長阿含經 7.81

7.81

Kāśyapa spoke again: "The wise gain understanding through similes. Now I shall offer another simile for you. Long ago, there was a country whose border regions were desolate and whose people were ruined. In that country, there were two men, one wise and one foolish. They said to each other: 'I am your kinsman; let us go out of the city together to gather companions and seek wealth.' Thereupon they went along together and arrived at an empty settlement. Seeing hemp on the ground, the wise one said to the foolish one: 'Let us take it together and bring it home.' At that time, the two men each took a load. Passing on to the next village, they saw hemp thread. The wise one said: 'Hemp thread is already manufactured; it is light, fine, and worth taking.' The other man said: 'I have already taken hemp, and it is tied and bound securely; I cannot abandon it.' The wise one then took the hemp thread and carried a heavy load of it away. Moving forward together again, they saw hemp cloth. The wise one said: 'Hemp cloth is already manufactured; it is light, fine, and worth taking.' The other man said: 'I have already taken hemp, and it is tied and bound securely; I can no longer abandon it.' The wise one then abandoned the hemp thread and took the cloth, bearing a heavy load. Moving forward together again, they saw cotton. The wise one said: 'Cotton is precious in value; it is light, fine, and worth taking.' The other man said: 'I have already taken hemp, and it is tied and bound securely; having brought it from so far away, I cannot abandon it.' At that time, the wise one abandoned the hemp cloth and took the cotton.