佛陀曾經說了兩則故事譬喻，來教導比丘們應當熟練四念處的修學，熟練到像熟悉自己家鄉一樣。

佛陀說：

「從前，有一隻鵪鶉鳥，被一隻大鷹抓到了，隨著大鷹的騰空，鵪鶉被拑在大鷹爪下，很悲哀地後悔道：

『都怪我一時疏忽，不自覺地離開了自己生長的熟悉環境，才會在陌生環境下被抓，如果我不亂飛，不離開自己熟悉的環境，即使大鷹也奈何不了我。』

大鷹聽了很不服氣地問道：

『鵪鶉！你熟悉的環境是什麼地方？』

『就在田埂中，到那裡誰也抓不到我。』

大鷹傲慢地說：

『鵪鶉！就算放你回田埂中，我照樣抓得到你！』

於是，大鷹放了鵪鶉，準備再抓牠一次，讓牠死得心服口服。

回到田埂的鵪鶉，找了一處可以掩蔽的大土塊，站在大土塊上，挺著胸膛對大鷹挑釁地說：

『來啊！來抓我啊！』

大鷹看到鵪鶉這般地挑釁，怒道：

『就憑你這個小東西，也敢跟我鬥？』

於是，盛怒的大鷹，收起兩翼，從空中像箭一樣地俯衝下來，撲向鵪鶉，鵪鶉算準了時間，躲到了大土塊下面，大鷹來不及反應，結果，就一頭撞死在大土塊上。」

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又一次，佛陀舉了猴子被捕的譬喻，佛陀說：

「比丘們！在雪山深處，有些險峻的地形，連猴子都上不去，就別說人類了，有些地方則是只有猴子可以到，人類沒辦法接近，而有些地勢比較平的地方，人類上得去，猴子也常來，捕猴的獵人，就挑這種地方，去找猴子習慣出沒的路徑，設下強力黏膠的捕猴陷阱。

有些聰明的猴子，能發現黏膠陷阱而躲得遠遠的，一些比較笨的，或是毛毛躁躁的猴子，就會好奇的用手觸碰黏膠，結果，一碰，手就被強力膠黏住了，心一急，另一手趕緊過來幫忙脫困，另一手也被黏住了，再用腳過來幫忙，用一隻黏一隻，結果四肢都被黏住了，只剩下一張嘴還可以動。沒有警覺心的猴子還想用嘴來幫忙手腳掙脫，一靠上來，連嘴也黏住了。最後，只能在那邊掙扎呻吟，任捕猴人宰割。」

說了譬喻之後，佛陀接著說：

「比丘們！這就是到自己不熟悉之不當場所的後果。

比丘們！如果你們常接近不當的境界，就容易讓惡魔有機可乘。

什麼是不當的境界？那就是五欲了：當眼見、耳聞、鼻嗅、舌嚐、身觸、意念而覺得可愛、歡喜、黏著時，就是不當的危險境界。

比丘們！什麼是應當安住的熟悉安全境界？就是四念處了：以身體為覺察對象；以感受、心念、心念對象的法為覺察對象來修學，用熱誠的態度，清晰的覺知，念念分明來調伏世間的貪愛與憂愁。」

The Buddha utilized two stories as simile to teach the bhikkhus that they should be proficient, insomuch as familiar with their ancestral domain, in practicing the Four Mindfulness.

The Buddha said:

“Once upon a time, a hawk suddenly swooped down and sized a quail. Then, while the quail was being carried off by the hawk, he lamented “It was my carelessness, I strayed out of my own resort into the domain of others, if I had stayed in my own resort, in my ancestral domain, this hawk would not have stood a chance against me in a fight.”

Upon listening, the hawk asked unconvincingly:

“Quail! What is your own resort, what is your own ancestral domain?”

“The freshly ploughed field covered with clods of soil where nobody can catch me.”

The hawk arrogantly said: “Quail! Go now, but even there you won’t escape me!”

Then, the hawk released the quail, plan to catch it again and let it be convinced when die.

The quail went to a freshly ploughed field covered with clods of soil, having climbed up on a large clod, the quail stood there throwing out its chest and addressed the hawk challengingly:

“Come! Come and get me!”

Upon seeing the quail’s challenging, the hawk said angrily:

“How dare you the little thing to challenge me?”

Then, the outraged hawk, folded up both its wings, drove like an arrow from the sky swooped down on the quail. But when the quail knew “That hawk has come close”, it slipped under the clod and unable to react, the hawk shuttered its head right on the spot.”

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On other occasion, the Buddha employed the story of how the monkey being caught as simile, the Buddha said:

“Bhikkhus! In the remote snow mountain, there are rugged and uneven zones with neither monkeys nor human beings can go; there are rugged and uneven zones where monkeys can go but not human beings; there are even and delightful regions where both monkeys and human beings can go. There, along the monkey trails, hunters set out traps of pitch for catching monkeys.

“Those monkeys who are not foolish and frivolous, when they see the pitch, they avoid it from afar. But a monkey who is foolish and frivolous approaches the pitch and seizes it with the hand; he gets caught there. Thinking; ‘I will free my hand,’ he seizes it with is other hand; he gets caught there. Thinking; ‘I will free both hands,’ he seizes it with his foot; he gets caught there. Thinking, ‘I will free both hands and my foot,’ he seizes it with his other foot; he gets caught there.’ Thinking, ‘I will free both hands and feet,’ he applies his muzzle to it; he gets caught there. Finally, he could only struggle and mourning, allowing himself to be trampled by the hunter.”

After talking about the simile, the Buddha continued:

“Bhikkhus! This is the outcome when one strays outside one’s own resort into the domain of others. Bhikkhus! If you often are close to improper realms, it will be easier for the devil to take advantage of.

What are the improper realms? They are the five cords of sensual pleasure: Sees a form with the eye, hearing a sound with his ear, smells odor with the nose, tastes a flavor with the tongue, touches a tangible with the body and cognizes a mind-object with the mind, there arises in him pleasure, joyful and attached; that are the improper dangerous realms.

Bhikkhus! What is your own resort, his own ancestral domain that a bhikkhu should dwell? It is the Four Mindfulness: Contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the would.”

一、本則故事前段取材自《雜阿含第六一七經》、《相應部第四七相應第六經》，後段取材自《雜阿含第六二○經》、《相應部第四七相應第七經》。

二、佛陀講的這兩個譬喻，生動、有趣，但攸關生死，又十分嚴肅。

三、佛陀的譬喻，除了教導我們當勤於修學四念處外，大鷹死亡的故事，也讓我們看到瞋心一起，理智與警覺的能力都沒了，十分可怕。而猴子不能警覺，以致五處被黏捕的情形，也讓人聯想到，不能對自己所犯的錯誤誠實地面對與承擔，而只忙於補救，結果越陷越深，最後終於難以自拔。

1. The first segment of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 617th Sutra, Samyuktta-nikaya 47th, Nikaya 6th Sutra; the second segment of this story was derived from Samyuktagama 620th Sutra, Samyuktta-nikaya 47th, Nikaya 7th Sutra.

2. These two similes articulated by the Buddha were full of life and funny but it is very serious because it deals with life and death.

3. In addition to teaching us to practice ardently the Four Mindfulness, the deaths of hawk in the simile telling us that the ability to reason and aware disappears when anger arises, it is very terrifying. And the lacking awareness resulting the monkey being caught by pitch also lets one associate that if one fails to face honestly and assume responsibility for one’s mistake and only busy at taking remedial measures, it would be resulting being cornered in a predicament, finally becoming difficult to free oneself from the wrongdoing.