眾經撰雜譬喻 1.37

1.37

外國有一人治生，進金銀數千斤，意甚重之，欲藏著地中，恐螻蛄蟲鼠而侵盜之；欲藏著草澤中，復恐狐狸野獸取之；復不信家室中外兄弟、妻子，便著懷中出入行來恒恐失之。時長齋之月，四輩弟子盡詣塔寺燒香散花，此人觀視具見如是。復見塔寺前有一大鉢，四輩弟子繞塔，持金銀錢物投之鉢中。其人問曰：「何以投寶著此鉢中耶？」道人答曰：「此名布施，二名牢固藏，三名不知腐朽。」其人思惟：「真實如是人言，稱吾所求。」便持金銀盡投鉢中。道人為呪願又說：「牢固者，水不能沒，火不能燒，盜賊怨家不能侵害，投之寶藏不知腐壞，當來獲報百千萬倍，故名布施。」其人意解歡喜無量，即於塔前得須陀洹道。是以志心作福功不唐捐，自致得道。

In a foreign land there was a man who engaged in business and acquired several thousand catties of gold and silver. He prized it dearly in his mind. He wished to hide it in the ground, but feared that mole crickets, worms, and rats would burrow and steal it. He wished to hide it in the marshy grass, but feared that foxes and wild beasts would take it. Nor did he trust the members of his household, his extended kin, his wife, or his children. So he placed it in his bosom, and wherever he came and went, he was constantly afraid of losing it. At the time of the long vegetarian fast month, disciples of the four assemblies all went to the stūpa-monastery to burn incense and scatter flowers; the man observed this and saw it in full. He also saw that in front of the stūpa-monastery there was a large bowl, and the disciples of the four assemblies circumambulated the stūpa and cast gold, silver, coins, and goods into the bowl. The man asked, “Why are you casting treasures into this bowl?” A renunciant replied, “This is called dāna; its second name is the firm treasury; its third name is that which knows no decay.” The man reflected: “What this person says is truly so, matching what I seek.” Thereupon, he took his gold and silver and threw it all into the bowl. The renunciant recited a verse of blessing and further said: “As for what is firm, water cannot drown it, fire cannot burn it, and thieves or foes cannot harm it. What is cast into the treasure-store knows no rotting away, and in the future one will obtain a retribution a hundred, thousand, or ten-thousandfold. Therefore it is called dāna.” The man’s mind opened up with boundless joy, and right in front of the stūpa he attained the fruit of srotāpanna. Therefore, when one cultivates merit with a devoted mind, the effort is not spent in vain, and leads naturally to the attainment of the Way.