8 The Rustic Steals from the Palace Treasury

8山羗偷官库衣喻

Long ago there was a country bumpkin who stole items from the king’s treasury and ran far away. The king sent men to search for him in the four directions. They apprehended him and brought him before the king. The king accusingly asked, “Where did you get those clothes?”

The rustic said, “These clothes belonged to my grandfather.”

The king ordered him to prove it by putting them on, but the rustic did not know how to wear them. He put on his arms what should have been on his legs; he put on his head what should have been on his back. Seeing he must surely be the thief, the king called his ministers for a consultation. Then he said to the rustic, ”If these clothes really belonged to your grandfather, you would know how to wear them. Why did you get them all mixed up? Since you didn’t know how to put them on, they certainly can’t be your own clothes. You must have stolen them.”

In this parable the king is like the Buddha. The precious treasury is like the Dharma. The stupid rustic is like those of externalist ways who eavesdrop on the Buddhadharma and then take it as their own. Because they misinterpret it, they get it all mixed up and fail to understand the marks of Dharma. This is like the rustic who know how to wear them and put them on upside down.

译文

过去，有一个山羗族人，偷了国王库藏中的衣物，逃得远远的。当时国王派人四处推问追寻，捕捉到了那个山羗族人，将他带至国王面前，国王就责问他衣物是从那儿来的。山羗答道：「我这些衣物都是祖父辈留传下来的。」国王命他穿上这些衣裳。确实不是他原本所有，因而不知道怎样穿，应该套进手中的，却穿到脚上去了，应该系在腰间的，反却戴到头上去了。王见罢这番情景，便招集众臣共同商量此事，而后对那山羗族人说：「若是你的祖父辈以来就有的衣服，便应当懂得如何穿着，却为何会上下颠倒呢?这是不懂穿着的缘故，因此可断定你这些衣服必是偷得的，不是你旧时就有的。」

借这来譬喻：国王好比是佛，宝藏好比是佛法，愚痴的山羗人好比是外道，窃听了佛法，便把它放到自己的学说中去，当作是自己所有的，然而由于不懂佛法的缘故，使用佛法的时候，便迷乱了上下，不明了诸法的种种殊别之相。一如那位山羗人，偷得国王的宝衣，却不识穿戴的上下次第，颠倒而穿，外道也是如此。

原典

过去之世，有一山羗①，伦王库物而远逃走。尔时国王遣人四出推寻，捕得，将至王边，王即责其所得衣处。山羗答言：「我衣乃是祖父之物。」王遗着衣。实非山羗本所有故，不知着之，应在手者着于脚上，应在腰者返着头上。王见贼已，集诸臣等共详此事，而语之言：「若是汝之祖父已来所有衣者，应当解着，云何颠倒用上为下?以不解故，定知汝衣必是偷得，非汝旧物。」

借以为譬：王者如佛，宝藏如法，愚痴羗者犹如外道，窃听佛法②，着己法中，以为自有，然不解故，布置佛法，迷乱上下，不知法相③。如彼山羗，得王宝衣，不识次第，颠倒而着，亦复如是。

注释

①山羗：西北古族名。

②法：此处指道、理、义、轨则。

③法相：诸法(宇宙万有)一性殊相，种种殊别之相，从外观即可见出，所以叫做法相。这儿是指外道不懂得佛理，无法借此来分析种种殊别之相，以见出那根本的一体的性来。

解说

各教各派的学说，相互之间有着吸纳、融合，自是不可免的，然而需以我为主，有条件地利用，否则便像机关木人一般，虽能有模有样地动作，而里面却没有自身的主意。