法苑珠林 46.20

46.20

如舊雜譬喻經云。昔有一國。五穀熟成人民安寧無有疾病。晝夜伎樂人無憂惱。王問群臣。我聞天下有禍何類。答曰。臣亦不見。王便使一臣至於隣國求覓買之。天神則化作一人。於市中賣之。狀類如猪。持鐵鎖繫縛賣之。臣問。此名何等。答曰。禍母。臣曰。賣不。答曰賣。問索幾錢。答曰。千萬。問曰。此食何等。答曰。食針一升。臣便家家發求覓針。如是人民兩兩三三相逢求針。使諸郡縣處處擾亂。百姓所在之處患毒無聊。臣白王曰。雖得禍母致使民亂男女失業。欲殺棄之。未審許不。王言。大善。便於城外將殺。刺便不入。斫則不傷。剖而不死。積薪燒之身赤如火便走出去。過里燒里。過市燒市。入城燒城。入國燒國。擾亂人民飢餓困苦。坐由厭樂買禍所致苦也。此喻女色欲火所燒。男子貪毒至死不知苦也。

As the Old Sūtra of Miscellaneous Parables states: Formerly there was a country where the five grains ripened, the people were peaceful, and there was no disease. Day and night there was music and performance, and the people had no worries or distress. The king asked his assembled ministers: "I have heard that in the world there is misfortune; what does it look like?" They replied: "We ministers have never seen it either." The king then sent a minister to neighboring countries to seek and purchase it. A deity then transformed into a person and was selling it in the marketplace. In appearance it resembled a pig, bound and tied with iron chains as it was being sold. The minister asked: "What is this called?" The vendor replied: "The Mother of Misfortune." The minister said: "Is it for sale?" He answered: "It is for sale." The minister asked: "How much money do you seek?" He replied: "Ten million." The minister asked: "What does it eat?" He replied: "It eats a pint of needles." The minister then went from house to house searching for needles. Thus the people met in twos and threes seeking needles, causing disturbance everywhere across the prefectures and counties. Wherever the common people were, they suffered bitterly and were helpless. The minister addressed the king, saying: "Although we obtained the Mother of Misfortune, it has caused turmoil among the people, and men and women have lost their livelihoods. I wish to kill it and discard it, but I do not know if you permit it." The king said: "Very good." They then brought it outside the city to kill it. When they stabbed it, the blade would not penetrate; when they hacked it, it was unhurt; when they sliced it open, it did not die. They piled up firewood and burned it; its body turned red like fire and it ran away. Passing through a hamlet, it burned the hamlet; passing through a marketplace, it burned the marketplace; entering a city, it burned the city; entering a country, it burned the country. It disrupted the people, who suffered hunger, hardship, and distress. This suffering was incurred purely because they grew bored with pleasure and purchased misfortune. This is a parable for being burned by the fire of sexual desire for women; men are poisoned by craving and do not realize the suffering until death.