法苑珠林 53.48

53.48

十誦律云。佛為諸比丘說本生經云。過去有禿頭染衣人。共兒持衣詣水邊澣衣已捩曬持歸。爾時大熱眼闇。道中見一樹。便以衣囊枕頭下睡。有蚊子來唼其頭血。兒見已父疲極睡臥。便發惡罵云。是弊惡微陋蚊子。何以故。來唼我父血。即持大棒欲打蚊子。蚊子飛去棒著父。頭即死。時此樹神便說偈言。

The *Daśādhyāya-vinaya* states: The Buddha told the bhikṣus a jātaka story: In the past, there was a bald dyer who went with his son carrying clothes to the waterside. After washing, wringing, and drying the clothes, they took them to return home. It was extremely hot, and his eyes grew dim. Seeing a tree on the road, he used the sack of clothes as a pillow and went to sleep. A mosquito came and bit his head to suck his blood. Seeing this, the son, noticing that his father was exhausted and sleeping, uttered an angry curse, saying: "This vile, wretched mosquito! Why does it come to suck my father's blood?" He then grabbed a large club, intending to strike the mosquito. The mosquito flew away, but the club hit the father's head, and he died instantly. At that time, this tree spirit spoke a verse: