12 The Boiled Black Rock - Honey Syrup

12煮黑石蜜浆喻

Once upon a time, a man was boiling black rock-honey syrup, when a rich man came to his house. He thought he would give the syrup to the rich man. He poured a little water into it and put it on a slow fire. He then fanned it with a fan in the hope of cooling it.

A bystander addressed to him, "If you don't put out the fire below, how can you cool it even though you keep on fanning?" People began to laugh at him.

This is like the heretics who will practice a little mortification by sleeping on thorny brambles without putting out the flames of annoyance. As the five passions are still blazing within them, there is no way for such people to become cool and quiet. As a result, they sardonically laughed at by the wise. Moreover, they will suffer affliction in their present lives and transmigration in the future.

译文

从前一个愚人在煮黑石蜜，有一位富人来到了他家。当时这愚人便这样想：如今我应取黑石蜜浆招待这位富人。即在石蜜中放入些水，搁在火上，同时又急急地在火上用扇扇石蜜浆，希望它冷得快些。傍人说道：「下面不熄掉火，上面扇个不停，如何会冷呢?」当时众人都嗤笑他。

这就好像外道，不去熄灭炽燃着的烦恼之火，而是稍稍修点苦行，卧在荆棘的刺上，用火来烤炙自己的身体，却祈望求得清凉寂静的大道，终究是办不到的，徒然遭受智者的嗤笑。于现在受苦，还殃及将来的解脱。

原典

昔有愚人煮黑石蜜①，有一富人来至其家。时此愚人便作是想：我今当取黑石蜜浆与此富人。即着少水用置火上，即于火上，以扇扇之，望得使冷。傍人语言：「下不止火，扇之不已，云何得冷?」尔时众人悉皆嗤笑。

其犹外道，不灭烦恼炽燃之火，少作苦行，卧棘刺上，五热炙身②，而望清凉寂静之道，终无是处。徒为智者之所怪笑。受苦现在，殃流来劫。

注释

①黑石蜜：梵文是pataiasarkara，作黑石蜜时，要加入乳、油、面粉、焦土、炱煤之类，和合了，放在铛中煎煮，于竹甑内盛了，投入水中，水即刻冒出烟来，嗞嗞作响，犹若将热铁放入了水中。冷却凝固后，呈褐色，且坚硬如石，故名黑石蜜。

②五热炙身：将五体在火上烤炙，是赴火外道的苦行方法。

解说

佛陀初先出家修道时，也曾作苦行，翘一足至二更方休，五热炙身至二更方休，但后来意识到苦行的结果依然出离不了轮回，便认为苦行是邪道，不是清净道。关于外道的苦行，《杂阿含经》卷三十五的记载较详：「常执须发，或举手立，不在床坐，或复蹲坐，以之为业。或复坐卧于荆棘之上，或边缘坐卧，或坐卧灰土，或牛尿涂地，于其中坐卧，或翘一足，随日而转。盛夏之日，五热炙身，或食菜，或食舍楼枷，或食油滓，或食牛粪。或日事三火，或于冬节冻冰亲体，有如是等无量苦身法。」(《中华大藏经》第三十三册第五十八页)