§64 人谓故屋中有恶鬼喻

(64) AN EVIL DEMON IN THE OLD HOUSE

　　昔有故屋，人谓此室常有恶鬼，皆悉怖畏，不敢寝息。时有一人，自谓大胆，而作是言：“我欲入此室中寄卧一宿。”即入宿止。

Once upon a time, there was an old house where the rumors had it that an evil demon often appeared. People were so frightened that no one would dare to be in it. A man claiming himself dauntless said: "I would like to spend a night in this house." So he did.

　　后有一人，自谓胆勇胜于前人，复闻旁人言，此室中恒有恶鬼，即欲入中，排门将前。

Upon hearing from the bystander that the house was frequently haunted by an evil demon, another man also wanted to do the same proving himself to be more intrepid than the first one. He tried to enter by pushing the door.

　　时先入者谓其是鬼，即复推门，遮不听前。在后来者复谓有鬼。二人斗争，遂至天明。既相睹已，方知非鬼。

The one who had got into the house first thought the second one to be the demon and blocked the door to his entrance. The second, unable to open the door, thought the first one to be the demon. They first argued and then began to fight until dawn. When finally coming face to face, they realized that they were both mistaken.

　　一切世人，亦复如是。因缘暂会，无有宰主，一一推析，谁是我者？然诸众生横计是非，强生诤讼，如彼二人等无差别。

So are the people at large. Our ego is subject to the law of impermanence and cause-effect, and therefore there is no mastering power in our body. Considering and analyzing all in all, one can only ask who the ego is. However, human beings indulge in ill-natured gossip everywhere, and fight each other like those men in this told story.

白话：

从前有一间老屋，人人都说房内常有恶鬼，就都害怕，不敢进去住。这时有一个人，自认为大胆，说：「我想进这屋中去睡一夜。」就进去住下了。后来另有一个人，自以为胆勇要胜过前面那个人，又听傍人说这屋中常有恶鬼，就想进去，一把推开门来。先进入的那位以为他是鬼，也就一把挡住门，不让他上来。后来的这位也以为有鬼。于是两人抗衡着，直到天明，你看看我，我看看你，方知都不是鬼。

世上的人也都是这样。人都是由四大元素借着互为条件的因缘暂时会聚起来，构成一个身体，并没有一个主宰作用的元素存在，一一推析起来，谁是我呢? 然而世人硬是执著于我是你非，强生争讼，如那两个人的争斗，毫无差别。