§51 五人买婢共使作喻
(51) a maid and her five masters
譬如五人,共买一婢,其中一人语此婢言:“与我浣衣。”
once there were five men who together bought a maid to whom one of them said, "get my clothes washed."
又有一人复语浣衣。婢语此者:“先与其浣。”后者恚曰:“我与前人同买于汝,云何独尔?”
another man also told her to do the same thing. but the maid said he would wash for whoever gave her clothes first. angrily the second man said, "since i have bought you with others, how can you wash only for the first one who gave the elder?"
即鞭十下。如是五人各打十下。
then he beat her ten strokes with a whip. thus she was whipped as much by each of the five masters.
五阴亦尔。烦恼因缘合成此身,而此五阴,恒以生、老、病、死、无量苦恼搒笞众生。
so are the five components of human bodies, which are the sources of annoyances. they whip the sentient beings with birth giving, old age, sickness, death and numerous other miseries.