五母子經
The Sutra of the Five Mothers and Their Sons
吳月氏國居士支謙譯
Translated by the Layman Zhi Qian of the Yuezhi Kingdom
昔者有阿羅漢，在山中奉行道業。有一小兒年始七歲，大好道法，辭母出家，求作沙彌，隨大沙門於山中學道，給師所須，誦經行道，時無有懈。至年八歲得慧眼，能通視無極；耳能徹聽，天上、天下所為善惡，皆聞知之；身能飛行，所在至到能分一身及人自化，無所不作；自知宿命所從來生，及人民、蚑行蠕動之類所經歷善惡之道，皆悉知之。先世宿命為五母子時，便坐自笑。
There was once an Arhat who practiced the path in the mountains. A young boy, only seven years old, deeply devoted to the Dharma, took leave of his mother to become a novice monk. He followed the great monk to study the path in the mountains, attending to his teacher's needs, reciting scriptures and walking the path without ever slacking. By the time he was eight, he attained the Wisdom Eye and could see infinitely far; his ears could hear everything—all the good and evil done in heaven and on earth he knew and heard; his body could fly, and wherever he went he could divide himself into multiple bodies or transform at will, capable of anything; he knew his own past lives and where he had come from, as well as the good and evil paths traversed by people and by crawling, wriggling creatures of all kinds—he knew it all. When he saw his past lives as the five mothers and sons, he sat and laughed to himself.
其師問：「何等而笑？」
His teacher asked, "What are you laughing at?"
沙彌答言：「無所笑也。」
The novice monk replied, "I wasn't laughing at anything."
師曰：「是山中亦無歌唱、伎樂，汝笑嗤我耳？」
沙彌答言：「不敢笑師，但自笑耳。我一身為五母作子，母皆為我晝夜啼哭，感傷愁毒，不能自止，常念子憂思，未常忽忘。我自念一身而憂毒五家，以是笑耳，不敢笑師。
「我與第一母作子時，竝隣亦復生子，與我同日而生。其子出入行步，我母見之，便悲念：『我子在者，亦當出入行步如是。』愁毒淚下如雨，悲言念子。
「我為第二母作子時，我短命又早死。我母見人乳兒，便念乳我，悲哀涕泣，言念我子。
「我為第三母作子時，我年十歲，復少死。母臨食悲哭泣淚，言念：『我子在者，亦當與我共食。捨我死去，使我獨食。』哽咽，言念我。
「復為第四母作子時，我薄命先死。我等輩娶婦，我母見之，即念：『我子在者，亦當為子娶婦。』言：『我何負蒼天，而殺我子？』
「復為第五母作子時，我始年七歲，好道辭家，捨母隨師，入山求道，得羅漢道。我母日日啼哭言：『我生一子，隨師學道，不知所在、飢飽寒溫，不知生死，不復相見。』愁毒，言念我子。
「是五母適共一會，各各言亡我子，相對啼哭，不能相止。是我一身一魄展轉，而與五母腹中作子，固疑惑人，而使眾悲哭發狂，但共念我一身耳，各欲自殺。是故笑耳。
「發念世間凡人，不知死當有所至生，皆共言死耳。凡人何能知死當有生，作善自得其福，作惡得其殃，不有所遺人。在世間皆為惡業，無所畏難，死後當入泰山地獄中，苦痛極哉，後悔無所復及。我厭世間勤苦，故辭父母，入山精進求道。今我目見畜生、餓鬼、地獄中，代之恐怖。今被蒙佛恩，得聞經法。今我日夜憐傷，五母不能自脫反憂，我所求願皆以得，念世間人展轉相生，亦復相笑，無有休息。身皆歸土，魂當所作隨其善惡，皆不能自拔。斷其恩愛，能離貪欲，可得度脫。我以不復與生死會，我恨身以斷，如人不種，當泥洹道最樂，長復與勤苦。」
為師說之，已便飛去。
佛說五母子經