昔有一人形容端正智慧具足，复多钱财，举世人闻无不称叹。
In the past, there was a person with appearance upright, and wisdom complete, also with much money and wealth, whom people throughout the world, when hearing of him, are without those not praising and admiring.
时有愚人见其如此，便言我兄。所以尔者，彼有钱财须者则用之，是故为兄；见其还债，言非我兄。
Then, there was a foolish person, seeing him like this, then saying, ‘He is my brother.’ Why is that thus? When that person has money and wealth, when needing that, then able to use it, therefore is he his brother. When seeing him to be returning debts, then saying, ‘He is not my brother.’
傍人语言：「汝是愚人！云何须财名他为兄？及其债时复言非兄。」
A bystander spoke these words, ‘You are a foolish person! Why are you when needing wealth naming him as your brother? And when he is returning debts, again saying he is not your brother?’
愚人答言：「我以欲得彼之钱财认之为兄，实非是兄，若其债时则称非兄。」
The foolish person replied, saying, ‘I, with the desire to attain the money and wealth of that person, then recognise him as my brother, although truly, he is not my brother. If, when he is returning debts, then calling him to not be my brother.’
人闻此语无不笑之。犹彼外道，闻佛善语贪窃而用以为己有，乃至傍人教使修行不肯修行，而作是言：「为利养故，取彼佛语化道众生，而无实事，云何修行？」犹向愚人为得财故言是我兄，及其债时复言非兄，此亦如是。
People who heard these words are without those not laughing at him. Like those of external paths, when hearing the Buddha’s good words, greedily stealing them, then using them, with them as their own existing ones, as much as until bystanders tell them to accordingly cultivate practice, yet not willing to cultivate practice, then making this statement, ‘For benefits and gain thus, we obtained those Buddha’s words to transform and guide sentient beings, yet without such true matters, how can we cultivate practice?’ They are like the former foolish person, for attaining wealth thus, saying ‘He is my brother’, and when he is returning debts, again saying ‘He is not my brother’, this is likewise thus.
[Note: The ‘person with appearance upright and wisdom complete’ is a metaphor for the Buddha, with the ‘much money and wealth’ being metaphors for his immeasurable meritorious virtues (功德). The foolish person represents those of external paths, who wish to ride upon the Buddha’s popular teachings by regurgitating them for worldly benefits, such as gathering followers and offerings, while not spiritually benefitting by practising them personally.
However, when the Buddha is criticised unfairly, instead of correcting to stand up for him, they then dissociate from him and his teachings. This is because they have yet to truly appreciate, accept and actualise the Buddha’s teachings. They are thus neither true to the teachings they are supposed to espouse, nor to the Buddha’s teachings, neither true to their followers, nor to the Buddha’s followers. Most of all, they are not true to themselves.]
全百喻
All Hundred Parables:
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