§34 送美水喻

(34) to send pure spring water

昔有一聚落，去王城五由旬。村中有好美水，王敕村人，常使日日送其美水。村人?？?，悉欲移避，遠此村去。

once upon a time, there was a village, which was located five yojanas away from the city and supplied pure spring water. the king ordered the water to be sent to him in the palace every day by the villagers. becoming utterly weary of the irksome task, they all wanted to move away to some remote place.

時彼村主，語諸人言：“汝等莫去，我當為汝白王，改五由旬作三由旬，使汝得近，往來不疲?！?/p>

to them, the village chief said,"don't go away. i'll talk with the king for you to alter the distance between here and the palace from five yojanas into three yojanas. it would be closer for coming and going without much weariness."

即往白王，王為改之，作三由旬。眾人聞已，便大歡喜。有人語言：“此故是本五由旬，更無有異?！彪m聞此語，信王語故，終不肯去。

the chief hastened to report to the king who changed the mileage. people were delighted at knowing this. some of them said that there was no difference whatsoever. most still stayed on, because of their newly reassured confidence in the king.

世間之人，亦復如是。修行正法，度于五道，向涅槃城，心生厭倦，便欲舍離，頓駕生死，不能復進。

so are the people in various walks of life. those who devote themselves to the right religion for crossing the five paths toward the nirvana city, intend to abandon their faith when they are weary and exhausted. traveling by the transmigration boat, they are unable to make their way toward the shore.

如來法王有大方便，于一乘法分別說三。小乘之人聞之歡喜，以為易行，修善進德，求度生死。后聞人說，無有三乘，故是一道。以信佛語，終不肯舍。如彼村人，亦復如是。

however, buddha, the king of the law, has many expedient means from the one vehicle to the three vehicles. those who follow the hinayana sect are glad to hear those words and find it easier to practice. therefore, they spare no effort to do good deeds and improve themselves spiritually so as to make their way of transmigration toward the other shores. afterwards, they realize that there is no three vehicles but ones. because of the confidence in buddha's words, they do not want to abandon their faith by then. this is just like the story of the villagers ending pure spring water.

注釋：

　　①由旬：印度古代計程單位，是梵文yojana的音譯，此詞的原初含義是套一次牛所行的路程，只是一個大致的界定而已，約三十里左右。

白話：

從前有個村落，距王城五由旬路程。村中有好美水。國王命令村里人日日給他送美水去。村里人?？嗖豢埃枷胍凭拥絼e處去，遠離這個村落。這時村長對眾人說：「請大家不要離開，我會替你們去跟國王講，把五由旬的路程改稱三由旬，使距離短些，你們往來就不疲苦了?！勾彘L即去對國王講了。國王同意改為三由旬。眾人聽了，就很是歡喜。有人說道：「這依舊是原先的五由旬，一點也沒有變。」村民們雖是聽了這話，然而相信國王的言語的緣故，終究不肯搬走。
　　
世上的人也是這樣，修行著大乘正法，度過地獄、餓鬼、畜生、人、天這五道，向泯滅了生死因果的涅槃城走去，卻產生了厭倦的心情，就想避開這條漫長的路途，祈望頓時凌越出生死的輪回，不想再進一步地修行正法了。如來法王就用權便的方法，把純粹一乘的正法分開來說成聲聞、緣覺、菩薩三乘。具有小乘根性的人聽了，很是歡喜，以為容易實行，便繼續(xù)修行善德，以求渡過生死苦海。后來又聽人說沒有三乘，原本就是同一條道路，就是菩薩乘這一乘。因為信奉佛說法的緣故，終究不肯舍去成見的執(zhí)著。像那些村民一樣，信奉國王的言語。

這故事比喻∶世人修行正法，以求渡脫生死輪轉的苦，但因長期修學，感到勞倦，往往中途要想退心，不欲再求進步了，幸虧如來法有大方便門，把一乘的佛法方便說成三乘，使得小根小智的人們聽了，以為很容易修成，就會鼓起勇氣來修善進德，以求了脫生死，等到他們證到自己解脫的小乘果位以后，佛再告訴他們，佛法原來只有一乘，所謂『惟此一事實，余二則非真，』到了這時，他們因篤信佛語，就能回小向大，信受不疑，安然進修大乘菩薩道了。

源流：

　　《莊子·齊物論》：狙公賦（分配）茅，曰：「朝三而暮四?！贡娋呀耘Ｔ唬骸溉粍t朝四而暮三?！贡娋呀詯?。名實未虧而喜怒為用，亦因是也。

　　《列子·黃帝》：宋有狙公者，愛狙，養(yǎng)之成群，能解狙之意，狙亦得公之心。損其家口，充狙之欲。俄耳匱焉，將限其食，恐眾狙之不馴于己也，先誑之曰：「與若茅，朝三而暮四，足乎?」眾狙皆起而怒。俄而曰：「與若茅，朝四而暮三，足乎?」眾狙皆伏而喜。物之以能鄙相籠，皆猶此也。圣人以智籠群愚，亦猶狙公以智籠眾狙也。名實不虧，使其喜怒哉。