經律異相 18.62

18.62

Formerly there were two monks whose observance of the precepts and wisdom were exactly equal; both attained the path of srotāpanna. One monk only went about begging in order to give alms, feeding the saṅgha of monks and the destitute. The other monk only sat in meditation to guard himself, and said to the one who begged to give alms: "Why do you not sit in meditation to guard yourself, instead of wearing yourself out in vain?" The other monk replied: "Worthy one, the Buddha said that a monk should also practice giving; otherwise, in future lives he will be poor." Later, both monks attained arhatship. The one who had begged in his former life was born as the son of a gṛhapati; having become a śramaṇa, he was now able to keep to himself, while people personally brought clothing and food to give him daily. The other monk, who in his former life had only guarded himself, was now the son of a maidservant; having become a śramaṇa, when he went begging, no one gave him anything, and he was constantly starving and thirsty. Therefore, one should uphold the precepts and practice giving, and not merely guard oneself. (Extracted from the Parable Sūtra in Ten Fascicles, fascicle 3).