《百喻经》
[The] Sūtra [Of A] Hundred Parables
（二六）人效王眼瞤喻
(26) Parable [Of The] Person Imitating [A] King’s Eye-Twitching
昔有一人，欲得王意，问余人言：「云何得之？」
[In the] past, [there] was a person, desiring [to] get [the] King’s agreeability, asked other people, saying, ‘How [can I] get it?’
有人语言：「若欲得王意者，王之形相汝当效之。」
[There] was [a] person [who] said, ‘If desiring [to] get that King’s agreeability, [with the] appearance of [the] King, you should imitate it.’
此人即便后至王所，见王眼瞤便效王瞤。
This person immediately, after arriving [at the] King’s place, seeing [the] King’s eyes twitching, then imitated [the] King’s twitching.
王问之言：「汝为病耶？为着风耶？何以眼瞤？」
[The] King asked him, saying, ‘Are you sick? Is [it because of having] caught [the] wind? Why [are you] with [your] eyes twitching?’
其人答王：「我不病眼，亦不着风，欲得王意，见王眼瞤故效王也。」
That person answered [the] King, ‘I [am] not [with] sickness [of the] eyes, also not [having] caught [the] wind. Desiring [to] get [the] King’s agreeability, seeing [the] King’s eyes twitching, thus imitating [the] King too.’
王闻是语即大瞋恚，即便使人种种加害摈令出国。
[The] King, [having] heard this said, [was] immediately [with] great anger, immediately ordering [the] person [to be with] all kinds [of] harm [i.e. punishments], expelling [him] out [the] country.
世人亦尔，于佛法王欲得亲近，求其善法以自增长。既得亲近，不解如来法王为众生故，种种方便现其阙短，或闻其法见有字句不正，便生讥毁，效其不是。
[The] world’s people [are] likewise thus, of [the] Buddha, [the] Dharma King, [they] desire [to] get close [to him, to] seek his good Dharma [teachings], with [them for] personal growth. [Having] gotten close already, not understanding [that the] Thus Come [One, the] Dharma King, for sentient beings thus, [is with] all kinds [of] skilful means, then appearing [to be with] their ‘faults’ [and] ‘shortcomings’, perhaps hearing these Dharma [teachings], seeing [them to] have words [and] lines [that are] not right, then giving rise [to] slander, imitating those [that are] not right.
由是之故，于佛法中永失其善堕于三恶，如彼效王，亦复如是。
Because of this thus, of [the] Buddha’s Dharma [teachings] within, [for a] long [time] losing those good, falling into [the] three evil [paths], like that [person] imitating [the] King, [they are] likewise thus.
[Note: There should not be blind following of others’ words and deeds, even if they are ‘revered’ by ‘many’. There should be proper learning, perhaps with enquiry too, to understand what is sensible and worthy first. Otherwise, there might be mere copying of unskilful words and deeds, or copying of skilful words and deeds unskilfully, out of proper context.
This might not only be not useful to oneself and others, it might be harmful too. With misunderstanding of the Dharma, there can be misrepresenting of the Dharma to others too, thus slandering the Dharma (谤法) and creating evil karma (恶业).]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
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