49 Two Young Boys’ Argument over Feathers
49小儿争分别毛喻
Once two boys were diving in a river and found a bunch of feathers at the bottom of the river. One boy said it was the beard of an immortal, while the other insisted that it was bear’s fur. An immortal happened to be by the river’s shores, and so the two boys went to him asking for a settlement of their debate. The immortal took some rice and sesame seeds into his mouth and chewed them for a while, then he spat them into his hand and told the boys, “What I have here seems to be peacock droppings.”
It is clear from his reply that the immortal did not answer the question that was put to him. Ignorant people of the world are like this, too. When discussing Dharma, they bring up idle theories and do not answer questions with proper principles. They are like the immortal whose answer made him the laughing stock of all people. The same idea applies to those who engage in empty, frivolous discussions.
译文
譬如过去有两个小儿到河里遨游嬉戏,在水底摸得一把毛。一小儿说:「这是仙人的胡须。」另一小儿说:「这是罴的毛。」当时河边住着一位仙人,这两个小儿争执不下,便到那仙人处,请他决断。而那仙人随即取了一把米和胡麻子,含在口中嚼了,吐在掌上,对小儿说道:「我掌中的像是孔雀屎。」这仙人没有回答他们的问题,人们都是知道这一点的。
世上的愚人也是这样,说法的时候,随便地谈论其他种种毫不相关的学说,并不就理上正面答覆,如那个仙人答非所问一样,遭到一切人的嗤笑。浮泛散漫地虚说一通,都是这样子的。
原典
譬如昔日有二小儿入河邀戏,于此水底得一把毛。一小儿言: 「此是仙须。」一小儿言:「此是罴毛。」尔时河边有一仙人,此二小儿诤之不已,谐彼仙所,决其所疑。而彼仙人寻即取米及胡麻子,口中含嚼,吐着掌中,语小儿言:「我掌中者似孔雀屎。」而此仙人不答他问,人皆知之。
世间愚人亦复如是,说法之时,戏论诸法,不答正理,如彼仙人不答所问,为一切人之所嗤笑。浮漫虚说,亦复如是。
解说
仙人把米和胡麻子嚼了,吐在掌上,说是像孔雀屎,他的意思大抵是那把毛既不是仙须,也不是罴毛,不知道是什么毛,没有真正的答案。这种答非所问恰恰揭示了事物在那种情形下的真实性,后世禅宗多采用这类方法。
《长阿含经》卷十七<沙门果经>也记敍了这般情形。阿闍世王向六师外道提出这样的问题:「世间有许多通常的职业:象夫、马夫、御者、弓箭手、旗手、营官、士兵、皇家出身的高级将军、军事侦察员……所有这些人都在现世享受他们的职业的可见的果实……你能够告诉我一个沙门生活的任何现世可见的直接果实吗?」没有一个人直接回答这个问题,而只是解释他们自身的理论,因为从他们的观念出发,想不出沙门生活有什么可见的直接果实,没有确切的答案可言,这样一种问答恰也显示了一种他们所处情势的真实性。「不阑迦叶就是这样的,当问到一个沙门生活的直接利益是什么,他讲解他的无业报原理。尊者,正像一个人,当问到一粒芒果是什么,他回答一条面包如何如何。」(见《顺世论》第六O八页,也可参见《中华大藏经》第三十一册第二O九页)