法苑珠林 66.30

66.30

何謂憂悲苦惱苦。謂人生在世。長命者乃至百歲。短命者胞胎傷墮。長命之者與其百歲。夜消其半餘年五十在。其酒醉疾病不知作人。減少五歲。小時愚癡。至年十五未知禮義。年過八十老鈍無智。耳聾目冥無有法則。復減二十年。已九十年過。餘有十歲之中。多諸憂愁。天下欲亂時亦愁。天下旱時亦愁。天下大水亦愁。天下霜亦愁。天下不熟亦愁。室家內外多諸病痛亦愁。持家財物治生恐失亦愁。官家百調未輸亦愁。家人遭官閉繫牢獄未知出期亦愁。兄弟遠行未歸亦愁。居家窮寒無有衣食亦愁。比舍村落有事亦愁。社稷不辨亦愁。室家死亡無有財物殯葬亦愁。至春種作無有牛犁亦愁。如是種種憂悲無有樂時。至其節日共相集聚應當歡樂。方共悲啼相向。此是苦不。答言。實是大苦。

"What is meant by the suffering of worry, grief, and affliction? It refers to human life in the world: those of long lifespan may reach a hundred years, while those of short lifespan miscarry and perish in the womb. For those of long lifespan granted a hundred years, nights consume half of it, leaving fifty years. When drunk with wine or stricken by disease, one is unaware of being human; deduct five years for this. In childhood one is foolish; up to fifteen years of age one does not yet understand ritual and duty. When past eighty, one is aged, dull, and devoid of wisdom, deaf and dim-eyed, with no capacity for proper conduct; deduct another twenty years. Ninety years have already passed. In the remaining ten years, there are many worries and sorrows: when the empire is about to fall into chaos, one worries; when the empire suffers drought, one worries; when the empire has great floods, one worries; when the empire suffers frost, one worries; when the empire's crops do not ripen, one worries; when relatives within and outside the household suffer many illnesses and pains, one worries; when managing household property and doing business, fearing its loss, one worries; when the official taxes and levies have not yet been paid, one worries; when a family member is arrested by officials and confined to prison with no known date of release, one worries; when brothers travel far and have not returned, one worries; when the household is poor and cold, lacking clothing and food, one worries; when neighboring villages face calamities, one worries; when the sacrifices to the earth and grain gods cannot be prepared, one worries; when a family member dies and there are no goods for a funeral and burial, one worries; when spring comes for planting and there are no oxen or plows, one worries. Such various kinds of worry and grief leave no time for joy. Even when gathering together on festival days when they should rejoice, they only face each other and weep. Is this suffering or not?"
He answered, saying: "Truly, it is great suffering."