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bza021 -- A forest spirit admonishes a monk – The ulcer simile 以念覺覆瘡疣

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別譯雜阿含: bza021 BZA English: 別譯雜阿含英譯 雜阿含: za1082

bza021

如是我聞:一時佛住舍衛國 祇樹給孤獨園


爾時有一比丘,著衣持鉢,入城乞食。食已迴還,洗足,攝持坐具,入得眼林中,在一樹下敷草而坐,起惡覺觀,貪嗜五欲。得眼林神知比丘念,念於不淨,在此林中不應嗜惡,作如是念:

「我當[寤-吾+告]寤!」

即作是言:

「比丘!比丘!何故作瘡?」

比丘答言:

「我當覆之。」

林神復語:

「 汝瘡如 * [土*瓦]。以何覆之?」

比丘答言:

「我以念覺,用覆此瘡。」

林神讚言:

「善哉!善哉!今此比丘善知覆瘡,真實覆瘡。」

佛以清淨天耳聞彼林神共比丘語。爾時世尊即說偈言:

世間嗜 * 欲    邪意所作
瘡疣已生    眾蠅唼食
嗜欲即瘡    覺觀即蠅
我慢依貪    鑽丈夫心
貪利名稱    疑惑所著
不知出要    內心修定
具學諸通    此不作瘡
安隱見佛    能得涅槃


說此偈已,諸比丘聞佛所說,歡喜奉行。


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A forest spirit admonishes a monk – The ulcer simile

Translation of BZA 021. First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23-1 (2006).

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.

At that time a monk took his robe and begging bowl and entered the town to beg for food. When he had eaten and returned, he washed his feet, gathered his seat cloth and went into the Forest of Regained Sight. Beneath a tree after he had prepared the ground and started sitting, evil coarse and subtle thoughts arose [in his mind], greed for the five sensual pleasures. The spirit of the Forest of Regained Sight read the monks thoughts and saw that they were impure. [Since] in this forest one should not have evil inclinations, the spirit thought: ‘I will wake him up.’, and he said: ‘Monk, monk, why are you having an ulcer?’. The monk answered: ‘I will bandage my ulcer’. The forest spirit spoke again: ‘Your ulcer is large like a pot, how will you bandage it?’. The monk answered: ‘I will bandage my ulcer with [right] thought’. There the forest spirit said in praise: ‘Very good, very good! This monk knows well how to bandage his ulcer, how truly to bandage his ulcer’. The Buddha, with his divine hearing, heard the exchange between the forest spirit and the monk.

At that time the World-honored One spoke this verse:

Worldly desires / are born of evil thoughts. //
Once an ulcer has grown / it nurtures a swarm of flies; //
desire is this ulcer / thought and reflection are the flies. //
Because of greed, arrogance / pierces our heart. //
Because of greed for fame and profit / we are caught in doubts, //
do not know the escape / When the mind is trained and concentrated //
one walks the way of the wise / one does not grow ulcers //
but in peace and stability beholds the Buddha / and attains Nirvāṇa. //

When the Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and practised accordingly.

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This file is part of the Bieyi za ahan (T.100) project at the Dharma Drum Buddhist College.
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