Chinese
大正藏第 14 册 No. 0555b 五母子经 No. 555 五母子经 吴优婆塞支谦译 昔者有阿罗汉在山中奉行道禁。有一小儿年始七岁，大好道，弃家去作沙门，随师在山中，从师学法，精进不懈。年八岁便得四通：一者眼能彻视，二者耳能彻听，三者能飞行变化，四者自知宿命所从来生。坐自思念，即见先世宿命所更，为五母作子。时即还自笑。 师问言：“若何以笑？我是山间无倡乐、歌舞，用何等故笑？” 沙弥言：“我不敢笑师。自视我一身有五母，皆为我昼夜啼哭，感伤愁毒，常言念子，未曾忽忘。我自念一身愁毒五家，用是故笑耳，不敢笑师。 “我为第一母作子时，比邻有与我同时生者。我死后，同日生者出入行步，我母见之，便言：‘我子在者，亦当出入行步！’如是即愁忧，感痛念我。 “复为第二母作子，生不久复死。我母见人有乳养子者，便感痛念我，愁忧啼哭我。 “复为第三母作子，不久复死。我母临饭，泪出念我言：‘子在者，当与我共饭。为那弃我死去！’便愁忧念我。 “复为第四母作子，不久复死。我同时等辈娉娶者，母即复念我言：‘子不死，今亦当复娶妇！’复啼哭愁感我。 现代汉语译本 《五母子经》 吴国优婆塞支谦译 过去，有一位阿罗汉（Arhat，已证得涅槃的修行者）在山中奉行戒律。有一个七岁的小孩，非常喜欢佛法，离家出走做了沙弥（Śrāmaṇera，出家求道的男士），跟随师父在山中，向师父学习佛法，精进不懈。八岁时便获得了四种神通：第一是天眼通（能看见远处或隐藏的事物），第二是天耳通（能听见远处的声音），第三是神足通（能飞行和变化），第四是宿命通（能知道自己过去世的经历）。他坐着自己思考，就看见了过去世的经历，曾经为五个母亲做过儿子。当时他就自己笑了。 师父问他说：‘你为什么笑？这里是山里，没有歌舞娱乐，你因为什么而笑？’ 沙弥说：‘我不敢笑师父。我看到自己一身有五个母亲，都为我日夜啼哭，感到悲伤痛苦，常常思念我，从未忘记。我想到自己一身让五家感到悲伤痛苦，因此才笑，不敢笑师父。’ ‘我为第一个母亲做儿子时，邻居有与我同时出生的人。我死后，同日出生的人出入行走，我的母亲看见了，就说：‘我的儿子如果还在，也应当能出入行走了！’这样就感到忧愁，悲痛地思念我。 ‘我又为第二个母亲做儿子，出生不久就死了。我的母亲看见别人有奶水喂养孩子，就感到悲痛地思念我，忧愁地为我啼哭。 ‘我又为第三个母亲做儿子，不久就死了。我的母亲吃饭时，流着眼泪思念我说：‘儿子如果还在，应当和我一起吃饭。为什么抛弃我死去！’便忧愁地思念我。 ‘我又为第四个母亲做儿子，不久就死了。我同时代的同伴娶妻时，母亲又思念我说：‘儿子如果没死，现在也应当娶妻了！’又啼哭着悲伤地思念我。
English
English version The Sutra of the Five Mothers and a Son Translated by Upāsaka Zhi Qian of Wu In the past, there was an Arhat (one who has attained Nirvana) who observed the precepts in the mountains. There was a young boy, only seven years old, who greatly loved the Dharma. He abandoned his home to become a Śrāmaṇera (a novice monk), following his teacher in the mountains, learning the Dharma from him, diligently and tirelessly. At the age of eight, he attained the four supernatural powers: first, the divine eye (ability to see distant or hidden things); second, the divine ear (ability to hear distant sounds); third, the power of magical locomotion (ability to fly and transform); and fourth, the knowledge of past lives (ability to know his past existences). Sitting and contemplating, he saw his past lives, having been the son of five mothers. At that moment, he laughed to himself. His teacher asked him, 'Why are you laughing? This is the mountains, there is no music or dancing, what are you laughing about?' The Śrāmaṇera said, 'I dare not laugh at the teacher. I see that I have five mothers, all of whom weep for me day and night, feeling sorrow and pain, constantly thinking of me, never forgetting me. I think of how one body of mine causes five families to feel sorrow and pain, and that is why I laugh, I dare not laugh at the teacher.' 'When I was the son of the first mother, there was a neighbor who was born at the same time as me. After I died, the one born on the same day would go in and out, walking about. When my mother saw him, she would say, 'If my son were still here, he would also be going in and out, walking about!' Thus, she would feel sorrow and painfully remember me.' 'Again, I was the son of the second mother, and I died not long after birth. When my mother saw others nursing their children, she would feel pain and remember me, sorrowfully weeping for me.' 'Again, I was the son of the third mother, and I died not long after birth. When my mother was about to eat, tears would fall as she remembered me, saying, 'If my son were still here, he would be eating with me. Why did he abandon me and die!' Then she would sorrowfully remember me.' 'Again, I was the son of the fourth mother, and I died not long after birth. When my contemporaries were getting married, my mother would again remember me, saying, 'If my son had not died, he would also be getting married now!' And she would weep sorrowfully, remembering me.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
“复为第五今见在母作子，舍家学道。母日啼哭言：‘我亡子不知所在、饥寒、生死，不复相见！’忼忾悲痛念我。 “今五母共会，各言亡子，相对啼哭。我念一人魂神，为五母作子，令五母啼哭念我。我用是故笑耳。 “世间人不知有后世生，但言死耳。人作善自得其福，作恶自得其殃。人在世间喜怒自恣，无所畏恶。后苦痛不可言，入恶道中，悔无所及。 “我厌世间故，去父母求道。我视地狱、畜生、饿鬼、贫穷代其恐怖。我得师恩，受佛经戒，今以度脱。我念是五母不能得脱，反忧我故身。我所愿者，皆已竟。世间人展转相忧哭无休止时。身但作土耳，魂神空去，随其施行，不能自断，拔其根株，便可得脱，但日积恶，是痴所为。我今不复与生死同伍，如人不种，但当泥洹，泥洹快乐。”为师说是语，前作礼已，便飞去。 五母子经 现代汉语译本： 他又讲述了第五个故事：‘我今生投胎成为一位母亲的儿子，然后舍弃家庭出家修道。我的母亲日夜啼哭，说：‘我的儿子失踪了，不知道他在哪里，是否饥寒交迫，是生是死，我们再也无法相见了！’她悲痛万分，思念着我。 现在这五个母亲聚在一起，各自诉说着失去儿子的痛苦，相对而泣。我想到我一个人的魂神，却成为五个母亲的儿子，让这五个母亲都为我啼哭思念。我因为这个缘故而发笑啊。 世间的人不知道有来世，只知道死亡。人行善自然得到福报，作恶自然遭受灾殃。人们在世间随心所欲，喜怒无常，毫无畏惧。死后所受的苦痛无法言说，一旦堕入恶道之中，后悔也无济于事。 我厌倦了世间的生活，所以离开父母去寻求真理。我看到地狱、畜生、饿鬼、贫穷的景象，替他们感到恐惧。我得到师父的恩惠，接受了佛经的戒律，现在得以解脱。我想到这五个母亲无法得到解脱，反而还为我以前的身体担忧。我所希望的，都已经实现了。世间的人辗转互相忧愁哭泣，没有停止的时候。身体最终不过化为尘土，魂神空空离去，随着各自的行为受报，不能自己断绝，只有连根拔起恶的根源，才可以得到解脱，但人们却日积月累地作恶，这是愚痴的行为。我今后不再与生死轮回为伍，就像不播种一样，只会进入涅槃（Nirvana），涅槃是快乐的。’老师说完这些话，向前作揖行礼，然后就飞走了。 《五母子经》
English
English version: He further related the fifth story: 'In this life, I was reborn as the son of a mother, and then I renounced my home to study the Way. My mother wept day and night, saying, 'My son is lost, I don't know where he is, whether he is hungry and cold, whether he is alive or dead, and we will never see each other again!' She was filled with grief and longing for me. Now these five mothers are gathered together, each lamenting the loss of her son, weeping in each other's presence. I think of how my one spirit has become the son of five mothers, causing these five mothers to weep and long for me. It is for this reason that I laugh. People in the world do not know that there is a future life, they only know death. People who do good naturally receive blessings, and those who do evil naturally suffer misfortune. People in the world indulge in their desires, are capricious in their joy and anger, and have no fear of evil. The suffering after death is indescribable, and once one falls into the evil paths, regret is of no use. I am weary of the world, so I left my parents to seek the truth. I see the sights of hell, animals, hungry ghosts, and poverty, and I am terrified for them. I received the grace of my teacher and received the precepts of the Buddhist scriptures, and now I am liberated. I think of how these five mothers cannot be liberated, but are still worried about my former body. What I have wished for has all been fulfilled. People in the world worry and weep for each other endlessly. The body will eventually turn to dust, and the spirit will depart empty-handed, receiving retribution according to its actions, unable to cut it off by itself. Only by uprooting the roots of evil can one be liberated, but people accumulate evil day by day, which is the work of foolishness. I will no longer be associated with birth and death, just as one does not sow seeds, but will only enter Nirvana (Nirvana), Nirvana is happiness.' After the teacher finished speaking, he bowed and paid his respects, and then flew away. The Sutra of the Five Mothers and the Son --------------------------------------------------------------------------------