法苑珠林 51.64

51.64

若修布施後生有福無所短乏。則能持戒無此眾惡。是為布施能生尸羅波羅蜜。若能布施以破慳心。然後持戒忍辱等易可得行。如文殊師利。在昔過去久遠劫時。曾為比丘。入城乞食。得滿鉢。百味歡喜丸。城中有一小兒。追而從乞。不即與之。乃至佛圖手捉二丸。而要之言。汝若能自食一丸。以一丸施僧者。當以施汝。即相然可。以一歡喜丸布施眾僧。然後於文殊師利許受戒發心作佛。如是布施能令受戒發心作佛。頌曰。

If one cultivates dāna, one will have blessings in future births without any deficiency; then one can uphold the precepts without these various evils. This is how dāna can give rise to śīlapāramitā. If one can practice dāna to break the stingy mind, thereafter upholding precepts, kṣānti, and so forth can easily be practiced. For example, long kalpas ago in the distant past, Mañjuśrī was once a bhikṣu. Entering a city to beg for food, he obtained a bowl full of joyous sweets of a hundred flavours. A small child in the city pursued him and begged for them. He did not give them immediately, but when he reached the stūpa, holding two sweets in his hand, he made a pact with him, saying: ‘If you can eat one sweet yourself and give one sweet to the Saṃgha, I will give them to you.’ The child immediately agreed and gave one joyous sweet to the Saṃgha. Thereafter, he received the precepts from Mañjuśrī and generated the aspiration to become a Buddha. Thus, dāna can cause one to receive the precepts and generate the aspiration to become a Buddha. The poem says: