§78 与儿期早行喻

(78) THE SON'S TRIPS

    昔有一人，夜语儿言：“明当共汝至彼聚落，有所取索。”

Once upon a time, there was a man who told his son one night, "Tomorrow I'll go with you to another tribe for some errands."

    儿闻语已，至明清旦，竟不问父，独往诣彼。既至彼已，身体疲极，空无所获，又不得食，饿渴欲死，寻复回还，求见其父。父见子来，深责之言：“汝大愚痴，无有智慧。何不待我，空自往来？徒受其苦。为一切世人之所嗤笑。”

The son hastened to go there by himself at dawn without telling his father. On his arrival, he was so tired that he did nothing. Furthermore, he could not find food. He got very hungry and thirsty. After he came back, his father scolded him and said, "You are very stupid indeed. Why didn't you wait for me? You ran back and forth for nothing, only to suffer in vain." He was laughed at by the people at large.

    凡夫之人，亦复如是。设得出家，即剃须发，服三法衣，不求明师，谘受道法，失诸禅定，道品功德，沙门妙果，一切都失。如彼愚人，虚作往返，徒自劳苦，形似沙门，实无所得。

This is also held to be true with the common people. Those who have the opportunity to become monks and who shave off their mustache and have their hair cut, and who wear the monk's three robes, do not ask for guidance to obtain Nirvana from an imminent teacher. They will in the end, lose not only the meditation training, but also the merits of monastic grades. Finally, they will lose altogether the supreme results from the practices of monks, under the cloak of whom they virtually gain nothing. This is just like that stupid man casting his trip in vain, only to get tired and weary.

注释：

　　①三法衣：一是僧伽胝，梵文Samghati，系三衣中最大的，所以称为大衣，此衣由许多布条缝合而成，所以又称杂碎衣、复衣，凡入王宫、乞食、说法时，须穿僧伽胝。二是郁多罗僧，梵文Uttarasanga，系上衣，由七条布制成，所以又称七条衣。三是安陀会，梵文Artanvasaka，系下衣或内衣，又称五条衣。

白话：

　　从前有一个人，夜中对儿子说：「明日与你一道到那村落去，有些东西想去索取。」儿子听了，至次日清晨，竟不问父亲索取什么，独自直奔那儿去了。到了那地方，身体疲惫极了，却一无所获，又吃不着东西，饥渴得要命。随即又往回跑，来见父亲。父亲见儿子回来，训责道：「你这愚痴的人，没有智慧，为何不等等我?空空地来回跑，白白地受饥苦，被众人嗤笑!」

　　凡夫俗子也是这样，倘若得以出家，就剃除须发，穿上三类法衣，却不向明师谘询道法，失掉了种种禅定道品的功德，沙门应有的妙果都失掉了。就如那个愚人一样，空落落来回跑，徒然受疲劳，外形虽似沙门，其实一无所得。