法苑珠林 44.26

44.26

如舊雜譬喻經云。昔有國王出射獵還。過寺繞塔為沙門作禮。群臣共笑之。王覺知問群臣曰。有金在釜沸以手取得不。答曰。不可得。王言。汝以冷水投中可得取不。臣白王曰。可得也。王言。我行王事。射獵所作如湯沸。燒香然燈繞塔禮僧。如持冷水投沸湯中。夫作王有善惡之行。何為但有惡無善乎。

As the *Old Sutra of Miscellaneous Parables* states: In the past, a king returned from going out hunting. Passing a monastery, he circumambulated a stūpa and paid homage to the śramaṇas. The ministers laughed at him together. The king noticed this and asked the ministers, 'If there is gold in a boiling cauldron, can it be retrieved with one's hand?' They answered, 'It cannot.' The king said, 'If you cast cold water into it, can it be retrieved?' The ministers said to the king, 'It can.' The king said, 'When I conduct royal affairs, the deeds of hunting are like boiling water. Burning incense, lighting lamps, circumambulating stūpas, and paying homage to the saṃgha are like pouring cold water into boiling water. Now when one acts as king there are both good and bad deeds; why should there be only bad and no good?'