Udanavarga 4.3

4.3

昔佛在舍衛國為天人說法，時城中有婆羅門長者，財富無數，為人慳貪不好布施，食常閉門不喜人客，若其食時輒勅門士堅閉門戶，勿令有人妄入門裏，乞丐求索、沙門梵志不能得與其相見。爾時長者欻思美食，便勅其妻令作飯食，教殺肥雞薑椒和調炙之令熟。飲食飣餖即時已辦，勅外閉門，夫婦二人坐，一小兒著聚中央便共飲食。父母取雞肉著兒口中，如是數過初不肯廢。佛知此長者宿福應度，化作沙門，伺其坐食現出坐前，呪願且言：「多少布施可得大富。」長者舉頭見化沙門，即罵之曰：「汝為道士而無羞恥，室家坐食何為搪揬？」沙門答曰：「卿自愚癡不知慚羞，今我乞士何為慚羞？」長者問曰：「吾及室家自相娛樂，何故慚羞？」沙門答曰：「卿殺父妻母供養怨家，不知慚羞，反謂乞士何不慚羞？」

In days of old when Buddha was residing at Śrāvastī, and there preaching his doctrine for the good of Devas and men, there was residing in the city a certain rich Brahman of a very covetous and niggard disposition, who, from a desire to save alms, used to order his servant to shut his door and fasten his windows whenever he took his meals, so that no beggar should molest him with his importunities. And so no religious person (Shaman) could ever gain admittance, or stand in the presence of this Brahman. One day having desired his wife to kill a fowl and make a highly savoury dish of the same, they both sat down together to eat it, the doors and the windows having first been closed—and between them their little child, into whose mouth they both occasionally put scraps of the savoury dish. Now Buddha, knowing that there was a capacity for conversion in this man's case, transformed himself into the appearance of a Shaman, and waiting till the master of the house had finished his meal he placed himself before his chair, or seat, and recited the usual formula. “He who gives little or much (or he who gives a little of his abundance) in charity, lays up for himself a great reward.” The Brahman, raising his head and seeing the Shaman (as it seemed), began to abuse him and said, “You call yourself a religious mendicant, do you? and yet have no better manners than this, to force yourself into my presence when at my meals with my family?” To which he replied, “It is you, my lord, who ought to be ashamed—I need not feel shame for begging as a mendicant.” The Brahman then replied—"And what shame should I feel for eating thus with my wife in comfort?” “You, my lord, who have killed your father, and married your mother, and thus involved yourself in family disgrace, and feel no shame, nevertheless upbraid me and would put me to shame for begging a little food,” and then he recited the following verses :—