百喻经之十一: 婆罗门杀子喻
§11 婆罗门杀子喻
(11) the brahman kills his son
昔有婆罗门，自谓多知，于诸星术种种技艺无不明达。恃己如此，欲显其德，遂至他国，抱儿而哭！有人问婆罗门言：“汝何故哭？”
once upon a time, there was a brahman who prided himself on his erudite knowledge of astrology and various arts. he was such a conceited man that he claimed to be learned in everything. to show his ability, he went abroad carrying his son in his arms and cried. the brahman was asked, "why are you crying?"
婆罗门言：“今此小儿，七日当死，愍其夭殇，以是哭耳！”
he replied, "this baby is going to die within seven days. i'm grieved at his inevitable death. that's why i can't help crying."
时人语言：“人命难知，计算喜错。设七日头或能不死，何为预哭？”
the contemporaries said, "it's difficult to know a man's life. it's easy to make a miscalculation. he may not die seven days. why should you weep in advance?"
婆罗门言：“日月可暗，星宿可落，我之所记，终无违失。”
the brahman said, "the sun and the moon may set and the stars may fall, but i have never had a miscalculation on my record."
为名利故，至七日头，自杀其子，以证己说。
to prove his self-claimed knowledge, he killed his son on the seventh day, for the sake of fame and gain.
时诸世人，却后七日，闻其儿死，咸皆叹言：“真是智者，所言不错！”心生信服，悉来致敬。
the contemporaries heard the news of his son's death at the foretold time. they marvelled that he was indeed an erudite man who could prove true of what he had said. they all came to pay him homage, and were heartily convinced that he deserved respect (as a prophet).
犹如佛之四辈弟子，为利养故，自称得道，有愚人法，杀善男子，诈现慈德，故使将来，受苦无穷。如婆罗门为验己言，杀子惑世。
this is also true with those of sakyamuni's four degrees of disciples who claim to have attained the path of enlightenment for the sake of the material offerings from others. they would try to fool people by killing an innocent man in order to deceitfully show the virtue of compassion. such disciples would be certainly doomed to limitless suffering in time to come, just like the brahman who wanted to prove the accuracy of his prophecy by killing his son and thus deceived people.
注释：
①婆罗门：古印度的贵族集团，是四种姓中的第一种姓，掌握神权，成为知识垄断者。四种姓依次为：婆罗门、刹帝利、吠舍、贱民。
②星术：用星象占卜凶吉的方法。
③明达：清楚地了解和掌握。
④愍其夭殇：愍，怜悯；夭殇，未成年而死亡。
⑤喜错：容易出差错。
⑥诈现慈德：诈，伪装；慈德，慈善的品德。
白话：
从前在古印度有一位婆罗门种姓的人，自称知识渊博，能掌握星象占卜吉凶的方法预知未来。他自称技艺高明，于是就来到别的国家，抱着自己的儿子，在人们面前哭喊不止。有人问他说：“你为什么哭泣？”这个婆罗门种姓的人说：“这个小孩，过七天后就要死了，我怜悯他的夭折，所以痛哭啊！”那旁边的人说：“人的生命难以预料，预测很容易出差错。也许过了七天未必死亡，何必预先就悲痛呢？”婆罗门种姓的人说：“太阳月亮也有黑暗的时候，天上的星宿也可能会陨落，而我所预测的，从来没有失算过。”为了维护自己的名誉和利益，过了第七天，他亲手杀死了自己的孩子，以此来证明自己的推测。过了七天，人们听说他的儿子死了，都感叹地说：“真是一个智慧的人，所预言的果真不错。”人们从心里对他信服，向他致敬。
这就好比信奉佛教的比丘比丘尼和不出家的善男、信女，为了得到利益和供奉，自称已经悟道，用世俗的思想诱导，去伤害一心事佛的修行者，用伪装出的慈善品德骗人，从而使自己在轮回中受尽苦难。就像那个婆罗门种姓的人，为显示自己的预言灵验，亲手杀死儿子来愚弄大家。
解说：
四众弟子为了贪得供养，自称得道，以欺世盗名，最终必将遭到倾覆。为理解此意，可抄出《杂譬喻经》（比丘道略集、鸠摩罗什译）的一则譬喻，以供并读，亦属以喻解喻的方法。
昔有一比丘被摈（驱逐走），懊恼悲叹，涕哭而行，道逢一鬼。此鬼犯法，亦为毘沙门天王（即四大金刚之一）所摈。
时鬼问比丘言：「汝有何事，涕哭而行?」比丘答曰：「我犯僧事，众僧所摈，一切檀越供养尽失：又恶名声流布远近，是故愁叹涕泣耳。」鬼语比丘言：「我能令汝灭恶名声、大得供养，汝可便立我左肩上，我当担汝虚空中行，人但见汝而不见我身。汝若大得供养，当先与我。」彼鬼即时担此比丘，于先被摈聚落上虚空中行。时聚落人见皆惊怪，谓其得道，转相谓言：「众僧无状，枉摈得道之人。」
本文地址：http://www.dioenglish.com/writing/story/1502.html
