(93) THE OLD WOMAN CAUGHT A BEAR

Once upon a time, there was an old woman who was resting under a tree when a bear came to attack her. She ran around the tree trying to get away, while the bear held the tree with one hand and tried to grasp her with the other. Thus hard pressed, the woman quickly hugged the tree and held fast the bear's two claws so that the bear could not move. Then a stranger came up to the spot. The old woman called out, "Let's catch and kill the bear together. We'll share its meat."
The stranger believed the old woman's words and began to help capture the bear. After seizing it, the old woman gave it up and ran away. Then he was leaving in the lurch and got injured by its claws.
This is also held to be true with the common people.
People progress heresy whose theories are far from good and whose phrases are tangled, complicated and full of errors. The successors want to continue and give an interpretation to them. However, they are unable to grasp the meaning. There for they are enmeshed in trouble just like that stupid man catching the bear for another person and getting hurt instead.

93老母捉熊喻
昔有一老母在樹下臥，熊欲來搏，爾時老母遶樹走避，熊尋後逐，一手抱樹欲捉老母，老母得急，即時合樹捺熊兩手，熊不得動。更有異人來至其所，老母語言：「汝共我捉，殺分其肉。」時彼人者信老母語，即時共捉。既捉之已，老母即便捨熊而走，其人後為熊所困。如是愚人為世所笑。凡夫之人亦復如是，作諸異論既不善好，文辭繁重多有諸病，竟不成訖便捨終亡，後人捉之欲為解釋，不達其意反為其困，如彼愚人代他捉熊反自被害。

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