曰不可輕也。夫修福德皆當擬心求成佛道，不應但索人天果報也。所以者何？譬如種穀但求其實，實雖未熟，莖節枝葉自然已得，布施作福亦復如是，發意擬儀但求成佛泥洹之道，道雖未成，人天中樂金輪聖主、帝釋、梵王自然並至，亦如種穀不期莖節枝葉自然而得也。所以不應但求人天果報之樂者也。

Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, there were five hundred wrestlers who all became śramaṇas and stayed together in one place to sit in dhyāna and chant the sūtras. Dishonest thieves completely plundered the garments and alms bowls of the śramaṇas, stripping them entirely bare; only their nivāsanas remained. After the thieves departed, the śramaṇas hastily put on their nivāsanas and went together to the Buddha’s place, fully explaining the matter. The Buddha said to the śramaṇas, “Why did you not cry out loudly?” The śramaṇas replied, “The Buddha had not permitted it, and therefore we dared not cry out.” The Buddha said to the bhikṣus, “If you dare not cry out, the thieves will strip you of your robes day after day; who could constantly provide for you? From this day forward, I permit that when you see thieves coming, you may cry out loudly and grasp staves, bricks, and stones to frighten them and make them leave, but you must not sincerely harm them.” That which humans value is the body, life, and wealth. These three things are both not worth begrudging and not to be made light of. They are not worth begrudging because they are impermanent, perishable, and without solidity; the foolish and deluded begrudge them, taking them to be ‘mine’, and through craving and stinginess they give rise to unwholesome causes and conditions, later falling into evil destinies—therefore they are not worth begrudging. They are not to be made light of because having a body allows one to meet the worthy and holy, raising the hands, kneeling, bowing, welcoming, and paying homage to them, thereby later attaining an indestructible adamantine, jeweled body—therefore it is said they are not to be made light of. Life is not worth begrudging because humans, for the sake of life, commit killing, robbery, sexual misconduct, the four vocal transgressions, and conceive greed, anger, and wrong views in the mind, later falling into hell—therefore it is said it is not worth begrudging. Yet it is also not to be made light of because having life allows one to encounter the holy and worthy, hear the words of the Dharma, let its refined principles enter the spirit, and practice for one’s entire lifespan, later attaining an immeasurable and inexhaustible jeweled life—therefore it is said it is also not to be made light of. Wealth is not worth begrudging because wealth is the shared portion of the five houses—thieves, water, fire, officials, and bad children; when the five houses suddenly arrive, in a single morning it is gone—therefore it is said it is not worth begrudging. It is not to be made light of because encountering a fine field of merit, one uses it to practice dāna and offer various kinds of pujas without any remaining stinginess, later attaining the four great treasuries of precious wealth, relieving the impoverished, aiding the destitute, and seeking whatever one desires inexhaustibly—therefore it is said it is not to be made light of. In cultivating meritorious virtues, one should set one’s mind on seeking to accomplish the Buddha Way and should not merely seek the fruit of retribution among humans and devas. Why is this? It is like planting grain: one seeks only the grain itself; though the grain is not yet ripe, the stalks, nodes, branches, and leaves are naturally already attained. Practicing dāna and making merit are also like this: if one arouses the intention and resolves solely to seek the achievement of Buddhahood and the path of nirvāṇa, then though the Way is not yet accomplished, the bliss among humans and devas, the wheel-turning king of the golden wheel, Śakra, and the Brahma King will naturally all arrive together, just as in planting grain one does not anticipate stalks, nodes, branches, and leaves, yet naturally obtains them. This is why one should not merely seek the bliss of the retribution of humans and devas.