（九）歎父德行喻
(9) The Parable of Praising the Father's Virtue
昔時有人於眾人中，歎己父德而作是言：「我父慈仁不害不盜，直作實語兼行布施。」時有愚人聞其此語便作是念言：「我父德行復過汝父。」諸人問言：「有何德行請道其事？」愚人答曰：「我父小來斷絕婬欲初無染污。」眾人語言：「若斷婬欲，云何生汝？」深為時人之所怪笑。猶如世間無智之流，欲讚人德不識其實，反致毀呰，如彼愚者，意好歎父言成過失，此亦如是。
Once, a man stood before a crowd praising his father's virtues, saying: "My father is kind and compassionate—he harms no one, steals nothing, speaks only honest truth, and practices generosity." A fool in the crowd heard this and thought to himself: "My father's virtues are even greater than your father's." People asked him: "What virtues does he have? Please tell us about them." The fool answered: "Since my father was young, he has been completely free of sexual desire and has never been defiled." The people said: "If he had cut off sexual desire, how were you born?" He became an object of deep astonishment and mockery among the people of his time.
This is like the ignorant people in the world who wish to praise someone's virtues but do not understand the reality, and end up bringing criticism upon them instead. Just as that fool meant well in praising his father but turned it into a fault—so it is here.