佛法双语工作坊经典连载：佛说四十二章经（第21章）

法师讲解 21：名声丧本

Commentary:  Lost in the pursuit of fame

There is such a story in the Parable Sutra: Once a man was travelling in the wilderness. Suddenly he was chased by a rampageous elephant. The traveler then fled in whatever way available and found a deserted well by which there was a big tree. Having descended into the well along tree roots, the traveler realized that two rats, black and white, were gnawing the tree roots, and each of the four sides of the well was inhabited by a venomous snake. As for the bottom of the well, it was occupied by a deadly dragon. At this very moment, five drops of luscious honey dripped down from a beehive in the tree. The traveler momentarily forgot his fear while he was indulging in the honey. However the wobble of tree provoked the bees to sting the traveler. Then a wild fire coming from nowhere was burning the tree.   

《佛说譬喻经》中有一则故事：以前有一个人在旷野中走着，突然被一头凶恶的大象追赶。游人慌不择路地找到一个废井，井旁有一棵大树，游人沿着树根爬进井中。但却发现有黑白两只老鼠正在啃咬着树根。井的四边更有四条毒蛇，井底并盘踞着一条毒龙。就在这个时候，树上的蜂窝滴下五滴甘美的蜂蜜，游人尝着这蜂蜜，顿时忘记了刚才的恐惧。但由于树身晃动，令蜜蜂飞来刺蜇游人。这时不知从哪里来的一团野火，烧着了这棵大树。 

故事中的旷野比喻无明，游人比喻凡夫众生，大象比喻无常，井比喻生死的此岸，树根比喻命根，黑白两只老鼠寓意昼夜，老鼠啃咬树根比喻生命念念都在消逝中，四条毒蛇象征组成人体的地、水、火、风四大元素，蜂蜜比喻财、色、名、食、睡五种欲望，蜜蜂比喻不正确的思想，野火比喻衰老和疾病，毒龙象征死亡。国王听了佛陀说的这个故事后，对生死过患深深生起了厌离之心。

佛陀告诉我们不要对名声有所贪著，它会大量消耗我们的福报。其实我们应避免过分贪著五欲乃至六尘，因为这些都是轮回的根。反之我们应当多行善法，例如布施、持戒等令我们生命的轨迹得到提升。