百喻經: 引言
§0 引言
0.prologue
聞如是：一時佛住王舍城，在鵲封竹園，與諸大比丘、菩薩摩訶薩及諸八部三萬六千人俱。
thus have i heard. once upon a time sakyamuni, the enlightened one, was staying in a park called karanda bamboo grove, near rajagriha city. he held a meeting with thirty six thousand men including great monks, bodhisattvas, mahasattvas and the eight groups of supernatural beings.
是時會中有異學梵志五百人俱，從座而起，白佛言“吾聞佛道洪深，無能及者，故來歸問。唯愿說之。”
on that occasion, there were five hundred brahmans in the assembly. one of them rose from his seat and said to sakyamuni, the buddha: "we have learned that buddhism is so profound that there is no parallel to it. so we have come to ask you to explain it to us."
佛言：“善哉！”
very well, the enlightened one said.
問曰：“天下為有為無？”
is the universe existent or non-existent? the brahman asked.
答曰：“亦有亦無?！?br> it is both existent and non-existent, the enlightened one replied.
梵志曰：“如今有者，云何言無？如今無者，云何言有？”
the brahman said, "how can you say non-existent of what is now existent? how can you say existent of what is now non-existent?"
答曰：“生者言有，死者言無。故說‘或有或無’。”
the enlightened one replied, "the living say it is existent, but the dead say it is non-existent. consequently, i say it is both existent and non-existent."
問曰：“人從何生？”
he asked, "what does man live on?"
答曰：“人從谷而生。”
the enlightened one replied, "man lives on cereals."
問曰：“五谷從何而生？”
he asked, "where do the five cereals come from?"
答曰：“五谷從四大火風而生。”
they come from the four elements, fire, wind, water and earth, the enlightened one replied.
問曰：“四大火風從何而生？”
where do the four elements come from? the brahman asked.
答曰：“四大火風從空而生?！?br> they come from void. the enlightened one replied.
問曰：“空從何生？”
where does the void come from? he asked.
答曰：“從無所有生。”
it comes from nothingness. the enlightened one replied.
問曰：“無所有從何而生？”
where does nothingness come from? he asked.
答曰：“從自然生。”
from the nature. the enlightened one replied.
問曰：“自然從何而生？”
where does nature come from? he asked.
答曰：“從泥洹而生?！?br> from nirvana. the enlightened one replied.
問曰：“泥洹從何而生？”
where does nirvana come from? he asked.
佛曰：“汝今問事何以爾深？泥洹者是不生不死法?！?br> why do you ask about such profound things. nirvana is the law of non-birth and immortality. the enlightened one replied.
問曰：“佛泥洹未？”
have you attained nirvana? he asked.
答曰：“我未泥洹?！?br> i haven't reached nirvana yet. the enlightened one replied.
“若未泥洹，云何得知泥洹常樂？”
if you haven't reached nirvana yet, how do you know nirvana is an eternal bliss? he asked.
佛言：“我今問汝，天下眾生為苦為樂？”
now let me ask you whether the life of the sentient beings in the world is happy or miserable, the enlightened one said.
答曰：“眾生甚苦?！?br> i view it as very miserable. he replied.
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