法苑珠林 47.63

47.63

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: