§0 引言
  0.Prologue

    闻如是：一时佛住王舍城，在鹊封竹园，与诸大比丘、菩萨摩诃萨及诸八部三万六千人俱。
    Thus have I heard. Once upon a time Sakyamuni, The Enlightened One, was staying in a park called Karanda Bamboo Grove, near Rajagriha City. He held a meeting with thirty six thousand men including great monks, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas and the eight groups of supernatural beings.

    是时会中有异学梵志五百人俱，从座而起，白佛言“吾闻佛道洪深，无能及者，故来归问。唯愿说之。”
    On that occasion, there were five hundred Brahmans in the assembly. One of them rose from his seat and said to Sakyamuni, the Buddha: "We have learned that Buddhism is so profound that there is no parallel to it. So we have come to ask you to explain it to us."

    佛言：“善哉！”
    Very well, The Enlightened One said.

    问曰：“天下为有为无？”
    Is the universe existent or non-existent? The Brahman asked.

    答曰：“亦有亦无。”
    It is both existent and non-existent, the Enlightened one replied.

    梵志曰：“如今有者，云何言无？如今无者，云何言有？”
    The Brahman said, "How can you say non-existent of what is now existent? How can you say existent of what is now non-existent?"

    答曰：“生者言有，死者言无。故说‘或有或无’。”
    The Enlightened One replied, "The living say it is existent, but the dead say it is non-existent. Consequently, I say it is both existent and non-existent."

    问曰：“人从何生？”
    He asked, "What does man live on?"

    答曰：“人从谷而生。”
    The Enlightened One replied, "Man lives on cereals."

    问曰：“五谷从何而生？”
    He asked, "Where do the five cereals come from?"

    答曰：“五谷从四大火风而生。”
    They come from the four elements, fire, wind, water and earth, The Enlightened One replied.

    问曰：“四大火风从何而生？”
    Where do the four elements come from? the Brahman asked.

    答曰：“四大火风从空而生。”
    They come from void. The Enlightened One replied.

    问曰：“空从何生？”
    Where does the void come from? He asked.

    答曰：“从无所有生。”
    It comes from nothingness. The Enlightened One replied.
 
    问曰：“无所有从何而生？”
    Where does nothingness come from? He asked.

    答曰：“从自然生。”
    From the nature. The Enlightened One replied.

    问曰：“自然从何而生？”
    Where does nature come from? He asked.

    答曰：“从泥洹而生。”
    From Nirvana. The Enlightened One replied.

    问曰：“泥洹从何而生？”
    Where does Nirvana come from? He asked.

    佛曰：“汝今问事何以尔深？泥洹者是不生不死法。”
    Why do you ask about such profound things. Nirvana is the law of non-birth and immortality. The Enlightened One replied.

    问曰：“佛泥洹未？”
    Have you attained Nirvana? He asked.

    答曰：“我未泥洹。”
    I haven't reached Nirvana yet. The Enlightened One replied.

    “若未泥洹，云何得知泥洹常乐？”
    If you haven't reached Nirvana yet, how do you know Nirvana is an eternal bliss? He asked.

    佛言：“我今问汝，天下众生为苦为乐？”
    Now let me ask you whether the life of the sentient beings in the world is happy or miserable, the Enlightened One said.

    答曰：“众生甚苦。”
    I view it as very miserable. He replied.

    佛言：“云何名苦？”
    What do you mean by miserable? The Enlightened One said.

    答曰：“我见众生死时，苦痛难忍，故知死苦。”
    After seeing all the dying men whose pains are unbearable. I know death is miserable. He replied.

    佛言：“汝今不死，亦知死苦；我见十方诸佛不生不死，故知泥洹常乐。”
    Now you are not dead, nevertheless, you know death is miserable. I have seen all Buddhas of the ten directions in space having neither rebirth nor death. I know, therefore, Nirvana is an eternal bliss. The Enlightened One said.

    五百梵志心开意解，求受五戒，悟须陀洹果，复坐如故。
    Those five hundred Brahmans were satisfied and thus understood what the Enlightened One had said. They were then willing to accept the five commandments and asked to be disciples of Gauthama Buddha. Finally, they obtained enlightenment of the Sotapanna's degree. They sat down as before.

    佛言：“汝等善听，今为汝广说众喻。”
    The Enlightened One said, "You all listen carefully to me. I'll give you an extensive talk of fables."

注释:

【梵志】①志求生於梵天的人 ②在家的婆罗门 ③指一切外道出家人

白话:

有一天，佛和他的弟子们在王舍城的一个鹊封竹园里集会，座中有诸大比丘，诸大菩萨，以及天龙八部等。在这个盛会中，还有从别处来的异学梵志五百人，他们都一心想听佛法，对佛有所询问，当佛出来坐定后，他们便从座上站起来说∶“我们听说佛法非常宏大和深远，所以特来请教。”佛就叫他们提出问题，一一加以回答，于是那五百梵志，都得到了心领意会，明白佛法的真义。就在佛座下五体投地受了五戒。接著，当他们重新坐回座位以后，佛就对他们说∶“你们要好好听，我现在给你们说各种譬喻。”