法苑珠林 46.20

46.20

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.