譬喻品第四
Chapter 4: Parable
佛告颰陀和：「菩薩得是三昧不精進行者，譬如人載滿船珍寶渡大海，船中道壞，閻浮利人皆大愁憂念，失我爾所寶。菩薩聞是三昧不學者，一切諸天人民皆悲憂言：『乃失我爾所經寶。』」
The Buddha told Bhadrapala: "A bodhisattva who attains this Samadhi but does not practice diligently is like a person loading a ship full of precious treasures to cross the great sea, only to have the ship break apart mid-journey. All the people in Jambudvipa would feel great sorrow and lament, thinking, 'We have lost so many treasures!' Likewise, when a bodhisattva hears of this Samadhi but does not study it, all the devas and humans will grieve, saying, 'We have thus lost such a treasure of the teachings.'"
佛言：「是三昧經者，是佛所囑，佛所稱舉。聞是深三昧，不書、學、誦、守持如法者，是為愚癡。譬如癡子人持栴檀香與之，而不肯受，謂之不淨。香主言：『此栴檀香也，卿莫謂不淨。嗅之知香，視之知淨。』其人閉目不嗅不視也。」
The Buddha said: "This sutra of the deep samadhi is entrusted and praised by the Buddhas. Those who hear this profound samadhi yet do not copy it, study it, recite it, or uphold it according to the Dharma are foolish. Imagine a foolish person who is given sandalwood incense but refuses to accept it, claiming it is impure. The giver says: 'This is sandalwood—do not call it impure. Smell it and know its fragrance; see it and know its purity.' But that person closes their eyes, refusing to smell or see."
佛言：「聞是三昧不肯受持者，如彼癡子，是為無知。反呼世間為有，不入空、不知無，自謂如法，反作輕戲言：『佛亦有深經乎？亦有威神乎？』反相形言：『世間亦有比丘如阿難乎？』」
The Buddha said: "Those who hear this samadhi but refuse to accept and uphold it are like the ignorant child—they lack understanding. Instead, they cling to the world as real, not entering into emptiness or recognizing non-existence. They claim to follow the Dharma, yet they mock and say lightly: 'Does the Buddha even have profound scriptures? Does he truly possess spiritual power?' They compare and sneer: 'Are there even monks in the world like Ananda?'"
佛言：「其人從持是三昧者，所去兩兩三三相與語言：『是何等說？從何得是語？為自合會作是經，非佛所說。』」
The Buddha said: "Those who come across someone practicing this samadhi will gather in small groups and ask each other: 'What kind of teaching is this? Where did these words come from? This must be a made-up compilation, not the Buddha's true teaching.'"
佛告颰陀和：「譬如賈客持摩尼珠示田家癡子。曰評：『此直幾錢？』賈客言：『持是珠置冥中，其光所照直滿中寶。』」
The Buddha told Bhadra: "It is like a merchant showing a wishing jewel to an ignorant farmer. The farmer asks, 'How much is this worth?' The merchant replies, 'If you place this jewel in the dark, the light it shines is worth a whole room full of treasures.'"
佛言：「其人不知是珠，而言：『其價能與一頭牛等不？寧可貿一頭牛與我者善，不肯者休。』如是，颰陀和！菩薩聞是三昧不信，反形相者，如彼癡子。」
The Buddha said: "That person did not recognize the jewel and said, 'Is its value equal to one cow? If you’re willing to trade it for a cow, that would be fine; if not, then forget it.' In the same way, Bhadrapāla, when bodhisattvas hear of this samādhi but do not believe it and instead criticize or dismiss it, they are just like that foolish child."
佛言：「菩薩聞是三昧信、受持、修行者，四面皆擁護，無所畏，持戒完具，是為高明。智慧深入，當分布語人展轉相教，當令是三昧久在世間。」
The Buddha said, "For a bodhisattva who hears of this samadhi, believes, receives, upholds, and practices it, they will be protected from all four sides, have no fear, and maintain complete moral discipline. This is called supreme wisdom. With wisdom deeply penetrating, they should share this with others, teaching it continuously, so that this samadhi may long remain in the world."
佛言：「癡人自於前世不供養作功德，反自貢高，多行誹謗、嫉妬，貪財利故欲求名譽，但欲譁說不信深經。聞是三昧不信、不樂、不學，反誹謗是經，言非佛所說。」
The Buddha said: "Foolish people, in their past lives, did not make offerings or cultivate merit. Instead, they were arrogant, slandered others, and were jealous. Greedy for wealth and fame, they sought only to impress with empty talk and did not believe in the profound teachings. Hearing of this Samadhi, they did not believe it, did not delight in it, and did not study it. On the contrary, they slandered it, saying that this Sutra was not spoken by the Buddha."
佛告颰陀和：「今我故語汝如是，若善男子、善女人，持珍寶滿三千國土布施，設有是功德，不如聞是三昧信樂者，其福過彼上。」
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala, "I tell you this now: If a good man or good woman were to take jewels filling three thousand worlds and give them all as an offering, the merit from that act would still not compare to the merit of someone who simply hears this samadhi and trusts in it with joy."
佛告颰陀和：「如我所說無有異，今故說是語耳！今見我說是三昧有疑者，其人却後除在惡師邊，正使善師所，其功德不足言。如是輩人，轉與惡師從事，聞是三昧不信、不樂、不學。何以故？其人所更佛少、智慧少，故不信耳！」
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala: "What I have taught is true and unchanging. That is why I speak these words to you now. If anyone hears me explain this samadhi but still feels doubtful, that person will later end up under the guidance of a bad teacher. Even if they encounter a good teacher, the merit they gain will be too small to mention. Such people will only associate with unwholesome teachers. Upon hearing this samadhi, they will not believe in it, take no joy in it, and refuse to learn it. Why is that? Because they have encountered few buddhas in the past and have little wisdom, they are simply unable to believe."
佛告颰陀和：「其有聞是三昧，不輕笑、不誹謗、不疑、不乍信乍不信，歡喜、樂書、學誦持者，我悉豫知見之。其人不獨於一佛、二佛所作功德，悉於百佛所聞是三昧。却後世時聞是三昧，書、學、誦、持守之一日一夜，其福不可計。自致得阿惟越致，所願者得。」
The Buddha told Bhadrapala: "Those who hear this samadhi and do not dismiss it lightly, do not slander it, do not doubt it, and do not believe it one moment only to disbelieve the next—but instead feel joy, delight in copying it, and wish to study, recite, and uphold it—I know and see them all. These people have not only performed meritorious deeds before one or two Buddhas; they have heard this samadhi in the presence of a hundred Buddhas. In future ages, when they hear this samadhi, they will copy, study, recite, and uphold it for just one day and one night—their blessings will be immeasurable. By themselves, they will attain non-retrogression and realize whatever they aspire to."
佛告颰陀和：「聽我說譬喻。有人取一佛剎悉碎如塵，取一塵皆復盡破，如一佛剎塵，云何是塵數寧多不也？」
The Buddha said to Bhadrapāla, "Listen, and I will give you a parable. Suppose someone were to take an entire universe and grind it into dust. Then, out of that dust, they take one single particle and grind it again until it becomes as fine as the dust of an entire universe. How vast would that number of particles be? Is it great or not?"
颰陀和言：「甚多，甚多！天中天！」
Bhadrapāla said, "Very many, O World-Honored One!"
佛言：「有菩薩盡取一塵置一佛剎，其數爾所佛剎，滿中珍寶悉持供養諸佛，其福功德少少耳！不如聞是三昧，學、書、誦、持，為他人說守。須臾間聞，是功德不可復計，何況已得是三昧悉具足者。」
The Buddha said: "If a bodhisattva were to take every single speck of dust and place it in a single Buddha-land, and fill as many Buddha-lands as there are specks of dust with precious treasures, and offer all of it to all the Buddhas, the merit and virtue gained would still be far less than hearing about this samadhi, studying it, copying it, reciting it, upholding it, and explaining it to others for even a moment. The merit of just hearing it for a short while is incalculable—how much more so for one who has fully attained this samadhi and embodies it completely."
佛爾時說偈言：
「若有菩薩求眾德， 當說奉行是三昧；
信樂諷誦不疑者， 其功德福無齊限。
如一佛國之世界， 皆破壞碎以為塵，
一切佛土過是數， 滿中珍寶用布施；
不如聞是三昧者， 其功德福過上施。
引譬功德不可喻， 囑累汝等當勸教，
力行精進無懈怠。 其有誦持是三昧，
已為面見百千佛。 假使最後大恐懼，
持是三昧無所畏。 行是比丘已見我，
常為隨佛不遠離。 如佛所言無有異，
菩薩常當隨其教， 疾得正覺智慧海。」
If a bodhisattva seeks to gather all virtues, Let them uphold and teach this samādhi. Those who believe, delight, and recite without doubt— Their merit and blessings are beyond all measure.
If all the worlds in a single buddha-land Were shattered and ground into fine dust, And all buddha-lands beyond that count Were filled with jewels and given as alms— Still, hearing this samādhi surpasses that gift; Its merit and blessings exceed such giving. This parable cannot capture its worth.
I entrust you all: encourage and teach, Strive with diligence, never slacken. Whoever chants and upholds this samādhi Has already beheld hundreds of thousands of buddhas. Even in the final great terror, Holding this samādhi brings no fear.
A monk who practices this has truly seen me And always follows the Buddha, never apart. Just as the Buddha's words are without error, Bodhisattvas should always follow his teaching— Swiftly they awaken to the ocean of wisdom, enlightenment.