百喻經(jīng)之四九: 小兒爭分別毛喻

　　(49) BOYS' ARGUMENT ON THE SUBJECT OF HAIR

　　譬如昔日，有二小兒，入河遨戲，于此水底得一把毛。一小兒言：“此是仙須。”一小兒言：“此是熊毛。”爾時河邊有一仙人，此二小兒諍之不已，詣彼仙所，決其所疑。而彼仙人尋即取米及胡麻子，口中含嚼，吐著掌中，語小兒言：“我掌中者，似孔雀屎。”

　　There were once two boys who dived in a river where they found at its bottom a bundle of feathers. One said that it was the beard of some spirit, whereas the other said it was the bear's hair. They argued without a right answer. A supernatural being nearby was then approached by the two and was asked to settle the argument. He put rice and sesame seeds into his mouth and chewed for a while, then he spat them into his hand and said, "What I have got here seems to me a peacock's excrement."

　　而此仙人不答他問，人皆知之。

　　It is known his answer was beyond the question, which was put to him.

　　世間愚人，亦復(fù)如是。說法之時，戲論諸法，不答正理，如彼仙人不答所問，為一切人之所嗤笑。浮漫虛說，亦復(fù)如是。

　　So are the stupid in the world. During the time of preaching, those who facetiously discuss the teachings of Buddhism do not give the answer to the right doctrine, just like the supernatural being not answering the question. People from all walks of life are made a laughing stock. So is the frivolous and empty gossip.

　　白話：

　　譬如過去有兩個小兒到河里遨游嬉戲，在水底摸得一把毛。一小兒說：「這是仙人的胡須?！沽硪恍赫f：「這是羆的毛?！巩?dāng)時河邊住著一位仙人，這兩個小兒爭執(zhí)不下，便到那仙人處，請他決斷。而那仙人隨即取了一把米和胡麻子，含在口中嚼了，吐在掌上，對小兒說道：「我掌中的像是孔雀屎。」這仙人沒有回答他們的問題，人們都是知道這一點(diǎn)的。

　　世上的愚人也是這樣，說法的時候，隨便地談?wù)撈渌N種毫不相關(guān)的學(xué)說，并不就理上正面答覆，如那個仙人答非所問一樣，遭到一切人的嗤笑。浮泛散漫地虛說一通，都是這樣子的。

　　這故事比喻∶有人在說法的時候，往往作空談，戲論諸法，沒有說到正理，對別人既沒有利益，自己也徒費(fèi)精神，這種損人不利己的情況，正和上面所說那位仙人的答非所問一樣，很滑稽可笑。