WoW13: When it comes to religious lay people, all religions are the same.

I have been reading this. It is a Buddhist book of fables. I have found that when it comes to understanding profound truths, all religions have the same problem. The general masses have difficulty understanding and appropriating wisdom.

The first fable is about this fool who went for a meal. He blamed the food for being tasteless so the host added some salt, and he found it tasty. He thought "the taste comes from the salt, if I add more, it will be even better". He shallowed a whole cup of salt, and upon realising his foolishness, spit them out. What is the moral of the story?

※....笨人吃盐....※

....从前有一个笨人，到朋友家里去作客，主人留他吃饭，他嫌菜没有味道，主人就在菜中加了一些盐，他吃起来味道就觉得很好了。笨人心里想∶『菜的味道好是从盐中得来，不多的就已这样好吃，那麽多吃些，味道一定格外好了。』这样想了以後，笨人就向主人索取了一杯盐，一口吞进嘴里去，不料咸得要命，就急忙把盐从嘴里吐出来。

....这故事比喻∶修行人适当地节量饮食，少欲知足，是对於身体和修行都有好处的；但一般外道宣传，矫枉过正，索性提唱不进食，认为这样就可以得道，因此有断食七天或十五天的，结果影响身体，困饿而死，对修行却一点儿没有益处，这是错误的。那种作法和笨人吃盐一样，是可笑而愚蠢的举动。