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  1. Buddha's Teaching on Five Unreturning Things Sutra (佛說五無返復經)
  1. The Buddha Speaks on Five Kinds of Ingratitude Sutra (佛說五無返復經)
  2. Buddha's Teaching on Five Unreturning Things Sutra (佛說五無返復經)

The Buddha Speaks on Five Kinds of Ingratitude Sutra (佛說五無返復經)

About 佛說五無返復經

Liu Song · Source text translated by 沮渠京聲

1,006 · about 3 min

**Sutra on the Five Things That Offer No Refuge** Translated during the Liu Song Dynasty by the eminent monk Juqu Jingsheng. Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the city of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, the garden of Anāthapiṇḍada. At that time, a certain brahmin came to where the Buddha was. After paying homage with his head at the Buddha’s feet, he sat to one side and said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One, I have heard that your Dharma teaches about returning and refuge. Yet, I observe that in this world, there are five things that offer no return and no refuge. What are these five? They are: life span, physical appearance, family and retinue, wealth and treasures, and karmic retribution. These are all impermanent, empty, and illusory. One cannot rely on them, nor do they offer a place of return. Why is this? Because they are all subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death; they arise and cease according to conditions. They are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow, like


佛說五無返復經
宋居士沮渠京聲譯
聞如是:
一時佛在舍衛國祇樹精舍,與千二百五十比丘俱。時有一梵志在羅閱祇國,聞舍衛人多慈孝順、奉經修道、供事三尊,便到舍衛國。見父子二人耕地,毒蛇齧殺其子。父故耕,不視其子亦不啼哭。
梵志問曰:「此兒誰子?」
耕者答言:「是我之子。」
梵志曰:「是卿子者,何不啼哭而耕如故?」
其人答曰:「人生有死,物成有敗,善者有報,惡者有對,愁憂啼哭何所追逮?設不飲食,何益死者?卿今入城,我家在某處,願過語之:『吾子已死。不須持二人食來。』」
梵志自念:「此人無返復,兒死在地,情不愁憂而反索食。此人不慈,無有比類。」
梵志便行入城,詣耕者家,見死兒母,即便語之:「卿兒已死。父言:『但持一人食來。』何以不念子耶?」兒母逆為梵志說譬喻言:「子者如客,來依人止。來亦不却,去亦不留。此兒本我亦不喚來自來過我生,死亦自去。非我力乃使進退,隨其本行追命所生。」
又語其姊:「卿弟已死,何不啼哭?」姊即向梵志說喻言:「我等兄弟,譬如工師入山斫林縛作大筏,安置水中,卒逢大風吹破筏散,隨水流去,前後分張不相顧望。我弟亦爾,如是宿命因緣,一時共合會在一家生。隨命長短,生死無常,合會有離。我弟命盡,各自隨行。無常對至,隨其本行,不能相救。」
又語死者婦:「卿夫已死,何不啼哭?」婦復為梵志說喻言:「我等夫婦,因緣共會須臾間已。譬如飛鳥,暮栖高樹同共止宿,向明早起各自飛去行求飲食。有緣則合,無緣則離。我等夫婦亦復如是,去住進止非我之力。無常對至,隨其本命,不能相救。」
又語其奴:「汝大家兒死,何不啼哭?」
奴復說喻:「我之大家,因緣合會。我如犢子,隨逐大牛。人殺大牛,犢子在邊,不能救大牛。無常之命不可得救,奈何愁憂啼哭亦無所益。」
梵志聞之,心惑目瞑,不識東西:「我聞此國人孝順奉道、供事三尊,故從遠來欲得學問,未有善應,而見五無返復人。勞身苦心遠來至此,了無所益。」
又問行人:「佛在何許?欲往問之。」
行人答曰:「近在祇洹精舍。」
梵志即往到佛所,稽首佛足作禮,却坐一面,愁憂低頭默無所說。佛知其意,謂梵志曰:「何為低頭。愁憂不樂?」
梵志白佛言:「所願不果,違我本心,是故愁憂也。」
佛問曰:「有何所失,愁憂不樂?」
梵志白佛言:「我從羅閱祇國來,聞此國人孝順、奉敬三尊,故從遠來欲得學問。既來到此,見五無返復人,是故愁憂不樂。」
佛言:「何謂無返復者?」
梵志白佛言:「我見父子二人耕地下種,子死在地,父亦不愁反更索食,而反向我說無常事。母、婦及姊與奴,都無愁憂。是為大逆無返復也。」
佛言:「不然,不如卿語。此之五人最有返復,知命無常,非愁憂所逮。往古聖不免斯患,況於凡夫,大啼小哭何益死者?世間俗人無數劫來流轉生死,遷神不滅,死而復生,如車輪轉無有休息。背死向生,非憂愁所逮。」
梵志聞之,心開意解,更無憂慼:「我聞佛說,如病得愈、如盲得視、如闇遇明。」於是梵志即得道跡。
「一切死亡不足啼哭,欲為亡者請佛及僧,燒香供養、讀誦經典。能日日作禮,復志心供養三寶,最是為要。」
於是梵志,稽首作禮,受教而去。
佛說五無返復經

CBETA Code: T0751b

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Copyright: Original texts from CBETA
AI translation for reference only — not authoritative, not a statement of final truth. Awakening of the Dharma requires personal practice.