眾經撰雜譬喻 1.37

1.37

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.