Skip to main content

(41) PISACAH DEVILS


Once upon a time, there were two Pisacah devils who conjointly owned a suitcase, a stick and a pair of wooden shoes about which they fought for their monopoly. They were quarrelling all day long without reaching a settlement.
An onlooker came over and asked, "What are the particularities of those three things that you have been fighting for so angrily?"
The two devils replied, "This suitcase of ours turns out all sorts of things such as clothes, food, bed articles used on a bed, and other living necessities. One who takes the stick can conquer his hateful enemies without encountering resistance. One who puts on these shoes will be able to fly without a hitch."
Upon hearing it, the onlooker said to the devils, "Would you please stand further away! Let me equally apportion them to you both."
The two devils moved away. Immediately the onlooker flew off snatching their suitcase and stick with the shoes on. The two devils were startled at the loss of their share. To them he said, "I got what you have been fighting for. Now you need not are any more."
Here Pisacah refers to devils and heretics.
Almsgiving applies to the suitcase that turns out all the essential things to the needs of the Five Ways of Existence such as human beings, Devas, etc.
Meditation symbolizes the stick, which can disperse or submit devils, enemies and afflictions as thieves.
Commandments observing is like the shoes that ensure rebirth in the world of Devas and men.
As for the devils and heretics, coveting the suitcase, it signifies that they labour themselves to the seeking for the reward of Enlightenment in the imperfect way, which result in nothing to be obtained.
If one can perform acts of merit together with almsgiving, commandments observing and meditation practice, he will be rid of all suffering and in turn obtain Nirvana.

41毘舍闍鬼喻
昔有二毘舍闍鬼,共有一篋一杖一屐,二鬼共諍各各欲得,二鬼紛紜竟日不能使平。時有一人來見之已而問之言:「此篋杖屐有何奇異?汝等共諍瞋忿乃爾。」二鬼答言:「我此篋者,能出一切衣服飲食床褥臥具資生之物,盡從中出。執此杖者,怨敵歸服無敢與諍。著此屐者,能令人飛行無罣礙。」此人聞已即語鬼言:「汝等小遠,我當為爾平等分之。」鬼聞其語,尋即遠避。此人即時抱篋捉杖躡屐而飛,二鬼愕然竟無所得。人語鬼言:「爾等所諍我已得去,今使爾等更無所諍。」
毘舍闍者喻於眾魔及以外道。布施如篋,人天五道資用之具皆從中出。禪定如杖,消伏魔怨煩惱之賊。持戒如屐,必昇人天。諸魔外道諍篋者,喻於有漏中強求果報,空無所得。若能修行善行及以布施持戒禪定,便得離苦獲得道果。

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The wonderful pear-tree

Once upon a time a countryman came into the town on market-day, and brought a load of very special pears with him to sell. He set up his barrow in a good corner, and soon had a great crowd round him ; for everyone knew he always sold extra fine pears, though he did also ask an extra high price. Now, while he was crying up his fruit, a poor, old, ragged, hungry-looking priest stopped just in front of the barrow, and very humbly begged him to give him one of the pears. But the countryman, who was very mean and very nasty-tempered, wouldn't hear of giving him any, and as the priest didn't seem inclined to move on, he began calling him all the bad names he could think of. " Good sir," said the priest, " you have got hundreds of pears on your barrow. I only ask you for one. You would never even know you had lost one. Really, you needn't get angry." "Give him a pear that is going bad ; that will make him happy," said one of the crowd. "The o...

The Legend of The Three-Life Stone

The Buddhist believe metempsychosis, or the migration of the souls of animated beings, people's relationships are predestined through three states of life: the past, present, and future life. Legend has it that there's a road called Yellow Spring Road, which leads to Fogotten River. Over the river there's a bridge called Helpless Bridge (Naihe Bridge), at one end of the bridge sits a crimson stone called Three-life Stone. When two people die, they take this route to reincarnation. if they carve their name on the Three-life Stone together while they pass the stone, they are to be predestined to be together in their future life. Although before their rebirth they will be given a MengPo Soup to drink and thereby their memory of past life are obliterated. In reality, San-Sheng Shi (三生石), or Three-Life Stone is located beside Flying Mountain near the West Lake, Hangzhou. On the stone, there is seal with three Chinese characters that say "The Three-life Stone," and a de...

The Four Diamond Kings of Heaven

On the right and left sides of the entrance hall of Buddhist temples, two on each side, are the gigantic figures of the four great Diamond Kings of Heaven. They are four brothers named respectively Mo-li Ch’ing (Pure), Mo-li Hung (Vast), Mo-li Hai (Sea), and Mo-li Shou (Age). Mo-li Ch’ing, the eldest, is twenty-four feet in height, with a beard the hairs of which are like copper wire. He carries a magnificent jade ring and a spear, and always fights on foot. He has also a magic sword, ‘Blue Cloud,’ on the blade of which are engraved the four characters: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind. When brandished, it causes a black wind, which produces tens of thousands of spears, which pierce the bodies of men and turn them to dust. The wind is followed by a fire, which fills the air with tens of thousands of golden fiery serpents. A thick smoke also rises out of the ground, which blinds and burns men, none being able to escape. Mo-li Hung carries in his hand an umbrella, called the Umbrella of Chao...