(80) TO TAKE AN ENEMA

Once upon a time, there was a man who had a pain in his rear. The doctor said it would be healed by giving an enema. He immediately went to fetch the instruments for that purpose. The patient took the drug before the physician came back. His belly became inflated beyond description. After his return, the doctor wondered what had happened to the patient and asked him the cause of it. To the physician, he replied, "I've just taken the drug for enema. That's why I'm dying."

After hearing these words, the doctor scolded him in following words, "You are the most stupid man I've ever met. You are acting against all senses."

Then he gave him other drugs. The patient vomited and was cured. Such a stupid man was laughed at by the people at large.

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

The contemplation in meditation comprises many methods. Those who practice meditating on the uncleanness of the human bodies are not appropriate to practice on the counting of the breathings, whereas those who practice the counting of the breathings should not practice the meditating on the six parts of a human body. To turn it upside down without following a fundamental principle will cause life itself. Those who bluntly practice the contemplation in meditation without consulting a good master are just like that stupid man taking the wrong thing for his illness.

80倒灌喻

昔有一人，患下部病，醫言：「當須倒灌乃可差耳。」便集灌具欲以灌之。醫未至頃便取服之，腹脹欲死不能自勝。醫既來至，怪其所以，即便問之：「何故如是？」即答醫言：「向時灌藥，我取服之，是故欲死。」醫聞是語深責之言：「汝大愚人不解方便。」即便以餘藥服之方吐下，爾乃得差。如此愚人為世所笑，凡夫之人亦復如是，欲修學禪觀種種方法，應効不淨，反効數息，應數息者効觀六界，顛倒上下無有根本，徒喪身命為其所困。不諮良師顛倒禪法，如彼愚人飲服不淨。