18 Sharpening the Knife Upstairs
18就楼磨刀喻
Once there was a poor man who worked for the king. After months had passed, his body became thin and emaciated. Out of pity for him, the king gave him a dead camel. The poor man immediately started to flay the camel. Finding his knife too blunt, he went about looking for a whetsone to grind it. He found one upstairs. After he had sharpened his knife, he came downstairs to skin the camel. This he did repeatedly, running up and down the stairs, to sharpen his knife. The process became so toilsome that he couldn’t manage to go up and down the stairs any more. He ended up dragging the entire carcass of the camel up the stairs, so he could sharpen his knife next to it. Everybody laughed at him.
This person’s behavior is like that of deluded people who break the precepts, and who expend plenty of money to cultivate blessings in hope of being reborn in the heaven. These people are like the man, who, because he liked to sharpen his knife, dragged the entire camel upstairs. The effort was tedious; but the results were minimal.
译文
从前有一个人，贫穷困苦，替国王做事情，日子久了，身体羸瘦。国王见了，很是怜愍，便赐给他一头死骆驼。贫人得了，就开始剥皮，嫌刀钝，寻磨刀石想磨利，就在楼上觅得一块磨刀石。刀磨利了，便下楼来剥。如此这般，数次往来磨刀，后来逐渐觉得劳苦起来，怕身体吃不消了，无法这样上上下下的，于是就把骆驼悬吊到楼上去，便可以就石磨刀了。深遭众人的嗤笑。
犹如愚人毁坏禁戒，大肆积取钱财，拿这些钱来修福行善，祈望来世生于天上，就像悬吊骆驼上楼去磨刀一样，费用功夫很多，所得的益处却极少。
原典
昔有一人，贫穷困苦，为王作事，日月经久，身体羸瘦。王见怜愍，赐一死驼。贫人得已，即便剥皮，嫌刀钝故，求石欲磨，乃于楼上得一磨石。磨刀令利，来下而剥。如是数数往来磨刀，后转劳苦，惮不能数上，悬驼上楼，就石磨刀。深为众人之所嗤笑。
犹如愚人毁破禁戒，多取钱财，以用修福，望得生天。如悬驼上楼磨刀，用功甚多，所得甚少。
解说
此则可与第四十三则<磨大石喻>比看。
