Herd of Cattle Simile Sūtra (Qun Niu Pi Jing) 群牛譬經

Translated by Fa Ju in 1 scroll

Colophon

群牛譬經 西晉 法炬譯 共 1 卷 Herd of Cattle Simile Sūtra (Qun Niu Pi Jing); Translated by Fa Ju in 1 scroll in the Western Jin

Notes

Date 290-307 from Lancaster (Lancaster 2004, 'K 885')

English translations

None

Summary

The Buddha tells a story of an ass who tries to imitate well-behaved cattle by eating soft grass and drinking clean water, but is rejected by them because it cannot truly be like them. Similarly, a corrupt monk may try to imitate virtuous monks in their practices and demeanor to gain material benefits, but is ultimately exposed and expelled from their community. The Buddha advises monks to abandon non-virtuous practices and diligently cultivate virtuous ones. This story emphasizes the importance of genuine practice and the rejection of hypocrisy within the monastic community. (AI generated)

Primary Source

Fa Ju, 《群牛譬經》 'Qun Niu Pi Jing,' in Taishō shinshū Daizōkyō 《大正新脩大藏經》, in Takakusu Junjiro, ed., (Tokyo: Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō Kankōkai, 1988), Vol. 4, No. 215, Accessed 2016-07-13, http://tripitaka.cbeta.org/T04n0215.

References

  1. Lancaster, L.R. 2004, The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue, http://www.acmuller.net/descriptive_catalogue.

Collection vocabulary analysis