百喻經(jīng): 引言
§0 引言
0.Prologue
聞如是：一時(shí)佛住王舍城，在鵲封竹園，與諸大比丘、菩薩摩訶薩及諸八部三萬六千人俱。
Thus have I heard. Once upon a time Sakyamuni, The Enlightened One, was staying in a park called Karanda Bamboo Grove, near Rajagriha City. He held a meeting with thirty six thousand men including great monks, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas and the eight groups of supernatural beings.
是時(shí)會(huì)中有異學(xué)梵志五百人俱，從座而起，白佛言“吾聞佛道洪深，無能及者，故來歸問。唯愿說之。”
On that occasion, there were five hundred Brahmans in the assembly. One of them rose from his seat and said to Sakyamuni, the Buddha: "We have learned that Buddhism is so profound that there is no parallel to it. So we have come to ask you to explain it to us."
佛言：“善哉!”
Very well, The Enlightened One said.
問曰：“天下為有為無?”
Is the universe existent or non-existent? The Brahman asked.
答曰：“亦有亦無。”
It is both existent and non-existent, the Enlightened one replied.
梵志曰：“如今有者，云何言無?如今無者，云何言有?”
The Brahman said, "How can you say non-existent of what is now existent? How can you say existent of what is now non-existent?"
答曰：“生者言有，死者言無。故說‘或有或無’。”
The Enlightened One replied, "The living say it is existent, but the dead say it is non-existent. Consequently, I say it is both existent and non-existent."
問曰：“人從何生?”
He asked, "What does man live on?"
答曰：“人從谷而生。”
The Enlightened One replied, "Man lives on cereals."
問曰：“五谷從何而生?”
He asked, "Where do the five cereals come from?"
答曰：“五谷從四大火風(fēng)而生。”
They come from the four elements, fire, wind, water and earth, The Enlightened One replied.
問曰：“四大火風(fēng)從何而生?”
Where do the four elements come from? the Brahman asked.
答曰：“四大火風(fēng)從空而生。”
They come from void. The Enlightened One replied.
問曰：“空從何生?”
Where does the void come from? He asked.
答曰：“從無所有生。”
It comes from nothingness. The Enlightened One replied.
問曰：“無所有從何而生?”
Where does nothingness come from? He asked.
答曰：“從自然生。”
From the nature. The Enlightened One replied.
問曰：“自然從何而生?”
Where does nature come from? He asked.
答曰：“從泥洹而生。”
From Nirvana. The Enlightened One replied.
問曰：“泥洹從何而生?”
Where does Nirvana come from? He asked.
佛曰：“汝今問事何以爾深?泥洹者是不生不死法。”
Why do you ask about such profound things. Nirvana is the law of non-birth and immortality. The Enlightened One replied.
問曰：“佛泥洹未?”
Have you attained Nirvana? He asked.
答曰：“我未泥洹。”
I haven't reached Nirvana yet. The Enlightened One replied.
“若未泥洹，云何得知泥洹常樂?”
If you haven't reached Nirvana yet, how do you know Nirvana is an eternal bliss? He asked.
佛言：“我今問汝，天下眾生為苦為樂?”
Now let me ask you whether the life of the sentient beings in the world is happy or miserable, the Enlightened One said.
答曰：“眾生甚苦。”
I view it as very miserable. He replied.
佛言：“云何名苦?”
What do you mean by miserable? The Enlightened One said.
答曰：“我見眾生死時(shí)，苦痛難忍，故知死苦。”
After seeing all the dying men whose pains are unbearable. I know death is miserable. He replied.
佛言：“汝今不死，亦知死苦;我見十方諸佛不生不死，故知泥洹常樂。”
Now you are not dead, nevertheless, you know death is miserable. I have seen all Buddhas of the ten directions in space having neither rebirth nor death. I know, therefore, Nirvana is an eternal bliss. The Enlightened One said.
五百梵志心開意解，求受五戒，悟須陀洹果，復(fù)坐如故。
Those five hundred Brahmans were satisfied and thus understood what the Enlightened One had said. They were then willing to accept the five commandments and asked to be disciples of Gauthama Buddha. Finally, they obtained enlightenment of the Sotapanna's degree. They sat down as before.
佛言：“汝等善聽，今為汝廣說眾喻。”
The Enlightened One said, "You all listen carefully to me. I'll give you an extensive talk of fables."
注釋:
【梵志】①志求生於梵天的人 ②在家的婆羅門 ③指一切外道出家人
白話:
有一天，佛和他的弟子們?cè)谕跎岢堑囊粋€(gè)鵲封竹園里集會(huì)，座中有諸大比丘，諸大菩薩，以及天龍八部等。在這個(gè)盛會(huì)中，還有從別處來的異學(xué)梵志五百人，他們都一心想聽佛法，對(duì)佛有所詢問，當(dāng)佛出來坐定后，他們便從座上站起來說∶“我們聽說佛法非常宏大和深遠(yuǎn)，所以特來請(qǐng)教。”佛就叫他們提出問題，一一加以回答，于是那五百梵志，都得到了心領(lǐng)意會(huì)，明白佛法的真義。就在佛座下五體投地受了五戒。接著，當(dāng)他們重新坐回座位以后，佛就對(duì)他們說∶“你們要好好聽，我現(xiàn)在給你們說各種譬喻。”
