§70 尝庵婆罗果喻

(70) TO TASTE APPLES

    昔有一长者，遣人持钱至他园中买庵婆罗果而欲食之，而敕之言：“好甜美者，汝当买来。”

Once upon a time, there was an elderly man who sent a servant to buy him some apples. He gave him orders as follows, "You'll buy some good and sweet apples for me."

    即便持钱往买其果。果主言：“我此树果，悉皆美好，无一恶者。汝尝一果，足以知之。”

The servant then went on an errand with money. The owner of the apple orchard said to him, "All my apples are good and sweet: There is not a single bad one. You'll know it when you taste one."

    买果者言：“我今当一一尝之，然后当取。若但尝一，何以可知？”寻即取果一一皆尝。持来归家，长者见已，恶而不食，便一切都弃。

The servant said, "I'll buy some after I taste every single one of them. How do I know about the rest. If I only taste one?" After tasting them one by one, he bought the apples. The master did not like the sight of all these half-eaten apples and he threw them all out.

    世间之人亦复如是。闻持戒施得大富乐，身常安稳，无有诸患。不肯信之，便作是言：“布施得福，我自得时，然后可信。”

This is also held to be true with the people at large. Seeing that all those who keep almsgiving commandment, can acquire great wealth and happiness, physically at ease and mentally stable. People still remark in disbelief, "We'll believe it if we can get them for ourselves."

      目睹现世贵贱贫穷，皆是先业所获果报，不知推一以求因果，方怀不信，须己自经。一旦命终，财物丧失，如彼尝果，一切都弃。

To see for yourself in noble and base, rich and poor of this World, you would attribute those people to retribution of the previous lives. But they hardly know to deduce the Law of Cause and Effect, which they are reluctant to draw a general rule from particular instances. It is to be regretted for their disbelief. For once death approaches them, they have to leave their worldly possessions just like the elderly man throwing out all the half-eaten apples.

注释：

　　①庵婆罗果：梵文Amra，即芒果。花多而结子甚少，有两个品种，小的一种生时青色，熟时转黄，大的却始终是青色。

白话：

曾有一位长者，想吃庵婆罗果，便派人拿了钱到他人果园中去买，吩咐道：「很甜美的，你就买来。」这个人就拿钱去买果了。果园主说：「我这树的果都很好，没有一个坏的。你尝一个，就知道了。」买果人说：「我要一个一个都尝了，才买。若是只尝了一个，怎知好坏呢?」随即取果一一尝了，拿回家来。长者见了，觉得厌恶，便都扔了。

世上的人也是这样，听说受持戒律、进行布施可以得到大富极乐，身体会觉得安稳怡惬，没有烦闷狂躁之类的毛病，世人不肯相信，说：「布施得福，我真的得了，然后才可相信。」放眼望去，现世的贵贱贫富，都是先世业行所获的果报，却不知推一想十，以果求因，总怀着不信的心理，需自己亲身经历了方信。一旦命终了，就丧失了一切财物，如那个愚人，将果一一尝了，只好把一切的果都丢弃了。

解说：

　　实践是非常必要且有效的，然而绝对的实践主义不仅时时碰壁，而且不可能做到。也可参见本书（引言），佛对梵志「若未泥洹，云何得知泥洹常乐?」的回答。