(72) AN OPERATION ON THE MOUTH

Once upon a time, there was a man who went to his wife's home where he saw people removing the husk from rice. He stole some rice and hid it in his mouth. When the wife came to talk to him, he could not answer her with his mouth full. He disliked to leave it lest he would put her to shame. So he stood speechless. That aroused her curiosity all the more.

Looking at him and feeling him with her hands, she found his mouth swollen. Thereupon she said to her father, "On his way over, my husband suddenly got a swollen mouth and is unable to speak."
Immediately her father sent for a doctor who said, "Very serious is your illness. It will be cured by an operation."

Then an operation on his mouth was done and his act of theft was exposed.
This is also held to be true with the people at large.

In doing evil deeds to break the pure commandments and hiding sins, people descend to the Three Evil Ways of hells, beasts and hungry ghosts. This is just like the stupid man, being reluctant to let out rice, on account of a trifling shame matter, and undergoing an operation on his mouth to reveal his sins.

72唵米決口喻

昔有一人至婦家舍，見其擣米，便往其所偷米唵之。婦來見夫欲共其語，滿口中米都不應和，羞其婦故不肯棄之，是以不語。婦怪不語，以手摸看謂其口腫，語其父言：「我夫始來卒得口腫，都不能語。」其父即便喚醫治之。時醫言曰：「此病最重，以刀決之可得差耳。」即便以刀決破其口，米從中出其事彰露。世間之人亦復如是，作諸惡行犯於淨戒，覆藏其過不肯發露，墮於地獄畜生餓鬼。如彼愚人以小羞故不肯吐米，以刀決口乃顯其過。

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