百喻經之四二: 估客駝死喻
§42 估客駝死喻
(42) the trader and the dead camel
譬如估客，游行商賈，會于路中，而駝卒死。駝上所載，多有珍寶、細軟、上氎種種雜物。駝既死已，即剝其皮。商主舍行，坐二弟子而語之言：“好看駝皮，莫使濕爛。”
once there was a trader who was traveling on business. it so happened that the camel suddenly died on the way. the animal was loaded with valuable things such as jewels, clothes, carpet of first quality and sundries. the trader then skinned the camel. he went away leaving it to his two apprentices and said, "watch the camel's skin. don't let it get damp."
其后天雨，二人頑癡，盡以好氎覆此皮上，氎盡爛壞。皮、氎之價，理自懸殊，以愚癡故，以氎覆皮。
later, when it started to rain, the two dull men covered the skin with all the fine carpet, which became entirely ruined. obviously the skin and carpet differed much in price. they put the carpet to cover the skin out of ignorance.
世間之人，亦復如是。其不殺者喻于白氎，其駝皮者即喻財貨，天雨濕爛喻于放逸、敗壞善行。
so are the people at large. abstaining from killing refers to the fine carpet, the camel's skin, and wealth. to let the carpet get damp when it is raining means to undermine recklessly good merits.
不殺戒者，即佛法身最上妙因，然不能修，但以財貨造諸塔廟，供養諸僧，舍根取末，漂浪五道，莫能自出。是故行者應當精心，持不殺戒。
the abstention from killing is the supreme motive to attain buddhahood. unfortunately, people do not effectively practice it. they merely adhere to build pagodas or temples and give alms to support monks. this is giving up the essential and pursuing the non-essential. in other words, people are not conscious of seeking the fundamental. unable to go out of the vicious cycle, they lead their lives, through the five ways of existence. therefore, the commandment of the abstention from killing should be earnestly observed by the followers.
注釋：
①細軟：珠寶、綢帛等輕便而易于攜帶的貴重物品。
②氎：音牒，古印度人抽撚木棉花，紡為縷，織作布，就叫做氎（dié）。
③坐：留駐、守定，此處作使動詞用。
④嚚：yín，癡、愚。
⑤法身：法性身。佛的法身，滿十方虛空，無量無邊，無量光明，無量音聲。常現出種種身相，種種名號，種種生死，種種方便，救度眾生。
⑥妙因：絕妙的行因，是菩薩的大行。釋典常言：妙因斯滿，極果頓圓。
白話：
譬如商人四處流動做買賣，恰好在路途之中，駱駝突然死了。上面所載的大多是珍寶、細軟、上好的木棉布以及其他種種雜物。駱駝既然已經死了，就把皮剝了下來。商人要繼續前行，就讓兩個徒弟留守著，吩咐道：「好生看管駝皮，不要讓它受潮爛掉了。」過后天落雨了，兩人愚癡如榆木腦袋，盡是用上好的木棉布覆蓋在駝皮上，布都爛壞了。駝皮和布的價值，顯然是很懸殊的。因為愚癡，才拿木棉布去蓋駱駝皮。
世上的人也是這樣。不殺生，可以譬喻于白棉布：駝皮就譬喻財貨：天落雨打濕爛掉了，譬喻那由于放逸而敗壞了善行。不殺生的戒律，就是修得佛的法性身的絕妙的行因，然而卻不能修持，只是用財貨去造塔建廟，供養眾僧，舍本逐末，由于放棄了基本的修持，就漂流在人、天等五道中輪回生死，不能使自身出離生死，所以修行者應當精心持不殺戒。
這故事比喻∶學佛法的人，不去嚴持凈戒，修定開慧，僅作造塔供僧等的財施功德，這是舍本取末的行動，是不能出離生死證到道果的。所以應當先精嚴地護持戒律，再修財施等善行，如兩個學徒應當先護本來貴重的綢氈等貨，再護駱駝皮才是。
供您思考：
圣法法師在《百喻故事廣釋》中說：世間萬事有緩急輕重之別，遇到災難危急之時應取重舍輕，做緊急之事，而非目前所急的事情可以慢慢來進行，才是聰明的人。可是世間竟有緩急顛倒，舍重就輕，豈不是愚迷眾生么？
從前有一個經商的人，帶了兩個年輕的兒子和一頭駱駝及許多貴重的貨物，欲到很遠的地方去做生意。他們選著春天的早晨，春光明媚的時候出發，正是出門旅行的好季節。父子三人牽著駱駝向田野間前進，他們看到農夫在田野工作，這位商人就對兒子說：
‘世間的萬事以及事業，那一件不是經過千辛萬苦的經營，而后才得到血汗的成果。你看農夫若無春天辛勞的工作，那有秋天的收獲’。年輕的兒子說：‘爸，我們出門經商，不也像農人的春耕，若不經遙遠的旅途奔走，那能賺得最優厚的利潤呢？’商人點點頭表示同意兒子的看法。
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