Skip to main content

(46) TO STEAL THE YAK


Once there was a village whose people jointly participated in stealing a yak for food. The man who lost the yak followed their trail to the village. He called out to the villagers, "Do you all live in this village?"
The villagers replied, "We live in no village."
Again the man asked, "There is a pond in your village. Have you eaten the yak together on the side of the pond?"
Replied the people: "We know of no pond."
Again he asked, "Is there any tree near the pond?"
They answered, "We know of no tree."
Again he asked, "Were you on the east side of your village when you stole my yak?"
They answered, "We know of no east direction."
Again he asked, "Wasn't it at noon when you stole my yak?"
They answered, "We know of no noon time."
Again he asked, "Although it is possibly true of your first three answers, how can you say there is no direction and no time in all the world. Now I know you are lying. So I don't believe you at all. Sure enough, you have stolen my yak. Haven't you?"
Thereupon, the stealer could not but admit it.
So are those who break commandments. People who hide their sins are reluctant to disclose them. They will, however, go to hell after their death. Since Devas and good gods possess supernatural eyes, people should not even try to deceive them just like the villagers should not refuse to admit stealing a yak for food.

46偷犛牛喻
譬如一村共偷犛牛而共食之。其失牛者逐跡至村，喚此村人問其由狀，而語之言：「爾在此村。」不偷者對曰：「我實無村。」又問：「爾村中有池，在此池邊共食牛不？」答言：「無池。」又問：「池傍有樹不？」對言：「無樹。」又問：「偷牛之時在爾村東不？」對曰：「無東。」又問：「當爾偷牛非日中時耶？」對曰：「無中。」又問：「縱可無村及以無樹，何有天下無東無時？知爾妄語都不可信，爾偷牛食不？」對言：「實食。」
破戒之人亦復如是，覆藏罪過不肯發露，死入地獄，諸天善神以天眼觀不得覆藏，如彼食牛不得欺拒。

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kong Rong Gives up the Biggest Pear

Kong Rong (153-208), the 20 th generation descendant of Confucius, was a high official during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Eastern Han Dynasty. As he was good-tempered and hospitable, his house was always full of guests. He was a noted poet and was one of the “Seven Famous Personages of Jian An.”  Kong Rong was once appointed the prefect of Beihai , hence named Kong Beihai . During his tenure of office, Kong Rong constructed cities, built schools, and advocated Confucianism. Kong Rong upheld etiquette , and had made his name heard in his childhood for a "giving up the biggest  pear" story.  In Kong  Rong ’s Family, there were seven brothers in his family and Kong Rong was the sixth son. When he was four years old, he was asked to choose a pear in priority. However, Kong Rong choose a smallest pear, leaving big ones to his elder brothers. Every time the siblings ate pears, his elder brothers always took big ones. He, however, always picked up the small one.  When ...
1 comment
Read more

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

This proverb originates from the story of Qin Hui, who was regarded till today as the most treacherous court minister of the Song dynasty. Qin Hui was born with a peculiarity: his feet measured one foot four inches from heel to toe. he was therefore nicknamed the Long-Foot Scholar when he was a student in the Royal Academy. Qin Hui had been teacher in a private school, he was very unsatisfied by his humble and mean position, and wrote a poem, one couplet of it was: If I had three hundred Acres of irrigated lands, I wouldn't have to be the Monkey king. Here the monkeys were referred to mischievous boys in the private school, he himself was the king of those monkeys. Later he passed the imperial examinations and rose quickly to the post of Prime Minister. By the time, the Song dynasty was under continuous attack by the northern tribe Jurchen [Jin]. Qin Hui initiated Peace negotiation with Jurchens, and made the Southern Song dynasty cede territory and subjugate itself to them....
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more