法苑珠林 53.48

53.48

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: