百喻经之五八: 二子分财喻

　　(58) THE TWO BROTHERS AND THEIR INHERITANCE

　　昔摩罗国有一刹利，得病极重，必知定死，诫敕二子：“我死之后，善分财物。”

　　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."

　　二子随教，于其死后，分作二份。兄言弟分不平。尔时有一愚老人言：“教汝分物，使得平等，现所有物，破作二份。云何破之?所谓衣裳中割作二份，盘、瓶亦复中破作二份，所有瓮、缸亦破作二份，钱亦破作二份。如是一切所有财物尽皆破之，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.

　　如诸外道，偏修分别论。论门有四种：有“决定答论门”，譬如人一切有皆死，此是决定答论门。死者必有生，是应分别答。爱尽者无生，有爱必有生，是名“分别答论门”。有问人为最胜不?应反问言。汝问三恶道，为问诸天。若问三恶道，人实为最胜;若问于诸天，人必为不如。如是等义名“反问答论门”。若问十四难，若问世界及众生有边、无边、有始终、无始终，如是等义名“置答论门”。诸外道愚痴，自以为智慧，破于四种论，作一分别论，喻如愚人分钱，破钱为两段。

　　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.

　　注释：

　　①摩罗国：梵文Malaya-dasa，这个国家的中央有摩罗耶山，在南天竺境域，所以国家以此为名。摩罗耶Malaya，是除垢的意思，因为这座山出产白旃檀香，进去后人变得香洁，所以叫除垢。提数dasa，是中央的意思。