[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 21.15 # 法苑珠林 21.15 法苑珠林 21.15 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [21.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.21.15) 依大莊嚴論云。夫取福田當取其德。不應揀擇少壯老弊。佛言。我昔曾聞。有檀越遣知識道人詣僧伽藍請諸眾僧。但求老大不用年少。後知識道人請諸眾僧次到沙彌。然其不用。沙彌語言。何故不用我等。答言。檀越不用。非是我也。勸化道人即說偈言。 > According to the \*Mahālaṃkāra-śāstra\*: When selecting a puṇyakṣetra, one should select its virtue; one should not discriminate between young, prime, old, and decrepit. The Buddha said: Formerly I heard that a dānapati sent an acquaintance who was a religious follower to the saṃghārāma to invite the monks, seeking only the old and venerable, not wanting the youthful. Later, when the acquaintance came to invite the monks, he reached the novice monks (śrāmaṇera) in the order, but he did not accept them. A novice said, 'Why do you not take us?' He replied, 'The dānapati will not use you; it is not my doing.' The monk acting as the canvasser then spoke a verse: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 21.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.21.14) - [Next: 21.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.21.16) - [Up: 21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.21) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.21.15) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [大莊嚴論經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.kalpanamanditika*zh-kumarajiva.1.52) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.21.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.21.15) · Pramāṇa