諸經要集 10.20

10.20

Also, the Upāsakaśīla-sūtra says: 'When a person without wealth says of himself that he has no wealth, this principle is incorrect. Why is this? There is no one who lacks water and grass. Although one is the ruler of a state, he is not necessarily able to give; although one is poor, he is not unable to give. Why is this? A poor person also has a portion of food. After eating, when washing the vessels, if he discards the wash-water and gives it to creatures that ought to eat it, he also gains merit. If he gives a dust-speck of parched grain flour to an ant, he also obtains immeasurable meritorious retribution. In the world's extreme poverty, who could lack this dust-speck of flour? Among the extremely poor, who is completely naked without clothing? If one has clothing, could one lack a single thread or a single needle to give to someone to bind a wound, or a finger's width of material to make a lamp wick? Good man, among the people of the world, who among the poor is without a body? If one has a body, seeing others creating merit, one's body should go to assist, undertaking labor, sweeping, and sprinkling, and one will also obtain meritorious retribution. Therefore the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra says: "Sweeping the monastic grounds of the entire Jambudvīpa does not equal sweeping a palm-sized area of the Buddha's ground."'