百喻經(jīng)之九一: 貧人欲與富者等財物喻

　　(91) THE POOR WANT TO HAVE AS MUCH AS THE RICH

　　昔有一貧人，有少財物。見大富者，意欲共等。不能等故，雖有少財，欲棄水中。傍人語言：“此物雖尠，可得延君性命數(shù)日，何故舍棄擲著水中?”

　　Once upon a time, there was a poor man who had but few possessions. After meeting some rich men, he wanted to be like one of them. Unable to do so, he was about to throw the little he had into the water. Some bystander said, "What you possess may be little, but you can live on it for a while. Why do you want to throw it into the water?"

　　世間愚人，亦復如是。雖復出家。少得利養(yǎng)，心有希望，常懷不足，不能得與高德者，等獲其利養(yǎng)。見他宿舊有德之人，素有多聞，多眾供養(yǎng)，意欲等之。不能等故，心懷憂苦，便欲罷道。

　　This is similar to what is done by the stupid of the world. People who happen to be ordained men get offerings, which come way below their expectations. What they have cannot equal that received by the high and virtuous ones. They see that those old and virtuous ordained men are supported by the mass of famous people. They want to be on an equal footing with them. Unable to get equality, they feel sorrowful and painful to such a degree as to break their faith.

　　如彼愚人，欲等富貴者，自棄己財。

　　This is just like the stupid man who, wanting to be equal with the rich, casts out the precious possessions of his own.

　　注釋：

　　尠：xiǎn，同“鮮”，少之義

　　白話：

　　從前有個窮人，稍微有點財物，見了大富翁，便想與他們的財產(chǎn)一樣多。由于做不到這點的緣故，雖是有那么一點財產(chǎn)，也想丟棄到水中去。傍人說道：「這些財物雖少，也可養(yǎng)活你數(shù)日，為何無端端要舍棄扔到水中去呢?」

　　世上的愚人也是這樣，雖然出了家，得了一點利養(yǎng)，可是心中常存著奢望，對不能與年高德重的人獲得同樣的利養(yǎng)，覺得不滿足;見那些宿舊有德的人學問修養(yǎng)很好，得到眾多的供養(yǎng)，便想與他們等同。因為做不到，心中就懷著憂苦，打算不再修持佛法了，就像那個愚人無法與富翁相比，便想丟棄自己的財物。