[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) › [眾經撰雜譬喻](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208) › 1.18 # 眾經撰雜譬喻 1.18 眾經撰雜譬喻 1.18 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.18) 一切眾生貪著世樂不慮無常，不以大患為苦。譬如昔有一人遭事應死，繫在牢獄，恐死而逃走。國法若有死囚踰獄走者，即放狂象令蹈殺，於是放狂象令逐此罪囚。囚見象欲至，走入墟井中，下有一大毒龍張口向上，復四毒蛇在井四邊，有一草根，此囚怖畏，一心急捉此草根，復有兩白鼠嚙此草根。時井上有一大樹，樹中有蜜，一日之中有一滴蜜墮此人口中，其人得此一滴，但憶此蜜，不復憶種種眾苦，便不復欲出此井。是故聖人借以為喻：「獄者，三界，囚眾生；狂象者，無常；井，眾生宅也；下毒龍者，地獄也；四毒蛇者，四大也；草根者，人命根也；白鼠者，日月也。日月尅食人命日日損減無有暫住，然眾生貪著世樂不思大患。」是故行者當觀無常以離眾苦。 > All sentient beings are greedily attached to worldly pleasures, giving no thought to anitya and not considering great calamities to be suffering. For example, once a man committed an offense punishable by death; he was bound in prison, and fearing death, he escaped. By the law of the state, if a condemned prisoner broke prison and fled, a wild elephant would be released to trample him to death. Thereupon, a wild elephant was released to pursue this guilty prisoner. The prisoner saw the elephant about to reach him and fled into an abandoned well. Below was a great venomous dragon opening its mouth upward, and there were also four venomous snakes on the four sides of the well. There was a grass root; terrified, this prisoner urgently grabbed this grass root with single-minded focus. There were also two white mice gnawing at this grass root. At that time, above the well stood a large tree, and in the tree was honey; during a single day, one drop of honey fell into this man's mouth. Having obtained this single drop, that man thought only of this honey, no longer remembering the manifold sufferings, and no longer wished to leave this well. Therefore, the sages used this as a parable: “The prison is the three realms, and the prisoner is sentient beings; the wild elephant is anitya; the well is the dwelling of sentient beings; the venomous dragon below is naraka; the four venomous snakes are the caturmahābhūta; the grass root is the life-faculty of man; the white mice are the sun and the moon. The sun and moon gnaw away at human life, diminishing it day by day without pausing for a moment; yet sentient beings are greedily attached to worldly pleasures, not thinking of great calamities.” Therefore, practitioners should contemplate anitya in order to leave manifold sufferings behind. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.17) - [Next: 1.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.19) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208~en-mt.1.18) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.18) · Pramāṇa