T14n0555a_五母子經

大正藏第 14 冊 No. 0555a 五母子經

No. 555

五母子經

吳月氏國居士支謙譯

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，于山中學道，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。

其師問：「何等而笑？」

沙彌答言：「無所笑也。」

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，並鄰亦復生子，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

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本《五母子經》

吳月氏國居士支謙譯

過去，有一位阿羅漢（Arhat，已證得涅槃的修行者）在山中修行。有一個七歲的小男孩，非常喜歡佛法，於是辭別母親出家，請求做沙彌（Śrāmaṇera，出家男眾），跟隨大沙門（Śrāmaṇa，出家修行者）在山中學習佛道，供養師父所需，誦經修行，從不懈怠。到了八歲時，他獲得了慧眼，能夠透視無極遠的地方；耳朵能夠清晰地聽到天上、天下所做的善事和惡事；身體能夠飛行，想去哪裡就去哪裡，能夠分身，也能隨意變化，無所不能；他還能知道自己的宿命，知道自己從哪裡來，以及人民、昆蟲、蠕動生物等所經歷的善惡之道，全都知曉。當他回憶起前世宿命，曾經作為五個母親的兒子時，便獨自坐著笑了。

他的師父問：『你笑什麼？』

沙彌回答說：『沒什麼好笑的。』

師父說：『這山中也沒有歌唱、奏樂，你是在嘲笑我嗎？』

沙彌回答說：『我不敢嘲笑師父，只是在笑我自己。我曾經一個人做過五個母親的兒子。母親們都爲了我晝夜啼哭，感到悲傷痛苦，不能停止；常常思念兒子，沒有一刻忘記。我想到自己一個人讓五家憂愁痛苦，因此才笑，不敢嘲笑師父。

『當我與第一個母親做兒子時，鄰居家也生了一個兒子，與我同一天出生。我的母親看見那個孩子出入行走，便悲傷地想：『我的兒子如果還在，也應當像這樣出入行走。』悲傷地流下眼淚，像下雨一樣，悲傷地思念兒子。

『當我為第二個母親做兒子時，我短命早死。我的母親看見別人給孩子餵奶，便想起給我餵奶的情景，悲哀地哭泣，思念我的兒子。

『當我為第三個母親做兒子時，我…

【English Translation】 English version The Sutra of the Five Mothers and a Son

Translated by Layman Zhi Qian of the Yuezhi Kingdom of Wu

In the past, there was an Arhat (one who has attained Nirvana) practicing the Way in the mountains. There was a young boy, seven years old, who greatly loved the Dharma. He bid farewell to his mother and left home, seeking to become a Śrāmaṇera (novice monk), and followed the great Śrāmaṇa (ascetic) to study the Way in the mountains, providing for his teacher's needs, reciting scriptures, and practicing the Way without懈怠 (懈怠 xièdài: laxity; negligence). At the age of eight, he attained the wisdom eye, enabling him to see infinitely far; his ears could clearly hear the good and evil deeds done in heaven and on earth; his body could fly, going wherever he wished, able to divide his body and transform himself at will, capable of anything; he also knew his past lives, knowing where he came from, as well as the paths of good and evil experienced by people, insects, and crawling creatures, knowing all. When he recalled his past lives, having been the son of five mothers, he sat and laughed to himself.

His teacher asked, 'What are you laughing at?'

The Śrāmaṇera replied, 'There is nothing to laugh at.'

The teacher said, 'There is no singing or music in these mountains. Are you mocking me?'

The Śrāmaṇera replied, 'I dare not laugh at the teacher, I am only laughing at myself. I was once the son of five mothers. The mothers all cried for me day and night, feeling sorrow and pain, unable to stop; they constantly thought of their son, never forgetting him. I thought of myself causing five families to suffer sorrow and pain, and that is why I laughed, not daring to laugh at the teacher.

'When I was the son of the first mother, a son was also born to a neighbor, born on the same day as me. When my mother saw that child going in and out, she would sadly think, 'If my son were still here, he would also be going in and out like that.' Tears would fall like rain, sadly thinking of her son.

'When I was the son of the second mother, I died young. When my mother saw others breastfeeding their children, she would think of breastfeeding me, sadly weeping, thinking of my son.

'When I was the son of the third mother, I...

十歲，復少死。母臨食悲哭泣淚，言念：『我子在者，亦當與我共食。舍我死去，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，舍母隨師，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，我所求愿皆以得，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，能離貪慾，可得度脫。我以

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：『十歲時，我又早夭。母親面對食物悲傷哭泣，唸叨著：『我的兒子如果還在，也應當與我一同進食。他捨棄我死去，讓我獨自進食。』哽咽著唸叨我。『我又做第四個母親的兒子時，我薄命早死。我的同輩娶妻，我母親看見了，就念叨著：『我的兒子如果還在，也應當為他娶妻。』她說：『我究竟有什麼對不起蒼天，要奪走我的兒子！』『我又做第五個母親的兒子時，我剛滿七歲，喜好佛道，辭別家人，捨棄母親跟隨師父，進入山中求道，最終證得阿羅漢果位（Arhat，斷盡煩惱，證入涅槃的聖者）。我的母親日日啼哭說：『我生了一個兒子，跟隨師父學道，不知身在何處，飢飽冷暖，不知是生是死，不能再相見。』憂愁痛苦地念叨我的兒子。『這五個母親恰巧相遇，各自訴說失去了兒子，相對啼哭，無法停止。我這一身一魄，輾轉在五個母親的腹中做兒子，實在令人疑惑，卻使眾人悲傷哭泣發狂，只是共同思念我一個人罷了，各自想要自殺，所以我才發笑啊。『我感嘆世間凡人，不知道死後將往何處投生，都只說死亡而已。凡人怎麼能知道死亡之後還有生命，行善自然得到福報，作惡自然得到災殃，不會遺漏任何人。在世間都做惡業，無所畏懼，死後將墮入泰山地獄（Mount Tai Hell，中國傳統地獄觀念）中，痛苦至極，後悔也來不及了。『我厭倦世間的辛勤苦難，所以辭別父母，入山精進求道。如今我親眼看見畜生、餓鬼、地獄中的種種恐怖景象。現在我蒙受佛陀的恩德，得以聽聞經法。如今我日夜憐憫傷感這五個母親，她們不能自我解脫反而為我擔憂，我所求的願望都已經得到，感念世間人輾轉相生，也互相嘲笑，沒有停止的時候。身體最終都歸於塵土，魂魄將根據所作所為，隨著善惡業力，都不能自己解脫。斷絕恩愛，能夠遠離貪慾，才可以得到解脫。我因此……』

【English Translation】 English version: 『At the age of ten, I died young again. My mother, facing the food, wept and sobbed, saying: 『If my son were still here, he would be eating with me. He abandoned me to die, leaving me to eat alone.』 She choked as she spoke of me. 『Again, when I was the son of the fourth mother, I died young due to my misfortune. When my peers took wives, my mother saw them and thought: 『If my son were still here, he would also be taking a wife.』 She said: 『What have I done to offend Heaven that it should take my son from me!』『Again, when I was the son of the fifth mother, I was just seven years old. I loved the Dharma and left home, abandoning my mother to follow my teacher, entering the mountains to seek the Way, and attained the state of Arhat (Arhat, a saint who has extinguished all afflictions and entered Nirvana). My mother wept every day, saying: 『I gave birth to a son who followed his teacher to study the Way. I don't know where he is, whether he is hungry or full, cold or warm, whether he is alive or dead, and I can no longer see him.』 She sorrowfully and painfully spoke of my son. 『These five mothers happened to meet, and each spoke of the loss of her son. They wept together, unable to stop. This one body and one soul of mine transmigrated and became a son in the wombs of five mothers. It is truly perplexing, yet it caused everyone to grieve, weep, and go mad, only thinking of me alone. Each wanted to kill herself, which is why I laughed. 『I lament that worldly people do not know where they will be reborn after death, and only speak of death. How can worldly people know that there is life after death? Doing good naturally brings blessings, and doing evil naturally brings disaster, which will not be missed by anyone. In the world, they all commit evil deeds, fearing nothing. After death, they will fall into Mount Tai Hell (Mount Tai Hell, a traditional Chinese concept of hell), where the suffering is extreme, and regret will be of no use. 『I was weary of the hardships and suffering of the world, so I bid farewell to my parents and entered the mountains to diligently seek the Way. Now I have personally seen the terrifying sights of animals, hungry ghosts, and hells. Now I have received the grace of the Buddha and have been able to hear the Dharma. Now I pity and grieve day and night for these five mothers, who cannot free themselves but worry about me. All my wishes have been fulfilled. I think of worldly people being born and reborn, also laughing at each other, without rest. The body will eventually return to dust, and the soul will go according to its deeds. According to their good and evil karma, they cannot free themselves. Cutting off affection and being able to abandon greed can lead to liberation. Therefore, I...』

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

【現代漢語翻譯】現代漢語譯本：不再與生死輪迴相會，我痛恨這具色身終將斷滅，好比人不再播種，當證得涅槃（Nirvana，解脫）之道最為快樂，永遠不再有勤勞與苦難。

老師這樣說完，隨即飛走了。

《佛說五母子經》

【English Translation】 English version: 'No longer will I meet with birth and death. I hate that this body will be cut off. It is like a person who does not sow. The path to Nirvana (Nirvana, liberation) is the most joyful, forever free from diligence and suffering.'

The teacher spoke thus, and then flew away.

'Buddha Speaks of the Five Mothers and Children Sutra'