§44 欲食半饼喻

(44) eating half a pancake

譬如有人，因其饥故，食七枚煎饼。食六枚半已，便得饱满。其人嗔恚，以手自打，而作是言：“我今饱足，由此半饼。然前六饼，唐自捐弃，设知半饼能充足者，应先食之。”

once there was a man who felt hungry and longed to eat seven pancakes. he was already full when he had eaten six pancakes and a half. he was so sorry for having ordered seven of them that he slapped his own face and said, "half a pancake has filled me up. the other six are wasted. if only i had known that, i should have ordered only half a cake."

世间之人，亦复如是。从本以来，无常有乐，然其痴倒，横生乐想。如彼痴人，于半番饼，生于饱想。世人无知，以富贵为乐。夫富贵者，求时甚苦；既获得已，守护亦苦；后还失之，忧念复苦；于三时中，都无有乐。

so are the people at large. there is actually no pleasure in life. there are only illusions, just like the stupid man getting full illusion with half a cake. being ignorant, people view wealth and honor as pleasure. it is sometimes a painful process to get them. it is also sometimes hard to keep them. it is all the more painful when they have lost them. therefore, they give no pleasure to people at all times.

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