..续本文上一页 practice those ideas of impermanence, suffering, and selflessness, or the idea of impurity by way of their real meanings, that being like those people who each took tiles, stones, weeds, sand, and pebbles to be the precious gem. You must well study expedient means in every place, always cultivating the ideas of permanence, happiness, and purity. Again, you must know that the earlier cultivation of the appearance of those four Dharma-marks were inverted. One who wants to attain the genuine cultivation of these ideas is like that wise person who skillfully plucked out the precious gem. That refers to the idea of the self, and the ideas of permanence, happiness, and purity."

　　At that time, the bhiksus said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, according to the Dharmas the Buddha has spoken in the past, selflessness is what you must cultivate and study. Having cultivated and studied it, you then will depart from the idea of a self. Departing from an idea of a self, you then will depart from conceit. Departing from conceit, you will attain entry into Nirvana. What is the meaning of this

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　　The Buddha addressed the bhiksus, "Excellent, excellent! You now are skillfull in inquiring into a meaning in order to remove doubt.

　　"It is just as a country”s king whose wisdom was dim, dull, and little. He had a doctor whose nature was also foolish and boisterous. And so the king did not distinguish sincerity when bestowing such a salaried position. This doctor was dull about medicine when healing and curing the myriad illnesses and also again did not know the root sources from which the illnesses arose. While he knew the medicines, he was not skillful in understanding the breath, chills, and fevers of illness, and so all the illnesses were treated with a dose of medicine.

　　Yet, the king did not discern this doctor”s knowledge of medicine as being excellent or detestable, good or bad. Now, there was also a bright doctor who understood the eight methods [of medicine]. He skillfully cured the myriad illnesses and knew the means of medicine. He came from a distant place. Thereupon the former doctor did not know to greet him. Instead, there arose in him thoughts of superiority and triffling conceitedness. The bright doctor thereupon sent a letter to him requesting for his teacher to greet and receive the Dharma that is the core of his method. He said to the former doctor, “I now request that the virtuous one instruct me in the rules [of medicine]. My only wish is for you to proclaim and lay it out for me, explaining it thoroughly.”

　　"The former doctor replied, “Sir, if you now are able to support me for forty-eight years, then afterwards I will teach you the doctor”s Dharma.”

　　"Then the bright doctor thereupon recieved his instruction and said, “So I will, so I will! Accordingly I will provide what supplies I am able and run errands [for you].”

　　"Thereupon, the former doctor then went with the visiting doctor to see the king.

　　The visiting doctor discussed for the king a variety of healing methods and other such techniques, saying, “Great king, you should know, should well discern, that these Dharmas thus can be used to govern the kingdom. These Dharmas thus can be used to heal illness.”

　　"At that time, the country”s king, having heard his words, came to know that the former doctor was deluded, dim, and unwise. Thereupon, he chased [the former doctor] out of the realm and afterwards doubled again his respects paid to the visiting doctor.

　　"And then the visiting doctor thought to himself, “Today I wish to instruct the king correctly.” Thereupon, he said to the king, “Great king, in my genuine feeling and thought, I must seek a hope.”

　　"The king then replied, “This right arm and the rest my body shall follow my will to seek that, all in unison.”

　　"That vi…

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