百喻經之五八: 二子分財喻

§58 二子分財喻

(58) the two brothers and their inheritance

昔摩羅國有一剎利，得病極重，必知定死，誡敕二子：“我死之后，善分財物。”

once upon a time, there was a ksatriya of the makara kingdom who fell seriously ill, and was aware of the fatal hour. to his two sons he ordered, "after my death, divide between the two of you evenly my effects and money."

二子隨教，于其死后，分作二份。兄言弟分不平。爾時有一愚老人言：“教汝分物，使得平等，現所有物，破作二份。云何破之？所謂衣裳中割作二份，盤、瓶亦復中破作二份，所有甕、缸亦破作二份，錢亦破作二份。如是一切所有財物盡皆破之，而作二份。”

after his death, the two sons followed their father's will. but the elder brother complained against the younger of unfairness in their shares. an old man nearby said, "let me teach you how to divide equally your father's fortune." "how!" they asked. the old man replied, "cut all the valuable garments into two parts. then break everything else into two equal parts, such as tray, bottle, bowl, dish, money and so forth."

如是分物，人所嗤笑。

people laughed at his suggestion. such folly is just like those heretics who use one-sided method of separate answer to all questions.

如諸外道，偏修分別論。論門有四種：有“決定答論門”，譬如人一切有皆死，此是決定答論門。死者必有生，是應分別答。愛盡者無生，有愛必有生，是名“分別答論門”。有問人為最勝不？應反問言。汝問三惡道，為問諸天。若問三惡道，人實為最勝；若問于諸天，人必為不如。如是等義名“反問答論門”。若問十四難，若問世界及眾生有邊、無邊、有始終、無始終，如是等義名“置答論門”。諸外道愚癡，自以為智慧，破于四種論，作一分別論，喻如愚人分錢，破錢為兩段。

there are four ways to answer questions as follows:

1. affirmative answer.
for instance: all human beings are mortal

2. separate answer
for instance: the dead will be reborn.
this should be answered separately. those who have no desires at all will not be reborn. those who have desires will be reborn.

3. reversal question and answer.
for example, someone asks: are all human beings supreme ones?" this can be questioned reversely as follows: "are you referring to the three paths of transmigration or to the host of devas?
if you are referring to the former, i should say human beings are supreme. if the latter, i should say human beings are not equals to devas.

4. no answers to questions
if you ask the fourteen difficult questions, such as whether the world has limit or whether human beings have any beginnings or ends.

pretending to be wise, the ignorant heretics divide the four ways of answering questions by only using the separate answer, just like the stupid man giving advice to the two sons to divide all effects and money into two parts.

注釋：

　　①摩羅國：梵文malaya-dasa，這個國家的中央有摩羅耶山，在南天竺境域，所以國家以此為名。摩羅耶malaya，是除垢的意思，因為這座山出產白旃檀香，進去后人變得香潔，所以叫除垢。提數dasa，是中央的意思。

　　②剎利：即剎帝利，意指王族及大臣，是印度四大種姓之一。婆羅門所編的《梨俱吠陀》卷十<原人歌>已敘四姓的來源：婆羅門（祭司）是布盧沙（人）的嘴；兩臂成為剎帝利（王者）；他的兩腿就是吠舍（平民）；從兩足生出首陀羅（勞動者）。而佛經中敘述四姓的時候，總將釋迦牟尼佛所自出身的剎帝利放在首位。

　　③瓨：短頭長身的壇。

　　④十四難：乃對于外道以顛倒之見來問難之十四種事，而佛則舍置不答。十四種事指：㈠世間是恒常? ㈡世間是無常? ㈢世間亦是恒常 亦是無常? ㈣世間非恒常 非無常? ㈤世間有邊? ㈥世間無邊? ㈦世間亦有邊 亦無邊? ㈧世間非有邊 非無邊? ㈨如來死后還存在? ㈩如來死后不存在? （十一）如來死后亦存在 亦不存在?（十二）如來死后亦非存在 亦非不存在?（十三）命（我）和身體是同一物?（十四）命（我）和身體是不同一物?

白話：

從前摩羅國有一位剎帝利，得了重病，知道必定要死了，便吩咐兩個兒子：「我死之后，好好地分財物。」兩位兒子依循父親的遺教，在父親死后，把財物分作兩份。哥哥說弟弟分得不公平。這時有一位蠢老頭說：「我教你們分物，必定能分得平等。他就把眼前的所有物品都破作兩份。如何破呢?就是衣裳在中間剪開，盤瓶也從中間敲開，所有甕壇也砸開，錢也鑿開。」他們按照蠢老頭的分法，就把所有財物都弄破了，分作兩份。如此分物，人人嗤笑。