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PROLOGUE
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. 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."
"Very well," The Enlightened One said.
"Is the universe existent or non-existent?" The Brahman asked.
"It is both existent and non-existent," the Enlightened one replied.
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?"
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."
He asked, "What does man live on?"
The Enlightened One replied, "Man lives on cereals."
He asked, "Where do the five cereals come from?"
"They come from the four elements, fire, wind, water and earth," The Enlightened One replied.
"Where do the four elements come from?" the Brahman asked.
"They come from void." The Enlightened One replied.
"Where does the void come from?" He asked.
"It comes from nothingness." The Enlightened One replied.
"Where does nothingness come from?" He asked.
"From the nature." The Enlightened One replied.
"Where does nature come from?" He asked.
"From Nirvana." The Enlightened One replied.
"Where does Nirvana come from?" He asked.
"Why do you ask about such profound things. Nirvana is the law of non-birth and immortality." The Enlightened One replied.
"Have you attained Nirvana?" He asked.
"I haven't reached Nirvana yet." The Enlightened One replied.
"If you haven't reached Nirvana yet, how do you know Nirvana is an eternal bliss?" He asked.
"Now let me ask you whether the life of the sentient beings in the world is happy or miserable," the Enlightened One said.
"I view it as very miserable." He replied.
"What do you mean by miserable?" The Enlightened One said.
"After seeing all the dying men whose pains are unbearable. I know death is miserable." He replied.
"Now you are not dead, nevertheless, you know death is miserable. I have seen all Buddhas of the ten directions in space having neither rebirth nor death. I know, therefore, Nirvana is an eternal bliss." The Enlightened One said.
Those five hundred Brahmans were satisfied and thus understood what the Enlightened One had said. They were then willing to accept the five commandments and asked to be disciples of Gauthama Buddha. Finally, they obtained enlightenment of the Sotapanna's degree. They sat down as before. The Enlightened One said, "You all listen carefully to me. I'll give you an extensive talk of fables."
(1) THE STUPID MAN TAKES SALT
Once upon a time there was a stupid man who went to another man's home. The host gave him something to eat. After he complained that the food was insipid, the host added a little salt to it. The stupid guest tried again, found it better, and thought that it was tasteful, because of the salt. To his thinking, the food would be so much better, if he took a great deal of salt. Then this stupid and ignorant man ate it on an empty stomach. Afterwards, he had his palate out of order and fell ill.
The heretics, having learned that abstaining from food and drink might lead to the path of Enlightenment, immediately fasted for seven or fifteen days. They merely got fatigued and famished, accomplishing nothing in terms of Enlightenment. Those heretics are just like that stupid man, who, on account of the pleasant flavor that the salt enhanced, ate salt on an empty stomach only to lose all tastes (and get sick afterwards).
(2) THE STUPID MAN STORES UP MILK
Once upon a time there was a stupid man who was about to give a party. He wanted to store up milk for his guests.
"If I milk the cow beforehand every day, he thought, little by little, there will be too much of milk and will not be enough space to store it and it may even spoil. It would be better to let it remain inside of the cow. I'll milk the cow right away at the time of the party."
He then separated the cow from the calf and tied them up apart. A month later, he actually gave the reception. He tried to milk the cow, but the milk had run dry. Some guests got annoyed and others laughed at him.
So are the idiotic fellows who want to give alms at once but prefer to wait until they possess great wealth. It usually happens that, before they can scrape together enough money, it is seized by the country officers or taken away by robbers and thieves or by fire and flood. It also happens that, due to their sudden demise, they are not in time for giving alms.
This is just like the story of the stupid man who stored up milk.
(3) THE HEAD IS BROKEN WITH PEARS
Once upon a time there was a bald-headed man who was bit in his head by a few pears thrown at him. He forbore taking the blows without knowing that he should have tried to dodge them. A bystander asked the man, "Why didn't you dodge the blows that wounded your head?"
The man answered, "Proudly relying upon doing violence to others and being short of intelligence, he, the attacker, took my baldhead for a stone. That's why he struck me with pears and broke my head like that."
The bystander retorted, "It's you who are indeed short of intelligence. How can you call him stupid? Haven't you been stupid enough to get injured without the sense to run away?"
So is the monk who, unable to abide discipline, meditation and wisdom, keeps only a good appearance to expect support. He is just like that stupid man who got as far as wounded on the head without knowing to run away and called the attacker stupid into the bargain.
(4) THE WIFE PRETENDS TO BE DEAD
Once upon a time there was a stupid man who loved very much his beautiful wife. However, she had no true love for him. In the meantime, she associated herself surreptitiously with another man. Burning with lecherous passions, she wanted to leave her husband to be with her lover. She secretly told an old woman, "After my departure, I would like you to place a woman's corpse in my house. You then tell my husband that I'm dead."
The old woman did what she was told. She told the husband shortly after his return that his wife passed away. He went to see the corpse and believed it was that of his own wife. He grieved and wept bitterly. He gathered a great deal of wood and oil together for the cremation. Then he put the ashes into a bag and had it with him day and night.
Shortly after, the wife got tired of her lover. She came back and told her husband, "I'm your wife."
The husband answered, "My wife died a long time ago. Who are you to lie to me that you are my wife?"
The husband refused to believe her, in spite of her repeated explanations.
So are the heretics who, having learned the heretical doctrine, confusedly stick to it with all their soul and take the doctrine to be the right one without altering their mind forever. Thus they will be unable to believe, accept or keep any other creed even it is an orthodox one.
(5) GETTING THIRSTY ON SEEING WATER
Once there was a fellow desperately in need of water for his thirst. On seeing the blazing fog, he mistook it for water. He pursued it until he reached the Indus River. But he only looked at it without drinking. A bystander asked, "You are suffering from thirst. How that you have found water, why don't you drink it?"
The fellow answered, "If I could drink up all that water, I would do it. Since there is more water than I can finish, I would rather not drink it at all."
As soon as people heard this, they laughed aloud at him. The heretics, acting against all senses and reasons, think since they are unable to keep all the Buddhist commandments, they refuse to accept any of them. They will never attain the path of Enlightenment and thus subject to transmigration in time to come. They are just like that stupid thirsty fellow who gets laughed at by his contemporaries.
(6) THE DEAD SON IS ABOUT TO REMAIN IN THE HOUSE
Once upon a time there was a man who brought up seven boys, one of whom died. Finding the son dead, he intended to leave the body in the house and moved out himself. A bystander said to him, "You know the living and the dead go separate ways. Since your son is dead, he should be quickly buried in a far away place with all due solemnity. Now why do you want to leave your house and let your dead son remain here?"
When the man heard this, he decided to bury his son and not let the corpse lie at home. He then thought he would have to kill another son to hang one body on each end of the pole to keep in equilibrium and carry them for burial in a long way off the forest. That seemed the only thing possible for him to do and he did it. His contemporaries laughed aloud at his unprecedented eccentricities.
A monk, who secretly broke one commandment, felt afraid to confess it. He would pretend that he had scrupulously kept all commandments and led a life free from evil and defilement.
Some wise men might then tell him, "A monk should keep the commandments just like brilliant pearls should be protected from being damaged. How can you break what you have accepted? Now you are reluctant to confess them."
The offender would answer, "Now that I have to confess, I might as well do more breakings. Then I'll confess all my sins at once."
Consequently, he broke more commandments by doing many evil things before his confession. This monk is just like that stupid man who kills another son when one dies.
(7) ONE RECKONS ANOTHER MAN TO BE ONE'S ELDER BROTHER
Once upon a time, there was a man endowed with a respectable appearance and intelligence as well as wealth. All these evoked feelings of admiration and praise from the people around him. Another man then claimed this man to be his elder brother. He did so, because of the man's wealth. When he needed money, he called the man elder brother. After the rich man paying his debt, he stopped calling him elder brother. A bystander asked, "You are a strange man. When you are in need of money, you call him elder brother. When he is in debt, you will not. Why?"
The man answered, "When I want to get at his money, I'll call him elder brother. As a matter of fact, he isn't my own elder brother. When he is in debt, I will not call him elder brother."
Hearing these words, people laughed at him.
The heretics, who have heard the good words of Buddhism, purloin and make use of them as their own. When people try to teach them how to practice the goods words, they do not want to listen. They declared that they use the good words of Buddhism to instruct the other people in order to earn a living. There is no need that they should bother to know how to practice it.
Those heretics are just like the stupid man who calls the rich man elder brother for his money.
(8) A RUSTIC STEALS CLOTHES FROM THE PALACE TREASURY
Once upon a time there was a rustic who stole garments from the palace and then escaped to a remote place. The king sent men to search for him in all directions. Finally, he was arrested and taken to the king who accused him of theft and asked him where he had got the clothes. The rustic answered that they belonged to his grandfather. The king then ordered him to put them on. He did not know how to wear them. He put on his arms what should be worn on his legs. What he ought to have on his waist, he put on his head. Seeing this, the king summoned his ministers for consultation on the matter.
"If the clothes belonged to your grandfather, you should know how to wear them. How can you wear them in all wrong ways? It's certain that they are not your old clothes. You have stolen them," said the king.
Figuratively speaking, here the king is like Buddha; the valuable clothes, the Buddhist teachings; the stupid rustic, the heretic.
A heretic, who has eavesdropped on Buddhism, makes it for his own. He then misinterprets it, because he does not know the real meaning of its teachings.
This heretic is like the rustic who stole the king's valuable clothes without knowing how to wear them properly and put them on in all the wrong ways.
(9) THE FATHER'S VIRTUES ARE PRAISED
Once upon a time there was a man who praised his father's virtues before everybody.
"My father is compassionate. He neither kills nor steals. He speaks earnestly and gives alms," said the man.
At the time, it so happened that a stupid man heard those words and declared, "My father is more virtuous than yours."
The others asked, "In what way he is more virtuous'! Please tell us about him."
The man answered, "Undefiled as my father was, he gave up completely his sexual desires when he was young".
The others said, "If your father had done so, how could he have brought you into the world?"
This aroused the sardonical laugh from all those around him.
There are those ignorant people in the world who want to extol the merits of others without knowing how to be realistic and get ridiculed instead. These people are just like that stupid man who wanted to praise his father but turned out to speak fatuously.
(10) THREE - STORIED HOUSE
Once there was an ignorant rich man who, one day, went to another rich man's three-storied house. Struck with admiration by the imposing, spacious, airy and well - lighted building, he said to himself, "I'm no less rich than he. Why don't I have the same house built as this one?"
Thereupon, he sent for a carpenter and said, "Can you construct an imposing house exactly like that one?"
That carpenter replied, "It's I who built that one."
He went on, "Now you may build a house like that one for me."
The carpenter began first to level the ground, afterward laid the foundation stones and then drove in piles for walls. The stupid man could not make it out when he saw the worker doing all these. He asked,"What are you doing now?"
The carpenter replied, "I'm building three floors."
The stupid man went on, "I don't want the two floors below. You had better start building from the third floor for me."
The carpenter answered, "It's impossible. If I don't begin with the ground floor, how can I build the second? If I don't build the two below, how can I build the third floor?"
The stupid man persisted saying, "But I don't need the two floors below, only the top."
Hearing those words, his contemporaries sardonically laughed at him. They all said how could one have the top floor done without building the lower floors?
Sakyamuni's four degrees of disciples who are unable to practice earnestly Buddhism and respect the Three Precious Ones, wanted to attain the path of deliverance by leading an idle life. They said, "We don't need the first three degrees below, but seek only that of Arahant's."
There was no difference between the stupid rich man and those disciples who were also laughed at by their contemporaries.
(11) THE BRAHMAN KILLS HIS SON
Once upon a time, there was a Brahman who prided himself on his erudite knowledge of astrology and various arts. He was such a conceited man that he claimed to be learned in everything. To show his ability, he went abroad carrying his son in his arms and cried. The Brahman was asked, "Why are you crying?"
He replied, "This baby is going to die within seven days. I'm grieved at his inevitable death. That's why I can't help crying."
The contemporaries said, "It's difficult to know a man's life. It's easy to make a miscalculation. He may not die seven days. Why should you weep in advance?"
The Brahman said, "The sun and the moon may set and the stars may fall, but I have never had a miscalculation on my record."
To prove his self-claimed knowledge, he killed his son on the seventh day, for the sake of fame and gain. The contemporaries heard the news of his son's death at the foretold time. They marvelled that he was indeed an erudite man who could prove true of what he had said. They all came to pay him homage, and were heartily convinced that he deserved respect (as a prophet).
This is also true with those of Sakyamuni's four degrees of disciples who claim to have attained the path of Enlightenment for the sake of the material offerings from others. They would try to fool people by killing an innocent man in order to deceitfully show the virtue of compassion. Such disciples would be certainly doomed to limitless suffering in time to come, just like the Brahman who wanted to prove the accuracy of his prophecy by killing his son and thus deceived people.
(12) THE BOILED BLACK ROCK - HONEY SYRUP
Once upon a time, a man was boiling black rock-honey syrup, when a rich man came to his house. He thought he would give the syrup to the rich man. He poured a little water into it and put it on a slow fire. He then fanned it with a fan in the hope of cooling it.
A bystander addressed to him, "If you don't put out the fire below, how can you cool it even though you keep on fanning?"
People began to laugh at him.
This is like the heretics who will practice a little mortification by sleeping on thorny brambles without putting out the flames of annoyance. As the five passions are still blazing within them, there is no way for such people to become cool and quiet. As a result, they sardonically laughed at by the wise. Moreover, they will suffer affliction in their present lives and transmigration in the future.
(13) COMMENTING ON SOMEONE'S QUICK TEMPER
Once a group of people sat in a house commenting on someone as being of good virtue except for two faults:
First, he was quick- tempered. Second, he was impulsive.
At the time, this man happened to pass by the door and heard the comment. He entered the house, grabbed the man who had criticized him, and started to beat him.
Thereupon one bystander asked why he beat the man.
He replied, "When did I ever lose my temper or act impulsively? This man said: I often did so. That's why I have beaten him."
The bystander pointed out, "Your action at once demonstrates that you have often lost your temper and acted impulsively. Why do you still want to conceal your character from others?"
This man who resents to having his faults exposed, often leads people to lay all the blame for the stupidity and foolishness on him.
People, who are addicted to drinking and other debaucheries, when scolded by others, strongly hate their critics in turn. Moreover, they try desperately to justify themselves by bringing forward all sorts of excuses. Those men are just like that stupid man who disliked hearing about his faults discussed.
(14) OFFERING THE GUIDE UP AS SACRIFICE TO GOD
Once upon a time there was a group of merchants who wanted to go to the sea. A guide was required. They set out in quest of such a man. After finding such a man, they started the trip and saw a temple when they reached a land of wilderness. A man had to be immolated to cross it.
After consultation, the group of merchants said that they could not choose anyone in the company to be killed, for they were all related. The only one fit to be sacrificed was the guide. So they killed him. After performing the rites, they soon lost their way and knew not which direction to go. They then died one after another.
So are the people in general.
Those who seek to fish for treasure in the sea of Dharma should keep the commandments of doing good deeds as their guide. If they break them, they will end their lives in the wilderness and can never be rescued. Furthermore, they will have to go through the Three Evil Paths of Transmigration and suffer forever and ever.
Such men are just like the group of merchants who killed the guide and died in a body as a result.
(15) THE PHYSICIAN GIVES MEDICINE TO THE PRINCESS TO MADE HER GROW UP FAST
Once upon a time there was a king who brought a daughter into the world. He sent for the doctor and asked him, "Could you prescribe some drugs for my daughter in order to make her grow up faster?"
The physician replied, "I have a good prescription for her. However, I don't have the medicine on hand. I should look for it. Your Majesty must not see her at the time of my searching for the medicine. I'll present her to your Majesty after she has taken it."
Then the physician went to a remote region in search of the medicine. He found it and came back twelve years later. Having taken the medicine, the daughter was led to the king who was happy to see her. Then he said to himself, "He's a good physician. My daughter has indeed grown after taking his medicine."
The king then ordered his attendants to reward the doctor lavishly with gems. All the courtiers derided the king for his ignorance to such an extent that he did not know to think of the year in which his daughter was born. The king believed that her growing was due to the effect of the medicine.
So are the people in general. They will visit a wise man and say, "We should like to attain the path of Enlightenment. Please instruct us that we may immediately receive the transcendent wisdom."
By means of expediency, the master will guide them to practice meditation and contemplate the Twelve Links connected with the causation of rebirth. After gradually accumulating all kinds of merits, they reach the Arahant's degree. TheN they will jump with joy and exclaim, "How fast it is! Our great master, you have made us obtain so quickly the quintessential truth."
(16) WATER THE SUGAR - CANE
Once upon a time two men who cultivated sugar-cane, pledged that the one who had a good harvest would win prizes, while the one with a bad harvest would be heavily penalized. One of them thought, "The sugar-cane itself is very sweet. It will be more delicious if I water it with its compressed juice. Then I will get the upper hand over him."
Immediately, he began to press the juice from the sugar-cane. He watered the plant with the juice in the hope of making it more delicious. Instead, he destroyed the seedling and lost his entire plantation.
So are people at large. Those who wish for the comforts of life use their high positions and great influence to oppress the mass. They steal others' possessions as their own wealth to do good works with a view to enjoy better life afterwards. However, they are unaware of the calamities, which are to come upon them. Those people are just like the man who, pressing the sugar - cane, lost everything.
(17) A DEBT OF HALF A CENT
Once a merchant lent half a cent to a man who then took a long time repaying him. The merchant went to the man to ask him to clear the debt sooner. To go there, he had to pay two cents as ferry fare to cross a wide river. The debtor was not at home when he arrived there. On his trip back, he had to pay as much again. It amounted to four cents in total.
For a debt of half a cent, the merchant lost four cents. Moreover, he got very tired from his journey. He lost a great more than what he stood to gain. As a result, he was sardonically laughed at.
So are the people at large.
To seek a little fame and gain, people will spare no pains to bring ruin upon what should be their greater concern. They seek self-preservation at the expense of morality. Consequently, they will earn a bad name in this life and suffer retribution in the hereafter.
(18) GRIND A KNIFE UPSTAIRS
Once upon a time there was a poor man who had to work very hard in the king's service. As time went on, he became emaciated. Out of pity, the king gave him a dead camel. Having received it, the poor man began to flay it. His knife being very blunt, he looked for a whetstone to grind it. At last, he found one upstairs where he sharpened the knife.
He then went back downstairs to skin the camel. He ran up and down the stairs doing the sharpening and skinning frantically for a while and finally he felt so tired that he could not go on any longer. Then he had to hang the camel upstairs to be closer to the whetstone. People guffawed at him.
A stupid man who, by breaking the strict commandments gathers plenty of money and uses it on offering in the hope that he will be born in Heaven. This stupid man is just like the poor man who worked hard for little gain in hanging his camel upstairs and sharpening his knife.
(19) LOSS OF A SILVER BOWL BY BOAT
Once upon a time there was a man who dropped a silver bowl into the sea while crossing it. He pondered, "I'm going to make a mark on the water. I'm carrying on my journey now. But I'll come back for it later."
After two months' travel during which he visited Ceylon and many other countries. On seeing a river, he jumped into the water looking for the bowl he had lost before.
"What are you doing there?" people asked.
He replied, "I have lost my bowl. Now I would like to get it back."
People went on, "When did you lose it?"
He answered, "I lost it crossing the sea."
Again people asked, "How long ago did you lose it?"
He answered, "I lost it two months ago."
People asked, "Since you lost it two months ago in the sea, why are you looking for it here in the river?"
He answered, "I made a mark on the water where I lost the bowl. This water looks the same as the other. There seems no difference. That's why I'm doing this."
People went on, "Though all waters are identical, the place that you have lost it is there. How can you find it here?"
Everybody jeered at him.
The heretics, who do not practice the right religious belief, but a fallacious one, suffer from their useless mortification in seeking deliverance. Those men are just like the stupid man who has lost his bowl in the sea and looked for it in the river.
(20) THE KING WAS SAID TO HAVE GIVEN REIN TO CRUELTY
Once upon a time a man pronouncing his king's crimes, said, "Very cruel is the king. He is incapable of governing."
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.
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.
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?"
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?"
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.
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.
(21) A WOMAN LONGS FOR A SECOND CHILD
Once there was a woman who longed for a second child. He asked other women, "Who could bring me another child?"
An old lady told her, "I can find a way for you to give birth to another child, on one condition that you should offer a sacrifice to God."
She asked, "What have I to offer as a sacrifice?"
Thereupon, the old lady replied, "Kill your son and use his blood as a sacrifice to God. Thus you'll certainly get many other children."
Subsequently, she tried to follow the old lady's instructions. A wise man nearby heard the story first jeered and then scolded the woman, "How so stupid and ignorant you are! To kill your son that you have now! Are you sure that you'll have another one whose birth is unknown?"
So is the stupid man who in order to get uncertain happiness, plunges into the burning pit and does all, sorts of wrong-doings in the hope of entering Heaven after death.