佛說五無返復經
宋居士沮渠京聲譯
Translated by Layman Song Juqu Jingsheng
爾時佛在祇樹精舍，與千二百五十比丘俱。時有梵志，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。
At that time, the Buddha was dwelling in the Jeta Grove Monastery, accompanied by twelve hundred and fifty monks. There was a Brahmin in the kingdom of Rājagṛha who heard that the people of Śrāvastī were compassionate, filial, devoted to the scriptures, practiced the path, and served the Three Jewels. He then traveled to Śrāvastī. There, he saw a father and son plowing a field. A venomous snake bit and killed the son, yet the father continued plowing without looking at his son and without weeping.
梵志問曰：「此兒誰子？」
The Brahmin asked, "Whose child is this?"
答言：「是我之子。」
梵志曰：「是卿子者，何不啼哭，而耕如故？」
The Brahmin said, “If this is your son, why aren’t you weeping? Why do you just keep on plowing as before?”
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。』」
The person replied: “In life, there is death; when things are made, they also come apart. Good deeds bring rewards, and evil deeds bring their own consequences. What use is it to worry and weep? Even if you refused to eat or drink, what help would that be to the dead? Now, as you go into town, my home is at a certain place. Please pass by and tell them: ‘Your son has already died. There is no need to send food for two people.’”
梵志自念：「此人無返復，兒死在地，情不愁憂，而返索食。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？」
The Brahmin thought to himself, "This man has no heart. His son lies dead on the ground, and he shows no grief—instead, he asks for food. There is no one more heartless than him." So the Brahmin went into the city and came to the plowman's house. There he saw the dead child's mother and said to her, "Your son is dead, yet your husband only said, 'Bring food for one person.' How can you not grieve for your child?"
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，非我力乃便進退，隨其本行，追命所生。」
The mother then told the Brahmin a parable: "A child is like a visitor who comes to stay, neither sent away upon arrival nor held back upon departure. This child—I did not call him here; he came of his own accord to be born through me, and he will depart when death comes, also of his own accord. His coming and going are not within my power. He follows his own past actions and is carried along by his own destiny."
又語其姊：「卿弟已死，何不啼哭？」
姊即向梵志說喻言：「我等兄弟，譬如工師入山斫材縛筏水中，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，死亡無常，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，擾擾作聲，向明各自飛去，行求飲食。有緣則合，無緣則離，夫婦如是，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：「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？」
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：「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，是故自定，無有愁慼；世間俗人，不識無常，懊惱啼哭，不能自勝。譬如人得熱病，不自覺知，恍惚妄語。良師與藥，熱即除愈，不復妄語。俗人愚癡，愁憂啼哭，不能自解；能知無常，不復愁憂，如熱病愈，此之五人，皆得道證。」
梵志聞之佛語，即自尅責：「我為愚惑，不識道義。今聞佛語，如盲得目，冥中見明。」
佛說五無返復經