《百喻经》
[The] Sūtra [Of A] Hundred Parables
（七八）与儿期早行喻
[78] Parable [Of] With [The] Son Expecting Morning Travel
昔有一人，夜语儿言：「明当共汝至彼聚落有所取索。」
[In the] past, [there] was a person, [at] night speaking [to his] son, saying, ‘Tomorrow, [I] will together [with] you, reach that village. [It] has that [we have to] obtain, [what we are] searching [for].’
儿闻语已至明旦，竟不问父独往诣彼。
[The] son, [having] heard [this] already, reaching dawn tomorrow, completely without asking [his] father, went alone [to] visit that [place].
既至彼已，身体疲极空无所获，又不得食饥渴欲死，寻复回来来见其父。
Thereupon, reaching that [place] already, [with his] body’s weariness extreme, empty without that obtained, also not getting food, [with] hunger [and] thirst almost dying, [he] immediately again returned, coming [to] see his father.
父见子来深责之言：「汝大愚痴无有智慧，何不待我？空自往来，徒受其苦，为一切世人之所嗤笑。」
[The] father, seeing [his] son coming, deeply reproached him, saying, ‘You [are with] great ignorance, without having wisdom. Why [did you] not wait [for] me? [For] nothing coming [and] going, in vain receiving that suffering, by all [the] world’s people, [you] are that sneered [at].’
凡夫之人亦复如是，设得出家即剃须发服三法衣，不求明师咨受道法，失诸禅定道品功德，沙门妙果一切都失，如彼愚人虚作往返徒自疲劳，形似沙门实无所得。
Of ordinary beings’ people, [they are] likewise thus. If attaining leaving [of the] household [life], then shaving [their] beards [and] hair, wearing [the] Three Dharma Robes, not seeking wise teachers [to] inquire [on and] receive [the] path’s Dharma [teachings], losing all meditative concentration [and] path factors’ meritorious virtues, [with] Śramaṇas’ wonderful fruits all lost. [They are] like that foolish person emptily doing [that of] going [and] returning, in vain fatigued, [with] forms resembling Śramaṇas, truly without that attained.
[Note 1: The Three Dharma Robes (三法衣) are named Antarvāsa (安陀会) (i.e. inner robe), Uttarāsaṃga (优多罗僧) (i.e. upper robe) and Saṃghāṭī (僧伽梨) (i.e. monastic robe).]
[Note 2: Monastics and laypersons alike should constantly seek teachers and seniors (师长) more qualified than them in Dharma learning and practice, so as to be their students. This is so because as long as we are still non-Buddhas, we still have to be Dharma students.
There are those, when clearly far from any form of enlightenment, assuming that they are already well-learned and practised, thus not further learning and practising. With such delusion, arrogance and complacence, not only do they not have spiritual progress, they might even backslide when they create evil karmas (恶业) with their poor examples, false claims and wrong teachings.]
[Note 3: Monastics especially, whose support come from laypersons should be wary of wasting their material offerings in cash and kind, which are meant for furthering their spiritual lives, not for creating spiritual complacence and worldly indulgence in pleasures. Abusing of offerings can be likened to a kind of ‘theft’, as this is ‘stealing’ of good will in the name of the Dharma for dishonourable purposes. The evil karmas created from this will be very great, thus extremely difficult to calculate.]
Namo Amituofo : Translation and notes by Shen Shi’an
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田夫思王女喻
[76] The Parable Of The Ploughman Longing For The King’s Daughter
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为王负机喻
[79] The Parable Of For The King Bearing Low Stools
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