法苑珠林 44.23

44.23

生老病死患　於中未解脫
無明愛毒箭　猶未得拔出
人帝汝云何　而生樂著想
如象處林中　四邊大火起
處此急難處　云何有歡喜
大王應當知　榮位須臾間
智者深觀察　不應於此事
而生希有想　汝何故錯解
未脫生死胎　橫生無畏想
欲賊劫諸根　橫生無畏想
無常不堅固　如芭蕉水沫
亦如浮雲散　天王尊勝位
危脆亦如是　人帝應當知
貪利極速駛　如水注深谷
嗜欲極輕疾　動轉如掉索
愚癡染為欲　不覺致墮落

"From the afflictions of birth, old age, sickness, and death,
You have not yet attained liberation;
The poisoned arrows of ignorance and craving
Have not yet been pulled out.
O Lord of Men, why do you
Conceive notions of delight and attachment?
Like an elephant in the middle of a forest
With great fires rising on all four sides,
Dwelling in such a perilous place,
How can there be any joy?
The Great King should know
That glorious rank lasts but a moment;
A wise person observes deeply
And should not, concerning these things,
Conceive notions of rarity.
Why do you misunderstand,
Not yet freed from the womb of birth and death,
Yet arbitrarily conceiving notions of fearlessness?
The thieves of desire rob the sense faculties,
Yet you arbitrarily conceive notions of fearlessness.
Impermanent and unstable,
Like a plantain tree or water froth,
And like floating clouds dispersing,
The venerable and supreme rank of a heavenly king
Is also fragile like this.
The Lord of Men should know
That greed for gain is exceedingly swift,
Like water pouring into a deep gorge;
Addiction to desire is exceedingly light and rapid,
Shifting and revolving like a tossed rope;
Deluded fools, tainted by desire,
Are led without realizing it to fall."