昔有痴人往大池所，见水底影有真金像，谓呼有金，即入水中挠泥求觅。
In the past, there was an ignorant person who went to a big pond’s place. Seeing the water’s bottom’s reflection having true gold’s image, crying out that there is gold, he then entered the water within, and scratched at the mud to look for it.
疲极不得，还出复坐。须臾水清又现金色，复更入里挠泥更求觅，亦复不得。
With weariness extreme, he could not get it. He came back, out of the water, and again sat. In a moment, with the water clear, again appearing with the gold’s colour, again further entering inside, scratching at the mud, further looking for it, likewise not getting it.
其如是，父觅子得来见子，而问子言：「汝何所作，疲困如是？」
It was thus, that his father sought his son, getting to come, seeing the son, then asking the son, saying, ‘What is it that you did, to be fatigued thus?’
子白父言：「水底有真金，我时投水欲挠泥取，疲极不得。」
The son to his father said, ‘The water’s bottom has true gold. When I jumped into the water, desiring to scratch at the mud to obtain it, with weariness extreme, could not get it.’
父看水底真金之影，而知此金在于树上，所以知之，影现水底。
The father, seeing the water’s bottom’s reflection of gold, then knew that this gold is on the tree above, therefore knowing it is a reflection appearing at the water’s bottom.
其父言曰：「必飞鸟衔金著于树上。」
His father said, ‘There must be a flying bird holding gold in his mouth, attached to the tree above.’
即随父语，上树求得。
Then following his father’s words, he climbed the tree, sought and got it.
凡夫愚痴人，无智亦如是，
于无我阴中，横生有我想；
如彼见金影，勤苦而求觅，
徒劳无所得。
Ordinary beings who are ignorant persons, without wisdom, are likewise thus, within non-self’s aggregates, without restraint growing with self’s perception. Like that person seeing gold’s reflection, with utmost suffering then looking for it, futile without that gotten.
[Note 1: The five aggregates (五阴/蕴) are (i) form (色), (ii) feelings (受), (iii) perception (想), (iv) mental formation (行) and (v) consciousness (识).]
[Note 2: There is no unchanging and substantial ‘self’ (我) within the five aggregates, even if the illusion of ‘self’ does exist. Upon closer investigation of the aggregates, with each seen to be constantly changing and without substance, this so-called ‘self’ will be realised to be illusory.]
全百喻
All Hundred Parables:
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