The Long Āgama Sūtra 7.84

7.84

迦葉復言：「諸有智者，以譬喻得解，我今當更為汝引喻。乃往久遠有一國土，其土邊壃，人民荒壞。時，有商人，有千乘車，經過其土，水穀、薪草不自供足，時商主念言：『我等伴多，水穀、薪草不自供足，今者寧可分為二分，其一分者於前發引。』其前發導師見有一人，身體麤大，目赤面黑，泥塗其身，遙見遠來，即問：『汝從何來？』報言：『我從前村來。』又問彼言：『汝所來處，多有水穀、薪草不耶？』其人報言：『我所來處，豐有水穀，薪草無乏，我於中路逢天暴雨，其處多水，亦豐薪草。』又語商主：『汝曹車上若有穀草，盡可捐棄，彼自豐有，不須重車。』

Kāśyapa again said, “Those who are wise explain things with parables. Now, I’ll explain this for you with a story. Long ago, there was a country far away bordering a land of barbarians. At the time, there was a merchant who traveled through that land with a caravan of a thousand carts. They didn’t have enough water, grain, firewood, and grass. The merchant owner thought, ‘We brought a great deal, but our water, grain, firewood, and grass aren’t enough to supply us. Perhaps it would be best to split into two groups and for one group to head out first.’

“The leader of that first group saw a man with a huge body. His eyes were red, his face was black, and his body was covered in mud. Seeing him coming from a distance, the leader called, ‘Where have you come from?’

“The man replied, ‘I’ve come from a village that’s ahead.’

“The leader asked him, ‘Is there much water, grain, firewood, and grass where you’ve come from?’

“The man replied, ‘Water, grain, firewood, and grass are bountiful where I’ve come from. There was a downpour while I was on the road. That place has much water, and there’s plenty of firewood and grass.’

“He also said to the merchant owner, ‘If your carts are carrying grain and grass, they could discard all of it. That place has plenty, so you don’t need to burden your carts with it.’