《百喻经》
[The] Sūtra [Of A] Hundred Parables
（二七）治鞭疮喻
(27) Parable [Of] Curing Whip Wounds
昔有一人为王所鞭，既被鞭已，以马屎拊之欲令速差。
[In the] past, [there] was a person who [was] by [the] King whipped, [having] been whipped already, with horse dung applying it [on his wounds], desiring [to] quickly recover.
有愚人见之心生欢喜，便作是言：「我决得是治疮方法。」
[There] was [a] foolish person [who] saw this, giving rise [to] joy, then making this statement, ‘I [have now] definitely gotten this method [for] curing wounds.’
即便归家语其儿言：「汝鞭我背，我得好法今欲试之。」
Immediately returning home, [he] said [to] his son, saying, ‘You [should] whip my back, [as] I [have] gotten [a] good method [and] now desire [to] try it.’
儿为鞭背，以马屎拊之以为善巧。
[His] son for [him] whipped [his] back, [and] with horse dung applied it, assuming [it is a] skilful [means].
世人亦尔，闻有人言修不净观，即得除去五阴身疮，便作是言：「我欲观于女色及以五欲。」
[The] world’s people [are] likewise thus, hearing [that there] are people saying cultivation [of] impurity’s contemplation immediately attains elimination [of the] five aggregates’ body’s wound, [they] then make this statement, ‘I desire [to] contemplate on female forms, and with [the] five desires [too].’
[Note 1: The five aggregates (五阴/蕴) are (i) form (色), (ii) feelings (受), (iii) perception (想), (iv) mental formation (行) and (v) consciousness (识).]
未见不净，返为女色之所惑乱，流转生死堕于地狱，世间愚人亦复如是。
Yet [to] see [the] impurity, instead by females forms as those confused, reborn [in the cycle of] birth [and] death, [and] falling into [the] hells, [the] world’s foolish people [are] likewise thus.
[Note 2: There should not be blind faith in, with mimicking of others’ methods of practice without proper learning, contemplating and even appropriate questioning. Not only might these methods not work, they might even be harmful, creating new problems when they need not be there in the first place. Even if there is an actual skilful means of others found, it might not be skilful for one due to oneself having different spiritual capacities.
Only those who are ready to practise impurity’s contemplation are able to transcend attachment to the body and the five desires swiftly. They are able to contemplate the impure parts within the body directly. This is while those not ready, who contemplate living bodies’ exterior only might give rise to lust that further drives the rounds of rebirth, even possibly leading to lower rebirths if precepts are severely broken due to sexual misconduct.]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
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人效王眼瞤喻
[26] The Parable Of The Person Imitating A King’s Eye-Twitching
https://purelanders.com/2023/08/10/26-the-parable-of-the-person-imitating-a-kings-eye-twitching-from-the-sutra-of-a-hundred-parables
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Next Parable:
为妇贸鼻喻
[28] The Parable Of For The Wife Changing Her Nose
https://purelanders.com/2023/08/11/28-the-parable-of-for-the-wife-changing-her-nose-from-the-sutra-of-a-hundred-parables
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All Hundred Parables:
https://purelanders.com/baiyu
