眾經撰雜譬喻 1.14

1.14

昔有一婆羅門，居家貧窮正有一牸牛，𤛓乳日得一斗，以自供活。聞說十五日飯諸眾僧沙門得大福德，便止不復𤛓牛，停至一月并取，望得三斛持用供養諸沙門。至滿月，便大請諸沙門至舍皆坐，時婆羅門即入，𤛓牛乳正得一斗，雖久不𤛓乳而不多。諸人呵罵言：「汝癡人！云何日日不𤛓，乃至一月也而望得多？」今世人亦如是，有財物時，不能隨多少布施，停積久後須多乃作，無常水火及以身命須臾難保，若當不遇一朝蕩盡虛無所獲，財物危身猶如毒蛇無得貪著。譬如昔日佛遊波斯匿王國中，見地有伏藏滿中寶物，佛語阿難：「汝見是毒蛇不？」阿難言：「已見。」時有人隨佛後行，聞此語試往看之，見有好寶，嫌佛此語謂為虛綺，此實是寶而言為毒陀。其人即時私將家人大小取此寶物，其家大富。有人向王言之：「此人隨得寶藏而不輸官。」王即收繫，責其寶物即時輸盡。王故不信更多方拷治之，痛毒備至而復不首。王大怒欲誅其七世，載出欲殺，王遣人微伺為何道說，即言：「佛語至誠，實是毒蛇。而我不信，今為毒蛇所由，知當何云。若為毒蛇所殺正可及身，而今乃及七世，實如所語。」使者具上事向王陳說，王聞此語即喚令還，語其人言：「佛是大功德人，而汝能憶佛往語。」王大歡喜還其寶物，放之令去。緣念佛語故得免死難，是以佛語不可不志心念之。

Once there was a brāhmaṇa whose household was poor; he had only a single cow, which he milked daily to obtain one peck, supporting his livelihood with it. Hearing that feeding the saṃgha of monks and śramaṇas on the fifteenth day brings great merit, he stopped milking the cow, saving it up until a month had passed to take it all at once, hoping to obtain three bushels to offer to the śramaṇas. When the month was full, he invited the śramaṇas in great numbers to his home, and they all sat down. The brāhmaṇa then went in and milked the cow, but obtained only one peck; though he had not milked her for a long time, the milk had not increased. The people reproached and scolded him, saying: “You foolish man! How could you not milk her day by day, leaving it for an entire month, and still hope to obtain much?” People of the world today are also like this: when they possess wealth and goods, they cannot practice dāna according to whatever amount they have, but save and accumulate it for a long time, wanting much before they do so. The anitya fires and waters, as well as one’s own life, can scarcely be preserved for a moment; if misfortune strikes, it will all be swept away in a single morning, leaving nothing gained. Wealth imperils the body just like a venomous snake; do not be greedily attached to it. For example, in the past, when the Buddha was traveling in King Prasenajit's kingdom, he saw a hidden treasure in the ground full of precious objects. The Buddha said to Ānanda: “Do you see this venomous snake or not?” Ānanda said: “I have seen it.” At that time, a man walking behind the Buddha heard these words and went to look out of curiosity. Seeing the fine treasures, he disliked the Buddha's words, thinking them to be vain deceit: “These are truly treasures, yet he calls them a venomous snake.” That man immediately brought his family, great and small, in secret to take these treasures, and his household became very rich. Someone reported it to the king: “This man found a treasure hoard and did not turn it over to the authorities.” The king immediately arrested and imprisoned him, demanding the treasures, which were completely handed over at once. Still not believing him, the king tortured and interrogated him in even more ways; cruel suffering reached the utmost, yet he had nothing further to confess. The king was furious and wished to execute him unto seven generations. As he was being carted out to be killed, the king sent someone to spy secretly on what he would say. He then said: “The Buddha's words are utterly true; it was truly a venomous snake! But I did not believe it. Now that I have been brought to this by that venomous snake, what can I say? If killed by a venomous snake, it would reach only one’s own body; yet now it reaches unto seven generations. It is truly as he said.” The messenger reported all these matters to the king. Hearing these words, the king immediately called for him to be brought back, and said to him: “The Buddha is a person of great virtue, and you were able to recall the Buddha’s past words.” The king was greatly pleased, returned his treasures, and let him go. Because he recalled the Buddha's words, he escaped the peril of death. Therefore, one must not fail to remember the Buddha's words with a dedicated mind.