57 Putting His Foot In the Elder’s Mouth
57蹋长者口喻
Once there was a very wealthy elder. His attendants tried to court his favor by paying him all manner of deference. Whenever the elder spat, his attendants would rub it with their feet. Among them was a foolish man, who could not catch up with the others in rubbing the spit, and so he said to himself, “Whenever he spits on the ground, others rub it with their feet. Next time he spits, I’ll be the first one to do so.”
So when the elder coughed and was about to spit up, that foolish man thrust up his foot and kicked the elder’s mouth, injuring the elder’s lips and breaking his teeth. The elder asked him, “Why did you do that?” The foolish man answered, “Whenever you spit falls to the ground, those who fawn on you are quick to rub it with their feet. Although I wish to serve you, I’ve always fallen behind. Therefore, I thought that by raising my foot to your mouth when you were about to spit, I would be able to please you.”
There is a right time for doing things. If the right time has not yet arrived, then even if people apply all their energy, they will only get into trouble. For this reason, people of the world should be aware of when is the right and wrong time.
译文
从前有位大富翁，左右的人都想取得他的欢心，竭尽恭敬之能事。富翁吐痰时，左右侍奉的人马上用脚蹋掉。有一个愚人，赶不上机会去蹋，便想道：「若是吐在地上，众人即刻蹋掉了。还是趁他想吐的时候，我抢先蹋掉他。」于是长者正咳着要吐的时候，这愚人飞起一脚，蹋在长者口上，踢破了唇，折断了齿。富翁问愚人道：「你为何蹋我的口?」愚人答道：「长者若是痰出口落地，左右讨好的人捷足先蹋了。我虽是想蹋，总是赶不及。所以，痰要出口之际，抬脚先蹋，希望得您的欢心。」
大凡事物都须时机，时机未熟，强行去做，反而得到苦恼。因此，世人应当知晓是时机与不是时机。
原典
昔有大富长者，左右之人欲取其意，皆尽恭敬。长者唾时，左右侍人以脚蹋却。有一愚者，不及得蹋，而作是言：「若唾地者，诸人蹋却。欲唾之时，我当先蹋。」于是长者正欲咳唾，时此愚人即便举脚蹋长者口，破唇折齿。长者语愚人言：「汝何以故蹋我唇口?」愚人答言：「若长者唾出口落地，左右谄者已得蹋去。我虽欲蹋，每常不及。以是之故，唾欲出口，举脚先蹋，望得汝意。」
凡物须时，时未及到，强设功力，反得苦恼。以是之故，世人当知时与非时。
源流
《杂譬喻经》(比丘道略集、鸠摩罗什译)第十四则：外国小人事贵人，欲得其意，见贵人唾地，竞来以足蹹去之。有一人不大健剿，虽欲蹹之，初不能得。后见贵人欲唾，始聚口时，便以足蹹其口。贵人问言：「汝欲反耶，何故蹹吾口?」小人答言：「我是好意，不欲反也。」贵人问言：「汝若不反，何以至是?」小人答言：「贵人唾时，我常欲蹹唾。唾才出口，众人恒夺我前，初不能得，是故就口中蹹之也。」此喻论议时，要须义出口，然后难也。若义在口，理未宣明，便兴难者，喻若就口中蹋之也。(《大正藏》第四册第五二五页)
