38 The Water Bucket

38饮木筩水喻

Once there was a man who was thirsty and tired from traveling. He drank some fresh water that was running into a wooden bucket. Having drunk his fill, he raised his hands in front of the wooden bucket and said to the water, “I’ve had enough to drink. Stop flowing!”

But the water kept on flowing. Then the man got angry and yelled, “I’ve had enough to drink and I told you to stop. Why don’t you listen?” An onlooker said to him, “You are very foolish and ignorant. Why don’t you just leave?” Then he drew him away.

People of the world are this way, too. Someone driven by the thirsty craving of birth and death drinks the salty water of the five desires, After getting tired of the five desires, he says to them, “Get out of my sight—form, sounds, smells, and tastes!” and yet the five desires continue without cease. Then the person gets angry and yells, “Quickly get out of my sight! Why do you keep arising so that I have to look at you?”

A wise man tells him, “If you wish to separate from the five desires, gather in your six senses organs by closing your mind. If polluted thinking does not arise, you will achieve liberation. Why do you need to tell them to be out of your sight so they won’t arise again?” This is just like the story of the foolish man who drank the water.

译文

从前有一个人，一路走来，口渴身乏，见木筩中有清净流水，便就着喝起来。待到喝足了，便举手指着木筩说：「我已喝够了，水你不要再流出来了。」虽然说了这话，水依然流个不止，这人就大怒道：「我喝够了，叫你不要来了，为何依旧来?」有人见了，说：「你这大愚痴，没有智慧，你为何不离去，却说水不要再来?」随即把他拉走了。

世上的人也是这样，出于生死渴爱的缘故，畅饮那色、声、香、味、触这五欲咸水。五欲既已得到了满足，就如那人饮水饱足了，便疲乏厌倦起来，说：「你们这些色声香味，不要再来让我见到了。」然而这五欲相续不断，绵绵不绝。世上的人见了，便怒道：「叫你们速速灭去，不要再产生，为何依然来，让我见到呢?」这时有智人对他说：「你想要离却五欲，应当收摄你眼耳鼻舌身意这六根所产生的情识，关闭心中的思量，这样，妄想就不会出现，便可以得到解脱。何必眼不见，方可不生贪恋呢?」就像那饮水的愚人一样。

原典

昔有一人，行来渴乏，见木筩中有清净流水，就而饮之。饮水已足，即便举手语木筩言：「我已饮竟，水莫复来。」虽作是语，水流如故。便瞋恚言：「我已饮竟，语汝莫来，何以故来?」有人见之，言：「汝大愚痴，无有智慧。汝何以不去，语言莫来?」即为挽却，牵余处去。

世间之人亦复如是，为生死渴爱，饮五欲①咸水。既为五欲之所疲厌，如彼饮足，便作是言：「汝色声香味莫复更来，使我见也。」然此五欲相续不断。既见之已，便复瞋恚：「语汝速灭，莫复更生，何以故来，使我见之?」时有智人而语之言：「汝欲得离者，当摄汝六情，闭其心意，妄想不生，便得解脱。何必不见，欲使不生?」如彼饮水愚人，等无有异。

注释

①五欲：又作五妙欲、妙五欲，指染着色、声、香、味、触等五境所起的五种情欲。即色欲、声欲、香欲、味欲、触欲。

源流

《大正句王经》卷上：往昔有一聚落，其中人民不识螺相，亦复未曾闻其螺声。忽有一人从外而来，到彼聚落，而便止住。是人常持一螺，以为功业，每日执螺，诣于圣像，鸣螺供养。一切人民，忽闻螺声，咸悉惊怪，共往螺处，问彼螺言：「尔从何来?可依实答。若不言实，我当破汝。」螺既无情，岂能言答?(《大正藏》第一册第八三三页)