百喻經之二十: 人說王縱暴喻
§20 人說王縱暴喻
(20) the king was said to have given rein to cruelty
昔有一人，說王過罪，而作是言：“王甚暴虐，治政無理。”
once upon a time a man pronouncing his king's crimes, said, "very cruel is the king. he is incapable of governing."
王聞是語，即大嗔恚，竟不究悉誰作此語，信傍佞人，捉一賢臣，仰使剝脊，取百兩肉。
on hearing this, the king lost his temper without making sure who it was that had said it. he took his deceitful attendant's advice by holding an eminent minister under arrest. he ordered to have his backbone flayed and have his body cut to one hundred ounces of flesh for punishment.
有人證明此無是語，王心便悔，索千兩肉，用為補脊。
soon afterwards, a man testified the minister's innocence to the king. to his regret, the king ordered one thousand ounces of flesh is given to the minister to make up for what was cut off from his body.
夜中呻喚，甚大苦惱。王聞其聲，問言：“何以苦惱？取汝百兩，十倍與汝。意不足耶？何故苦惱？”
later, when the minister gave a groan with pain at night, the king asked, "what's wrong with you? i have given you back ten times more than i had taken from you. are you not satisfied with it? why are you still moaning?"
傍人答言：“大王，如截子頭，雖得千頭，不免子死。雖十倍得肉，不免苦痛。”
a bystander replied, "oh! my great king! if anyone cut your majesty's head and gave back one thousand other heads, could you majesty keep out of the way of death? how could getting ten times of the flesh the minister relieve himself the pain?"
愚人亦爾，不畏后世，貪得現樂，苦切眾生，調發百姓，多得財物，望得滅罪，而得福報。
so is the stupid man who is greedy for the present pleasure but not afraid of the consequences for the hereafter. he makes people around him miserable and puts them into requisition trying to make a fortune. on the other hand, he hopes to redeem his sins and obtain blessedness.
譬如彼王，割人之脊，取人之肉，以余肉補，望使不痛，無有是處。
this stupid man is just like the king who first flayed and punished someone and then tried to give him back the flesh. it is impossible that the pain can be eased.
注釋：
① 佞（nìng）人：專門取媚于人的小人。
② 仰使剝脊：仰，命令，剝脊，割背上的肉。
③ 截子頭：砍下他的頭。
④ 是處：辦法、方法。
⑤仰：命令。
白話：
從前有一個人，講國王的過失和罪惡，他這樣說：“國王非常暴虐，治理朝政沒有方法。”國王聽到了這話，十分惱怒，竟然不追查是誰說的這句話，聽信誹謗獻媚的小人挑唆，把一位賢能的大臣捉來，下令從他的脊背上割下一百兩肉。后來有人證明不是他說的。國王心里很后悔，命令用一千兩肉為這位大臣修補脊背。這位大臣夜里痛得大聲喊叫，國王聽到他的聲音，就去問他：“為什么痛苦呢？割了你一百兩肉，還給你十倍的肉，你還不滿足嗎？為何還痛苦呢？”旁邊的人回答：“大王如果砍掉臣子的頭，即使給一千個頭來作為補償，仍免不了臣子一死；大臣雖然得到十倍的肉補償，但仍免不了痛苦。”
愚蠢的人也是這樣，不考慮將來，只圖一時快樂，把痛苦推向大家，支配百姓，掠奪財物，還想要消除罪孽，從而得到福報。這就好比國王割下別人脊背上的肉，用別的肉來補救一樣，希望使人不痛苦，是辦不到的。
解說:
《長阿含經》卷十七<沙門果經>通過阿闍世王之口介紹了六師外道的學說，他們各各以為沒有后世，沒有業報輪回。
印度學者恰托巴底亞耶（chattopadhyaya）在其《順世論》一書中引述了他們的觀念，其所據的是巴利文《長部經典》（南傳佛教經籍，北傳佛教稱《長阿含經》）的英譯本：
不闌迦葉的學說：
對于行為者，或促使別人行為者，對于傷害人或唆使別人傷害他人者，對于懲罰或使別人懲罰者，對于造成憂愁苦惱者，對于疑懼發抖或使別人疑懼發抖者，對于殺害生命者，不與取者，破門入室者，當強盜或攔路搶劫，或奸淫，或誑語者，對于他們這樣的行為，是沒有罪惡的。如果拿一只鐵餅，邊緣磨得像剃刀一樣鋒利，他把世界上所有的眾生殺死，成為一座血肉大山，也沒有因此而生的罪惡，沒有隨之而來的罪惡的增長。如果他沿著恒河南岸走去，打人、殺人、傷害人，使人們殘廢；壓迫人，使人們受苦受罪，他不會有因此而生的罪惡，也不會有隨之而來的罪惡的增長。如果他沿著恒河北岸走去，一路施舍，命令布施，供奉犧牲，叫人供奉犧牲，他不會因此而有功德，不會有功德的增長。在慷慨布施上，在自我克制上，在抑制感官上，在說話誠實上，既沒有功德，也沒有功德的增長。
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