法苑珠林 44.13

44.13

Also, the Sūtra of a Hundred Parables says: In the past, there was a man who spoke of the king's faults and offenses, saying, "The king is extremely tyrannical and governs without principle." When the king heard these words, he became furious and did not investigate them thoroughly at all. Believing a flatterer at his side, he seized a worthy minister and ordered that his back be flayed to take one hundred ounces of flesh. Someone testified that he had never spoken these words. Regret arose in the king's heart, and he sought a thousand ounces of flesh to patch his back with. During the night [the minister] groaned in intense suffering and distress. Hearing the sound, the king asked, "Why are you in distress? I took a hundred ounces from you and have given you ten times as much. Is this not enough for your mind? Why are you in distress?" A bystander replied, "Great King, it is like severing your son's head: even if you obtained a thousand heads, it would not save your son from death. Though he has received ten times the flesh, he cannot avoid suffering and pain." Foolish people are also like this: not fearing future lives, they greedily crave present pleasures, tormenting living beings and levying taxes upon the common people to acquire abundant wealth, hoping thereby to eradicate their offenses and obtain fortunate recompense. This is just like that king who sliced a man's back, took the man's flesh, and patched it with other flesh, hoping to make him feel no pain—this is impossible.