英文：
Once upon a time a man pronouncing his king's crimes, said, "very cruel is the king. he is incapable of governing."
On hearing this, the king lost his temper without making sure who it was that had said it. he took his deceitful attendant's advice by holding an eminent minister under arrest. he ordered to have his backbone flayed and have his body cut to one hundred ounces of flesh for punishment.
Soon afterwards, a man testified the minister's innocence to the king. to his regret, the king ordered one thousand ounces of flesh is given to the minister to make up for what was cut off from his body.
Later, when the minister gave a groan with pain at night, the king asked, "what's wrong with you? i have given you back ten times more than i had taken from you. are you not satisfied with it? why are you still moaning?"
A bystander replied, "oh！ my great king！ if anyone cut your majesty's head and gave back one thousand other heads, could you majesty keep out of the way of death? how could getting ten times of the flesh the minister relieve himself the pain?"
So is the stupid man who is greedy for the present pleasure but not afraid of the consequences for the hereafter. he makes people around him miserable and puts them into requisition trying to make a fortune. on the other hand, he hopes to redeem his sins and obtain blessedness.
This stupid man is just like the king who first flayed and punished someone and then tried to give him back the flesh. it is impossible that the pain can be eased.
古文：
昔有一人，说王过罪，而作是言：“王甚暴虐，治政无理。”
王闻是语，即大嗔恚，竟不究悉谁作此语，信傍佞人，捉一贤臣，仰使剥脊，取百两肉。
有人证明此无是语，王心便悔，索千两肉，用为补脊。
夜中呻唤，甚大苦恼。王闻其声，问言：“何以苦恼？取汝百两，十倍与汝。意不足耶？何故苦恼？”
傍人答言：“大王，如截子头，虽得千头，不免子死。虽十倍得肉，不免苦痛。”
愚人亦尔，不畏后世，贪得现乐，苦切众生，调发百姓，多得财物，望得灭罪，而得福报。
譬如彼王，割人之脊，取人之肉，以余肉补，望使不痛，无有是处。
译文：
从前有一个人，讲国王的过失和罪恶，他这样说：“国王非常暴虐，治理朝政没有方法。”国王听到了这话，十分恼怒，竟然不追查是谁说的这句话，听信诽谤献媚的小人挑唆，把一位贤能的大臣捉来，下令从他的脊背上割下一百两肉。后来有人证明不是他说的。国王心里很后悔，命令用一千两肉为这位大臣修补脊背。这位大臣夜里痛得大声喊叫，国王听到他的声音，就去问他：“为什么痛苦呢？割了你一百两肉，还给你十倍的肉，你还不满足吗？为何还痛苦呢？”旁边的人回答：“大王如果砍掉臣子的头，即使给一千个头来作为补偿，仍免不了臣子一死；大臣虽然得到十倍的肉补偿，但仍免不了痛苦。”
愚蠢的人也是这样，不考虑将来，只图一时快乐，把痛苦推向大家，支配百姓，掠夺财物，还想要消除罪孽，从而得到福报。这就好比国王割下别人脊背上的肉，用别的肉来补救一样，希望使人不痛苦，是办不到的。