《百喻经》
[The] Sūtra [Of A] Hundred Parables
（五九）观作瓶喻
[59] Parable [Of] Looking [At] Making Bottles
譬如二人至陶师所，观其蹋轮而作瓦瓶，看无厌足。
For example, two persons arrived [at a] pottery master’s place, [to] look [at] him step on [a rotating] disk and make earthenware bottles, seeing [this] insatiably.
一人舍去，往至大会极得美膳又获珍宝；一人观瓶而作是言：「待我看讫。」
One person gave up [and] left, going [to and] arriving [at a] great assembly, [to the] utmost getting good meals, also obtaining precious treasures. [The other] one person looking [at the] bottles then made this statement, ‘Wait [for] me [to] see [them] completed.’
如是渐冉乃至日没，观瓶不已失于衣食。
Thus, gradually, and even [until] sunset, looking [at the] bottles endlessly, [with] loss of clothing [and] food.
愚人亦尔，修理家务不觉非常。
Foolish persons [are] likewise thus, maintaining housework, not aware [of] impermanence.
今日营此事，明日造彼业，
诸佛大龙出，雷音遍世间，
法雨无障碍，缘事故不闻。
Today managing this matter, tomorrow creating that business, [when] all Buddhas [like] great dragons appear [in the world, with] thunderous sounds everywhere [in the] world, [with the] Dharma raining without obstacles, conditioned [by those] matters, thus not hearing [them].
不知死卒至，失此诸佛会，
不得法珍宝，常处恶道穷。
Not knowing death [can] suddenly arrive, losing all these Buddhas’ assemblies, not attaining [the] Dharma’s precious treasures, constantly dwelling [in] evil paths poor.
背弃放正法，彼观缘事瓶，
终常无竟已，是故失法利，
永无解脱时。
Abandoning [and] setting aside [the] Right Dharma, that [person] looking, conditioned [by] matters [of the] bottles, [they are] after all constantly without [a] complete end, therefore losing [the] Dharma’s benefits, forever without [the] time [of] liberation.
[Note: No one should be completely caught up in mundane cyclical routines of maintaining everyday life and making a living. Even when there are worldly duties and responsibilities necessary for looking after, there should be taking of regular breaks away from them, so as to focus on diligent and sincere learning and practice of the Dharma, without which one will continue to be caught in the cycle of birth and death for its own ultimately pointless sake, without any hope of liberation.
With the possibility of sudden death, the more ‘busy’ one is with worldly life, the more should time be spent on the Dharma, lest one gets sucked in and trapped, with even less opportunities to seek the Dharma.]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
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二子分财喻
[58] The Parable Of The Two Sons Dividing Wealth
https://purelanders.com/2023/09/28/58-the-parable-of-the-two-sons-dividing-wealth-from-the-sutra-of-a-hundred-parables
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见水底金影喻
[60] The Parable Of Seeing The Water’s Bottom’s Gold’s Reflection
https://purelanders.com/2023/09/29/60-the-parable-of-seeing-the-waters-bottoms-golds-reflection-from-the-sutra-of-a-hundred-parables
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All Hundred Parables:
https://purelanders.com/baiyu
