The Numerical Discourses
Chapter 16: The Fire Extinguished
| （四） 驢 | 4. The Donkey |
|---|---|
| 聞如是： 一時，佛在舍衛國、祇樹、給孤獨園。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in Jeta’s Grove of Śrāvastī. |
| 爾時，世尊告諸比丘： 「我今當說人有似驢者，有似牛者。 諦聽！諦聽，善思念之。」 | 2. It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks, “Now, I will teach you about a person who resembles a donkey and a person who resembles a cow. Listen closely! Listen closely and consider it well.” |
| 諸比丘對曰： 「如是，世尊！」 是時，諸比丘從佛受教。 | The monks replied, “Yes, Bhagavān.” The monks then accepted the Buddha’s teaching. |
| 世尊告曰： 「彼云何名人像驢者？ 若有一人剃除鬚髮，著三法衣，以信牢固，出家學道。 爾時，彼人諸根不定。 若眼見色，隨起色想。 流馳萬端。 爾時，眼根則非清淨，生諸亂想，不能制持。 眾惡普至，亦復不能護於眼根⋯ 耳聞聲⋯鼻嗅香⋯舌知味⋯身知細滑⋯意知法⋯ 隨起識病，流馳萬端。 爾時，意根則非清淨，生諸亂想，不能制持。 眾惡普至，亦復不能護於意根。 | 3. The Bhagavān told them, “How does a person resemble a donkey? Suppose a person cuts off their hair, puts on the three Dharma robes, and goes into homelessness with firm faith to train on the path. But, then, that person’s faculties aren’t settled. If they see forms with their eyes, notions of form subsequently arise. They become a rushing stream with a multitude of sources. Then, their eye faculty becomes impure, which gives rise to disturbing notions that they can’t control. Myriad evils become ubiquitous, and this person is incapable of guarding their eye faculty … hear sounds with their ears … smell odors with their nose … taste flavors with their tongue … feel touches with their body … know ideas with their mind … Illnesses subsequently arise in their awareness, and they become a rushing stream with a multitude of sources. Then, their mental faculty becomes impure, which gives rise to disturbing notions that they can’t control. Myriad evils become ubiquitous, and this person is incapable of guarding their mental faculty. |
| 「無有威儀禮節之宜，行步進、止，屈、伸、低、仰，執持衣、鉢。 都違禁戒。 便為梵行人所見譏彈： 『咄，此愚人像如沙門？』 便取彈舉： 『設是沙門者，宜不應爾。』 | 4. “They lack composure or proper manners when walking forward or stopping, bending, stretching, looking up and down, or carrying their robes and bowl. They go against all the precepts. When a religious practitioner sees them, they slander this person, ‘What? Is this a fool that looks like an ascetic?’ Then, they take the person aside and say, ‘Someone who’s supposed to be an ascetic shouldn’t behave like that.’ |
| 「彼作是說： 『我亦是比丘！我亦是比丘！』 猶如驢入牛群之中而自稱曰： 『我亦是牛！我亦是牛！』 然觀其兩耳，復不似牛。 角亦不似，尾亦不似，音聲各異。 爾時，群牛或以角觝，或以脚蹋，或以口嚙者。 | 5. “That person then says this, ‘I’m a monk, too! I’m a monk, too!’ That person is like a donkey in a herd of cattle that says of itself, ‘I’m a cow, too! I’m a cow, too!’ But when the others look at its ears, they don’t resemble a cow’s ears. It doesn’t have similar horns, its tail doesn’t resemble theirs, and it’s voice is also different. Some of the cattle butt it with their horns, some kick it with their hooves, and some bite it. |
| 「今，此比丘亦復如是。 諸根不定。 若眼見色，隨起色想。 流馳萬端。 爾時，眼根則非清淨，生諸亂想，不能制持。 眾惡普至，亦復不能護於眼根⋯ 耳聞聲⋯鼻嗅香⋯舌知味⋯身了細滑⋯意知法⋯ 隨起識病，流馳萬端。 爾時，意根則非清淨，生諸亂想，不能制持。 眾惡普至，亦復不能護念意根。 | 6. “Now, this monk is likewise. His faculties aren’t settled. If he see forms with his eyes, notions of form subsequently arise. They become a rushing stream with a multitude of sources. His eye faculty then becomes impure, giving rise to disturbing notions that he can’t control. Myriad evils become ubiquitous, and he’s incapable of guarding his eye faculty … hears sound with his ears … smells odors with his nose … tastes flavors with his tongue … feels touches with his body … knows ideas with his mind … Illnesses subsequently arises in his awareness, and they become a rushing stream with a multitude of sources. Then, his mental faculty becomes impure, giving rise to disturbing notions that he can’t control. Myriad evils become ubiquitous, and he’s incapable of guarding his mental faculty. |
| 「無有威儀禮節之宜，行步進、止，屈、伸、低、仰，執持⋯ 禁戒。 便為梵行人所見譏彈： 『咄，此愚人像如沙門？』 便見彈舉： 『設是沙門者，宜不應爾。』 爾時，彼作是說： 『我是沙門！』 猶如驢入於牛群⋯ 是謂人像驢者也。 | 7. “He lacks composure or proper manners when walking forward, stopping, bending, stretching, looking up and down, or carrying [his robes and bowl. He goes against all] the precepts. When a religious practitioner sees him, they slander that person, ‘What? Is this a fool that looks like an ascetic?’ Then, they take him aside and say, ‘Someone who’s supposed to be an ascetic shouldn’t behave like that.’ He then says this, ‘I am an ascetic!’ He’s like a donkey in a herd of cattle … This is said to be a person who resembles a donkey. |
| 「彼人云何像牛者耶？ 若有一人，剃除鬚髮，著三法衣，以信牢固，出家學道。 爾時，彼人諸根寂定。 飲食知節，竟日經行，未曾捨離意遊三十七道品之法。 | 8. “How does a person resemble a cow? Suppose a person cuts off their hair, puts on the three Dharma robes, and goes into homelessness with firm faith to train on the path. That person’s faculties are quiet and settled. They are moderate in eating, go for walks all day long, and never give up on thinking about the thirty-seven factors of the path. |
| 「若眼見色，不起色想，亦無流馳之念。 爾時，眼根則應清淨，生諸善想，亦能制持。 無復諸惡，常擁護於眼根⋯ 耳聲⋯鼻香⋯口味⋯身細滑⋯意法⋯ 不起識病。 爾時，意根則得清淨⋯ | 9. “If they see forms with their eyes, notions of form don’t arise, and there’s no rushing stream of thoughts. Their eye faculty is pure as a result, and it gives rise to good notions that they can control. They don’t do anymore evil, and they always guard their eye faculty … hear sounds with their ears … smell odors with their nose … taste flavors with their tongue … feel touches with their body … know ideas with their mind … Illnesses don’t arise in their awareness. Then, their mental faculty becomes pure … |
| 「彼人便到諸梵行人所。 諸梵行人遙以見來，各自揚聲： 『善來，同學！』 隨時供養，不使有短。 猶如良牛入牛眾中，而自稱說： 『我今是牛！』 然其毛尾、耳角、音聲都悉是牛。 諸牛見已，各來舐體。 | 10. “That person then arrives at a place where there are religious practitioners. When those practitioners see them from afar, they each raise their voices to say, ‘Welcome, fellow student!’ After that, they receive support that ensures they are short of nothing. That person is like an excellent cow that joins a herd of cattle and says of itself, ‘Now, I am a cow!’ Indeed, its hair, tail, ears, horns, and voice are all that of a cow. When the other cows see it, they each come to lick it. |
| 「此亦如是：剃除鬚髮，著三法衣，以信牢固，出家學道。 爾時，彼人諸根寂定。 飲食知節，竟日經行，未曾捨離意遊三十七道品之法。 | 11. “Likewise, this person cuts off their hair, puts on the three Dharma robes, and goes into homelessness with firm faith to train on the path. That person’s faculties are quiet and settled. They are moderate in eating, go for walks all day long, and never give up on thinking about the thirty-seven factors of the path. |
| 「若眼見色，不起色想，亦無流馳之念。 爾時眼根則得清淨，生諸善想，亦能制持。 無復諸惡，常擁護於眼根。 耳聲、鼻香、口味、身細滑、意法，不起識病⋯ 爾時，意根則得具足。 是謂此人像牛者也。 | 12. “If they see forms with their eyes, notions of form don’t arise, and there’s no rushing stream of thoughts. Their eye faculty is pure as a result, and it gives rise to good notions that they can control. They don’t do anymore evil, and they always guard their eye faculty … hear sounds with their ears … smell odors with their nose … taste flavors with their tongue … feel touches with their body … know ideas with their mind … Illnesses doesn’t arise in their awareness. Their mental faculty then becomes complete. This is said to be a person who resembles a cow. |
| 「如是，諸比丘，當學如牛。 莫像如驢也。 如是，諸比丘，當作是學。」 | 13. “Therefore, monks, you should be like that cow. Don’t be like the donkey. Thus, monks, you should train yourselves.” |
| 爾時，諸比丘聞佛所說歡喜，奉行。 | 14. When the monks heard what the Buddha taught, they rejoiced and approved. |
Notes
For the source text, cf. T125.2.579b21-80a15. There is a partial parallel for this sūtra in AN 3.82, which recounts a parable of a donkey that insists that it’s a cow. A close parallel to AN 3.82 also occurs at SĀ 15.16 (T99.2.212b18).
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Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 15 November 2024
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