百喻经之七：认人为兄喻

　　英文：

　　Once upon a time, there was a man endowed with a respectable appearance and intelligence as well as wealth. all these evoked feelings of admiration and praise from the people around him. another man then claimed this man to be his elder brother. he did so, because of the man's wealth. when he needed money, he called the man elder brother. after the rich man paying his debt, he stopped calling him elder brother. a bystander asked, "you are a strange man. when you are in need of money, you call him elder brother. when he is in debt, you will not. why?"

　　The man answered, "when i want to get at his money, i'll call him elder brother. as a matter of fact, he isn't my own elder brother. when he is in debt, i will not call him elder brother."

　　Hearing these words, people laughed at him.

　　The heretics, who have heard the good words of buddhism, purloin and make use of them as their own. when people try to teach them how to practice the goods words, they do not want to listen. they declared that they use the good words of buddhism to instruct the other people in order to earn a living. there is no need that they should bother to know how to practice it.

　　Those heretics are just like the stupid man who calls the rich man elder brother for his money.

　　古文：

　　昔有一人，形容端正，智慧具足，复多钱财，举世人间，无不称叹。时有愚人，见其如此，便言：鈥溛倚帧ｂ�澦�以尔者，彼有钱财，须者则用之，是故为兄。见其还债，言：鈥湻俏倚帧ｂ�澃�人语言：鈥溔晔怯奕耍�云何须财，名他为兄；及其债时，复言非兄？鈥�

　　愚人答言：鈥溛乙杂�得彼之钱财，认之为兄，实非是兄。若其负债，则称非兄。鈥�

　　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：

　　鈥溛�利养故，取彼佛语化导众生，而无实事，云何修行。鈥澯滔蛴奕耍�为得财故，言是我兄；

　　及其债时，复言非兄。此亦如是。

　　译文：

　　从前有个人，容貌端正，举止大方，具有渊博的学识，又很富有，社会上的人们没有不称赞他的。当时有个愚蠢的人，见到他有这样的身份，便称他是 鈥溛业男殖も�潯Ｖ�所以这样，是因为他有钱，在急需的时候，可以借用，才称他为兄。后来看见这位兄长给别人还债，他讲：鈥溦馊瞬皇俏腋绺纭ｂ�澲芪У娜颂�了说：鈥溎闶歉鲇奕耍�为何在需要钱的时候，就称他为兄长，到他负债时，又说不是兄长了呢？鈥澯奕嘶卮穑衡�溛乙郧跋氲玫剿�的钱财，才认他为兄长，实际上他并不是我哥哥，如果他欠了债，我就不需要再称其为兄了。鈥澣嗣翘�了这番话，没有不耻笑他的。

　　这好比那些没有人生理想的人，听到了佛家有益的道理，就为己所用。等到别人劝他身体力行，修善布施的时候，就推托说：鈥溨皇俏�了利益和需要，才借用佛家的道理，来告诫社会大众，而并无心去实践，又怎能去修善布施呢？鈥澱饩拖衲怯薮赖娜耍�为了得到金钱，就说别人是我兄长，等人欠债时，又说他不是我的哥哥，两者的道理是一样的。