百喻經(jīng)之六十: 見水底金影喻

　　(60) SEEING THE SHADOW OF GOLD AT THE BOTTOM OF A POND

　　昔有癡人，往大池所，見水底影，有真金像，謂呼“有金”，即入水中撓泥求覓，疲極不得。還出復(fù)坐。

　　Once upon a time, there was a man who went to a large pond where he thought he had seen the shadow of pure gold at the bottom of water. He gave a cry of joy and jumped into the water to feel about the mud and search for it. A few moments later, he began to feel very tired. He could not find any gold and he then got out of the pond.

　　須臾水清，又現(xiàn)金色，復(fù)更入里，撓泥更求，亦復(fù)不得。其父覓子，得來見子，而問子言：“汝何所作，疲困如是?”

　　But as soon as he was out of the water that became clear in no time, the golden shadow turned up again. Then he dived once again to do more searching. Still he found nothing. At this point, his father came looking for him. Seeing the state he was in, his father asked, "What have you been doing to get so tired?"

　　子白父言：“水底有真金，我時(shí)投水，欲撓泥取，疲極不得。”

　　The son replied, "There is pure gold under water. I searched for it, but could find nothing."

　　父看水底真金之影，而知此金悉在樹上，所以知之，影現(xiàn)水底。其父言曰：“必飛鳥銜金，著于樹上。”即隨父語，上樹求得。

　　The father could also see the shadow of pure gold in the water. But he soon realized that it was in the trees. So he knew what was in the water was mere reflection. Then he told his son that it was held by the bird's beak and brought it in the trees. Following his father's instructions, the son immediately got the gold from the trees.

　　凡夫愚癡人，無智亦如是。于無我陰中，橫生有我想。如彼見金影，勤苦而求覓，徒勞無所得。

　　So are the ignorant in the world. They hold on to tile thought of ego in the shadow of non-ego, just like the stupid man looking desperately for the gold without success.

　　白話：

　　從前有個(gè)癡人到大池邊去，見水底有真金的影像，驚呼：「有金子?！咕吞胨蟹嘁捛蟆Ｅ闷v極了，卻未尋得金子，便出來，坐下。須臾之間，水清了，又現(xiàn)出金子的色澤來，他就再跳進(jìn)去翻泥覓求，還是不得。父親來找兒子了，見他這番模樣，便問：「你在做什么，這般疲困?」兒子道：「水底有真金，我時(shí)時(shí)跳下去，想翻泥覓取，疲累極了，卻不得?！垢赣H看了水底真金的影子，就知道金在樹上。所以能夠知道，是因?yàn)橛白语@現(xiàn)于水底。父親說道：「必定是飛鳥銜來放在樹上的?！箖鹤泳桶锤赣H的話，上樹覓到了金子。

　　世上的愚癡人，也像這樣不具有智慧。

　　在無我的五陰身中，橫空產(chǎn)生有我的念頭來。

　　就如那位見了金影的人，勤勤苦苦地求覓，

　　卻徒勞而一無所得。