§1 愚人食盐喻

(1) the stupid man takes salt

昔有愚人，至于他家，主人与食，嫌淡无味。主人闻已，更为益盐。既得盐美，便自念言：“所以美者，缘有盐故。少有尚尔，况复多也？” 愚人无智，便空食盐。食已口爽，返为其患。

once upon a time there was a stupid man who went to another man's home. the host gave him something to eat. after he complained that the food was insipid, the host added a little salt to it. the stupid guest tried again, found it better, and thought that it was tasteful, because of the salt. to his thinking, the food would be so much better, if he took a great deal of salt. then this stupid and ignorant man ate it on an empty stomach. afterwards, he had his palate out of order and fell ill.

譬彼外道，闻节饮食可以得道，即便断食。或经七日，或十五日，徒自困饿，无益于道。如彼愚人，以盐美故，而空食之，至令口爽，此亦复尔。

the heretics, having learned that abstaining from food and drink might lead to the path of enlightenment, immediately fasted for seven or fifteen days. they merely got fatigued and famished, accomplishing nothing in terms of enlightenment. those heretics are just like that stupid man, who, on account of the pleasant flavor that the salt enhanced, ate salt on an empty stomach only to lose all tastes (and get sick afterwards).

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