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(40) TO CURE BALDNESS


Once upon a time, there was a man who was completely bald. He felt very cold in winter and hot in summer. He was stung by gadflies and mosquitoes. He suffered from his baldness day and night. One day, he went to see a specialist well known for his medical and surgical practice and said, "Great Master! Would you cure my baldness?"
Taking off his hat, the doctor revealed to him that he too was bald and said, "I have the same trouble as you. If I could cure it, I would have done so with myself long time ago."
So are the people at large. Suffering from the agonies of birth, old age, sickness and death, people seek for immortality. They hear Sramanas, Brahmans etc, are the best doctors in the world who know now to cure all kinds of diseases. They go to a Brahman and say, "Would you release us from the pain of impenitence and transmigration and help us live in happiness and immortality?"
The Brahman tells them, "I also suffer from those agonies that you feel. So I'm looking for immortality, which I can't find. If I was able to make you get it, I would get it first for myself and then for you too."
The Brahman is just like the bald man getting weary in vain for his healing.

40治禿喻
昔有一人頭上無毛，冬則大寒夏則患熱，兼為蚊虻之所唼食，晝夜受惱，甚以為苦。有一醫師多諸方術，時彼禿人往至其所，語其醫言：「唯願大師為我治之。」時彼醫師亦復頭禿，即便脫帽示之而語之言：「我亦患之以為痛苦，若令我治能得差者，應先自治以除其患。」
世間之人亦復如是，為生老病死之所侵惱，欲求長生不死之處，聞有沙門婆羅門等世之良醫善療眾患，便往其所而語之言：「唯願為我除此無常生死之患，常處安樂長存不變。」時婆羅門等即便報言：「我亦患此無常生老病死，種種求覓長存之處終不能得。今我若能使汝得者，我亦應先自得，令汝亦得。」如彼患禿之人，徒自疲勞不能得差。

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