Once upon a time there was a stupid man who was about to give a party. He wanted to store up milk for his guests.
"If I milk the cow beforehand every day, he thought, little by little, there will be too much of milk and will not be enough space to store it and it may even spoil. It would be better to let it remain inside of the cow. I'll milk the cow right away at the time of the party."
He then separated the cow from the calf and tied them up apart. A month later, he actually gave the reception. He tried to milk the cow, but the milk had run dry. Some guests got annoyed and others laughed at him.
So are the idiotic fellows who want to give alms at once but prefer to wait until they possess great wealth. It usually happens that, before they can scrape together enough money, it is seized by the country officers or taken away by robbers and thieves or by fire and flood. It also happens that, due to their sudden demise, they are not in time for giving alms.
This is just like the story of the stupid man who stored up milk.
2愚人集牛乳喻
昔有愚人，将会宾客，欲集牛乳，以拟供设，而作是念：我今若预于日日中(上殻+下牛)取牛乳，牛孔渐多，卒无安处，或复酢败。不如即就牛腹盛之，待临会时，当顿(上殻+下牛)取。作是念已，便捉牸牛母子，各系异处。却后一月，尔乃设会，迎置宾客，方牵牛来，欲(上殻+下牛)取乳，而此牛孔即乾无有。时为宾客或瞋或笑。
愚人亦尔，欲修布施，方言待我大有之时，然后顿施，未及聚顷，或为县官、水火、盗贼之所侵夺，或卒命终，不及时施，彼亦如是。
"If I milk the cow beforehand every day, he thought, little by little, there will be too much of milk and will not be enough space to store it and it may even spoil. It would be better to let it remain inside of the cow. I'll milk the cow right away at the time of the party."
He then separated the cow from the calf and tied them up apart. A month later, he actually gave the reception. He tried to milk the cow, but the milk had run dry. Some guests got annoyed and others laughed at him.
So are the idiotic fellows who want to give alms at once but prefer to wait until they possess great wealth. It usually happens that, before they can scrape together enough money, it is seized by the country officers or taken away by robbers and thieves or by fire and flood. It also happens that, due to their sudden demise, they are not in time for giving alms.
This is just like the story of the stupid man who stored up milk.
2愚人集牛乳喻
昔有愚人，将会宾客，欲集牛乳，以拟供设，而作是念：我今若预于日日中(上殻+下牛)取牛乳，牛孔渐多，卒无安处，或复酢败。不如即就牛腹盛之，待临会时，当顿(上殻+下牛)取。作是念已，便捉牸牛母子，各系异处。却后一月，尔乃设会，迎置宾客，方牵牛来，欲(上殻+下牛)取乳，而此牛孔即乾无有。时为宾客或瞋或笑。
愚人亦尔，欲修布施，方言待我大有之时，然后顿施，未及聚顷，或为县官、水火、盗贼之所侵夺，或卒命终，不及时施，彼亦如是。
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