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(26) THE KING'S BLINKING HABIT IS IMITATED

Once upon a time, there was a man who wanted to please the king. He asked the others how to do it and was told, "If you want to please the king, you should imitate him."

He then went to the palace where he saw the king blinking. Thereupon, he imitated and the king asked him, "Do you have sore eyes? Is the wind disturbing your eyes? Why are you blinking?"
He replied, "Not at all! On seeing your Majesty, I want to be just like you to please your Majesty."
Upon hearing those words, the king got very angry. The man was punished by hard blows and sent into exile.

So are the people at large. They wish to approach Buddha, king of the Law, to achieve advancement. Once there, Buddha reveals to them his human weaknesses for the welfare of all mankind. When they sometimes hear of using incorrect phrases in his teachings, they may be unable to understand Buddha and they start to ridicule and defame him. They imitate all his weaknesses. For this reason, they lose the benefit they have got from Buddhism forever and fall into Three Evil Paths of Transmigration accordingly.

This is just like the story of the man imitating the king's blinking habit.

26人效王眼瞤喻

昔有一人，欲得王意，问余人言：「云何得之?」有人语言：「若欲得王意者，王之形相，汝当效之。」此人即便往至王所，见王眼瞤，便效王瞤。王问之言：「汝为病耶?为着风耶?何以眼瞤?」其人答王：「我不病眼，亦不着风，欲得王意，见王眼瞤，故效王也。」王闻是语，即大瞋恚，即便使人种种加害，摈令出国。

世人亦尔，于佛法王欲得亲近，求其善法，以自增长。既得亲近，不解如来法王为众生故，种种方便，现其阙短，或闻其法，见其字句不正，便生讥毁，效其不是。由是之故，于佛法中永失其善，堕于三恶，如彼愚人，亦复如是。

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