百喻經(jīng)之八二: 比種田喻

　　(82) THE CULTIVATION OF THE LAND

　　昔有野人，來至田里，見好麥苗生長郁茂，問麥主言：“云何能令是麥茂好?”

　　Once upon a time, there was a peasant who went to another farmer's property to examine his wheat plants. He asked the owner, "How do you make the wheat grow so well?"

　　其主答言：“平治其地，兼加糞水，故得如是。”

　　The owner replied, "First, you have to flatten the field. Then you pour some liquid manure. That's why it has turned out so nicely."

　　彼人即便依法用之，即以水糞調(diào)和其田。下種于地，畏其自腳蹈地令堅，其麥不生。“我當(dāng)坐一床上，使人輿之，于上散種，爾乃好耳。”

　　The peasant then did what the other farmer had told him. He poured liquid manure to blend with the soil and scattered seed in land. Treading the field with his feet, he was afraid that the land would become too hard to be fruitful. He said to himself, "I should sow sitting on a bed carried by others. That'll do."

　　即使四人，人擎一腳，至田散種，地堅逾甚，為人嗤笑?？旨憾?，更增八足。

　　He then ordered each of the four men to hold a leg of the bed to scatter seed in land which became all the harder. Initially he was afraid that his own two feet might be too heavy for the land. Then he added still eight of others to do the job. He was laughed at by others.

　　凡夫之人，亦復(fù)如是。既修戒田，善芽將生，應(yīng)當(dāng)師諮，受行教誡，令法芽生。而返違犯，多作諸惡，便使戒芽不生。喻如彼人，畏其二足，倒加其八。

　　This is also held to be true with the common people. To cultivate the field of commandments and wait the good yield of shoots, people, should consult a master to practice the Buddhist teachings, however, they break the commandments and do evil deeds. Thus the shoots of commandments do not grow, just like the peasant who was afraid of his won two feet and added still eight of others.

　　白話：

　　從前有位農(nóng)夫，來到一塊田邊，只見一片好麥苗，生長郁茂，便問主人道：「怎么能使這麥子長勢旺盛?」主人答道：「把地整治得平平松松，又施上糞水，就這樣旺了?！惯@人就依照著方法來用，將糞水均勻地施在田里，要撒下種子，卻怕自己的腳蹋在田地里會使它堅硬，而使麥子長不出來，想著，我應(yīng)坐在坐床上，叫人抬著，我在上面撒種，這才好呢。就讓四個人每人擎起坐床的一腳，到田里撒種去。地踩得更板實了，為人嗤笑。怕自己兩足把地踩實了，更添上八足以防止堅硬。

　　凡夫俗子也是這樣，既修行了禁戒這塊田地，善芽即將萌生，應(yīng)當(dāng)諮詢良師，以便受行他的教誡，讓法芽生長旺盛，卻反而違犯了禁戒，多作了許多惡行，使得戒芽無法生長。就如那人怕自己的兩只腳會把地踩硬，反倒添了八只。