百喻经之六: 子死欲停置家中喻
§6 子死欲停置家中喻
(6) the dead son is about to remain in the house
昔有愚人，养育七子。一子先死。时此愚人，见子既死，便欲停置于其家中，自欲弃去。旁人见已，而语之言：“生死道异，当速庄严，致于远处而殡葬之。云何得留，自欲弃去？”
once upon a time there was a man who brought up seven boys, one of whom died. finding the son dead, he intended to leave the body in the house and moved out himself. a bystander said to him, "you know the living and the dead go separate ways. since your son is dead, he should be quickly buried in a far away place with all due solemnity. now why do you want to leave your house and let your dead son remain here?"
尔时愚人闻此语已，即自思念：“若不得留，要当葬者，须更杀一子，停担两头，乃可
胜致。”於是便更杀其一子而担负之，远葬林野。时人见之，深生嗤笑，怪未曾有。
when the man heard this, he decided to bury his son and not let the corpse lie at home. he then thought he would have to kill another son to hang one body on each end of the pole to keep in equilibrium and carry them for burial in a long way off the forest. that seemed the only thing possible for him to do and he did it. his contemporaries laughed aloud at his unprecedented eccentricities.
譬如比丘私犯一戒，情惮改悔，默然覆藏，自说清净。或有知者，即语之言：“出家之人，
守持禁戒，如护明珠，不使缺落。汝今云何违犯所受，欲不忏悔？”犯戒者言：“苟须忏者，
更就犯之，然后当出。”遂便破戒，多作不善，尔乃顿出。如彼愚人，一子既死，又杀一子。
今此比丘，亦复如是。
a monk, who secretly broke one commandment, felt afraid to confess it. he would pretend that he had scrupulously kept all commandments and led a life free from evil and defilement.
some wise men might then tell him, "a monk should keep the commandments just like brilliant pearls should be protected from being damaged. how can you break what you have accepted? now you are reluctant to confess them."
the offender would answer, "now that i have to confess, i might as well do more breakings. then i'll confess all my sins at once."
consequently, he broke more commandments by doing many evil things before his confession. this monk is just like that stupid man who kills another son when one dies.
注释：
①庄严：此处指慎重入殓、安葬。
②胜致：胜，顺利；致，到达、送到。
③情惮：害怕。情惮改悔，心里害怕改正悔过。
④清净：指远离罪恶行为，离开世俗烦恼的状态，通常包括身、语、意三个方面。
⑤破戒：破坏戒律、规定。大小乘戒律也有所区别。通常有五戒、八戒、十戒、具足戒等。
白话：
从前有个愚蠢的人，养育了七个儿子，有一个儿子死了。这个愚人就想将他的尸体留在家里而自己离去。周围的人就对他说：“生与死是截然不同的，应该尽快慎重地将尸体送到远处安葬。为什么把尸体留在家里，自己远离呢？”愚人听了这些话，心里思量道：“如果不能将儿子的尸体留下来，而应当安葬的话，就要再杀死一个儿子，安放在担子的两头，保持平衡，这样才能顺利送到墓地。”于是，他又杀死了一个儿子，用担子的两头各担一具死尸，埋葬在远处林中的野地里。人们见到这种行为，都强烈地讥笑他，从未见过这种愚蠢的人。
好比修行的佛教徒，自己犯了戒律中的一条，又怕公开承认错误，悄悄地掩盖起来，自己表白在行为、语言、思想上远离了罪恶。如有知情的人，对他说：“出家修行的人，应当自觉遵守戒律，就像爱护明珠一样，不让它受到损坏。你现在为什么违犯了受持的戒律，还不悔过！”犯了戒律的人说：“如果一定要悔过，那就再去犯戒律，然后一起悔过。”接着就又破戒，做了许多坏事，从而被赶出了佛门。这正如愚蠢的人，一个儿子死了，又杀了一个儿子。这位被赶出佛门的人，也同样如此。
解说：
不善的事，不可一不做，二不休。
辨析：
这个比喻是比喻释门弟子不依戒行事，隐瞒过失，以致贻误自身。这至少给了我们一点有益的启示：防微杜渐，免成大患。认识错误是走向正确的前提。如果知错不改，文过饰非，是难以有所建树的。
智慧的人与愚蠢的人最大的区别正是在于能够常常反省自身，知错就改。古往今来，几乎所有能够改造社会的人，恰恰都是能把握自身，首先改造自己的人。李斯在秦国当客卿时，在被驱逐出秦国时写了一篇上书。对这篇批评的文章，秦始皇读后不仅接受了言辞犀利的指责，而且立即改错，下令急速追回李斯，井任命他担任了全国的司法首长廷尉的职务。因此聪明人正是能很快地发现和改正错误的人；愚蠢的人就是知错不改、执迷不悟，甚至变本加厉、错上加错的人。
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