昔有一人从北天竺至南天竺，住止既久，即娉其女共为夫妇。
In the past, there was a person, from Northern India arriving at Southern India. Having stayed already for long, he then married this woman, to together be husband and wife.
时妇为夫造设饮食，夫得急吞不避其热。
Then, the wife for her husband made and arranged drinks and food. When her husband got them, he hurriedly swallowed without avoiding that hot.
妇时怪之，语其夫言：「此中无贼劫夺人者，有何急事匆匆乃尔不安徐食？」
The wife, then thinking this was strange of him, spoke to the husband, saying, ‘As this place within is without those thieves and forceful robbing persons, you have what urgent matter to be hurried like this, to not peacefully and slowly eat?’
夫答妇言：「有好密事不得语汝。」
The husband replied to the wife, saying, ‘I have a “good” secret [i.e. esoteric] practice that cannot be spoken to you.’
妇闻其言谓有异法，殷勤问之，良久乃答：「我祖父已来法常速食，我今效之，是故疾耳。」
The wife, hearing these words, said he has an unusual method. Solicitously asking him for long, he thus replied, ‘From my paternal grandfather since, there was this method of constantly quick eating. I am now copying him, therefore eating swiftly.’
世间凡夫亦复如是，不达正理不知善恶，作诸邪行不以为耻，而云我祖父已来作如是法，至死受行终不舍离，如彼愚人习其速食以为好法。
The world’s ordinary beings are likewise thus, not understanding thoroughly the right principles, not knowing good and evil, doing all evil practices, not with them as shameful, then saying that from our paternal grandfathers since, we have practised thus, these methods. Until death accepting these practices, to the end not giving them up, they are like that foolish person practising that quick eating, with it as a ‘good’ method.
[Note: There should not be, with blind faith, carrying on and passing down traditions in terms of beliefs and practices without reasonable rationale and questioning of the questionable. Otherwise, there might be the utter waste of limited time and many efforts, doing what is pointless or even harmful, when time and efforts could be better spent on learning and practising the Right Dharma (正法), which encourages active enquiry.
Just because a tradition has been in one’s family or culture for a long time already does not mean it is definitely sensible and beyond reproach. It might actually be a diehard but groundless superstition that arose from delusion, not founded upon any wisdom at all. Even so-called esoteric practices deemed secret should be questioned well.]
全百喻
All Hundred Parables:
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