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(78) THE SON'S TRIPS

Once upon a time, there was a man who told his son one night, "Tomorrow I'll go with you to another tribe for some errands."

The son hastened to go there by himself at dawn without telling his father. On his arrival, he was so tired that he did nothing. Furthermore, he could not find food. He got very hungry and thirsty. After he came back, his father scolded him and said, "You are very stupid indeed. Why didn't you wait for me? You ran back and forth for nothing, only to suffer in vain."

He was laughed at by the people at large.

This is also held to be true with the common people.

Those who have the opportunity to become monks and who shave off their moustache and have their hair cut, and who wear the monk's three robes, do not ask for guidance to obtain Nirvana from an imminent teacher. They will in the end, lose not only the meditation training, but also the merits of monastic grades. Finally, they will lose altogether the supreme results from the practices of monks, under the cloak of whom they virtually gain nothing. This is just like that stupid man casting his trip in vain, only to get tired and weary.

78與兒期早行喻

昔有一人，夜語兒言：「明當共汝至彼聚落有所取索。」兒聞語已至明旦，竟不問父獨往詣彼。既至彼已，身體疲極空無所獲，又不得食飢渴欲死，尋復迴來來見其父。父見子來深責之言：「汝大愚癡無有智慧，何不待我？空自往來，徒受其苦，為一切世人之所嗤笑。」凡夫之人亦復如是，設得出家即剃鬚髮服三法衣，不求明師諮受道法，失諸禪定道品功德，沙門妙果一切都失，如彼愚人虛作往返徒自疲勞，形似沙門實無所得。

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