[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [翻譯名義集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131) › 5.118 # 翻譯名義集 5.118 翻譯名義集 5.118 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.118](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5.118) 【阿波陀那】此云譬喻。《文句》云：「譬者，比況也；喻者，曉訓也。至理玄微，抱迷不悟，妙法深奧，執情奚解。要假近以喻遠，故借彼而況此。」《涅槃經》說：喻有八種：一順喻，二逆喻，三現喻，四非喻，五先喻，六後喻，七先後喻，八遍喻。順喻者，天降大雨，溝瀆皆滿，溝瀆滿故，小坑滿等。如來法雨亦復如是。眾生戒滿，戒滿足故，不悔心滿等。逆喻者，大海有本，所謂大河；大河有本，所謂小河等。以喻涅槃有本，謂解脫等。現喻者，眾生心性，猶如獼猴。非喻者，如來曾對波斯匿王說：「有四山從四方來，欲害於人。王若聞者，當設何計？」王即答云：「唯當專心持戒布施。」四山即是生老病死，常來切人，故云非喻。先喻者，譬如有人貪著妙華，欲取之時，為水所漂。眾生亦然，貪著五欲，為生老病死之所漂沒。後喻者，莫輕小惡，以為無殃。水渧雖微，漸盈大器。先後喻者，譬如芭蕉，生果則死。愚人得養亦如是，如騾懷妊，命不久全。遍喻者，三十三天，有波利質多樹，其根深入有五由旬，枝葉四布，葉熟則黃。諸天見已，心生歡喜。其葉既落，復生歡喜。枝變色已，又生歡喜等。我諸弟子亦如是。葉色黃者，喻我弟子念欲出家。其葉落者，喻我弟子剃除鬚髮等。經中具說，以此樹等，遍喻佛弟子等，故云遍喻。又第五卷明分喻云：「面貌端正，如盛滿月。白象鮮潔，猶如雪山。」滿月不可即同於面，雪山不可即是白象。不可以喻，喻真解脫。為眾生故，故作是喻（雪山比象，安責尾牙；滿月况面，豈有眉目）。 > \[Avadāna\] > Here this is translated as 'metaphor' (pìyù). The Wenju says: '"Pì" means comparison; "yù" means instructing with clarity. The ultimate principle is subtle and abstruse, and people harbor confusion without awakening; the marvelous Dharma is profound and secret, and how could grasping sentiment understand it? One must use what is near to illustrate what is far; therefore one borrows that to compare with this.' The Nirvāṇa Sūtra explains that metaphors are of eight kinds: first, direct metaphor; second, reverse metaphor; third, present metaphor; fourth, non-metaphor; fifth, prior metaphor; sixth, posterior metaphor; seventh, prior-and-posterior metaphor; eighth, comprehensive metaphor. As for a direct metaphor: when heavy rain falls from the heavens, the ditches and channels all fill up; because the ditches and channels are full, the small pits fill up, and so forth. The Tathāgata's Dharma rain is also like this: the precepts of sentient beings become full, and because the precepts are completely fulfilled, the heart free from remorse becomes full, and so forth. As for a reverse metaphor: the great ocean has a source, namely the great rivers; the great rivers have a source, namely the small rivers, and so forth; this illustrates that nirvāṇa has a source, namely liberation, and so forth. As for a present metaphor: the mental nature of sentient beings is like a monkey. As for a non-metaphor: the Tathāgata once said to King Prasenajit, 'There are four mountains coming from the four directions, intending to harm people. If the Great King heard of this, what strategy would you devise?' The king immediately replied, 'I should only single-mindedly uphold the precepts and practice generosity.' The four mountains are birth, old age, sickness, and death, which constantly press upon people; hence it is called a non-metaphor. As for a prior metaphor: for example, a person greedily craves wondrous flowers, and when he wishes to gather them, he is swept away by water. Sentient beings are also like this: greedily craving the five desires, they are swept away and drowned by birth, old age, sickness, and death. As for a posterior metaphor: do not make light of small evils, thinking there will be no misfortune; though water drops are minute, they gradually fill a large vessel. As for a prior-and-posterior metaphor: for example, a plantain dies once it bears fruit. A foolish person being sustained is also like this; just as when a mule becomes pregnant, its life is not long preserved. As for a comprehensive metaphor: in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, there is the pārijāta tree; its roots penetrate five yojanas deep, its branches and leaves spread in all directions, and when the leaves ripen they turn yellow. Seeing this, the devas rejoice. When its leaves have fallen, they rejoice again. When the branches change color, they rejoice yet again, and so forth. My disciples are also like this: the leaves turning yellow illustrates my disciples thinking of wishing to go forth from the household life; the leaves falling illustrates my disciples shaving off their hair and beards, and so forth. The sūtra fully explains that this tree and the like comprehensively illustrate the Buddha's disciples and the like; hence it is called a comprehensive metaphor. Furthermore, the fifth roll explains partial metaphors, saying: 'The facial appearance is upright and handsome, like the full moon. The white elephant is fresh and clean, just like a snow mountain.' The full moon cannot be identical to a face; a snow mountain cannot be identical to a white elephant. A metaphor cannot \[fully\] illustrate true liberation. It is for the sake of sentient beings that such metaphors are made (likening a snow mountain to an elephant, how can one demand a tail and tusks? Comparing the full moon to a face, how could it have eyebrows and eyes?). > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.117](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5.117) - [Next: 5.119](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5.119) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131~en-mt.5.118) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5.118](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2131.5.118) · Pramāṇa