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(53) THE MASTER'S ACHING LEGS


Once a master told two of his disciples to take care of his aching legs. Each one had to massage continuously each of his two legs. The two disciples bear strong dislike of each other. When one left for a break, the other broke with a stone the leg that the first one had massaged out of spite. The first one, angry at his doings, broke the other leg that the second one had massaged.
So are the Buddhist disciples. The scholars of Mahayana criticize the Hinayana, and vice-versa. Therefore, these two schools' scriptures of the Great Saint, run the risk to be both vanishing.

53師患脚付二弟子喻
譬如一師有二弟子,其師患脚,遣二弟子人當一脚隨時按摩。其二弟子常相憎嫉,一弟子行,其一弟子捉其所當按摩之脚以石打折;彼既來已,忿其如是,復捉其人所按之脚尋復打折。
佛法學徒亦復如是,方等學者非斥小乘,小乘學者復非方等,故使大聖法典二途兼亡。

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