百喻经之二十: 人说王纵暴喻
§20 人说王纵暴喻
(20) the king was said to have given rein to cruelty
昔有一人，说王过罪，而作是言：“王甚暴虐，治政无理。”
once upon a time a man pronouncing his king's crimes, said, "very cruel is the king. he is incapable of governing."
王闻是语，即大嗔恚，竟不究悉谁作此语，信傍佞人，捉一贤臣，仰使剥脊，取百两肉。
on hearing this, the king lost his temper without making sure who it was that had said it. he took his deceitful attendant's advice by holding an eminent minister under arrest. he ordered to have his backbone flayed and have his body cut to one hundred ounces of flesh for punishment.
有人证明此无是语，王心便悔，索千两肉，用为补脊。
soon afterwards, a man testified the minister's innocence to the king. to his regret, the king ordered one thousand ounces of flesh is given to the minister to make up for what was cut off from his body.
夜中呻唤，甚大苦恼。王闻其声，问言：“何以苦恼？取汝百两，十倍与汝。意不足耶？何故苦恼？”
later, when the minister gave a groan with pain at night, the king asked, "what's wrong with you? i have given you back ten times more than i had taken from you. are you not satisfied with it? why are you still moaning?"
傍人答言：“大王，如截子头，虽得千头，不免子死。虽十倍得肉，不免苦痛。”
a bystander replied, "oh! my great king! if anyone cut your majesty's head and gave back one thousand other heads, could you majesty keep out of the way of death? how could getting ten times of the flesh the minister relieve himself the pain?"
愚人亦尔，不畏后世，贪得现乐，苦切众生，调发百姓，多得财物，望得灭罪，而得福报。
so is the stupid man who is greedy for the present pleasure but not afraid of the consequences for the hereafter. he makes people around him miserable and puts them into requisition trying to make a fortune. on the other hand, he hopes to redeem his sins and obtain blessedness.
譬如彼王，割人之脊，取人之肉，以余肉补，望使不痛，无有是处。
this stupid man is just like the king who first flayed and punished someone and then tried to give him back the flesh. it is impossible that the pain can be eased.
注释：
① 佞（nìng）人：专门取媚于人的小人。
② 仰使剥脊：仰，命令，剥脊，割背上的肉。
③ 截子头：砍下他的头。
④ 是处：办法、方法。
⑤仰：命令。
白话：
从前有一个人，讲国王的过失和罪恶，他这样说：“国王非常暴虐，治理朝政没有方法。”国王听到了这话，十分恼怒，竟然不追查是谁说的这句话，听信诽谤献媚的小人挑唆，把一位贤能的大臣捉来，下令从他的脊背上割下一百两肉。后来有人证明不是他说的。国王心里很后悔，命令用一千两肉为这位大臣修补脊背。这位大臣夜里痛得大声喊叫，国王听到他的声音，就去问他：“为什么痛苦呢？割了你一百两肉，还给你十倍的肉，你还不满足吗？为何还痛苦呢？”旁边的人回答：“大王如果砍掉臣子的头，即使给一千个头来作为补偿，仍免不了臣子一死；大臣虽然得到十倍的肉补偿，但仍免不了痛苦。”
愚蠢的人也是这样，不考虑将来，只图一时快乐，把痛苦推向大家，支配百姓，掠夺财物，还想要消除罪孽，从而得到福报。这就好比国王割下别人脊背上的肉，用别的肉来补救一样，希望使人不痛苦，是办不到的。
解说:
《长阿含经》卷十七<沙门果经>通过阿闍世王之口介绍了六师外道的学说，他们各各以为没有后世，没有业报轮回。
印度学者恰托巴底亚耶（chattopadhyaya）在其《顺世论》一书中引述了他们的观念，其所据的是巴利文《长部经典》（南传佛教经籍，北传佛教称《长阿含经》）的英译本：
不阑迦叶的学说：
对于行为者，或促使别人行为者，对于伤害人或唆使别人伤害他人者，对于惩罚或使别人惩罚者，对于造成忧愁苦恼者，对于疑惧发抖或使别人疑惧发抖者，对于杀害生命者，不与取者，破门入室者，当强盗或拦路抢劫，或奸淫，或诳语者，对于他们这样的行为，是没有罪恶的。如果拿一只铁饼，边缘磨得像剃刀一样锋利，他把世界上所有的众生杀死，成为一座血肉大山，也没有因此而生的罪恶，没有随之而来的罪恶的增长。如果他沿著恒河南岸走去，打人、杀人、伤害人，使人们残废；压迫人，使人们受苦受罪，他不会有因此而生的罪恶，也不会有随之而来的罪恶的增长。如果他沿著恒河北岸走去，一路施舍，命令布施，供奉牺牲，叫人供奉牺牲，他不会因此而有功德，不会有功德的增长。在慷慨布施上，在自我克制上，在抑制感官上，在说话诚实上，既没有功德，也没有功德的增长。
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