師子命終,其他獸畜無噉之者,但身中自生蟲而食之。以譬佛之正法,他人不能壞之,法中之惡比丘,自壞毀之也。仁王經下曰:「如師子身中蟲自食師子肉,非外道也。」蓮華面經上曰:「阿難!譬如師子命絕身死,若空若地若水若陸,所有眾生不噉食彼師子身肉,唯師子身自生諸蟲,還自噉食師子之肉。阿難!我之佛法非餘能壞,是我法中諸惡比丘猶如毒刺,破我三阿僧祇劫積行勤苦所集佛法。」
Just as no animal eats a dead lion, but it is destroyed by worms produced within itself, so no outside force can destroy Buddhism, only evil monks within it can destroy it.
一師子身中蟲 師子,即獅子。謂住於獅子身內,反噉食其肉之蟲;比喻入於佛門卻破壞佛法之惡比丘。或簡稱師蟲。蓮華面經卷上敘說甚詳,譬如獅子命絕身亡,百獸尚畏其威,不能噉食其肉,唯獅子之身自生諸蟲,還自噉食獅子之肉;佛法亦非外道惡魔所能壞,唯佛法中諸惡比丘,猶如毒刺,破壞佛法。〔仁王般若波羅蜜經卷下囑累品、成唯識論述記卷四本〕p5158
師子身中蟲,自食師子肉,譬喻出家比丘自壞佛法。