§89 得金鼠狼喻

(89) THE GOLD WEASEL

    昔有一人，在路而行，道中得一金鼠狼，心中喜踊，持置怀中，涉路而进。至水欲渡，脱衣置地，寻时金鼠变为毒蛇。

Once upon a time, there was a man who found a gold weasel while traveling. He put it inside of his shirt as he leaped for joy. Traveling on, he reached a river where he took off his clothes for crossing. Subsequently, the gold weasel changed into a poisonous snake.

    此人深思：宁为毒蛇螫杀，要当怀去。心至冥感，还化为金。旁边愚人见其毒蛇变成真宝，谓为恒尔，复取毒蛇，内著怀里，即为毒蛇之所蜇螫，丧身殒命。

Nevertheless, the man did not throw it out and kept it in the shirt. Deeply grateful, the snake changed back into pure gold. A stupid man nearby who saw it with his own eyes, took it for granted that it should always turned out that way. He then put a poisonous snake inside of his shirt. He got bitten and died soon after.

    世间愚人，亦复如是。见善获利，内无真心，但为利养，来附于法，命终之后，堕于恶处，如捉毒蛇，被螫而死。

This is also held to be true with the stupid of the world. On seeing those who have done good works and in turn have obtained benefit, people start to attach themselves to Buddhism. They are not motivated by faith but greed. They will finally fall into evil paths after death, like that man died of snakebites.

白话：

　　曾有一人，走在路上，途中拾得一只金鼠狼，兴奋不已，放在怀中，继续跋涉前行。到了水边，想渡过去，脱下衣来，置于地上，转眼间金鼠狼变成了毒蛇。这人考虑了好一会儿，决定宁可让毒蛇螫杀，也要怀它渡河。精诚所至，冥冥中有了感应，毒蛇又化为金鼠狼。傍边的愚人见毒蛇变成了真宝，以为是必然的事实，也拿了毒蛇放在怀里，立即就被毒蛇咬了，丧身殒命。

　　世间的愚人就是这样，见行善获得果报，就只为了利养，来依附于正法，内中并不具真心，命终之后，便堕入于恶道，如捉了毒蛇，被咬而死一样。