百喻经之五八: 二子分财喻

§58 二子分财喻

(58) the two brothers and their inheritance

昔摩罗国有一刹利，得病极重，必知定死，诫敕二子：“我死之后，善分财物。”

once upon a time, there was a ksatriya of the makara kingdom who fell seriously ill, and was aware of the fatal hour. to his two sons he ordered, "after my death, divide between the two of you evenly my effects and money."

二子随教，于其死后，分作二份。兄言弟分不平。尔时有一愚老人言：“教汝分物，使得平等，现所有物，破作二份。云何破之？所谓衣裳中割作二份，盘、瓶亦复中破作二份，所有瓮、缸亦破作二份，钱亦破作二份。如是一切所有财物尽皆破之，而作二份。”

after his death, the two sons followed their father's will. but the elder brother complained against the younger of unfairness in their shares. an old man nearby said, "let me teach you how to divide equally your father's fortune." "how!" they asked. the old man replied, "cut all the valuable garments into two parts. then break everything else into two equal parts, such as tray, bottle, bowl, dish, money and so forth."

如是分物，人所嗤笑。

people laughed at his suggestion. such folly is just like those heretics who use one-sided method of separate answer to all questions.

如诸外道，偏修分别论。论门有四种：有“决定答论门”，譬如人一切有皆死，此是决定答论门。死者必有生，是应分别答。爱尽者无生，有爱必有生，是名“分别答论门”。有问人为最胜不？应反问言。汝问三恶道，为问诸天。若问三恶道，人实为最胜；若问于诸天，人必为不如。如是等义名“反问答论门”。若问十四难，若问世界及众生有边、无边、有始终、无始终，如是等义名“置答论门”。诸外道愚痴，自以为智慧，破于四种论，作一分别论，喻如愚人分钱，破钱为两段。

there are four ways to answer questions as follows:

1. affirmative answer.
for instance: all human beings are mortal

2. separate answer
for instance: the dead will be reborn.
this should be answered separately. those who have no desires at all will not be reborn. those who have desires will be reborn.

3. reversal question and answer.
for example, someone asks: are all human beings supreme ones?" this can be questioned reversely as follows: "are you referring to the three paths of transmigration or to the host of devas?
if you are referring to the former, i should say human beings are supreme. if the latter, i should say human beings are not equals to devas.

4. no answers to questions
if you ask the fourteen difficult questions, such as whether the world has limit or whether human beings have any beginnings or ends.

pretending to be wise, the ignorant heretics divide the four ways of answering questions by only using the separate answer, just like the stupid man giving advice to the two sons to divide all effects and money into two parts.

注释：

　　①摩罗国：梵文malaya-dasa，这个国家的中央有摩罗耶山，在南天竺境域，所以国家以此为名。摩罗耶malaya，是除垢的意思，因为这座山出产白旃檀香，进去后人变得香洁，所以叫除垢。提数dasa，是中央的意思。

　　②刹利：即刹帝利，意指王族及大臣，是印度四大种姓之一。婆罗门所编的《梨俱吠陀》卷十<原人歌>已叙四姓的来源：婆罗门（祭司）是布卢沙（人）的嘴；两臂成为刹帝利（王者）；他的两腿就是吠舍（平民）；从两足生出首陀罗（劳动者）。而佛经中叙述四姓的时候，总将释迦牟尼佛所自出身的刹帝利放在首位。

　　③瓨：短头长身的坛。

　　④十四难：乃对于外道以颠倒之见来问难之十四种事，而佛则舍置不答。十四种事指：㈠世间是恒常? ㈡世间是无常? ㈢世间亦是恒常 亦是无常? ㈣世间非恒常 非无常? ㈤世间有边? ㈥世间无边? ㈦世间亦有边 亦无边? ㈧世间非有边 非无边? ㈨如来死后还存在? ㈩如来死后不存在? （十一）如来死后亦存在 亦不存在?（十二）如来死后亦非存在 亦非不存在?（十三）命（我）和身体是同一物?（十四）命（我）和身体是不同一物?

白话：

从前摩罗国有一位刹帝利，得了重病，知道必定要死了，便吩咐两个儿子：「我死之后，好好地分财物。」两位儿子依循父亲的遗教，在父亲死后，把财物分作两份。哥哥说弟弟分得不公平。这时有一位蠢老头说：「我教你们分物，必定能分得平等。他就把眼前的所有物品都破作两份。如何破呢?就是衣裳在中间剪开，盘瓶也从中间敲开，所有瓮坛也砸开，钱也凿开。」他们按照蠢老头的分法，就把所有财物都弄破了，分作两份。如此分物，人人嗤笑。