16 Watering with Sugar

16灌甘蔗喻

Once there were two people who cooperated in plating a crop of sugar cane. They made a pact with each other: “The one who comes up with the better crop will be rewarded, while the one who doesn’t do as good a job will be severely punished.”

At that time, one of the two thought to himself, “Sugar cane is extremely sweet. If I crush the sugar cane and obtain juice and irrigate the plants with sugar-cane juice, then the sweetness of this crop will certainly excel that of my partner’s.”

Thereupon, he crushed his sugar cane and used their juice to irrigate his own plants, hoping that they will become even more succulent and sweet-tasting. But, instead he damaged the seeds and lost his entire crop.

People of the world are like this farmer. Wishing to pursue wholesome blessings, they rely on their own wealth and influence to oppress the people and usurp and confiscate others’ wealth and possessions. They conduct themselves in this way in their pursuit of blessings, hoping for riches and wholesome rewards. They fail to realize that. They will reap a terrible retribution. They are like the man who squeezed sugar cane juice on his sugar cane plants and ended up losing both the juice and the plants.

译文

从前有两个人一起种甘蔗，立下誓约：「种得好的，有赏：种得不好的，定当重罚他。」这时其中一个想道：甘蔗极甜，若是压取了甘蔗汁，还用来浇灌甘蔗树，必定异常地甘美，就能胜过他。即刻压甘蔗，拿汁来灌溉，冀望滋味更加甘美，结果反而败坏了种子，所有的甘蔗都统统死光了。

世人也是如此，想要求得善福，却是凭恃自身的豪贵，运用关系，挟持势力，来胁迫老百姓，陵夺他们的财物，拿来作布施用。本来是期望求得善果，却不知将来反而因此而遭殃，就如压甘蔗汁来灌溉一样，汁水与种子，彼此都失掉了。

原典

昔有二人共种甘蔗，而作誓言：「种好者，赏；其不好者，当重罚之。」时二人中，一者念言：甘蔗极甜，若压取汁，还灌甘蔗树，甘美必甚，得胜于彼。即压甘蔗，取汁用溉，冀望滋味，反败种子。所有甘蔗一切都失。

世人亦尔，欲求善福，恃己豪贵，专①形挟势，迫胁下民，陵夺财物，以用作福。本期善果，不知将来反获其殃，如压甘蔗，彼此都失。

注释

①专：据、用。

解说

只求目的实现，不问手段好坏，自是不对的。

关于两者俱失，可与第二十五则(水火喻)、第三十二则<估客偷金喻>、第七十五则<驼瓮俱失喻>、第八十八则(猕猴把豆喻)、第九十七则(为恶贼所劫失氎喻)比看。