百喻经之九八: 小儿得大龟喻

　　(98) A BOY CAUGHT A BIG TURTLE

　　昔有一小儿，陆地游戏，得一大龟，意欲杀之，不知方便，而问人言：“云何得杀?”有人语言：“汝但掷置水中，即时可杀。”

　　Once upon a time, there was a boy who was playing on dry land and caught a big turtle. He intended to kill it, but he did not know how to do so. Therefore, he asked someone and he was told, "You just throw it into the water and he'll be killed at once."

　　尔时小儿，信其语故，即掷水中。龟得水已，即便走去。

　　The boy believed the words and cast it into the water. Once in water, the turtle swam away.

　　凡夫之人，亦复如是。欲守护六根，修诸功德，不解方便，而问人言：“作何因缘而得解脱?”邪见外道、天魔波旬，及乃恶知识而语之言：“汝但极意六尘，恣精五欲，如我语者，必得解脱。”

　　This is also held to be true with the common people. Hoping to protect their six sense organs and consecrating themselves to meritorious works, people do not know how to do so. Accordingly, they begin to ask others how to bring about deliverance. To them, the heretics, Maras, the evil ones and the wicked friends say in their words, "You just have to be fond of the six sense organs and indulge in the Five Desires. As I'm telling you, you'll get deliverance."

　　如是愚人，不谛思维，便用其语，身坏命终，堕三恶道。如彼小儿掷龟水中。

　　Such stupid men follow these words without deep thinking and fall into the Three Evil Paths of Transmigration on the dissolution of the body after death. This is just like that boy throwing the turtle into the water.

　　注释：

　　①波旬：恶魔名，是欲界第六天的魔王。波旬意译为杀者、恶者，因为他常想断灭人寻求佛法的智慧之命，劝人作恶弃善。

　　白话：

　　曾有一个小儿，在陆地游戏，得了一只大龟，想杀掉它，却不知怎样下手，便问人道：「怎么才能杀掉呢?」有人告诉他：「你只要掷入水中去，立刻就可杀死。」当时小儿信了他的话，就掷入水中。龟得了水，便游走而去。

　　凡夫之人也是这样，想守护眼耳鼻舌身意这六根，修行种种功德，不知如何入手，便问人道：「作什么样相生相助的事情才能解脱呢?」邪见外道、天魔波旬及坏朋友恶导师就对他说：「你只要纵意于色声香味触法六尘，恣情于财色名食睡五欲，照我的话做去，必定能得解脱。」这个人不好好想想，就依了他的话去施行，这样的愚人身坏命终后就堕于三恶道，就像那小儿将龟掷于水中一般，杀不死，反而跑了，这愚人纵意恣情，得不了解脱，反堕入恶涂。