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(58) THE TWO BROTHERS AND THEIR INHERITANCE


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."
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."
People laughed at his suggestion. Such folly is just like those heretics who use one-sided method of separate answer to all questions.
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.

58二子分財喻
昔摩羅國有一剎利，得病極重，必知定死，誡勅二子：「我死之後善分財物。」二子隨教，於其死後分作二分，兄言弟分不平。爾時有一愚老人言：「教汝分物使得平等。現所有物破作二分。云何破之？所謂衣裳中割作二分，槃瓶亦復中破作二分，所有瓫瓨亦破作二分，錢亦破作二分，如是一切所有財物盡皆破之而作二分。」
如是分物人所嗤笑，如諸外道偏修分別論，論門有四種：有決定答論門，譬如人一切有皆死，此是決定答論門。死者必有生是應分別答，愛盡者無生，有愛必有生，是名分別答論門。有問人為最勝不？應反問言：「汝問三惡道？為問諸天？若問三惡道，人實為最勝；若問於諸天，人必為不如。」如是等義，名反問答論門。若問十四難，若問世界及眾生有邊無邊、有終始無終始如是等義，名置答論門。諸外道愚癡自以為智慧，破於四種論作一分別論，喻如愚人分錢物破錢為兩叚。

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