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  1. The Buddha's Teaching on the Herd of Cattle Sutra (佛說群牛譬經)
  1. Parable of the Herd of Cattle Sutra (群牛譬經)
  2. The Buddha's Teaching on the Herd of Cattle Sutra (佛說群牛譬經)

Parable of the Herd of Cattle Sutra (群牛譬經)

About 群牛譬經

Western Jin · Source text translated by 法炬

597 · about 2 min

The *Sutra on the Simile of the Herd of Cattle* is a Buddhist scripture translated by the Western Jin dynasty translator Fa Ju. This sutra employs the simile of herding cattle to illustrate spiritual practice, elucidating the process of a herdsman taming and nurturing a herd as a metaphor for the practitioner’s work of subduing mental formations and countering afflictions. The text emphasizes using right mindfulness as the herdsman to guard the six sense faculties, ultimately leading to liberation. Belonging to the early Buddhist canon, this sutra embodies the Buddha’s skillful use of similes in teaching, holding significant importance in the history of Buddhist thought. It provides practitioners with clear and practical guidance for practice and serves as an important text for the study of Buddhist methods of cultivation and the theory of mind.


佛說群牛譬經
西晉沙門法炬譯
聞如是:
一時婆伽婆在舍衛城祇樹給孤獨園。
爾時,世尊告諸比丘:「譬如群牛,志性調良,所至到處,擇軟草食、飲清涼水。時有一驢,便作是念:『此諸群牛,志性調良,所至到處,擇軟草食、飲清涼水。我今亦可効彼,擇軟草食、飲清涼水。』時彼驢入群牛中,前脚跑土,觸嬈彼群牛,亦効群牛鳴吼,然不能改其聲:『我亦是牛,我亦是牛。』然彼群牛,以角觝殺,而捨之去。
「此亦如是。若有一比丘,不精進、修惡法;非沙門,言是沙門;不修梵行,言修梵行;亦不多聞,邪見;威儀不具足——行步來往、屈申俯仰——不解著衣持鉢;不能延得衣被、食飲、床臥具、病瘦醫藥。彼若見比丘精進修善法,於沙門中,成沙門行;修梵行;多聞博學,而修善法;威儀悉善,行步來往、屈申俯仰、著衣持鉢,不失禮節;得衣被、飲食、床臥具、病瘦醫藥。時惡行比丘便作是念:『此眾多比丘精進、修善法,於沙門成沙門行、於梵行成梵行,威儀具足,行步來往、屈申俯仰、著衣持鉢,皆悉備具;是得衣被、飲食、床臥具、病瘦醫藥,皆已備具。我今可入彼眾中,我亦當得衣被、飲食、床臥具、病瘦醫藥。』
「時惡比丘——修惡法,無沙門行,言是沙門,無梵行,言修梵行,少聞、有諸惡見——便入彼眾多精進比丘所,欲効彼威儀禮節——行步來往、屈申俯仰、著衣持鉢——如彼微妙比丘精進、修善法、行步來往、屈申俯仰、著衣持鉢,便作是言:『我是沙門、我是沙門。』時微妙比丘皆悉證知,此比丘不精進,言精進;非沙門,言是沙門;不修梵行,言修梵行;不多聞、有諸邪見。時諸微妙比丘便擯出界外:『汝速出去,莫住我眾。』譬如彼群牛,志性調良,驅出彼驢。
「是故,諸比丘!非沙門行、非婆羅門行,當捨離之;諸沙門善行及婆羅門善行,當善諷誦、持。如是,諸比丘!當作是學。」
爾時,諸比丘聞佛所說,歡喜奉行。
佛說群牛譬經

CBETA Code: T0215

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