HOME SEARCH CLUSTER PAGE prev
next TWO COLUMN VIEW

bza021 -- A forest spirit admonishes a monk – The ulcer simile 以念覺覆瘡疣

Text-cluster:
別譯雜阿含: bza021 BZA English: 別譯雜阿含英譯 雜阿含: za1082

bza021

如是我聞:一時佛住舍衛國 祇樹給孤獨園


爾時有一比丘,著衣持鉢,入城乞食。食已迴還,洗足,攝持坐具,入得眼林中,在一樹下敷草而坐,起惡覺觀,貪嗜五欲。得眼林神知比丘念,念於不淨,在此林中不應嗜惡,作如是念:

「我當[寤-吾+告]寤!」

即作是言:

「比丘!比丘!何故作瘡?」

比丘答言:

「我當覆之。」

林神復語:

「 汝瘡如 * [土*瓦]。以何覆之?」

比丘答言:

「我以念覺,用覆此瘡。」

林神讚言:

「善哉!善哉!今此比丘善知覆瘡,真實覆瘡。」

佛以清淨天耳聞彼林神共比丘語。爾時世尊即說偈言:

世間嗜 * 欲    邪意所作
瘡疣已生    眾蠅唼食
嗜欲即瘡    覺觀即蠅
我慢依貪    鑽丈夫心
貪利名稱    疑惑所著
不知出要    內心修定
具學諸通    此不作瘡
安隱見佛    能得涅槃


說此偈已,諸比丘聞佛所說,歡喜奉行。


View TEI-XML Source

A forest spirit admonishes a monk – The ulcer simile

Translation of BZA 021. First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23-1 (2006).

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.

At that time a monk took his robe and begging bowl and entered the town to beg for food. When he had eaten and returned, he washed his feet, gathered his seat cloth and went into the Forest of Regained Sight. Beneath a tree after he had prepared the ground and started sitting, evil coarse and subtle thoughts arose [in his mind], greed for the five sensual pleasures. The spirit of the Forest of Regained Sight read the monks thoughts and saw that they were impure. [Since] in this forest one should not have evil inclinations, the spirit thought: ‘I will wake him up.’, and he said: ‘Monk, monk, why are you having an ulcer?’. The monk answered: ‘I will bandage my ulcer’. The forest spirit spoke again: ‘Your ulcer is large like a pot, how will you bandage it?’. The monk answered: ‘I will bandage my ulcer with [right] thought’. There the forest spirit said in praise: ‘Very good, very good! This monk knows well how to bandage his ulcer, how truly to bandage his ulcer’. The Buddha, with his divine hearing, heard the exchange between the forest spirit and the monk.

At that time the World-honored One spoke this verse:

Worldly desires / are born of evil thoughts. //
Once an ulcer has grown / it nurtures a swarm of flies; //
desire is this ulcer / thought and reflection are the flies. //
Because of greed, arrogance / pierces our heart. //
Because of greed for fame and profit / we are caught in doubts, //
do not know the escape / When the mind is trained and concentrated //
one walks the way of the wise / one does not grow ulcers //
but in peace and stability beholds the Buddha / and attains Nirvāṇa. //

When the Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and practised accordingly.

View TEI-XML Source

tn0099-1082

如是我聞:一時佛住舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。


爾時世尊晨朝著衣持鉢,入舍衛城乞食。食畢,還精舍,洗足已,入安陀林坐禪。時有異比丘,亦復晨朝著衣持鉢,入舍衛城乞食。食畢,還精舍,洗足已,入安陀林,坐一樹下,入晝正受。是比丘入晝正受時,有惡、不善覺起,依貪嗜心。時有天神,依安陀林住止者,作是念:

「此比丘不善、不類,於安陀林坐禪而起不善覺,心依惡貪。我當往呵責!」

作是念已,往語比丘言:

「比丘!比丘!作瘡疣耶?」

比丘答言:

「當治令愈。」

天神語比丘:

「瘡如鐵鑊,云何可復?」

比丘答言:

「正念正智,足能分復。」

天神白言:

「善哉!善哉!此是真賢治瘡。如是治瘡,究竟能愈,無有發時。」

爾時世尊晡時從禪覺,還祇樹給孤獨園。入僧中,於大眾前敷座而坐,告諸比丘:

「我今晨朝著衣持鉢,入舍衛城乞食。乞食還,至安陀林坐禪,入晝正受。有一比丘,亦乞食,還至安陀林,坐一樹下,入晝正受,而彼比丘起不善覺,心依惡貪。有天神,依安陀林住,語比丘言: 『比丘!比丘!作瘡疣耶?……(如上廣說。乃至)如是,比丘!善哉!善哉!此治眾賢。』 」

爾時世尊即說偈言:

士夫作瘡疣    自生於苦患
願求世間欲    心依於惡貪
以生瘡疣故    蛆蠅競來集
愛求為瘡疣    蛆蠅諸惡覺
及諸貪嗜心    皆悉從意生
鑽鑿士夫心    以求華名利
欲火轉熾然    妄想不善覺
身心日夜羸    遠離寂靜道
若內心寂靜    決定智明了
無有斯瘡疣    見佛安隱路
正士所遊跡    賢聖善宣說
明智所知道    不復受諸有


佛說此經已,諸比丘聞佛所說,歡喜奉行。


View TEI-XML Source

This file is part of the Bieyi za ahan (T.100) project at the Dharma Drum Buddhist College.
TEI-XML   Source files coded with TEI.