52 The Musician

52伎儿作乐喻

Once there was a musician. He played music before a king who promised to pay him a thousand coins. Afterwards he asked the king for the money, but the king refused to give it to him and said, “Just as the music you played only served to please me momentarily, so too, the money I planned to give to you would only serve to please you for a little while.”

Worldly rewards are the same way. Although one may enjoy a small amount of pleasure in the human or heavenly realms, this pleasure is not true and actual. Impermanent and subject to destruction, it is like the music that gives only temporary pleasure and cannot last long.

译文

譬如乐师在国王面前演奏，国王许诺给他一千个钱。事后向国王去索要，国王不肯给他。国王说：「你方才演奏的音乐，听着快乐，过后就没了：我许诺给你钱，也让你听着快乐，过后就没了。」

世间的因果报应也是这样。生在人中或是天上，虽是享受到少许的快乐，却也是并不实在的，都是易逝而不常住，倏忽间败灭了的，就像那音乐和许诺，无法长久地留住着。

原典

譬如伎儿王前作乐，王许千钱。后从王索，王不与之。王语之言：「汝向作乐，空乐我耳；我与汝钱，亦乐汝耳。」

世间果报亦复如是。人中天上，虽受少乐，亦无有实，无常败灭，不得久住，如彼空乐。

源流

《大智度论》卷九十二：譬如人有一子，喜在不净中戏，聚土为谷，以草木为鸟兽，而生爱着。人有夺者，瞋恚啼哭。其父知已：「此子今虽爱着，此事易离耳，小(稍)大自休。」何以故?此物非真故。(《大正藏》第二十五册第七O七页)

《高僧传》卷二<鸠摩罗什>：如昔狂人令绩师绩绵，极令细好。绩师加意，细若微尘，狂人犹恨其粗。绩师大怒，乃指空示曰：「此是细缕。」狂人曰：「何以不见?」师曰：「此缕极细，我工之良匠犹且不见，况他人耶?」狂人大喜，以付织师。师亦効焉，皆蒙上赏，而实无物。(《大正藏》第五十册第三三O页)