法苑珠林 47.63

47.63

如僧祇律云。佛告諸比丘。過去世時。有城名波羅柰。國名伽尸。有一婆羅門。有摩沙豆陳久。煮不可熟。持著肆上欲賣與他。都無人買。時有一人。家有一態驢市賣難售。時陳豆主便作是念。我當以豆買此驢用。便往語言。汝能持驢貿此豆耶。驢主復念。用是態驢為當取彼豆。即便答言。可爾。得驢已歡喜。爾時豆主便作是念。今得子。便即說頌曰。

As the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya says: The Buddha told the bhikṣus: In a past age, there was a city named Vārāṇasī in the country of Kāśi. There was a brahmin who had māṣa beans that were very old, such that boiling could not soften them. He placed them in a stall wishing to sell them to others, but no one at all would buy them. At that time, there was a man whose family owned an ill-tempered donkey that was hard to sell at the market. The owner of the old beans then thought: 'I will buy this donkey with these beans and put it to work.' He went and spoke to him: 'Can you trade your donkey for these beans?' The donkey's owner also thought: 'What is the point of keeping this ill-tempered donkey? I should just take those beans.' He immediately answered: 'That will do.' Having obtained the donkey, he was delighted. The owner of the beans then thought: 'Now I have got him!' and immediately spoke a verse, saying: